Contextually-aware scheduling exceptions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017316386-A1
Application number	US-201615142818-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques described herein provide mechanisms for generating contextually-aware scheduling exceptions. In some configurations, when a scheduling conflict is detected, the techniques disclosed herein can utilize contextual data from a number of resources to determine if a scheduling exception can be made. The contextual data can include preferences, such as preferences of a service provider or a customer, that define criteria and/or goals. The techniques disclosed herein prioritize customers based on the contextual data and provide different scheduling options for customers and other entities based on a priority associated with individual customers. When there is a conflict between two or more calendar events, a scheduling exception can be made for some customers and a scheduling conflict can be made for other customers depending on one or more priorities associated with the customers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at a computing device, scheduling data defining a first calendar event associated with a first customer of a plurality of customers; receiving, at the computing device, scheduling data defining a second calendar event associated with a second customer of the plurality of customers; generating priority data indicating a priority of individual customers of the plurality of customers, wherein the priority is based, at least in part, on an analysis of contextual data including work history data, wherein the priority of the individual customers is based, at least in part, on a degree of alignment of attributes of the work history data and one or more goals defined in preference data; generating one or more values indicating a severity of a conflict based, at least in part, on the contextual data, including the priority data; determining if the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict meet one or more criteria; and generating data indicating an exception to the conflict if the one or more values do not meet the one or more criteria.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict is based, at least in part, on a first severity level associated with the first calendar event, wherein the first severity level is reduced if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict is based, at least in part, on a second severity level associated with the second calendar event, wherein the second severity level is increased if the priority of the first customer is greater than the priority of the second customer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the data indicating the exception comprises generating a notification indicating the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the data indicating the exception to the conflict, comprises:
communicating a first notification indicating a confirmation of the first calendar event if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer; and communicating a second notification indicating a modification of the second calendar event or a rejection of the second calendar event.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request for scheduling data from a computing device associated with second customer; communicating scheduling data indicating a block of unavailability near or at a start time of the first calendar event to the computing device associated with second customer, if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer; and communicating scheduling data indicating an availability of a timeslot near or at the start time of the first calendar event to the computing device associated with second customer, if a priority of the second customer is greater than a priority of the first customer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprises generating calendar data defining one or more calendar events that blocks time around the first calendar event if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer.

8 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising
receiving scheduling data defining a first calendar event associated with a first customer of a plurality of customers;
receiving scheduling data defining a second calendar event associated with a second customer of the plurality of customers;
generating priority data indicating a priority of individual customers of the plurality of customers, wherein the priority is based, at least in part, on an analysis of contextual data including work history data, wherein the priority of the individual customers is based, at least in part, on a degree of alignment of attributes of the work history data and one or more goals defined in preference data;
generating one or more values indicating a severity of a conflict based, at least in part, on the contextual data, including the priority data;
determining if the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict meet one or more criteria; and
generating data indicating an exception to the conflict if the one or more values do not meet the one or more criteria.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict is based, at least in part, on a first severity level associated with the first calendar event, wherein the first severity level is reduced if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict is based, at least in part, on a second severity level associated with the second calendar event, wherein the second severity level is increased if the priority of the first customer is greater than the priority of the second customer.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the data indicating the exception comprises generating a notification indicating the one or more values indicating the severity of the conflict.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the data indicating the exception to the conflict, comprises:
communicating a first notification indicating a confirmation of the first calendar event if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer; and communicating a second notification indicating a modification of the second calendar event or a rejection of the second calendar event.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprising:
receiving a request for scheduling data, the request received from a computing device associated with second customer; communicating scheduling data indicating a block of unavailability near or at a start time of the first calendar event to the computing device associated with second customer, if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer; and communicating scheduling data indicating an availability of a timeslot near or at the start time of the first calendar event to the computing device associated with second customer, if a priority of the second customer is greater than a priority of the first customer.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to perform the method comprising generating calendar data defining one or more calendar events that blocks time around the first calendar event if a priority of the first customer is greater than a priority of the second customer.

15 . One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, perform method comprising:
receiving scheduling data defining a first calendar event associated with a first customer of a plurality of customers; receiving scheduling data defining a second calendar event associated with a second customer of the plurality of customers; generating priority data indicating a priority of an individual customer of the plurality of customers, wherein the priority is based, at least in part, on an analysis of contextual data, wherein the priority of the individual customers is based, at least in part, on a degree o

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Joshi Neel
• Holmes William Hart
• Tischhauser Paul David
• Jain Chandresh K
• Mehtani Mohit
• Trivedi Anant
• Burlin Eva Britta Karolina
• Lee Dana Anne
• Li Joan Ching

Classifications

• G06Q10/1091 Primary

  Recording time for administrative or management purposes · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093 Primary

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• G06Q10/1095 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic