Meeting Time Coordination Using Mediated Candidate Date Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to efficiently adjust meeting times without causing double bookings, especially when multiple participants with changing schedules are involved.
Innovation Solution
A time/date adjustment apparatus and method that involves setting adjustment conditions, determining candidate times/dates based on participant schedules, and allowing multiple inputs to select a final assembly time/date, ensuring no double bookings through iterative access and schedule checking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a calendar tool is used to share schedule information among members, then schedule information can be distributed and synchronized, but it becomes difficult to check schedules of non-members and avoid double bookings when multiple partners are involved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator system that acts as an intermediary between the calendar tool and multiple participants. This mediator collects schedule information from all participants (including non-members), processes it centrally, and provides coordinated time/date recommendations that avoid double bookings, thus resolving the information loss problem without requiring direct access to all individual schedules
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides universal functionality by enabling schedule checking and coordination for both members and non-members through a unified interface. The mediator handles diverse participant types (members with calendar access, non-members without calendar access) using the same mechanism, eliminating the need for different approaches for different user types
2Reliability
If schedules of multiple participants are checked individually, then double bookings can be avoided, but the adjustment process becomes considerably difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting and analyzing all participants' schedules before the coordination process begins. The mediator pre-processes schedule information, identifies potential conflicts, and prepares recommended time slots in advance, eliminating the need for time-consuming individual schedule checking during the adjustment process
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the mediator continuously monitors schedule changes from all participants and provides real-time updates on available time slots. When participants modify their schedules, the system automatically re-evaluates and adjusts recommendations, ensuring double booking prevention without requiring manual re-checking of all schedules
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment of assembly time/date is performed, then flexibility to check schedules is achieved, but the process requires a large number of steps and is considerably bothersome
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by enabling participants to automatically input their schedule information and availability preferences. The mediator then autonomously processes this information, performs the coordination analysis, and generates recommended time slots without requiring manual intervention for schedule checking, thus maintaining flexibility while dramatically simplifying the operation process
Solution Approach 2:
The complex adjustment process is segmented into distinct automated steps: schedule collection, availability analysis, conflict detection, and recommendation generation. Each participant only needs to provide their basic availability information, while the mediator handles the complex coordination logic, dividing the burdensome manual task into simple automated segments
Data Source
AI summary
When an adjustment partner performing access is an intermediate inputter, a time/date adjustment apparatus extracts third candidate time/dates that are available time/dates of a participant on a side of an adjustment initiator satisfying an adjustment condition of the adjustment initiator and are within a range of second candidate time/dates, and determines fourth candidate time/dates based on an input of the intermediate inputter on the extracted third candidate time/dates, and when the adjustment partner performing access is a final inputter, the time/date adjustment apparatus extracts fifth candidate time/dates that are available time/dates of the participant on the side of the adjustment initiator satisfying the adjustment condition of the adjustment initiator and are within a common range of all of the fourth candidate time/dates, and determines an assembly time/date out of the fifth candidate time/dates based on selection of the final inputter.