Electronic calendar with message receiver

• US 7,721,224 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sellen, Abigail, Harper, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow; Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/681,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 715/963, 715/764, 715/804
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

It is difficult to effectively manage an electronic calendar that is shared by a group of people such as family members. This is achieved by enabling users to send messages to an electronic calendar apparatus. The messages are received and stored at the apparatus and may be viewed by a user such as a mother of a family. A graphical user interface at the calendar apparatus provides a calendar and a message receiver region. A user is able to edit the calendar using information from the messages and in some examples may move or copy message indicators into the calendar from the message receiver region. In some examples, the calendar may only be edited by user input received directly at the calendar apparatus rather than from a remote location. The calendar apparatus may be provided in a protective housing to enable the apparatus to be used in a domestic kitchen.

Claims

1. A method implemented on an electronic calendar apparatus by a processor configured to execute instructions that, when executed by the processor, direct the electronic calendar apparatus to perform acts comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface comprising a first region having a calendar and a second region having a message receiver graphical user interface configured to display a first icon representing a voice message and a second icon representing a text message, wherein both the first region and the second region are visible simultaneously in a same display;

receiving at least one message and storing that message;

displaying a message indicator in the second region comprising the message receiver graphical user interface on the basis of the received message, wherein the message indicator comprises a name of the sender and an image representing the sender;

receiving user input at the message receiver graphical user interface, the user input being associated with the displayed message indicator;

presenting content of the received message by displaying the received message graphically at the graphical user interface;

allowing editing of the calendar on the basis of user input received directly at the calendar apparatus;

preventing, by the processor, editing of the calendar on the basis of user input received from an entity remote to the calendar apparatus; and

receiving the user input at the graphical user interface, the user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging and dropping the message indicator by touch sensor screen finger commands into a specific day on the calendar.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising receiving the message from a location remote of the electronic calendar apparatus.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process of receiving and storing a message comprises receiving and storing a message of a type selected from any of:

email or short message service.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process of displaying a message indicator comprises displaying an icon of a type associated with a type of media of the received message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises receiving user input made locally at the graphical user interface, that user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging that message indicator into the calendar.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises providing a subscriber identification module at the electronic calendar apparatus.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 which further comprises displaying a telephone number at the graphical user interface the telephone number being associated with the electronic calendar apparatus.

8. A method implemented on an electronic calendar apparatus by a processor configured to execute instructions that, when executed by the processor, direct the electronic calendar apparatus to perform acts comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface comprising a first region having a calendar and a second region having a message receiver graphical user interface configured to display a first icon representing a voice message and a second icon representing a text message, wherein both the first region and the second region are visible simultaneously in a same display;

receiving at least one message from a remote communications terminal;

storing the message locally on the electronic calendar apparatus;

displaying a message indicator in the second region comprising the message receiver graphical user interface on the basis of the received message, wherein the message indicator comprises a name of a sender and an image representing the sender;

receiving user input at the message receiver graphical user interface, that user input being associated with the displayed message indicator;

presenting content of the received message;

receiving the user input at the graphical user interface, that user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging and dropping that message indicator by touch sensor screen finger commands into a specific day on the calendar;

storing the message indicator in association with the specific day on the calendar on the basis of that user input; and

updating and presenting, by the processor, the calendar for viewing from the electronic calendar apparatus and from a remote location.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 which comprises only allowing moving the message indicator from the second region comprising the message receiver graphical user interface to the first region comprising the calendar on the basis of user input received directly at the calendar apparatus and preventing user input communicated from an entity remote from the calendar apparatus from moving the message indicator from the second region comprising the message receiver graphical user interface to the first region comprising the calendar by one of:

monitoring and preventing a remote editing access to the calendar;

or

disabling a functionality for remote editing access to the calendar.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the process of receiving a message comprises receiving any of an email, a voice message and a short message service message.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 which further comprises displaying a telephone number of the subscriber identification module at the graphical user interface.

12. An electronic calendar apparatus comprising:

a display arranged to display a graphical user interface comprising a first region having a calendar and a second region having a message receiver graphical user interface configured to display a first icon representing a voice message and a second icon representing a text message, wherein both the first region and the second region are visible simultaneously in a same display;

a processor arranged to provide the graphical user interface;

a message receiver arranged to receiving at least one message;

a memory arranged to store received messages;

the processor being arranged to display a message indicator in the second region the message receiver graphical user interface on the basis of the received message, wherein the message indicator comprises a name of a sender and an image representing the sender;

the processor being arranged to receive user input at the message receiver graphical user interface, the user input being associated with the displayed message indicator;

the processor being arranged to provide the message receiver graphical user interface such that it is able to present content of the received message;

the processor being arranged to only allow editing of the calendar on the basis of user input received directly at the calendar apparatus without having been communicated from an entity remote of the calendar apparatus; and

the processor being arranged to receive the user input at the graphical user interface, the user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging and dropping the message indicator by touch screen finger commands into a specific day on the calendar.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the processor is arranged to provide the graphical user interface such that user input comprising selection of a message indicator and dragging of that message indicator into the calendar is enabled.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the memory is also arranged to store message indicators in the calendar and wherein the calendar is arranged to present content of messages associated with message indicators stored therein.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the message receiver is arranged to receive any one or more of email, short message service messages and voice messages.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises one or more loudspeakers arranged to play any sound recordings received as part of a message.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises one or more microphones arranged to record voice messages for adding to the calendar.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises a transmitter arranged to send reminders from the calendar to other entities.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which comprises a tablet personal computer having a subscriber identification module and a GPRS card.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which is provided in a protective housing suitable for enabling use of the apparatus in a domestic kitchen.