Methods and systems for managing an electronic calendar

• US 9,911,099 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Coffman, Patrick Lee, Christie, Greg, Colom, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US14/733,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing an electronic calendar are described. One exemplary method includes displaying a calendar on a display device, the calendar having at least one time range, and displaying an invitation, before it is accepted, on the calendar in the at least one time range with other events which are already accepted. Another exemplary method includes displaying a calendar on a display device and displaying a list of user-selectable calendars comprising an invitation calendar which presents invitations which have not yet been accepted or declined on the invitation calendar. Other methods are described, and machine readable media and systems are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computing device with a display device and one or more input devices;

displaying, on the display device, a calendar window that comprises concurrently displaying;

a calendar view corresponding to a time range, wherein;

the calendar view includes graphical representations of a plurality of events that include a first graphical representation of a first event that has a size that represents the duration of the first event and a second graphical representation of a second event that has a size that represents the duration of the second event;

the calendar view includes graphical representations of a plurality of event invitations that include a first graphical representation of a first event invitation that has a size that represents the duration of an event that corresponds to the first event invitation and a second graphical representation of a second event invitation that has a size that represents the duration of an event that corresponds to the second event invitation; and

the graphical representations of the plurality of event invitations share a visual property that visually distinguishes the graphical representations of event invitations from graphical representations of events; and

a notification region, wherein;

the notification region includes a first notification corresponding to the first event invitation and a second notification corresponding to the second event invitation;

the first notification corresponding to the first event invitation includes an accept icon for accepting the first event invitation and a decline icon for declining the first event invitation; and

while displaying the calendar view;

receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input that corresponds to selection of the accept icon in the first notification; and

in response to receiving the input, updating the calendar view on the display by changing the visual property of the first graphical representation of the first event invitation to indicate that the event invitation has been accepted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second notification includes an accept icon for accepting the second event invitation and a decline icon for declining the second event invitation;

and

while displaying the calendar view;

receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input that corresponds to selection of the decline icon in the second event invitation; and

in response to receiving the second input, updating the calendar view on the display by removing the second graphical representation of the second event invitation to indicate that the event invitation has been declined.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving via the one or more input devices a second input to change the time range of the calendar view; and

in response to receiving the second input, updating the notification region to no longer display the first notification when a time range corresponding to the first event invitation does not overlap with the changed time range of the calendar view.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the display device, a numerical representation of notifications associated with event invitations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the numerical representation is displayed in a different region of the display device than the calendar window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first notification further includes details on attendees related to the first event invitation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual property that visually distinguishes the graphical representations of event invitations from graphical representations of events is an outline format.

8. A system comprising:

a display device;

one or more input devices;

one or more processors;

a storage device with instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to;

display, on the display device, a calendar window that comprises concurrently displaying;

a calendar view corresponding to a time range, wherein;

the calendar view includes graphical representations of a plurality of events that include a first graphical representation of a first event that has a size that represents the duration of the first event and a second graphical representation of a second event that has a size that represents the duration of the second event;

the calendar view includes graphical representations of a plurality of event invitations that include a first graphical representation of a first event invitation that has a size that represents the duration of an event that corresponds to the first event invitation and a second graphical representation of a second event invitation that has a size that represents the duration of an event that corresponds to the second event invitation; and

the graphical representations of the plurality of event invitations share a visual property that visually distinguishes the graphical representations of event invitations from graphical representations of events; and

a notification region, wherein;

the notification region includes a first notification corresponding to the first event invitation and a second notification corresponding to the second event invitation;

the first notification corresponding to the first event invitation includes an accept icon for accepting the first event invitation and a decline icon for declining the first event invitation; and

while the calendar view is displayed;

receive, via the one or more input devices, an input that corresponds to selection of the accept icon in the first notification; and

in response to the received input, update the calendar view on the display by changing the visual property of the first graphical representation of the first event invitation to indicate that the event invitation has been accepted.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second notification includes an accept icon for accepting the second event invitation and a decline icon for declining the second event invitation;

and

the one or more processors are further configured to, while the calendar view is displayed, to;

receive, via the one or more input devices, a second input that corresponds to selection of the decline icon in the second event invitation; and

in response to the received second input, update the calendar view on the display by removing the second graphical representation of the second event invitation to indicate that the event invitation has been declined.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive via the one or more input devices a second input to change the time range of the calendar view; and

in response to the received second input, update the notification region to no longer display the first notification when a time range corresponding to the first event invitation does not overlap with the changed time range of the calendar view.

11. The system of claim 8, the display device displays a numerical representation of notifications associated with event invitations.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the numerical representation is displayed in a different region of the display device than the calendar window.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first notification further includes details on attendees related to the first event invitation.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the visual property that visually distinguishes the graphical representations of event invitations from graphical representations of events is an outline format.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors configure the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

at a computing device with a display device and one or more input devices;

displaying, on the display device, a calendar window that comprises concurrently displaying;

a calendar view corresponding to a time range, wherein;

the calendar view includes graphical representations of a plurality of events that include a first graphical representation of a first event that has a size that represents the duration of the first event and a second graphical representation of a second event that has a size that represents the duration of the second event;

the calendar view includes graphical representations of a plurality of event invitations that include a first graphical representation of a first event invitation that has a size that represents the duration of an event that corresponds to the first event invitation and a second graphical representation of a second event invitation that has a size that represents the duration of an event that corresponds to the second event invitation; and

the graphical representations of the plurality of event invitations share a visual property that visually distinguishes the graphical representations of event invitations from graphical representations of events; and

a notification region, wherein;

the notification region includes a first notification corresponding to the first event invitation and a second notification corresponding to the second event invitation;

the first notification corresponding to the first event invitation includes an accept icon for accepting the first event invitation and a decline icon for declining the first event invitation; and

while displaying the calendar view;

receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input that corresponds to selection of the accept icon in the first notification; and

in response to receiving the input, updating the calendar view on the display by changing the visual property of the first graphical representation of the first event invitation to indicate that the event invitation has been accepted.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the second notification includes an accept icon for accepting the second event invitation and a decline icon for declining the second event invitation;

and

while displaying the calendar view, the operations further comprise;

receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input that corresponds to selection of the decline icon in the second event invitation; and

in response to receiving the second input, updating the calendar view on the display by removing the second graphical representation of the second event invitation to indicate that the event invitation has been declined.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations comprising:

receiving via the one or more input devices a second input to change the time range of the calendar view; and

In response to receiving the second input, updating the notification region to no longer display the first notification when a time range corresponding to the first event invitation does not overlap with the changed time range of the calendar view.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising displaying on the display device, a numerical representation of notifications associated with event invitations.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the numerical representation is displayed in a different region of the display device than the calendar window.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first notification further includes details on attendees related to the first event invitation.