Motion dispatch system
First Claim
1. A system for dynamically coordinating meetings, comprising:
- a database storing meeting data including indications of meetings to be held, potential parties that may attend the meetings and relevant locations of the parties, and indications of the relevant location of certain parties including real-time current location;
a scheduler coupled to the database which generates and updates proposed meeting schedules including meeting date, time, location and parties attending based on the meeting data stored in the database, said scheduler storing proposed meeting schedules in the database; and
a communications system coupled to the database for providing information regarding the meetings to be held and the proposed meeting schedules.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system that uses real-time infornation from a variety of sources to coordinate meetings between parties. For example, the system may be deployed to coordinate meetings between customers and representatives of a company that delivers products or services to customers at many, possibly dynamically determined locations. It may also coordinate meetings between independent parties, such as mutual friends traveling to a meeting point to be determined, or realtors from several realty offices and their collective customers on a busy day. The system manages communications between the meeting parties and accounts for the objectives and constraints of each party to generate an efficient schedule for one or both parties. For example, the system accounts for the service provider'"'"'s fleet logistics, uncertainty in service times and variability of travel times on the road, and it dynamically schedules the fleet of vehicles and the customers'"'"' appointment times to realize an efficient operation that is satisfying to the customers. The system may designate the times and/or locations of meetings, which it coordinates through one or more of a variety of communications means. Also, dynamically updated data from a variety of sources may cause the system to reschedule meetings. For example, unexpected road network traffic congestion resulting in delays may cause the system to rearrange meetings scheduled later in the day. The system is capable of handling future uncertainty through the use of schedule time windows and/or meeting regions which become more precise as the schedule uncertainty lessens over time.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for dynamically coordinating meetings, comprising:
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a database storing meeting data including indications of meetings to be held, potential parties that may attend the meetings and relevant locations of the parties, and indications of the relevant location of certain parties including real-time current location;
a scheduler coupled to the database which generates and updates proposed meeting schedules including meeting date, time, location and parties attending based on the meeting data stored in the database, said scheduler storing proposed meeting schedules in the database; and
a communications system coupled to the database for providing information regarding the meetings to be held and the proposed meeting schedules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification