System and methods for scheduling and tracking events across multiple time zones

• US 6,647,370 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellisync Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starfish Software, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sonia, Fu, Xiang, Kahn, Philippe Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): AKERS, GEOFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US09/154,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 709/101
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0266 for time management, e.g. calendars, diaries
• 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

An electronic Personal Information Manager (PIM) including a calendar/scheduling system with an EarthTime™ module is described. In operation, the system tracks different types of times: “local” time, “home” time, and “remote” time. Home time is the time zone of where the user typically spends most of his or her time; this is usually the time zone for the user'"'"'s home office. Local time is the time for the locality where the user is located physically at any particular instance in time. “Remote” time represents the time zones of the other individuals (i.e., other than the user). The system may show events and appointments in the user'"'"'s own “local” time (or other user-selected type of time), regardless of where the user is presently located. Using these three types of time (i.e., “local” time, “home” time, and “remote” time), the system provides improved interface and methods for scheduling and managing activities, such a phone conference, across multiple time zones.

Claims

1. In a system having a processor, a method for displaying a plurality of event information items, including appointments, that each includes an associated time, wherein the times associated with the event information items are according to different time zones, the method comprising:

accepting, from a user, an entering of an event information item of the plurality of event information items according to one of the different time zones;

converting by the system the times associated with the event information items into times according to a particular time zone, wherein the particular time zone differs from the one of the different time zones;

providing a calendar view suitable for displaying at least some of the event information items using the particular time zone, wherein the calendar view includes time slots that each have an associated time label; and

displaying the event information items using the times according to the particular time zone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the particular time zone.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the particular time zone comprises automatically setting the particular time zone to a new time zone upon detecting arrival in the new time zone, using a broadcast reference signal.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the broadcast reference signal is a global positioning satellite signal.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the particular time zone comprises accepting the particular time zone from a user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of accepting the particular time zone from the user comprises:

displaying a list of cities from a plurality of time zones;

accepting from the user a choice of a city from the list of cities; and

determining a time zone that corresponds to the user-chosen city as the particular time zone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the time slots and their associated time labels are displayed in chronological order.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the time labels form a sequence having a fixed time increment.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the time increment is 30 minutes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the calendar view is restricted to displaying appointments for a single day.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the time slots may be empty of any appointments.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting the associated times into the times according to the particular time zone comprises:

converting the associated times into times according to a reference time zone; and

converting the times according to the reference time zone into the times according to the particular time zone.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of converting the associated times into the times according to the particular time zone comprises adjusting for daylight savings time, as needed.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a plurality of clocks, including a first clock that shows time according to the particular time zone.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of clocks includes a second clock that shows time according to a time zone other than the particular time zone, and the method further comprises:

accepting from a user a designation of the second clock; and

in response to the designation of the second clock, determining the time zone of the second clock as the particular time zone, prior to the step of converting the times associated with the information items.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a personal information manager for organizing the information items for a user, and the information items include events with starting times and ending times.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a graphical representation of regions of the Earth, wherein the step of displaying the graphical representation of the regions comprises showing a light projection of the Sun to indicate daytime versus nighttime.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of displaying the graphical representation of the regions further comprises dynamically showing travel of the light projection to correspond to rotation of the Earth as time progresses.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of displaying the graphical representation of the regions further comprises:

accepting an indication of a desired location from a user; and

centering the graphical representation of the regions of the Earth on the desired location.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying time scales for two time zones, aligned so that equivalent times for the two time zones can be discerned from the time scales.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the time scales for the two time zones each includes at least one light band and one dark band.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising accepting a user click on a desired time on the time scales to select the desired time.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising accepting from a user a selection two cities to select the two time zones, wherein the two time zones correspond to the two cities.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising displaying a text description of the time difference between the two time zones.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accepting, from a user, an entering of an information item of the plurality according to one of the different time zones; and

determining the particular time zone.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing a calendar view suitable for displaying information items using the particular time zone.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying a plurality of clocks, including a first clock that shows time according to the particular time zone.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising displaying a graphical representation of regions of the Earth.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising displaying time scales for two time zones, aligned so that equivalent times for the two time zones can be discerned from the time scales.

30. In an electronic device, a method for receiving, storing and displaying information regarding time-based events, where the information may be received and displayed relative to different time zones, the method comprising:

identifying a first time zone as a current time zone for receiving and displaying information regarding time-based events;

receiving information regarding a first time-based event, including a first time value relative to said first time zone;

adjusting said first time value to a second time value relative to a second time zone and storing said second time value;

subsequently identifying a third time zone as the current time zone for receiving and displaying information regarding time-based events, said third time zone being different from said first time zone; and

adjusting said second time value to a third time value relative to said third time zone and displaying said information regarding said first time-based event, including said third time value.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said second time zone is a reference time zone.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said reference time zone is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said second time zone is different from said first time zone.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of identifying the third time zone comprises receiving user input for manually setting a new current time zone.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of receiving user input comprises:

displaying a list of cities from a plurality of time zones;

receiving from the user a choice of a city from the list of cities; and

determining a time zone that corresponds to the user-chosen city.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of identifying the third time zone comprises detecting that the user has set a clock in the electronic device to a new time.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of identifying the third time zone comprises automatically setting the third time zone as the current time zone upon detecting that the user has physically traveled into the third time zone.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein detecting that the user has traveled into the third time zone comprises detecting a broadcast reference signal.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the broadcast reference signal is a global positioning satellite signal.

40. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of adjusting the first time value to the second time value includes adjusting for Daylight Savings Time.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of adjusting the second time value to the third time value includes adjusting for Daylight Savings Time.

42. In an electronic device, a method for scheduling and tracking events across multiple time zones, the method comprising:

receiving user input specifying a first time-based event according to a first time zone;

receiving user input specifying a second time-based event according to a second time zone, said second time zone being different from said first time zone; and

displaying both said first event and said second event according to a third time zone.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said third time zone is the same as said second time zone.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said third time zone is the same as said first time zone.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said first time zone represents a home time zone, said second time zone represents a remote time zone and said third time zone represents a local time zone.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of displaying said first event and said second event according to said third time zone includes adjusting for Daylight Savings Time.

47. In an electronic device, a method for scheduling and tracking an event across multiple time zones, the method comprising:

identifying a first time zone as a current time zone for the processing of time-based events;

receiving user input specifying a first time-based event in said first time zone;

subsequently identifying a second time zone as the current time zone for the processing of time-based events, said second time zone being different from said first time zone; and

displaying said first event with a displayed time adjusted from said first time zone to said second time zone.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein, after the step of receiving the user input, the method further comprises adjusting the first time-based event from said first time zone to a reference time zone and storing said first time-based event according to said reference time zone.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said current time zone identifies the time zone in which a user is currently located.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of identifying the second time zone comprises receiving user input for manually setting a new current time zone by:

displaying a list of cities from a plurality of time zones;

receiving from the user a choice of a city from the list of cities; and

determining a time zone that corresponds to the user-chosen city.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of identifying the second time zone comprises detecting that the user has set a clock in the electronic device to a new time.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of identifying the second time zone comprises automatically setting the second time zone as the current time zone upon detecting that the user has physically traveled into the second time zone.

53. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of adjusting from the first time zone to the second time zone includes adjusting for Daylight Savings Time.

54. In an electronic device, a method for scheduling and tracking events across multiple time zones, the method comprising:

identifying a first time zone to be used for the entry of a time-based event;

receiving user input specifying a first time-based event, including a first time value in said first time zone;

storing said first time-based event, including a second time value in a second time zone, where the second time value represents the same time in the second time zone as the first time value represents in the first time zone;

identifying a third time zone to be used for the display of time-based events, said third time zone being different from said first time zone; and

displaying said first event with a third time value in the third time zone, where the third time value represents the same time in the third time zone as the first time value represents in the first time zone.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said second time zone is the same as said first time zone and said second time value is the same as said first time value.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein said third time zone is the same as said second time zone and said third time value is the same as said second time value.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein said second time zone is a reference time zone.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of identifying the third time zone comprises receiving user input for manually selecting a new time zone by:

displaying a list of cities from a plurality of time zones;

receiving from the user a choice of a city from the list of cities; and

determining a time zone that corresponds to the user-chosen city.

59. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of identifying the third time zone comprises detecting that the user has set a clock in the electronic device to a new time.

60. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of identifying the third time zone comprises automatically selecting the third time zone upon detecting that the user has physically traveled into the third time zone.