Intelligent Free-Time Search

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for performing free-time searches that exploit information of the type used with electronic calendars. By leveraging advanced calendaring system information and using location, other context information such as corporate policy, legal constraints, and technology constraints, and user-specific preferences to provide a complete picture of a person's availability, the functionality (and therefore the value) of scheduling systems in increased, resulting in an ability to schedule meetings with more accuracy and less rework. Various allowable participation types for meeting invitees may be specified, and each invitee's availability is determined accordingly. Location-sensitive travel times (including optional user-specific travel time adjustments) are used in preferred embodiments when in-person participation is required.

1 . A computer-implemented method of scheduling a meeting, further comprising steps of: 
 selecting one or more meeting invitees;    selecting, for each invitee, an allowable participation level;    evaluating availability information for each invitee, with reference to the allowable participation level; and    using results of the evaluating step for all invitees to determine when the meeting can be scheduled.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the allowable participation level for each invitee is a minimum required participation level, and wherein the evaluating step evaluates the availability information for each invitee for the minimum required participation level and for zero or more higher-ranking participation levels which are implied by the minimum required participation level.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the selecting step selects one or more explicitly-specified participation levels for each invitee, and wherein the evaluating step evaluates the availability information for each invitee for each of the one or more explicitly-specified participation levels of that invitee.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the using step further comprises the step of determining one or more candidate meeting times when all invitees are available according to the evaluating step.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of considering a meeting location supplied by a meeting scheduler as a constraint on when the meeting can be scheduled.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of considering one or more meeting preferences supplied by a meeting scheduler in determining when the meeting can be scheduled.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting the results of the evaluating step to a meeting scheduler.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising the step of allowing the meeting scheduler to select from among a plurality of potential times and/or locations in the presented results.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of sending meeting invitations to the invitees wherein the meeting invitations specify the selected time and location.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the meeting invitations further specify travel time to and/or from the selected location for those invitees for whom in-person participation is an allowable participation level.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the meeting invitations further specify one or more allowable participation levels for each meeting invitee.  
     
     
         12 . A computer program product for scheduling a meeting, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising: 
 computer-readable program code means for selecting one or more meeting invitees;    computer-readable program code means for selecting, for each invitee, an allowable participation level;    computer-readable program code means for evaluating availability information for each invitee, with reference to the allowable participation level; and    computer-readable program code means for using results of the evaluation for all invitees to determine when the meeting can be scheduled.    
     
     
         13 . The computer program product according to  claim 12 , wherein the allowable participation level for each invitee is a minimum required participation level, and wherein the computer-readable program code means for evaluating further comprises computer-readable program code means for evaluating the availability information for each invitee for the minimum required participation level and for zero or more higher-ranking participation levels which are implied by the minimum required participation level.  
     
     
         14 . The computer program product according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the computer-readable program code means for selecting an allowable participation level for each invitee is replaced by computer-readable program code means for specifying, for each invitee, one or allowable participation levels; and    the computer-readable program code means for evaluating availability information for each invitee operates with reference to the one or more specified allowable participation levels.