Interactive personal information management system

An interactive personal information management system is disclosed. The system permits a user to communicate updated information to other users of a personal information management system. The system notifies the other users of the change and automatically updates the other users' personal information management system to reflect the changed information.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to personal information management systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to interactive personal information management systems.

People today have busy schedules. A businessperson may have an entire day or week carefully planned out with meetings, interviews, and the like. Even grade school children now have less free time, between school in the daytime and extracurricular activities (such as sports or music lessons) in the late afternoon and early evening.

To account for the more hectic modern lifestyle, several types of devices exist to help people manage their schedules. Cellular telephones allow immediate communication, useful to learn of any changes in plans. Personal digital assistants (PDAs) enable people to manage their schedules and to update the schedules as needed. Recently, the functions offered by these types of devices have begun to merge. Cellular phones now have calendar and contact applications. Similarly, PDAs now offer mobile telephony and Internet access.

Despite these advances, it remains difficult to keep up to date on important changes. For example, a professor may use electronic mail (E-mail) to send a syllabus listing assignment due dates to students at the beginning of the semester. Later in the semester, the syllabus may need to change to reflect circumstances unforeseen at the beginning of the semester (the professor may be going through the material more slowly or quickly than planned). As a result, the professor may decide to extend an assignment deadline.

Presently, the professor has several ways to communicate the extended assignment deadline to students. The professor could send an E-mail to all students notifying them of the change. However, there is no guarantee the students will receive the message. Nor can the professor be certain the students will read the message even if they have received the message. Finally, the professor has no way to ensure the students will enter the changed deadline into their own calendar (or other personal management) program. As a result, some students will not know of the changed deadline.

The professor could also make an announcement of the changed deadline in class. However, this solution has several of the same problems as the E-mail solution. Not all students may attend the class; these students would have to rely on others to receive news of the extended deadline. In addition, students may write the date down incorrectly; or, if they wrote the date down on paper, they may lose the paper they wrote the date on.

In short, despite advances in technology, people today still do not have an effective way of knowing whether their schedule, or other important information, has changed. What is needed is a way for one individual to automatically inform or update information in the schedules of others.

SUMMARY

The current techniques for updating information on personal information management devices are inefficient and inconvenient. Present techniques require a user to receive word of changes or new items and then enter the information into the device. However, this requires that a user first receive word of the new information and then manually enter the information into the device correctly. If the user does not receive the new information, does not enter the information into his device, or does not enter the information correctly, the user will not be able to make use of the new information. This could lead the user to miss an important event, such as a business meeting. The present invention solves this problem by providing a way to automatically propagate new information from one user to another.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a device is disclosed. The device includes a personal information management component. The personal information management component stores objects comprising information useful to a user of the device. An update component receives updated objects from a remote user and updates the corresponding object in the personal information management component. The device could be a cellular telephone, PDA, or similar device.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a device is disclosed. The device includes a personal information management component. The personal information management component stores objects comprising information useful to a user of the device. An update component receives updated objects from a remote user and updates the corresponding objects in the personal information management component. The device also includes a transmission component, which stores a set of remote users and can transmit an updated object to a subset of those remote users.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides for personal information management programs that can be updated dynamically by remote users whenever the remote users need to change information stored in a user's personal information management applications. In the examples and embodiments described herein, the personal information management system will refer to calendar applications stored in cellular telephones. Further, the invention allows for the automated delivery of a return receipt by which the sending party is automatically notified when a message or event has been viewed, accepted, or rejected. However, the particular purpose of the personal information management application and the device in which the application is stored are not limiting aspects of the present invention. For example, the personal information management application could be an address book. Similarly, the cellular telephone could be a personal digital assistant (PDA) or laptop computer.

A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIG. 1.FIG. 1shows a device100communicating with other remote devices104a,104b,104cacross a network102. If a user of the device100would like to update information stored in the remote devices104a,104b,104c, the user may use the present invention to automatically communicate the updated information across the network102to one or more of the remote devices104a,104b,104c. The network102may be any type of network, such as the Internet, a Wide Area Network (WAN), Local Area Network (LAN), or wireless network. In this embodiment the device100and the remote devices104a,104b,104ccould be anywhere in the world.

Although the device100is shown inFIG. 1as communicating updated information, the device100is also capable of receiving updated information from other devices. Similarly, although the remote devices104a,104b,104care shown as receiving updated information, the remote devices104a,104b,104care also capable of communicating updated information as well.

The first embodiment shown inFIG. 1may, for example, be used by a parent to update a child's calendar application to reflect a changed doctor's appointment. The parent could contact the child directly, but the child may be in class and unable to answer the telephone. Alternatively, the child could forget to enter the updated information into her calendar application on her cellular phone. The parent may use the present invention to automatically update the child's cellular telephone to avoid these problems.

As contemplated in the first embodiment, the parent receives notice of a rescheduled doctor's appointment. The parent then updates his own calendar application and, using the present invention, directs his device (in this example the device100) to communicate the updated information to the child's device (in this example the remote device104a). The remote device104areceives the communication and updates the calendar program in the remote device104ato reflect the changed time for the doctor's appointment. Once the remote device104aupdates its calendar application, the remote device104amay then notify the child of the changed time for the doctor's appointment. This notification can be audible, such as a beep or ring tone; or visual, such as displaying a message on a screen of the remote device104a.

In a second embodiment, shown inFIG. 2, the device100communicates directly with the remote devices104a,104b,104c. Such communication can be made using Bluetooth technology, infrared technology, WiFi, or any means suitable for communication across short distances. Although the device100is shown inFIG. 2as communicating updated information, the device100is also capable of receiving updated information from other devices. Similarly, although the remote devices104a,104b,104care shown as receiving updated information, the remote devices104a,104b,104care also capable of communicating updated information as well. This embodiment could be used by a professor to update all of his student's devices at once while the professor and the students are together in the classroom.

In this example, the professor announces a changed date, for example a changed essay due date. The professor then accesses his own device (in this example, the device100) and directs the present invention to communicate the updated information to all of the students in the classroom. Instead of communicating across a network as in the first embodiment, the present invention transmits the changed essay due date directly to students' devices (in this example the remote devices104a,104b,104c). In this example, the present invention may not notify students of the change, since they are already aware of the change. This omission of a notification can be accomplished by a setting present either in the professor's device (the device100) or the student's devices (the remote devices104a,104b,104c).

Further, in order to ascertain whether or not each student had actually received the notification, an automated “return receipt” is generated at the point the receiving student accessed the information. In this way, the professor can obtain a proactive account of which students did in fact receive and access the information and which did not. This insures the information has been viewed and also gives an account of a positive receipt which the professor may refer to at a later date, if necessary.

In a third embodiment, shown inFIG. 3, the device100communicates changed information to a server300. The server300then communicates the information to the remote devices104a,104b,104c. The communication between the server300and the device100and the remote devices104a,104b,104ccan be by any means, such as direct communication or over a network (such as the network102). The functionality of the server300can be provided by any server known in the art. Although the device100is shown inFIG. 3as communicating updated information, the device100is also capable of receiving updated information from other devices. Similarly, although the remote devices104a,104b,104care shown as receiving updated information, the remote devices104a,104b,104care also capable of communicating updated information as well.

This embodiment may be used in situations where the number of devices involved is large or where the communication of information is controlled, such as in a large corporation. For example, an administrative assistant may need to disseminate information about a changed time for a meeting to the entire affected workforce. The assistant enters the changed time for the meeting and directs his device (in this example the device100) to transmit the updated information to the server300. The assistant also selects a set (or subset) of devices (in this example, a set or subset of the remote devices104a,104b,104c) to receive the changed message.

In one scenario, the meeting might be for an entire marketing department. In such a scenario, the secretary selects the marketing department as the set or subset of devices (in this example, the remote devices104a,104b) to which to transmit the changed information. When the server300receives the changed information and the set or subset of devices, the server300determines which devices to transmit the changed information to and transmits the changed information to the selected devices. Thus, the server300may transmit the changed information to the remote devices104a,104b, since the users of those devices are in the marketing department, but may not transmit the changed information to the remote device104c, since the user of remote device104cis an engineer (and is not in the marketing department).

While the above example embodiments described updating an existing event in the remote devices104a,104b,104c, the present invention may also be used to disseminate new information from the device100to the remote devices104a,104b,104c. Using the example of the professor above, the professor may choose to add a new assignment. The professor may then add the new assignment due date to his device (in this example the device100) and instruct the present invention to communicate the new assignment due date to the students' devices (in this example, the remote devices104a,104b,104c).

Similarly, the present invention may be used to delete an event on the remote devices104a,104b,104c. Using the example of the administrative assistant, the assistant may need to disseminate news of a cancelled meeting to members of the marketing department. The secretary deletes the event from his device (in this example the device100) and directs the present invention to communicate the cancellation to marketing department members' devices (in this example the remote devices104a,104b). Upon receiving the information, the remote devices104a,104bdelete the event corresponding to the cancelled marketing meeting and notify the respective users.

In a fourth exemplary embodiment,FIG. 4Ashows a diagram of a remote device104(which can correspond, for example, to one of the remote devices104a,104b,104c). The remote device104includes a personal information management component402aand an update component404a. The personal information management component402astores object(s)408aincluding information useful to the user of the remote device104. If the personal information management component402ais a calendar application, the object408amay be an event, such as the doctor's appointment, assignment due date, or marketing meeting described in the above examples.

The remote device104also includes an update component404a. The update component404areceives updated object(s)410afrom other devices (such as the device100) via a communication413. The update component404adetermines which object408astored in the personal information management component402acorresponds to the updated object410a. The update component404acould also determine that no corresponding object exists.

The information in the updated object410adetermines what action the update component404awill take once it locates the object408acorresponding to the updated object410a. If the updated object410acontains information different from that in the object408a, the update component404aupdates the object408ato reflect the changed information as depicted by the communication411a. The updated object410amay, however, indicate that the information in the object408ais no longer needed. In this case, the update component404adeletes the object408a. This may occur in the example of the cancelled marketing meeting given above.

The update component404amay not be able to locate an object408acorresponding to the updated object410a. In this situation, the update component404acould do one of several things. The update component404acould treat the updated object410aas new information and create a new object408acorresponding to the updated object410a. The update component404acould also ignore the updated object410a. The update component404acould also notify the user and permit the user to determine how to treat the updated object410a.

The update component404amay contain additional functionality as well, such as security features. In a fourth embodiment, the update component404areceives an authentication code along with the updated object410a. For example, the authentication code could be a unique identifier corresponding to the remote device104, which the user can give out to others whom the user wishes to receive updated information from. The authentication code could also identify the remote user transmitting the updated object410a. These, however, are merely exemplary forms of an authentication code. The authentication code could be any form of identifying information.

The update component404athen uses the authentication code to confirm that the updated object410ais genuine and originates from a known or acceptable remote user. Use of an authentication code would prevent malicious users from placing false information into the personal information management component402a.

The personal information management component402aand the update component404aare shown inFIG. 4Aas being separate entities. It should be understood, however, that this is not a requirement of the present invention. The update component404amay be a sub-component of the personal information management component402aor vice versa.

FIG. 4Bshows a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the remote device104, the device100includes a personal information management component402band an update component404b. These components perform the same function for device100as the similarly numbered components (the personal information management component402aand the update component404a) perform for the remote device104. The device100also includes a transmission component406. The transmission component406transmits the updated object410avia a transmission413to remote devices104a,104b,104c. The transmission413may be used to transmit the updated object410avia any of the mechanisms shown inFIGS. 1-3.

The transmission component406may also contain a set412of receiving users of remote devices104a,104b,104cto whom the transmitting user of the device100may wish to transmit the updated objects410a. The set412may contain the names of such users as well as information needed to transmit updated information to those users. Subsets of users in the set412may also be given identifiers, such as “Marketing Department” or “Computer Science101” to permit easy transmission of the updated object410ato a larger group of users. If an authentication code is required, as contemplated in the fourth embodiment described above, the set412may also contain the necessary authentication codes.

The information stored in the set412may also be contained in, mirrored by, or copied to the server300. In this way, no matter what the chosen device for transmission or receipt of data, a “network” version of the information is made available to the user of the system. This provides for a single user to access many different devices for the same information (although it may be displayed in different formats) and provides for an automated “back-up” facility for information residing on the device100and the remote devices104a,104b,104c.

In operation, a user creates an updated object410aand selects one or more users from the set412to whom to transmit updated object410a. The technique of selecting users from the set412can be done via techniques known in the art. For example, the transmitting user could select receiving users from a list of users in the set412. Alternatively, in a graphical user interface, the transmitting user could “drag” a representation of the updated object410aand “drop” the representation onto icons representing users in the set412.

Once the transmitting user of the device100selects the updated object410aand a subset (which may be only one) of receiving users from the set412, the transmission component406transmits the updated object410ato the selected devices (in this example one or more of the remote devices104a,104b,104c) corresponding to the receiving users. If an authentication code is required, as contemplated in the fourth embodiment above, the transmission component406will also transmit the authentication code.

The personal information management component402b, the update component404b, and the transmission component406are shown inFIG. 4Bas being separate entities. It should be understood, however, that the personal information management component402b, the update component404b, and the transmission component406do not have to be separate components. The update component404band the transmission component406may be subcomponents of the personal information management component402bor vice versa. The personal information management components402aand402b, the update components404aand404b, and the transmission component406are preferably software programs stored in a computer-readable medium at the remote device104and the device100. Similarly, the objects408aand408band the updated objects410aand410bare data structures stored in a computer readable medium at the remote device104and device100, respectively.

FIG. 5describes a method of using the present invention corresponding to the example of the professor given above with respect toFIG. 2. At the beginning of the semester, in step500, the professor obtains an authentication code for each of his students and enters the authentication code into the transmitting device (in this example the device100), along with the names of the students and their identifying information. For example, if the receiving devices (in this example the remote devices104a,104b,104c) are the students' cellular telephones, the identifying information may be the telephone numbers of the remote devices104a,104b,104c.

Once the professor has entered the necessary information into his transmitting device (in this example the device100), the professor transmits assignments to the students in step502. This transmission may be done either through the present invention or directly communicating the assignment to the class (such as through a printed handout or an announcement.)

Later in the semester, the assignment's original due date may change. The change could be for any reason, such as an unexpected cancellation of classes. In step504, the professor prepares an updated object410areflecting the changed due date. The professor selects a subset of a set412of users, where the set412corresponds to the students in his class. The transmission component406then transmits the updated object410ato the students, along with an authentication code.

A student's device (in this example the remote device104a) receives the updated object410aand the authentication code in step506. The update component404aauthenticates the updated object410a. Once the updated object410ais updated, the update component404asearches the personal information management component402afor a corresponding object408acontaining the original assignment due date. Once the object408ais found, the update component404aupdates the object408awith the information in the updated object410a, namely the new assignment due date. This replacement may be by any means known in the art. For example, the update component could change the original assignment due date in the object408ato be the new assignment due date in the updated object410a. The update component404could also simply replace the object408awith the updated object410a.

In step508, the remote device104anotifies the student of the changed due date. This notification could be by any technique known in the art, such as an audio alert (a beep) or a message displayed on a screen of the remote device104a. The user of the remote device104a(the student) may also be able to change the mode of notification by way of a preferences setting. When the student reads or accesses the updated information in step510, a return receipt component transmits a read receipt to the professor, informing the professor that the student has received the updated information. The return receipt component could be a separate component or part of the update component, personal information management component, or transmission component.

The method ofFIG. 5may also be used to transmit a new object or to delete an existing object. For example, the professor could use the present invention for multiple purposes. The steps would remain largely the same, except that the updated object410awould consist either of new information (the original assignment due date) or a direction to delete an existing object408a. In step506, instead of updating the object408a, the update component404awould create a new object408aor delete an existing object408a, as needed. Many other uses are also possible and are within the scope of the present invention.