Consensus and preference event scheduling

• US 20130246526A1
• Filed: 03/18/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eventweaver, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eventweaver, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Nam, Terwilligar, Travis
• Application Number:
  US13/423,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246526A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The invention described here utilizes the Internet and other communication and social media conduits to create a meeting or an event, with the specific details decided by consensus. This scheduling system streamlines, simplifies, broadens, and automates the process. The organizer initially creates a proposed event with a single or multiple date options. The organizer then adds candidate participants via social media accounts, for example: Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn; or other participant identifiers such as: email addresses, cellphone numbers, etc. Each created event can be altered until the specified end-date, the final date by which all participants may feedback their choices and preferences for this event.

Claims

1. A system and method to facilitate the scheduling of a meeting of participants with a common interest via a consensus process for selecting event details comprising:

the date, time, location, and other event characteristics;

wherein the planned meeting or event is intended to be primarily face to face;

wherein the participants need not know each other, the scheduling system and method comprising;

a) The candidate participants each register information sources for their location, schedule, and preference information with one or more facilities accessible via Internet communications or wireless communication means comprising;

Internet web sites, smartphone apps and stored data, pad or tablet apps and stored data, or other electronically accessible scheduling information;

b) The meeting organizer initiates a meeting scheduling process which comprises;

a preliminary meeting objective, a preliminary candidate attendee list, a time, a date or date range, and a venue; and

an optional target or maximum number of attendees may be specified;

c) The candidate participants information comprises;

scheduling availability and preferences gathered from the information sources that the candidate participants have provided;

d) An invitation is sent via Internet or wireless communication means to each candidate participant soliciting feedback on the meeting details to be input to the scheduling process;

e) The meeting scheduling system optimizes the scheduling of the meeting based on the overall input, comprising;

candidate participant availability, explicit preferences, gathered or specified information, and feedback;

steps c through step e may be repeated;

The scheduling process is completed and finalized, and the participants are notified of the final details after the specified end-time or default end-time has passed.

2. In the scheduling system, as specified in claim 1, the meeting organizer specifies a subjective meeting priority weight for each candidate participant for this meeting objective;

this is input to the scheduling algorithm;

the scheduling system schedules the meeting to maximize the total meeting priority weight and preference values for the candidate participants.

3. The scheduling system, as specified in claim 1, employs a software program to act as, or to assist, the meeting facilitator in scheduling the meeting.

4. During the scheduling system process, as specified in claim 1, advertising from vendors for services and products are offered by the scheduling system to the facilitator, after determining suitable qualifications comprising:

the geographic location or other matching characteristics.

5. Using the scheduling system, as specified in claim 1, wherein the planned meeting includes a meal:

the scheduling system employs Internet resources comprising online restaurant guides, and online reservation systems to select the optimum available restaurant or meeting room as a meeting location, considering the candidates information and food preferences.

6. The scheduling system, as specified in claim 1, schedules remote audio or video connected session to allow remote participation to those not available for co-located meeting attendance.

7. The scheduling system, as specified in claim 1, automatically provides date, time, maps, directions, and itinerary, for the selected meeting venue.