Personal notes on a calendar item

• US 9,720,574 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cadiz, Jonathan, Siu, Chun Hin Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUCKWORTH, JIANMEI F
• Application Number:
  US13/423,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 715776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Embodiments provide functionality to provide electronic calendar features and functionalities including personal note-taking features on calendar items, but the embodiments are not so limited. In an embodiment, a computer-based method can be configured to provide a personal note-taking space that enables users to take personal notes on appointment or meeting items with or without sharing the personal notes. Other embodiments are included.

Claims

1. A computer device including at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor perform electronic calendar features comprising:

displaying a personal note taking space with each appointment item, the personal note taking space configured to receive personal notes for each appointment item;

displaying a personal note taking space with each meeting item, the personal note taking space configured to receive personal notes for each meeting item;

retaining the personal notes independent of an organizer such that the personal notes used in personal preparation for and during an appointment item or a meeting item are tracked and saved;

sharing the personal notes with authorized individuals using sharing rules;

receiving a blank note to the appointment item or the meeting item at a location on an electronic surface, wherein receiving the blank note includes capturing a path traversed by the blank note during application, wherein capturing the path traversed by the blank note includes capturing a plurality of open items on the electronic surface swiped over during application of the blank note;

in response to application of the blank note, capturing a screen state associated with the personal notes for the appointment item or the meeting item, wherein capturing the screen state includes capturing the plurality of open items intersected by the path traversed by the blank note; and

in response to receiving activation of a blank note trigger, automatically restoring the screen state to resurface the plurality of open items associated with the personal notes based at least in part on the path traversed by the blank note during application.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the personal notes can be input using one or more of handwritten, keyboard, and touch screen input types.

3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the appointment component is configured to provide an appointment window comprising appointment tools, a public space, and the personal note taking space.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the public space is displayed adjacent to the personal note taking space of the appointment window, wherein the personal note taking space includes a notation that identifies the personal note taking space as private.

5. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the appointment window includes meeting information including one or more meeting participants.

6. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the personal notes are stored via one or more of:

locally, remotely, and in a distributed manner.

7. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the appointment component is configured further to display a note icon to notify that private notes are associated with a scheduled meeting item as part of a calendar view.

8. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the appointment component is configured to share the personal notes according to a designated sharing relationship.

9. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the appointment component is configured further to retain personal notes for instantiation upon a meeting item or an appointment item occurrence.

10. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the personal notes are encoded using field properties containing text and graphics appended to a messaging application programming interface (MAPI) item.

11. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the appointment component is configured further to retain field properties associated with the personal notes by default using a user account copy of the meeting item or the appointment item.

12. The computer device of claim 1, further comprising a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a handheld computer.

13. A method comprising:

providing electronic calendar features including appointment items and meeting items, each appointment item being configured to enable one or more shared aspects including shared appointment information;

displaying a private note taking portion with each appointment item and corresponding shared appointment information, the private note taking portion configured to retain personal notes for each appointment item;

displaying a private note taking portion with each meeting item, the private note taking portion configured to retain personal notes for each meeting item;

storing each appointment item and each meeting item;

limiting dissemination of the personal notes using sharing rules such that the personal notes are shared with authorized individuals;

receiving a blank note to an upcoming appointment item or an upcoming meeting item at a location on an electronic surface, wherein receiving the blank note includes capturing a path traversed by the blank note during application, wherein capturing the path traversed by the blank note includes capturing a plurality of open items on the electronic surface swiped over during application of the blank note;

in response to application of the blank note, capturing a screen state associated with the personal notes for the upcoming appointment item or the upcoming meeting item, wherein capturing the screen state includes capturing the plurality of open items intersected by the path traversed by the blank note; and

in response to receiving activation of a blank note trigger, automatically restoring the screen state to resurface the plurality of open items associated with the personal notes based at least in part on the path traversed by the blank note during application.

14. The method of claim 13, the limiting dissemination further comprising controlling access to a user calendar including providing an option of viewing any personal notes based in part on determination of a sharing relationship.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising encoding the personal notes by appending a number of field properties containing text and graphics to a MAPI item.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the personal notes can be input using one or more of handwritten, keyboard, and touch screen input types.

17. A non-transitory computer storage apparatus communicatively coupled to a processor and including instructions which, when executed by the processor, provide electronic calendar features comprising:

providing a private note taking space for receiving personal notes for an appointment item, wherein each personal note associates textual and graphical metadata to an instance of the appointment item;

sharing the personal notes based at least in part on a note input and sharing relationship defined according to sharing rules such that the personal notes are shared with authorized individuals;

receiving a blank note to an upcoming appointment item at a location on an electronic surface, wherein receiving the blank note includes capturing a path traversed by the blank note during application, wherein capturing the path traversed by the blank note includes capturing a plurality of open items on the electronic surface swiped over during application of the blank note;

in response to application of the blank note, capturing a screen state associated with the personal notes for the upcoming appointment item, wherein capturing the screen state includes capturing the plurality of open items intersected by the path traversed by the blank note; and

in response to receiving activation of a blank note trigger, automatically restoring the screen state to resurface the plurality of open items associated with the personal notes based at least in part on the path traversed by the blank note during application.

18. The non-transitory computer storage apparatus of claim 17, including instructions which, when executed by the processor, provide electronic calendar features further comprising:

sharing personal notes between a delegate and a principal, wherein the personal notes are maintained in private among the delegate and the principal or a select group of users privy to calendar information of the user entering the personal notes.

19. The computer storage apparatus of claim 17, including instructions which, when executed by the processor, provide electronic calendar features further comprising:

preserving personal notes independently from changes made to an associated appointment item.

20. The computer storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein the personal notes are encoded using field properties containing text and graphics appended to a messaging application programming interface (MAPI) item.