Automated job scheduling based on resource availability

US7502747B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Ehud Pardo · Mountain View, US
• Dan Grunspan · Herzliya, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 29, 2001
• Grant date: Mar 10, 2009
• Expiry date: Dec 30, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/10
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Each job is defined in terms of the tasks/services required to do the jobs, using resources needed to carry out those tasks/services at different times during a scheduling period. Each available resource needed for each task/service is associated with a job ID and different start times for a job, forming proposals. The proposals are preferably created prior to the time that any appointments are made to do the job. If an appointment time requested by a customer to have the job done is available among the proposals created, the appointment is scheduled using the proposal. As each appointment is scheduled, changed, or canceled, the available proposals for the job are automatically modified to reflect the changes in the time that each resource is available to do the tasks/services required for the job.