Method and apparatus for generating a new event directly from a document

摘要

The application relates to the field of communications and more particularly to an apparatus and method of generating a new event from a document. In accordance with one aspect of the present application, recognized date/time references contained in a document allow a new event to be created. Such date/time references are automatically recognized and highlighted in the document. Selecting the highlighted information generates a menu selection, offering a user the ability to create a new event into which the date/time information will be inserted, along with other information extracted from the document. Specific date/time information in a document is simply correlated to a known date/time format in a lookup table, while relative terms like “tomorrow”, “today” or days of the week (ie. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) are recognized by a date/time detector module and translated into a specific date/time. Using an embodiment of the present application, a new event can be readily generated.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
identifying a temporal expression in an electronic message; generating a user-selectable hyperlink corresponding with the temporal expression which was identified; displaying a body of the electronic message in response to the identifying, the body including the hyperlink; receiving, during the displaying of the body, an input that indicates selection of the hyperlink; displaying a data entry interface based on receipt of the input, the data entry interface configured with a temporal field that is populated with the temporal expression; receiving, during the displaying of the data entry interface, another input that indicates acceptance of information in the data entry interface, the information including the temporal expression; and storing, in response to the another input, an event based on the information.