A method and an electronic device are provided that include receiving at the electronic device a start and an end of an out-of-office period and an out-of-office preference for responding to new invitations to events occurring during the out-of-office period received at the electronic device, receiving at the electronic device a new invitation to an event occurring during the out-of-office period, and automatically transmitting at the electronic device a response to the new invitation based on the out-of-office preference.

Event workflow management in computing systems are disclosed herein. In one example, a process includes receiving a data package defining an event containing data representing a category corresponding to a type of activity of the event and having a workflow property. The process can then include creating or modifying a backend workflow of the event corresponding to the workflow property of the category and monitoring for the one or more status conditions of the event included in the backend workflow. When the monitoring indicates that the one or more status conditions of the event are satisfied, the one or more actions in the sequence of the backend workflow are executed in relation to the event.

An information processing apparatus includes circuitry configured to receive an input to select a scheduled maintenance activity for an image forming apparatus, identify an executable date on which the scheduled maintenance activity is executable based on setting information and information of the scheduled maintenance activity including a maintenance executable period, stored in a memory. The circuitry is configured to search the memory for another scheduled maintenance activity for the image forming apparatus, having an executable date identical to the identified executable date, and reschedule, on the identified executable date, the scheduled maintenance activity and another scheduled maintenance activity.

Technologies are disclosed for interacting with a virtual assistant to request updates associated with one or more events and/or perform actions. According to some examples, a user may use their voice to interact with a virtual assistant to receive updates relating to events occurring during a certain period of time. For example, a user may request an update associated with one or more events occurring that day. The system may access data sources (e.g., calendar services, email services, etc.) to obtain data associated with the events, tag the events according to one or more conditions indicated by the data, and/or rank the events according to the tags. In addition, to resolve conditions associated with the events, the virtual assistant may also include options in the update to perform certain actions and/or to provide response data. The virtual assistant may generate the update and audibly provide the update to the user.

Method and systems for scheduling tasks to field professionals include: receiving a request to book a new appointment for a service, wherein the service is expected to be completed within a time period; identifying a first possible time slot and a subsequent second possible time slot for the new appointment within the time period; calculating a first scheduling cost associated with the first possible time slot and a second scheduling cost associated with the second possible time slot; enabling selection of the second possible time slot when it is determined that both the first scheduling cost and the second scheduling cost are below a scheduling cost threshold; and outputting a no-available-time-slot notification when is determined that both the first scheduling cost and the second scheduling cost are above the scheduling cost threshold.

Computing device state or activity based task reminders and automatic tracking of statuses of task-related activities are provided. Users are enabled to create reminders that are triggered based on a device state of the user’s device or activity signals from the operating system, an application, or a user file. The status of a task item can be inferred from signals collected from one or more sources. The signals provide information associated with tasks that the user performs in various life events. Machine learning, statistical analysis, behavioral analytics, and data mining techniques are applied to the signals, and the user’s activities are mapped to task items that the user has created. An inferred status of a task activity can be shared with other systems, or can be used for a variety of functions (e.g., to automatically update the user’s task list, or to remind the user of an uncompleted task item).

A logistics system optimizes delivery times of shipments to a plurality of recipients or pick-up and/or return times of shipments from a plurality of recipients. The system includes a main server and at least one service provider client. The main server has a calendar database in which calendar entries representing an availability and/or unavailability of the recipients at their recipient address for at least one period of time are stored. The service provider client communicates with the main server and triggers a query of the calendar entries in the calendar database for a predefined recipient of the plurality of recipients. The main server comprises a query controller for querying the calendar database. The query controller handles query requests from the service provider client for a predefined recipient. When a query request is made by the service provider client for a particular time or a particular period of time, the query controller informs the service provider client, in response, whether the predefined recipient is available or unavailable at the recipient address at the particular time or period of time, based on the calendar entries.

To schedule a future interaction between a caller and a call-center, a management computing system associated with the call center is configured to determine an estimated call time for addressing the caller's issues, based at least in part on a predicted call intent as well as feature enrichment data received from one or more memory storage areas. Upon determining a predicted call duration for the call, the management computing entity accesses the caller's calendar, such as through an internet-based communication between the caller's user computing entity and the management computing entity, or via third-party access permissions provided by the caller. The management computing entity identifies one or more candidate timeslots based at least in part on the predicted call duration, and receives user input selecting a candidate timeslot for scheduling the callback.

A system, method, and operating environment facilitate providing year-round agriculture management services to a grower. The method may include determining a geographic location of a field associated with a grower; obtaining information representative of an event prediction, such as a weather forecast, corresponding to the geographic location from one or more information sources; obtaining grower data associated with the grower; predicting an agronomic consequence based on the event prediction and the grower data; and providing a notification of the event prediction to the grower.

Electric vehicle charging scheduling includes receiving repeated sensor readings of a battery of an electric vehicle, the readings monitoring a charge of the battery while the electric vehicle proceeds along a contemporaneously scheduled route. Then, a geolocation of the electric vehicle is determined and a database queried with the geolocation. A charging station is then identified within geographic proximity of the geolocation of the electric vehicle. As well, a route scheduled for the electric vehicle after the contemporaneously scheduled route is determined. Thereafter, a threshold charge is computed that is requisite to complete both the contemporaneously scheduled route and also at least a portion of the route scheduled after the contemporaneously scheduled route. Finally, in response to a determination that the monitored charge on the battery is below the threshold level, an alert is displayed indicating to charge the battery at the identified charging station.