System and method for providing travel-related information associated with a calendar appointment

• US 8,457,887 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shekhar, Rooks, Kelsyn D. S., Sweeney, Jeffrey, Wilmoth, Mark, Dwyer, Kendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Application Number:
  US12/250,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/202, 701/204, 701/207, 705/5, 705/8
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• 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 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing travel-related information associated with a calendar appointment is presented. The method comprises monitoring a calendar application for travel-related appointments. In response to identifying a travel-related appointment, the method retrieves travel-related information associated with a location of the travel-related appointment and provides the travel-related information to a user.

Claims

1. A method for providing travel-related information associated with calendar appointments being maintained by a computing system, the method comprising:

placing appointment information associated with the calendar appointments into an appointment queue being operated by the computing system;

monitoring, by the computing system, a calendar application being executed on the computing system for travel-related appointments, the calendar application retrieving the appointment information from the appointment queue;

responsive to identifying a travel-related appointment from the appointment information, retrieving, by the computing system, travel time information associated with a location of the travel-related appointment including a time to reach a location associated with the travel-related appointment;

providing, by the computing system, the travel-related information to a user, wherein the travel-related information includes at least a flight number, a departing airport, and a flight schedule in response to the travel-related appointment being associated with a flight;

automatically updating the travel-related appointment and the travel time information in response to the computing system determining there are changes to the travel-related information and the travel time information; and

communicating the travel-related information and the travel time information to the user in response to determining there is an update.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the travel time information and the travel-related information and providing the travel time information and the travel-related information to the user are performed at a specified time prior to the travel-related appointment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specified time is specified by the user, and wherein the travel time information indicates an estimated travel time from a user location to the location associated with the travel-related appointment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the travel time distance information associated with the location of the travel-related appointment includes retrieving directions from a user location to the location associated with the travel-related appointment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining the user location based on a prior calendar appointment location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the travel time information associated with the location of the travel-related appointment includes retrieving weather information associated with the location of the travel-related appointment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving travel time information associated with the location of the travel-related appointment includes retrieving traffic-related information associated with traveling to the location of the travel-related appointment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving travel time information associated with the location of the travel-related appointment includes retrieving points of interest associated with the location of the travel-related appointment.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically updating the specified time to compensate for travel time to the location of the travel-related appointment in response to a distance between the location associated with the travel-related appointment and the user changing.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user with an alert of any changes associated with the travel time information and the travel-related information including at least a flight schedule and a distance to the location associated with the travel-related appointment.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting missing information associated with the travel-related appointment from a user of the calendar application.

12. A method for providing appointment notifications, by a computing system, the method comprising:

placing appointment information associated with the calendar appointments into an appointment queue being operated by the computing system;

monitoring, by the computing system, a calendar application for travel-related appointments of a user, the calendar application retrieving the appointment information from the queue,

determining, by the computing system, an appointment location and an appointment time associated with a travel-related appointment;

determining, by the computing system, a user location of the user;

determining, by the computing system, an estimated travel time for traveling from the user location to the appointment location;

calculating, by the computing system, a remaining time until the appointment time;

determining, by the computing system, an available time by subtracting the estimated travel time from the remaining time;

notifying a user, by the computing system, of travel time information associated with the travel-related appointment including at least the appointment location, the appointment time, estimated travel time, a remaining time, and directions from the user location to the appointment location;

automatically updating travel-related appointment including includes at least a flight number, a departing airport, and a flight schedule in response to the computing system determining there are changes to the travel-related information and the travel-related information being associated with a flight; and

notifying, by the computing system, the user (1) if the available time is less than or equal to a specified time limit, and (2) that the travel time information or the travel-related information has been updated.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the user location includes applying a specified user location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the user location further includes:

determining a day associated with the travel-related appointment; and

responsive to the day being a workday, identifying a work location of the user as the user location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the user location further includes:

determining a day associated with the travel-related appointment; and

responsive to the day being a non-workday, identifying a home location of the user as the user location.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the user location includes determining a current location of the user by receiving geographical coordinates of a wireless communication device associated with the user.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the estimated travel time for traveling from the user location to the appointment location includes accounting for a current traffic condition associated with traveling from the user location to the appointment location.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an airport location in response to the travel-related appointment requiring air travel;

determining an estimated travel time for traveling from the user location to the airport location;

calculating a remaining time until a flight time;

determining an available time by subtracting the estimated travel time from the remaining time; and

notifying the user if the available time is less than or equal to a specified time limit.

19. An apparatus for providing travel-related information associated with calendar appointments, the apparatus comprising:

a data bus system;

memory coupled to the data bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code;

a processing unit coupled to the data bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to;

place appointment information associated with the calendar appointments into an appointment queue being operated by the computing system;

monitor a calendar application for travel-related appointments, the calendar application retrieving the appointment information from the queue;

retrieve travel time information associated with a location of a travel-related appointment including a time to reach a location associated with the travel-related appointment;

automatically update the travel time information and the travel-related appointment in response to the computing system determining there are changes to the travel time information and the travel-related information; and

provide the travel time information and the travel-related information to a user, wherein the travel-related information includes at least a flight number, a departing airport, and a flight schedule in response to the travel-related appointment being associated with a flight.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to notify the user of any of the updates associated with the travel time information and the travel-related information.