Calendar control for selection of time periods to filter data

• US 7,296,232 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burdick, Brian, Kundu, Abhijit
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanne; Sara
• Application Number:
  US10/113,240
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: 700 13- 16, 715/810, 715/738, 715/733, 715/736, 707/3, 707/4
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2322 using timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The invention is directed to filtering data in a database with a calendar user interface. The invention returns data associated with time periods selected by the user. In particular, the calendar user interface provides options to the user to individually select a range or non-contiguous time periods and to specify time periods relative to a current time period where the relative time periods are internally converted to fixed time periods.

Claims

1. A method for processing data stored in a database associated with a server, said method comprising:

displaying a calendar user interface to a user, said calendar user interface defining a plurality of time periods, at least one of said time periods having data stored in the database corresponding thereto;

receiving from the user at least a first selection and a second selection of the plurality of time periods, said first selection comprising individually selected starting and ending times, said second selection comprising individually selected starting and ending times, wherein said first selection and said second selection are non-contiguous time periods;

modifying the selections as a function of the cumulative time;

enabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods does not exceed a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

disabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods exceeds a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

updating the displayed calendar user interface in response to the received selections to indicate the selected time periods;

generating a query based on the selected time periods in response to a user command; and

submitting the query to the database to retrieve non-calendar data associated with the selected time periods from the database for processing, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected time periods.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selections specifies the selected time periods relative to a current time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one property value associated with the calendar user interface from a user, wherein displaying comprises displaying the calendar user interface in accordance with the received property value.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying an error message to the user if the property value is invalid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calendar user interface is one or more of the following:

a day selector user interface, a month selector user interface, and a relative date selector user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the time periods are selected from a group consisting of one or more months, weeks, days, or hours.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the displayed calendar user interface comprises providing a visual indication to the user confirming the selections of the time periods.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual indication comprises modifying a color associated with a display of the selected time periods.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-calendar data corresponds to statistics for web site access.

10. One or more computer readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

11. A method for processing data stored in a database, said database associated with a server, said method comprising:

displaying a calendar user interface to a user, said calendar user interface defining a plurality of time periods, at least one of said time periods having data stored in the database corresponding thereto;

receiving from the user at least one selection of a plurality of the time periods, said selection specifying the selected time periods relative to a current time period, wherein the selected time periods begin with the current time period or wherein the selected time periods end with the current time period, said selection representing individually selected non-contiguous time periods;

modifying the selections as a function of the cumulative time;

enabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods does not exceed a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

disabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods exceeds a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

updating the displayed calendar user interface in response to the received selection to indicate the selected time periods;

generating a query based on the selected time periods in response to a user command; and

submitting the query to the database to retrieve non-calendar data associated with the selected time periods from the database for processing, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected time periods.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the time periods are selected from a group consisting of one or more months, weeks, days, or hours.

13. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for processing data stored in a database associated with a server, said method comprising:

receiving from a user at least one property value associated with a calendar user interface, said calendar user interface defining a plurality of time periods, at least one of said time periods having data stored in the database corresponding thereto;

displaying the calendar user interface to a user on the display in accordance with the received property value;

receiving from the user at least a first selection and a second selection corresponding to the plurality of time periods via the user interface selection device, said first selection comprising individually selected starting and ending times, wherein said first selection and said second selection are non-contiguous time periods;

modifying the selections as a function of the cumulative time;

enabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods does not exceed a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

disabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods exceeds a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

altering the calendar user interface on the display in response to the received selections to indicate the selected time periods;

receiving an execution signal from the user via the user interface selection device;

generating a query based on the selected time periods in response to execution signal; and

submitting the query to the database to retrieve non-calendar data associated with the selected time periods from the database for processing, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected time periods.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the selections specifies the selected time periods relative to a current time period.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-calendar data corresponds to statistics for web site access.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the time periods are selected from a group consisting of one or more months, weeks, days, or hours.

17. One or more computer readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 13.

18. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for processing data stored in a database associated with a server, said method comprising:

receiving from a user at least one property value associated with a calendar user interface, said calendar user interface defining a plurality of time periods, at least one of said time periods having data stored in the database corresponding thereto;

displaying the calendar user interface to the user on the display in accordance with the received property value;

receiving from the user one or more selections corresponding to a plurality of the time periods via the user interface selection device, said selections specifying the selected time periods relative to a current time period, wherein the selected time periods begin with the current time period or wherein the selected time periods end with the current time period, said selections representing individually selected non-contiguous time periods;

modifying the selections as a function of the cumulative time;

enabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods does not exceed a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

disabling further selections if the cumulative time of the selected time periods exceeds a maximum amount of time based on the server performance;

altering the calendar user interface on the display in response to the received selections to indicate the selected time periods;

receiving an execution signal from the user via the user interface selection device; and

generating a query based on the selected time periods in response to execution signal; and

submitting the query to the database to retrieve non-calendar data associated with the selected time periods from the database for processing, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected time periods.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the time periods are selected from a group consisting of one or more months, weeks, days, or hours.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable components for processing data stored in a database associated with a server, said components comprising:

a view component for displaying a calendar user interface to a user, said calendar user interface defining a plurality of time periods, at least one of said time periods having data stored in the database corresponding thereto;

an input component for receiving from the user at least one selection of a plurality of the time periods, said selection comprising at least one of the following;

(1) individually selected non-contiguous time periods, and (2) selected time periods relative to a current time period, said input component excluding further selected time periods if the cumulative time of further selected time periods exceeds a maximum amount of time based on the server performance, said input component allowing further selected time periods if the cumulative time of further selected time periods does not exceed a maximum amount of time based on the server performance, wherein the selected time periods relative to a current time period begin with the current period or wherein the selected time periods relative to a current time period end with the current time period;

a verification component for updating the displayed calendar user interface in response to the received selection to indicate the selected time periods; and

an execution component for generating a query retrieving non-calendar data associated with the selected time periods from the database for processing in response to a user command, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected time periods.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the time periods are selected from a group consisting of one or more months, weeks, days, or hours.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure for processing data stored in a database associated with a server comprising:

a view field storing a calendar user interface for display to the user, said calendar user interface representing a plurality of time periods, at least one of said time periods having data stored in the database corresponding thereto;

an input field storing at least one selection of a plurality of the time periods, said selection received from the user, said selection representing at least one of the following;

(1) individually selected non-contiguous time periods, and (2) selected time periods relative to a current time period, said selections being limited as a function of a maximum cumulative amount of time of the selected time periods based on the server performance, wherein the selected time periods relative to a current time period begin with the current period or wherein the selected time periods relative to a current time period end with the current time period;

a verification field storing updates to the calendar user interface stored in the view field, said updates displayed in the calendar user interface in response to the selection received from the user and stored in the input field, said updates displayed in the calendar user interface to indicate the selected time periods to the user; and

an execution field storing non-calendar data associated with the selected time periods, said non-calendar data returned from a query submitted to the database for processing, said query being generated in response to a user command, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected time periods.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the data corresponds to statistics for web site access.

24. A display device having rendered thereon a calendar user interface, said calendar user interface comprising:

at least a first selected range of time periods and a second selected range of time periods, said first and second selected ranges having data stored in a database corresponding thereto, said database being associated with a server, wherein further selection of time periods is prevented if the cumulative time of the selected range of time periods exceeds a maximum amount of time based on expected performance capabilities of the server and further selection of time periods is allowed if the cumulative time of the selected range of time periods does not exceed a maximum amount of time based on expected performance capabilities of the server;

wherein the first selected range of time periods comprises individually selected starting and ending times, wherein the second selected range of time periods comprises individually selected starting and ending times, and wherein the first and the second selected ranges of time periods are non-contiguous time periods; and

a user command for generating a query to retrieve, from the database, non-calendar data associated with the at least one selection for processing, wherein the database is aggregated into tables based on the selected range of time periods and wherein the generated query is submitted to the corresponding aggregated table of the database based on the selected range of time periods.

25. The display device of claim 24, further comprising a daily tab for displaying each day in the selected ranges of time periods in the calendar user interface in response to selection of the daily tab by the user.

26. The display device of claim 24, further comprising a monthly tab for displaying each month in the selected ranges of time periods in the calendar user interface in response to selection of the monthly tab by the user.

27. The display device of claim 24, further comprising a relative tab for displaying a selected number of days or months specified relative to a current time period in response to selection of the relative tab by the user.