Patent ID: 8244566

Claim:
A system comprising: a computer-based data center for providing an automated computer network-based appointment scheduling service through which a plurality of customers registered with the service are individually capable of scheduling an appointment with one or more of a plurality of businesses registered with the scheduling service, wherein the data center comprises: one or more computer databases that store data, wherein the stored data comprise data regarding the plurality of customers and the plurality of businesses; and at least one electronic computer device in communication with the one or more computer databases, wherein the at least one electronic computer device is programmed to determine one or more acceptable start times for a to-be-scheduled appointment on an appointment date for a service provided by a first business of the plurality of businesses in response to receiving by the data center via an electronic data network an electronic communication from a first service-registered customer to schedule the service with the first business on the appointment date, wherein the at least one electronic computer device is programmed to determine one or more acceptable start times for the to-be-scheduled appointment (i) based on at least the duration of the service for the to-be-scheduled appointment and one or more existing appointments for the first business on the appointment date, such that the to-be-scheduled appointment does not conflict with the one or more existing appointments of the first business, and (ii) by applying one or more rules to determine the one or more acceptable start times, wherein the one or more rules comprise: a first rule that selects a first start time for the to-be-scheduled appointment that is prior to a first existing appointment for the first business on the appointment date by the duration of the to-be-scheduled appointment; a second rule that selects a second start time for the to-be-scheduled appointment that is immediately after the first existing appointment for the first business on the appointment date; and a third rule that eliminates other start times during the appointment date that would not be available given the first start time and the second start time and the duration of the to-be-scheduled appointment, wherein the at least one electronic computer device comprises at least one processor circuit and at least one memory circuit in communication with the at least one processor circuit, and wherein data regarding the duration of the service and the existing appointments for the first business on the appointment date are stored in the one or more computer databases.