Conference Scheduling System for Automatic Participant Availability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional messaging systems have not been effectively integrated into routine business practices to support proactive business functions, lacking the ability to automatically schedule and establish multi-party conferences that align with participants' availability.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine participants' availability through various techniques, automatically select a mutually acceptable date and time for a conference, and initiate communication sessions to join participants into the conference via integrated communication channels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If conventional messaging systems are used for communication, then basic message transmission is achieved, but the systems cannot automatically schedule and establish multi-party conferences aligned with participants' availability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic conference schedulingVSAvoidintegration into business functions

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines participant availability, selects optimal conference times, and establishes communication sessions without human intervention. The messaging system serves itself by integrating scheduling and conference establishment capabilities, eliminating the need for manual coordination while adapting to participants' availability patterns

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The messaging system is enhanced to perform multiple functions: sending messages, determining availability, scheduling conferences, and establishing communication sessions. This multi-functional approach integrates previously separate tasks into a unified system that can proactively support diverse business functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If manual conference scheduling is used, then participant availability can be coordinated, but significant time is consumed in coordination and scheduling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication effectivenessVSAvoidscheduling time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system proactively determines participant availability in advance and pre-schedules conferences at optimal times before participants need them. By performing availability checking and time selection beforehand, the system eliminates time-consuming manual coordination while ensuring conferences are scheduled at mutually convenient times

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors participant availability status and uses this feedback to automatically adjust and optimize conference scheduling. Availability information feeds back into the scheduling algorithm, enabling the system to learn from patterns and improve scheduling efficiency over time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8495139B2Automatic scheduling and establishment of conferences

Publication Date: 2013.07.23 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A method of automatically conducting a conference can include determining availability for each of a plurality of conference participants and selecting a date and time for the conference based upon the availability of each of the plurality of conference participants. The method further can include automatically initiating the conference among the conference participants on the date and at approximately the time for the conference.