Generating, and updating calendar events from non-calendar sources

• US 7,970,793 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Davia, Christopher J., Westberg, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, BINH VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/024,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103.R, 707/793
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Calendar events are pulled from an information source, such as a website, having listed events. A user subscribes to an information source where information containing time-stamped events appears. Alternatively, a user specifies a keyword for searching on the information source. If there are any changes on the information source in regard to a user-specified keyword, the event is automatically linked to the user'"'"'s calendar. In yet another aspect, a publisher of the information source uses a tag set to tag running text on their information source, e.g. website, such that there is no need for the publisher of an information source to maintain a calendar of the events described in the information source. In yet another aspect, the publisher of the information source is not informed of who subscribes to the information source or what keywords the users specify in regard to the information source to provide user anonymity.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing web-based information for generating and updating calendar events from non-calendar sources, comprising

creating a list of criteria relating to calendar events defining a keyword;

providing a link-up between a user and at least one information source uniform resource locator address where events of a type of the keyword may be found;

periodically checking content in a body of a web page at each of the at least one web page uniform resource locator addresses for a presence of a time stamp and applying a keyword filter to search for information in a text format on said source that is tagged with an embedded HTML tag related to the keyword and accessible when searching for the information;

identifying in the web page content RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the time stamp and the embedded tag;

automatically converting the RSS-retrievable specific event information into a calendar event associated with the keyword and having a time, a date and a subject in a calendar format that is different from the RSS-retrievable specific event information text format;

adding the calendar event into a user calendar;

displaying the calendar event to a user of the user calendar in association with the keyword; and

linking a change in the filtered information regarding a user-specified keyword to the user calendar.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the keywords and the identity of the user are maintained in confidentiality.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the HTML tags are generated by the list creator and the user defines and subscribes to tags selected by the user.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automatically converting the RSS-retrievable specific event information into the calendar event and updating of the calendar event is performed within a framework of a computer infrastructure.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the RSS-retrievable specific event information is a set comprising an event announcement, a date, a time and a description, and an XML file format meta-data tag;

and

wherein the calendar format is a format specific for the user calendar.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the periodically checking the body content of the web page at the at least one web page uniform resource locator addresses further comprising checking for a presence of a calendar tag;

and

wherein the identifying the RSS-retrievable specific event information is further in response to the presence of the calendar tag.

7. The method of claim 6 the adding the calendar event further comprising updating a previous calendar event if the specific event information matches information of the previous calendar event, and comprises a time stamp that is different from a time stamp of the previous calendar event information.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the keyword comprises a type of entry, a subject, a leader, a participant, a frequency, a schedule, a time, or a location.

9. A system for utilizing web-based information for generating and updating calendar events from non-calendar sources, the system comprising:

a processing unit, computer readable memory and a computer readable storage system;

first program instructions to define a list of criteria relating to calendar events and a keyword and specify at least one information source uniform resource locator address where events of a type of the keyword may be found;

second program instructions to link-up and periodically check content in a body of a web page at each of the at least one information source web page uniform resource locator addresses for a presence of a time stamp and apply a keyword filter to search for information in a text format on said source that is tagged with an embedded HTML tag related to the keyword and accessible when searching for the information; and

third program instructions to search for the keyword and identify in the at least one information source web page content RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the time stamp and the embedded tag, and to automatically convert the RSS-retrievable specific event information into a calendar event associated with the keyword and having a time, a date and a subject in a calendar format that is different from the RSS-retrievable specific event information text format; and

fourth program instructions to add the calendar event into a user calendar and display the calendar event to a user of the user calendar in association with the keyword, and to link any changes in the filtered information regarding user-specified keywords to the calendar of the user; and

wherein the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage system for execution by the processing unit via the computer readable memory.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the fourth program instructions are further to maintain the keywords and the identity of the user in confidentiality.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the HTML tags are generated by a list creator and the user defines and subscribes to tags selected by the user.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the second program instructions are further to periodically check the body content of the web page for a presence of a calendar tag;

and

wherein the third program instructions are further to identify the RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the calendar tag.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the fourth program instructions are further to update a previous calendar event if the specific event information matches information of the previous calendar event and comprises a time stamp that is different from a time stamp of the previous calendar event information.

14. A program product including a medium on which a computer program is recorded for utilizing web-based information for generating calendar events, said program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

a first set of instructions to establish a list of criteria relating to calendar events of interest to a user and define a keyword;

a second set of instructions to specify at least one uniform resource locator address where events of a type of the keyword may be found and comprising web-based information relating to said calendar events from non-calendar information sources based on the list of criteria;

a third set of instructions for providing a link-up between said user and said at least one uniform resource locator address non-calendar information source to periodically check content for a presence of a time stamp and apply a keyword filter to identify RSS-retrievable specific event information by searching information in a text format on said source that is tagged with an embedded HTML tag related to the keyword and accessible when searching for the information; and

a fourth set of instructions to automatically convert the RSS-retrievable specific event information in the presence of the time stamp and the embedded tag from the text format into a calendar event in a calendar format that is different from the text format, the calendar event associated with the keyword and having a time and a date and a subject, and to add the calendar event into a user calendar and display the calendar event to a user of the user calendar in association with the keyword, and to link any changes in the filtered information regarding user-specified keywords to the calendar of the user; and

wherein the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

15. The program product of claim 14 wherein the RSS-retrievable specific event information is a set comprising an event announcement, a date, a time and a description, and an XML file format meta-data tag;

and

wherein the calendar format is a format specific for the user calendar.

16. The program product of claim 15 wherein the third program instructions are further to periodically check the body content of the web page for a presence of a calendar tag;

and

wherein the third program instructions are further to identify the RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the calendar tag.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein the fourth program instructions are further to update a previous calendar event if the specific event information matches information of the previous calendar event, and comprises a time stamp that is different from a time stamp of the previous calendar event information.

18. A service for utilizing web-based information for generating calendar events, the service comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure that;

creates a list of criteria relating to calendar events and defines a keyword and specifies at least one uniform resource locator address where events of a type of the keyword may be found;

provides a link-up between a user and the at least one information source uniform resource locator address;

periodically checks content in a body of a web page at each of the at least one web page uniform resource locator addresses for a presence of a time stamp and applies a keyword filter to search for information on said source;

identifies in the web page content RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the time stamp, the specific event information in a text format;

automatically converts the RSS-retrievable specific event information into a calendar event associated with the keyword and having a time, a date and a subject in a calendar format that is different from the RSS-retrievable specific event information text format;

adds the calendar event into a user calendar; and

displays the calendar event to a user of the user calendar in association with the keyword.

19. The service of claim 18 wherein the computer infrastructure further:

periodically checks the body content of the web page at the at least one web page uniform resource locator addresses for a presence of a calendar tag; and

identifies the RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the calendar tag.

20. A service for utilizing web-based information for generating calendar events, the service comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure that;

creates a list of criteria relating to calendar events and defines a keyword and specifies at least one uniform resource locator address where events of a type of the keyword may be found;

provides a link-up between a user and the at least one information source uniform resource locator address;

periodically checks content in a body of a web page at each of the at least one web page uniform resource locator addresses for a presence of a time stamp and applies a keyword filter to search for information in a text format on said source that is tagged with an embedded HTML tag related to the keyword and accessible when searching for the information;

identifies in the web page content RSS-retrievable specific event information in response to the presence of the time stamp and the embedded tag;

automatically converts the RSS-retrievable specific event information into a calendar event associated with the keyword and having a time, a date and a subject in a calendar format that is different from the RSS-retrievable specific event information text format;

adds the calendar event into a user calendar;

displays the calendar event to a user of the user calendar in association with the keyword; and

links a change in the filtered information regarding a user-specified keyword to the user calendar.