MANAGING FAMILY INFORMATION

• US 20080005168A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lebel, Tim, Huff, Arlene, Weed, Rogers
• Application Number:
  US11/428,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005168A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Family information adaptable for groups with multiple members using multiple devices in multiple locations can be managed. Extensible and customizable types of family information, such as notes, tasks, lists, and appointments for specific family activities may be stored in a data store on a local or remote server. Multiple family members may enter information into the data store and retrieve information from the data store, allowing for coordination of tasks and activities.

Claims

1. A method for managing family information comprising:

defining in a data store a family comprising a plurality of individual family members;

storing in the data store a first item associated with a first member of the family;

storing in the data store a second item associated with a second member of the family;

storing in the data store a third item associated with the family as a whole;

receiving based on user input an item query comprising at least one of a family member identifier, a time identifier, and an item type identifier;

retrieving from the data store a set of items based on the item query, said set of items comprising the third item and at least one of the first item and the second item; and

returning the retrieved set of items, each item comprising an item type identifier and item data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each item in the data store is assigned a level of permission, the level of permission determining the accessibility of the item to each of the family members.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data store is located on a first computing device, the first computing device being installed at a home of at least one of the family members.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the item query includes receiving the item query from a second computing device, and the retrieving from the data store comprises:

synchronizing a second data store at the second computing device with the data store at the first computing device; and

executing the query against the second data store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of items retrieved comprises a note item, corresponding to a note sent between family members.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of items retrieved comprises an appointment item, corresponding to a calendar appointment associated with at least one the family members.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of items retrieved comprises a task item, corresponding to a task scheduled for at least one the family members.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of items retrieved comprises a contact item, corresponding to a contact associated with at least one the family members.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the item query is received and parsed at a first computing device, and the method further comprises:

based on the item query, determining that the data store is located at a second computing device at a remote location;

establishing a connection to the second computing device; and

requesting from the data store items based on the item query.

10. The method claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information to an advertising entity based on the item query received from the user;

receiving advertising content from the advertising entity in response to the transmitted information; and

delivering the advertising content to the user.

11. One or more computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computer system, perform a method comprising:

storing in a computer storage one or more items associated with a first member of a family and not associated with a second member of the family, each item having an item type and item data;

storing in the computer storage one or more items associated with the family as a whole, each item having an item type and item data;

receiving based on user input an item query at the computer storage;

determining that the user has permission to execute the item query on the computer storage;

executing the item query on the computer storage; and

returning a set of items based on the query to the user, wherein the user has permission to access each of the returned items.

12. The computer readable media according to claim 11, wherein the computer storage contains at least one item not returned to the user based on a determination that the user does not have permission to receive the at least one item.

13. The computer readable media according to claim 11, wherein the item query comprises an update query, and determining that the user has permission to execute the item query comprises determining that the user has permission to write to the computer storage.

14. The computer readable media according to claim 11, wherein the returned set comprises a set of items including at least one of a task item, a calendar item, a contact item, and a note item.

15. The computer readable media according to claim 11, wherein the item query is received and parsed at a first computing device, and the method further comprises:

based on the item query, determining that the data store is located at a second computing device at a remote location;

establishing a connection to the second computing device; and

requesting from the data store items based on the item query.

16. The computer readable media according to claim 11, the method further comprising:

transmitting information to an advertising entity based on the item query received from the user;

receiving advertising content from the advertising entity in response to the transmitted information; and

delivering the advertising content to the user.

17. A system for displaying family information, comprising:

a plurality of computing devices, each comprising a display; and

a data store comprising a computer storage and a processor performing the steps of;

storing in the computer storage one or more items associated with a first member of a family, each item having an item type and item data;

storing in the computer storage one or more items associated with the family as a whole, each item having an item type and item data;

receiving an item query from one of the plurality of computing devices;

identifying a user associated with the computing device;

determining that the user has permission to execute the item query on the computer storage;

executing the item query on the computer storage; and

returning a result set from the executed query.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein query comprises an request query, and wherein the computer storage contains at least one item not returned in the result set based on a determination that the user does not have permission to receive the at least one item.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the item query comprises an update query, and determining that the user has permission to execute the item query comprises determining that the user has permission to write to the computer storage.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the result set comprises a set of items including at least one of a task item, a calendar item, a contact item, and a note item.