Calendar and email application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10366369-B2
Application number	US-201615225252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

An electronic user device 2 is disclosed in which a user interface 20 for an email application is displayed. The user interface 20 includes an email thread 22 and a selectable calendar look-up banner 32. Upon selection of the calendar look-up banner 32 the user device 2 is configured to retrieve electronic calendars respectively associated with the email users identified in the email thread 22. A score is then calculated for a plurality of time slots in the retrieved electronic calendars, and the time slots are displayed according to their score. A user can then make a selection of one of the time slots. A calendar event is then populated with information derived from the email thread 22 and is sent to each of the email addresses in the thread, to be added to their electronic calendars.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of selecting a time slot in an electronic calendar, the method comprising the steps of:
displaying a received email message in a user interface of an email application executing in an electronic device, the email message including an email thread conversation between a plurality of email users;
identifying each email user in the plurality of email users in the email message that is provided in the email application;
providing, in the user interface of the email application, a user-selectable calendar look-up button for the email message provided in the email application;
in response to the electronic device receiving a selection of the calendar look-up button, retrieving at the electronic device, from storage memory of one or more user electronic devices communicatively coupled with the electronic device, from storage memory of a computer server communicatively coupled with the electronic device, or both, a plurality of electronic calendars respectively associated with the plurality of email users;
calculating, with the electronic device, a score for each of a plurality of time slots in the retrieved plurality of electronic calendars, based on a defined criteria for scheduling a calendar event for the plurality of email users;
displaying, in the user interface, a representation of at least one of the plurality of time slots based on the calculated score for each of the plurality of time slots;
receiving, at the user interface, a user-selection of the at least one displayed time slot; and
sending a calendar event, including an indication of the selected time slot, to the plurality of email users.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectable calendar look-up button for the email message is provided only when the number of replies in the email message exceeds a predetermined number.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selectable calendar look-up button for the email message is provided only when the number of replies in the email message exceeds a predetermined number in a predetermined time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of parsing the email message to determine whether the email message relates to a calendar event or a potential calendar event.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selectable calendar look-up button for the email message is provided only when the email message is determined to relate to a calendar event or a potential calendar event.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of determining whether the plurality of electronic calendars respectively associated with the plurality of email users can be retrieved and wherein the selectable calendar look-up button for the email message is provided only when the plurality of electronic calendars can be retrieved.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending an indication of the selected time slot to the plurality of email users involves sending a calendar event for entry in the electronic calendars respectively associated with the plurality of email users.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising the step of populating fields in the calendar event with information derived from the email message.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the calendar event includes a location which is determined based on the location of a selected email user.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the calendar event includes a location which is determined based on the respective locations of the plurality of email users.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a display device;
one or more processors; and,
memory comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors cause the electronic device to:
display, with the display device, a received email message in a user interface of an email application executing in the electronic device, the email message including an email thread conversation between a plurality of email users;
identify each email user in the plurality of email users in the email message that is provided in the email application;
provide, in the user interface of the email application, a user-selectable calendar look-up button for the email message provided in the email application;
in response to the electronic device receiving a selection of the calendar look-up button, retrieve at the electronic device, from storage memory of one or more user electronic devices communicatively coupled with the electronic device, from storage memory of a computer server communicatively coupled with the electronic device, or both, a plurality of electronic calendars respectively associated with the plurality of email users;
calculate, with the electronic device, a score for each of a plurality of time slots in the retrieved plurality of electronic calendars, based on a defined criteria for scheduling a calendar event for the plurality of email users;
display on the display, in the user interface, a representation of at least one of the plurality of time slots based on the calculated score for each of the plurality of time slots;
receive, at the user interface, a user-selection of the at least one displayed time slot; and
send the calendar event, including an indication of the selected time slot to the plurality of email users.

12. A computer program product comprising memory comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors of an electronic device cause the electronic device to:
display a received email message in a user interface of an email application executing in the electronic device, the email message including an email thread conversation between a plurality of email users;
identify each email user in the plurality of email users in the email message that is provided in the email application;
provide, in the user interface of the email application, a user-selectable calendar look-up button for the email message provided in the email application;
in response to the electronic device receiving a selection of the calendar look-up button, retrieve at the electronic device, from storage memory of one or more user electronic devices communicatively coupled with the electronic device, from storage memory of a computer server communicatively coupled with the electronic device, or both, a plurality of electronic calendars respectively associated with the plurality of email users;
calculate, with the electronic device, a score for each of a plurality of time slots in the retrieved plurality of electronic calendars, based on a defined criteria for scheduling a calendar event for the plurality of email users;
display, in the user interface, a representation of at least one of the plurality of time slots based on the calculated score for each of the plurality of time slots;
receive, at the user interface, a user-selection of the at least one displayed time slot; and
send the calendar event, including an indication of the selected time slot to the plurality of email users.

Assignees

• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Bryant Cody Stephen
• Elliott Grant Ross
• Klamut Andrew Joseph
• Cunney Kieran Patrick
• LEPIC Jared Daniel
• Boeckner Bartholomew Alexander

Classifications

• G06Q10/1095 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L51/22

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06Q10/109

  Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093 Primary

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title