Meeting notification and modification service

• US 8,560,232 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coughlin, Stephen J., Meisels, Adrienne C., Greenberg, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/620,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/465, 701/527, 701/533, 705/7.16, 705/7.18, 705/7.19
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing a meeting notification and automatic modification service. A system may be configured to identify an appointment in a calendar application, identify a geographic location of the appointment, and identify, before the appointment time, a geographic location of a first participant of the appointment. Based on the geographic information, the system may identify a route extending from the geographic location of the first participant to the geographic location of the appointment, and may identify a travel time associated with the route. Based on the travel time and the appointment time, the system may determine whether the first participant is estimated to arrive at the appointment on time and, based on the determination, the system may send a message to participants of the appointment or dynamically reschedule the appointment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, using at least one processor, a geographic location and a start time associated with an appointment in a calendar application;

identifying a travel time corresponding to travel of a participant to the geographic location associated with the appointment;

identifying, based on the identified travel time, a departure time at which the participant should begin traveling to the geographic location in order to arrive at the geographic location on time; and

providing, based on the departure time, a departure reminder to the participant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the departure time comprises subtracting the identified travel time from an amount of time remaining until the start time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, based on the departure time, the departure reminder to the participant comprises providing the departure reminder within a threshold period of time associated with the departure time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing directions for traveling from a current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the presentation of at least one graphical user interface comprising at least one selectable option for specifying a mode of travel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one selectable option comprises an option for specifying at least one of walking, taking public transit, or driving in a car.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a current geographic location of the participant;

identifying a route extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment; and

monitoring current traffic conditions along the identified route.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the travel time comprises estimating the travel time based on the current traffic conditions along the route extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the departure reminder further comprises an explanation of current traffic conditions along the route.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying one or more alternate routes extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling a selection of an alternate route; and

providing directions for travel along the selected alternate route.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of:

identifying, using at least one processor, a geographic location and a start time associated with an appointment in a calendar application;

identifying a travel time corresponding to travel of a participant to the geographical location associated with the appointment;

identifying, based on the identified travel time, a departure time at which the participant should beging traveling to the geographic location in order to arrive at the geographic location on time; and

providing, based on the departure time, a departure reminder to the participant.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein identifying the departure time comprises subtracting the identified travel time from an amount of time remaining until the start time.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein providing, based on the departure time, a departure reminder to the participant comprises providing the departure reminder within a threshold period of time associated with the departure time.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of providing directions for traveling from a current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of enabling presentation of at least one graphical user interface comprising at least one selectable option for specifying a mode of travel.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one selectable option comprises an option for specifying at least one of walking, taking public transit, or driving in a car.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of:

identifying a current geographic location of the participant;

identifying a route extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment; and

monitoring current traffic conditions along the route.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein identifying the travel time further comprises estimating the travel time based on the current traffic conditions along the route extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the departure reminder further comprises an explanation of current traffic conditions along the route.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the step of identifying one or more alternate routes extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of:

enabling selection of an alternate route; and

providing directions for travel along the selected alternate route.

23. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

identify a geographic location and a start time associated with an appointment in a calendar application;

identify a travel time corresponding to travel of a participant to the geographic location associated with the appointment;

identify, based on the identified travel time, a departure time at which the participant should begin traveling to the geographic location in order to arrive at the geographic location on time; and

provide, based on the departure time, a departure reminder to the participant.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein identifying the departure time comprises subtracting the identified travel time from an amount of time remaining until the start time.

25. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein providing, based on the departure time, a departure reminder to the participant comprises providing the departure reminder within a threshold period of time associated with the departure time.

26. The mobile device of claim 23, further comprising instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to provide directions for traveling from a current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

27. The mobile device of claim 23, further comprising instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to enable presentation of at least one graphical user interface comprising at least one selectable option for specifying a mode of travel.

28. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the at least one selectable option comprises an option for specifying at least one of walking, taking public transit, or driving in a car.

29. The mobile device of claim 23, further comprising instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

identify a current geographic location of the participant;

identify a route extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment; and

monitor current traffic conditions along the route.

30. The mobile device of claim 29, wherein identifying the travel time comprises estimating the travel time based on the current traffic conditions along the route extending from the current geographic location of the participant to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

31. The mobile device of claim 30, wherein the departure reminder further comprises an explanation of current traffic conditions along the route.

32. The mobile device of claim 30, further comprising instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to identify one or more alternate routes extending from the current geographic location to the geographic location associated with the appointment.

33. The mobile device of claim 32, further comprising instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

enable the selection of an alternate route; and

provide directions for travel along the selected alternate route.