Accounting for traveling time within scheduling software

• US 20050119927A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patel, Paritosh D.
• Application Number:
  US10/726,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• 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 method for scheduling meetings within a scheduling application can include the step of identifying a meeting location and a meeting time for a meeting. An origination location can be determined for at least one meeting participant. Travel time for the participant can be automatically computed based at least in part upon the meeting location and the origination location. A time that is based at least in part upon the computed travel time can be presented within the scheduling application. For example, a suggested departure time can be computed and presented within the scheduling application, where the suggested departure time is based upon travel time and meeting time.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling meetings within a scheduling application comprising the steps of:

identifying a meeting location and a meeting time for a meeting;

determining an origination location for at least one meeting participant;

automatically computing a travel time for said participant based at least in part upon said meeting location and said origination location; and

presenting a time based at least in part upon said computed travel time when meeting information for said meeting is displayed within said scheduling application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

offering at least one mode of communication for participating in said meeting in a timely fashion, wherein said offering step is based at least in part upon said travel time and meeting time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said presented time is a suggested departure time, said method further comprising the step of:

automatically conveying a meeting reminder to said participant at some time before said suggested departure time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an information message pertaining to a travel condition; and

dynamically adjusting said travel time based upon said travel condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

before said meeting time, determining based upon said travel time that said participant will be unable to arrive at said meeting on-time time without some adjustment being made.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

responsively adjusting at least one aspect of said meeting so that said meeting participant can attend said meeting in a timely fashion;

7. The method of claim 6, said adjusting step further comprising at least one of the following:

changing said meeting time to a later time;

changing said meeting location to reduce an associated travel time for said participant; and

changing a meeting participation methodology for said participant from physical meeting attendance to a virtual meeting attendance.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

responsively conveying an electronic document to each meeting participant, wherein said electronic document specifies at least one of a meeting adjustment notification and a predicted absence notification.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying a second meeting that is dependent upon said first meeting; and

automatically adjusting a parameter of said second meeting responsive to said first meeting exceeding a previously established meeting end time.

10. The method of claim 1, said computing step further comprising the step of:

constructing a location matrix comprising a plurality of location nodes;

connecting pairs of location nodes to each other; and

assigning a link weight to each of said connections between said location nodes, wherein said location matrix is used to calculate said travel time.

11. The method of claim 10, said computing step further comprising the steps of:

identifying a location node corresponding to said meeting location;

identifying a location node corresponding to said originating location;

plotting a travel pathway between said location nodes, said travel pathway comprising at least one link weight; and

calculating said travel time based at least in part upon said at least one link weight of said travel pathway.

12. The method of claim 10, said computing step further comprising the steps of:

modifying at least one link weight based on a situation dependant circumstance; and

calculating said travel time based at least in part upon said modified link weight.

13. A system for managing meetings comprising:

a scheduling application configured to manage a plurality of meeting events, each of said meeting events comprising a meeting location, and a plurality of meeting participants and originating locations, each meeting participant associated with a particular one of said originating locations; and

a travel time calculator configured to calculate a travel time between an original location and a meeting location based at least in part upon a starting location and an ending location, wherein said travel time is calculated for one of said meeting participants using said associated originating location as said starting location and said meeting location as said ending location.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a location matrix comprising a plurality of location nodes, wherein connections between selected ones of said location nodes are assigned link weights, wherein said travel time calculator uses said location matrix to calculate said travel time.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said travel calculator is further configured to receive travel condition input, wherein said travel time calculation is based at least in part upon said travel condition input.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said scheduling application is further configured to determine a suggested meeting time for said meeting events based upon travel times of meeting participants associated with said meeting events.

17. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a meeting location and a meeting time for a meeting;

determining an origination location for at least one meeting participant;

automatically computing a travel time for said participant based at least in part upon said meeting location and said origination location; and

presenting a time based at least in part upon said computed travel time when meeting information for said meeting is displayed within said scheduling application.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

offering at least one mode of communication for participating in said meeting in a timely fashion, wherein said offering step is based at least in part upon said travel time and meeting time.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, wherein said presented time is a suggested departure time, said method further comprising the step of:

automatically conveying a meeting reminder to said participant at some time before said suggested departure time.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an information message pertaining to a travel condition; and

dynamically adjusting said travel time based upon said travel condition.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

before said meeting time, determining based upon said travel time that said participant will be unable to arrive at said meeting on-time time without some adjustment being made.

22. The machine-readable storage of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

responsively adjusting at least one aspect of said meeting so that said meeting participant can attend said meeting in a timely fashion;

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 22, said adjusting step further comprising at least one of the following:

changing said meeting time to a later time;

changing said meeting location to reduce an associated travel time for said participant; and

changing a meeting participation methodology for said participant from physical meeting attendance to a virtual meeting attendance.

24. The machine-readable storage of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

responsively conveying an electronic document to each meeting participant, wherein said electronic document specifies at least one of a meeting adjustment notification and a predicted absence notification.

25. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

identifying a second meeting that is dependent upon said first meeting; and

automatically adjusting a parameter of said second meeting responsive to said first meeting exceeding a previously established meeting end time.

26. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, said computing step further comprising the step of:

constructing a location matrix comprising a plurality of location nodes;

connecting pairs of location nodes to each other; and

assigning a link weight to each of said connections between said location nodes, wherein said location matrix is used to calculate said travel time.

27. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, said computing step further comprising the steps of:

identifying a location node corresponding to said meeting location;

identifying a location node corresponding to said originating location;

plotting a travel pathway between said location nodes, said travel pathway comprising at least one link weight; and

calculating said travel time based at least in part upon said at least one link weight of said travel pathway.

28. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, said computing step further comprising the steps of:

modifying at least one link weight based on a situation dependant circumstance; and

calculating said travel time based at least in part upon said modified link weight.

29. A system for scheduling a meeting within a scheduling application comprising:

a meeting location;

a meeting time;

an origination location for at least one participant of said meeting;

means for automatically computing a travel time for said participant based at least in part upon said meeting location and said origination location; and

means for presenting a time based at least in part upon said travel time when meeting information for said meeting is displayed within said scheduling application.