Accommodating unforeseen events using an electronic calendar

摘要

Methods and computer program products for accommodating unforeseen events using an electronic calendar. Occurrences of unforeseen events pertinent to preexisting appointments are detected. Occurrences of unforeseen events may be detected by, for example, accepting input from the user conveyed by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse click, or a menu selection; or by accepting input from an automated information source that provides, for example, commute times or weather reports. The calendar responds automatically on behalf of the user to the detection of unforeseen events pertinent to preexisting appointments. Response may include sending notifications to other parties to appointments by way of, for example, electronic mail, instant messaging, or voice mail messaging; by canceling appointments; or by rescheduling appointments.

主权项

1. A system for accommodating unforeseen events comprising:
a computing device to process and store data in connection with an electronic calendar, the computing device comprising an unforeseen event detector, in which, when operating, the computing device: with the unforeseen event detector, detects an occurrence of an unforeseen event pertinent to a preexisting appointment scheduled in an electronic calendar by accepting information provided by an automated information source that provides the computing device with information about the existence of the unforeseen event; and automatically responds to detection of the occurrence of the unforeseen event pertinent to the preexisting appointment, in which responding automatically comprises sending a number of notifications to other parties to the preexisting appointment, in which responding automatically further comprises indicating an amount of time of delay that the unforeseen event creates, and in which the unforeseen event detector applies a threshold in detecting an unforeseen event.