SCHEDULING A MEETING BETWEEN DIFFERENT WORK SCHEDULES

• US 20110307286A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haynes, Thomas Richard, Sun, Lin
• Application Number:
  US12/814,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307286A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• 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

A method of scheduling a meeting, with computing systems in communication with a data network, includes: storing an identification of a prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours on a memory device of a computing system; and with the computing system, generating a suggested meeting time within the regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours. A system for scheduling a meeting includes: a computing system programmed to store an identification of a prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours on a memory device for use by meeting scheduling software, also stored on the memory device, for generating a suggested meeting time within the regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling a meeting with computing systems in communication with a data network, said method comprising:

storing an identification of a prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours on a memory device of a computing system; and

with said computing system, generating a suggested meeting time within said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking a user'"'"'s usage of a said computing system to determine said typically-worked off-work hours for that user when that user is a prospective meeting participant.

3. The method of claim 1, in which generating a suggested meeting time comprises:

comparing said participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours with those of a second prospective meeting participant; and

placing said suggested meeting time within an overlap of said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours of said prospective meeting participant and said second prospective meeting participant.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising including said suggested meeting time in a meeting request transmitted from a first said computing system to a second said computing system over said data network.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating said suggested meeting time in response to receipt of a meeting request via said data network.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising informing at least one of said prospective meeting participants if there is no overlap of said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours of said prospective meeting participant and said second prospective meeting participant

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising requesting, via said data network, data identifying said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours of said second prospective meeting participant from a computing device of said second prospective meeting participant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, through a user interface of said computing system, data specifying said prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a meeting request with said computing system via said data network, said meeting request including data identifying said prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

10. A system for scheduling a meeting, said system comprising:

a computing system programmed to store an identification of a prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours on a memory device for use by meeting scheduling software, also stored on said memory device, for generating a suggested meeting time within said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a usage analyzing module, also stored on said memory device, for tracking a user'"'"'s usage of a said computing system to determine said typically-worked off-work hours for that user when that user is a prospective meeting participant.

12. The system of claim 10, in which said meeting scheduling software causes said computing system to:

compare said participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours with those of a second prospective meeting participant; and

place said suggested meeting time within an overlap of said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours of said prospective meeting participant and said second prospective meeting participant.

13. The system of claim 12, in which said meeting scheduling software includes said suggested meeting time in a meeting request transmitted from said computing system to a second said computing system over a data network.

14. The system of claim 12, in which said meeting scheduling software generates said suggested meeting time in response to receipt of a meeting request via a data network.

15. The system of claim 12, in which said meeting scheduling software informs at least one of said prospective meeting participants though a user interface if there is no overlap of said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours of said prospective meeting participant and said second prospective meeting participant.

16. The system of claim 12, in which said meeting scheduling software requests, via a data network, data identifying said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours of said second prospective meeting participant from a computing device of said second prospective meeting participant.

17. The system of claim 10, in which said meeting scheduling software receives, through a user interface of said computing system, data specifying said prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

18. The system of claim 10, in which said meeting scheduling software transmits a meeting request from said computing system via a data network, said meeting request including data identifying said prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

19. A computer program product for scheduling a meeting, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to store an identification of a prospective meeting participant'"'"'s regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours; and

computer readable program code configured to generate a suggested meeting time within said regular work hours and typically-worked off-work hours.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to track a user'"'"'s usage of a said computing system to determine said typically-worked off-work hours for that user when that user is a prospective meeting participant.