Event scheduling with optimization

• US 7,343,312 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shi, Dailun, Pickover, Clifford A., Grey, William, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Capek, Peter George
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz; Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US10/133,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/1, 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• 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: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

The present invention is a method for scheduling an event or meeting consisting of a plurality of persons which is determined by optimizing one or more variables. In the preferred embodiment, one or more requests for a meeting are pooled. A selected variable is optimized and an event is scheduled on the optimized variable. As additional meeting requests are pooled which conflict with the initial optimized event, the selected variable is again optimized and the event is dynamically rescheduled based on the optimized variable.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of event scheduling for a plurality of attendees, the method comprising:

receiving at least one request for scheduling a calendar meeting;

receiving at least two meeting constraints;

using an optimization means to schedule the calendar meeting to satisfy the at least two meeting constraints, and to maximize an attending number of the plurality of attendees able to attend the calendar meeting;

wherein using said optimization means comprises using at least one of integer programming, linear programming, deterministic optimization, priority-based search heuristics, greedy algorithms, randomized algorithms, local search methods, meta-heuristics, table search, evolutionary algorithms, genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, agent-based algorithms, portfolio optimization, simulation, stochastic optimization, forecasting analysis;

wherein at least one of the at least two meeting constraints is selected from the group consisting of participants of said meeting, desired meeting locations, meeting topics, time of the meeting, weather conditions, weather forecasts, traffic conditions, traffic forecasts, availability of audio/visual equipment, and cost of the meeting;

meeting at least one objective, wherein the at least one objective comprises at least one of minimizing a travel time, minimizing a wait time, maximizing a contiguous meeting time, choosing a preferred meeting location, minimizing a variance from a preferred meeting time, maximizing an attendance of a first ones of the plurality of attendees who are desirable or optional for the calendar event, scheduling the calendar event as close as possible to a target date, maximizing an availability of audio/visual equipment, and minimizing a likelihood of inclement weather;

notifying at least one entity, wherein said entity is selected from the group consisting of at least one of the plurality of attendees, a calendar, and a third party providing services to facilitate the calendar meeting;

wherein at least one of the at least two meeting constraints is selected from the group consisting of a meeting duration, an earliest date, a latest date, mandatory attendees, a participant availability, a preferred time, and a preferred location;

wherein the at least two meeting constraints include variable constraints, whereby the calendar meeting must occur by a specified time, last for a determined duration, or must occur before a specified event;

wherein the optimization means is performed immediately upon entry of the at least one request;

wherein the at least one request comprises at least two requests, the at least two requests being batched and periodically processed together;

wherein the at least two meeting constraints include an indicator that the at least one request is not negotiable;

wherein the optimization means includes allowing for a travel time of at least one of the plurality of attendees between a previously or next scheduled location and a selected meeting place of the calendar meeting;

wherein an elapsed time between the receiving of the at least one request and the scheduling of a meeting time or a meeting place for the calendar meeting is specified in the at least one request;

wherein one of a time and a date by which the calendar meeting must be scheduled is specified in the at least one request;

wherein a reservation may be made for a meeting location room such that the meeting location room is reserved for use by a particular person until a determined number of hours before a scheduled meeting time for the calendar meeting, at which point the meeting location room becomes available for assignment to at least one other person;

wherein a description of the calendar meeting includes at least one of a most desirable location, a required equipment list, a preferred time, and a preferred date;

wherein the at least one request further comprises at least two requests for scheduling two or more meetings at different locations to be conducted via a telephone conference or a video conference, the at least two requests including at least one appropriate room reservation and at least one appropriate time zone information;

forwarding the at least one request to the plurality of attendees via e-mail or instant message;

wherein the at least one request comprises a first request and a second request, the first request and the second request having a relative priority order in relation to each other, wherein either the first request or the second request is given a scheduling preference based on the relative priority order;

wherein each of the plurality of attendees have weighting factors wherein the optimization means utilizes the weighting factors in scheduling the calendar meeting;

wherein the desired meeting locations have weighting factors wherein the optimization means utilizes the weighting factors in scheduling the calendar meeting;

wherein the weighting factors are stored in templates;

wherein the time of the meeting and the desired meeting locations are optimized by auction;

incurring a penalty when the calendar meeting is canceled, a room reservation “

hold”

for a meeting room is removed, and the meeting room is not used, wherein the penalty is a monetary payment penalty or a diminished use of services penalty;

automatically scheduling first ones of the plurality of attendees, the first ones having authorized automatic entry into a corresponding one of a plurality of calendars; and

sending an electronic invitation to second ones of the plurality of attendees;

wherein the electronic invitation comprises either a tentative invitation or a request for information about availability;

wherein the at least two meeting constraints are probabilistic; and

satisfying combined objective comprising, at least in part, a first objective and a second objective, wherein the first objective is to maximize the attendance of the people who are desirable for the event according to the formula,