Time/Date Adjustment Using Existing Plans as Booking Frames

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems struggle with double bookings when scheduling assemblies, especially when non-members' schedules need to be checked, and there is no system to utilize existing plans as candidate time/dates for multiple participants.

Innovation Solution

A time/date adjustment apparatus and method that sets an adjustment condition template, registers existing plans as booking frames, and allows selection of candidate time/dates based on predefined criteria, enabling easy booking for multiple participants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If schedule information is shared among members using a calendar tool, then schedule visibility is improved, but double booking occurs when non-members are included and their schedules cannot be checked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveschedule visibilityVSAvoidbooking accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that connects the organizer's calendar with external participants' schedules. This mediator enables schedule checking for non-members without requiring them to be part of the internal calendar system, thus maintaining both schedule visibility and booking accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments participants into members (with full calendar access) and non-members (with limited access through the intermediary). This segmentation allows different levels of schedule visibility and control, enabling reliable booking accuracy for non-members while maintaining comprehensive schedule visibility for members.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If existing plans are registered in advance as booking frames, then time/date adjustment efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to template management

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime/date adjustment efficiencyVSAvoidtemplate management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-registering existing plans as booking frames and creating adjustment condition templates in advance. This allows the system to automatically match available time slots with booking requests without manual intervention, significantly improving time/date adjustment efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of template management from complex manual configuration to simple parameter-based filtering. By defining adjustment conditions as selectable parameters (time ranges, availability criteria), the system reduces template management complexity while maintaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If multiple applicants book for one assembly time/date, then resource utilization is improved, but coordination difficulty increases when checking individual schedules

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidcoordination difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple individual schedule checks into a single automated process. By combining booking requests and automatically checking availability against existing booking frames, the system improves resource utilization while eliminating the coordination difficulty of manually checking each participant's schedule.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service booking where applicants can independently check availability and book time slots without manual coordinator intervention. This automated self-service approach maximizes resource utilization while minimizing coordination difficulty.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250245628A1Time/date adjustment apparatus, time/date adjustment method, and storage medium storing program

Publication Date: 2025.07.31 E4 INC

AI summary

A time/date adjustment apparatus is configured to set an adjustment condition template, and to perform adjustment of an assembly time/date, based on the adjustment condition template. The time/date adjustment apparatus regards existing plans designated by an adjustment initiator out of the existing plans already registered in schedule information managed by an external system as booking frames, and registers an adjustment condition including designation of the booking frames in the adjustment condition template. The time/date adjustment apparatus regards the booking frames satisfying the adjustment condition out of the booking frames as candidate time/dates, displays a time/date selection screen presenting the candidate time/dates in a terminal apparatus used by an adjustment partner, and in response to an operation of selecting one of the candidate time/dates of the adjustment partner on the time/date selection screen, determines the selected candidate time/date as the assembly time/date.