Reservation system with graphical user interface

A tangible computer readable recordable storage medium including:

• computer useable program code for providing a reservation system including:
• computer useable program code for displaying a scalable visualization object, wherein said scalable visualization object comprises:
• an expanded view element of said reservation system depicting information in connection with a selected interval of time, wherein said information in connection with the selected interval of time comprises (i) an account selection element presenting multiple payment account options that can be selected to use for payment for a potential reservation of the selected interval of time, and (ii) a presence awareness element to support multiple simultaneous reservations for the selected interval of time by multiple respective users, wherein the multiple respective users are visually identified by name and by multiple user characteristics directly on the scalable visualization object, wherein said multiple user characteristics comprise (a) a resource reserved for the selected interval of time, (b) an assignment on which the respective user is working during the selected interval of time, (c) an association of the respective user to a given social network group, (d) an association of the respective user to a given enterprise-related group, and (e) a subject matter area of focus, and wherein said multiple characteristics enable the reservation system to facilitate collaborations of multiple users having one or more shared characteristics, and
• wherein said expanded view comprises:
• a grid comprising:
• an x-axis representing said selected interval of time in increments corresponding to at least a minimum duration for which a reservation can be made;
• a y-axis representing at least one item to be reserved, wherein the at least one item comprises a computational resource comprising node configurations;
• and
• a plurality of grid cells representing information in connection with the at least one item to be reserved, wherein the plurality of grid cells are demarcated via multiple distinct shadings to represent a corresponding number of multiple distinct variations in price determined by a variable pricing algorithm and availability for the at least one item to be reserved, wherein (i) a first shading indicates a more expensive peak pricing, (ii) a second shading indicates less expensive off-peak pricing, (iii) a third shading indicates an unavailable cell, and (iv) a fourth shading indicates a confirmed reservation;
• and
• a user-configurable lens, wherein said lens is sized by the user to a width that corresponds to a desired duration of a potential reservation, and wherein said lens is moved across the grid by the user to display a total cost for a corresponding resource configuration at a time and for the duration specified via user-configuration of the lens;
• and
• a compressed view element of said reservation system depicting information in connection with one or more additional intervals of time;
• computer useable program code for displaying, within the context of the expanded view element, two projected budget depletion status representations, wherein:
• a first of the two projected budget depletion status representations illustrates a remaining amount of a current user budget associated with a pending interval of time based on a cost of the user's completed usage history within the pending interval of time plus a cost of all additional future reservations purchased by the user and scheduled to be completed at a future instance within the pending interval of time, and
• a second of the two projected budget depletion status representations illustrates a remaining amount of the current user budget associated with the pending interval of time based on the cost of the user's completed usage history within the pending interval of time, plus the cost of all additional future reservations purchased by the user and scheduled to be completed at a future instance within the pending interval of time, plus a cost for a given reservation under evaluation by the user;
• computer useable program code for maintaining a visual context between said expanded view and said compressed view within said visualization object;
• and
• computer useable program code for enabling a user to switch between said expanded view and said compressed view to facilitate use of the reservation system.

A system for providing a reservation system, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to:
• display a scalable visualization object, wherein said scalable visualization object comprises:
• an expanded view element of said reservation system depicting information in connection with a selected interval of time, wherein said information in connection with the selected interval of time comprises (i) an account selection element presenting multiple payment account options that can be selected to use for payment for a potential reservation of the selected interval of time, and (ii) a presence awareness element to support multiple simultaneous reservations for the selected interval of time by multiple respective users, wherein the multiple respective users are visually identified by name and by multiple user characteristics directly on the scalable visualization object, wherein said multiple user characteristics comprise (a) a resource reserved for the selected interval of time, (b) an assignment on which the respective user is working during the selected interval of time, (c) an association of the respective user to a given social network group, (d) an association of the respective user to a given enterprise-related group, and (e) a subject matter area of focus, and wherein said multiple characteristics enable the reservation system to facilitate collaborations of multiple users having one or more shared characteristics, and
• wherein said expanded view comprises:
• a grid comprising:
• an x-axis representing said selected interval of time in increments corresponding to at least a minimum duration for which a reservation can be made;
• a y-axis representing at least one item to be reserved, wherein the at least one item comprises a computational resource comprising node configurations;
• and
• a plurality of grid cells representing information in connection with the at least one item to be reserved, wherein the plurality of grid cells are demarcated via multiple distinct shadings to represent a corresponding number of multiple distinct variations in price determined by a variable pricing algorithm and availability for the at least one item to be reserved, wherein (i) a first shading indicates a more expensive peak pricing, (ii) a second shading indicates less expensive off-peak pricing, (iii) a third shading indicates an unavailable cell, and (iv) a fourth shading indicates a confirmed reservation;
• and
• a user-configurable lens, wherein said lens is sized by the user to a width that corresponds to a desired duration of a potential reservation, and wherein said lens is moved across the grid by the user to display a total cost for a corresponding resource configuration at a time and for the duration specified via user-configuration of the lens;
• and
• a compressed view element of said reservation system depicting information in connection with one or more additional intervals of time;
• display, within the context of the expanded view element, two projected budget depletion status representations, wherein:
• a first of the two projected budget depletion status representations illustrates a remaining amount of a current user budget associated with a pending interval of time based on a cost of the user's completed usage history within the pending interval of time plus a cost of all additional future reservations purchased by the user and scheduled to be completed at a future instance within the pending interval of time, and
• a second of the two projected budget depletion status representations illustrates a remaining amount of the current user budget associated with the pending interval of time based on the cost of the user's completed usage history within the pending interval of time, plus the cost of all additional future reservations purchased by the user and scheduled to be completed at a future instance within the pending interval of time, plus a cost for a given reservation under evaluation by the user;
• maintain a visual context between said expanded view and said compressed view within said visualization object;
• and
• enabling a user to switch between said expanded view and said compressed view to facilitate use of the reservation system.