Location-aware personal scheduler

• US 20060225076A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Longobardi, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A personal scheduler (103) is proposed. The scheduler is used to define tasks (210), each one consisting of an activity to be performed by a defined deadline at a specific location, and appointments (215), each one consisting of an activity to be performed at a precise time at a specific location. The scheduler warns (265,285) the user whenever s/he passes (245) close to the location of each task. Moreover, at the morning (270) the scheduler reminds (265,285) all the tasks that might be performed during the day, according to an expected traveling path of the user (275) based on the appointments to be attended.

Claims

1. A method for aiding a user to organize tasks each one being suitable to be performed by the user at a predefined set of locations, the user being associated with a mobile device, wherein the method includes the steps of:

monitoring the position of the device, and

warning the user when the position of the device approaches at least one location within the predefined set of locations.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of associating an indication of the corresponding locations with each task, for at least one task the step of associating including:

selecting one among a plurality of predefined entities, each entity being associated with a corresponding location, and

resolving the selected entity into the corresponding location.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein for at least one task the step of associating includes:

selecting one among a plurality of predefined categories of entities, each category including a set of entities, and

resolving the selected category into the location of each corresponding entity.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of warning includes:

determining a distance of each location from the position of the device,

selecting each eligible task having at least one corresponding distance reaching a lower threshold value, and

notifying each eligible task to the user.

5. The method according to claim 4, further including for each location the steps of:

estimating a probability of passing in an area around the location according to a set of preceding positions of the device, and

setting the lower threshold value for the location according to the corresponding probability.

6. The method according to claim 4 when dependent on claim 3, further including for each category associated with at least one task the steps of:

determining an indication of a density of the corresponding entities, and

setting the lower threshold value for the locations of the entities included in the category according to the corresponding density.

7. The method according to claim 4, further including the steps of:

estimating a movement speed of the device according to a further set of preceding positions of the device, and

updating each lower threshold value according to the movement speed.

8. The method according to claim 4, further including the steps of:

defining appointments to be attended by the user,

associating an indication of a time and of a set of further locations with each appointment,

determining an expected traveling path of the user according to the further locations of the appointments to be attended in a selected time interval,

determining a further distance of each further location from the traveling path,

selecting each further eligible task having at least one corresponding further distance reaching the lower threshold value, and

notifying each further eligible task to the user.

9. The method according to claim 8, further including the steps of:

defining journeys to be made by the user, each journey including at least one appointment to be attended in a selected period, and

setting the time interval to the period of an approaching journey.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the steps of determining the expected traveling path, determining the further distance, selecting each further eligible task, and notifying each further eligible task are performed in response to an activation of the device, the method further including the steps of:

associating an indication of a set of prerequisites with at least one task, and

reminding (436) the prerequisites of each further eligible task to the user with the corresponding notification.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including the steps of:

asserting a fulfillment flag for each prerequisite of the further eligible tasks in response to the fulfillment of the prerequisite by the user,

detecting an exit of the device from an activation area, and

reminding each prerequisite of the further eligible tasks having the corresponding fulfillment flag deasserted to the user in response to the exit of the device from the activation area.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of deploying a service for aiding a user to organize tasks.

13. (canceled)

14. A program product in a computer readable medium. for aiding a user to organize tasks each one being suitable to be Performed by the user at a predefined set of locations, the user being associated with a mobile device including the program product, wherein the product comprises:

instructions for monitoring the position of the device, and

instructions for warning the user when the position of the device approaches at least one location within the predefined set of locations.

15. A data processing system for aiding a user to organize tasks each one being suitable to be performed by the user at a predefined set of locations, the user being associated with a mobile device, comprising:

means for monitoring the position of the device, and

means for warning the user when the position of the device approaches at least one location within the predefined set of locations.

16. The system according to claim 15 further comprising a mobile data processing device.