Method and apparatus for processing scheduling requests in a shared calendar system

Abstract

According to a computer-implemented method, a scheduling request is received to schedule a user in a shared calendar system as a participant in a meeting to occur on a specified date. Based on a predefined meeting policy, a determination is made of a maximum permissible quantity of meetings for the user to participate in during a predefined time period that includes the specified date. A quantity of meetings in the shared calendar system that are already scheduled for the user to occur within the predefined time period is compared to the maximum permissible quantity of meetings for the user. Based on the comparing indicating that the quantity of meetings already scheduled is greater than or equal to the maximum permissible quantity of meetings, a notification is transmitted to the user to indicate that that approval of the scheduling request would violate the predefined meeting policy.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, a computer system, a scheduling request to schedule a user in a shared calendar system as a participant in a meeting to occur on a specified date;   determining, with the computer system, based on a predefined meeting policy, a maximum permissible quantity of meeting units, each having a same predefined duration, for the user to participate in during a predefined time period that includes the specified date, wherein the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units is indicative of a total amount of time that the user is permitted to spend in meetings during the predefined time period;   comparing, with the computer system, a sum of a quantity of meeting units that is already scheduled for the user to occur during the predefined time period to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units for the user; and   based on the comparing indicating that the quantity of meeting units already scheduled is greater than or equal to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units, sending, from the computer system, a notification to the user to indicate that approval of the scheduling request would violate the predefined meeting policy.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 ,
 wherein the meeting units that are already scheduled for the user to occur during the predefined time period include:
 first meeting units corresponding to a first type of meeting, and 
 second meeting units corresponding to a second type of meeting; and 
   wherein the comparing includes:
 including the first meeting units in the sum of the quantity of meeting units, and 
 excluding the second meeting units from the sum of the quantity of meeting units. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein meetings of the first type of meeting are business meetings, and meetings of the second type of meeting are personal meetings. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining an assigned role of the user in the shared calendar system; and   determining the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units based on the assigned role of the user.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining, with the computer system, whether the shared calendar system is currently operating in a first mode specifying strict adherence to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units or a second mode specifying flexible adherence to the maximum permissible quantity of meetings units; and   based on determining whether the shared calendar system is currently operating in the first mode or the second mode, determining whether to approve the scheduling request.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining whether to approve the scheduling request includes rejecting the scheduling request when the shared calendar system is currently operating in the first mode. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining whether to approve the scheduling request includes approving the scheduling request if the shared calendar system is currently operating in the second mode. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 operating, with the computer system, the shared calendar system in the first mode for a first predetermined time period; and   operating, with the computer system, the shared calendar system in the second mode when the first predetermined time period expires.   
     
     
         29 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at the computer system, a scheduling request to schedule a user in a shared calendar system as a participant in a meeting to occur on a specified date;   determining, with the computer system, based on a predefined meeting policy, a maximum permissible quantity of meeting units, each having a same predefined duration, for the user to participate in during a predefined time period that includes the specified date, wherein the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units is indicative of a total amount of time that the user is permitted to spend in meetings during the predefined time period;   comparing, with the computer system, a sum of a quantity of meeting units that is already scheduled for the user to occur during the predefined time period to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units for the user; and   based on the comparing indicating that the quantity of meeting units already scheduled is greater than or equal to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units, sending, from the computer system, a notification to the user to indicate that approval of the scheduling request would violate the predefined meeting policy.   
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the meeting units that are already scheduled for the user to occur during the predefined time period include:
 first meeting units corresponding to a first type of meeting, and 
 second meeting units corresponding to a second type of meeting; and 
   wherein the comparing includes:
 including the first meeting units in the sum of the quantity of meeting units, and 
 excluding the second meeting units from the sum of the quantity of meeting units. 
   
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 30 , wherein meetings of the first type of meeting are business meetings, and meetings of the second type of meeting are personal meetings. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining an assigned role of the user in the shared calendar system; and   determining the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units based on the assigned role of the user.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 operating the shared calendar system in a first mode specifying strict adherence to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units,   rejecting the scheduling request when the shared calendar system is operating in the first mode;   operating the shared calendar system in a second mode specifying flexible adherence to the maximum permissible quantity of meetings units; and   approving the scheduling request when the shared calendar system is operating in the second mode.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein, when the shared calendar system is operating in the first mode, the notification indicating that approval of the scheduling request would violate the predefined meeting policy comprises a notification that the user must cancel at least one meeting in the shared calendar system that is already scheduled for the user to occur within the predefined time period in order to obtain approval of the scheduling request. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 33 , the operations further comprising:
 determining, based on a classification of the user, whether to operate the shared calendar system in the first mode or the second mode.   
     
     
         36 . A computer system comprising:
 a processor circuit; and   a memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor circuit cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at the computer system, a scheduling request to schedule a user in a shared calendar system as a participant in a meeting to occur on a specified date; 
 determining, with the computer system, based on a predefined meeting policy, a maximum permissible quantity of meeting units, each having a same predefined duration, for the user to participate in during a predefined time period that includes the specified date, wherein the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units is indicative of a total amount of time that the user is permitted to spend in meetings during the predefined time period; 
 comparing, with the computer system, a sum of a quantity of meeting units that is already scheduled for the user to occur during the predefined time period to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units for the user; and 
 based on the comparing indicating that the quantity of meeting units already scheduled is greater than or equal to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units, sending, from the computer system, a notification to the user to indicate that approval of the scheduling request would violate the predefined meeting policy. 
   
     
     
         37 . The computer system of  claim 36 ,
 wherein the meeting units that are already scheduled for the user to occur during the predefined time period include:
 first meeting units corresponding to a first type of meeting, and 
 second meeting units corresponding to a second type of meeting; and 
   wherein the comparing includes:
 including the first meeting units in the sum of the quantity of meeting units, and 
 excluding the second meeting units from the sum of the quantity of meeting units. 
   
     
     
         38 . The computer system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 operating the shared calendar system in a first mode specifying strict adherence to the maximum permissible quantity of meeting units,   rejecting the scheduling request when the shared calendar system is operating in the first mode;   operating the shared calendar system in a second mode specifying flexible adherence to the maximum permissible quantity of meetings units; and   approving the scheduling request when the shared calendar system is operating in the second mode.   
     
     
         39 . The computer system of  claim 38 , wherein, when the shared calendar system is operating in the first mode, the notification indicating that approval of the scheduling request would violate the predefined meeting policy comprises a notification that the user must cancel at least one meeting in the shared calendar system that is already scheduled for the user to occur within the predefined time period in order to obtain approval of the scheduling request. 
     
     
         40 . The computer system of  claim 38 , the operations further comprising:
 determining, based on a classification of the user, whether to operate the shared calendar system in the first mode or the second mode.