Methods, systems, and products for calendaring applications

• US 7,640,507 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James C. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Tuyetlien T
• Application Number:
  US11/068,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 715751-753, 709204-207
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for managing events in an electronic calendar. One such method associates an event with a rule, with the rule comprising a reminder and a date and a time of expiration. A calendar entry corresponding to the event is stored. After the date and time of the expiration, the electronic calendar ceases to present the reminder when launched. That is, when the electronic calendar is initialized, no reminders of expired events are visually/audibly presented by the electronic calendar.

Claims

1. A method of managing events in a calendaring application, comprising:

establishing profiles for different types of events;

receiving a selection of a profile;

automatically establishing parameters for a rule according to the selected profile;

associating an event with the rule, the rule comprising a predefined reminder and an expiration, the expiration defining a date after which the predefined reminder is no longer produced, the profile automatically establishing a date and a time at which the predefined reminder is first presented and automatically establishing a predefined interval at which the predefined reminder is re-presented;

storing a calendar entry corresponding to the event;

upon the date of expiration, disposing of a portion of the rule that defines the predefined reminder;

ceasing processing of any rules having expired events;

after the date of expiration, ceasing to present the predefined reminder when launching the calendaring application, wherein ceasing to present includes the event remaining on a user'"'"'s calendar, but no reminders of expired events are presented by the calendaring application; and

ceasing to present the predefined reminder when refreshing the calendaring application upon maximizing or minimizing a graphical window representing the calendaring application.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring the predefined reminder to expire at an overdue date.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting the predefined reminder of the event prior to the expiration.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring the expiration to resume reminders at a future date, thus producing reminders of a past task that was not accomplished.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically presenting the predefined reminder until the expiration.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement of the predefined reminder.

7. A system for managing recurring events in a calendaring application, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory, the code causing the processor to;

launch the calendaring application;

establish profiles for different types of events;

receive a selection of a profile;

automatically establish parameters for a rule according to the selected profile;

associate an event with the rule, the rule comprising a predefined reminder, an expiration, and an associated predefined interval, the expiration defining a date after which the predefined reminder is no longer produced, the profile automatically establishing a date and a time at which the predefined reminder is first presented and automatically establishing the predefined interval at which the predefined reminder is subsequently re-presented until the expiration;

store a calendar entry corresponding to the event;

upon the date of expiration, dispose of a portion of the rule that defines the predefined reminder;

recur the expiration of the event;

minimize a graphical window associated with the calendaring application;

when the graphical window is maximized, then trigger a refresh of the calendaring application to review events and to cease processing expired rules;

cancel an expired recurring event without user interaction; and

after the date of expiration, cease to present the predefined reminder when launching the calendaring application, wherein ceasing to present includes the event remaining on a users calendar, but no reminders of an expired recurring event is presented by the calendaring application.

8. A system according to claim 7, further operative to configure the predefined reminder to expire at an overdue date.

9. A system according to claim 7, further operative to present the predefined reminder of the event prior to the expiration.

10. A system according to claim 7, further operative to configure the expiration to resume reminders at a future date, thus producing reminders of a past task that was not accomplished.

11. A system according to claim 7, further operative to periodically present the predefined reminder until the expiration.

12. A system according to claim 7, further operative to receive an acknowledgement of the predefined reminder.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-readable storage medium storing processor executable code for performing a method of managing recurring events in a calendaring application, the method comprising:

establishing profiles for different types of events;

receiving a selection of a profile from a menu of profiles;

automatically establishing parameters for a rule according to the selected profile;

associating each recurring event with a rule, the rule comprising a predefined reminder, a predefined expiration, and an associated predefined interval, the predefined expiration defining a date after which the predefined reminder is no longer produced, the predefined interval causing presentation of the predefined reminder and subsequent presentations of the predefined reminder according to the predefined interval until the predefined expiration;

storing a calendar entry corresponding to each recurring event;

upon the date of expiration, disposing of a portion of the rule that defines the predefined reminder;

recurring the expiration of each recurring event;

minimizing a graphical window associated with the calendaring application;

when the graphical window is maximized, then trigger a refresh of the calendaring application to review events and to cease processing expired rules;

canceling expired recurring event without user interaction; and

after the date of expiration, ceasing to present the predefined reminder when launching the calendaring application, wherein ceasing to present includes the event remaining on a users calendar, but no reminders of expired recurring events are presented by the calendaring application.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising code for configuring the predefined reminder to expire at an overdue date.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for presenting the predefined reminder of the event prior to the expiration.

16. A computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for configuring the expiration to resume reminders at a future date, thus producing reminders of a past task that was not accomplished.

17. A computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for periodically presenting the predefined reminder until the expiration.