METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND APPARATUSES FOR AUTOMATED CONFIRMATIONS OF MEETINGS

• US 20090094088A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Eagle, Sarah V. White, Chen, Yen-Fu, Walker, Keith R., Morgan, Fabian F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for confirming attendance of prospective attendees to a meeting or events via time management or event scheduling applications, such as calendar applications, are disclosed. Various embodiments comprise scheduling the meeting, waiting for a period of time, and automatically sending confirmation requests to one or more prospective attendees of the meeting. Some embodiments also comprise sending invitations to and receiving acceptances by one or more prospective attendees. Some embodiments further comprise receiving one or more responses to the confirmation requests from the prospective attendees. Some embodiments may reschedule the meeting, or events of the meeting, based upon responses to the confirmation requests. Various embodiments may send or receive the confirmation requests and responses via instant messaging (IM) messages, e-mail messages, and short message service (SMS) messages.

Claims

1. A method to automatically confirm attendance of a meeting, comprising:

storing parameters for the meeting, wherein at least one of the parameters is a name of a prospective attendee to the meeting;

waiting a period of time; and

sending a confirmation request to the prospective attendee to confirm that the prospective attendee will attend the meeting, wherein the confirmation request is automatically sent by an application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving responses to invitations for the meeting, wherein the invitations comprise event invitations to invite the prospective attendees to attend events of the meeting.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a response to the confirmation request.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining an alternate arrangement of events for the meeting based on the response.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving a response to the confirmation request comprises receiving at least one of an instant messaging (IM) message, an e-mail message, and a short message service (SMS) message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising scheduling the meeting, wherein the scheduling comprises making an entry in a calendar application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an arrangement of events for the meeting based on selected time slots for the events received from a plurality of prospective attendees.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the confirmation request comprises sending at least one of an e-mail, a text message, an alpha-numeric page, an SMS message, an IM message, and a telephonic call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the confirmation request comprises sending a confirmation request for an event of the meeting.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the confirmation request is to allow for at least one of:

canceling the meeting;

determining whether to reschedule the meeting;

notifying a meeting coordinator of a response to the confirmation request;

notifying at least one other prospective attendee about the response to the confirmation request;

updating status information of the meeting in a calendar application; and

determining an alternate arrangement of events of the meeting.

11. A system for confirming attendance of a meeting, the system comprising:

a meeting definition module to store parameters of the meeting, wherein at least one of the parameters comprises an amount of time before the meeting to send a confirmation request;

a time calculation module to determine the amount of time before the meeting; and

a confirmation module to automatically send, based on the determination of the amount of time, the confirmation request to a prospective attendee of the meeting.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a meeting input module to enter the parameters for the meeting definition module.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the meeting input module is arranged to accept parameters related to a start time of the meeting, an end time of the meeting, a meeting date, and when a confirmation request is to be sent.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a communication module to send invitations to prospective attendees.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an arrangement module to select an alternative arrangement of events of the meeting based on at least one of a response to the confirmation request, a modification of the parameters by a meeting chair, and whether an event of the meeting is on schedule.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication module has a capability of sending invitations based on the alternative arrangement.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication module has a capability of sending confirmation requests based on the alternative arrangement.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication module is arranged to notify a meeting coordinator about responses to the confirmation requests.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the confirmation module is configured to send the confirmation request via at least one of an e-mail, a text message, an alpha-numeric page, a short message service (SMS) message, an instant messaging (IM) message, and a telephonic call.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for confirming attendance of a meeting, the computer program product including;

computer usable program code for storing parameters for the meeting, wherein at least one of the parameters is a time to send a confirmation request to a prospective attendee of the meeting;

computer usable program code for determining whether the time to send the confirmation request has arrived; and

computer usable program code for automatically sending the confirmation request upon the determination that the time has arrived.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer usable program code for soliciting input of the parameters for events of the meeting from prospective attendees.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer usable program code for receiving responses to a plurality of confirmation requests.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising computer usable program code for notifying a meeting coordinator of the responses.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising computer usable program code for rescheduling an event of the meeting based upon a response of the prospective attendee.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer usable program code for determining an arrangement of events for the meeting.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising computer usable program code for scheduling an event of the arrangement in a calendar application of the prospective attendee.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising computer usable program code for detecting when an event of the meeting occurs at an unscheduled time.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code for sending notifications to prospective attendees due to the occurrence of the event at the unscheduled time.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code for sending confirmation requests based on the arrangement, wherein the arrangement is based upon the occurrence of the event at the unscheduled time.

30. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer usable program code for determining the arrangement comprises computer usable program code for selecting an alternative arrangement based upon a response to the confirmation request.

31. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer usable program code for configuring a variable time to send the confirmation request.

32. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer usable program code for indicating that a time slot for an event is either reserved or pending in a calendar application of the prospective attendee.

33. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code for automatically sending the confirmation request comprises computer usable program code for automatically sending the confirmation request via one of an instant message (IM) message, an e-mail message, a short message service (SMS) message, and a telephonic message.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer usable program code for automatically sending the confirmation request may vary the type of message to be sent based upon an attendance requirement of the prospective attendee.

35. An apparatus for confirming attendance of a meeting, the apparatus comprising:

a meeting input module to enter parameters of the meeting;

a meeting definition module to store the parameters, wherein the parameters comprise a name of a prospective attendee for the meeting and when a confirmation request is to be sent;

a communication module to send invitations to the prospective attendees;

a time calculation module to determine an amount of time before the meeting is to begin; and

a confirmation module to automatically send, based on the determination of the amount of time, the confirmation request to the prospective attendee, wherein the confirmation module is configured to send the confirmation request via at least one of an e-mail, a text message, an alpha-numeric page, a short message service (SMS) message, an instant messaging (IM) message, and a telephonic call.