This invention relates generally to the event planning field, and more specifically to a new and useful method in the event planning field.
Scheduling an event involving multiple parties is a complicated problem. People have different schedules, preferences, and priorities. Even with a limited scope in the number of factors, people must spend a considerable amount of time communicating between event invitees and then making a judgment decision to determine the details of the event. Often, people only take into consideration time availability in participants established calendars, and it is seemingly impossible to consider travel time, attendance records, and numerous other factors that would be beneficial (yet impractical to consider). Thus, there is a need in the event planning field to create a new and useful method of planning an event. This invention provides such a new and useful method
The following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these preferred embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention.
According to the first preferred embodiment, as shown in
An initial optional step of choosing the constraints S110, functions to enable the selection of user level, system level, and/or other suitable constraints for an event. The constraints preferably establish a preference for details of the event according to a source (such as a user or the system). The constraints used in the method are preferably either preferred constraints or required constraints. The preferred constraints are preferably used to indicate preference for an event time or detail (similar to a vote or a rating). A required constraint is preferably a constraint that must be satisfied or is pre-set for the event. For example, an event planner may create a required constraint that more than 75% of the invitees must attend. The preferred constraints and required constraints are preferably describable as user level constraints and/or system level constraints. User level constraints preferably include: available time slots or time ranges, preferred time slots or time ranges, the number of breakfast/lunch/dinner meetings per day (preferably only one lunch is scheduled per day, but multiple lunches, such as a brunch and late lunch may also be options), and consideration of auxiliary schedules (such as friend or family member schedules like children's sports schedules or recitals). In this list available time slots may be used as a required constraint and preferred time slots may be used as a preferred constraint. System level constraints preferably include required key participants to the event (e.g., “all board members” or “all band members”), required attendance percentage of invitees (e.g., “90% of shareholders” or “67% of the Senate”), requirement of attendance percentage of a sequence of events (e.g., “80% of the class seminars”). The system level constraints may additionally include any constraints based on stored information such as past event information. Constraints may alternatively be any suitable constraint such as outside information such as weather, or other calendar schedules.
Step S120 recites gathering constraints functions to obtain data for the chosen constraints. The constraints for the event are preferably gathered from at least one participant (an event invitee) but may alternatively be supplied by an event planner, an event organizer(s), the system or any suitable source. The constraints are preferably time constraints gathered from event invitee calendars, event invitee geographic locations, event invitee statuses, event invitee routines, event invitee travel routes, event invitee dining restrictions (e.g., vegetarian, kosher, no-pork, or wheat allergy), event invitee dining preferences (e.g., Indian, Thai, or Burgers and Fries), event invitee seating preferences, event invitee capital requirements, event invitee assignment completion requirements, event invitee attendance records, or any other suitable constraint.
In one variation of step S120, additional external constraints (preferably defined to be constraints that are not directly related to the event invitees) may be gathered, such as project completion rates, projected project completion times, travel times between geographic locations, event location costs, school schedules, sporting event schedules, TV schedules, religious events, community events (such as festivals), business hours of a event location, telephone peak rates, water usage peak rates, electricity usage peak rates, weather forecasts, financial indicators, hotel vacancies, or any other suitable external constraint.
In another variation of step S120, the constraints may also be gathered from additional calendars of entities associated with an event participant, such as the calendars of relatives (such as a spouse and/or children). Additionally, other events may be prioritized (such as a school recital or a championship sporting event) on these related calendars, and/or a requirement to attend 80% of a relative's events, such as sporting events in a season (resulting in a higher priority to attend an event as events in the series are missed).
In yet another variation of step S120, a weather forecast is gathered, for example, a picnic may be scheduled for outdoors if the weather is sunny and may be cancelled, rescheduled, or held in an alternate location if it is raining.
In another variation of step S120, other event details for an invitee may also be gathered from past or current events. The past or current events preferably provide constraint information for event patterns such as attendance percentage for a category of events, preferred times for events, occurrence of rescheduling, and/or any suitable history information.
Step S130, which recites calculating the optimal times for an event, preferably functions to calculate at least one optimized time for an event, and more preferably functions to calculate multiple optimized times for an event. Step 130 preferably also includes selecting one or multiple optimized discrete times and/or time ranges as the optimal time for an event. The optimized time preferably is a time that satisfies a significant number of constraints but is preferably not limited to satisfy all constraints. In other words, the calculation maximizes the amount of compliance with the constraints. Step S130 preferably includes creating filtered layers from the constraints S132 and intersecting at least two filtered layers S134. The calculations are preferably constrained to meet at least one goal for the event planning, such as minimizing travel time to the event, maximizing event attendance, minimizing cost, or any other suitable optimization goal. In a preferred variation of the method, the optimal time is selected to maximize the maximum number of event participants by using a layered approach as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
According to the second preferred embodiment, as shown in
Step S210, which recites sending an event invite to event invitees, functions to inform the invitees of an invitation to an event. The event invite is preferably sent by a particular person or persons (e.g., an “event planner”), but may be automatically sent based on a pre-programmed schedule or in response to any suitable event/action. The event is preferably a meeting, but may alternatively be a party or any other suitable type of event.
Step S220, which recites gathering the responses of event invitees, functions to gather the responses of multiple event invitee and preferably includes the calendar information and constraints and any other suitable information of each event invitee, such as dietary restrictions, geographic location or location constraints, transportation options or transportation constraints, or any other suitable information. The responses preferably constitute the event preferences of event invitees. Preferably, responses from each event invitee are gathered but a portion, or multiple responses from one event invitee, or any suitable number of responses may alternatively be gathered. In one variation, the event invitees may rank the likelihood of their schedule changing. As an example, the event invitee may state that there is a 20% chance that their availability to attend (or not attend) the event may change (to either not attend or attend). As an addition or alternative, responses may be received from other sources other than event invitees such as from an event planner, an event organizer(s), the system, and/or any suitable source.
Step S230, which recites calculating a optimal time for the event based on the responses received functions to utilize the calendar information and any other suitable information to choose at least one optimal time for the event, and is calculated similar to the calculation step S130 above (and exemplified in
Step S240, which recites notifying event participants of the event time, functions to notify the event invitees and the event instigator of at least one optimal time, preferably one selected optimal time. The notification is preferably an email, but may alternatively be a text message, a phone call, a website update, a social networking message (such as a LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace message), a mailing (such as a postcard or brochure), a printable ticket, status on a website, or any other suitable notification.
In one variation of Step S240, the optimal time may change based upon changes of the schedule of at least one event invitee or the event planner, and Step S240 may preferably include notifying all event participants of the schedule change, or any other change to the event, such as a change in location.
In another variation, a history of changes for each event participant may be recorded, and the optimal time may be selected based upon a calculated probability of changes in the history of calendar changes among event participants. For example, if a meeting is frequently cancelled by a particular event participant, or alternatively by a frequently conflicting event, the event notification will include a likelihood score, such as an 80% chance of the event being held at a specified time and location. Further the likelihood score could be concluded from weather conditions, such as an 80% chance of rain. Additionally, history information for other events may be incorporated into the calculation of the optimal time.
As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detailed description and from the figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention defined in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/055,754 filed 23 May 2008, which is incorporated in its entirety by this reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61055754 | May 2008 | US |