Electronic calendaring method to establish calendar floating triggers

Abstract

An electronic calendaring method for use in a data processing system has a plurality of workstations, each of which is assigned to a different individual who maintains an electronic calendar on the system. The method establishes a plurality of data structures for storing data that is entered into the system interactively by the calendar owner during the process of calendaring an event which involves a number of other calendar owners e.g. a meeting. A Trigger data structured is included to store data at the time an event is being calandered that provides a reminder to the meeting originator or calendar owner. The type of reminder may be selected by the meeting originator provided the system hardware supports the underlying technology. The reminder may be just a visual message on the display, an audio tone, an audio message or any combination. The official ID of the event that is to be triggered is included in the Trigger data structure. The method allows the Trigger to 'float' with the identified event so that the Trigger established by the meeting originator may be automatically employed by the other calendar owners who received a notice on the system inviting them to the meeting. If the meeting is changed or cancelled, the other invitees' triggers are changed automatically as is the originators' merely by changing the meeting notice. The method also permits a calendar owner to start a process (application program) that can be run on the system by use of the Trigger data structure.