Desktop information manager for recording and viewing important events data structure

• US 6,092,067 A
• Filed: 05/30/1996
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mead, Jennifer Ruth, Duane, Nicholas Paul, Brennan, David John, Leu, Michael Gene, Van Doren, Eric, Lee, Se-Wai, Girling, Robert Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US08/657,645
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/204, 707/7, 345/326
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system for selectively recording a data structure where one or more external program modules are registered. A group of important actions is selected corresponding to both internal program modules and registered external program modules. The system determines if an action associated with one of the internal program modules or one of the registered external program modules has occurred. If so, the system determines if the action is one of the important actions. If the action is an important action, then information associated with the important action is placed into data fields of a data structure. The data structure containing the information is stored in computer memory. The data structure is maintained within a central container or folder in memory, along with previously recorded data structures. The data structure can be automatically deleted after a predetermined threshold of time. A representation of the data structure can be viewed along with representations of previously recorded data structures along a chronological timeline in related groups. The groups are based upon a particular data field of the data structure.

Claims

1. A desktop information manager having a computer-implemented process for selectively recording a data structure corresponding to an important action associated with one of a plurality of predetermined program modules, the predetermined program modules including an internal program module and a registered external program module comprising the steps of:

registering an external program module as said registered external program module;

receiving a specification for said important action;

receiving an action associated with one of the predetermined program modules;

determining if said action associated with one of the predetermined program modules is said important action; and

if said action associated with one of the predetermined program modules is said important action, then recording information related to said action into said data structure.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein said plurality of predetermined program modules comprises at least one internal program module.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein said recording step includes separating said information associated with said important action into a plurality of data fields within said data structure.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising the step of viewing a representations of said data structure along with representations of at least one previously recorded data structure in chronological order and in related groups based upon a particular one of plurality of data fields within said data structure.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 4, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises a graphical image that identifies a type of action associated with said data structure.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 4, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises information associated with one of said plurality of data fields.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising the step of deleting said data structure after a predetermined threshold of time.

8. A desktop information manager having a computer-implemented process for selectively recording a data structure associated with an important action by one of a plurality of predetermined program modules, comprising the steps of:

receiving a specification for said important action, said specification specifying an important event and an important contact;

receiving an action associated with one of said predetermined program modules, said action having an event and a contact associated with said action;

filtering said action associated with one of said predetermined program modules based on said event and said contact associated with said action by determining whether said event is said important event and said contact is said important contact; and

if said event is said important event and said contact is said important contact, then recording information related to said action into said data structure in memory.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, wherein said recording step includes separating said information associated with said action into a plurality of data fields within said data structure.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, further comprising the step of viewing a representation of said data structure along with representations of at least one previously recorded data structure in chronological order and in related groups based upon a particular one of a plurality of data fields within said data structure.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises a graphical image that identifies a type of action associated with said data structure.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises information associated with one of said plurality of data fields.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, further comprising the step of deleting said data structure from memory after a predetermined threshold of time.

14. A desktop information manager having computer-implemented process for selectively recording a data structure associated with an important action by one of a plurality of predetermined program modules, said program modules comprising at least one internal program module and at least one registered external program module, comprising the steps of:

registering an external program module as a registered external program module when said external program module is installed;

receiving a specification for an important action associated with one of said predetermined program modules, said important action defined by an important event;

determining if an action associated with one of said predetermined program modules has occurred;

if said action associated with one of said predetermined program modules has occurred, then determining if said action is said important action by determining whether an event associated with said action is said important event;

separating information associated with said important action;

storing said separated information associated with said important action into a plurality of data fields of said data structure in memory; and

viewing a representation of said data structure along with representations of at least one previously recorded data structure in chronological order in related groups based upon a particular data field from said plurality of data fields.

15. The computer-implemented process of claim 14, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises a graphical image that identifies a type of action associated with said data structure.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 14 further comprising the step of picking a reference date for viewing said representation of said data structure and said representations of said at least one previously recorded data structure.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 14 further comprising the step of deleting said data structure from memory after a predetermined threshold of time.

18. The computer-implemented process of claim 14, wherein said data structure and said at least one previously recorded data structure are maintained in a central container stored in memory.

19. A computer system having a desktop information manager for selectively recording a data structure associated with an important action by one of a plurality of predetermined program modules, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

an input device coupled to said CPU;

a pixel-based display device coupled to said CPU;

a memory storage device coupled to said CPU for maintaining said data structure; and

said CPU being operative to;

receive a definition of an important action,

determine if an action has occurred,

if said action has occurred, then to filter said action to determine if said action is said important action,

if said action is said important action, then to separate information associated with said important action,

store said separated information into a plurality of data fields of said data structure,

maintain said data structure within a central container in said memory storage device, and

display a representation of said data structure and representations of at least one previously recorded data structure on said pixel-based memory display device along a chronological timeline in related groups based upon one of a plurality of data fields associated with said data structure.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said CPU is further operative to read a file stored in said memory storage device in order to determine if said action has occurred.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of predetermined program modules comprises at least one internal program module and at least one external program module.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said CPU is further operative to indicate an occurrence of said action by writing said information associated with said action to said file using a first interprocess communication if said action is associated with said at least one internal program module.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said CPU is further operative to indicate an occurrence of said action by writing said information associated with said action to said file using a second interprocess communication if said action is associated with said at least one external program module.

24. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said CPU is further operative to delete said data structure from said memory storage device after a predetermined threshold of time.

25. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a desktop information manager having a computer program for selectively recording a data structure associated with an important action by one of a plurality of predetermined program modules, said computer program comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

receiving a specification for an important action, said specification specifying an event and a contact associated with said important action;

receiving an action from one of the predetermined program modules;

determining if said action associated with one of said plurality of predetermined program modules is said important action by determining whether said action is associated with said event and said contact;

if said action associated with one of said plurality of predetermined program modules is said important action, then recording said data structure in memory, said data structure having information associated with said action in a plurality of data fields; and

viewing a representation of said data structure along with representations of at least one previously selectively recorded data structure in chronological order in related groups based upon a particular data field from said plurality of data fields.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said plurality of predetermined program modules is comprised of at least one internal program module and at least one external program module.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said recording step comprises separating said information associated with said action into said plurality of data fields of said data structure and storing said data structure in memory.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises a graphical image that identifies a type of action associated with said data structure.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said representation of said data structure comprises said separated information from one of said plurality of data fields.

30. A desktop information manager having a method for selectively recording an important action associated with a program module, comprising the steps of:

registering an external program module as a registered external program module;

receiving a specification for a first important action associated with an internal program module;

receiving a specification for a second important action associated with said registered external program module;

receiving an action associated with said internal program module;

determining if said action associated with said internal program module is said first important action;

if said action associated with said internal program module is said first important action, then recording information related to said action into a first data structure;

receiving an action associated with said registered external program module;

determining if said action associated with said registered external program module is said second important action; and

if said action associated with said registered external program module is said second important action, then recording information related to said action into a second data structure.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first important action is specified by specifying a first event, and wherein the step of determining if said action associated with said internal program module is said first important action comprises the steps of:

determining whether said action associated with said internal program module corresponds to said first event.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the second important action is specified by specifying a second event, and wherein the step of determining if said action associated with said registered external program module is said second important action comprises the steps of:

determining whether said action associated with said registered external program module corresponds to said second event.