Calendar-based user interface system

• US 7,441,194 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Kelly, Sean U., Vronay, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roswell; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/187,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: 715/825, 715/963, 715/738, 715/853
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A calendar-based interface system accommodates innate human memory by associating computer-related events, and other events, based upon when they occur. The calendar user interface system utilizes a calendar as a top-level user interface for accessing computer information. The calendar-based interface system utilizes system-wide monitoring of the user and associations between various computer files, people, and other information related to the user. This allows a user to view and assign searchable metadata (e.g., metadata relating to associated dates) and to retrieve computer information that matches selected metadata.

Claims

1. A Calendar-based interface software in a computer readable medium, comprising:

a calendar system database of metadata relating to objects stored or metadata relating to user activities carried out on a user-operated computer;

a system activity monitor that monitors system-wide user computer activity on the user-operated computer and automatically stores metadata associated with the monitored user activity in the calendar system database;

a similarity system that determines a degree of similarity between at least a pair of computer files or objects;

a chunking system that uses the degrees of similarity determined by the similarity system for a set of objects and groups them into a number of subgroups; and

a calendar user interface system that utilizes information stored in the calendar system database by the system activity monitor, information determined by the similarity system and the chunking system to display in a calendar format time-based information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer; and

a metadata tagging interface included with the calendar user interface system comprising one or more metadata tokens generated based on the objects associated with the user activity and displayed on the calendar user interface, the metadata tagging interface is employed by a user to view, search, and assign the one or more metadata tokens to one or more of the objects by a graphical drag and drop operation in which the one or more tokens are dragged from a metadata pane and dropped onto the one or more objects currently being viewed.

2. The software of claim 1 in which the calendar user interface system renders on a display screen an overview calendar-based user interface that includes one or more visualizations relating to user activity on the user-operated computer as determined by the system activity monitor.

3. The software of claim 1 in which the calendar user interface system renders on a display screen an overview calendar-based user interface that includes one or more visualizations relating to information that is automatically stored in the calendar system database without user activity.

4. The software of claim 1 in which the system activity monitor discerns automatically a user context based upon user activity on the computer and in which the calendar user interface system renders on a display screen a context-based calendar user interface based upon the user context.

5. The software of claim 4 further comprising a database query user interface for creating a database query directed to dates associated with metadata stored in the calendar system database, the dates in the database query being selectable directly from a calendar in the context-based calendar user interface.

6. The software of claim 5 in which the database query user interface includes a database query directed to metadata other than dates stored in the calendar system database.

7. The software of claim 4 further comprising a database query user interface for creating a database query directed to metadata other than dates stored in the calendar system database and the system activity monitor includes a universal input activity monitor.

8. The software of claim 1, further comprising a search interface wherein overall results are indicated in a summary form, one or more days on which activities relating to a searched term occur, together with indications representing an extent or amount of activities occurring on the one or more days.

9. Calendar-based interface software in a computer readable medium, comprising:

a system database of metadata relating to objects stored or user-computer activities carried out on a user-operated computer, the metadata obtained by system-wide monitoring of the activities and including date information that is stored automatically in the database;

software for a calendar user interface that utilizes information stored in the system database to display in a calendar format time-based information relating to the objects stored or activities carried out on the computer; and

a metadata tagging interface comprising a metadata pane that automatically generates and displays one or more metadata tokens related to one or more objects associated with the user-computer activities such that a user searches and adds at least one of the metadata tokens to the one or more objects being viewed by a graphical drag and drop operation in which the one or more tokens are dragged from a metadata pane and dropped onto the one or more objects.

10. The software of claim 9 in which the software for a calendar user interface renders on a display screen an overview calendar-based user interface that includes one or more visualizations relating to user activity on the user-operated computer.

11. The software of claim 9 in which the software for a calendar user interface renders on a display screen an overview calendar-based user interface that includes one or more visualizations relating to date information that is automatically stored in the system database.

12. The software of claim 9 further comprising a system activity monitor that monitors user activity on a user-operated computer and discerns automatically a user context based upon user activity on the computer and in which the software for a calendar user interface renders on a display screen a context-based calendar user interface based upon the user context.

13. The software of claim 12 further comprising software for a database query user interface for creating a database query directed to dates associated with metadata stored in the calendar system database, the dates in the database query being selectable directly from a calendar in the context-based calendar user interface.

14. The software of claim 12 in which the software for a database query user interface further provides a database query directed to metadata other than dates stored in the system database.

15. A calendar-based system user interface rendered on a computer display, comprising:

a user interface calendar that utilizes information associated with system-wide monitoring of user computer activity carried out on a user-operated computer and stored in a system database to display in a calendar format automatically stored time-based information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer; and

a metadata tagging interface comprising a metadata pane and included with the calendar which permits a user to view, search and assign metadata tokens, generated and rendered in the metadata pane based on the system-wide monitoring of the user computer activity to the objects being currently viewed, by a graphical drag and drop operation in which the one or more tokens are dragged from the metadata pane and dropped onto the one or more objects.

16. The interface of claim 15 in which the user interface calendar includes one or more visualizations rendered on the display screen and relating to the user activity on the user-operated computer.

17. The interface of claim 16 in which the user interface calendar includes one or more visualizations rendered on the display screen and relating to date information that is automatically stored in the system database.

18. The interface of claim 15 in which the user interface calendar includes a context-based calendar user interface corresponding to a user context based upon the user activities carried out on the computer.

19. The interface of claim 18 further comprising a database query user interface for creating a database query directed to date information relating to the computer files stored on or the activities carried out on the user-operated computer, the dates in the database query being selectable directly from the user interface calendar.