Freeform communication in calendaring system

• US 8,239,234 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Guiheneuf, Bertrand, Maury, Sébastien, Gutknecht, Olivier, Jalon, Julien
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYCE, ANDRE D
• Application Number:
  US13/193,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.18
• US Class Current: 705/7.18
• 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

A method of sharing a calendar between a plurality of users, the calendar being capable of holding one or more events. The method comprises providing the calendar to each of said plurality of users; allowing any of said plurality of users to add to the calendar any of a new event, a change to an event and a message relating to an event; and providing any new event, change to an event or message added by a user to the other users. A change to an event may comprise a change to at least one of a start time of the event, an end time of the event, a description of the event, a status of the event, whether the event is to be repeated and the persons attending the event.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium for a digital processing system, the storage medium storing program code that when processed by the digital processing system of a first user causes the digital processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a respective calendar of events for at least one other user;

sending to a respective electronic system of the at least one other user a first calendar of the first user'"'"'s activities and a second calendar of the first user'"'"'s activities, the first calendar containing first activities of the first user, the second calendar containing second activities of the first user;

receiving a modification created by the at least one other user to one of the first or second calendars of the first user'"'"'s activities, the modification being one of;

i) a new event;

ii) change to an existing event;

wherein, the modification is appended with a message from the at least one other user, and wherein, the receiving does not include the first user actively fetching the modification and/or message from a server where the modification and/or message is posted;

automatically displaying the modification and the message substantially simultaneously on a display of the digital processing system in an updated calendar;

sending notice to the respective electronic system of the at least one other user that the first user is are of the modification, the sending being triggered by any of the following;

(i) the first user affirmatively taking action in a region of the display of the digital processing system that is reserved for the first user to acknowledge the modification;

(ii) the display of the digital processing system rendering, for the first time since the modification was received by the digital processing system, the one of the first user'"'"'s first and second calendar of activities to which the modification was made.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the modification comprises a change to at least one of a start time of the event, an end time of the event, a description of the event, a status of the event, whether the event is to be repeated and the persons attending the event.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system at least one of an identification of the at least one other user who created the modification, a time at which the modification was made and a description of the modification.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system for a selected event all changes made to the event.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system for a selected event all messages relating the event.

6. A digital processing system for a first user, the digital processing system having a processor and a storage medium, the storage medium having stored program, code that when processed by the digital processing system causes a method to he performed by the digital processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a respective calendar of events for at least one other user;

sending to a respective electronic system of the at least one other user a first calendar of the first user'"'"'s activities and a second calendar of the first user'"'"'s activities, the first calendar containing first activities of the first user, the second calendar containing second activities of the first user;

receiving a modification created by the at least one other user to one of the first or second calendars of the first user'"'"'s activities, the modification being one of;

i) a new event;

ii) a change to an existing event;

wherein, the modification is appended with a message from the at least one other user, and wherein, the receiving does not include the first user actively fetching the modification and/or message from a server where the modification and/or message is posted;

automatically displaying the modification and the message substantially simultaneously on a display of the digital processing system in an updated calendar;

sending notice to the respective electronic system of the at least one other user that the first user is aware of the modification, the sending being triggered by any of the following;

(i) the first user affirmatively taking action in a region of the display of the digital processing system that is reserved for the first user to acknowledge the modification;

(ii) the display of the digital processing system rendering, for the first time since the modification was received by the digital processing system, the one if the first user'"'"'s first and second calendar of activities to which the modification was made.

7. The digital processing system of claim 6, wherein the modification comprises a change to at least one of a start time of the event, an end time of the event, a description of the event, a status if the event, whether the event is to be repeated and the persons attending the event.

8. The digital processing system of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system at least one of an identification of the at least one other user who created the modification, a time at which the modification was made and a description of the modification.

9. The digital processing system of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system for a selected event all changes made to the event.

10. The digital processing system of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system for a selected event all messages relating to the event.

11. A method performed on a digital processing system for a first user, the method comprising:

receiving a respective calendar of events for at least one other user;

sending to a respective electronic system of the at least one other user a first calendar of the first user'"'"'s activities and a second calendar of the first user'"'"'s activities, the first calendar containing first activities of the first user, the second calendar containing second activities of the first user;

receiving a modification created by the at least one other user to one of the first or second calendars of the first user'"'"'s activities, the modification being one of;

i) a new event;

ii) a change to an existing event;

wherein, the modification is appended with a message from the at least one other user, and wherein, the receiving does not include the first user actively fetching the modification and/or message from a server where the modification and/or message is posted;

automatically displaying the modification and the message substantially simultaneously on a display of the digital processing system in an updated calendar;

sending notice to the respective electronic system of the at least one other user that the first user is aware of the modification, the sending being triggered by any of the following;

(i) the first user affirmatively taking action in a region of the display of the digital processing system that is reserved for the first user to acknowledge the modification;

(ii) the display of the digital processing system rendering, for the first time since the modification was received by the digital processing system, the one of the first user'"'"'s first and second calendar of activities to which the modification was made.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the modification comprises a change to at least one of a start time of the event, an end time of the event, a description of the event, a status of the event, whether the event is to be repeated and the persons attending the event.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system at least one of an identification of the at least one other user who created the modification, a time at which the modification was made and a description of the modification.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system for a selected event all changes made to the event.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises displaying on the display of the digital processing system for a selected event all messages relating to the event.