Schedule management system

• US 6,856,962 B2
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yonemitsu, Tetuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US09/217,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A schedule management system includes a schedule data table which stores the schedule data including an identifier of a schedule owner, the time zone, activity and the state of the schedule. A definition data table stores the definition data for determining the relation between the registration and display of the schedule and the schedule and the state in he schedule data. A schedule data registration unit accepts a schedule reservation request, determines whether the schedule registration is permitted or not based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in the schedule data table and the definition data, and when the schedule registration is permitted, registers the reservation schedule in the schedule data table. A schedule data approval unit accepts a request from the schedule owner for approving/disapproving the schedule and rewrites the schedule state of the corresponding schedule data in the schedule data table. A schedule display unit accepts a schedule display request, determines whether the existing schedule is displayed or not based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in the schedule data table and the definition data, and displays only the schedule data determined for display.

Claims

1. A schedule management system comprising:

a schedule data storage unit for storing schedule data including the identifier of the owner of each schedule and the time zone, the activity and the reservation state;

a definition data storage unit for storing definition data which defines whether or not a new reservation for reserving a schedule is accepted and defines whether or not the schedule is permitted to be displayed in accordance with the reservation state representing said owner'"'"'s response to the schedule data in said schedule data storage unit;

schedule data registration means for accepting a request for reserving a schedule ad determining whether the registration of said reservation schedule is permitted or not based o the reservation state existing in said schedule data storage unit and said definition data, and registering said reservation schedule in said schedule data storage unit when said registration is permitted;

schedule data approval means for accepting a request for approval/disapproval of a schedule from the owner of a schedule and rewriting the reservation state of the corresponding schedule data in said schedule data storage unit;

schedule display means for accepting a request for displaying a schedule, determining whether said schedule existing in said schedule data storage unit is displayed or not on said terminal which provides a request for reserving a schedule based on the reservation state of said existing schedule and said definition data, and displaying only the schedule data which is determined to be displayed; and

unoccupied time search means for accepting a request for searching for an unoccupied time for a schedule, determining whether the time zone of said schedule is rendered an occupied time or not based on the reservation state of the schedule data existing in said schedule data storage unit and said definition data, and in the case where said time zone of said schedule is rendered an occupied time zone, displaying an unoccupied time by removing said time zone of said schedule from the unoccupied time.

2. A schedule management system according to claim 1, further comprising one definition data table.

3. A schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein each user of the system has a definition data table, and said schedule data registration means and said schedule display means refer to the definition data table of the user who is the schedule owner for which the schedule is registered and displayed.

4. A schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the reservation state of said schedule data is determined as “

unread”

when said schedule is newly registered by said schedule data registration means, rewritten as “

approved”

when approved by the owner of said schedule and as “

disapproved”

when not approved by the owner of said schedule by said schedule data approval means.

5. A schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the reservation state of said schedule data is rewritten as “

suspended”

when said schedule data is read out by the owner of said schedule by said schedule data display means.

6. A schedule management system according to claim 1, comprising a server, at least one client and a communication network connecting said server and said client;

wherein said schedule data storage unit and said definition data storage unit are included in said server, and said schedule data registration means, said schedule data approval means and said schedule display means are realized by being distributed between said server and said client.

9. A schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the reservation state of each schedule data is one of “

unread”

, “

suspended”

, “

disapproved” and

“

approved” and

the reservation state is changed by an operation of the schedule owner.

7. A schedule management method comprising the steps of:

preparing a schedule data storage unit for storing the schedule data including the identifier of the owner of a schedule and the time zone, the activity and the reservation state;

preparing a definition data storage unit for storing definition data which defines whether or not a new reservation registration request from a terminal which provides a request for reserving a schedule is accepted and defines whether or not the schedule is permitted to be displayed in accordance with the reservation state in said schedule data storage unit;

accepting a request for reserving a schedule, determining whether the registration of said reservation schedule is permitted or not based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in said schedule data table and said definition data, and in the case where said registration is permitted, registering said reservation schedule representing said owner'"'"'s response to the schedule data in said schedule data table;

accepting a schedule approval/disapproval request from the owner of a schedule, and rewriting the schedule state of the corresponding schedule data in said schedule data table;

accepting a schedule display request, determining whether the schedule existing in said schedule data table is displayed or not to said another client based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in said schedule data table arid said definition table, and displaying only the schedule data which is determined to be displayed; and

accepting a request for searching for an unoccupied time for said schedule, determining whether the time zone of said schedule is rendered an occupied time based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in said schedule data storage unit and said definition data, and when said time zone is rendered an occupied time, displaying an unoccupied time by removing the time zone of said schedule from the unoccupied time.

10. A schedule management system according to claim 7, wherein the reservation state of each schedule data is one of “

unread”

, “

suspended”

, “

disapproved” and

“

approved” and

the reservation state is changed by an operation of the schedule owner.

8. A machine-readable storage medium for storing a program of instructions executable by machine, said program comprising, for schedule management, the steps of:

upon acceptance of a request for reserving a schedule, determining whether the registration of said reservation schedule is permitted or not, based on a reservation state existing in a schedule data storage unit for storing the schedule data including the identifier of the owner of a schedule, and the time zone, the activity and the state of said schedule, and definition data which defines whether or not a new reservation registration request from a terminal which provides a request for reserving a schedule is accepted and defines whether or not the schedule is permitted to be displayed in accordance with the reservation state representing said owner'"'"'s response to the schedule data in said schedule data storage unit, and when said registration is permitted, registering said reservation schedule in said schedule data storage unit;

upon acceptance of a request from the owner of said schedule for approving/disapproving a schedule, rewriting the schedule state of the corresponding schedule data in said schedule data table;

upon acceptance of a request for displaying said schedule, determining whether said schedule existing is displayed or not to said another client based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in said schedule data storage unit and said definition table, and displaying only the schedule data determined to be displayed; and

upon acceptance of a request for searching for an unoccupied time for said schedule, determining whether the time zone of said schedule is rendered an occupied time based on the schedule state of the schedule data existing in said schedule data storage unit and said definition data, and when said time zone is rendered an occupied time, displaying an unoccupied time by removing the time zone of said schedule from the unoccupied time.

11. A schedule management system according to claim 8, wherein the reservation state of each schedule data is one of “

unread”

, “

suspended”

, “

disapproved” and

“

approved” and

the reservation state is changed by an operation of the schedule owner.