Method and apparatus for notifying a user of an appointment

• US 20030060979A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Andrews, Gregory Paul, Glenski, Patrick Leo
• Granted Patent: US 6,678,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for notifying a user of an appointment. In one embodiment, an appointment time and an appointment location is received for the appointment. A current location of a wireless device is determined. A travel time is estimated for the user to travel from the current location of the wireless device to the appointment location. A lead time is determined for the user to prepare prior to travel from the current location to the appointment location. The estimated travel time, the determined lead time and the appointment time is used to determine a projected start time. The user of the wireless device is notified of the appointment if a current time reaches the alarm time.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a user of an appointment for which an appointment time and appoint location are provided, the method comprising:

determining a current location of a wireless device operated by the user;

estimating a travel time for the user to travel from the current location to the appointment location;

determining a lead time for the user to prepare prior to travel from the current location to the appointment location;

determining an alarm time using the estimated travel time, the lead time and the appointment time; and

notifying the user of the wireless device of the appointment if a current time reaches the alarm time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the alarm time comprises:

subtracting the estimated travel time from the appointment time to obtain a projected start time; and

subtracting the determined lead time from the projected start time to obtain the alarm time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the lead time comprises one of:

a fixed amount of time; and

a product of the determine travel time and a scaling factor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the lead time comprises determining a progressive lead time scheme comprising at least two lead time periods and wherein determining the alarm time comprises determining an alarm time for each of the at least two lead time periods.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the current location comprises:

obtaining the current location using a global positioning system (GPS) device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the lead time is unrelated to travel time for the user to travel from the current location to the appointment location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated travel time is dependent on at least one of traffic conditions, weather conditions and emergency conditions between the current location and the appointment location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein estimating the travel time comprises:

obtaining the estimated travel time using a map program.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein estimating the travel time comprises:

calibrating a first calibration time when the wireless device is at the current location;

calibrating a second calibration time after the user has traveled to the appointment location; and

estimating the travel time as the difference of the second calibration time and the first calibration time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifying uses at least one of an audible alarm, an audible message, an electronic mail message and a calendar note.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting the at least one of the audible alarm, the audible message, the electronic mail message and the calendar note from a GPS based device to a non-GPS based device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a reference time entered into the wireless device by the user, where the reference time and the appointment time are separated by a fixed amount of time; and

notifying the user of the appointment if the current time is greater than the reference time.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the lead time comprises at least one of:

utilizing historical appointment timeliness information of the user; and

utilizing calendar information indicating activity of the user during particular time slots.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein utilizing historical appointment timeliness information of the user comprises calculating a projected lead time using a timeliness value for a previous trip to the appointment location, wherein the timeliness value is time quantity by which the user arrived early to the appointment location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein utilizing historical appointment timeliness information of the user comprises selecting a projected lead time from one of a calendar event projected lead time and a location projected lead time, wherein the calendar event projected lead time is based on a regularly repeating activity in a schedule of the user during which the user left for the appoint location on previous trips and wherein the location projected lead time is based on a departure location at which the user was present when previous alarms were signaled for previous trips to the appointment location.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimating, the determining of the lead time and the determining of the alarm time are repeated periodically until the notifying occurs.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the lead time comprises applying user stress factors reflecting user responses to driving conditions.

34. The method of claim 1 further comprising issuing a user status notice to the appointment location if the current reaches the alarm time.

17. A wireless device for notifying a user of an appointment, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a travel prediction program and appointment information;

a wireless interface for receiving information from a remote location in a wireless communications network; and

a processor which, upon executing the time prediction program, is configured to;

receive an appointment time and an appointment location previously stored in the memory for the appointment;

estimate a travel time for the user to travel from a current location of the user to the appointment location;

determine a lead time for the user to prepare prior to travel from the current location to the appointment location,

determine an alarm time using the estimated travel time, the determined lead time and the appointment time, and

notify the user of the wireless device of the appointment if a current time reaches the determined alarm time.

18. The wireless device of claim 17 further comprising:

a position detector for detecting the current location of the wireless device.

19. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the position detector comprises a global positioning system (GPS) device.

20. The wireless device of claim 17 wherein lead time is determined by utilizing at least one of:

historical appointment timeliness information of the user; and

calendar information indicating activity of the user during particular time slots.

21. The wireless device of claim 20 wherein the processor is configured to utilize historical appointment timeliness information of the user by calculating a projected lead time using a timeliness value for a previous trip to the appointment location, wherein the timeliness value is a time quantity by which the user arrived early to the appointment location.

22. The wireless device of claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to utilize historical appointment timeliness information of the user by selecting a projected lead time from one of a calendar event projected lead time and a location projected lead time, wherein the calendar event projected lead time is based on a regularly repeating activity in a schedule of the user during which the user left for the appoint location on previous trips and wherein the location projected lead time is based on a departure location at which the user was present when previous alarms were signaled for previous trips to the appointment location.

23. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs operations of notifying a user of an appointment for which an appointment time and appoint location are provided, the operations comprising:

estimating a travel time for the user to travel from a current location of the user to the appointment location;

determining a lead time for the user to prepare prior to travel from the current location to the appointment location;

determining an alarm time using the estimated travel time, the lead time and the appointment time; and

notifying the user of the wireless device of the appointment if a current time reaches the alarm time.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein determining the lead time comprises determining a progressive lead time scheme comprising at least two lead time periods and wherein determining the alarm time comprises determining an alarm time for each of the at least two lead time periods.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein determining the alarm time comprises:

subtracting the estimated travel time from the appointment time to obtain a projected start time; and

subtracting the determined lead time from the projected start time to obtain the alarm time.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein determining the current location comprises:

obtaining the current location using a global positioning system (GPS) device.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the notifying comprises utilizing at least one of an audible alarm, an audible message, an electronic mail message and a calendar note.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one of the audible alarm, the audible message, the electronic mail message and the calendar note from a GPS based device to a non-GPS based device.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein determining the lead time comprises at least one of:

utilizing historical appointment timeliness information of the user; and

utilizing calendar information indicating activity of the user during particular time slots.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein utilizing historical appointment timeliness information of the user comprises calculating a projected lead time using a timeliness value for a previous trip to the appointment location, wherein the timeliness value is a time quantity by which the user arrived early to the appointment location.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein utilizing historical appointment timeliness information of the user comprises selecting a projected lead time from one of a calendar event projected lead time and a location projected lead time, wherein the calendar event projected lead time is based on a regularly repeating activity in a schedule of the user during which the user left for the appoint location on previous trips and wherein the location projected lead time is based on a departure location at which the user was present when previous alarms were signaled for previous trips to the appointment location.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the estimating, the determining of the lead time and the determining of the alarm time are repeated periodically until the notifying occurs.