Method for sharing calendar content in communications system, communications system and terminal

• US 8,359,538 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jyrinki, Kimmo
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEATON, SHERROD L
• Application Number:
  US10/583,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,954 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/963, 715/745, 715/750, 715/739
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The invention describes a method for sharing calendar content in a communications system, a communications system, and a terminal. The communications system comprises a terminal and at least one remote device, and the terminal is configured to generate calendar content from one or more calendar notes. The communications system is configured to associate calendar notes with calendar profiles of the terminal, which define a unique view to the calendar content on the basis of the calendar notes associated with the calendar profile; to select in the terminal at least one calendar profile for generating calendar content to be shared; to generate the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile and the calendar notes associated with it; and to share the generated calendar content between the terminal and the remote device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

facilitating user entry of one or more calendar entries into a terminal, wherein the entries each include a time of an event and a user-composed calendar note describing the event;

detecting a text pattern in the one or more calendar notes;

associating the one or more calendar notes with one or more calendar profiles in a terminal on the basis of the detected text patterns, each calendar profile defining a unique view to the calendar entries;

selecting in the terminal at least one calendar profile for generating calendar content to be shared;

generating the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile; and

establishing a connection between the terminal and at least one user terminal for transmitting or loading the calendar content to be shared to the at least one user terminal;

wherein generating the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile comprises modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content, and

wherein modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content comprises obscuring the calendar notes associated with the shared content while retaining indicators of the times of the events associated with the obscured calendar notes.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising generating the calendar content to be shared as defined by the selected user profile based on a remote device, user group, purpose of use or time of day.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the calendar profile comprises a work profile, and wherein modifying the content comprises removing non-work-related personal information from the content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content comprises providing a modified note to describe user availability in the context of both the calendar profile and on the basis of times of day associated with the calendar entries.

3. A communications system comprising at least two user terminals, wherein a first terminal is configured:

to facilitating user entry of one or more calendar entries into a terminal, wherein the entries each include a time of an event and a user-composed calendar note describing the event;

to detect a text pattern in the one or more calendar notes;

to associate the one or more calendar notes with the one or more calendar profiles in the terminal on the basis of the detected text patterns, each calendar profile defining a unique view to the calendar entries;

to select in the terminal at least one calendar profile for generating calendar content to be shared;

to generate the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile; and

to establish a connection between the terminal and the second user terminal to transmit or load the calendar content to be shared to the second user terminal;

wherein generating the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile comprises modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content; and

wherein modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content comprises obscuring the calendar notes associated with the shared content while retaining indicators of the times of the events associated with the obscured calendar notes.

4. The communications system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the communications system is configured to generate the calendar content to be shared as defined by the selected user profile based on a remote device, user group, purpose of use or time of day.

5. The communications system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second user terminal is a media device, computer, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) device or mobile station.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

facilitating user entry of one or more calendar entries into a terminal, wherein the entries each include a time of an event and a user-composed calendar note describing the event;

detect a text pattern in the one or more calendar notes;

associate the one or more calendar notes with the one or more calendar profiles on the basis of the detected text patterns, each calendar profile defining a unique view to the calendar entries;

select at least one calendar profile for generating calendar content to be shared;

generate the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile; and

establish a connection between the apparatus and at least one user terminal to transmit or load the calendar content to be shared to the at least one user terminal;

wherein generating the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile comprises modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content; and

wherein modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content comprises obscuring the calendar notes associated with the shared content while retaining indicators of the times of the events associated with the obscured calendar notes.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the device is a mobile station, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) device, portable computer or media device.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the calendar profile comprises a work profile, and wherein modifying the content comprises removing non-work-related personal information from the content.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content comprises providing a modified note to describe user availability in the context of both the calendar profile and on the basis of times of day associated with the calendar entries.

8. A terminal, wherein the terminal comprises:

an input mechanism configured for facilitating user entry of one or more calendar entries into a terminal, wherein the entries each include a time of an event and a user-composed calendar note describing the event;

a detection mechanism configured for detecting a text pattern in the one or more calendar notes;

a processing mechanism configured for associating the one or more calendar notes with the one or more calendar profiles in the terminal on the basis of the detected text patterns, each calendar profile defining a unique view to the calendar entries;

the input mechanism further configured for selecting in the terminal at least one calendar profile for generating calendar content to be shared;

the processing mechanism further configured for generating the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile; and

a connection mechanism configured for establishing a connection between the terminal and at least one user terminal for transmitting or loading the calendar content to be shared to the at least one user terminal;

wherein generating the calendar content to be shared on the basis of at least one selected calendar profile comprises modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content; and

wherein modifying the calendar notes associated with the shared calendar content comprises obscuring the calendar notes associated with the shared content while retaining indicators of the times of the events associated with the obscured calendar notes.