METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATED PLANNING OF A MEETING BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO PARTICIPANTS

• US 20120203833A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: FAULBACHER, Michael, SILVA-GOEBEL, Ana Lucia
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A method automatically plans a meeting between at least two participants taking into account electronically stored calendar data relating to the participants. After the participants have been input and after at least one period of time and/or one duration and/or one item of location information for the meeting has/have been input, at least one proposed appointment is automatically determined, taking into account at least one item of arrival information relating to at least one participant in the meeting and the calendar data. The proposed appointment is displayed to at least one participant, in particular at least the person scheduling the meeting.

Claims

1. A method for automatically planning a meeting between at least two participants, comprising:

receiving first data identifying the participants;

receiving second data identifying at least one of meeting timing, meeting duration and meeting location, at least one of the first and second data being received from a person scheduling the meeting;

obtaining arrival information relating to a traveling participant;

consulting electronically stored calendar data relating to the participants;

using a computer to automatically determine a proposed appointment taking into account the first and second data, the arrival information and the calendar data; and

displaying the proposed appointment to the person scheduling the meeting.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the arrival information is automatically determined based on travel data and a travel optimization criterion for the travelling participant.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

travel itinerary information is assigned to the travelling participant, and

when a proposed appointment is accepted by all participants, the travel itinerary information is used to automatically plan an outward journey for the travelling participant.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the outward journey is automatically planned by at least one of:

reserving a method of transport,

transmitting distance or map data to a navigation system, and

outputting temporally staggered advice during the outward journey.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

repeatedly evaluating feasibility of the outward journey; and

if non-feasibility is determined, automatically planning an alternative outward journey or informing the participants of the non-feasibility and communicating a new proposed appointment.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one of:

information identifying each compulsory participant, and

information identifying a procedure to be followed if the meeting is impossible because of a timing conflict or unavailability of at least one compulsory participant.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an agenda from the person scheduling the meeting; and

displaying the agenda to the participants, in a manner such that the agenda can be edited.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the second data includes meeting location,

the meeting location defines a geographic region for the meeting, and

the proposed appointment includes a specific proposed location.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of possible proposed appointments are automatically determined and displayed to the person scheduling the meeting, and

the person scheduling the meeting excludes at least one of the proposed appointments and transmits each remaining proposed appointment to at least one participant for confirmation.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the travel itinerary information is determined by a process that comprises determining cost and duration of the outward journey and determining a route description,

the cost and duration of the outward journey and the route description are communicated to the travelling participant.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the method further comprises receiving a preparation time and/or a follow-up time required for the meeting, and

the proposed appointment is determined to allow for the preparation time and/or the follow-up time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a current position of all participants during their respective outward journeys is automatically determined and made available to at least one participant.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein a multi-meeting participant has consecutive first and second meetings, and

travel itinerary information is assigned to the multi-meeting participant, to automatically plan an outward journey from the first meeting to the second meeting.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stored calendar data is obtained from a business network and/or a social network.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the person scheduling the meeting is one of the participants in the meeting.

16. A system to automatically plan a meeting between at least two participants, comprising:

a navigation system to obtain arrival information relating to a traveling participant;

a server to electronically store calendar data relating to the participants;

a computer processor to;

receive first data identifying the participants;

receive second data identifying at least one of meeting timing, meeting duration and meeting location, at least one of the first and second data being received from a person scheduling the meeting; and

automatically determine a proposed appointment taking into account the first and second data, the arrival information and the calendar data; and

an output to display the proposed appointment to the person scheduling the meeting.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program to control a computer to perform a method of automatically planning a meeting between at least two participants, the method comprising:

receiving first data identifying the participants;

receiving second data identifying at least one of meeting timing, meeting duration and meeting location, at least one of the first and second data being received from a person scheduling the meeting;

obtaining arrival information relating to a traveling participant;

consulting electronically stored calendar data relating to the participants;

using a computer to automatically determine a proposed appointment taking into account the first and second data, the arrival information and the calendar data; and

displaying the proposed appointment to the person scheduling the meeting.