Conflict resolution mechanism for managing calendar events with a mobile communication device

• US 8,396,734 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mock, Von A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US11/673,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/7.16, 705/7.18, 705/7.19, 705/7.24
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for handling scheduling conflicts. The method can include a step of conveying scheduled events to a mobile communication device. Times associated with the events can be analyzed to determine potential conflicts. A set of previously established conflict resolution rules can be applied to the potential conflicts. Recommendations for resolving the potential conflicts can be generated based upon the applied rules. A notification of the potential conflicts and the generated recommendations can be presented to a user of the mobile device through an interface of the mobile communication device. The notifications and recommendations can occur a sufficient time before the potentially conflicting events occur to permit anticipatory actions to be taken to alleviate the conflicts before their occurrence.

Claims

1. A method for handling scheduling conflicts comprising:

receiveing a plurality of scheduled events by a mobile communication device;

analyzing by the mobile communication device times associated with the events to determine potential conflicts;

applying by the mobile communication device a set of previously established conflict resolution rules to the potential conflicts;

generating recommendations for resolving the potential conflicts based upon the applied rules; and

presenting a notification of the potential conflicts and presenting the generated recommendations via an interface of the mobile communication device;

wherein the conflict resolution rules consider locations of the potentially conflicting events and an availability of telepresence options for participating in at least one of the potentially conflicting events, wherein the generated recommendations includes a recommendation to adjust a participation mode of at least one of the potentially conflicting events from physical attendance to a telepresence attendance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user response to the presented notification and the recommendations through the interface of the mobile communication device, said user response including conflict resolution instructions; and

modifying a scheduling application in accordance with the user response.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled events are managed by a scheduling application executing upon the mobile device, and wherein the analyzing, applying, generating, and presenting steps are performed by the mobile communication device using software programs executing upon the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scheduled events are received at different times by the mobile communication device, and wherein the steps of presenting the notification and the generated recommendations occur a sufficient time before the potential conflict to preemptively resolve the potential conflicts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conflict resolution rules consider a relative importance value associated with the potentially conflicting events and also consider temporal leniency regarding the times of the potentially conflicting events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the scheduled events are associated with an event location, wherein distances between scheduled events is considered by the analyzing step.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile device includes a location determination component that determines a current location of the mobile device, wherein at least one of the analyzing, applying, and generating steps utilizes the current location as an input item used in a conflict related calculation in combination with one or more event locations associated with scheduled events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of previously established conflict resolution rules include a rule based on a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s relative position within a social network of a user of the mobile communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of previously established conflict resolution rules include a rule based upon an entity paying a communication subscription for the mobile communication device or an entity having ownership in the mobile communication device, wherein a scheduled event associated with either the subscription paying entity or the entity having ownership takes priority over other scheduled events.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of previously established conflict resolution rules include a rule based upon an anticipated user activity and an anticipated user location at a time that potentially conflicting events are to occur, wherein predictive algorithms for anticipating user activity and a user location are based upon historical information associated with a user of the mobile communication device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of previously established rules include at least two rules selected from a group of rules consisting of a rule based on locations of the scheduled events and a current location of the mobile communication device, a rule based on a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s relative position within a social network of a user of the mobile communication device, a rule based upon a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s financial responsibilities regarding at least one of a communication subscription for the mobile device and ownership interest in the mobile communication device, and a rule based upon comparing event times and event categories with time-variable priorities and priority categories established for a user of the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of previously established rules include at least three rules selected from a group of rules consisting of a rule based on location of the scheduled events and a current location of the mobile communication device, a rule based on a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s relative position within a social network of a user of the mobile communication device, a rule based upon a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s financial responsibilities regarding at least one of a communication subscription for the mobile device and ownership interest in the mobile communication device, and a rule based upon comparing event times and event categories with time-variable priorities and priority categories established for a user of the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of previously established rules include at least four rules selected from a group of rules consisting of a rule based on location of the scheduled events and a current location of the mobile communication device, a rule based on a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s relative position within a social network of a user of the mobile communication device, a rule based upon a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s financial responsibilities regarding at least one of a communication subscription for the mobile device and ownership interest in the mobile communication device, and a rule based upon comparing event times and event categories with time-variable priorities and priority categories established for a user of the mobile communication device.

14. A method for handling scheduling conflicts within a mobile telephony device comprising:

providing a mobile telephony device that includes a scheduling application;

the mobile telephony device receiving scheduled events at different times, each of said scheduled events having an associated event time and event specific information;

when each new scheduled event is received, the mobile telephony device comparing event times against times of events previously established within the scheduling application to determine potential conflicts;

when conflicts are detected, the mobile telephony device using a set of previously established conflict resolution rules to generate recommendations for resolving the detected conflicts;

automatically presenting a notification of the detected conflicts and the generated recommendations upon the mobile telephony device;

receiving a user response to the presented notification and the recommendations through an interface of the mobile communication device, wherein the user response includes conflict resolution instructions; and

modifying entries in the scheduling application in accordance with the user response;

wherein the conflict resolution rules consider locations of the potentially conflicting events and an availability of telepresence options for participating in at least one of the potentially conflicting events, wherein the generated recommendations includes a recommendation to adjust a participation mode of at least one of the potentially conflicting events from physical attendance to a telepresence attendance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of previously established conflict resolution rules include at least one rule selected from a group of rules consisting of a rule based on locations of the scheduled events and a current location of the mobile telephony device, a rule based on a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s relative position within a social network of a user of the mobile telephony device, a rule based upon a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s financial responsibilities regarding at least one of a communication subscription for the mobile telephony device and ownership interest in the mobile telephony device, and a rule based upon comparing event times and event categories with time-variable priorities and priority categories established for the user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of previously established conflict resolution rules include at least three rules selected from a group of rules consisting of a rule based on locations of the scheduled events and a current location of the mobile telephony device, a rule based on a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s relative position within a social network of a user of the mobile telephony device, a rule based upon a person associated with the scheduled event and that person'"'"'s financial responsibilities regarding at least one of a communication subscription for the mobile telephony device and ownership interest in the mobile telephony device, and a rule based upon comparing event times and event categories with time-variable priorities and priority categories established for the user.