Active calendar system

• US 6,480,830 B1
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Manber, Udi, Lehman, Tobin Jon, Pinter, Ron Yair, Lu, Qi, Ford, Daniel Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, Hyung-Sub
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US09/049,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 705/9, 705/5, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 345/963
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

An “active” calendar automatically analyzes a user'"'"'s calendar entries and sends machine-readable messages to destinations appropriate to content of the calendar entry. A group of event categories is established, each category specifying one class of anticipated calendar entry. An action rule database pre-associates each event category with one or more message formats each having a content and a destination. The action rule database also contains data identifying sources containing the content and destination for each message format. These sources include records of the action rule database itself, subparts of calendar entries of the pre-associated event category, one or more other databases, or a combination of the foregoing. After the calendar receives a user-submitted computer calendar entry describing a planned event, it identifies one of the event categories of the established group that classifies the planned event. For each message format pre-associated with the identified event category, the calendar determines the content and destination for the message as specified by the action rule database, and transmits the message to the destination.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for processing an appointment entry of a computerized calendar that includes predetermined event categories classifying anticipated calendar appointment entries, said calendar also including an action rule database having (1) data pre-associating each event category with one or more predetermined message formats, each message format having a content and a destination, and (2) data identifying information sources containing the content and destination for each message format the sources including records of the action rule database and subparts of calendar appointment entries of the pre-associated event category, the method comprising:

automatically in response to user completion of a computer calendar appointment entry describing a planned event, the computerized calendar automatically analyzing contents of the completed calendar entry to identify one of the predetermined event categories classifying the planned event;

for each message format pre-associated with the identified event category the computerized calendar performing operations comprising;

determining content and destination for the message as specified in the action rule database; and

transmitting a machine-readable message having the determined content to the determined destination.

2. The method of claim 1, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database and in response retrieving one or more of the content and destination from records of the action rule database.

3. The method of claim 1, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database and in response obtaining one or more of the content and destination from data in the calendar appointment entry.

4. The method of claim 1, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database to identify a target database and obtaining one or more of the content and destination from the target database.

5. The method of claim 1, the identifying of one of the event categories being performed by applying a computer-implemented analysis to contents of the calendar appointment entry.

6. The method of claim 5, the analysis comprising providing a group of probable event categories to a user and obtaining user input to identify a single one of the event categories.

7. The method of claim 1, the identifying of one of the event categories comprising receiving identification of an event category from the user substantially concurrently with the user'"'"'s submittal of the calendar appointment entry.

8. The method of claim 1, there being one or more subcategories pre-associated with each event category, the method further comprising identifying a number of fields of the calendar appointment entry, each field being associated with a different one of the subcategories of the identified event category.

9. The method of claim 1, the message formats including at least one of the following:

a search for information, an e-mail message, and a processing instruction tailored to one or more subcomponents of a computer running the calendar, a processing instruction tailored to one or more peripheral components coupled to the computer running the calendar.

10. The method of claim 1, the transmitted message comprising a request to search for information, the message content including search parameters, and the message destination including a search engine.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

the requested search completing; and

linking the calendar appointment entry to any information found by the search.

12. The method of claim 11, the linking comprising hyperlinking the calendar appointment entry to information found by the search.

13. A signal-earing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for processing an appointment entry of a computerized calendar that includes predetermined event categories classifying anticipated calendar appointment entries and an action rule database having (1) data pre-associating each event category with one or more predetermined message formats, each message format having a content and a destination and (2) data identifying information sources containing the content and destination for each message format, the sources including records of the action rule database and subparts of calendar appointment entries of the pre-associated event category, the method comprising:

automatically in response to user completion of a computer calendar appointment entry describing a planned event, the computerized calendar automatically analyzing contents of the completed calendar entry to identify one of the predetermined event categories classifying the planned event;

for each message format pre-associated with the identified event category, the computerized calendar performing operations comprising;

determining content and destination for the message as specified in the action rule database; and

transmitting a machine-readable message having the determined content to the determined destination.

14. The medium of claim 13, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database and in response retrieving one or more of the content and destination from records of the action rule database.

15. The medium of claim 13, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database and in response obtaining one or more of the content and destination from data in the calendar appointment entry.

16. The medium of claim 13, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database to identify a target database and obtaining one or more of the content and destination from the target database.

17. The medium of claim 13, the identifying of one of the event categories being performed by applying a computer-implemented analysis to contents of the calendar appointment entry.

18. The medium of claim 17, the analysis comprising providing a group of probable event categories to a user and obtaining user input to identify a single one of the event categories.

19. The medium of claim 13, the identifying of one of the event categories comprising receiving identification of an event category from the user substantially concurrently with the user'"'"'s submittal of the calendar appointment entry.

20. The medium of claim 13, there being one or more sub-categories pre-associated with each event category, the method further comprising identifying a number of fields of the calendar appointment entry, each field being associated with a different one of the subcategories of the identified event category.

21. The medium of claim 13, the message formats including at least one of the following:

a search for information, an e-mail message, and a processing instruction tailored to one or more subcomponents of a computer running the calendar, a processing instruction tailored to one or more peripheral components coupled to the computer running the calendar.

22. The medium of claim 13, the transmitted message comprising a request to search for information, the message content including search parameters, and the message destination including a search engine.

23. The medium of claim 22, the method further comprising:

the requested search completing; and

linking the calendar appointment entry to any information found by the search.

24. The medium of claim 23, the linking comprising hyperlinking the calendar appointment entry to information found by the search.

25. A computer-implemented active calendar, comprising:

a storage; and

a processor, coupled to the storage, the processor programmed to perform steps for processing an appointment entry of a computerized personal calendar that includes predetermined event categories classifying anticipated calendar appointment entries, the calendar also including an action rule database having (1) data pre-associating each event category with one or more predetermined message formats, each message format having a content and a destination and (2) data identifying information sources containing the content and destination for each message format, the sources including records of the action rule database and subparts of calendar entries of the pre-associated event category, the steps comprising;

automatically in response to user completion of a computer calendar appointment entry describing a planned event, the computerized calendar automatically analyzing contents of the completed calendar entry to identify one of the predetermined event categories classifying the planned event;

for each message format pre-associated with the identified event category, the computerized calendar performing operations comprising;

determining content and destination for the message as specified in the action rule database; and

transmitting a machine-readable message having the determined content to the determined destination.

26. The calendar of claim 25, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database and in response retrieving one or more of the content and destination from records of the action rule database.

27. The calendar of claim 25, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database and in response obtaining one or more of the content and destination from data in the calendar appointment entry.

28. The calendar of claim 25, the determining of the content and destination for the message comprising:

consulting the action rule database to identify a target database and obtaining one or more of the content and destination from the target database.

29. The calendar of claim 25, the identifying of one of the event categories being performed by applying a computer-implemented analysis to contents of the calendar appointment entry.

30. The calendar of claim 29, the analysis comprising providing a group of probable event categories to a user and obtaining user input to identify a single one of the event categories.

31. The calendar of claim 25, the identifying of one of the event categories comprising receiving identification of an event category from the user substantially concurrently with the user'"'"'s submittal of the calendar appointment entry.

32. The calendar of claim 25, there being one or more subcategories pre-associated with each event category, the method further comprising identifying a number of fields of the calendar appointment entry, each field being associated with a different one of the subcategories of the identified event category.

33. The calendar of claim 25, the message formats including at least one of the following:

a search for information, an e-mail message, and a processing instruction tailored to one or more subcomponents of a computer running the calendar, a processing instruction tailored to one or more peripheral components coupled to the computer running the calendar.

34. The calendar of claim 25, the transmitted message comprising a request to search for information, the message content including search parameters, and the message destination including a search engine.

35. The calendar of claim 34, the method further comprising:

the requested search completing, and

linking the calendar appointment entry to any information found by the search.

36. The calendar of claim 35, the linking comprising hyperlinking the calendar appointment entry to information found by the search.

37. A digital data processing machine, comprising:

means for storing digital data; and

processing means, coupled to the means for storing digital data, for processing an appointment entry of a computerized personal calendar that includes predetermined event categories classifying anticipated calendar appointment entries and an action rule database having (1) data pre-associating each event category with one or more predetermined message formats, each message format having a content and a destination and (2) data identifying information sources containing the content and destination for each message format, the sources including records of the action rule database and subparts of calendar appointment entries of the pre-associated event category, the entry being processed by;

automatically in response to user completion of a computer calendar appointment entry describing a planned event, the computerized calendar automatically analyzing contents of the completed calendar entry to identify one of the predetermined event categories classifying the planned event;

for each message format preassociated with the identified event category, the computerized calendar performing operations comprising;

determining content and destination for the message as specified in the action rule database; and

transmitting a machine-readable message having the determined content to the determined destination.

38. A computer implemented method for processing an appointment entry of a computerized calendar, comprising:

establishing predetermined event categories classifying anticipated calendar appointment entries;

constructing an action rule database including;

data pre-associating each event category with one or more predetermined message formats, each message format having a content and a destination; and

data identifying information sources containing the content and destination for each message format, the sources including records of the action rule database and subparts of calendar appointment entries of the pre-associated event category;

automatically in response to user completion of a computer calendar appointment entry describing a planned event, the computerized calendar automatically analyzing contents of the completed calendar entry to identify one of the predetermined event categories classifying the planned event;

for each message format pre-associated with the identified event category, the computerized calendar performing operations comprising;

determining content and destination for the message as specified in the action rule database; and

transmitting a machine-readable message having the determined content to the determined destination.

39. A method for providing a computer calendar system, comprising machine-executed operations of:

detecting user entry of a computer calendar appointment describing a future event;

automatically in response to user entry of the computer calendar appointment, performing operations comprising;

analyzing contents of the appointment to identify one event category, in a group of predetermined event categories, classifying the planned event;

consulting a database to identify one or more message types pre-associated with the identified event category, where said database pre-associates each event category with one or more predetermined message types;

for each identified message type, performing operations comprising;

consulting a database to identify one or more information resources, where said database pre-associates each message format with one or more predetermined information resources;

utilizing the identified information sources to determine content and destination for the message;

transmitting a machine-readable message having the determined content to the determined destination.