Multimedia calendar

• US 10,956,874 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Issued: 03/23/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gurdin, Boaz Nathaniel, Kikin-Gil, Erez, Roseway, Asta
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadananda, Abhijit B
• Application Number:
  US11/766,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 5,024 Days
• Field of Search: 340988, 4554122, 705 5, 705 35, 705 719, 705 64, 705 718, 705 80, 715810, 715853, 715715, 715751, 715747, 715748, 715851, 715772, 715777, 715764, 715769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method for creating events for use by an electronic calendar application. A computer device running a calendar application displays a GUI having a representation of a calendar. A first widget on the GUI initiates a software routine for defining an event. The routine generates an interface window having a plurality of event detail widgets which allow the user to interactively define details of the event. Once the details are entered, the event is saved as a multimedia object, and the multimedia object is placed onto the calendar representation. Further, details of the event may include additional multimedia content. Also, the calendar representation itself may include multimedia content. The event may be defined with an approximate time frame rather than a specific time frame. For example, an event may be linked to another event rather than to a specific time frame.

Claims

1. A computing machine system-implemented method for keeping track by way of a database and by way of a graphical user interface (GUI) of approximate time frame events and inflexible formal events, the method comprising:

providing the GUI as having a calendar representation provided with time representing areas, over which areas respective representations of one or more of the approximate time frame events can be flexibly overlaid, and into which areas respective representations of the inflexible formal events can be placed;

storing, in a network-accessible database, event records that respectively define respective events tracked by the corresponding event records as each being one of an approximate time frame event or an inflexible formal event, where approximate time frame events can be flexibly associated with one or more of the time representing areas, and where the event records of the approximate time frame events provide one or more multimedia descriptions of their respectively tracked approximate time frame events;

providing, in the GUI, a first set of user-operable widget tools each adapted for receiving respective one or more inputs from a user regarding respective ones of approximate time frame event details and inflexible formal event details;

receiving, via one of the widget tools of the first set, a selection of approximate time frame event timing data that defines an approximate time frame for a respectively tracked and flexible approximate time frame event, the approximate time frame having at least one of a variable start time and a variable end time, whereby the at least one of the variable start time and the variable end time respectively defines an approximate scheduled start time and an approximate scheduled end time, and wherein the selection of approximate time frame event timing data disables the ability to select specific start and stop times via the widget tools of the first set;

incorporating, into an event record of a respective approximate time frame event, a multimedia object that descriptively depicts the respective approximate time frame event with other than in-rectangular-grid text, and associating the event record of the respective approximate time frame event with a corresponding icon, the icon being one that can be graphically placed on the calendar representation and having non-rectangular borders to represent the approximate time frame event timing data of the respective approximate time frame event and thereby graphically represent the respective approximate time frame event; and

in response to a request for a rendering of a calendar portion overlapping the approximate time frame;

obtaining, from the network-accessible database, the event record having the approximate time frame event timing data including the approximate time frame; and

placing, as part of the requested rendering, the associated icon of the obtained event record in the GUI within the calendar portion overlapping the approximate time frame, where the placed icon is operable to access the multimedia object of the respective approximate time frame event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incorporating step comprises:

identifying at least one detail of a scheduled event on the calendar representation; and

selecting the multimedia object based on a correspondence between the multimedia object and the identified detail.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting step comprises:

receiving the multimedia object via a user upload.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting step comprises:

automatically generating the multimedia object based on search criteria related to the identified detail.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving user input via at least one widget linking multimedia content to at least one approximate time frame event represented by a corresponding icon on the calendar representation;

linking the multimedia content as a sub-event to the at least one approximate time frame event; and

displaying a selectable icon for the sub-event multimedia content responsive to user input selecting the at least one approximate time frame event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving content from a source on a time interval basis represented on the calendar representation; and

responsive to receiving the content on the time interval basis, displaying another multimedia object representing the content on the calendar representation in accordance with the time interval basis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the source is a subscription information feed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the the calendar representation as a second multimedia object; and

sharing the graphical representation of the calendar with a second user by sending the the second multimedia object over a network to the network-accessible database, where the network-accessible database is accessible via a computer system accessible by the the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective representations of inflexible formal events can only be placed inside a respective one of the time representing areas or a consecutive series of the time representing areas.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the approximate time frame comprises one of morning and afternoon.

11. A method for keeping track by way of a database and by way of a graphical user interface (GUI) of flexible and inflexible formal events by use of an electronic calendar application, the method comprising:

providing the GUI as having a plurality of widget tools, including a first set of widget tools each adapted to receive input regarding a unique detail of one or more events that are to be tracked by the electronic calendar application;

displaying a calendar representation with grid areas representative of specific dates and times on a display of a computer system;

receiving first user input via the set of widget tools including at least a title for a first event and a specific time frame for the first event including a specific start time and a specific end time;

storing the received first user input as inflexible first event data in temporary storage;

receiving a request to save the first event;

defining a first multimedia object corresponding to the inflexible first event data;

specifying a rendering of the first multimedia object for display in a rectangular shape on the calendar representation, the rectangular shape bounded by the specific start time and the specific end time;

providing at least one widget tool in the set of widget tools that is adapted to receive input that defines respective approximate time frames for one or more flexible events in terms relative to starts, ends or concurrency of other events;

receiving second user input via the at set of widget tools indicating a second event having a respective approximate time frame having an approximate start time and an approximate end time, wherein at least one of the approximate start time and the approximate end time are relatively specified as occurring after, before or during an identified other event, and wherein receiving the second user input disables the ability to select a specific start time and a specific end time via the set of widget tools;

storing the received second user input as flexible second event data in temporary storage;

receiving a request to save the second event;

defining a second multimedia object corresponding to the flexible second event data;

specifying a rendering of the second multimedia object for display as a non-rectangular shape on a portion of the calendar representation including the approximate time frame,

storing in the database respective records for the first and second events, where the respective records identify their respective events as being respectively an inflexible formal event and a flexible event;

in response to a request for a rendering in the GUI of a calendar portion overlapping the specific time frame of the first event and the approximate time frame of the second event;

obtaining, from the database, the respective records for the first and second events, and

placing, as part of the requested rendering, the respective rectangular and non-rectangular shapes at corresponding positions of the calendar representation overlapping the respective specific and approximate time frames.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing at least one subsection as part of at least one multimedia object, said subsection including at least one additional multimedia object.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

defining at least one detail of at least one event that includes a link to at least another multimedia object.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

defining at least one detail of at least one flexible event that includes a link to associate at least one other event with the at least one flexible event.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the rendering of the first multimedia object for display in a rectangular shape on the calendar representation is limited such that the first multimedia object can only be inside a respective one of or a consecutive series of the grid areas corresponding to the specific start time and the specific end time.

16. A computer system for displaying information in an events scheduling calendar display by an electronic calendar application that uses a database and a graphical user interface (GUI), the system comprising:

a processor executing the electronic calendar application;

a memory; and

a display communicatively coupled to the processor;

the processor executing the electronic calendar application displaying the GUI on the display including a representation of a calendar and scheduled events thereof;

the processor executing the electronic calendar application receiving user input indicating selection of a first relational operator indicating a first relative timing relationship between a flexible approximate time frame first calendar-scheduled event and an identified second calendar-scheduled event, the flexible approximate time frame first calendar-scheduled event having a variable time frame defined by an approximate but flexible start time and an approximate but flexible end time;

the processor executing the electronic calendar application disabling the ability to select specific start and end times via the GUI in response to receiving the user input indicating selection of the first relational operator;

the processor executing the electronic calendar application receiving user input indicating selection of a second relational operator indicating a second relative timing relationship between the flexible approximate time frame first calendar-scheduled event and an identified third calendar-scheduled event;

the processor executing the electronic calendar application storing in the database respective records for the first, second and third calendar-scheduled events, where the respective records identify their respective events as being either of an inflexible formal event type or of a flexible approximate time frame event type; and

the processor executing the electronic calendar application accessing the database for determining the types of respective calendar-scheduled events and for responsively displaying in the GUI a non-rectangular shaped event representation for the flexible approximate time frame first calendar-scheduled event, where the non-rectangular shaped event representation is displayed on the representation of the calendar at a position indicating the first and second relative timing relationships between the flexible approximate time frame first calendar-scheduled event and each of the identified second and third calendar-scheduled events, and where timing details of the identified second and third calendar-scheduled events can alter the variable time frame of the flexible approximate time frame first calendar-scheduled event.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first relative timing relationship indicates that the first calendar-scheduled event occurs before the second calendar-scheduled event and the second relative timing relationship indicates that the first calendar-scheduled event occurs after the third calendar-scheduled event.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first relative timing relationship indicates that the first calendar-scheduled event occurs after the second calendar-scheduled event and the second timing relationship indicates that the first calendar-scheduled event occurs before the third calendar-scheduled event.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

the processor executing the electronic calendar application receiving, via a display window, user input linking multimedia content to at least one event on the representation of the calendar;

the processor executing the electronic calendar application linking the multimedia content as a sub-event to the at least one event; and

the processor displaying a selectable icon for the sub-event responsive to user input selecting the at least one event.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the selectable icon for the sub-event is representative of a type of information provided by the multimedia content.