Patent Application
20070088592
The invention relates to event scheduling, and in particular to methods and systems for scheduling events based on network information.
With technical progress, a great quantity of information can be acquired through networks, such as the Internet. The acquired information may be time-related to various events. For example, websites of TV channels or theaters may provide program tables comprising schedule information. Events are generally arranged in a personal schedule established in a website or a digital electronic device. Due to retrieved network information being real-time and abundant, events can be arranged by referring to retrieved network information.
Conventionally, personal schedules are maintained in websites or digital electronic device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a mobile electronic communication device, or a handheld set, by owners.
The owners can obtain required information from networks by searching or by periodical electronic news. The acquired information is used for arranging events. After the events are scheduled, related messages can be sent to notify all persons involved.
Conventional methods reveal some drawbacks. For example, information search in networks is time-consuming and manual arrangements for events may cause errors. Furthermore, notification must be executed manually, causing inconvenience.
Thus, improved scheduling methods and systems to search network information and match with preference information for event scheduling are desirable.
Methods for scheduling events according to network information are provided. Search engines, such as crawlers, are used to retrieve information from a network, such as the Internet. Network information, event information, and user preference information are acquired. Here, the network information is time-related. The network information, event information, and user preference information is matched to obtain a matching result. Events are scheduled according to the matching result. Particularly, each event includes event name, event time, and event location.
Embodiments of the invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Furthermore, event information is acquired (step S102). The event information can be generated by personal schedules (step S112). For example, if a computer system includes a personal schedule recording event related information, the recorded information can be generated as event information.
Additionally, user preference information is acquired (step S104). The user reference information can be acquired by user input through a user interface or by analyzing user preference history records. The user reference information can be recorded in a tree structure (step S114).
The network information, event information, and user preference information are matched to obtain a matching result. Events are scheduled according to the matching result (step S106). Here, each event includes event name, event time; and event location. The scheduled events can be recorded in a personal schedule.
Afterwards, it is determined if notifications are to be sent to other participants according to the scheduled events (step S108). For example, if an event requires other participants, notifications or invitations can be sent thereto (step S120). An event may only require one person involved (step S122), e.g. the owner of the personal schedule. The notification can be sent by common communication methods, such as short messages. The notifications can be implemented as alarms to avoid missing of important event.
The method can be implemented in computer programs.
The information matching module 302 matches the network information 310, event information 312, and user preference information 314 to obtain a matching result. The event scheduling module 304 schedules events according to the matching result. Each event includes event name, event time, and event location. The scheduled events can be recorded in a personal schedule.
The time-related network information 310 comprises explicit time information 320 and implicit time information 322. The time-related network information 310 can be retrieved by a network information search engine from a knowledge domain of a network. The time-related network information can be processed to particular formats 324 for further identification and matching. An information analysis module 316 can be further provided to analyze information of the knowledge domain to require the time-related network information 310.
A notification module 304 is further provided sending notifications according to the scheduled events. The notifications can be sent to different destinations, such as computer systems 330, PDAs 332, or handheld sets 334. The user reference information can be acquired by a user interface and recorded in a tree structure.
User preference information is acquired (step S408). The user preference information can be recorded in a tree structure. The time-related network information, event information, and user preference information are matched to obtain a matching result (step S410). Events are scheduled according to the matching result. Each event may include event name, event time, and event location.
The scheduled events can be recorded in a personal schedule. Notifications can be sent to other users according to the scheduled events (step S412). When the scheduled events arrive, an alarm can be sent to the owner (step S414).
Embodiments of the present invention provide scheduling methods for events according to network information. The provided methods improve passive network information reception and manual event scheduling. The provided methods also can notify or alarm users properly, reducing scheduling errors.
Methods of the present invention, or certain aspects or portions of embodiments thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMS, hard drives, firmware, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing and embodiment of the invention. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may also be embodied in the form of program code transmitted over some transmission medium, such as electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing and embodiment of the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates analogously to specific logic circuits.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those who are skilled in this technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94136325 | Oct 2005 | TW | national |
