Patent ID: 7383303

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: scheduling an event in a user's electronic calendar; identifying a set of contacts or contact groups permitted to contact said user of a data processing device during said scheduled event in said electronic calendar, wherein said identifying a set of contacts or contact groups comprises searching through a list of all available contacts or contact groups provided by an electronic address book application executed on said data processing device; for each individual contact or contact group, indicating one or more permitted communication channels over which said user is willing to receive communication events during said scheduled meeting, the user having the option to select a different set of communication channels for each individual contact or contact group; receiving a communication event from a first contact over a first communication channel; comparing said first contact against said identified sets of permitted to contact said user; comparing the first communication channel with the permitted communication channels associated with said first contact; and notifying said user of said communication event during said scheduled event only if said first contact is in at least one of said sets of contacts or is included within at least one of said contact groups, and said first communication channel comprises one of said permitted communication channels associated with said contact or said contact group.