Handheld electronic device including appointment and meeting conflict notification, and associated method

• US 7,519,924 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew D., May, Darrell R., Hardy, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): DiStefano; Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US10/980,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400, 368/28, 701/204, 714/1, 715/764
• US Class Current: 706/20
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

A method of checking a new entry in a calendar application having a cache that includes a first subset of existing entries falling within a first date range. Also, an electronic device implementing the method. The method includes determining whether the date of the new entry falls within the first date range. If so, the method determines whether the new entry directly conflicts with or is adjacent to one of the existing entries in the first subset, and provides a notification if appropriate. If the date is outside the first date range, the method creates a new calendar cache including a second subset of existing entries falling within a second date range around the new entry date, determines whether the new calendar entry directly conflicts with or is adjacent to one of the existing calendar entries in the second subset, and provides a notification if appropriate.

Claims

1. A method of checking a new calendar entry in a calendar application having a plurality of existing calendar entries, said calendar application having a calendar cache associated therewith, said calendar cache including a first subset of said existing calendar entries falling within a first date range, the method comprising steps of:

receiving information relating to said new calendar entry, said information including a date, a start time and an end time of said new calendar entry;

determining whether said date falls within said first date range of said calendar cache;

if said date falls within said first date range;

(i) examining said calendar cache and determining whether said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset of said existing calendar entries using said information, and (ii) providing a conflict notification if said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset of said existing calendar entries; and

if said date falls outside of said first date range;

(i) updating said calendar cache to create an updated calendar cache by replacing said first subset of said existing calendar entries with a second subset of said existing calendar entries falling within a second date range, said second date range covering a predetermined time period including said date, (ii) examining said updated calendar cache and determining whether said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset of said existing calendar entries using said information, and (iii) providing a conflict notification if said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset of said existing calendar entries.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information includes said date, said start time and said end time, wherein said step of examining said calendar cache includes determining whether said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset, wherein said step of providing a conflict notification if said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset includes providing an adjacency notification if said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset, wherein said step of examining said updated calendar cache includes determining whether said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset, and wherein said step of providing a conflict notification if said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset includes providing an adjacency notification if said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said new calendar entry is based on a received meeting invitation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said new calendar entry is based on a new appointment or meeting input by a user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said new calendar entry is one of a series of recurring new calendar entries, the method including repeating the steps of claim 1 for a predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries, in each case one of said predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries being treated as said new calendar entry.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said new calendar entry is one of a series of recurring new calendar entries, the method including repeating the steps of claim 2 for a predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries, in each case one of said predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries being treated as said new calendar entry.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined time period is a predetermined time period before and after said date.

14. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said new calendar entry is one of a series of recurring new calendar entries, said one or more routines being further adapted to repeat (a) through (d) of claim 7 for a predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries, in each case one of said predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries being treated as said new calendar entry.

15. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein said new calendar entry is one of a series of recurring new calendar entries, said one or more routines being further adapted to repeat (a) through (d) of claim 7 and (i) and (ii) of claim 8 for a predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries, in each case one of said predetermined number of said recurring new calendar entries being treated as said new calendar entry.

8. An electronic device having a calendar application, comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory storing a plurality of existing calendar entries of said calendar application, said calendar application having a calendar cache associated therewith, said calendar cache including a first subset of said existing calendar entries falling within a first date range, said memory storing one or more routines executable by said processor, said one or more routines being adapted to;

(a) receive information relating to a new calendar entry, said information including a date, a start time and an end time of said new calendar entry;

(b) determine whether said date falls within said first date range of said calendar cache;

(c) if said date falls within said first date range;

(i) examine said calendar cache and determine whether said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset of said existing calendar entries using said information, and (ii) provide a conflict notification on said display if said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset of said existing calendar entries; and

(d) if said date falls outside of said first date range;

(i) update said calendar cache to create an updated calendar cache by replacing said first subset of said existing calendar entries with a second subset of said existing calendar entries falling within a second date range, said second date range covering a predetermined time period including said date, (ii) examine said updated calendar cache and determine whether said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset of said existing calendar entries using said information, and (iii) provide a conflict notification on said display if said new calendar entry directly conflicts with one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset of said existing calendar entries.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said information includes said date, said start time and said end time, wherein said one or more routines are further adapted to:

(i) if said date falls within said first date range, determine whether said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset and provide an adjacency notification on said display if said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said first subset, and (ii) if said date falls outside of said first date range, determine whether said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset and provide an adjacency notification on said display if said new calendar entry is adjacent to one of said existing calendar entries in said second subset.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein said electronic device is a handheld electronic device.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said electronic device is a handheld electronic device.

12. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said new calendar entry is based on a meeting invitation received by said electronic device.

13. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said new calendar entry is based on a new appointment or meeting input into said electronic device.

16. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said predetermined time period is a predetermined time period before and after said date.