Natural Language Calendar Event Generation via NLP Hints

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional calendar applications require users to manually input specific details, leading to tedious tasks and potential errors, causing users to avoid them, and notes or to-do lists do not provide an accurate consolidated view of the user's agenda.

Innovation Solution

Implementing natural language processing and guided hints to facilitate the creation of calendar events, where users can input information using natural language without a traditional calendaring form, with the system providing prompts and suggestions based on user history and preferences to derive necessary details.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional calendar applications require manual input of specific details, then the calendar events can be created with complete information, but the task becomes tedious and prone to input errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of calendar event informationVSAvoidease of creating calendar events

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically extracts event details from natural language messages and populates calendar fields without requiring manual user input. The calendar application serves itself by using NLP to parse messages and generate structured event data, eliminating the need for users to manually fill out forms while maintaining data accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual input process with an automated natural language processing system. Instead of users manually typing information into calendar fields, the system uses NLP algorithms to automatically extract and structure event information from casual messages, substituting the manual mechanical input process with an intelligent automated system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If users send notes or create to-do list entries instead of using calendar applications, then the input process becomes simpler, but these entries do not show up on the digital calendar and cannot provide an accurate consolidated view of the user's agenda

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of input processVSAvoidconsolidated view of user's agenda

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the simplicity of natural language messaging with the functionality of calendar management. By integrating NLP capabilities that parse casual messages and automatically create structured calendar events, the system combines the ease of informal note-taking with the organized consolidated view of traditional calendars, allowing users to maintain both simplicity and comprehensive agenda visibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The natural language processing system acts as an intermediary between casual user messages and the structured calendar database. The NLP component translates informal user input into structured calendar events, serving as a mediator that preserves the simplicity of natural language input while ensuring proper integration with the calendar system for consolidated agenda viewing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If calendar applications require complete manual input, then all necessary event details can be captured, but the device consumes more processor cycles and storage capacity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of event informationVSAvoidprocessor cycles and storage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary extraction of event information from the message content before creating the calendar event. By pre-processing the natural language message to identify and extract relevant event details (time, location, participants, description), the system prepares the data in advance, reducing the need for additional processing steps and minimizing resource consumption during event creation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the necessary event information from the natural language message using NLP techniques. Instead of requiring users to input complete structured data or processing entire messages, the system selectively extracts relevant event fields (such as title, time, location, and description) from the message content, reducing data processing requirements and storage needs while maintaining information completeness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11151518B2Natural language event

Publication Date: 2021.10.19 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A server system suitable for generating calendar events based on guided hints is provided. The server system receives, from a device of a first user, an indication to create a calendar event. The server system derives, using natural language processing, guided hints for information for the calendar event, and causes presentation of the guided hints on a user interface displayed on the device of the first user. The server system receives the information in response to the guided hints presented on the device of the first user, and generates the calendar event based on the information.