Enabling File Attachments in Calendar Events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016259761-A1
Application number	US-201514635166-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling file attachments in a mobile calendar application are presented. In some embodiments, a mobile device may receive a message comprising an electronic calendar invitation and an electronic file attachment. The mobile device may generate an association between the electronic file attachment received in the message and a calendar event in an electronic calendar mobile application executing on the mobile computing device, wherein the calendar event is associated with the electronic calendar invitation. In response to receiving a selection to display the calendar event in the electronic calendar mobile application, the mobile device may generate a display of the calendar event comprising a display of the associated electronic file attachment in the electronic calendar mobile application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a mobile computing device, a message comprising an electronic calendar invitation and an electronic file attachment; generating an association between the electronic file attachment received in the message and a calendar event of an electronic calendar mobile application executing on the mobile computing device, wherein the calendar event is associated with the electronic calendar invitation; and responsive to receiving a selection to display the calendar event in the electronic calendar mobile application, generating a display of the calendar event comprising a display of the associated electronic file attachment in the electronic calendar mobile application.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the electronic file attachment to a memory location of the mobile computing device; generating a link within the calendar event to the memory location, wherein the display of the electronic file attachment within the calendar event is a display of the electronic file attachment stored in the memory location; and responsive to receiving a selection to display the electronic file attachment in the electronic calendar application, retrieving the electronic file attachment stored in the memory location for display in the electronic calendar mobile application.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the electronic calendar invitation has been accepted, transmitting a response message accepting the calendar invitation, wherein the association between the electronic file attachment and the calendar event is generated in response to transmitting the response message.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to transmitting a response message accepting the calendar invitation:
generating the calendar event in the electronic calendar mobile application; and
instructing a mobile data synchronization application to use the association between the electronic file attachment and the calendar event to generate a link to the electronic file attachment in the calendar event.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
instructing a mobile data synchronization application to transmit the association between the electronic file attachment and the calendar event to a computing device remotely located from the mobile computing device; and instructing the mobile data synchronization application to store the association in a user directory on the remotely located computing device, wherein the user directory corresponds to a user account to which the message was addressed.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the association between the electronic file attachment and the calendar event further is generated by:
identifying, from a messaging protocol of the received message, a unique identifier associated with the received message; and generating a link to the electronic file attachment in the calendar event by including the unique identifier in an electronic calendar protocol associated with the calendar event.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the calendar event associated with the electronic calendar invitation previously exists in the electronic calendar mobile application, determining whether the previously existing calendar event is associated with the electronic file attachment, and wherein the association between the electronic file attachment received in the message and the calendar event is generated in response to determining that the previously existing calendar event is not associated with the electronic file attachment.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving another message comprising an updated electronic file attachment; and modifying the association to associate the calendar event in the electronic calendar mobile application with the updated electronic file attachment.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the calendar event associated with the electronic calendar invitation previously exists in the electronic calendar mobile application; responsive to determining that the calendar event does not exist, storing the electronic file attachment into a pending calendar event database; and wherein the association between the electronic file attachment received in the message and a calendar event in an electronic calendar mobile application is generated in response to determining that the calendar event has been generated in the electronic calendar mobile application.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
instructing a mobile data synchronization application to store the electronic file attachment on a server remotely located from the mobile computing device; and instructing the mobile data synchronization application to store the association in a user directory on the remote server, wherein the user directory corresponds to a user account to which the message was addressed.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein upon receiving a request, from a second mobile computing device with access to the user account, to view the calendar event, the server instructs the mobile data synchronization application executing on the second computing device to:
retrieve the electronic file attachment and the association stored in the user directory on the remote server; and use the association to generate a display of the electronic file attachment in a display of the calendar event in the electronic calendar mobile application executing on the second mobile computing device.

12 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; at least one display screen; and at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive a message comprising an electronic calendar invitation and an electronic file attachment;
generate an association between the electronic file attachment received in the message and a calendar event of an electronic calendar mobile application executing on the apparatus, wherein the calendar event is associated with the electronic calendar invitation; and
responsive to receiving a selection to display the calendar event in the electronic calendar mobile application, generate, on the display screen, a display of the calendar event comprising a display of the associated electronic file attachment in the electronic calendar mobile application.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:
store the electronic file attachment to a memory location in the memory; generate a link within the calendar event to the memory location, wherein the display of the electronic file attachment within the calendar event is a display of the electronic file attachment stored in the memory location; and responsive to receiving a selection to display the electronic file attachment in the electronic calendar application, retrieve the electronic file attachment stored in the memory location for display in the electronic calendar mobile application.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:
in response to determining that the electronic calendar invitation has been accepted, transmit a response message accepting the calendar invitation, wherein the association between the electronic file attachment and the calendar event is generated in response to transmitting the response message.

15

Assignees

• Citrix Systems Inc

Inventors

• Laborczfalvi Lee George

Classifications

• G06Q10/109 Primary

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

• G06F40/134 Primary

  Hyperlinking · CPC title

• G06F16/23

  Updating · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• G06F17/30345

  Physics · mapped topic