Scheduling subsidiary meeting locations

• US 20060224969A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marston, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for scheduling subsidiary meeting locations can include sending an invitation to a selection of invitees to a meeting in a collaborative environment for at least one primary location. The method further can include processing both complete acceptances and declinations to the meeting from individual ones of the invitees for the primary location, and also partial acceptances to the meeting from a set of the invitees in the selection. In respect to the partial acceptances, an alternative location to the primary location can be determined which has not already been designated as an acceptable subsidiary location to the meeting. In response, when a number of invitees in the set of invitees exceed a threshold value, the alternative location can be designated as an acceptable subsidiary location to the meeting. Consequently, acceptances can be processed for the set of invitees.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling subsidiary meeting locations for a meeting in a collaborative environment, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a meeting invitation to a selection of invitees in the collaborative environment for at least one primary location;

processing both complete acceptances and declinations to said meeting invitation from individual ones of said invitees for said primary location, and also partial acceptances to said meeting invitation from a set of said invitees in said selection;

determining for said partial acceptances an alternative location to said primary location which has not already been designated as an acceptable subsidiary location; and

,

responsive to a threshold value being exceed based upon a number of invitees in said set of invitees designating said alternative location, designating said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location and processing acceptances for said set of invitees.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

retrieving calendar entries for selected invitees in said set;

deducing a location for each of said selected invitees at a time specified by said meeting invitation from temporally proximate ones of said calendar entries; and

,

determining said alternative location from said deduced location for each of said selected invitees.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises the step of prompting selected invitees in said set to specify said alternative location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said designating step comprises the steps of:

requesting a configuration of said alternative location to support the meeting;

responsive to a fulfillment of said requested configuration, designating said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location; and

,

processing acceptances for said set of invitees.

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

responsive to a threshold value not being exceed based upon a number of invitees in said set of invitees designating said alternative location, withholding designation of said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location until said threshold value is exceeded; and

,

forwarding a notification that said alternative location is pending approval to each of said set of said invitees.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said alternative location is a geographic vicinity.

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

weighting different invitees which have designated said alternative location; and

,

considering said weighting for each of said different invitees when determining whether said threshold value has been exceeded.

8. A system for scheduling subsidiary meeting locations in a collaborative environment, the system comprising:

a meeting scheduling application disposed in a meeting host;

a schedule of meetings accessible by said meeting scheduling application having primary locations and designated subsidiary locations; and

,

subsidiary location designation logic coupled to said meeting scheduling application and programmed to determine, for partial acceptances to an invitation to a meeting, an alternative location to a primary location for said meeting which has not already been designated as a subsidiary location to said meeting, and, responsive to a threshold value being exceed based upon a number of invitees associated with said partial acceptances, designating said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location to said meeting and processing acceptances for said invitees.

9. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for scheduling subsidiary meeting locations for a meeting in a collaborative environment, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by the machine causes the machine to perform the steps of:

sending a meeting invitation to a selection of invitees in the collaborative environment for at least one primary location;

processing both complete acceptances and declinations to said meeting invitation from individual ones of said invitees for said primary location, and also partial acceptances to said meeting invitation from a set of said invitees in said selection;

determining for said partial acceptances an alternative location to said primary location which has not already been designated as an acceptable subsidiary location; and

,

responsive to a threshold value being exceed based upon a number of invitees in said set of invitees designating said alternative location, designating said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location and processing acceptances for said set of invitees.

10. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

retrieving calendar entries for selected invitees in said set;

deducing a location for each of said selected invitees at a time specified by said meeting invitation from temporally proximate ones of said calendar entries; and

,

determining said alternative location from said deduced location for each of said selected invitees.

11. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein said determining step comprises the step of prompting selected invitees in said set to specify said alternative location.

12. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein said designating step comprises the steps of:

requesting a configuration of said alternative location to support the meeting;

responsive to a fulfillment of said requested configuration, designating said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location; and

,

processing acceptances for said set of invitees.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to threshold value not being exceed based upon a a number of invitees in said set of invitees designating said alternative location, withholding designation of said alternative location as an acceptable subsidiary location until said threshold value is exceeded; and

,

forwarding a notification that said alternative location is pending approval to each of said set of said invitees.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein said alternative location is a geographic vicinity.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further comprising an additional set of instructions which when executed by the machine causes the machine to further perform the steps of:

weighting different invitees which have designated said alterantive location; and

,

considering said weighting for each of said different invitees when determining whether said threshold value has been exceeded.