Displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar

A method, system and computer program product for improving the usability of a calendar application. A calendar client agent receives calendar information, such as meetings, appointments, vacations, tasks, etc. from various systems, such as an electronic mail system, a social networking system, an instant messaging system and a wiki. The calendar client agent evaluates the retrieved calendar information with respect to a set of presentation rules. The calendar client agent then presents the retrieved calendar information in a horizontal bar (also referred to as a “calendar bar”) in the calendar application over a duration of time (e.g., twelve hours of the current day) in relation to the set of presentation rules. In this manner, the user will be able to more easily ascertain which events or activities are scheduled.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to calendaring systems, and more particularly to improving the usability of a calendar application by displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar.

BACKGROUND

Calendaring systems, in the simplest form, help users to organize their time. Additionally, calendaring systems may be used to schedule meetings, appointments, vacations or other types of calendar events or activities.

However, users may have difficulty in ascertaining the events or activities that are scheduled throughout the day in current calendaring systems. For example, in a “day-at-a glance” view, the user may only view a portion of the events or activities scheduled for that day. The user may then have to scroll upwards or downwards to view all the events or activities scheduled for that day. Furthermore, such events or activities may be difficult to ascertain if there are a large number of scheduled events or activities, especially if some of these events or activities are scheduled in conflict with one another.

Furthermore, in current calendaring systems, if the user desires to view the scheduled events or activities in other days, the user may have to switch between the “day-at-a-glance” view to the “monthly calendar” view and then select the day of interest in order to view the events or activities scheduled for that day in the “day-at-a-glance” view. Such a process is laborsome without ease of functionality.

Hence, current calendaring systems are deficient in enabling users to easily ascertain the events or activities scheduled for the days of interest.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for improving the usability of a calendar application comprises retrieving, by a processor, calendar information. The method further comprises presenting, by the processor, the retrieved calendar information in a horizontal bar in the calendar application over a duration of time. The method additionally comprises detecting a current time. Furthermore, the method comprises automatically scrolling to the current time in the horizontal bar such that items in the horizontal bar that occur prior to the current time are less visible than items in the horizontal bar that occur after the current time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention comprises a method, system and computer program product for improving the usability of a calendar application. In one embodiment of the present invention, a calendar client agent receives calendar information, such as meetings, appointments, vacations, tasks, etc. from various systems, such as an electronic mail system, a social networking system, an instant messaging system and a wiki. The calendar client agent evaluates the retrieved calendar information with respect to a set of presentation rules. “Presentation rules,” as used herein, refer to rules that are used for determining how the calendar information, such as meetings, appointments, vacations, tasks, etc. are to be displayed on the user interface of the client device. For example, calendar information that relates to a past event or activity is shaded or grayed out so that past events or activities are less visible than future events or activities. The calendar client agent then presents the retrieved calendar information in a horizontal bar (also referred to as a “calendar bar”) in the calendar application over a duration of time (e.g., twelve hours of the current day) in relation to the set of presentation rules. In this manner, the user will be able to more easily ascertain which events or activities are scheduled.

Referring now to the Figures in detail,FIG. 1illustrates a communication system100for practicing the principles of the present invention in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Communication system100includes client devices101A-101C (identified as “Client Device A,” “Client Device B,” and “Client Device C,” respectively, inFIG. 1) connected to a server102via a network103. Client devices101A-101C may collectively or individually be referred to as client devices101or client device101, respectively. Client device101may be any type of computing device (e.g., portable computing unit, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop computer, mobile phone, navigation device, game console, desktop computer system, workstation, Internet appliance and the like) configured with the capability of connecting to network103and consequently communicating with other client devices101and server102. Client device101may be configured to send and receive text-based messages in real-time during an instant messaging session. Any user of client devices101may be the creator or initiator of an instant message (message in instant messaging) and any user of client devices101may be a recipient of an instant message. Furthermore, client device101may be configured to send out calendar appointments or meeting notices/invitations to other client devices101using a calendar application via network103. Any user of client devices101may be the creator or initiator of a meeting invitation and any user of client devices101may be a recipient of a meeting invitation. Additionally, client device101may be configured to create, receive and send e-mails. A description of the hardware configuration of client device101is provided below in connection withFIG. 2.

Network103may be, for example, a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless wide area network, a circuit-switched telephone network, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) network, a WiFi network, an IEEE 802.11 standards network, various combinations thereof, etc. Other networks, whose descriptions are omitted here for brevity, may also be used in conjunction with system100ofFIG. 1without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In communication system100, client devices101A-101C include a software agent, referred to herein as an Instant Messaging (IM) client104A-104C, respectively. Instant messaging clients104A-104C may collectively or individually be referred to as instant messaging clients104or instant messaging client104, respectively. Furthermore, server102includes a software agent, referred to herein as the Instant Messaging (IM) server105. IM client104provides the functionality to send and receive instant messages. As messages are received, IM client104presents the messages to the user in a dialog window (or IM window). Furthermore, IM client104provides the functionality for client device101to connect to the IM server105which provides the functionality of distributing the instant messages to the IM clients104associated with each of the sharing users.

Client devices101A-101C may further include a software agent, referred to herein as a calendar client agent106A-106C, respectively. Calendar client agents106A-106C may collectively or individually be referred to as calendar client agents106or calendar client agent106, respectively. Furthermore, server102may include a software agent, referred to herein as the calendar management agent107. Calendar management agent107interfaces with calendar client agent106to present meeting invitations to client devices101. Calendar client agent106is configured to display the received meeting invitation as well as display calendar schedule information on the client device's101calendar user interface. Furthermore, as discussed further below, calendar client agent106is configured to improve the usability of the calendar application by displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar as discussed further below in connection withFIGS. 3-5 and 6A-6B.

Furthermore, client devices101A-101C may include a software agent, referred to herein as an e-mail client agent108A-108C, respectively. E-mail client agents108A-108C may collectively or individually be referred to as e-mail client agents108or e-mail client agent108, respectively. Furthermore, server102may include a software agent, referred to herein as the e-mail server agent109. E-mail client agent108enables the user of client device101to create, send and receive e-mails. E-mail server agent109is configured to receive e-mail messages from client devices101and distribute the received e-mail messages among the one or more client devices101.

While the preceding discusses each client device101as including an IM client104, a calendar client agent106and an e-mail client agent108, each client device101may not necessarily include each of these software agents, but only a subset of these software agents. Furthermore, while the preceding discusses a single server102including the software agents, such as IM server105, calendar management agent107and e-mail server agent109, multiple servers may be used to implement these services. Furthermore, each server102may not necessarily be configured to include all of these software agents, but only a subset of these software agents.

System100further includes a social network server110, which may be a web server configured to offer a social networking and/or microblogging service, enabling users of client devices101to send and read other users' posts. “Posts,” as used herein, include any one or more of the following: text (e.g., comments, sub-comments and replies), audio, video images, etc. Social network server110is connected to network103by wire or wirelessly. WhileFIG. 1illustrates a single social network server110, it is noted for clarity that multiple servers may be used to implement the social networking and/or microblogging service.

System100is not to be limited in scope to any one particular network architecture. System100may include any number of client devices101, servers102, networks103and social network servers110.

Referring now toFIG. 2,FIG. 2illustrates a hardware configuration of client device101(FIG. 1) which is representative of a hardware environment for practicing the present invention. Referring toFIG. 2, client device101has a processor201coupled to various other components by system bus202. An operating system203runs on processor201and provides control and coordinates the functions of the various components ofFIG. 2. An application204in accordance with the principles of the present invention runs in conjunction with operating system203and provides calls to operating system203where the calls implement the various functions or services to be performed by application204. Application204may include, for example, calendar client agent106(FIG. 1) for improving the usability of the calendar application by displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar as discussed further below in connection withFIGS. 3-5 and 6A-6B.

Referring again toFIG. 2, read-only memory (“ROM”)205is coupled to system bus202and includes a basic input/output system (“BIOS”) that controls certain basic functions of client device101. Random access memory (“RAM”)206and disk adapter207are also coupled to system bus202. It should be noted that software components including operating system203and application204may be loaded into RAM206, which may be client device's101main memory for execution. Disk adapter207may be an integrated drive electronics (“IDE”) adapter that communicates with a disk unit208, e.g., disk drive.

Client device101may further include a communications adapter209coupled to bus202. Communications adapter209interconnects bus202with an outside network (e.g., network103ofFIG. 1) thereby enabling client device101to communicate with other client devices101, server102and social network server110.

I/O devices may also be connected to client device101via a user interface adapter210and a display adapter211. Keyboard212, mouse213and speaker214may all be interconnected to bus202through user interface adapter210. A display monitor215may be connected to system bus202by display adapter211. In this manner, a user is capable of inputting to client device101through keyboard212or mouse213and receiving output from client device101via display215or speaker214. Other input mechanisms may be used to input data to client device101that are not shown inFIG. 2, such as display215having touch-screen capability and keyboard212being a virtual keyboard. Client device101ofFIG. 2is not to be limited in scope to the elements depicted inFIG. 2and may include fewer or additional elements than depicted inFIG. 2.

As stated in the Background section, calendaring systems, in the simplest form, help users to organize their time. Additionally, calendaring systems may be used to schedule meetings, appointments, vacations or other types of calendar events or activities. However, users may have difficulty in ascertaining the events or activities that are scheduled throughout the day in current calendaring systems, including project management systems and customer relationship management systems. For example, in a “day-at-a glance” view, the user may only view a portion of the events or activities scheduled for that day. The user may then have to scroll upwards or downwards to view all the events or activities scheduled for that day. Furthermore, such events or activities may be difficult to ascertain if there are a large number of scheduled events or activities, especially if some of these events or activities are scheduled in conflict with one another. Furthermore, in current calendaring systems, if the user desires to view the scheduled events or activities in other days, the user may have to switch between the “day-at-a-glance” view to the “monthly calendar” view and then select the day of interest in order to view the events or activities scheduled for that day in the “day-at-a-glance” view. Such a process is laborsome without ease of functionality. Hence, current calendaring systems are deficient in enabling users to easily ascertain the events or activities scheduled for the days of interest.

The principles of the present invention provide a means for enabling users to easily ascertain the events or activities scheduled for the days of interest by displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar as discussed below in connection withFIGS. 3-5 and 6A-6B.FIG. 3illustrates a flowchart of a method for improving the usability of a calendar application by displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar.FIG. 4illustrates the presentation of calendar information in a horizontal bar.FIG. 5illustrates various features of the horizontal bar.FIGS. 6A-6Bare a flowchart of a method for displaying calendar information in the horizontal bar.

As stated above,FIG. 3illustrates a flowchart of a method300for improving the usability of a calendar application by displaying calendar information in a horizontal bar in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, in conjunction withFIGS. 1-2, in step301, calendar client agent106receives calendar information, such as meetings, appointments, vacations, tasks, etc. from various systems, such as an electronic mail system, a social networking system, an instant messaging system, a wiki, a project management system and a customer relationship management system.

In step302, calendar client agent106evaluates the retrieved calendar information with respect to a set of presentation rules. “Presentation rules,” as used herein, refer to rules that are used for determining how the calendar information, such as meetings, appointments, vacations, tasks, etc. are to be displayed on the user interface of client device101. For example, as will be discussed further below, calendar information that relates to a past event or activity is shaded or grayed out so that past events or activities are less visible than future events or activities.

In step303, calendar client agent106presents the retrieved calendar information in a horizontal bar (also referred to as a “calendar bar”) in the calendar application over a duration of time (e.g., twelve hours of the current day) in relation to the set of presentation rules as illustrated inFIG. 4. In this manner, the user will be able to more easily ascertain which events or activities are scheduled as discussed further below.

FIG. 4illustrates the presentation of calendar information in a horizontal bar400in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 4, in conjunction withFIGS. 1-3, horizontal bar400presents the calendar information in a manner that is easier for the user to comprehend thereby allowing the user to easily ascertain the scheduled upcoming events or activities as well as the user's free time. In one embodiment, horizontal bar400is limited to two rows on the user's interface of client device101, such that conflicting meetings401A,401B (discussed further below) will take up the maximum of two rows on the user's interface. Other features of horizontal bar400include displaying a notification of the next meeting402as well as the time of this meeting that occurs following the time period of horizontal bar400(e.g., displays events and activities from 6 am to 3 pm on Monday the 11th). In one embodiment, the notification of the next meeting402corresponds to the first meeting of the next day.

In one embodiment, a user may reschedule a meeting using horizontal bar400by moving the edge of calendar bar400over the border of another meeting.

In one embodiment, the user may view other users' calendar information in horizontal bar400. For example, the user may switch the view from viewing the user's calendar information in horizontal bar400to viewing another user's (e.g., secretary) calendar information (e.g., tasks, activities, free-time) in horizontal bar400assuming that the user has permission to do so.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, horizontal bar400may depict the calendar information for a group of users (e.g., community of users) assuming that each user of the group gave permission to display their calendar information.

In one embodiment, calendar bar400is updated in real-time in response to changes in the user's scheduled events or activities. For example, a cancelled meeting is automatically removed from calendar bar400.

In one embodiment, upon the user selecting a meeting, calendar client agent106may display the total availability of users to attend the meeting.

Other features of horizontal bar400include the ability to zoom into a period of time (e.g., 10 am-12 pm) of the day depicted in horizontal bar400as illustrated inFIG. 5.

FIG. 5illustrates various features of horizontal bar400in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 5, a user may zoom into a period of time (e.g., 10 am-12 pm) of the day depicted in horizontal bar400via a zoom icon501thereby allowing the user to view the details during that period of time.

Additionally, as illustrated inFIG. 5, items in horizontal bar400that occur prior to the current time (10:15 am) are less visible (shaded lighter) than items that occur after the current time.

Furthermore, horizontal bar400provides the user with all of the information the user needs to join a meeting quickly, such as the time of the meeting and the telephone number and passcode used to join a teleconference meeting as shown in element502. Other information that may be shown to the user includes a link to launch the start of a web conference meeting.

Additionally, horizontal bar400may display an indication503when a meeting is to occur 60 minutes or less from the current time thereby drawing the user's attention to a meeting that will be occurring in the near-term. Such an indication503may be a countdown to the start of the next meeting.

Other features of horizontal bar400include scrolling through the hours/days/weeks by going forward and background across horizontal bar400.

Various other features of horizontal bar400will be discussed below in connection withFIGS. 6A-6B.

FIGS. 6A-6Bare a flowchart of a method600for displaying calendar information in horizontal bar400, such as after the user of client device101initiates the calendar application, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 6A, in conjunction withFIGS. 1-5, in step601, calendar client agent106detects a current time.

In step602, calendar client agents106automatically scrolls to the detected current time in horizontal bar400such that items in horizontal bar400that occur prior to the current time are less visible than items that occur after the current time as illustrated inFIG. 5. Items that occur after the current time are presented in a more visible manner, such as via color, font size, etc.

In step603, a determination is made by calendar client agent106as to whether any meetings (meetings in the future) have a conflict in their scheduled times.

If there are meetings that have a conflict in their scheduled times, then, in step604, a determination is made by calendar client agent106as to whether there are only two meetings that have a conflict in their scheduled times.

If there are only two meetings that have a conflict in their scheduled times, then in step605, calendar agent106prioritizes a view of calendar bar400by assigning the highest priority to meetings that the user is required to attend followed by assigning the next highest priority to meetings that the user is optionally required to attend followed by assigning the lowest priority to meetings that were only sent to the user for the user's information and displaying the meetings according to the prioritization. In one embodiment, higher prioritized meetings are shown above a lower prioritized meeting. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 4, calendar client agent displays the notice401A of a first meeting the user is required to attend in horizontal bar400on top of the image of the notice401B of a second meeting that the user is not required to attend, such as being optionally required to attend.

Alternatively, calendar agent106prioritizes a view of calendar bar400by assigning the highest priority to meetings where the user is the chair of the meeting followed by assigning the next highest priority to meetings where the user is required to attend followed by assigning the next highest priority to meetings where the chair of the meeting is an individual whose meetings the user wants to attend followed by assigning the lowest priority to meetings when there are fewer than a threshold number of people attending. In one embodiment, calendar agent106may determine which meetings chaired by specific individuals the user desires to attend either by having the user directly input such information, such as via a profile, or via social media. For example, if the user indicated that he/she enjoys attending meetings chaired by a specific individual on the user's social media homepage, then calendar agent106may deem the user to have a high interest in attending meetings chaired by such an individual.

In one embodiment, the user has an opportunity to override any prioritizations established by calendar agent106, such as via a graphical user object displayed on display215that indicates to assign a specific priority (e.g., highest priority) to a meeting in question.

If, however, there are more than two meetings that have a conflict in their scheduled times, then, in step606, calendar client agent106displays the scheduled meetings as a merged block in horizontal bar400.

Upon displaying the scheduled meetings in step605or step606, or if there are no meetings that have a conflict in their scheduled times, then, in step607, a determination is made by calendar client agent106as to whether it detected a time a meeting is scheduled to occur (from the retrieved calendar information) that is earlier or later than the user's workday or some period of time (e.g., 8 am-6 pm) designated by the user.

Referring now toFIG. 6B, in conjunction withFIGS. 1-5, if calendar client agent106detected a time a meeting is scheduled to occur that is earlier or later than the user's workday or some period of time (e.g., 8 am-6 pm) designated by the user, then, in step608, calendar client agent106presents an object in the calendar application representing a time of day the meeting is scheduled to occur. For example, if the meeting is scheduled to occur very early the following morning, such as before the user starts his/her workday or prior to a period of time designated by the user, calendar client agent106may present a sun indicating an early meeting the following day. In another example, calendar client agent106may present a moon indicating a meeting that is to occur very late in the day, outside of the user's normal working hours. Upon the user selecting such objects, horizontal bar400scrolls to the start of the corresponding calendar entries. Such objects may assist the user in comprehending when a future meeting, such as the next meeting, is to occur thereby assisting the user in being prepared for the meeting. In one embodiment, such objects may also be used to represent a time a meeting is scheduled to occur during the user's workday.

Upon presenting an object on the calendar application representing a time of day the meeting is scheduled to occur, or if calendar client agent106did not detect a meeting scheduled to occur that is earlier or later than the user's workday or some period of time designated by the user, then, in step609, calendar client agent106tracks the pattern of activity from the user (e.g., user of client device101A) completing the items of the retrieved calendar information. For example, calendar client agent106may track the completion of scheduled meetings, appointments, tasks, vacations, etc. by the user throughout each day.

In step610, calendar client agent106generates a reward based on the pattern of activity exhibited from completing the items of the retrieved calendar information. For example, badges may be earned for completion of a threshold number of scheduled meetings, appointments, tasks, vacations, etc. and presented at various intervals. In one embodiment, badges may be provided by another application.