Method and meeting scheduler for automated meeting insertion and rescheduling for busy calendars

Abstract

A method and meeting scheduler are provided for automated meeting insertion and rescheduling for busy calendars. An electronic calendar meeting scheduling program stores meeting automation properties defined for each scheduled meeting. The electronic calendar meeting scheduling program stores meeting attendee automation properties defined for each attendee of each scheduled meeting. The electronic calendar meeting scheduling program utilizes the stored meeting automation properties and the stored meeting attendee automation properties to calculate a conflict score and action list for each potential time block for automated meeting insertion and rescheduling. The calculated conflict score and action list for each potential time block for rescheduling a meeting are based upon multiple factors including a move score, a leave early score, and a shorten meeting score. The action list includes an entry for each meeting altered for automated meeting insertion and rescheduling. The electronic calendar meeting scheduling program sorts each potential time block for automated meeting insertion and rescheduling by lowest calculated conflict score and utilizes the calculated conflict score and action list of the sorted potential time blocks to identify a solution time block for automated meeting insertion and rescheduling. The stored meeting automation properties include a move premium value for moving the meeting, a shorten premium value for shortening the meeting and a leave premium value for allowing attendees to leave the meeting early. The meeting automation properties and meeting attendee automation properties include multiple approval options for moving the meeting, for shortening the meeting and for allowing attendees to leave the meeting early. The meeting attendee automation properties include an attendee role, such as owner, presenter, observer and collaborator, and an attendee commitment options for attending. The meeting attendee automation properties include attendee selected notification options.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.