Patent Application
20130055157
Applicant claims the right of the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0088000 filed Aug. 31, 2011 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a schedule managing method and apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a schedule managing method capable of setting a deadline of a schedule and an apparatus thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to various new designs and applications stimulating consumer demand, a market for portable terminals has rapidly grown. In particular, unlike an existing portable phone using only given functions from the manufacturer, a smart phone has the capability to down-load and install various applications for taking a photograph or photographing a moving image, playback of audio and video, on-line games, watching broadcasting, social network service from an on-line market, etc., just to name of the possible applications (i.e. “apps” for relatively short applications).
More recently, manufactured portable terminals tend to include a touch screen and provide,s a method for managing a schedule of the user through the touch screen. However, in a conventional method for managing a schedule, it is difficult to edit a registered schedule.
In particular, in the conventional method for managing a schedule, for example, in order to change a deadline of a registered schedule, the user needs to move to a screen for editing a schedule (typically after first displaying the schedule) and then newly inputting a date on an editing screen after selecting an edit option subsequent to viewing the schedule. This procedure is very complicated especially since the user often io manages various schedules and a deadline frequently changes.
The present invention provides a schedule managing method for selecting a displayed deadline setting icon that allows the user to easily set a deadline of a schedule, and an apparatus thereof.
In accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a schedule managing method preferably includes: displaying a deadline setting icon for setting a deadline of at least one schedule; sensing by the display the selection of the deadline setting icon; and setting the deadline of the schedule in response to the selection of the deadline setting icon.
In accordance with another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a schedule managing apparatus preferably includes: a display unit for displaying a deadline setting icon for setting a deadline of at least one schedule; a pointer for selecting the deadline setting icon displayed by the display unit; and a controller for setting the deadline of the schedule in response to the selection of the deadline setting icon.
The exemplary above features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
A schedule managing method and apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings in detail. The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and structures incorporated herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring appreciation by a person of ordinary skill in the art of the subject matter of the present invention with a detailed description of such well-known functions and structures.
A schedule managing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a device including a pointer, which is applicable to various information communication devices and multi-media devices such as portable phones, smart phones, tablet PCs, handheld PCs, Portable Multimedia Players (PMP), Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), music players (e.g., MP3 player), and portable game terminals, digital broadcasting players, and application devices thereof. The pointer preferably includes a write pen, a mouse, a touch pad, a track ball, and a touch screen. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the schedule managing apparatus is a smart phone and the pointer is a touch screen.
The schedule managing apparatus of the present invention preferably includes an application or a widget that may manage a schedule of a user. In this particular case, the widget comprises a mini application that allows a user to directly use contents or functions without through an application. For example, there may be an application such as weather, calendar, calculator, and news as an example of a widget. Hereinafter, it is assumed in the present invention that the application includes the widget. The schedule managing application may be downloaded from an on-line market. A schedule managing application provides a user interface function that allows a user to easily advance or extend a deadline set in a schedule, namely, a D-day. Further, the schedule managing application provides a re-alarm function of a schedule.
In other words, a schedule managing application of the present invention provides a function that may alarm a deadline of a schedule in an alarm time set in the schedule, and re-alarm the deadline according to the request of the user later, and change the deadline of the schedule to another date.
Referring now to
The schedule managing apparatus having a construction as mentioned above displays a home screen including icons indicating various applications, respectively. If an icon of the schedule managing application is displayed on the home screen, the schedule managing apparatus performs a corresponding application to display the schedule list. Moreover, the schedule managing apparatus displays detailed information and deadline information with respect to respective schedules. Furthermore, the schedule managing apparatus displays a deadline setting icon with respect to the respective schedules. If the deadline setting icon is touched by the user (or selected by any type of pointer), the schedule managing apparatus advances or extends a deadline of a corresponding schedule by one day. For example, the deadline of the schedule is set to today, the user touches a deadline setting icon of the corresponding schedule to delay the deadline until tomorrow. Optionally, a confirmation prompt may in case the user inadvertently touched the screen or touched the wrong icon. When the deadline of the schedule is tomorrow or some subsequent date, the user touches a deadline setting icon of the corresponding schedule to extend or advance the deadline by one day. In this case, the deadline setting icon contains an icon for advancing the deadline by one day and an icon for extending the deadline by one day. When the deadline of the schedule is not set or lapses, the user may touch a deadline setting icon of the corresponding schedule to determine the deadline as today. Moreover, the schedule managing apparatus may alarm a deadline of the corresponding schedule at a designated alarm time and perform the schedule managing application to display detailed information of the corresponding schedule including the deadline information and the deadline setting icon. Hereinafter, respective constructions of the schedule managing apparatus will be described in detail.
The touch screen 110 senses the touch event and generates and transfers a signal corresponding to the particular type of touch event in response to a touch of the user with respect to a certain point of the screen to the controller 160. The controller typically includes a processor or microprocessor that is configured for operation. The touch event may be classified into, for example, touch, tap, double tap, press, drag, drag & drop, flick, and drag & flick according to its operation. In this case, the touch is an operation that a user pushes one point. The tap is an operation that the user separates, namely, drops a finger from a corresponding point without movement of the finger after touching one point. The double tap is an operation that continuously taps one point of the screen twice. The press is an operation that separates a finger from a corresponding point without movement of the finger after touching it longer than the tap. The drag is an operation that moves a finger in a predetermined direction in a state that the user touches one point. The drag & drop is an operation that separates a finger after dragging the finger. The flick is an operation that separates a finger after moving the finger at rapid speed like flipping. Here, the drag is referred to as ‘scroll’. The drag & flick is an operation that drags a finger and flicks the finger at a predetermined time point, that is, an operation continuously performing the drag and the flick in a state that the finger contacts with the touch screen 110. The controller 160 may distinguish the flick from the drag based on moving speed. The controller 160 controls the display unit 130 in response to the touch event. All of these operations are used in touch screens for current smart phone technology. A person of ordinary skill in the art understands and appreciates that additional touch/gesture functionality not disclosed herein above could also be used in conjunction with the presently claimed invention. For definitive purposes, the term “contacts” is to be interpreted in the appended claims that all of the above described ways of touch, tap, press, flick, drag with a finger, stylus or other types of pointing devices should be included in such a definition.
With continued reference to
The display unit 130 converts image data received from the controller 160 into an analog signal, and displays the analog signal. Stated another way, the display unit 130 displays various screens such as a lock screen, a home screen, and an application execution screen according to the use of the schedule managing apparatus. In this particular exemplary case, the lock screen is an image displayed when a power on signal for the display unit 130 is generated. For example, if a trace of the drag is identical with a preset trace, the controller 160 changes an image displayed on the screen from a lock screen to a home screen or an application execution screen. The home screen is an image including a plurality of icons for executing an application. If the user touches an icon, the controller 160 may execute a corresponding application and change a displayed image from the home screen to the application execution screen.
Further, the display unit 130 may be configured by a flat panel display such as, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or an Organic Light Emitted Diode (OLED). Any other type of thin-film technology display may also be used. The display unit 130 may include a 3D implementing unit for displaying a left image and a right image, and allowing a user to feel depths of the left and right images. As I known to those skilled in the art, a 3D implementing scheme is typically divided into a spectacle scheme and a non-spectacle scheme. The spectacle scheme preferably includes a color filter scheme, a polarizing filter scheme, and a shutter glass scheme. The non-spectacle scheme preferably includes a lenticular lens scheme and a parallax barrier scheme.
The memory 140 stores a screen to be outputted on the display unit 130, in particular, an execution screen of a schedule managing application as well as an application necessary for a function operation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Further, the memory 140 may store a key map or a menu map for an operation of the touch screen 110. In this case, the key map and the menu map may comprise various forms. In other words, the key map may become a keyboard map, a 3*4 key map, a Qwerty key map, a Dvorak key map, or a control key map, etc., for controlling a currently executed application. Further, the menu map may become a menu map for controlling a currently executed application.
The memory 140, which may comprise a machine readable non-transitory medium, may chiefly include a program area and a data area. The program area may store machine executable code such as an operating system (OS) for booting the schedule managing apparatus and operating the foregoing constructions, and an application program for supporting various user functions, for example, a user function for supporting a call function, a web browser for accessing an Internet server, an MP3 user function for playing other sound sources, an image output function for playing photographs, and a moving image playback function, etc. In particular, the program area of the present invention can store the foregoing schedule managing application. The data area comprises an area for storing data created by the controller 160, in particular, a schedule according to the use of the schedule managing apparatus, and may store an image (e.g., map) associated with the schedule, deadline information, alarm time, a preset value indicating the presence of the use of a re-alarm, and the number of alarms of a schedule to which re-alarm is previously set, and detailed information thereof.
The audio processor 150 performs a function that includes transmitting an audio signal, in particular, an alarm signal input from the controller 160 to the speaker SPK, and transmits an audio signal such as a voice input from the microphone MIC to the controller 160. Put another way, the audio processor 150 converts voice/sound data into an audible sound through a speaker SPK under the control of the controller 160. The audio processor 150 typically converts an audio signal such as a voice received from the microphone MIC into a digital signal, and transfers the digital signal to the controller 160.
The controller 160 preferably controls an overall operation and signal flow between internal blocks of the schedule managing apparatus. In particular, the controller 160 performs a number of functions including a function for displaying a schedule, a deadline, and a deadline setting icon; a function for setting a deadline of a schedule in response to selection of a deadline setting icon; a function for alarming a deadline of a corresponding schedule at an alarm time; and a function for again alarming the deadline after a predetermined time in response to a request of the user while alarming the deadline. The functions of the controller 160 will now be described with reference to
Conversely, if the user taps a checked check box 204, the controller 160 releases the check and controls the display unit 130 to display a deadline setting icon. In other words, the user may change a deadline of a non-checked schedule. From a position of the user, the checked schedule is a schedule that has been previously performed or is unnecessary to be checked longer. In the meantime, if the user taps the deadline setting icon 203, the controller 160 controls the display unit 130 to eliminate a corresponding schedule from the schedule list. As shown in
With reference to
Further, if a display space is allowed, a schedule list 402 the deadline (402a) of which is not set and a schedule list 403 the deadline 403(a) of which lapses may be displayed. Moreover, if a display space is further allowed, a schedule list the deadline of which is after tomorrow may also be displayed. Further, schedule lists classified by deadlines may include an indicator that allows a user to recognize when is the deadline. In other words, reference numeral 401a represents an indicator the deadline of which is due today, reference numeral 403a represents an indicator the deadline of which indicates lapses, and reference numeral 402a represents an indicator the deadline of which is not set (i.e. undated). Meanwhile, if the user taps an icon 420 for changing a deadline to due tomorrow, the controller 160 controls the display unit 130 to eliminate a corresponding schedule from a schedule list 401 the deadline of which is due today. As shown in
The controller 160 performs a function that may set a deadline of a schedule the deadline of which is not set or lapses to today. Referring back to
The controller 160 may change a schedule list to be displayed on a screen in many other ways than shown. For example, referring to
In another exemplary embodiment, referring to
Subsequently, the controller 160 performs a function that can easily advance or extend the deadline by one day or more. In detail, referring back to
When the deadline is extended by greater than a predetermined set number of times, the controller 160 then performs a function for guiding it to the user. In detail, referring to
When the deadline is also shortened by greater than the preset number of times, the controller 160 performs a function for guiding the shortened deadline to the user. For example, the controller 160 may control the display unit to display a title of a schedule shortened by greater than the preset number distinguished from another schedule. Thus, the controller is configured to extend or shorten a deadline when the schedule is extended or shortened by the display sensing a number of touches or taps of the display screen that are greater (larger in quantity) than a preset number of times the touches or taps are configured in the controller as being sensed for selection of the deadline setting icon.
Moreover, the controller 160 may perform a function of limiting the extending and shortening of the deadline. In detail, referring to
Next, the controller 160 performs a function for alarming a deadline of a schedule and a function for re-alarming the deadline of the schedule. In detail, referring to
If a displayed deadline setting icon is selected by a user, at (703) the touch screen 110 transfers a touch event associated therewith to the controller 160. Accordingly, at (704) the controller 160 detects the selection of the deadline setting icon, sets a deadline of a schedule to a date corresponding to a selected deadline setting icon, and stores the set deadline information in a memory 140. At (705) the controller 160 may control the display unit 310 to display the set deadline.
With continued reference to
Referring now to
A schedule managing method and an apparatus thereof according to the present invention provides an icon capable of setting a deadline together with deadline information when displaying a schedule such that the user may easily set a deadline of a schedule.
The above-described methods according to the present invention can be implemented in hardware, firmware or as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD ROM, an RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computer code downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on a local recording medium, so that the methods described herein can be rendered in such software that is stored on the recording medium using a general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable or dedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood in the art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or the programmable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, thumbnail, etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that when accessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implement the processing methods described herein. In addition, it would be recognized that when a general purpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shown herein, the execution of the code transforms the general purpose computer into a special purpose computer for executing the processing shown herein.
Although a schedule managing method and an apparatus thereof according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understood that many variations and modifications of the basic inventive concepts taught herein which may appear to those skilled in the present art will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2011-0088000 | Aug 2011 | KR | national |
