Scheduling method and system

• US 8,359,353 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Randy Scott, Northway, Tedrick Neal, Smith, William Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US12/369,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-205, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A scheduling method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system first data and second data associated with a user. The first data comprises user identification associated, an activity selection for an activity, and first scheduling information. The second data comprises geographical preference data. The computing system determines facilities associated with the activity. The facilities are located within boundaries specified by the geographical preference data. The computing system generates tentative reservations for the user at each facility. The computing system presents the tentative reservations data to the user. The computing system receives verification data from the user. The computing system posts the tentative reservations data in a social networking environment. The computing system stores the tentative reservations data.

Claims

1. A scheduling method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system from a first user, first data associated with said first user, wherein said first data comprises first user identification associated with said first user, an activity selection for an activity selected by said first user, first scheduling information associated with said first user, preferred skill levels associated with said first user and said activities, and a partner preference type, said partner preference type comprising a male or a female;

presenting, by said computing system to said first user in response to said receiving said first data, an input request form;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user in response to said input request form, second data associated with said first user and geographical preference data associated with said first user;

determining, by said computing system in response to said receiving said geographical preference data, facilities associated with said activity, wherein said facilities are located within boundaries specified by said geographical preference data;

contacting, by said computing system said facilities to determine availability during specified time periods disclosed in said first scheduling information;

generating, by said computing system based on results of said contacting, said first data, and said second data, tentative reservations data for said first user at each facility of said facilities, wherein each reservation of said tentative reservations data is associated with a different facility of said facilities, and wherein each said reservation is associated with a different time period of said specified time periods;

presenting, by said computing system to said first user, said tentative reservations data;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user in response to said presenting said tentative reservations data, verification data indicating that said tentative reservations data is acceptable to said first user;

posting, by said computing system, said tentative reservations data in a social networking environment;

storing, by said computing system, said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to users associated with said social networking environment, invitation data inviting said users to view said tentative reservations data in said social networking environment;

receiving, by said computing system from a social networking user of said users associated with said social networking environment in response to said transmitting, a first skill level of said preferred skill levels, a preferred location associated with said facilities, and a preferred time period of said specified time periods;

generating, by said computing system, an alert associated with notices from a group of users of said users that share common interests with said social networking user;

flagging, by said computing system, said first skill level, said preferred location, and said preferred time period;

selecting, by said computing system based on said flagging and a response to said alert, a reservation of said tentative reservations data, said reservation associated with a specific facility of said facilities;

confirming, by said computing system based on responses from said first user and said social networking user, said reservation;

releasing, by said computing system in response to said confirming, reservations of said tentative reservations data; and

modifying, by said computing system in response to said releasing, tentative schedules associated with said facilities.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a second user in response to said posting, second user identification associated with said second user and a first selection for a first reservation of said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said second user identification and said first selection; and

receiving, by said computing system from said first user, first response data associated with said first selection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first response data comprises acceptance data indicating that said first user has accepted said first selection, and wherein said method further comprises:

confirming, by said computing system, said first reservation;

canceling, by said computing system, all additional reservations of said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, confirmation data confirming said first reservation; and

transmitting, by said computing system to said second user, said confirmation data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said first response data comprises results data indicating that said first user has not accepted said first selection, and wherein said method further comprises:

transmitting, by said computing system to said second user, said results data;

receiving, by said computing system from said second user in response to said results data, a second selection for a second reservation of said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said second selection; and

receiving, by said computing system from said first user, second response data associated with said second selection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before said presenting said tentative reservations data to said first user, formatting by said computing system, said tentative reservations data into a readable format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said social networking environment comprises a social networking Website.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a second user in response to said posting, second user identification associated with said second user and a reply data indicating that said tentative reservations data does not comprise any acceptable reservations;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said second user identification and said reply data;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user in response to said reply data, a plurality of alternative dates and times for said facilities associated with said activity;

transmitting, by said computing system to said second user, said alternative dates and times;

receiving, by said computing system from said second user, a first selection for a first date and time associated with a first facility of said facilities;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said first selection;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user, acceptance data indicating that said first selection is acceptable;

generating, by said computing system, a first reservation for said first date and time at said first facility, wherein said first reservation is for said first user and said second user;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user and said second user, notification data indicating said first reservation.

8. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with said computing system performs the method of claim 1.

9. A computer program product, comprising a tangible computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code configured to perform the method of claim 1 upon being executed by a processor of said computing system.

10. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the processor implement a scheduling method, said method comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a first user, first data associated with said first user, wherein said first data comprises first user identification associated with said first user, an activity selection for an activity selected by said first user, first scheduling information associated with said first user, preferred skill levels associated with said first user and said activities, and a partner preference type, said partner preference type comprising a male or a female;

presenting, by said computing system to said first user in response to said receiving said first data, an input request form;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user in response to said input request form, second data associated with said first user and geographical preference data associated with said first user;

determining, by said computing system in response to said receiving said geographical preference data, facilities associated with said activity, wherein said facilities are located within boundaries specified by said geographical preference data;

contacting, by said computing system said facilities to determine availability during specified time periods disclosed in said first scheduling information;

generating, by said computing system based on results of said contacting, said first data, and said second data, tentative reservations data for said first user at each facility of said facilities, wherein each reservation of said tentative reservations data is associated with a different facility of said facilities, and wherein each said reservation is associated with a different time period of said specified time periods;

presenting, by said computing system to said first user, said tentative reservations data;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user in response to said presenting said tentative reservations data, verification data indicating that said tentative reservations data is acceptable to said first user;

posting, by said computing system, said tentative reservations data in a social networking environment;

storing, by said computing system, said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to users associated with said social networking environment, invitation data inviting said users to view said tentative reservations data in said social networking environment;

receiving, by said computing system from a social networking user of said users associated with said social networking environment in response to said transmitting, a first skill level of said preferred skill levels, a preferred location associated with said facilities, and a preferred time period of said specified time periods;

generating, by said computing system, an alert associated with notices from a group of users of said users that share common interests with said social networking user;

flagging, by said computing system, said first skill level, said preferred location, and said preferred time period;

selecting, by said computing system based on said flagging and a response to said alert, a reservation of said tentative reservations data, said reservation associated with a specific facility of said facilities;

confirming, by said computing system based on responses from said first user and said social networking user, said reservation;

releasing, by said computing system in response to said confirming, reservations of said tentative reservations data; and

modifying, by said computing system in response to said releasing, tentative schedules associated with said facilities.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computing system from a second user in response to said posting, second user identification associated with said second user and a first selection for a first reservation of said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said second user identification and said first selection; and

receiving, by said computing system from said first user, first response data associated with said first selection.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein said first response data comprises acceptance data indicating that said first user has accepted said first selection, and wherein said method further comprises:

confirming, by said computing system, said first reservation;

canceling, by said computing system, all additional reservations of said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, confirmation data confirming said first reservation; and

transmitting, by said computing system to said second user, said confirmation data.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein said first response data comprises results data indicating that said first user has not accepted said first selection, and wherein said method further comprises:

transmitting, by said computing system to said second user, said results data;

receiving, by said computing system from said second user in response to said results data, a second selection for a second reservation of said tentative reservations data;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said second selection; and

receiving, by said computing system from said first user, second response data associated with said second selection.

14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

before said presenting said tentative reservations data to said first user, formatting by said computing system, said tentative reservations data into a readable format.

15. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said social networking environment comprises a social networking Website.

16. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computing system from a second user in response to said posting, second user identification associated with said second user and a reply data indicating that said tentative reservations data does not comprise any acceptable reservations;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said second user identification and said reply data;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user in response to said reply data, a plurality of alternative dates and times for said facilities associated with said activity;

transmitting, by said computing system to said second user, said alternative dates and times;

receiving, by said computing system from said second user, a first selection for a first date and time associated with a first facility of said facilities;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user, said first selection;

receiving, by said computing system from said first user, acceptance data indicating that said first selection is acceptable;

generating, by said computing system, a first reservation for said first date and time at said first facility, wherein said first reservation is for said first user and said second user;

transmitting, by said computing system to said first user and said second user, notification data indicating said first reservation.