Determining availability based on percentage available

• US 9,058,597 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Goodman, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/728,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a system and method for displaying the scheduling availability of a user. The system includes an occupancy module for analyzing the schedule of the user to determine the occupancy for a time period in the schedule. The time period includes an available time slot and/or an occupied time slot. A processor connected to the occupancy module determines whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy. The threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum number of occupied time slots, a maximum percentage of occupied time slots, a maximum amount of occupied time, and/or a maximum percentage of occupied time. A scheduling module connected to the processor automatically displays the scheduling availability of the user as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy.

Claims

1. A system for displaying scheduling availability of a user, said system comprising:

an occupancy module for analyzing a schedule of the user to determine occupancy for a time period in the schedule based on a percentage of occupied time in the time period, the time period including at least one of an available time slot and an occupied time slot;

a processor connected to said occupancy module, said processor determines whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy, the threshold level of occupancy including a maximum percentage of occupied time; and

a scheduling module connected to said processor, said scheduling module automatically displays the scheduling availability of the user, the scheduling availability of the user being displayed as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said occupancy module determines the occupancy for the time period based on at least one of:

a number of occupied time slots in the time period,

an amount of occupied time in the time period, and

a percentage of occupied time in the time period.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said occupancy module observes at least one ineligible occupied time slot, the ineligible occupied time slot being excluded from at least one of:

the number of occupied time slots in the time period,

the percentage of occupied time slots in the time period,

the amount of occupied time in the time period, and

the percentage of occupied time in the time period.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said scheduling module sends a message to at least one of the user and a second user, the message including the scheduling availability of the user.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum number of occupied time slots.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum percentage of occupied time slots.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum amount of occupied time.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum percentage of occupied time slots.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum amount of occupied time.

10. A system for displaying scheduling availability of a user, said system comprising:

an occupancy module for analyzing a schedule of the user to determine occupancy for a time period in the schedule, the time period including at least one of an available time slot and an occupied time slot, said occupancy module determines the occupancy for the time period based on a percentage of occupied time in the time period;

a processor connected to said occupancy module, said processor determines whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy, the threshold level of occupancy including a maximum percentage of occupied time; and

a scheduling module connected to said processor, said scheduling module automatically displays the scheduling availability of the user, the scheduling availability of the user being displayed as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy, said scheduling module sends a message to at least one of the user and a second user, the message including the scheduling availability of the user.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said occupancy module observes at least one ineligible occupied time slot, the ineligible occupied time slot being excluded from at least one of:

a number of occupied time slots in the time period,

a percentage of occupied time slots in the time period,

a amount of occupied time in the time period, and

the percentage of occupied time in the time period.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum number of occupied time slots.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum percentage of occupied time slots.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum amount of occupied time.

15. A system for displaying scheduling availability of a user, said system comprising:

an occupancy module for analyzing a schedule of the user to determine occupancy for a time period in the schedule based on a percentage of occupied time in the time period, the time period including at least one of an available time slot and an occupied time slot, said occupancy module observes at least one ineligible occupied time slot, the ineligible occupied time slot being excluded from at least one of;

a number of occupied time slots in the time period,

a percentage of occupied time slots in the time period,

an amount of occupied time in the time period, and

the percentage of occupied time in the time period;

a processor connected to said occupancy module, said processor determines whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy, the threshold level of occupancy including a maximum percentage of occupied time; and

a scheduling module connected to said processor, said scheduling module automatically displays the scheduling availability of the user, the scheduling availability of the user being displayed as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy, said scheduling module sends a message to at least one of the user and a second user, the message including the scheduling availability of the user.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said occupancy module determines the occupancy for the time period based on at least one of:

the number of occupied time slots in the time period,

the percentage of occupied time slots in the time period,

the amount of occupied time in the time period.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum number of occupied time slots.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum percentage of occupied time slots.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum amount of occupied time.

20. A computer program product for displaying scheduling availability of a user, said computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to analyze a schedule of the user to determine occupancy for a time period in the schedule based on a percentage of occupied time in the time period, the time period including at least one of an available time slot and an occupied time slot;

second program instructions to determine whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy, the threshold level of occupancy including a maximum percentage of occupied time; and

third program instructions to automatically display the scheduling availability of the user, the scheduling availability of the user being displayed as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy,

wherein said first program instructions, said second program instructions, and said third program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium.