Appointment scheduling system

• US 20070282654A1
• Filed: 06/03/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shyamal K. Sarkar
• Original Assignee: Shyamal K. Sarkar
• Inventors: Sarkar, Shyamal K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• 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 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and system for alerting users of an appointment system of any change in an appointment schedule between practitioners and clients. If a user registered in the appointment system chooses to schedule an appointment, the user confirms the appointment by sending a conformation message to the message handling module. The appointment system, at predetermined intervals of time compares the status of preferred schedule of appointment against the existing schedule of appointments and if there is any change in the status of scheduled appointment, the change is stored in the central database and an alert message generated. The alert messages are sent via email or short message services (SMS) or a prerecorded voice message on their wire-line phone to users affected by the change in schedule and who have registered for the appointment service.

Claims

1. A method for alerting users of an appointment system of changes in an appointment schedule, wherein a user comprises a practitioner, a client or an administrator, and the appointment is scheduled between a practitioner and a client, the method comprising the steps of:

creating preferred appointment schedules by the users in said appointment system;

recording the availability status of the users over a predetermined period of time for user who are scheduled for the preferred appointment in the appointment system, thereby creating a revised schedule of appointments;

comparing the status of preferred schedule of appointments against the revised schedule of appointments at predetermined intervals of time, wherein said step of comparing the status of the preferred schedule and constructing a revised schedule of appointments is performed automatically by the appointment system;

generating alert messages that contains the change in the status or schedule of appointments, and

sending said alert messages to affected users indicating the change in status or the schedule of appointments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said users are required to be verified by the online appointment system for their identity prior to being granted access to the appointment system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of creating preferred appointment schedules further comprises the step of registering the users and storing the information of the users in the appointment system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein after the step of creating the preferred appointment schedule, a confirmation message of the preferred appointment schedule is sent to the users of said appointment schedule.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of authentication further comprises the steps of:

collecting login information from the user comprising a unique user identifier and a password;

comparing said login information collected from the user to login information stored in the appointment system;

generating an error message to the user if the login information provided by the user in incorrect; and

allowing access to the appointment system if the login information provided by the user matches the login information stored in the appointment system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating preferred appointment schedules, further comprises the steps of registering the users of the appointment system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said alert messages are short messaging service messages sent to the mobile device of the affected users, and wherein said appointment system is in communication with the mobile device via the internet.

8. The method of claim 1, the appointment system sends said alert messages to affected users a prerecorded voice message played to the user on the user'"'"'s wireline telephone connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said alert messages are emails sent to the affected users.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the method of recording the change in status or schedule of appointments from a user authorized to change said appointment further comprises:

presenting a view of the appointment book to the client comprising a list of schedule of appointments of the clients with a particular practitioner;

modifying the view of the appointment book and storing the modifications in the central database; and

adding, rescheduling or canceling the appointments.

11. An online appointment system for alerting users of changes in an appointment schedule, wherein a user is a practitioner, client or administrator, and the appointment is scheduled between a practitioner and the client, the system comprising:

a registration module for registering users in the appointment system;

an appointment module for creating preferred appointment schedules by the users in said appointment system and for recording the availability status of the users in the appointment system who are scheduled for an appointment within a predetermined time period, wherein said recording is performed by the user;

a comparison and deduction module for comparing the status of preferred schedule of appointments against the revised schedule of appointments at predetermined intervals of time, and constructing a revised schedule of appointments, wherein said step of comparing the status of the preferred schedule and constructing a revised schedule of appointments is performed automatically by the appointment system after said recording the availability status of the users;

a message handling module for generating alert messages that contains the change in the status or schedule of appointments, and sending said alert messages to affected users indicating the change in status or the schedule of appointments; and

a central database located on the internet for storing user and appointment related information.

12. The online appointment system of 11, wherein the registration module further comprises a practitioner registration module and a client registration module.

13. The online appointment system of 11, wherein the appointment module further comprises a practitioner appointment book creation module, a practitioner appointment book access module, a practitioner appointment addition module, a practitioner appointment cancellation module, a client appointment book access module, a client appointment addition module and a client appointment cancellation module.