Intelligent meeting planner

• US 8,121,953 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deem, Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Original Assignee: Rearden Commerce Inc
• Inventors: Orttung, Mark, Handel, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US11/026,798
• Time in Patent Office: 2,609 Days
• Field of Search: 705/52, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention includes a meeting planning tool that contains information about as many different aspects of a meeting as desired, including the cost of the meeting, both in direct expenses and indirect costs to the enterprise or organization, thus allowing a meeting planner to optimize the overall cost of the meeting to the lowest point in a total-cost-of-ownership approach to planning.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, a request for a meeting;

receiving, via the computing device, an identification of a subject matter of the meeting;

receiving, via the computing device, a list of invitees, including a priority corresponding to one or more of the invitees;

determining whether a respective invitee is requested to attend in person based on a corresponding priority;

determining whether a respective invitee is required to attend virtually based on a corresponding priority;

accessing, via the computing device, electronic calendars of one or more of the invitees and planning a location and time of the meeting based on the electronic calendars;

sending, via the computing device, invitations to the invitees;

when a quantity of acceptances of the invitations from the invitees is less than a predetermined threshold, then repeatedly sending, via the computing device, invitation reminders to non-accepting invitees and adding additional acceptances to the quantity of acceptances;

when the quantity of acceptances is equal to or exceeding a exceeds the predetermined threshold, automatically scheduling, via the computing device, the meeting based on parameters from a preexisting template for a prior meeting, the predetermined threshold less than the total number of the invitees; and

before scheduling the meeting, performing, via the computing device, a cost optimization associated with the meeting based upon costs concerning both salary of the invitees and time lost in travel by the invitees.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, based on the subject matter, automatically generating the list of invitees.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to receiving a reply from one or more of the invitees indicating one or more of the invitees will be attending virtually, automatically providing one of a web or audio bridge to access the meeting.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority corresponding to one or more of the invitees is provided by the respective invitee.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority corresponding to one or more of the invitees is one of a group consisting of required to be present physically, required to attend either physically or virtually, and optional.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing electronic calendars of invitees having a priority indicating at least one of physical presence required and presence required physically or virtually.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein, in response to the meeting being accepted by invitees required to attend, automatically scheduling at least travel arrangements for the invitees required to attend.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, in response to the meeting being accepted by the invitees required to attend, automatically scheduling at least one of conference room reservations, with conference reservation and catering.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a time of the meeting based on flex schedules available to invitees required to attend in person.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing to one or more of the invitees multiple options for a time or location of the meeting.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a reply from one or more of the invitees indicating a respective preference for the time or location of the meeting; and

scheduling the meeting based on the preferences.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to not receiving a quantity of acceptances from the invitees equal to or exceeding a predetermined threshold by a predetermined date, issuing a reminder to one or more of the invitees who have not responded to the invitations.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the location further includes determining if an invitee that is required to attend in person is unable to travel.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein finalization of the meeting follows the performing.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising, before automatically accepting the meeting on behalf of a remote invitee required to attend the meeting, checking flight availability to allow the remote invitee to attend the meeting.

14. A tangible machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request for a meeting;

receiving an identification of a subject matter of the meeting;

receiving a list of invitees, including a priority corresponding to one or more of the invitees;

determining whether a respective invitee is requested to attend in person based on a corresponding priority;

determining whether a respective invitee is required to attend virtually based on a corresponding priority;

accessing electronic calendars of one or more of the invitees and planning a location and time of the meeting based on the electronic calendars;

sending invitations to the invitees;

when a quantity of acceptances of the invitations from the invitees is less than a predetermined threshold, then repeatedly sending invitation reminders to non-accepting invitees and adding additional acceptances to the quantity of acceptances;

when the quantity of acceptances is equal to or exceeding a exceeds the predetermined threshold, automatically scheduling the meeting based on parameters from a preexisting template for a prior meeting, the predetermined threshold less than the total number of the invitees; and

before scheduling the meeting, performing a cost optimization associated with the meeting based upon costs concerning both salary of the invitees and time lost in travel by the invitees.

15. A computer system comprising:

at least one server configured to;

receive a request for a meeting;

receive an identification of a subject matter of the meeting;

receive a list of invitees, including a priority corresponding to one or more of the invitees;

determine whether a respective invitee is requested to attend in person based on a corresponding priority;

determine whether a respective invitee is required to attend virtually based on a corresponding priority;

access electronic calendars of one or more of the invitees and planning a location and time of the meeting based on the electronic calendars;

send invitations to the invitees;

when a quantity of acceptances of the invitations from the invitees is less than a predetermined threshold, then repeatedly send invitation reminders to non-accepting invitees and add additional acceptances to the quantity of acceptances;

when the quantity of acceptances is equal to or exceeding a exceeds the predetermined threshold, automatically schedule the meeting based on parameters from a preexisting template for a prior meeting, the predetermined threshold less than the total number of the invitees; and

before scheduling the meeting, perform a cost optimization associated with the meeting based upon costs concerning both salary of the invitees and time lost in travel by the invitees.