Techniques are disclosed for detecting and resolving conflicts in context
information from various sources. That information may be used to
automatically update one or more context sources and/or to validate or
invalidate (until further notice or for a period of time) input from one
or more context sources. Or, the updates can be made in response to the
user's instructions. Rules are used in preferred embodiments to dictate
the conflict resolution approach for individual users. Updating the
context source is particularly useful when the source is an electronic
calendar. Updates that may be made to the calendar include adding,
deleting, or changing scheduled events and/or working hours. Invalidating
data from a context source is particularly useful for lost, forgotten,
misplaced, or loaned devices. Marking data from a context source as valid
is preferably done when harmony among several context sources is
detected. Context suppliers may be notified of errors or discrepancies in
their context data.