FOR-YOUR-INFORMATION EVENTS

• US 20140149896A1
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Los, David J., Tischhauser, Paul, Joshi, Neel K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,269,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A for-your-information event can be received in a computer system. The for-your-information event can include an event time field that indicates a scheduled time for the for-your-information event. The computer system may not automatically block the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on a calendar in response to receiving the for-your-information event. User input indicating that the for-your-information event is to be converted to a regular event can be received. In response to the user input, the computer system can convert the for-your-information event to a regular event. Converting the for-your information event can include automatically including the scheduled time of the for-your-information event as a scheduled time for the converted regular event. Also in response to the user input, the computer system can automatically block the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on the calendar.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a for-your-information event in a computer system, the for-your-information event including an event time field that indicates a scheduled time for the for-your-information event, the computer system not automatically blocking the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on a calendar in response to receiving the for-your-information event;

receiving a regular event in the computer system, the received regular event including a time field that indicates a scheduled time for the received regular event;

the computer system automatically blocking the scheduled time for the received regular event on the calendar in response to receiving the received regular event; and

displaying a representation of the for-your-information event, the representation comprising a user interface control that can be selected by user input to convert the for-your-information event to a converted regular event and to block the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on the calendar for the converted regular event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer system receiving an additional event including a time field that indicates a time for the additional event;

the computer system determining whether the additional event is a regular event or a for-your-information event;

if the computer system determines that the additional event is a regular event, then the computer system automatically blocking time on the calendar for the additional event; and

if the computer system determines that the additional event is a for-your-information event, then the computer system not automatically blocking time on the calendar for the additional event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing the calendar, wherein sharing the calendar comprises sharing the received regular event, and wherein sharing the calendar does not comprise sharing the for-your-information event.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating that the for-your-information event is to be converted to a regular event, and in response to the user input indicating that the for-your-information event is to be converted to a regular event, the computer system converting the for-your-information event to a regular event and blocking time on the calendar for the converted regular event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user input comprises user input selecting the user interface control.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a representation of the received regular event in a main calendar display region and displaying a representation of the for-your-information event in a secondary display region.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the main calendar display region comprises a plurality of representations of regular events and the secondary display region comprises a plurality of representations of for-your-information events.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the main calendar display region and the secondary display region are displayed at the same time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the for-your-information event comprises a reminder setting, the reminder setting being set to provide a reminder of the for-your-information event.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the computer system providing a reminder of the for-your-information event in response to the reminder setting.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the for-your-information event in the computer system is part of receiving a calendar of for-your-information events, the calendar of for-your-information events comprising the for-your-information event, and the calendar being designated as a for-your-information calendar in the computer system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed at least in part by hardware logic.

13. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by at least one processor cause at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

receiving a for-your-information event in the computer system, the for-your-information event including an event time field that indicates a scheduled time for the for-your-information event, the computer system not automatically blocking the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on a calendar in response to receiving the for-your-information event;

receiving user input indicating that the for-your-information event is to be converted to a regular event; and

in response to the user input, the computer system converting the for-your-information event to a regular event, converting the for-your-information event comprising automatically including the scheduled time of the for-your-information event as a scheduled time for the converted regular event; and

in response to the user input, automatically blocking the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on the calendar.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the user input is a single user input action.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise the computer system displaying a representation of the for-your-information event prior to receiving the user input, the representation comprising a control for converting the for-your-information event to a regular event.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the user input selects the control for converting the for-your-information event to a regular event.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the acts further comprise displaying a representation of the for-your-information event in a first display region but not in a second display region prior to converting the for-your-information event to the converted regular event, and displaying the converted regular event in the second display region after receiving the user input.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the first display region and the second display region are both display regions of a user interface for the computer system.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving an additional regular event in the computer system, the additional regular event including a time field having a scheduled time; and

in response to receiving the additional regular event, automatically blocking the scheduled time of the additional regular event on the calendar.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform acts comprising:

receiving a for-your-information event in a computer system, the for-your-information event including an event time field that indicates a scheduled time for the for-your-information event, the computer system not automatically blocking the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on a calendar in response to receiving the for-your-information event;

receiving a regular event in the computer system, the regular event including a time field that indicates a scheduled time for the regular event;

the computer system automatically blocking the scheduled time for the regular event on the calendar in response to receiving the regular event;

the computer system receiving an additional event including a time field that indicates a scheduled time for the additional event;

the computer system determining whether the additional event is a regular event or a for-your-information event;

if the computer system determines that the additional event is a regular event, then the computer system automatically blocking a scheduled time for the additional event;

if the computer system determines that the additional event is a for-your-information event, then the computer system not automatically blocking the scheduled time for the additional event;

sharing the calendar, sharing the calendar comprising sharing one or more regular events, and sharing the calendar not comprising sharing the for-your-information event;

displaying one or more representations of the one or more regular events in a main calendar display region;

displaying a representation of the for-your-information event in a secondary display region at the same time as displaying the representation of the regular event in the main calendar display region;

displaying a user interface control associated with the for-your-information event;

receiving user input indicating that the for-your-information event is to be converted to a regular event, the user input selecting the user interface control; and

in response to the user input indicating that the for-your-information event is to be converted to a regular event, the computer system converting the for-your-information event to a regular event and blocking the scheduled time of the for-your-information event on the calendar for the converted regular event.