IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,219,109
Granted Patent B1
US 7,219,109 · App. 09/940,321 · Granted May 15, 2007

Time zone management

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,219,109
App. No.
09/940,321
Granted
May 15, 2007
Kind
B1
Abstract

A time zone management system and method for a date-book like application. A user can associate a time zone with an event or appointment, especially on a palmtop computer. The event can be associated with the time zone by selecting the time zone as an attribute from a details menu, or other suitable user interface mechanism or other mechanism. The user can select a display time zone, and all events to be displayed are translated to the display time zone to be displayed on the palmtop computer.

Claims (46)

1. A method of management of time zone information in a calendar application running on a handheld computer, comprising:

storing an event, said event comprising a start time and an end time based on a first time zone;

establishing a display time zone wherein said display time zone is user customizable and independent of events associated with said calendar application;

translating the start time and the end time from said first time zone to the display time zone to produce a translated start time and end time; and

displaying the event as occurring at the translated start time and end time, wherein:

the display time zone is established by receiving a message from a source external to said handheld computer indicating that a time zone change has occurred and an input from a user confirming said change in time zone, said message displayed to said user only when a second time zone received from said external source is different from said first time zone.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the event is displayed in a daily time grid.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the display time zone is established by a user selection through a user interface element.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the message is received from a network service provider.

5. The method according to claim 1 , carried out in a handheld computer.

6. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when carried out on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 1 .

7. A handheld computer having time zone information management, comprising:

a programmed processor;

a display;

a calendar application running on the programmed processor to store an event associated with a duration of time in which said event is to take place for a first time zone, the calendar application further operating to:

store an event time zone attribute associated with the first time zone;

establish a display time zone by receiving a message from a source external to said handheld computer indicating that a time zone change has occurred and an input from a user confirming said change in time zone, said message displayed to said user only when a second time zone received from said external source is different from said first time zone;

store said display time zone wherein said display time zone is user customizable and independent of events associated with said calendar application; and

translate the duration of time associated with the event from the stored time zone attribute to the display time zone to produce a translated duration of time; and wherein:

said display is for displaying the event as occurring at the translated block of time on the display.

8. The handheld computer according to claim 7 , wherein the display displays the event in a daily time grid on the display.

9. The handheld computer according to claim 7 , further comprising a user interface.

10. The handheld computer according to claim 9 , wherein said calendar application is further operable to establish the display time zone by a user selection from a display time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface.

11. The handheld computer according to claim 10 , wherein the display time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface comprises a display time zone menu.

12. The handheld computer according to claim 9 , wherein said calendar application is further operable to establish the event time zone by a user selection from an event time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface.

13. The handheld computer according to claim 12 , wherein the event time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface comprises a time zone menu.

14. The handheld computer according to claim 7 , wherein the display time zone is associated with a first difference between the display time zone and Greenwich Mean Time;

and wherein the event time zone is associated with a second difference between the event time zone and Greenwich Mean Time;

and wherein the translating comprises finding a difference between the first difference and the second difference.

15. A handheld computer having time zone information management, compromising:

a programmed processor;

a display;

a user interface;

a calendar application running on the programmed processor to store an event associated with a duration of time in which said event is to take place for a first time zone, the calendar application further operating to:

store an event time zone attribute associated with the first time zone;

establish a display time zone by receiving a message from a source external to said handheld computer indicating that a time zone change has occurred, and receiving an input from a user confirming said change in time zone, said message displayed to said user only when a second time zone received from said external source is different from said first time zone;

store said display time zone wherein said display time zone is user customizable and is independent of events associated with said calendar application; and

translate the duration of time associated with the event from the stored time zone attribute to the display time zone to produce a translated duration of time; and

wherein said display is for displaying the event as occurring at the translated block of time on the display;

wherein the display time zone is established by a user selection from a display time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface; and

wherein the event time zone is established by a user selection from an event time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface.

16. The handheld computer according to claim 15 , wherein the event time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface comprises an event time zone menu.

17. The handheld computer according to claim 15 , wherein the display time zone user interface element forming part of the user interface comprises a display time zone menu.

18. The handheld computer according to claim 15 , wherein the display time zone is associated with a first difference between the display time zone and Greenwich Mean Time;

and wherein the event time zone is associated with a second difference between the event time zone and Greenwich Mean Time;

and wherein the translating comprises finding a difference between the first difference and the second difference.