Electronic device and method for automatically responding to calendar event notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10643186-B2
Application number	US-201615214341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2016
Priority date	Jul 19, 2016
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A method and an electronic device are provided that include receiving at the electronic device a start and an end of an out-of-office period and an out-of-office preference for responding to new invitations to events occurring during the out-of-office period received at the electronic device, receiving at the electronic device a new invitation to an event occurring during the out-of-office period, and automatically transmitting at the electronic device a response to the new invitation based on the out-of-office preference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving at the electronic device a start of an out-of-office period and an out-of-office preference for responding to new invitations to events occurring during the out-of-office period received at the electronic device;
after receiving, at the electronic device, the start of the out-of-office period and the out-of-office preference, receiving at the electronic device a new invitation associated with a calendaring application, the new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period;
in response to receiving the new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period, automatically transmitting at the electronic device a response to the new invitation based on the out-of-office preference; and
determining whether the out-of-office period meets a criterion, wherein automatically transmitting the response is performed in response to determining that the out-of-office period meets the criterion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the received out-of-office preference is to decline received new invitations having event data associated with events scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period and the automatically transmitted response declines the new invitation.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the out-of-office preference is to request rescheduling of received new invitations having event data associated with events scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period and the automatically transmitted response requests rescheduling of the event.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the out-of-office preference indicates an account associated with the electronic device for which responses will be automatically transmitted to received new invitations having event data associated with events scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period, and wherein receiving the new invitation comprises receiving a new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period associated with the account indicated by the out-of-office preference.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising turning off notifications on the electronic device at the start of the out-of-office period.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising turning on notifications on the electronic device at an end of the out-of-office period.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
scanning the electronic device to identify scheduled calendar events scheduled to occur within the out-of-office period; and
performing an action associated with the identified scheduled calendar events scheduled to occur within the out-of-office period.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the action comprises:
displaying the identified scheduled calendar events scheduled to occur within the out-of-office period on a display of the electronic device;
for each of the identified scheduled calendar events:
receiving at the electronic device an input selecting a preferred action with respect to the identified scheduled calendar event; and
performing at the electronic device the preferred action with respect to the identified scheduled calendar event.

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving at the electronic device a preferred action;
wherein the action comprises, for each of the identified scheduled calendar events, automatically performing the preferred action without displaying the identified scheduled calendar events.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of an electronic device to:
receive at the electronic device, a start of an out-of-office period and an out-of-office preference for responding to new invitations to events occurring during the out-of-office period received at the electronic device;
after receipt, at the electronic device, of the start of the out-of-office period and the out-of-office preference, receive, at the electronic device, a new invitation associated with a calendaring application, the new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period;
in response to receipt of the new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period, automatically transmit at the electronic device a response to the new invitation based on the out-of-office preference; and
determine whether the out-of-office period meets a criterion, wherein automatically transmitting the response is performed in response to determining that the out-of-office period meets the criterion.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable code is executable by the at least one processor of the electronic device to:
scan a memory of the electronic device to identify scheduled calendar events that are scheduled to occur within the out-of-office period; and
perform an action associated with the identified scheduled calendar events that are scheduled to occur within the out-of-office period.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein, to perform the action, the computer-readable code is executable by the at least one processor of the electronic device to:
display the identified scheduled calendar events that are scheduled to occur within the out-of-office period on a display of the electronic device; and
for each of the identified scheduled calendar events:
receive via the input device an input selecting a preferred action with respect to the identified scheduled calendar event; and
perform the preferred action with respect to the identified scheduled calendar event.

13. An electronic device comprising:
a communication system for sending and receiving communications;
at least one input device for receiving input at the electronic device;
a processor coupled to the communication system, the input device, and the display and programmed to:
receive a start of an out-of-office period and an out-of-office preference for responding to new invitations to events occurring during the out-of-office period received via the communications system;
after receipt, at the electronic device, of the start of the out-of-office period and the out-of-office preference, receive, via the communication system, a new invitation associated with a calendaring application, the new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period;
in response to receipt of the new invitation having event data associated with an event scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period, automatically transmit, via the communication system, a response to the new invitation based on the out-of-office preference; and
determine whether the out-of-office period meets a criterion, wherein automatically transmitting the response is performed in response to determining that the out-of-office period meets the criterion.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the received out-of-office preference is to decline received new invitations having event data associated with events scheduled to occur during the out-of-office period and the automatically transmitted response declines the new invitation.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the out-of-office preference is to request rescheduling of received new invitations having event

Assignees

• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Runstedler Christopher James
• Fahmy Samer
• Boeckner Bartholomew Alexander
• Cunney Kieran Patrick
• KORSMAN Jan Anthony
• LEPIC Jared Daniel
• Elliott Grant Ross
• Klamut Andrew Joseph
• HODGSON Matthew Donald
• Pham Minh
• HUNG Clifford
• Mclaughlin Morgan Trevor
• VAZ Adam John
• Armstrong Jeffrey Tyson
• ACKLAND Daniel Ian

Classifications

• G06Q10/063116

  Schedule adjustment for a person or group · CPC title

• H04W4/12

  Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06Q10/1097 Primary

  using calendar-based scheduling for task assignment · CPC title