Shared space availability by dynamically responding to user utilization behavior of shared space

• US 8,041,586 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schmidt, David L., Radcliffe, Rosalind T. A., Stanson, Janusz S., Jethani, Seema V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joseph; Tonya
• Application Number:
  US12/233,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5- 6
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The present invention discloses a solution for improving shared space availability by dynamically responding user utilization behavior of shared space. In the system, automated sensors within a shared space can be used to detect when spaces are in use. Sensors such as motion detectors, infrared sensors, cameras, and the like can correlate space usage to a reservation system. When a space is reserved by a user, the system can verify space occupancy according to the reservation. If the space is unoccupied and the reservation time has not expired, the space can be automatically freed. If the excess time before reservation expiration is more than a threshold value (e.g., fifteen minutes) the system can penalize the user. Penalties can be applied for users that do not utilize reservations.

Claims

1. A method for efficient use of managed shared space comprising:

identifying, by executing computer program code stored in a non-transient medium, a reservation associated with at least one of a start time index, an end time index, a user, a utilization entry, and a shared space, wherein the shared space is one of a shared office space, a conference room, or a shared workspace;

determining, by executing computer program code stored in a non-transient medium, at least one timeout value associated with the reservation;

detecting, by executing computer program code stored in a non-transient medium, a user absence within a shared space when a timeout value threshold is reached; and

performing, by executing computer program code stored in a non-transient medium, a programmatic action in response to user absence, wherein the programmatic action results in a dynamic modification of the reservation that frees the shared space scheduled by one user and automatically assigns the shared space to a different user, and wherein the programmatic action results in a change of at least one element associated with a user profile that applies a rating penalty to the one user as a direct result of the one user being absent from the shared space between a start time indicated by the start time index and an end time indicated by the end time index

determining a departure time of the one user from the shared space using sensors of the shared space;

correlating a departure time of the one user from the shared space against reservation details, specifically a time indicated by the end time index;

determining whether the one user has over-scheduled the shared space based on results of correlating the departure time; and

applying the rating penalty to the one user when over-scheduling has occurred.

2. A method for efficient use of managed shared space comprising:

establishing a reservation for a shared space within a reservation server comprising hardware, wherein said reservation is associated with a plurality of different users each listed as an attendee, wherein said reservation designates the shared space, a start time, and an end time;

monitoring the shared space using a plurality of sensors;

processing via a processor input obtained from the sensors to determine an identity of individuals present in the shared space between the start time and the end time; and

assessing rating penalties on those ones of the different users that fail to be in the shared space between the start time and the end time and not applying rating penalties on those ones of the different users that appear within the shared space between the start time and the end time, wherein rating penalties cause users to be negatively affected when scheduling shared spaces via the reservation server.

determining a departure time of the one user from the shared space using sensors of the shared space;

correlating a departure time of the one user from the shared space against reservation details, specifically a time indicated by the end time index;

determining whether the one user has over-scheduled the shared space based on results of correlating the departure time; and

applying the rating penalty to the one user when over-scheduling has occurred.