Methods, Systems, and Computer-Readable Media for Providing an Indication of a Schedule Conflict

• US 20090024999A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cole, Robert, Ingman, Robert, Miller, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for providing an indication of a schedule conflict. According to embodiments, a method for providing an indication of a schedule conflict is provided. According to the method, whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled is determined. In response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled is provided.

Claims

1. A method for providing an indication of schedule conflict, comprising:

determining whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled; and

in response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises:

for the one of the plurality of technicians, determining whether a difference between a current time and a time to begin a job is greater than a threshold time; and

determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched if the difference between the current time and the time to begin the job is greater than the threshold time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold time is at least thirty minutes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises providing a numeric indication of an aggregate number of the plurality of technicians that are scheduled but not dispatched and dispatched but not scheduled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises providing a cell in a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for each of a plurality of turfs, each cell indicating that at least one of the plurality of technicians in one of the plurality of turfs is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cell comprises a first highlight in response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, and wherein the cell comprises a second highlight in response to determining that none of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises providing a name, a start time of a work shift, and an end time of the work shift of the one of the plurality of technicians that is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

8. A system for providing an indication of schedule conflict, comprising

a memory for storing a program containing code for providing an indication of schedule conflict;

a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and operative to;

determine whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, and

in response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, provide an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein to determine whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, the processor is further operative to:

for the one of the plurality of technicians, determine whether a difference between a current time and a time to begin a job is greater than a threshold time, and

determine that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched if the difference between the current time and the time to begin the job is greater than the threshold time.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein to provide an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, the processor is further operative to provide a numeric indication of an aggregate number of the plurality of technicians that are scheduled but not dispatched and dispatched but not scheduled.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein to provide an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, the processor is further operative to provide a cell in a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for each of a plurality of turfs, each cell indicating that at least one of the plurality of technicians in one of the plurality of turfs is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cell comprises a first highlight in response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, and wherein the cell comprises a second highlight in response to determining that none of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein to provide an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, the processor is further operative to provide a name, a start time of a work shift, and an end time of the work shift of the one of the plurality of technicians that is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

14. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for providing an indication of schedule conflict, the method comprising:

determining whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled; and

in response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining whether one of a plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises:

for the one of the plurality of technicians, determining whether a difference between a current time and a time to begin a job is greater than a threshold time; and

determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched if the difference between the current time and the time to begin the job is greater than the threshold time.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the threshold time is at least thirty minutes.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises providing a numeric indication of an aggregate number of the plurality of technicians that are scheduled but not dispatched and dispatched but not scheduled.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises providing a cell in a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for each of a plurality of turfs, each cell indicating that at least one of the plurality of technicians in one of the plurality of turfs is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the cell comprises a first highlight in response to determining that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled, and wherein the cell comprises a second highlight in response to determining that none of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing an indication that the one of the plurality of technicians is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled comprises providing a name, a start time of a work shift, and an end time of the work shift of the one of the plurality of technicians that is scheduled but not dispatched or dispatched but not scheduled.