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US 6,369,840 B1Granted
Multi-layered online calendaring and purchasing
AssigneeAmerica Online, Inc.
InventorsTheodore H. Barnett, Anthony A. Espinoza, Vengpui Louis Lao, David C. Sobotka, Andrew W. Zaeske
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer-implemented method and system for generating and displaying a calendar containing user-selected events from user-selected categories. A plurality of categories of events are provided. The user can select which categories are of interest, and then select individual events within those categories. Events are overlaid on a calendar unique to the user. Calendars may also be shared among a number of selected users, if desired. Online purchasing and related actions can be associated with each event.
Claims56
A computer-implemented method for multi-layered online calendaring, comprising:
- a) accepting user input specifying at least one of a plurality of categories;
- wherein at least one category of the plurality of categories corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- b) retrieving a plurality of events associated with the specified category, each having a date;
- c) selectively displaying a date-delimited subset of the retrieved events associated with the specified category;
- d) accepting user input selecting at least one of the displayed events;
- e) adding the selected event to a computer-implemented personal calendar;
- f) repeating steps a) through e);
- and
- g) displaying the computer-implemented personal calendar by overlaying information from the selected events from the specified categories on a common display, the information for at least one event in a category being displayed uses the unique visual characteristic corresponding to the category if the category corresponds to a unique visual characteristic.
6 more elements
A computer-implemented system for multi-layered online calendaring, comprising:
- a user input device for accepting user input specifying at least one of a plurality of categories, and for accepting user input selecting at least one of a plurality of displayed events;
- wherein at least one category of the plurality of categories corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- an event retrieval module, coupled to the user input device, for retrieving a plurality of events associated with the specified category, each event having a date;
- a display module, coupled to the event retrieval module, for selectively displaying a date-delimited subset of the retrieved events associated with the specified category;
- wherein the information for at least one event in the specified category is displayed using the unique visual characteristic corresponding to the specified category if the specified category corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- and
- a personal calendar storage device, coupled to the user input device, for adding a selected event to a computer-implemented personal calendar.
4 more elements
A computer-implemented system for multi-layered online calendaring, comprising:
- an events database, containing a plurality of events, each event associated with at least one category, each event having a date;
- a personal category database, containing personal calendar information for a user;
- wherein at least one category corresponding to the events database or the personal category database corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- an application server, coupled to the events database and to the personal calendar database, for retrieving a plurality of events from the events database, the plurality of events being associated with a specified category, and for retrieving personal calendar information from the personal calendar database;
- and
- a display device, coupled to the application server, for selectively displaying a date-delimited subset of the retrieved events associated with the specified category, the information for at least one event in the specified category is displayed using the unique visual characteristic corresponding to the specified category if the specified category corresponds to a unique visual characteristic.
3 more elements
A computer-implemented system for multi-layered online calendaring, comprising:
- user input means, for accepting user input specifying at least one of a plurality of categories, and for accepting user input selecting at least one of a plurality of displayed events;
- wherein at least one category of the plurality of categories corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- event retrieval means, coupled to the user input means, for retrieving a plurality of events associated with the specified category, each event having a date;
- display means, coupled to the event retrieval means, for selectively displaying a date-delimited subset of the retrieved events associated with the specified category, the information for at least one event in the specified category is displayed using the unique visual characteristic corresponding to the specified category if the specified category corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- and
- personal calendar storage means, coupled to the user input means, for adding a selected event to a computer-implemented personal calendar.
3 more elements
A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for multi-layered online calendaring, comprising:
- computer-readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to accept user input specifying at least one of a plurality of categories, and to accept user input selecting at least one of a plurality of displayed events;
- wherein at least one category of the plurality of categories corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- computer-readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to retrieve a plurality of events associated with the specified category, each event having a date;
- computer-readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to selectively display a date-delimited subset of the retrieved events associated with the specified category, the information for at least one event in the specified category is displayed using the unique visual characteristic corresponding to the specified category if the specified category corresponds to a unique visual characteristic;
- and
- computer-readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to add a selected event to a computer-implemented personal calendar.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.