Event highlighting and differentiation view

• US 8,402,380 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kikin-Gil, Erez, Shahine, Omar H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLAND, SARA M
• Application Number:
  US11/742,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 715/963, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A calendar application is disclosed for providing special occasion event highlighting and differentiation. The calendar application program according to the present system provides a special occasion interface which presents a high level view of all significant events for a given time period. The special occasion interface includes a plurality of special occasion event objects which can be dragged and positioned on a grid to represent special occasions of emotional or other significance to the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of displaying stored events, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a general calendar interface populated with at least first and second events;

(b) providing a selectable option on the calendar interface, selection of the option switching a view from the general calendar interface to a special occasion calendar interface;

(c) displaying the special occasion calendar interface upon selection of the selectable option, the special occasion calendar interface having two axes, a first axis of the two axes representing when events placed on the special occasion calendar interface occur, and a second axis of the two axes representing a relative importance of events placed on the special occasion calendar interface;

(d) receiving selection of the first event, and not the second event, displayed on the general calendar for placement of the first event on the special occasion calendar interface, selection of the first event and not the second event for placement on the special occasion calendar interface indicating that the first event has greater significance, from the user'"'"'s perspective, than a second event;

(e) receiving selection of a graphical object displayed on the special occasion calendar interface to represent the first event on the special occasion calendar interface;

(f) receiving a placement of graphical object by the user at a position on the special occasion calendar interface along the first axis and along the second axis, the user able to place the graphical object at locations along the first axis to represent when the first event takes place, and the user able to place the graphical object at locations along the second axis to represent an importance of the first event to the user on a sliding scale of least important to most important; and

(g) displaying the graphical object at the position received in said step (f).

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving an assignment of contact information to the graphical object for which selection was received in said step (e), the contact information selected from contact information in the user'"'"'s stored contacts.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said step of receiving assignment of contact information comprises the step of receiving assignment of an identity of a person to the graphical object.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (f) of receiving placement of the graphical object at locations along the second axis comprising the step of receiving placement at any location along the second axis to represent an importance of the event to the user on a continuous sliding scale of least important to most important.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step (h) of receiving additional information relating to planning the one or more events in the first group.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (c) of displaying the special occasion calendar interface comprises the step of displaying events occurring within a twelve month period.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first event is a personal event including birthdays and anniversaries.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first event is a festivity event including holidays.

9. A computer implemented method of displaying stored events, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a general calendar interface populated with a user'"'"'s events;

(b) providing a first selectable option on the calendar interface, selection of the first option switching a view from the general calendar interface to a special occasion calendar interface;

(c) displaying the special occasion calendar interface upon selection of the selectable option, the special occasion calendar interface having two axes, a first axis of the two axes representing when events placed on the special occasion calendar interface occur, and a second axis of the two axes representing a relative importance of events placed on the special occasion calendar interface;

(d) receiving selection of an event displayed on the general calendar for placement of the event on the special occasion calendar interface;

(e) receiving selection of a graphical object displayed on the special occasion calendar interface to represent the event on the special occasion calendar interface;

(f) receiving a placement of graphical object by the user at a position on the special occasion calendar interface along the first axis and along the second axis, the user able to place the graphical object at locations along the first axis to represent when the event takes place, and the user able to place the graphical object at locations along the second axis to represent an importance of the event to the user on a sliding scale of least important to most important; and

(g) displaying the graphical object at the position received in said step (f).

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said step of receiving a placement comprises the step of receiving information manually entered by the user.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said step of receiving a placement comprises the step of receiving stored information relating to the event.