AUTONOMIC TIME MANAGEMENT CALENDAR SYSTEM

• US 20090125365A1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MASSELLE, ERIC L., Paul, Christopher J., McGowan, Patrick G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• 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

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for autonomically managing a meeting calendar. An Autonomic Meeting Scheduling (AMS) utility detects a set of pre-scheduling data. The AMS utility generates an optimal meeting schedule based upon the set of pre-scheduling data. A meeting invitation is communicated to at least one meeting invitee. The AMS utility detects an invitation reply data from a meeting invitee. Based upon the pre-scheduling data and the invitation reply data, the AMS utility generates and outputs one of at least a meeting probability value (MPV) and a MPV curve. The MPV is a measure of how probable a scheduled meeting will occur. Moreover, a meeting owner may enable the AMS utility to determine whether the MPV has reached a threshold to execute a scheduling decision (i.e., retain a scheduled meeting, reschedule a meeting, or cancel/extinguish a scheduled meeting).

Claims

1. In a computing device, a method for autonomically managing a meeting calendar comprising:

detecting a set of pre-scheduling data;

generating an optimal meeting schedule based upon the pre-scheduling data;

communicating a meeting invitation;

detecting an invitation reply data;

generating and outputting a meeting probability value (MPV) based on pre-scheduling data and invitation reply data;

automatically determining whether MPV has reached a threshold to execute a scheduling decision;

in response to the MPV reaching a threshold, generating the scheduling decision; and

responsive to generating the scheduling decision, updating a meeting schedule of a meeting invitee and a meeting owner.

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

detecting a user override condition responsive to a meeting schedule overlap condition between meeting owners of unequal organizational importance; and

in response to detecting a user override condition from a meeting owner of lower organizational importance, enabling the meeting owner of lower organizational importance to invite a common invitee;

wherein the user override condition results when the meeting owner of a conflicting meeting expressly selects to override a potential default outcome of an automatic conflict resolution, whereby the potential default outcome results in a meeting owner of higher organizational importance being granted the ability to invite the common invitee.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of pre-scheduling data includes at least one of:

a number of invitees, an identification of each invitee, an organizational importance of the meeting owner and each meeting invitee, an attendance priority of each invitee, a threshold for scheduling decision, and a schedule information of the meeting owner and of each invitee.

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

utilizing historical meeting data regarding past meeting invitation decisions of particular invitees to autonomically modify a weighting of the pre-scheduling data used to calculate the MPV.

5. A computer system comprising:

a processor unit;

a memory coupled to the processor unit; and

an Autonomic Meeting Scheduling (AMS) utility executing on the processor unit and having executable code for;

detecting a set of pre-scheduling data;

generating an optimal meeting schedule based upon the pre-scheduling data;

communicating a meeting invitation;

detecting an invitation reply data;

generating and outputting a meeting probability value (MPV) based on pre-scheduling data and invitation reply data;

automatically determining whether MPV has reached a threshold to execute a scheduling decision;

in response to the MPV reaching a threshold, generating the scheduling decision; and

responsive to generating the scheduling decision, updating a meeting schedule of a meeting invitee and a meeting owner.

6. The computer system of claim 5, the AMS utility further having executable code for:

detecting a user override condition responsive to a meeting schedule overlap condition between meeting owners of unequal organizational importance; and

in response to detecting a user override condition from a meeting owner of lower organizational importance, enabling the meeting owner of lower organizational importance to invite a common invitee;

wherein the user override condition results when the meeting owner of a conflicting meeting expressly selects to override a potential default outcome of an automatic conflict resolution, whereby the potential default outcome results in a meeting owner of higher organizational importance being granted the ability to invite the common invitee.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the set of pre-scheduling data that is used by AMS utility includes at least one of:

a number of invitees, an identification of each invitee, an organizational importance of the meeting owner and each meeting invitee, an attendance priority of each invitee, a threshold for scheduling decision, and a schedule information of each invitee.

8. The computer system of claim 5, the AMS utility further having executable code for:

utilizing historical meeting data regarding past meeting invitation decisions of particular invitees to autonomically modify a weighting of the pre-scheduling data used to calculate the MPV.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer storage medium; and

program code on the computer storage medium that when executed provides the functions of;

detecting a set of pre-scheduling data;

generating an optimal meeting schedule based upon the pre-scheduling data;

communicating a meeting invitation;

detecting an invitation reply data;

generating and outputting a meeting probability value (MPV) based on pre-scheduling data and invitation reply data;

automatically determining whether MPV has reached a threshold to execute a scheduling decision;

in response to the MPV reaching a threshold, generating the scheduling decision; and

responsive to generating the scheduling decision, updating a meeting schedule of a meeting invitee and a meeting owner.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, the program code further provides the functions of:

detecting a user override condition responsive to a meeting schedule overlap condition between meeting owners of unequal organizational importance; and

in response to detecting a user override condition from a meeting owner of lower organizational importance, enabling the meeting owner of lower organizational importance to invite a common invitee;

wherein the user override condition results when the meeting owner of a conflicting meeting expressly selects to override a potential default outcome of an automatic conflict resolution, whereby the potential default outcome results in a meeting owner of higher organizational importance being granted the ability to invite the common invitee.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of pre-scheduling data includes at least one of:

a number of invitees, an identification of each invitee, an organizational importance of the meeting owner and each meeting invitee, an attendance priority of each invitee, a threshold for scheduling decision, and a schedule information of each invitee.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, the program code further provides the function of:

utilizing historical meeting data regarding past meeting invitation decisions of particular invitees to autonomically modify a weighting of the pre-scheduling data used to calculate the MPV.