Methods, systems, and computer program products for schedule management based on locations of wireless devices

• US 8,290,479 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John, Aaron, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US13/078,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20110188351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/414.1, 705/8
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method for managing appointments using a wireless device includes receiving scheduling data for a future appointment including a time associated with the future appointment. A current location of the wireless device is determined, and a reminder for the future appointment is provided at a time prior to the future appointment based on the current location of the wireless device. For example, the reminder may be provided at a time that varies based on the current location of the wireless device, a location associated with the future appointment, and an estimated travel time between the current location of the device and the location associated with the future appointment. Related methods, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A device-implemented method, for managing a future appointment, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device, scheduling data for the future appointment, the scheduling data including a time and a location associated with the future appointment and contact information for at least one person associated with the future appointment;

determining, by the wireless device, a current location of the wireless device;

providing, by the wireless device, a reminder for the future appointment at a time sufficiently prior to the time of the future appointment to allow for attendance of the future appointment based on the current location, wherein the time at which the reminder is provided dynamically varies based on the current location of the wireless device relative to the location associated with the future appointment;

determining that a user of the wireless device will be late for the future appointment based on the current location of the wireless device, the location of the future appointment, and the time associated with the future appointment; and

automatically initiating using the contact information and responsive to determining that the user will be late, display at the wireless device, for viewing by the user, of a prompt for the user to initiate a communication between the wireless device and at least one electronic device associated with the at least one person.

2. The device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining current weather data; and

determining real-time travel conditions based at least in part on said weather data;

wherein providing the reminder, by the wireless device, comprises;

determining, by the wireless device, an initial time for the reminder,

calculating, by the wireless device, based on said real-time travel conditions, an estimated travel time between the current location of the device and the location associated with the future appointment;

altering, by the wireless device, the initial time for the reminder based on the estimated travel time and the time associated with the future appointment, yielding an altered time for the reminder; and

providing, by the wireless device, the reminder at the altered time in accordance with the estimated travel time.

3. The device-implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining the real-time travel conditions is based also on non-weather travel-related variables at or between the current location of the device and the location of the future appointment.

4. The device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the wireless device, a travel route to the location associated with the future appointment based on the current location of the wireless device; and

providing, by the wireless device, automatically, without user input initiating the providing, directions to the location associated with the future appointment based on the travel route that was selected.

5. The device-implemented method of claim 4, wherein providing, by the wireless device, directions to the location associated with the future appointment includes providing the directions as part of the reminder.

6. The device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device, task data for a plurality of future tasks to be completed, each task being distinct from the future appointment, and the task data including a respective location associated with each of the plurality of tasks; and

automatically determining an order of completion for the plurality of future tasks based on the respective locations and the current location of the wireless device.

7. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein initiating display of the prompt includes initiating display of the prompt which indicates:

the current location of the wireless device; and

at least one time selected from a group consisting of (i) an estimated amount of time that the user is expected to be late and (ii) an estimated time of arrival of the user at the location associated with the future appointment.

8. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein initiating display of the prompt includes initiating display of the prompt being configured to be specific to the user of the wireless device.

9. The device-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the prompt to initiate the communication prompts the user expressly to initiate communication via at least one pre-determined type of communication selected from a group consisting of:

phone call;

e-mail;

short messaging system message; and

instant message.

10. A computer-implemented method, for managing a future appointment, comprising:

receiving, by a non-transitory schedule management server, scheduling data for the future appointment including a time and location associated with the future appointment and current attendance status information for a plurality of attendees who are scheduled to attend the future appointment, wherein the current status information, for one of the plurality of attendees, indicates that the one of the plurality of attendees will attend the future appointment;

receiving, by the non-transitory schedule management server, location information indicating a current location of a wireless device associated with the one of the plurality of attendees in real-time;

predicting, by the non-transitory schedule management server, a likelihood of attendance of the future appointment for the one of the plurality of attendees based on the current location of the wireless device and at least one of the time and location associated with the future appointment;

determining, by the non-transitory schedule management server, based on the predicted likelihood of attendance, that a change in the current attendance status information for the one of the plurality of attendees, to indicate that the one of the plurality of attendees will not attend, is required;

updating, by the non-transitory schedule management server in real-time, the current attendance status information for the one of the plurality of attendees of the future appointment, based on the determined change to provide updated attendance status information, to indicate that the one of the plurality of attendees will not attend;

maintaining the future appointment as scheduled for taking place, at said time, despite the current attendance status of the one of the plurality of attendees being changed to indicate that the one of the plurality of attendees will not attend;

determining that an attendance condition has been met, wherein the attendance condition comprises the current attendance status of each of a pre-determined sub-set of the plurality of attendees, the sub-set not including solely said one of the plurality of attendees, having changed from indicating that each of the sub-set will attend to indicating that each of the sub-set will not attend; and

determining, by the non-transitory schedule management server, to cancel the future appointment in response to determining that the attendance condition has been met.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein updating the attendance status information, by the non-transitory schedule management server, further comprises automatically transmitting, from the non-transitory schedule management server, a message to an electronic device associated with another one of the plurality of attendees indicating (i) the updated attendance status information for the one of the plurality of attendees, indicating that the one of the plurality of attendees will not attend, and (ii) that the future appointment is still scheduled for taking place at said time.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

accessing, by the non-transitory schedule management server, additional scheduling data for at least one of the plurality of attendees; and

automatically determining, by the non-transitory schedule management server, a future time to reschedule the future appointment based on the additional scheduling data for the at least one of the plurality of attendees.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving, by the non-transitory schedule management server, location information further comprises receiving location information from ones of a plurality of wireless devices associated with ones of the plurality of attendees, the location information indicating current locations of the ones of the plurality of wireless devices;

predicting, by the non-transitory schedule management server, the likelihood of attendance comprises predicting a plurality of likelihoods of attendance for the ones of the plurality of attendees based on the current locations of the ones of the plurality of wireless devices; and

updating, by the non-transitory schedule management server, the attendance status information comprises updating the attendance status information for the ones of the plurality of attendees based on the plurality of predicted likelihoods of attendance and automatically transmitting a message to the ones of the plurality of wireless devices indicating the updated attendance status information for the ones of the plurality of attendees.

14. A device-implemented method, for managing an appointment, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device, scheduling data for a future appointment, the scheduling data including a time and a location associated with the future appointment and contact information for at least one person associated with the future appointment;

determining, by the wireless device, a current location of the wireless device;

providing, by the wireless device, a reminder for the future appointment at a time sufficiently prior to the time of the future appointment to allow for attendance of the future appointment based on the current location, wherein the time at which the reminder is provided dynamically varies based on the current location of the wireless device relative to the location associated with the future appointment;

determining that a user of the wireless device will be late for the future appointment based on the current location of the wireless device, the location of the future appointment, and the time associated with the future appointment; and

initiating, by the wireless device, using the contact information and responsive to determining that the user will be late, display at the wireless device, for viewing by the user, of a prompt for the user to initiate a communication between the wireless device and at least one electronic device associated with the at least one person.

15. The device-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining current weather data; and

determining real-time travel conditions based at least in part on said weather data;

wherein providing the reminder, by the wireless device, comprises;

determining, by the wireless device, an initial time for the reminder,

calculating, by the wireless device, based on said real-time travel conditions, an estimated travel time between the current location of the device and the location associated with the future appointment;

altering, by the wireless device, the initial time for the reminder based on the estimated travel time and the time associated with the future appointment, yielding an altered time for the reminder; and

providing, by the wireless device, the reminder at the altered time in accordance with the estimated travel time.

16. The device-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining the real-time travel conditions is based also on non-weather travel-related variables at or between the current location of the device and the location of the future appointment.

17. The device-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting, by the wireless device, a travel route to the location associated with the future appointment based on the current location of the wireless device; and

providing, by the wireless device, automatically, without user input initiating the providing, directions to the location associated with the future appointment based on the travel route that was selected.

18. The device-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device, task data for a plurality of future tasks to be completed, each task being distinct from the future appointment, and the task data including a respective location associated with each of the plurality of tasks; and

automatically determining an order of completion for the plurality of future tasks based on the respective locations and the current location of the wireless device.

19. The device-implemented method of claim 14, wherein initiating display of the prompt includes initiating display of the prompt which indicates:

the current location of the wireless device; and

at least one time selected from a group consisting of (i) an estimated amount of time that the user is expected to be late and (ii) an estimated time of arrival of the user at the location associated with the future appointment.

20. The device-implemented method of claim 14, wherein initiating display of the prompt includes initiating display of the prompt being configured to be specific to the user of the wireless device.

21. The device-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the prompt to initiate the communication prompts the user expressly to initiate communication via at least one pre-determined type of communication selected from a group consisting of:

phone call;

e-mail;

short messaging system message; and

instant message.