Method for automatically reconciling entries on two copies of independently maintained electronic calendars
First Claim
1. A method for use in an interactive data processing system including a display device, a keyboard, a system memory, and a diskette storage unit, said system automatically reconciling calendared event entries that have been interactively entered into said system for a specified system user and which exist in an electronic calendar stored in said system and a copy of said electronic calendar stored on a portable diskette, said method assisting said user to develop one correct set of calendar entries whenever independent calendar entries are made to either said calendar stored in said system or to said copy after the time said copy is made, and in which said electronic calendar has a plurality of data structures, each of which identifies information about one calendared event that corresponds to one of said entries and comprises a plurality of fields including one field that identifies a unique time period, said method comprising the following steps,(A) on said display device a first prompting screen to an operator for entering calendar event information via the keyboard,(B) establishing with said system a first field in each data structure of said plurality of data structures for storing a unique ID for an event that is associated with said each data structure,(C) storing with said system said unique ID in said first field when said information is entered into said system to calendar said event,(D) comparing with said system, said unique time periods from pairs of said data structures to determine a same unique time period,(E) comparing with said system, said unique ID'"'"'s from pairs of said data structures which represent the same said unique time period on said electronic calendar stored in said system memory and on said calendar stored on said diskette to identify pairs of data structures which represent a schedule conflict, and(F) automatically selecting one said data structure of each said pair to be included in said correct set at a corresponding identical unique time period, including the step of,(1) presenting to said operator a second prompting screen displaying event information corresponding to each said pair of data structures which represent a schedule conflict, for said operator to select one said data structure of said conflicting pair to be included in said correct set at a corresponding identical time period when said first fields contain different said unique IDs.
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Abstract
An electronic calendaring method for use in a data processing system in which calendar entries that have been made for the same time span independently on two different copies of the calendar can be automatically and interactively reconciled. The method permits a calendar owner to obtain a machine readable transportable copy of his calendar on a diskette, to update that copy when the master copy is not available to him because of a business trip, for example, and upon his return to automatically and interactively reconcile the updated entries that have been made to both copies so that at least one of them reflects the correct status of calendered events for that owner.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for use in an interactive data processing system including a display device, a keyboard, a system memory, and a diskette storage unit, said system automatically reconciling calendared event entries that have been interactively entered into said system for a specified system user and which exist in an electronic calendar stored in said system and a copy of said electronic calendar stored on a portable diskette, said method assisting said user to develop one correct set of calendar entries whenever independent calendar entries are made to either said calendar stored in said system or to said copy after the time said copy is made, and in which said electronic calendar has a plurality of data structures, each of which identifies information about one calendared event that corresponds to one of said entries and comprises a plurality of fields including one field that identifies a unique time period, said method comprising the following steps,
(A) on said display device a first prompting screen to an operator for entering calendar event information via the keyboard, (B) establishing with said system a first field in each data structure of said plurality of data structures for storing a unique ID for an event that is associated with said each data structure, (C) storing with said system said unique ID in said first field when said information is entered into said system to calendar said event, (D) comparing with said system, said unique time periods from pairs of said data structures to determine a same unique time period, (E) comparing with said system, said unique ID'"'"'s from pairs of said data structures which represent the same said unique time period on said electronic calendar stored in said system memory and on said calendar stored on said diskette to identify pairs of data structures which represent a schedule conflict, and (F) automatically selecting one said data structure of each said pair to be included in said correct set at a corresponding identical unique time period, including the step of, (1) presenting to said operator a second prompting screen displaying event information corresponding to each said pair of data structures which represent a schedule conflict, for said operator to select one said data structure of said conflicting pair to be included in said correct set at a corresponding identical time period when said first fields contain different said unique IDs.
Specification