Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
An electronic calendaring method for use in a data processing system having a plurality of interactive workstations, each of which is assigned to at least one individual who maintains a calendar on said system and in which a calendar owner can request the display of a composite calendar including entries within a predetermined time span from a plurality of different calendars and which meet at least one of a plurality of different criteria, said method characterised by the steps of; a) establishing a first data structure for use by said system which includes at least one predefined field for storing criteria type data that is entered into said system when an event is being calendared, b) establishing a second data structure for use by said system which includes a plurality of predefined fields for storing search criteria entered into said system by said calendar owner during said request, c) comparing the data in said at least one said predefined field of each calendar entry of each said different calendar within said time span against said search criteria, and d) selecting entries for said composite calendar only when said step of comparing indicates a predetermined relationship.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
An electronic calendaring method for use in a data processing system having a plurality of interactive workstations, each of which is assigned to at least one individual who maintains a calendar on said system and in which a calendar owner can request the display of a composite calendar including entries within a predetermined time span from a plurality of different calendars and which meet at least one of a plurality of different criteria, said method characterised by the steps of; a) establishing a first data structure for use by said system which includes at least one predefined field for storing criteria type data that is entered into said system when an event is being calendared, b) establishing a second data structure for use by said system which includes a plurality of predefined fields for storing search criteria entered into said system by said calendar owner during said request, c) comparing the data in said at least one said predefined field of each calendar entry of each said different calendar within said time span against said search criteria, and d) selecting entries for said composite calendar only when said step of comparing indicates a predetermined relationship.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to Claim 1, in which each said workstation includes a display and a keyboard, further including the step of displaying to a calendar owner a screen to assist said owner in calendaring an event.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to Claim 2, further including the step of assigning a priority value to the event being calendared.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to Claim 2 or 3, in which said step of displaying a screen during the event calendaring process includes displaying a designated location for the individual calendaring the event to interactively enter an assigned said priority value by keying in priority data to said system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to Claim 4, further including the step of storing said priority data in said one predefined field of said first data structure.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
35 words
A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, in which said first data structure includes a plurality of other fields for storing data that uniquely defines the event that is being calendared.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
57 words
A method according to any one of Claims 2 to 6, further including the step of displaying to said calendar owner, a second screen in response to said request for a composite calendar which includes at least one line for said requesting owner to interactively enter at least one search criteria by keying in search criteria data.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
37 words
A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, further including the step of entering a priority value as one of said search criteria and storing said criteria value in one of said predefined fields.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
41 words
A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, in which said step of selecting entries, selects all entries where said comparing step indicates an entry has a higher priority that the priority value entered as a search criteria.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
40 words
A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 further including the step of entering a logical combination of a plurality of search criteria at least one of which defines the type of calendared event to be selected.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
49 words
A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 in which an entry is only selected by said step of selecting in response to said step of comparing indicating that said logical combination of a plurality of search criteria has been found in said first data structure.