System and method for filtering recurrence events

• US 7,440,961 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Matousek, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US10/781,983
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/102, 707/101, 705/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium is provided that enables the filtering of recurrence events. Also, filtering of recurrence events and exceptions to recurrence events in calendar software is supported. The calendar software is Web-based and includes a database located on a server computing device. Recurrence events are stored in the database as single records, thereby minimizing the amount of data stored in the database for transmission between computing devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of filtering recurrence events comprising:

in response to receiving a request to display a recurrence event in a computing device, determining if a filter for identifying items that match a search criteria defined by the user is required to satisfy said request, wherein said recurrence event is represented in a database in a single database record;

if a filter is required to satisfy said request;

creating a data set that is stored in the memory of the computing device related to said recurrence event consisting of filtered items and exceptions;

structuring said data set of filtered items and exceptions for display on the computing device, wherein structuring said data set includes expanding said recurrence event from the single database record;

conversely, if a filter is not required to satisfy said request;

creating a data set that is stored in the memory of the computing device related to said recurrence event consisting of filtered items, recurrence events, and exceptions; and

structuring said data set of filtered items, recurrence events, and exceptions for display on the computing device, wherein structuring said data set includes expanding said recurrence event from the single database record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to display at least one recurrence event is generated by a client computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to display at least one recurrence event is received by a server computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server computing device includes a database that supports a Structure Query Language.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a data set that is stored in the memory of the computing device consisting of filtered items and exceptions comprises:

obtaining a data set of exceptions;

obtaining a data set of filtered items, the data set of filtered items including recurrence events and exceptions;

identifying exceptions that are not included in the exceptions included in the data set of filtered items by applying a set operation on the data set of exceptions and the data set of filtered items; and

adding the exceptions that are not included in the data set of filtered items to the data set of filtered items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining a data set of exceptions comprises:

generating a database query that requests exceptions;

applying said database to a database query; and

in response to said database query, receiving said data set of exceptions.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining a data set of filtered items comprises:

generating a database query that requests recurrence events and exceptions;

applying said database query to a database; and

in response to said database query, receiving said data set of recurrence events and exceptions.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying exceptions that are not included in the exceptions included in the data set of filtered items comprises performing a computer-implemented set difference operation between:

the exceptions; and

the data set of filtered items.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein adding the subset of exceptions that are not included in the data set of filtered items to the data set of filtered items comprises performing a computer-implemented set union operation between:

the exceptions; and

the data set of filtered items.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering said data set of filtered items structured for display on the computing device on the display associated with the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said rendering comprises generating a Hypertext Markup Language document suitable for display by a Web browser program.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said Hypertext Markup Language document displays a calendar that contains at least one item.

13. A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a computer-implemented method of filtering recurrence events comprising:

in response to receiving a request to display a recurrence event in a computing device, determining if a filter for identifying items that match a search criteria defined by the user is required to satisfy said request, wherein said recurrence event is represented in a database in a single database record;

if a filter is required to satisfy said request;

creating a data set that is stored in the memory of the computing device related to said recurrence event consisting of filtered items and exceptions;

structuring said data set of filtered items and exceptions for display on the computing device, wherein structuring said data set includes expanding said recurrence event from the single database record;

conversely, if a filter is not required to satisfy said request;

creating a data set that is stored in the memory of the computing device related to said recurrence event consisting of filtered items, recurrence events, and exceptions; and

structuring said data set of filtered items, recurrence events, and exceptions for display on the computing device, wherein structuring said data set includes expanding said recurrence event from the single database record.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the request to display at least one recurrence event is generated by a client computing device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the request to display at least one recurrence event is received by a server computing device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the server computing device includes a database that supports a Structure Query Language.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein creating a data set that is stored in the memory of the computing device consisting of filtered items and exceptions comprises:

obtaining a data set of exceptions;

obtaining a data set of filtered items, the data set of filtered items including recurrence events and exceptions;

identifying exceptions that are not included in the exceptions included in the data set of filtered items; and

adding the exceptions that are not included in the data set of filtered items to the data set of filtered items.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein obtaining a data set of exceptions comprises:

generating a database query that requests exceptions;

applying said database to a database query; and

in response to said database query, receiving said data set of exceptions.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein obtaining a data set of filtered items comprises:

generating a database query that requests recurrence events and exceptions;

applying said database query to a database; and

in response to said database query, receiving said data set of recurrence events and exceptions.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein identifying exceptions that are not included in the exceptions included in the data set of filtered items comprises performing a computer-implemented set difference operation between:

the exceptions; and

the data set of filtered items.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein adding the subset of exceptions that are not included in the data set of filtered items to the data set of filtered items comprises performing a computer-implemented set union operation between:

the exceptions; and

the data set of filtered items.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising rendering said data set of filtered items structured for display on the computing device on the display associated with the computing device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said rendering comprises generating a Hypertext Markup Language document suitable for display by a Web browser program.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein said Hypertext Markup Language document displays a calendar that contains at least one item.