Displaying a countdown timer for a next calendar event in an electronic mail inbox

Abstract

An electronic mail (e-mail) display is generated for a user, showing a mailbox for the user. A next calendar item indication is persistently displayed on the e-mail display. The next calendar item includes a countdown timer showing a time until the next calendar item is scheduled to begin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 accessing an electronic calendar that stores a plurality of calendar items representing calendar events associated with a user;   identifying a scheduled start time for each particular calendar item of the plurality of calendar items, the scheduled start time corresponding to the calendar event represented by the particular calendar item;   identifying, from the plurality of calendar items, a next calendar item relative to a current time based on the scheduled start times corresponding to the calendar events; and   generate an email user interface display comprising:
 a message display pane that displays email messages in a mailbox associated with the user; 
 a reading display pane that displays a selected email message from the email messages in the mailbox; and 
 a next calendar item display pane that persistently displays a next item display element that includes details of the next calendar item and a countdown time indicator that is dynamically updated to indicate a time until the scheduled start time for the next calendar item. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 generating the countdown time indicator to represent a time period from the current time to the scheduled start time of the next calendar item.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , and further comprising:
 updating the countdown time indicator until a threshold time period after the scheduled start time of the next calendar item.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , and further comprising:
 setting the threshold time period based on a duration of the next calendar item.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the next calendar item comprises a first calendar item, and the method further comprises:
 upon reaching the threshold time period, changing the countdown time indicator to indicate a time until the scheduled start time for a second calendar item that temporally subsequent to the first calendar item.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 applying a filter criterion to a first calendar item to filter out the first calendar item based on the first calendar item meeting the filter criterion; and   in response to the first calendar item being filtered out, identifying a second calendar item, temporally subsequent to the first calendar item, as the next calendar item.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 determining that a calendar search is to be performed to identify the next calendar item and, in response, initiate the search of the electronic calendar.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 identifying metadata corresponding to of the identified next calendar item; and   identifying a service to be searched to obtain additional information corresponding to the identified next calendar item, based on the metadata corresponding to the identified next calendar item.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , and further comprising:
 searching the identified service to obtain the additional information corresponding to the identified next calendar item.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , and further comprising:
 displaying the additional information on the next item display element on the email user interface display.   
     
     
         11 . A computing system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing system to:
 search an electronic calendar that stores a plurality of calendar items representing calendar events associated with a user; 
 identify a scheduled start time for each particular calendar item of the plurality of calendar items, the scheduled start time corresponding to the calendar event represented by the particular calendar item; 
 identify, from the plurality of calendar items, a next calendar item relative to a current time based on the scheduled start times corresponding to the calendar events; and 
 generate an email user interface display comprising:
 a message display pane that displays email messages in a mailbox associated with the user; 
 a reading display pane that displays a selected email message from the email messages in the mailbox; and 
 a next calendar item display pane that persistently displays a next item display element that includes details of the next calendar item from the electronic calendar and a countdown time indicator that is dynamically updated to indicate a time until the scheduled start time for the next calendar item. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to:
 generate the countdown time indicator to represent a time period from the current time to the scheduled start time of the next calendar item.   
     
     
         13 . The computing system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to update the countdown time indicator until a threshold time period after the scheduled start time of the next calendar item. 
     
     
         14 . The computing system of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to set the threshold time period based on a duration of the next calendar item. 
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 13 , wherein the next calendar item comprises a first calendar item, and the instructions cause the computing system to:
 and the method further comprises:
 upon reaching the threshold time period, change the countdown time indicator to indicate a time until the scheduled start time for a second calendar item that temporally subsequent to the first calendar item. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein instructions cause the computing system to:
 apply a filter criterion to the first calendar item to filter out the first calendar item based on the first calendar item meeting the filter criterion;   in response to the first calendar item being filtered out, identify a second calendar item, temporally subsequent to the first calendar item, as the next calendar item.   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to:
 determine that a calendar search is to be performed to identify the next calendar item and, in response, initiate the search of the electronic calendar.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to:
 identify metadata corresponding to of the identified next calendar item; and   identify a service to be searched to obtain additional information corresponding to the identified next calendar item, based on the metadata corresponding to the identified next calendar item.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to:
 search the identified service to obtain the additional information corresponding to the identified next calendar item.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the computing system to display the additional information on the next item display element on the email user interface display.