Negotiated meeting scheduling with one or more required attendees
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLisa Seacat DeLuca, Dana L. Price, Nagarjuna R. Vemireddy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments provide for negotiated scheduling of a meeting with one or more required meeting attendees before sending out invitations(s) to one or more optional meeting attendees. In one specific example, mechanisms are provided for iterative scheduling which includes proposed times and counter proposals to/from the required meeting attendee(s). In another specific example, mechanisms are provided for sending a meeting invitation to each optional meeting attendee once an agreement is reached among required meeting attendee(s) regarding the time of the meeting.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for scheduling a meeting with at least one required meeting attendee and at least one optional meeting attendee, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a processor, an identification of a first set of meeting attendees, wherein the first set of meeting attendees comprises at least one required meeting attendee;
- receiving, by the processor, an identification of a second set of meeting attendees, wherein the second set of meeting attendees comprises at least one optional meeting attendee;
- sending by the processor, after receipt of the identification of the first and second sets of meeting attendees, a required meeting attendee invitation to each required meeting attendee but not to any optional meeting attendee, wherein each required meeting attendee invitation comprises a proposed time for the meeting;
- receiving, by the processor, from each required meeting attendee a response to the respective required meeting attendee invitation;
- determining by the processor, based upon the response received from each respective required meeting attendee, whether each required meeting attendee has accepted the respective required meeting attendee invitation;
- and
- sending by the processor, in response to the determination that each required meeting attendee has accepted the respective required meeting attendee invitation, an optional meeting attendee invitation to each optional meeting attendee, wherein each optional meeting attendee invitation comprises the proposed time agreed to by each required meeting attendee.
A computer readable storage medium, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer for scheduling a meeting with at least one required meeting attendee and at least one optional meeting attendee, the program of instructions, in executing, performing the following steps:
- receiving an identification of a first set of meeting attendees, wherein the first set of meeting attendees comprises at least one required meeting attendee;
- receiving an identification of a second set of meeting attendees, wherein the second set of meeting attendees comprises at least one optional meeting attendee;
- sending, after receipt of the identification of the first and second sets of meeting attendees, a required meeting attendee invitation to each required meeting attendee but not to any optional meeting attendee, wherein each required meeting attendee invitation comprises a proposed time for the meeting;
- receiving from each required meeting attendee a response to the respective required meeting attendee invitation;
- determining, based upon the response received from each respective required meeting attendeed, whether each required meeting attendee has accepted the respective required meeting attendee invitation;
- and
- sending, in response to the determination that each required meeting attendee has accepted the respective required meeting attendee invitation, an optional meeting attendee invitation to each optional meeting attendee, wherein each optional meeting attendee invitation comprises the proposed time agreed to by each required meeting attendee.
A computer-implemented system for scheduling a meeting with at least one required meeting attendee and at least one optional meeting attendee, the system comprising:
- an input element configured to receive:
- (a) an identification of a first set of meeting attendees, wherein the first set of meeting attendees comprises at least one required meeting attendee, and (b) an identification of a second set of meeting attendees, wherein the second set of meeting attendees comprises at least one optional meeting attendee;
- a required meeting attendee invitation sending element configured to send, after receipt of the identification of the first and second sets of meeting attendees, a required meeting attendee invitation to each required meeting attendee but not to any optional meeting attendee, wherein each required meeting attendee invitation comprises a proposed time for the meeting;
- a receiving element configured to receive from each required meeting attendee a response to the respective required meeting attendee invitation;
- a determining element configured to determine, based upon the response received from each respective required meeting attendee, whether each required meeting attendee has accepted the respective required meeting attendee invitation;
- and
- an optional meeting attendee invitation sending element configured to send, in response to the determination that each required meeting attendee has accepted the respective required meeting attendee invitation, an optional meeting attendee invitation to each optional meeting attendee, wherein each optional meeting attendee invitation comprises the proposed time agreed to by each required meeting attendee.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.