Method and apparatus for advanced scheduling and messaging system

• US 6,898,569 B1
• Filed: 06/02/1998
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ashbourne Technologies, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Creswell, Carroll W., Bansal, Pradeep K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US09/089,011
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 455/456, 455/459, 455/461, 340/994, 701/117, 379/88.23, 345/330, 345/329
• US Class Current: 705/7.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and apparatus provide an advanced scheduling and messaging system in which information about an appointment is received from a user. Information about an attendee associated with the appointment, including attendee notification information, is also received. When it is determined that the user will be late for the appointment, an attendee notification message is automatically generated using the attendee notification information. Appointment time information and appointment location information can also be received by the scheduling system along with user location information. It can then be determined if the user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information.

Claims

1. A method for managing a scheduling system, comprising the steps of:

receiving information about an appointment from a user;

receiving information about an attendee associated with the appointment, including attendee notification information;

determining meeting status information;

automatically generating an attendee notification message using the attendee notification information based on the meeting status information; and

receiving a response to the attendee notification message from an attendee, the response changing the time of the appointment, wherein the meeting status information indicates if the user will be late for the appointment, said step of automatically generating an attendee notification message is performed when the meeting status indication information indicates that the user will be late for the appointment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attendee notification information is a telephone number and said step of generating is performed by generating an audio message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the attendee notification information is an electronic mail address and said step of generating is performed by generating an electronic mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining is based on information received from a computer through a communication network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said steps of receiving can be performed from multiple access devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining is based on information received from a telephone through a communication network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining is based on information received from a wireless device through a communications network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the appointment includes appointment time information and appointment location information, and wherein said step of determining comprises:

receiving user location information; and

deciding if the user will be late for the appointment based on the appointment time information, the appointment location information, the user location information and a time associated with the user location information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of deciding comprises:

calculating a travel distance based on the appointment location information and the user location information;

calculating a time of arrival based on the time associated with the user location information, the travel distance and a travel velocity; and

comparing the calculated time of arrival with the appointment time information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving map information from a mapping database; and

adjusting the travel distance based on the appointment location information, the user location information, and the map information.

11. The method claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving environment information; and

adjusting the travel velocity based on the environment information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of comparing is performed by comparing the calculated time of arrival with the appointment time information and a predetermined fixed period of time.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending the attendee notification message to the attendee.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the response received from the attendee to the attendee notification message changes the information about the appointment.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the response from the attendee can be received by page, facsimile or e-mail.

16. A scheduling system, comprising:

a scheduler database for storing information about an appointment and information about an attendee associated with the appointment, including attendee notification information; and

a scheduling unit coupled to said scheduler database and configured to determine if a user will be late for the appointment, said scheduling unit being further configured to (i) send an attendee notification message to the attendee using the attendee notification information when the user will be late for the appointment, and (ii) receive a response from the attendee to the attendee notification message, the response changing the time of the appointment.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to manage a scheduling system, cause a series of steps to be performed, said steps comprising:

receiving information about an appointment from a user;

receiving information about an attendee associated with the appointment, including attendee notification information;

determining if the user will be late for the appointment;

sending an attendee notification message to the attendee using the attendee notification information when the user will be late for the appointment, and

receiving a response from the attendee to the attendee notification message, the response changing the time of the appointment.

18. A method for managing a scheduling system, comprising the steps of:

receiving information about an appointment, including appointment time information and appointment location information, from a user;

receiving user location information;

determining if the user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information; and

receiving a response from an attendee of the appointment, the response changing the time of the appointment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of determining comprises the steps of:

calculating a travel distance between the appointment location and the user location based on the appointment location information and the user location information;

calculating a time of arrival based on the time associated with the user location information, the travel distance and a travel velocity; and

comparing the calculated time of arrival with the appointment time information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving map information from a mapping database; and

adjusting the travel distance based on the appointment location information, the user location information, and the map information.

21. The method claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving environment information; and

adjusting the travel velocity based on the environment information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the environment information is weather information.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the environment information is traffic information.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the environment information is airline information.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the user location information is generated by a global positioning satellite receiver.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the user location information is calculated from an automatic number identification number.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the user location information is received through a communication network.

28. A scheduling system, comprising:

a scheduler database for storing information about an appointment, including appointment time information and appointment location information;

location determination unit configured to output user location information; and

a scheduling unit coupled to said scheduler database and said location determination unit, said scheduling unit being configured to (i) determine if a user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information (ii) receive a response from an attendee of the appointment, the response changing the time of the appointment.

29. An apparatus to manage a scheduling system, comprising:

means for receiving information about an appointment, including appointment time information and appointment location information, from a user;

means for receiving user location information;

means for determining if the user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information; and

means for receiving a response from an attendee of the meeting, the response changing the time of the appointment.

30. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to manage a scheduling system, said steps comprising:

receiving information about an appointment, including appointment time information and appointment location information, from a user;

receiving user location information;

determining if the user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information; and

receiving a response from an attendee of the appointment, the response changing the time of the appointment, if it is determined that the user will be late for the appointment.

31. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to manage a scheduling system, said steps comprising:

receiving information about an appointment, including appointment time information and appointment location information, from a user;

receiving user location information;

determining if the user will be late for the appointment based on the user location information, the appointment location information, the appointment time information and a time associated with the user location information;

notifying an attendee of the appointment, if it is determined that the user will be late for the appointment; and

receiving a response from the attendee, the response including a proposal for a new time for the appointment.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the recited steps are performed by a PDA.