System and method for managing data within a calendaring framework

• US 8,571,913 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey K. Johnson
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey K. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boyce, Andre
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, ERNEST ADEYEMI
• Application Number:
  US11/196,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,008 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9, 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 705/7.18, 705/7.21, 705/7.24
• US Class Current: 705/7.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Described are methods and mechanisms for managing data within a calendaring framework. The method includes receiving task data, which is distributed into one or more tasks associated with a category, and receiving time slot data, which defines one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associates each category with at least one time slot. The method additionally includes determining a location for each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category based on a task prioritization value, and determining a location for each action item within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category based on the task location determination, an action item prioritization value, and an estimated completion time. The method further includes populating the time slots within the calendaring framework with the action items based on the action item location determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising a plurality of computer-executable components for scheduling tasks within a calendaring framework, the method comprises:

receiving task data associated with a plurality of categories, each category having a relative category priority, the task data comprising a plurality of tasks that are each associated with one of the plurality of categories, wherein a plurality of action items are associated with each task in the plurality of tasks, each action item associated with one task identifies conduct to perform in order to accomplish the associated one task;

for each of the plurality of categories, assigning a task priority to each task in the category;

for each task, assigning an action item priority to each action item associated with the task;

assigning a completion time for each action item, the completion time being an estimate of an amount of time needed to complete the corresponding action item;

receiving time slot data that designates one or more time slots within the calendaring framework;

associating at least one category out of the plurality of categories to a corresponding time slot out of the designated time slots; and

executing a portion of the computer-executable components with a processing unit to schedule action items from each task for each category associated with the time slot, wherein the scheduling of the action items is based on the relative category priority, the action item priority, the task priority, and the completion time and the action items are scheduled in forward temporal order in descending order of priority, wherein the time slot within the calendaring framework is capable of expanding in order to accommodate displaying each of the action items assigned to the time slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving time slot data comprises receiving information via a user interface that defines a time span on a calendar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling action items from each task is performed in response to a user-initiated operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding the time slot within the calendaring framework is based on the resolution of the completion time for the corresponding assigned action items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the task priority to each task in the category comprises clicking on each task in an order reflective of the task priority.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling action items from each task for the category associated with the time slot comprises prioritizing the action items based firstly on the relative category priority for that time slot, then based secondly on the task priority, and lastly based on the action item priority.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one action item specifies a specific day of the week for the conduct to be performed and the at least one action is scheduled in a respective time slot for that specific day of the week.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program to schedule tasks within a calendaring framework, the computer program being executed by a computer and comprising:

computer-readable code to receive task data associated with a plurality of categories, each category having a relative category priority, the task data comprising a plurality of tasks, wherein a plurality of action items are associated with each task in the plurality of tasks, each action item associated with one task identifies conduct to perform in order to accomplish the associated task, each task in the plurality of tasks having a task prioritization value and each action item having an action item prioritization value;

computer-readable code to assign a completion time for each action item, the completion time being an estimate of an amount of time needed to complete the corresponding action item;

computer-readable code to receive time slot data from a user interface, the time slot data designating one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associating each designated time slot with at least one category out of the plurality of categories; and

computer-readable code to schedule each task within the one or more designated time slots, the scheduling being based on the relative category priority, the task prioritization value and the action item prioritization value, wherein scheduling occurs in a forward temporal order in descending order of priority and wherein the designated time slot within the calendaring framework is capable of expanding in order to accommodate displaying each of the action items associated with the scheduled task assigned to the time slot.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

computer-readable code to receive modified time slot data from the user interface; and

computer-readable code to modify the associations of a category with the time slots based on reception of the modified time slot data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

computer-readable code to receive modified task data from the user interface;

computer-readable code to modify the task prioritization value associated with each task based on the modified task data; and

computer-readable code to modify the action item prioritization value associated with each action item based on the modified task data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising computer-readable code to display the populated calendaring framework on a user interface.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable code to schedule each task within the one or more designated time slots that are associated with the same category, comprises:

computer-readable code to determine time slot availability;

computer-readable code to determine from the available tasks the task having the highest priority based on the task prioritization value; and

computer-readable code to assign the task having the highest task prioritization value to the available time slot.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable code to schedule each action item within the one or more designated time slots that are associated with the same category, comprises:

computer-readable code to determine time slot availability;

computer-readable code to determine from the available action items the action item having the highest priority based on the action item prioritization value; and

computer-readable code to assign the action item having the highest action item prioritization value to the available time slot.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable code to schedule each task within the one or more time slots that are associated with the same category, comprises:

computer-readable code to identify a time slot associated with a category; and

computer-readable code to assign the task having the highest task prioritization value to the identified time slot.

15. A computer-implemented method of providing a calendaring framework, the method comprises:

providing task data distributed into one or more tasks that are each associated with one category out of a plurality of categories, each category having a relative category priority, wherein each task includes a task prioritization value, each task includes a listing of a plurality of action items, each action item including an action item prioritization value and an estimated completion time, and each action item identifies conduct to perform in order to accomplish the associated task;

providing time slot data, the time slot data defining one or more time slots within the calendaring framework and associating at least one category out of the plurality of categories to at least one time slot; and

executing instructions of the computer-implemented method via a processing unit to receive a populated calendaring framework that is populated with action items based on an action item location determination, the action item location determination determining a location for each action item within the one or more time slots based on the relative category priority, the action item prioritization value and the estimated completion time, wherein determining the location for each action item occurs in a forward temporal order in descending order of priority, wherein the time slot within the calendaring framework is capable of expanding in order to accommodate displaying each of the action items associated with the time slot.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the estimated completion time comprises a default value associated with the task data.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing modified time slot data; and

receiving a modified populated calendaring framework based on the modified time slot data.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing modified task data; and

receiving a modified populated calendaring framework based on the modified task data.