Patent NZ-566274-A (NZ)
Title: Availability data service
Inventor: MURILLO DAN
IPC: G06Q10/00
Filed: 2006-09-06
Abstract: A system for obtaining availability data for one or more meeting request attendees is disclosed. The system comprises one or more mailbox servers, an availability service memory storage and an availability service processing unit coupled to the one or more mailbox servers and the availability service memory storage. The one or more mailbox servers store individual calendar data for the one or more meeting request attendees. The availability service processing unit is operative to: receive an availability data query initiated via a calendaring application for a specific meeting event at a first availability service (210) and compare the one or more meeting request attendees against a list of persons in an information directory by the first availability service. The information directory identifies the one or more mailbox servers (215, 225). A first mailbox server(215) that includes real time availability data for a first meeting request attendee of the one or more meeting request attendees and a second mailbox server that includes real time availability data for a second meeting request attendee of the one or more meeting request attendees are determined by the first availability service The second mailbox server (225) is associated with a second availability service (220), and the second availability service is different from the first availability service. The availability service processing unit is further operative to determine whether permissions on individual calendar data set by the first meeting request attendee of the one or more meeting request attendees allow a retrieval by the calendaring application of the real time availability data for the first meeting request attendee of the one or more meeting request attendees and upon determining that the availability data for the first meeting request attendee is retrievable by the calendaring application, determine a type of availability data that is retrievable by the calendaring application. The permissions are configured to restrict an amount and type of availability data that is retrievable by the calendaring application. The type of availability data comprises at least one of: a public type of availability data and a private type of availability data The real time availability data of the type that is retrievable by the calendaring application associated with the first meeting request attendee of the one or more meeting request attendees from the first mailbox server is requested by the first availability service and real time availability data for the second meeting request attendee from the second availability service is requested by the first availability service. The first availability service receives the real time availability data of the type that is retrievable by the calendaring application for the first meeting request attendee of the one or more potential meeting attendees. The real time availability data indicates whether the first meeting request attendee of the one or more potential meeting attendees is free or busy for the specific meeting event. The first availability service receives the real time availability data for the second meeting request attendee from the second availability service; and forwards the real time availability data of the type that is retrievable by the calendaring application for the first meeting request attendee of the one or more meeting request attendees and the real time availability data for the second meeting request attendee to the calendaring application.