Auto Task User Manual
Sam Lu and GreyThinker
April, 2010
Auto Task User Manual
1 About Auto Task
1.1 Description
Auto Task is an application that automates the task execution on Android based phones, by
combining an innovative automation design and rich functions provided by the Google Calendar.
By using this application, a user can schedule tasks in advance, and the phone will automatically
perform the tasks when scheduled time comes. This application provides phone users a way to
fully explore the power of a phone system that has easy and free access to Google tools, and
adds more intelligence to the phone so that it is now truly “smart”.
1.2 Features







Background service monitoring changes to phone Calendar and Web Calendar
Monitoring multiple Calendars on the phone at the same time.
User defined Auto Task profiles and action set, support multiple actions under a single
profile.
Support Auto Task scheduling for current or future Calendar events, as well as multiple
overlapping events.
Support single or recurring Calendar events, and handle Calendar event cancellation, and
change.
Provide Auto Task scheduling details, on Phone’s Notification bar, as well as inside the
application.
Easy expandable action list.
1.3 Supported Android System Releases

Support all Android system releases.
1.4 Supported Android Phone Models

Support all Android phone models.
1.5 Common Use Cases




Schedule meetings in your calendar, Auto Task will automatically mute the phone when
meeting starts, and restore the ringer volume when meeting ends.
Put flight schedule in your calendar, Auto Task will automatically put the phone in Air
Plane mode at the flight departure time, and return to normal operation mode at the flight
arrival time.
Build your own “In Class” profile; add the “Mute Phone” and “Reply with SMS” actions to
the profile. Add your class schedules to Calendar, Auto Task will automatically mute the
phone when class starts, and restore the ringer volume when class ends, and will also reply
to any incoming phone calls during class with a pre-defined text message.
Build your own “Birthday Reminder” profile; add the “Send SMS” action to the profile. Put
Birthday date in the Calendar, Auto Task will automatically send the text message when
the date comes.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 2
Auto Task User Manual

Install the application on your children’s phone, build a “Where are you” profile; add the
“Send Location” action to the profile. Include your children’s Calendar in your calendar list,
and schedule “Send Location” event on the web Google Calendar. Auto Task running on
your Children’s phone will automatically send their locations to you when scheduled time
comes. (Send Location action is not yet available).
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 3
Auto Task User Manual
2 User Operation Instructions
2.1 Application Setup Menu
After download and install the application, please open the “Settings” page to configure the application
with options best fit your need.
1. Press on the “Menu” key on your phone to bring up the Menu, and press on the “Setting” to access
the “Setting” Page.
2. Choose different options to configure how Auto Task should operate.
3. Choose which Calendar(s) you would like Auto Task to monitor.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 4
Auto Task User Manual
2.2 Add New Profiles
1. Press the “+” button to start building your own profile.
2. A Profile should contain a “Name”, a “Keyword”, and a set of “Actions”.

“Name” should provide a simple and easy understanding of the purpose of this profile

“Keyword” is what you will use in Calendar when scheduling events, Calendar event title
should contain the keyword so that Auto Task can use it to match the event to a profile, the
“Keyword” must be unique in each profile
 “Actions” are the tasks you would like your phone to perform when this profile is matched to a
Calendar event. You can add multiple actions to one profile.
This example shows a “in class profile”, with Keyword “class”, and two actions “Mute the phone”
and “Reply with SMS”.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 5
Auto Task User Manual
3. New profile needs to be “Enabled” so it can be used by Auto Task to match with Calendar events.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 6
Auto Task User Manual
2.3 Schedule Events in Google Calendar
Note: Google Calendar is provided by Android platform, not by Auto Task application.
1. Locate your Google Calendar
Every Android based phone will come with a built in Google Calendar; you don’t need to download it.
2. Schedule an event in Google Calendar. The event title should contain the “Keyword” in the profile
you want to match. The “Keyword” is NOT case sensitive. In this example, the event title “Math
Class” contains the Keyword “Class”, which was defined for the profile “in class profile”.
3. Auto Task detects the change in Calendar, and start to match the profiles with the event scheduled.
In this example, Auto Task matches the event scheduled to an “Active” (enabled) profile “in class
profile”.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 7
Auto Task User Manual
Auto Task scheduling process finds out this event is currently on-going, it scheduled to start at 11pm,
and current time is 11:27pm. Auto Task performs the first action “Mute the phone” immediately.
Notification bar icon changed to indicate there is a profile currently “Running”. Pull down the
Notification bar will display more details. In this example, it shows Auto Task has also scheduled an
action to restore the ringer volume at 12am when class ends.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 8
Auto Task User Manual
2.4 Schedule Multiple Events
Auto Task handles all combinations of Google Calendar events, single or recurring events, current or
future events, individual events or multiple overlapping events. It also handles events from multiple
Calendars at the same time.
This example builds on top of the previous section example, and adds one more Calendar event that will
happen in a future time, on the same Calendar.
1. Schedule an overlapping future event.
This example shows an additional event scheduled for 11:40pm, current time is 11:31pm.
2. Auto Task detects the change in Calendar, triggers profile matching again.
3. Matches to the current on-going event, “Math Class”, Notification bar display the currently “Running”
profile.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 9
Auto Task User Manual
4. Press on the Notification will send you to the Auto Task scheduling details page, which shows all
scheduled profiles, including currently “Running” and “Pending”. In this example, it shows the
current running profile “in class profile”, which matches to the Calendar event “Math Class”. It also
shows the pending profile “Meeting – mute”, which matches to the Calendar event “Meeting”,
profile action will be executed at 11:40pm. Note the color different between “Current” and
“Pending” events.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 10
Auto Task User Manual
2.5 Schedule Events Using Web Based Google Calendar
Note: To use Web based Google Calendar, you need to have a Google account and Internet access. This
is not automatically provided when you install this application.
The event you scheduled on the Web based Google Calendar will be synced to your Android phone,
Auto Task is also monitoring this change and reacts to it.
The example in this section shows you how to schedule an event in the Web based Google Calendar, and
how Auto Task trigger the profile matching process when you use Web based Google Calendar.
1. Open Web based Google Calendar: Once you have a Google account, after sign in to any of the
Google tool, it gives you an easy access to all the tools available, including Google Calendar.
This example shows the “Math Class” we scheduled on the phone has already been synced up in the
Web based Google Calendar.
We’ll change the name of the class to “English Class” so that we can see what Auto Task will do with
it.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 11
Auto Task User Manual
2. Schedule a new class in Web based Google Calendar
3. The newly scheduled class will be synced to your phone.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 12
Auto Task User Manual
4. Auto Task detects the change and start profile matching again.
5. Auto Task matches the Calendar event to an active profile.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 13
Auto Task User Manual
6. Auto Task’s profile detail page shows the new class has been matched to a profile, and the profile is
currently running.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 14
Auto Task User Manual
3 Comments and Suggestions
Please send you comments and suggestions to [email protected]. We appreciate
all user feedbacks.
c Sam Lu and GreyThinker, 2010
Copyright ○
Page 15