Distance and Location-Aware Reminders in a Calendar System

• US 20120136572A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Norton, Kenneth S.
• Application Number:
  US13/162,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136572A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A method and a system for determining a time to provide an event reminder based on a plurality of factors, including the location of a user, or the distance between the location of the user and an event location is described. A computer-implemented method includes determining the event reminder time, in response to a predefined triggering event. The method includes retrieving event information for the respective event, including an event location and an event start time. An origin of the respective user is obtained, and a travel time is determined for the respective user to travel from the origin to the event location. In accordance with the event start time and travel time, an event reminder time is determined for the respective event. Also methods and systems for providing scheduling assistance based on the travel time are described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining a time to provide an event reminder for a respective event for a respective user, performed on a system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, comprising:

in response to a predefined triggering event,

retrieving, from an event database, event information for the respective event, including an event location and an event start time;

obtaining an origin of the respective user, including obtaining from the event database a location of a preceding event for the respective user, the preceding event occurring before the respective event;

determining a travel time for the respective user to travel from the origin to the event location; and

determining, in accordance with the event start time and travel time, an event reminder time for the respective event, the event reminder time comprising a time at which the respective user is to be provided a reminder of the respective event.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

providing to the respective user, at the event reminder time, a reminder of the respective event.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

providing the event reminder time to a client device of the respective user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the origin includes obtaining a location of the respective user from a position sensing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the origin includes obtaining location information of the respective user from a mobile phone device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the travel time includes determining a pathway from the origin to the event location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the pathway includes calculating a distance from the origin to the event location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the pathway further includes determining a mode of travel based on the distance.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the pathway includes:

identifying a plurality of candidate pathways from the origin to the event location; and

selecting a pathway from the plurality of candidate pathways based on a predefined criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predefined criteria includes a user preference.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the predefined criteria includes an estimated travel time from the origin to the event location for each candidate pathway.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the pathway includes identifying the pathway characteristics.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the travel time includes obtaining a representative travel time from the origin to the event location from a travel time database.

15. The method of claim 14, including updating the travel time database in accordance with actual travel times of the respective user.

6. (canceled)

16. A server system for determining a time to provide an event reminder for a respective event for a respective user, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs comprising

instructions executed by the one or more processors so as to;

respond to a predefined triggering event by;

retrieving, from an event database, event information for the respective event, including an event location and an event start time;

obtaining an origin of the respective user, including obtaining from the event database a location of a preceding event for the respective user, the preceding event occurring before the respective event;

determining a travel time for the respective user to travel from the origin to the event location; and

determining, in accordance with the event start time and travel time, an event reminder time for the respective event, the event reminder time comprising a time at which the respective user is to be provided a reminder of the respective event.

17. The server system of claim 16, wherein the instructions for determining the travel time include instructions for determining a pathway from the origin to the event location.

18. (canceled)

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a computer for determining a time to provide an event reminder for a respective event for a respective user, the one or more programs comprising instructions to be executed by the one or more processors so as to:

respond to a predefined triggering event by;

retrieving, from an event database, event information for the respective event, including an event location and an event start time;

obtaining an origin of the respective user, including obtaining from the event database a location of a preceding event for the respective user, the preceding event occurring before the respective event;

determining a travel time for the respective user to travel from the origin to the event location; and

determining, in accordance with the event start time and travel time, an event reminder time for the respective event, the event reminder time comprising a time at which the respective user is to be provided a reminder of the respective event.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for determining a pathway from the origin to the event location.

21. (canceled)