Customer driven, sponsor controlled network-based graphical scheduling system and method

• US 20020032588A1
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Lee Glazer, Dov Glazer
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Lee Glazer, Dov Glazer
• Inventors: Glazer, Dov, Glazer, Benjamin Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A customer driven, sponsor controlled network-based graphical scheduling system and method effectuates bi-lateral customer driven appointment scheduling with a sponsoring organization. The scheduling system facilitates the sponsoring organization, such as a doctor'"'"'s office, clinic, auto repair shop or the like, to communicate an invitation to the customer, such as a patient, client or consumer, whereby the customer schedules an appointment with the sponsoring organization. The scheduling system may include a controller which receives an appointment time offered by the sponsoring organization. The schedule is synchronized with a desktop and an on-line component allowing the sponsoring organization to schedule on the local desktop/file server and allowing the customer to schedule through an Internet World Wide Web site. The controller can offer time slot options to the customer via a well-informed electronic scheduler. The display of the schedule is filtered to show only time segments which meet the criteria associated with the individual customer. The criteria will include sponsoring organization availability, contiguous time slot availability and resource availability. The customer will have the opportunity to accept the most desirable appointment time. The controller will communicate the information to the sponsoring organization.

Claims

1. A network based scheduling system for developing a schedule for a sponsoring organization, the system comprising:

a sponsor controlled customer database containing information relevant to individual customers who periodically need to schedule appointments with the sponsoring organization;

a set of sponsor parameters associated with each customer which define possible appointment times for a customer;

a central controller managing a schedule for the sponsoring organization, wherein the central controller operates via a network to

i) contact at least some of the customers concerning the scheduling of appointments,

ii) supply available appointment times to at least some of the customers, with the available appointment times determined by the sponsor parameters associated with the individual customer, and

iii) receive scheduling information from at least some of the customers.

2. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

3. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the controller supplies a graphical appointment calendar to at least some of the customers with the available appointment times graphically illustrated, wherein the customer can schedule an appointment by selecting the icon associated with the desired appointment time.

4. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the controller uses electronic mail to contact at least some of the customers concerning the scheduling of appointments and uses the World Wide Web to supply available appointment times to at least some of the customers and to receive scheduling information from at least some of the customers.

5. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the controller contacts at least some of the customers concerning the scheduling of appointments via off-line communication techniques.

6. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the sponsor parameters for each customer include the availability of sponsor personnel, the availability of sponsor resources, and the time to be allotted for the scheduled appointment.

7. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the controller supplies the sponsor with a real time master schedule via the network.

8. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the controller contacts at least some of the customers via the network concerning rescheduling of appointments due to changes in the sponsor parameters.

9. The scheduling system of claim 8, wherein the rescheduling of appointments is prompted by customer preferences wherein a preferential appointment time becomes available and the customer is subsequently notified by the controller.

10. The scheduling system of claim 1, wherein the sponsor is a medical professional.

11. A method for developing a schedule for a sponsoring organization comprising the steps of:

providing a sponsor controlled customer database containing information relevant to individual customers who periodically need to schedule appointments with the sponsoring organization, a set of sponsor parameters associated with each customer which define possible appointment times for a customer, and a central controller creating a schedule for the sponsoring organization;

contacting via an electronic network at least some of the customers concerning the scheduling of appointments;

supplying via the electronic network available appointment times to at least some of the customers, with the available appointment times determined by the sponsor parameters associated with the individual customer; and

receiving scheduling information via the electronic network from at least some of the customers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network is the World Wide Web.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller supplies a graphical appointment calendar to at least some of the customers with the available appointment times graphically illustrated, and wherein the customer can schedule an appointment by selecting the icon associated with the desired appointment time.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller uses electronic mail to contact at least some of the customers concerning the scheduling of appointments and uses the World Wide Web to supply available appointment times to at least some of the customers and to receive scheduling information from at least some of the customers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller contacts at least some of the customers concerning the scheduling of appointments via off-line communication techniques.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the sponsor parameters for each customer include the availability of sponsor personnel, the availability of sponsor resources, and the time to be allotted for the scheduled appointment.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller supplies the sponsor with a real time master schedule via the network.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller contacts at least some of the customers via the network concerning rescheduling of appointments due to changes in the sponsor parameters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the rescheduling of appointments is prompted by customer preferences wherein a preferential appointment time comes available and the customer is subsequently notified by the controller.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the sponsor is a medical professional.