Methods and systems for non-linear representation of time in calendar applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9513769-B2
Application number	US-201213592840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Aug 23, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for displaying increments of time in a calendar view. Method receives a selection of commonly-used increments of time for the calendar and allots equal amounts of display space in the calendar view for each commonly-used increment. The method allots less display space for other increments of time that are not commonly-used as compared to space allotted for the commonly-used increments. In another embodiment, a system presents a calendar view having a plurality of increments of time and events in a display. The system includes an input device for receiving a selection of commonly-used increments of time and a processor configured to alter the calendar view by displaying the commonly-used increments of time linearly with equal amounts of display size for commonly-used increments of time and decreasing the size of other increments of time in proportion to their proximity to commonly-used increments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a selection of a first range of time that is commonly-used for events on a calendar; and
generating for display, on a display device, a calendar view with a representation of a period of time including the first range of time and a second range of time outside the first range of time, wherein:
a first amount of display space is allotted in the calendar view for an increment of time within the first range of time, and the first range of time including a first plurality of increments of time;
a second amount of display space is allotted in the calendar view for the increment of time within the second range of time, the second amount of display space is less than the first amount of display space, and the second range of time including a second plurality of increments of time, wherein the second plurality of increments of time include:
a first increment of time with a first size; and
a second increment of time that occurs after the first increment of time with a second size that is smaller than the first size; and

generating for display, within the calendar view, a calendar event including a first portion of time within the first range of time and a second portion of time within the second range of time, wherein:
increments of time within the first portion of the calendar event are displayed according to the first amount of display space and the increments of time within the second portion are displayed according to the second amount of display space;
the second plurality of increments of time includes a third increment of time that occurs after the second increment of time with a third size that is smaller than the second size;
the first time increment is adjacent to the second time increment;
the third time increment is adjacent to the second time increment and not adjacent to the first time increment; and
the sizes of the first increment of time, the second increment of time, and the third increment progressively decrease as the first increment of time, the second increment of time, and the third increment of time get farther away from a central region of the calendar view.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each increment of time is an hour, further comprising displaying, in the display, a plurality of one-hour increments in a daily calendar view including each increment of time of the first plurality of increments of time and at least a subset of the second plurality of increments of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each increment of time is an hour, further comprising displaying, in the display, twenty four one-hour increments in a daily calendar view; and
wherein the twenty four one-hour increments are apportioned between the first plurality of increments of time and the second plurality of increments of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increments of time are arranged in the calendar view in a vertical manner from top to bottom and the first plurality of increments of time are allotted the same height in the calendar view.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increments of time are arranged in the calendar view in a horizontal manner from left to right and the first plurality of increments of time are allotted the same width in the calendar view.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each increment of time in the second plurality of increments of time are allotted proportionally less space relative to their respective distance in the display from a first plurality of increments of time.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at least one entry for the calendar;
determining whether the at least one entry occurs during the first plurality of increments of time; and
in response to determining that a portion at least one entry occurs during the first plurality of increments of time, displaying the portion of the at least one entry within its corresponding increment of time of the first plurality of increments of time, or in response to determining that the at least one entry occurs during the second plurality of increments of time, displaying the at least one entry proportionally within its corresponding increment of time of the second plurality of increments of time.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the displaying of the at least one entry occurring during the second plurality of increments of time comprises displaying a floating graphic element indicating the entry, wherein the floating graphic element remains persistently visible in the calendar view even if its corresponding increment of time is not visible in the calendar view.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, increasing a size of the floating graphic element in response to determining that a cursor or selection input is proximate to the floating graphic element in the calendar view.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising centering the first plurality of increments of time in the calendar view.

11. The method of claim 4 , further comprising centering the first plurality of increments of time vertically in the calendar view.

12. The method of claim 5 , further comprising centering the first plurality of increments of time horizontally in the calendar view.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one entry and the selected first plurality of increments of time are stored in a local computer readable medium of the computing device and are also stored in a remote computer readable medium of a remote server for synchronization with other computing devices.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calendar view includes a user interface element having a menu for user selection of the first plurality of increments of time.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the calendar view includes a second user interface element for user interaction with the least one entry.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating for display, within the calendar view, a plurality of days, wherein display of each day of the plurality of days includes the first range of time and the second range of time.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein generating for display the plurality of days includes a second calendar event with increments of time all within the first range of time, wherein the increments of time are displayed according to the first amount of display space.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein generating for display the plurality of days includes a third calendar event with increments of time all within the second range of time, wherein the increments of time are displayed according to the second amount of display space.

19. A computer system comprising:
a display configured to present a calendar view and having a plurality of increments of time and events associated therewith;
an input device configured to receive a selection of a first plurality of increments of time for a calendar; and
a processor configured to arrange the calendar view by:
displaying the first plurality of increments of time linearly by allotting an equal amount of display size to each increment of time within the first plurality of increments of time;
displaying a second plurality of increments of time by allotting a smaller amount of display size for each increment of time within the second plurality of increments of time than the space allotted for increments of time within the first plurality of increments of time, wherein the second plurality of increments of time includes:
a first increment of time with a first display size; and
a second increment of time that occurs after th

Assignees

• Baumann Laurent
• Coffman Patrick
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Baumann Laurent
• Coffman Patrick

Classifications

• G06Q10/109 Primary

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

• G06F3/0482 Primary

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