Cognitively determining a time of an alarm

A computer program product for determining a time of an alarm, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored on the computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the computer readable program code being executed by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to cause the computer system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

• the computer system determining a meaning of natural language input provided by a user by using natural language processing, the meaning specifying the alarm, an event which will occur at a time that is indefinite and unscheduled, an action to be taken by the user, and an amount of time, wherein the alarm notifies the user about the action to be taken prior to the event and the alarm is triggered at a time that precedes an estimated time of the event by the amount of time;
• the computer system retrieving information that includes data describing movements of a mobile device of the user, data describing usage of the mobile device, profile information about the user, historical behavior of the user, appointments in a calendar application used by the user, messages sent and received by the user, content generated by the user on a social networking service, and social networks of the user which are managed by the social networking service;
• based on the retrieved information, the computer system generating the estimated time of the event by using one or more cognitive computing techniques;
• and
• the computer system determining the time of the alarm as a time that precedes the estimated time of the event by the amount of time.

A computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a memory coupled to the CPU;
• and
• a computer readable storage device coupled to the CPU, the computer readable storage device containing instructions that are executed by the CPU via the memory to implement a method of determining a time of an alarm, the method comprising the steps of:
• the computer system determining a meaning of natural language input provided by a user by using natural language processing, the meaning specifying the alarm, an event which will occur at a time that is indefinite and unscheduled, an action to be taken by the user, and an amount of time, wherein the alarm notifies the user about the action to be taken prior to the event and the alarm is triggered at a time that precedes an estimated time of the event by the amount of time;
• the computer system retrieving information that includes data describing movements of a mobile device of the user, data describing usage of the mobile device, profile information about the user, historical behavior of the user, appointments in a calendar application used by the user, messages sent and received by the user, content generated by the user on a social networking service, and social networks of the user which are managed by the social networking service;
• based on the retrieved information, the computer system generating the estimated time of the event by using one or more cognitive computing techniques;
• and
• the computer system determining the time of the alarm as a time that precedes the estimated time of the event by the amount of time.