Multiple option electronic scheduler and rescheduler
First Claim
1. An electronic rescheduler for more efficiently rescheduling a prior appointment to a new appointment time comprising:
- a memory for storing plural daily time appointments each day for a multiday time period,multiple differently configured interrogating circuits for the memory,manually operated switching means for independently selecting different ones of said interrogating circuits,each such interrogating circuit accessing the memory for a different unequal, fractional portion of a selected time period than the other interrogating circuits, and excluding the accessing of the memory for other periods within the selected daily time period, thereby to more efficiently locate a new time-of-day for a rescheduled appointment,means entering into the rescheduler the prior appointment to be rescheduled,read-out means responsive to the selected interrogating circuit for reading-out and communicating the free time slots that are available for a rescheduled appointment, from the accessed portion of the memory,cancelling means for cancelling the prior appointment and entering a new rescheduled appointment into the memory chosen from the free time slots that are communicated as being available.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic rescheduler for promptly and efficiently rescheduling appointments in a two part procedure. In the first step, there is an initial selection of one or more different time periods or "options" during which a new, replacement appointment would be desired; and, in resonse, the electronic rescheduler reports a listing of free time slots that are available within the selected "options". In the second, and final step, one of the reported free time slots is chosen for the new appointment, and is entered into the rescheduler to complete the rescheduling operation. A number of such "options" are made available, including "morning" or "afternoon" appointments, the "earliest" available time, and others. For office use, the electronic rescheduler can be configured as a desk top unit positioned alongside a telephone, and coupled to the phone. It may include a display screen, printer, and audible announcer, for voice response over the phone; as well as a keyboard for the various entries and selections.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An electronic rescheduler for more efficiently rescheduling a prior appointment to a new appointment time comprising:
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a memory for storing plural daily time appointments each day for a multiday time period, multiple differently configured interrogating circuits for the memory, manually operated switching means for independently selecting different ones of said interrogating circuits, each such interrogating circuit accessing the memory for a different unequal, fractional portion of a selected time period than the other interrogating circuits, and excluding the accessing of the memory for other periods within the selected daily time period, thereby to more efficiently locate a new time-of-day for a rescheduled appointment, means entering into the rescheduler the prior appointment to be rescheduled, read-out means responsive to the selected interrogating circuit for reading-out and communicating the free time slots that are available for a rescheduled appointment, from the accessed portion of the memory, cancelling means for cancelling the prior appointment and entering a new rescheduled appointment into the memory chosen from the free time slots that are communicated as being available. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11)
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8. An electronic appointment rescheduler for selectively rescheduling any of a series of different appointments for one or more persons or a single appointment for a person,
said rescheduler including a memory for storing plural appointments; - manually operated selection means and controls for entering appointments and cancelling appointments, and retrieving appointments; and
including a visual display,said selection means responsive to the entry of a previously made appointment to be rescheduled to display said appointment, communicating means for offering a series of different options for promptly locating a rescheduled appointment date, each of said options covering a different daily date period than the other options, each of said options also covering a different fractional portion of a daily time period that in unequal to that of the other options, said manually operated selection and control means responsive to the selection of at least one of said options to interrogate the memory for the period corresponding to that selected option, to read-out and display the free time slots that are available within that selected period, and said selection and control means responsive to the subsequent selection of an available free time slot to enter a rescheduled appointment, and to cancel the previous appointment. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
- manually operated selection means and controls for entering appointments and cancelling appointments, and retrieving appointments; and
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9. In the appointment rescheduler of claim 37,
said selection and control means responsive to the substantially concurrent selection of a plurality of said different options to cumulatively interrogate the memory for the series of different, unequal time periods, corresponding to the selected options, to read-out and cumulatively communicate the free time slots that are available within all of the selected options.
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14. In an electronic group appointment rescheduler having a memory for storing appointments, a visual display for displaying appointments, and switch means for accessing the memory to enter, read-out, and cancel appointments, the improvement comprising:
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manually operating means for the switch means for entering and displaying on the visual display a group of prior appointments to be rescheduled to new appointment times, a plurality of different read-out circuits for selectively accessing the memory for different unequal time periods, to rapidly locate available time slots during desired time periods, said unequal time periods including one of different fractional portions of a single day or days, and different times-of-day, means actuating said read-out circuits to generate a series of available free time slots within each of the different unequal time periods, and concurrently displaying said free time slots for each such period on the display screen, and means for cancelling each of said prior appointments and entering a new appointment time from the free time slots in substitute for the cancelled appointment. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification