Calendar incorporating document retrieval interface

• US 6,085,205 A
• Filed: 11/12/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kiyoshi, Hull, Jonathan J., Peairs, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/968,694
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 707/530, 707/900, 707/104
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

A calendar-based user interface for electronically stored documents is provided by virtue of the present invention. Each document has an associated time. A calendar view is constructed including an icon representing a particular document. The icon is presented at a location corresponding to the time of the document. In one embodiment, the calendar view includes a month view with each date having a corresponding area for presentation of document icons for documents processed on that date.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface for accessing a document image, said method comprising:

receiving information indicating at least one time associated with a document image, said time comprising a time of day and a date; and

forming a calendar view, said calendar view showing an icon representing said document image at a location determined by said time associated with said document image;

wherein said icon comprises descriptive and actual information from said document image, wherein said calendar view comprises a plurality of cells, each of said cells corresponding to a particular date, wherein each of said cells displays icons of document images associated with said particular date.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said time associated with said document image comprises a time associated with an event related to processing said document image.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said time associated with said document image comprises a future time.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises printing of said document image.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises faxing of said document image.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises copying of said document image.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises e-mailing of said document image.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises retrieval of said document image from a network.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises scanning said document image.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining information identifying a non-document related event and a time associated with said non-document related event.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said non-document related event comprises a news event.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said non-document related event comprises an appointment.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said non-document related event is extracted from a calendar manager.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said non-document related event is extracted from the internet.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

including a representation of said non-document related event in said calendar view at a location indicative of said time associated with said non-document related event.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming comprises:

developing a hypertext link associated with said icon, wherein selection of said hypertext link causes display of said document image.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein selection of said hypertext link causes display of at least one of a plurality of hypertext links, wherein selection of said at least one of a plurality of hypertext links causes display of said document image.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said calendar view comprises a month view.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said month view comprises a table comprising a plurality of cells, wherein each of said cells corresponds to a date, at least one of said cells including said icon.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying said calendar view.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said descriptive information comprises actual content of said document image.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said descriptive information comprises document source information.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said descriptive information comprises document history information.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying said time of day along with said icon.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said calendar view further comprises a date numeral, said date numeral having a hypertext link, selection of said hypertext link associated with said date numeral causes a listing of said document images for a particular day associated with said date numeral.

26. A computer product for providing a user interface for accessing a document image, said product comprising:

code for obtaining information indicating a time associated with said document image, said time comprising a time of day and a date;

code for forming a calendar view, said calendar view showing an icon representing said document image at a location determined by said time associated with said document image; and

a computer-readable storage medium for storing the codes;

wherein said icon comprises descriptive and actual information from said document image, wherein said calendar view comprises a plurality of cells, each of said cells corresponding to a particular date, wherein each of said cells displays icons of document images associated with said particular date.

27. The product of claim 26 wherein said time associated with said document image comprises a time associated with an event related to processing said document image.

28. The product of claim 27 wherein said time associated with said document image comprises a future time.

29. The product of claim 27 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises printing of said document image.

30. The product of claim 27 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises faxing of said document image.

31. The product of claim 27 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises copying of said document image.

32. The product of claim 27 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises e-mailing of said document image.

33. The product of claim 27 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises retrieval of said document image from a network.

34. The product of claim 27 wherein said event related to processing said document image comprises scanning said document image.

35. The product of claim 26 further comprising:

code for obtaining information identifying a non-document related event and a time associated with said non-document related event.

36. The product of claim 35 further comprising:

code for including a representation of said non-document related event in said calendar view at a location indicative of said time associated with said non-document related event.

37. The product of claim 35 wherein said non-document related event comprises a news event.

38. The product of claim 35 wherein said non-document related event is extracted from the internet.

39. The product of claim 26 wherein said forming code comprises:

code for developing a hypertext link associated with said icon, wherein selection of said link causes display of said document image.

40. The product of claim 39 wherein selection of said hypertext link causes display of at least one of a plurality of hypertext links, wherein selection of said at least one of a plurality of hypertext links causes display of said document image.

41. The product of claim 26 wherein said calendar view comprises a month view.

42. The product of claim 41 wherein said month view comprises a table comprising a plurality of cells, wherein each of said cells corresponds to a date, at least one of said cells including said icon.

43. The product of claim 35 wherein said non-document related event comprises an appointment.

44. The product of claim 35 wherein said non-document related event is extracted from a calendar manager.

45. The product of claim 37 further comprising:

code for displaying said calendar view.

46. The product of claim 26 wherein said descriptive information comprises actual content of said document image.

47. The product of claim 26 wherein said descriptive information comprises document source information.

48. The product of claim 26 wherein said descriptive information comprises document history information.

49. The product of claim 26 wherein said time of day is displayed along with said icon.

50. The product of claim 26 wherein said calendar view further comprises a date numeral, said date numeral having a hypertext link, selection of said hypertext link associated with said date numeral causes a listing of said document images for a particular day associated with said date numeral.

51. A computer system configured to provide a user interface for accessing a document image, said computer system comprising:

a processor for executing instructions; and

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory storing said instructions for;

updating a calendar view, responsive to an event related to the processing of said document image, by adding information relating said document image and a time associated with said event related to the processing of said document image, said time comprising a time of day and a date; and

transmitting said calendar view via a network, said calendar view showing an icon representing said document image at a location determined by said time associated with said document image, wherein said icon comprises descriptive and actual information from said document image, wherein said calendar view comprises a plurality of cells, each of said cells corresponding to a particular date, and wherein each of said cells displays icons of document images associated with said particular date.

52. The product of claim 51 wherein said time of day is displayed along with said icon.

53. A method for providing a user interface for accessing a document image, said method comprising:

receiving information indicating at least one time associated with a document image, said time comprising a time of day and a date; and

forming a calendar view, said calendar view showing an icon representing said document image at a location determined by said time associated with said document image;

wherein said icon comprises descriptive and actual information from said document image, wherein said calendar view comprises a plurality of cells, each of said cells corresponding to a particular date, and wherein each of said cells displays icons of document images associated with said particular date.

54. A computer product for providing a user interface for accessing a document image, said product comprising:

code for obtaining information indicating a time associated with said document image, said time comprising a time of day and a date;

code for forming a calendar view, said calendar view showing an icon representing said document image at a location determined by said time associated with said document image; and

a computer-readable storage medium for storing the codes;

wherein said calendar view comprises a plurality of cells, each of said cells corresponding to a particular date, wherein each of said cells displays icons of document images associated with said particular date;

wherein said icon comprises descriptive and actual information from said document image.

55. A computer system configured to provide a user interface for accessing a document image, said computer system comprising:

a processor for executing instructions; and

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory storing said instructions for;

updating a calendar view, responsive to an event related to the processing of said document image, by adding information relating said document image and a time associated with said event related to the processing of said document image, said time comprising a time of day and a date; and

transmitting said calendar view via a network, said calendar view showing an icon representing said document image at a location determined by said time associated with said document image;

wherein said calendar view comprises a plurality of cells, each of said cells corresponding to a particular date, wherein each of said cells displays icons of document images associated with said particular date;

wherein said icon comprises descriptive and actual information from said document image.