METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACCESSING DECLINED EVENT INVITATIONS

• US 20070198316A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick Joseph, Browne, Garreth, Boland, Conor Terance, Brohan Delhaye, Marie Helene
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• 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 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A method and system for accessing declined invitations is provided. The method includes receiving notification of an available time slot, retrieving stored declined event invitations, and presenting the declined event invitations to a user. The user can accept of a previously declined event invitation for the available time slot. When the user receives an event invitation and declines the event invitation, the method includes saving the declined event invitation to a data store from which it may be retrieved. Stored declined event invitations are deleted once the time of the event has passed.

Claims

1. A method for accessing declined event invitations, comprising:

receiving notification of an available time slot;

retrieving stored declined event invitations; and

presenting the declined event invitations to a user for acceptance of an event invitation for the available time slot.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a client receives an event invitation and declines the event invitation, and the method includes saving the declined event invitation to a data store.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving accesses invitations to all previously declined event invitations.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving accesses invitations to previously declined event invitations overlapping the available time slot.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of presenting also presents event invitations which have not been responded to.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification of an available time slot is a cancellation or rescheduling of a previously accepted event invitation.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein declined event invitations are copied to a data store and the stored declined event invitations are independent of the original received invitation.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein stored declined event invitations are deleted once the time of the event has passed.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is carried out in a messaging system.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the messaging system includes a calendar, and the method includes generating a notification of an available time slot when a calendar entry is deleted.

11. A system for accessing declined event invitations, comprising:

means for notification of an available time slot;

means for retrieving declined event invitations from a data store; and

means for presenting the declined event invitations to a user for acceptance of an event invitation for the available time slot.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the system is a messaging system including:

a server running a messaging application; and

a plurality of clients running client applications of the messaging application.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the messaging system includes a calendar means which is updated to indicate events.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for notification comprises a graphical user interface with means for selecting an option to view previously declined event invitations.

15. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for presenting the declined event invitations comprises a graphical user interface with means for selecting an event invitation for acceptance.

16. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the data store is coupled to the server.

17. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the data store is provided locally to a client.

18. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the data store is hidden from a user to prevent unintentional deletion of event invitations.

19. A system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising means for automatically removing event invitations from the data store once the time of the event has passed.

20. A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for accessing declined event invitations, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving notification of an available time slot;

program code for retrieving declined event invitations; and

program code for presenting the declined event invitations to a user for acceptance of an event invitation for the available time slot.