Scheduling events on an electronic calendar utilizing fixed-positioned events and a draggable calendar grid

• US 9,501,213 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dan Klausmeier
• Original Assignee: Skadool, Inc.
• Inventors: Costa, Ciprian, Klausmeier, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Repsher, III, John
• Application Number:
  US13/621,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 715/711, 715/799, 715/802, 715/851, 715/732
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A method for scheduling an event in a calendar application is disclosed wherein the event is held at a fixed position on the screen of a device and a calendar grid is dragged relative to the event. The method is well-suited for touch devices and provides a way for the user to easily create and schedule events directly on a calendar grid without the need to enter event start and end times into a form. A view finder assists the user to set the desired start and end time. The view finder supports different zoom precisions which allow the user to enter start and end times of any granularity such as one minute granularity. A micro-dragging technique provides a way to easily select start and end times with high precision. The method may be extended to general applications where it is desirable to drag objects on a workspace.

Claims

1. A method for editing a start time property of an event in a digital calendaring environment, the method comprising:

executing a plurality of instructions stored in a memory of a computing device hosting the digital calendaring environment, wherein the execution of the instructions creates a calendar grid in the digital calendaring environment, the calendar grid including a time-of-day axis;

receiving a first set of coordinates identifying a placement of the event in the calendar grid, wherein the event includes an editable start time property, the editable start time property defined by a value that is determined by the placement of a duration feature of the event in the calendar grid; and

executing a plurality of instructions stored in the memory of the computing device, wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor of the computing device;

generates a view finder disposed in a fixed position over a region of the time-of-day axis,

locks the placement of the duration feature of the event at a fixed position on a screen of a computing device displaying the digital calendaring environment,

receives a second set of coordinates identifying a movement of the calendar grid relative to the fixed duration feature and fixed view finder, wherein the movement of the calendar grid correlates to a dragging gesture performed by a user on a user interface of the computing device displaying the digital calendaring environment,

identifies, by way of the view finder, the value of the start time property being edited as a consequence of the movement of the calendar grid, wherein identifying the value includes displaying a time-of-day label disposed on the time-of-day axis when the time-of-day label passes beneath the fixed view finder as the time-of-day axis moves in response to the dragging gesture, and

updates the value of the start time property of the event to match a time-of-day identified by the time-of-day label displayed beneath the view finder when the dragging gesture is complete.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the view finder is operational to offer a virtual magnifier functionality.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the view finder supports a plurality of magnification levels as a part of the virtual magnifier functionality.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more edits to the start time property are performed by moving the calendar grid a fraction of an overall distance that the set of coordinates corresponding to movement of the calendar grid otherwise reflect.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the view finder is operational to offer a virtual magnifier functionality, wherein the view finder supports a plurality of magnification levels as part of the virtual magnifier functionality, and wherein the fraction of the overall distance is a function of a selected magnification level of the plurality of magnification levels of the virtual magnifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising placing the view finder over a container of labels that identify coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of coordinates are generated as a byproduct of a finger of a user being dragged across a touch screen device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the editable start time property corresponds to an end time property of the event.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a view finder is used to identify a time-of-day for the start time property being edited as a consequence of the movement of the calendar grid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the view finder is operational to offer a virtual magnifier functionality.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the view finder supports a plurality of magnification levels as part of the virtual magnifier functionality.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more fine edits to the start time property are facilitated by moving the calendar grid a fraction of an overall distance that the coordinates corresponding to movement of the calendar grid otherwise reflect.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fraction of the overall distance is a function of a selected magnification level of the plurality of magnification levels of the virtual magnifier.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising placing the view finder over a time-of-day container.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of coordinates are generated as a byproduct of a finger of a user being dragged across a touch screen device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

22. A method for editing an end time property of an event in a digital calendaring environment, the method comprising:

executing a plurality of instructions stored in a memory of a computing device hosting the digital calendaring environment, wherein the execution of the instructions creates a calendar grid in the digital calendaring environment, the calendar grid including a time-of-day axis;

receiving a first set of coordinates identifying a placement of the event in the calendar grid, wherein the event includes an editable start time property and an editable end time property, the editable end time property defined by a value that is determined by the placement of a duration feature of the event in the calendar grid; and

receiving a second set of coordinates identifying a movement of the calendar grid relative to the duration feature to change the value of the end time property, wherein the movement correlates to a dragging gesture; and

executing a plurality of instructions stored in the memory by way of the processor, wherein the execution of the instructions;

generates a view finder disposed in a fixed position over a region of the time-of-day axis,

locks the placement of an edge of the duration feature of the event at a fixed position on a screen of a computing device displaying the digital calendaring environment,

identifies, by way of the view finder, the value of the end time property being edited as a consequence of the movement of the calendar grid, wherein identifying the value includes displaying a time-of-day label disposed on the time-of-day axis when the time-of-day label passes beneath the fixed view finder as the time-of-day axis moves in response to the dragging gesture, and

updates the value of the end time property to match a time-of-day identified by the time-of-day label visible beneath the view finder when the dragging gesture is complete.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the view finder is operational to offer a magnification functionality and supports a plurality of magnification levels as a part of the magnification functionality.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein each magnification level of the plurality of magnification levels of the view finder is a function of a zoom level of the calendar grid.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein one or more edits to the end time property are performed by moving the duration feature of the event a fraction of an overall distance that the set of coordinates corresponding to the movement of the calendar grid otherwise reflect.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the fraction of the overall distance is a function of the magnification level of the magnification functionality.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the set of coordinates are generated as a byproduct of a finger of a user being dragged across a touch screen device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the time-of-day label identifies one or more coordinates on an axis of the calendar grid.