APPOINTMENT SCHEDULER AND LOCATION TRACKER

• US 20140244336A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Darren Braunstein
• Original Assignee: Darren Braunstein
• Inventors: Braunstein, Darren
• Application Number:
  US13/826,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

The invention is directed to scheduling appointments for a field representative and tracking locations of the field representative. New or updated scheduling information regarding appointments to be carried out by the field representative at specified locations is received at a host device from an admin terminal and is stored. Location information about the field representative is entered into a first remote device each time that the field representative arrives at or departs from one of the specified locations and is sent over the network to the host device. The current location of the field representative is updated at the host device each time that the location information about the field representative is received. The current location of and an estimated arrival time of the field representative at a particular one of the specified locations are provided from the host device over the network to a second remote device.

Claims

1. A host device connected to a network and operable to schedule appointments for a field representative and to track locations of the field representative, the host device comprising:

a processor encoded with instructions for processing and storing new or updated scheduling information provided to the host device regarding appointments to be carried out by the field representative at specified locations, for processing location information about the field representative that is entered into a first remote device each time that the field representative arrives at or departs from one of the specified locations and which is sent over the network to the host device, for updating a current location of the field representative each time that the location information about the field representative is received, and for providing the current location of the field representative and an estimated arrival time of the field representative at a particular one of the specified locations over the network to a second remote device.

2. A host device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is encoded with further instructions for generating and providing, to an admin device connected to the host device, an admin graphical user interface screen into which the appointments to be carried out by the field representative are entered or updated.

3. A host device according to claim 2, wherein the admin graphical user interface includes respective fields into which information identifying the field representative and information relating to each of the appointments are entered or provided.

4. A host device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is encoded with further instructions for generating and providing, over the network to the first remote device, a field representative graphical user interface screen by which the location information about the field representative is updated.

5. A host device according to claim 4, wherein the field representative graphical user interface displays one or more of the specified locations and the scheduled appointments and includes respective fields for providing indications that the field representative has arrived at or departed from one of the specified locations.

6. A host device according to claim 5, wherein the field representative graphical user interface displays one or more check boxes into which the indications that the field representative has arrived at or has departed from one of the specified locations are provided.

7. A host device according to claim 5, wherein the processor is provided with an arrival or departure time each time that one of the indications that the field representative has arrived at or has departed from one of the specified locations is provided.

8. A host device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is encoded with further instructions for generating and providing, over the network to the first remote device, a login screen for providing identification information which is verified prior to the processor providing the field representative graphical user interface.

9. A host device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is encoded with further instructions for generating and providing, over the network to the second remote device, a customer graphical user interface screen which displays information indicating whether the field representative is currently located at one of the specified locations or is in transit between two of the specified locations and the estimated arrival time of the field representative at the specified location of the appointment scheduled for a particular customer.

10. A host device according to claim 9, wherein the customer graphical user interface screen further displays a prior arrival or departure time of the field representative at one or more of the specified locations of appointments scheduled to be earlier than the appointment scheduled for the customer.

11. A host device according to claim 9, wherein the customer graphical user interface screen further displays a field for providing a cell phone number that is to receive a text message indicating that the field representative is in transit to the specified location of the appointment scheduled for the customer.

12. A host device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is encoded with further instructions for generating and providing, over the network to the first remote device, a login screen for providing information identifying at least one of the customer or the appointment scheduled for the customer which is verified prior to the processor providing the customer graphical user interface screen.

13. A host device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is encoded with further instructions for generating and providing, over the network to a third remote device, a dashboard graphical user interface screen which displays information identifying the field representative, identifying each of the appointments or specified locations scheduled for the field representative, and indicating whether the field representative is currently located at one of the appointments or specified locations or is in transit between two of the appointments or specified locations.

14. An appointment scheduler and location tracker system, comprising:

a host device according to claim 1;

a portable device operable as the first remote device; and

a personal computer or portable device operable as the second remote device.

15. A method of scheduling appointments for a field representative and tracking locations of the field representative, the method comprising:

receiving, from an admin terminal, new or updated scheduling information regarding appointments to be carried out by the field representative at specified locations;

storing the new or updated scheduling information;

receiving, from a first remote device over a network, location information about the field representative that is entered into the first remote device each time that the field representative arrives at or departs from one of the specified locations;

updating a current location of the field representative each time that the location information about the field representative is received; and

providing, over the network to a second remote device, the current location of the field representative and an estimated arrival time of the field representative at a particular one of the specified locations.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded therein a computer program for carrying out a method of scheduling appointments for a field representative and tracking locations of the field representative, the method comprising:

receiving, from an admin terminal, new or updated scheduling information regarding appointments to be carried out by the field representative at specified locations;

storing the new or updated scheduling information;

receiving, from a first remote device over a network, location information about the field representative that is entered into the first remote device each time that the field representative arrives at or departs from one of the specified locations;

updating a current location of the field representative each time that the location information about the field representative is received; and

providing, over the network to a second remote device, the current location of the field representative and an estimated arrival time of the field representative at a particular one of the specified locations.