Information management systems with time zone information, including event scheduling processes

• US 8,959,147 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Colin, Eldridge, Jeff, Abbar, Mohamed Anas
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/945,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/216, 709/223, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

Information management systems with time zone information, including event scheduling processes are disclosed. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a computer-implemented scheduling method that can include identifying a difference between a participant time zone and a user time zone, reviewing availability information for the participant and/or one or more selected time preference periods for the participant, and selecting a time range for an event. The method can further include reviewing one or more selected time preference periods for the user. Another aspect of the invention is directed toward a computer-implemented method for associating time zone information with a contact in an information management program application that includes selecting a contact, analyzing contact information associated with the contact, and determining a time zone for the contact based on the analysis of the contact information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented scheduling method, the method performed by a computer system having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

identifying a time difference between a participant time zone and a user time zone, wherein the participant time zone is associated with a participant and the user time zone is associated with a user scheduling an event, wherein identifying the time difference is performed by the processor executing instructions stored in the memory;

reviewing availability information for the participant and one or more selected time preference periods for the participant prior to inviting the participant to schedule the event, wherein the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant correspond to one or more time periods identified by the participant;

selecting a time range for the event;

graphically displaying in relationship to the user time zone the selected time range for the event relative to the availability information for the participant and the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant; and

indicating that the selected time range is during one or more selected time preference periods for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone or is not during the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to determine whether the selected time range is or is not during one or more selected time preference periods for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone.

2. The computer-implemented scheduling method of claim 1, further comprising:

reviewing availability information for the user; and

indicating that the selected time range is during one or more selected time preference periods for the user in relationship to the user time zone or is not during the one or more selected time preference periods for the user in relationship to the user time zone.

3. The computer-implemented scheduling method of claim 1, further comprising coordinating the time range for the event with at least one of a user schedule and a participant schedule.

4. A computer-implemented scheduling method, the method performed by a computer system having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

collecting a participant time zone;

identifying a difference between a participant time zone and a user time zone, wherein the participant time zone is associated with a participant and the user time zone is associated with a user scheduling an event, wherein identifying the difference between the participant time zone and the user time zone is performed by the processor executing instructions stored in the memory;

reviewing at least one of availability information for the participant and one or more selected time preference periods for the participant prior to inviting the participant to schedule the event, wherein the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant correspond to one or more time periods identified by the participant;

selecting a time range for the event, wherein the time range is within the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant; and

graphically displaying in relationship to the user time zone the selected time range for the event relative to the at least one of availability information for the participant and the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein identifying the difference between the participant time zone and the user time zone includes graphically displaying a time difference between the participant time zone and the user time zone to the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising coordinating the time range for the event with at least one of a user schedule and a participant schedule.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising coordinating the time range for the event with at least one of a user schedule and a participant schedule, wherein:

coordinating the time range for the event with the user schedule includes annotating the event on the user schedule for the selected time range; and

coordinating the time range for the event with the participant schedule includes at least one of annotating the event on the participant schedule for the selected time range, sending a request that the participant agree to participate in the event during the selected time range, and gaining agreement that the participant will participate in the event during the selected time range.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the user time zone;

storing the participant time zone; and

storing at least one of the availability information for the participant, one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant, availability information for the user, and one or more selected time preference periods for the user.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 4 wherein the participant includes a first participant and the participant time zone includes a first participant time zone, and wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a difference between one or more additional participant time zones and at least one of the first participant time zone and the user time zone, wherein each of the one or more additional participant time zones is associated with an additional participant; and

reviewing at least one of availability information for each of the additional participants and one or more selected time preference periods for each of the additional participants.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising reviewing at least one of availability information for the user and one or more selected time preference periods for the user.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising selecting a participant identification associated with the participant from a list of contacts.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein collecting the participant time zone includes at least one of manually entering a time zone, manually selecting a time zone from a list of time zones, retrieving a stored time zone associated with the participant, accepting a time zone associated with a phone number of the participant, accepting a time zone associated with an address of the participant, and accepting a time zone associated with an affiliation of the participant.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising selecting at least one of a time preference period for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone and a time preference period for the user in relationship to the user time zone.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein reviewing one or more of the selected time preference periods includes indicating one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising indicating one or more selected time preference periods for the user in relationship to the user time zone.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein reviewing one or more of the selected time preference periods includes indicating that the selected time range is during one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone or is not during the one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising indicating that the selected time range is during one or more selected time preference periods for the user in relationship to the user time zone or is not during the one or more of the selected time preference periods for the user in relationship to the user time zone.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising suggesting a time range based on at least one of the availability information for the participant, availability information for the user, the participant time zone, the user time zone, one or more selected time preference periods for the participant, and one or more selected time preference periods for the user.

19. A computer-implemented method for associating time zone information with a contact in an information management program application, the method performed by a computer system having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

selecting a contact;

analyzing contact information associated with the contact; and

determining a time zone for the contact based on the analysis of the contact information, wherein the contact information does not specify the time zone for the contact, and wherein determining the time zone is performed by the processor executing instructions stored in the memory.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising storing the time zone for the contact.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein analyzing contact information includes analyzing at least one of a phone number, an address, and an affiliation.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein determining a time zone for the contact includes determining a first time zone for the contact, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining an alternate time zone for the contact based on the analysis of the contact information; and

storing the alternate time zone for the contact.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein determining a time zone for the contact includes:

suggesting multiple time zones based on the analysis of the contact information; and

selecting one of the multiple suggested time zones or manually entering a non-suggested time zone based on the analysis of the contact information.

24. A computing system comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising;

collecting a participant time zone;

identifying a difference between a participant time zone and a user time zone, wherein the participant time zone is associated with a participant and the user time zone is associated with a user scheduling an event;

reviewing availability information for the participant and one or more selected time preference periods for the participant prior to inviting the participant to schedule the event, wherein the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant correspond to one or more time periods identified by the participant;

selecting a time range for the event, wherein the time range is within the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant;

graphically displaying in relationship to the user time zone the selected time range for the event relative to the availability information for the participant and the one or more selected time preference periods for the participant; and

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions of the computer-readable storage medium.

25. The computing system of claim 24 wherein identifying the difference between the participant time zone and the user time zone includes graphically displaying a time difference between the participant time zone and the user time zone to the user.

26. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise coordinating the time range for the event with at least one of a user schedule and a participant schedule.

27. The computing system of claim 24 wherein reviewing at least one of the availability information for the participant and one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant includes at least one of graphically displaying the availability information for the participant relative to the participant time zone and graphically displaying one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant relative to the participant time zone.

28. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise:

storing the user time zone;

storing the participant time zone; and

storing at least one of the availability information for the participant, one or more of the selected time preference periods for the participant, availability information for the user, and one or more selected time preference periods for the user.

29. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the participant includes a first participant and the participant time zone includes a first participant time zone, and wherein the steps further comprise:

identifying a difference between one or more additional participant time zones and at least one of the first participant time zone and the user time zone, wherein each of the one or more additional participant time zones is associated with an additional participant; and

reviewing at least one of availability information for each of the additional participants and one or more selected time preference periods for each of the additional participants.

30. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise reviewing at least one of availability information for the user and one or more selected time preference periods for the user.

31. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise selecting a participant identification associated with the participant from a list of contacts.

32. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise collecting the participant time zone.

33. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise selecting at least one of a time preference period for the participant in relationship to the participant time zone and a time preference period for the user in relationship to the user time zone.

34. The computing system of claim 24 wherein the steps further comprise suggesting a time range based on at least one of the availability information for the participant, availability information for the user, the participant time zone, the user time zone, one or more selected time preference periods for the participant, and one or more selected time preference periods for the user.

35. A computing system comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising;

selecting a contact;

analyzing contact information associated with the contact; and

determining a time zone for the contact based on the analysis of the contact information, wherein the contact information does not specify the time zone for the contact and

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions of the computer-readable storage medium.

36. The computing system of claim 35 wherein the steps further comprise storing the time zone for the contact.

37. The computing system of claim 35 wherein determining a time zone for the contact includes determining a first time zone for the contact, and wherein the steps further comprise:

determining an alternate time zone for the contact based on the analysis of the contact information; and

storing the alternate time zone for the contact.