Managing documents based on a user's calendar

• US 9,870,554 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Dominic King Hay, Kwan, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Level, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US13/658,405
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Disclosed is a system of managing documents based on the calendar of a user. When the user has a scheduled first event, one or more documents associated with a second occurrence of an event related to the first event can be identified and associated with the first event. In this way, a user may easily access documents related to the first event. The documents can be, for example, documents accessed during the second event or documents identified by the user with the second event. The events can be part of a recurring series of events. The events and their associated documents can be displayed in a folder format.

Claims

1. A method for managing computer-based documents, comprising:

identifying, by a computing device using calendar information from a calendar program associated with a first participant, related events in the calendar program associated with the first participant, wherein the related events include a first event and a second event,

wherein the first event is associated with a first time period on a specified day,

wherein the first time period occurs in the present or in the future,

wherein the second event is associated with a second time period,

wherein the second time period occurred in the past,

wherein the calendar program includes, for the first participant and for the specified day, first participant events including the first event,

wherein the calendar information includes at least one of event title, event participant list, event tag, or event topic, and

wherein the identification of the related events is made when at least some of the calendar information associated with the second event matches at least some of the calendar information associated with the first event;

identifying a first document associated with the second event, wherein the first document was created, accessed, or modified by the first participant during the second time period, and wherein the first document is inaccessible by a second participant of the first event;

creating, in a folder of a directory, a link to the first document,

wherein the folder is a folder of the first participant and the folder is inaccessible to the second participant of the first event,

wherein the folder is associated with the first event, and

wherein the directory is part of a program other than the calendar program, is associated with the specified day, and includes respective folders for some of the first participant events including the folder associated with the first event;

responsive to a selection of the specified day in the program, displaying the directory, the respective folders including the folder associated with the first event, and the link to the first document; and

sharing, with a permission of the first participant, the folder and the link with the second participant of the first event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the first document, further comprises:

determining that the first document was accessed by the first participant proximate to the second time period.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the first document further comprises:

comparing text included in the first document with an event title of the second event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first document is at least one of a word-processing document, a spread sheet document, a presentation document, an image, a video, an email document, a social network document or a web page.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first event and the second event are from a recurring series of related events.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second participant in the second event;

identifying a second document that was created, accessed, or modified by the second participant during the second time period;

creating a link to the second document in the folder associated with the first event; and

displaying the link to the second document with the folder associated with the first event.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying the second document further comprises:

determining that the second document was accessed by the second participant proximate to the second time period.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying the second document further comprises:

comparing text included in the second document with an event topic of the second event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting the first participant to identify with a user interface element an additional document to associate with the first event.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the folder at a time interval.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the first document with the first event based on an association of the first event to the second event and an association of the first document to the second event.

12. An apparatus for managing computer-based documents, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory to;

identify, using calendar information from a calendar program associated with a first participant, related events in the calendar program associated with the first participant,

wherein the related events include a first event and a second event,

wherein the first event is associated with a first time period on a specified day,

wherein the first time period occurs in the present or in the future,

wherein the second event is associated with a second time period,

wherein the second time period occurred in the past,

wherein the calendar program includes, for the first participant and for the specified day, first participant events including the first event,

wherein the calendar information includes at least one of event title, event participant list, event tag, or event topic, and

wherein the identification of the related events is made when at least some calendar information associated with the second event matches at least some of the calendar information associated with the first event;

identify a first document associated with the second event, wherein the first document was created, accessed, or modified by the first participant proximate to the second time period, wherein the first document is inaccessible by a second participant of the first event;

create, in a folder of a directory of the first participant associated with the first event, a link to the first document,

wherein the folder is a folder of the first participant and is inaccessible to the second participant of the first event,

wherein the folder is associated with the first event, and

wherein the directory is part of a program other than the calendar program, is associated with the specified day, and includes respective folders for some of the first participant events including the first event;

based on selection of the specified day in the program, display the directory, the respective folders including the folder associated with the first event, and the link to the first document; and

share, with a permission of the first participant, the folder and the link with the second participant in the first event.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to identify the first document by comparing text included in the first document with an event title of the second event.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first event and the second event are from a recurring series of related events.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to:

identify a second participant in the second event;

identify a second document that was created, accessed, or modified by the second participant during the second time period;

create a link to the second document in the folder; and

displaying the link to the second document with the folder.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to identify the second document by determining that the second document was accessed by the second participant proximate to the second time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to identify the second document by comparing text included in the second document with an event topic of the second event.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second document is at least one of a word-processing document, a spread sheet document, a presentation document, an image, a video, an email document, a social network document or a web page.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations for managing computer-based documents, comprising:

identifying, using calendar information from a calendar program associated with a first participant, related events in the calendar program associated with the first participant,

wherein the related events include a first event and a second event,

wherein the first event is associated with a first time period on a specified day,

wherein the first time period occurs in the present or in the future,

wherein the second event is associated with a second time period,

wherein the second time period occurred in the past,

wherein the calendar program includes, for the first participant and for the specified day, first participant events including the first event,

wherein the calendar information includes at least one of event title, event participant list, event tag, or event topic, and

wherein the identification of the related events is made when at least some calendar information associated with the second event matches at least some of the calendar information associated with the first event;

identifying a first document associated with the second event, wherein the first document was created, accessed, or modified by the first participant during the second time period, and wherein the first document is inaccessible by a second participant of the first event;

creating, in a folder of a directory, a copy of the first document, wherein the directory is part of a program other than the calendar program and is associated with the specified day, and wherein the folder is associated with the first event;

sharing, with a permission of the first participant, the folder and the copy of the first document with the second participant of the first event; and

based on selection of the specified day in the program, displaying the copy of the first document.