Electronic calendars commonly utilize reminder tools for such things as ensuring that a user arrives on time to meetings and to complete assigned tasks (e.g., deliver requested results/information) by their due date. Calendaring application programs typically allow users to specify a date/time that a reminder of a specific event is to be presented. For instance, the Calendar Facility of Microsoft® Outlook provides a user with the ability to schedule future meetings and to set electronic reminders of certain events (e.g., a meeting). Many people use similar messaging, calendaring, reminder and notification features incorporated in other applications, devices and systems such as email clients, personal digital assistants, phone devices/systems, etc., for the purpose of managing their work during both regular business and vacation periods. By way of example, Oracle® iProcurement purchasing/requisitioning application program includes a feature allowing procurement approval and management of requests during vacation periods. In many business organizations, it is not unusual for persons to utilize multiple different application/systems from various vendors that include or incorporate a variety of messaging, calendaring, and reminder tools.
A person who wants to leave the office on either a business trip or a vacation often faces the time-consuming task of entering each of the various different applications and systems they use, and altering the settings to reflect their out-of-office status. For instance, a person headed out of the office on vacation may be required to review their calendar or reminder utility tools to delegate responsibility for completing the tasks and action items that will become due during their absence. That person may also need to alter the settings of their voicemail system(s) to indicate that they are out of the office and their expected return date. They may also need to enable/set an automatic reply message in their calendaring application and email client programs. Additionally, that same person may also need to change the settings of their meeting scheduler, requisitioning applications, and other software applications/tools. These applications, for example, may include tools related to Human Resources, management related approvals, purchasing approvals, action item tracking, as well as messaging, calendaring, and notification tools.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds