Time based profile management on palmtop computer

Abstract

A personal information manager or other software program, preferably residing within a palmtop computer, uses a time of day profile to establish a default data category. When the user wishes to enter or edit data or retrieve data, the personal information manager or other software program inspects a real-time clock to determine the time of day. The personal information manager or other software program then establishes a default category based upon the time of day profile established by the user. The user is given the opportunity to modify the default category at any time. In this manner, for example, the user can establish a default business category during business times in days and a personal category during personal times in days. This provides the advantage of correctly categorizing data in an automated manner under most circumstances.

1 . A computer implemented method for a portable electronic device for displaying, receiving or retrieving data based on clock time of day, comprising the steps of:
 using a processor of a portable electronic device to:
 establish a time of day profile that correlates clock time of day information and day of week information with a plurality of default data categories stored on a memory of the portable electronic device, the memory coupled to the processor, wherein at least one default data category is associated with a block of time corresponding to two or more days of the week and differentiates between other default data categories based on the clock time of day and the day of the week; 
 set a default data category according to a first time of day profile; 
 receive user input from an input device indicating data is to be displayed, received, or retrieved; 
 determine a current clock time of day by referencing a real-time clock; 
 reset the default data category according to the first time of day profile and the current clock time of day as the current data category; and 
 display, receive or retrieve a data according to the current data category. 
   
   
   
       2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the establish step comprises the step of: receive user input through a user input device coupled to the processor. 
   
   
       3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 setting a second current data category by the user through a user input device; and   displaying, receiving or retrieving a second data according to the second current data category.   
   
   
       4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 resetting the default data category by periodically monitoring the clock time of day.   
   
   
       5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the display, receive or retrieve steps comprises the step of:
 displaying only data categorized in the current data category and suppressing from display data categorized in any other category.   
   
   
       6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 editing the data displayed, received, or retrieved.   
   
   
       7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 providing an option to change the current data category to a selected data category; and   display, receive or retrieve a data categorized in the selected data category, wherein any data categorized in any other category is suppressed from display.   
   
   
       8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the display, receive or retrieve step comprises retrieving data from more than one data category including the current data category, but displaying only the current data category. 
   
   
       9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises one of the group: address book data, to-do list data, notes data, email data and calendar data. 
   
   
       10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of default data categories includes a personal category and a business category. 
   
   
       11 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the time of day profiles differ by application resident on the portable electronic device. 
   
   
       12 . A portable electronic device comprising:
 a programmed processor;   a real-time clock coupled to the programmed processor;   a memory coupled to the programmed processor; and   an input device coupled to the programmed processor,   wherein the memory stores one or more time of day profiles that correlate clock time of day information and day of week information with a plurality of default data categories, wherein at least one default data category is associated with a block of time corresponding to two or more days of the week and differentiates between other default data categories based on the clock time of day and the day of the week, and   wherein the programmed processor:
 sets a default data category according to a first time of day profile, 
 receives an instruction from the input device indicating that data is to be displayed, received, or retrieved, 
 determines a current clock time of day by referencing a real-time clock; 
 resets the default data category according to the first time of day profile and the current clock time of day as the current data category; and 
 displays, receives or retrieves a data according to the current data category. 
   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programmed processor:
 sets a second current data category received from the input device; and   displays, receives or retrieves a second data according to the second current data category.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programmed processor monitors the real-time clock and periodically resets the default data category. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programmed processor displays only data categorized in the current data category and suppresses from display data categorized in any other category. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programmed processor retrieves data from more than one data category including the current data category, but displays only the current data category. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the data comprises one of the group: address book data, to-do list data, notes data, email data and calendar data. 
   
   
       18 . An electronic storage medium containing instructions which, when carried out on a programmed processor for a portable electronic device, carry out the steps of:
 establishing a time of day profile that correlates clock time of day information and day of week information with a plurality of default data categories stored on a memory of the portable electronic device, the memory coupled to the processor, wherein at least one default data category is associated with a block of time corresponding to two or more days of the week and differentiates between other default data categories based on the clock time of day and the day of the week;
 setting a default data category according to a first time of day profile; 
 receiving user input from an input device indicating data is to be displayed, received, or retrieved; 
 determining a current clock time of day by referencing a real-time clock; 
 resetting the default data category according to the first time of day profile and the current clock time of day as the current data category; and 
 displaying, receiving or retrieving a data according to the current data category. 
   
   
   
       19 . The electronic storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further carry out the steps of:
 setting a second current data category by the user through a user input device; and   displaying, receiving or retrieving a second data according to the second current data category.   
   
   
       20 . The electronic storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further carry out the steps of:
 displaying only data categorized in the current data category and suppressing from display data categorized in any other category.