Electronic device and method of meeting notification

• US 9,552,571 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Jain, Rohit Rocky, May, Darrell R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US11/670,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,644 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method of providing a meeting notification includes adding an indication of an observer to a calendar event in a calendar graphical user interface at an organizer electronic device, saving the calendar event associated with the observer at the organizer electronic device, and sending an observer electronic message from the organizer electronic device to an observer electronic device. The observer electronic message includes the calendar event for storage at the observer electronic device with a period of time, associated with the calendar event, indicated as free time.

Claims

1. A method of providing a calendar event notification, comprising:

adding an indication of an observer to a calendar event associated with a given period of time, the indication being added in a calendar graphical user interface at an organizer electronic device via an add observer option selected from the calendar graphic user interface, the add observer option selected by receiving input from an input device of the organizer electronic device, the observer determined using further input received from the input device to one or more of;

select the indication of the observer from a list of contacts stored in memory at the organizer electronic device; and

receive textual input corresponding to the indication of the observer;

saving the calendar event associated with the observer in the memory, the calendar event saved in the memory with the indication of the observer in an observer field and respective indications of invitees to the calendar event in an invitee field; and

sending an observer electronic message calendar notification from the organizer electronic device to an observer electronic device, the observer electronic message calendar notification including the calendar event for storage at the observer electronic device, wherein the given period of time, associated with the calendar event, is automatically indicated as free time, the observer electronic message calendar notification differing from an invitation sent to an invitee to the calendar event in that there is no invitation to attend the calendar event and no options to accept or decline the calendar event.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

receiving at the organizer electronic device, a create-new-calendar-event command and, in response, providing a create-new-calendar-event graphical user interface at the organizer electronic device, prior to the adding the indication of the observer;

receiving at the organizer electronic device, event details including an event invitee; and

sending an invitee electronic message from the organizer electronic device to an event invitee electronic device, the invitee electronic message including the invitation for the calendar event.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving at the observer electronic device, the observer electronic message and storing the calendar event such that the calendar event displays as free time in a calendar view at the observer electronic device.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising removing the indication of the observer from the calendar event if a request to remove the observer is received at the organizer electronic device, from the observer electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

receiving the observer electronic message at the observer electronic device;

providing at the observer electronic device, an option to request removal as an observer; and

sending a request for removal as an observer from the observer electronic device to the organizer electronic device in response to user selection of the option to request removal as an observer.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the indication of the observer is removed from the calendar event at the organizer electronic device in response to receipt of the request for removal as an observer at the organizer electronic device.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

editing the event details at the organizer electronic device by changing or adding to fields of the calendar event; and

sending an update message from the organizer electronic device to the observer electronic device to provide the edited calendar event details to the observer.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising providing a prompt at the organizer electronic device to send the update message, prior to the sending the update message.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the editing comprises adding notes to the calendar event, and sending the update message comprises sending the notes to the observer electronic device.

10. The method according to claim 7, comprising:

receiving at the observer electronic device, the observer electronic message and storing the calendar event at the observer electronic device such that the calendar event displays as free time in a calendar view, prior to the editing the calendar event details;

receiving the update message at the observer electronic device; and

updating the calendar event stored at the observer electronic device.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising receiving an update calendar command at the observer electronic device, prior to the updating the calendar.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted within the housing;

an input device mounted within the housing;

a memory mounted within the housing;

a communications system for effecting communication to and from the electronic device;

a microprocessor within the housing and connected to the memory, the input device, the display, and the communications system; and

an application for execution by the microprocessor for;

adding an indication of an observer to a calendar event, associated with a given period of time;

the indication being added in a calendar graphical user interface displayed on the display via an add observer option selected from the calendar graphic user interface using the user input device, the add observer option selected by receiving input from the input device, the observer determined using further input received from the input device to one or more of;

select the indication of the observer from a list of contacts stored in the memory; and

receive textual input corresponding to the indication of the observer;

saving the calendar event associated with the observer in the memory, the calendar event saved in the memory with the indication of the observer in an observer field and respective indications of invitees to the calendar event in an invitee field; and

sending an observer electronic message calendar notification to an observer electronic device via the communications system, the observer electronic message calendar notification including the calendar event for storage at the observer electronic device, wherein the given period of time, associated with the calendar event, is automatically indicated as free time, the observer electronic message calendar notification differing from an invitation sent to an invitee to the calendar event in that there is no invitation to attend the calendar event and no options to accept or decline the calendar event.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the application is further for receiving a create-new-calendar-event command and, in response, providing a create-new-calendar-event graphical user interface, prior to the adding the indication of the observer, receiving event details including an event invitee, and sending an invitee electronic message from the organizer electronic device to an invitee electronic device, the invitee electronic message including the invitation for the calendar event.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for:

adding an indication of an observer to a calendar event associated with a given period of time the indication being added in a calendar graphical user interface at an organizer electronic device via an add observer option selected from the calendar graphic user interface, the add observer option selected by receiving input from an input device of the organizer electronic device, the observer determined using further input received from the input device to one or more of;

select the indication of the observer from a list of contacts stored in memory at the organizer electronic device; and

receive textual input corresponding to the indication of the observer;

saving the calendar event associated with the observer in the memory, the calendar event saved in the memory with the indication of the observer in an observer field and respective indications of invitees to the calendar event in an invitee field;

and

sending an observer electronic message calendar notification from the organizer electronic device to an observer electronic device, the observer electronic message calendar invitation including the calendar event for storage at the observer electronic device, wherein the given period of time, associated with the calendar event, is automatically indicated as free time, the observer electronic message calendar notification differing from the invitation sent to the event invitee in that there is no invitation to attend the calendar event and no options to accept or decline the calendar event.