Abstract: A call may be received from a caller at an interactive voice response server with information indicating a caller preferred choice including a date and a time for an appointment. The caller preferred choice for the appointment may be determined as not available. A set of heuristic evaluations may be used to evaluate each of a plurality of available time slots individually to generate a plurality of intermediate results for each available time slot. Each intermediate result may have a weight associated with a corresponding heuristic evaluation. For each available time slot, the plurality of intermediate results may be aggregated using multiplicative weightings based on respective weights to produce aggregated results. A ranked list of candidate time slots to be used for the appointment may be generated based on the aggregated results and the caller may be prompted for a selection from the ranked list of candidate time slots.

Abstract: A call may be received from a caller at an interactive voice response server with information indicating a caller preferred choice including a date and a time for an appointment. The caller preferred choice for the appointment may be determined as not available. A set of heuristic evaluations may be used to evaluate each of a plurality of available time slots individually to generate a plurality of intermediate results for each available time slot. Each intermediate result may have a weight associated with a corresponding heuristic evaluation. For each available time slot, the plurality of intermediate results may be aggregated using multiplicative weightings based on respective weights to produce aggregated results. A ranked list of candidate time slots to be used for the appointment may be generated based on the aggregated results and the caller may be prompted for a selection from the ranked list of candidate time slots.

Abstract: A system that automatically arranges meetings for groups of one or more entities based on the collective availability of those entities, while also satisfying any constraints imposed on such a meeting by its organizer. Collective availability is computed from relevant scheduling data provided by attendees or the organizations to which they belong. The system relies on existing systems (when needed) to access all relevant schedules and availability data, as well as to amend the corresponding schedules when new meeting instances are created.

Abstract: A calendar system receives partially constrained calendar rules from a user at a current time for a calendar appointment to be scheduled at a future start time. The system determines, as the current time advances, whether constraints based on the calendar rules are met. If it is determined that the constraints are not met, the system delays scheduling of the calendar appointment until it is determined that the constraints are met. If it is determined that the constraints are met, the system automatically schedules the calendar appointment at the flexible future start time based on the met constraints and the calendar rules.