Free busy calendar interface
View Patent ↗An electronic device having access to a calendar database comprising calendar event data identifying events scheduled for respective time slots and a method of using such a device are provided. The device is configured to generate on a display a calendar events detail user interface screen that includes a plurality of fields specifying information about an event scheduled to occur at a time slot, one of the fields being an availability status field displaying an availability status for the time slot, and in which the availability status options for the availability status field are dependent on a type of a remote messaging server.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a controller;
a display connected to the controller;
a user input device connected to the controller;
a communication subsystem connected to the controller which exchanges calendar event data with a remote server;
the controller being configured to interact with a calendar database comprising calendar event data identifying events scheduled for respective time slots;
the controller being further configured to generate on the display a calendar events detail user interface screen that includes a plurality of fields specifying information about an event scheduled to occur at a time slot, one of the fields being an availability status field displaying an availability status for the time slot, wherein availability status options for the availability status field are dependent on a type of the remote server;
the communication subsystem exchanging calendar event data for scheduled events with the remote server, the exchanged calendar event data including the availability status of scheduled events.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to select and set the availability status options during provisioning of the electronic device based on the type of the remote server.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the availability status field to be limited to two availability status options, one of which indicates a free status and the other of which indicates a busy status, when the remote server is a first type of server; and
wherein the controller is configured to cause the availability status field to include at least four availability status options when the remote server is a second type of server.
4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first type of server is a server that identifies itself to the communications subsystem as being implemented using IBM Lotus Domino™ and the second type of server is a server that identifies itself to the communications subsystem as being implemented using Microsoft Exchange™ Server.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the availability status options include at least a free status and a not-free status for the time slot.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein only two different availability status options are provided, one of which indicates a free status and the other of which indicates a busy status.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the availability status options include at least three different availability status options.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change the availability status displayed in the availability status field in response to user input received through the user input device, and exchange the changed calendar event data, including the availability status of the scheduled events, with the remote server calendar event data for scheduled events.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to: move an on-screen selection symbol on the display to highlight the availability status field; upon receiving a predetermined user selection input when the availability status field is highlighted, generate a menu on the display displaying a plurality of user selectable availability status options; upon user selection of one of the availability status options, change the availability status to correspond to the user selected availability status option.
10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the user input device includes a rotatable and depressible input mechanism, wherein the on-screen selection symbol is moved in response to rotation of the input mechanism, and wherein the predetermined user selection input includes depression of the input mechanism.
11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the input mechanism is a scrollwheel which is rotatable about an axis in a first direction towards a top edge of the electronic device and in an opposite second direction towards a bottom edge of the electronic device, wherein the scrollwheel is also depressible.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to select the one of the availability status options in response to depression of the scrollwheel.
13. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a memory connected to the controller, the calendar database being stored therein.
14. A method of generating calendar information on an electronic device having access to a calendar database storing calendar event data identifying events scheduled for respective time slots, the electronic device including a controller and a display, user input device, and communication subsystem each connected to the controller, the communication subsystem exchanging calendar event data with a remote server, the method comprising:
generating on the display a calendar events detail user interface screen that includes a plurality of fields specifying information about an event scheduled to occur at a time slot, one of the fields being an availability status field displaying an availability status for the time slot, wherein availability status options for the availability status field are dependent on a type of the remote server; and
exchanging with the remote server calendar event data for scheduled events, the exchanged calendar event data including the availability status of the scheduled events.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the availability status options are selected and set during provisioning of the mobile device based on the type of the remote server.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
when the remote server is specified in a calendar application setting as a first type of server, two availability status options are provided; and
when the remote server is specified in a calendar application setting as a second type of server, four availability status options are provided.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first type of server is a server that identifies itself to the communications subsystem as being implemented using IBM Lotus Domino™ and the second type of server is a server that identifies itself to the communications subsystem as being implemented using Microsoft Exchange™ Server.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the availability status options include at least a free status and a not-free status for the time slot.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the availability status options include only two different availability status options, one of which indicates a free status and the other of which indicates a busy status.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the availability status options include at least three different availability status options.
21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
changing the availability status displayed in the availability status field in response to user input received through the user input device; and
exchanging the changed calendar event data, including the availability status of the scheduled events, with the remote server calendar event data for scheduled events.
22. A method of configuring a calendar application on an electronic device having access to a calendar database storing calendar event data identifying events scheduled for respective time slots, the electronic device including a controller and a display, user input device, memory and communication subsystem each connected to the controller, the communication subsystem exchanging calendar event data with a remote server, the method comprising:
provisioning the electronic device with calendar application settings for interacting with the remote server dependent on a type of the remote server, the calendar application settings including availability status options used for indicating an availability status for a time slot in the calendar application; and
generating on the display a calendar events detail user interface screen that includes a plurality of fields specifying information about an event scheduled to occur at a time slot, one of the fields being an availability status field displaying the availability status for the time slot;
wherein when the remote server is specified in a calendar application setting as a first type of server, two availability status options are provided; and
when the remote server is specified in a calendar application setting as a second type of server, four availability status options are provided.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first type of server is a server that identifies itself to the communications subsystem as being implemented using IBM Lotus Domino™ and the second type of server is a server that identifies itself to the communications subsystem as being implemented using Microsoft Exchange™ Server.