Abstract: This disclosure concerns visualizing multiple time zones in a calendar. A processor receives trip data that identifies a trip day, a first time zone of a departure location and a second time zone of an arrival location. The processor determines time gained or time lost due to travelling from the first time zone into the second time zone and causes the display of a time range and a graphical element. The time range represents the trip day with time values extending to the end of the trip day. The end of the trip day is relative to the first time zone. The graphical element extends from the day change and has an extension based on the difference between first and second time zones, such that the graphical element indicates the determined time gained or time lost due to travelling from the first time zone into the second time zone.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to displaying and determining customer data relating to multiple customers. A merchant's device sends a request for customer data. The request comprises request data indicative of a query time and of a query distance. The device then receives customer data indicative of a number of customers that are located within the query distance from a merchant location at the query time based on itineraries defmed by schedule items of the multiple customers. Each of the schedule items is associated with location information and timing information. Finally, the device generates a display to display the customer data. The number of customers that are located within a query distance is according to schedule items, such as calendar entries, of the customers. As a result, the number of customers is predicted accurately based on the calendar entries and represents different travel routes between locations defmed in the schedule items.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to managing a time period in a calendar application between multiple events. A processor receives from a requesting device a request for time management data. The processor then determines for each of multiple activities having respective activity locations an available length of time for performing that activity within the time period. This determination is based on a travel time for travelling between the event locations and the activity location of that activity. The processor sends the time management data including the available length of time for each of the multiple activities to the requesting device. The requesting device has the available length of time for each activity available and can provide this information to a user of the device. The user can think about whether the available length of time is sufficient for the respective activity and therefore supports a better and more efficient planning outcome.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns visualising multiple time zones in a calendar. A processor receives trip data that identifies a trip day, a first time zone of a departure location and a second time zone of an arrival location. The processor determines time gained or time lost due to travelling from the first time zone into the second time zone and causes the display of a time range and a graphical element. The time range represents the trip day with time values extending to the end of the trip day. The end of the trip day is relative to the first time zone. The graphical element extends from the day change and has an extension based on the difference between first and second time zones, such that the graphical element indicates the determined time gained or time lost due to travelling from the first time zone into the second time zone.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns the iterative optimisation of schedules, such as calendars. A computer system receives or determines first candidate schedule items. Each candidate schedule item has parameters, and each parameter is fixed or variable and each candidate schedule item comprises a value for each parameter. The system determines second candidate schedule items by permutating the variable parameters of each of the first candidate schedule items and determines a cost for each of the second candidate schedule items. The system then selects a subset of the second candidate schedule items based on the cost and feeds back the subset to be taken as the first candidate schedule items. Since each parameter has a value the cost for each permutation can be determined and the number of candidate schedule items for the next iteration can be reduced. This avoids the exponential complexity of calculating the cost for each possible combination.