CN101313319A - User interface for appointment scheduling system showing appointment solutions within a day - Google Patents

Abstract

Two parallel time lines are displayed. On a first time line all possible solutions for scheduling an appointment within a preset period of time, such as a day or a part of the day, are displayed. Such a possible solution can be selected. Triggered by such a user selection of one of the displayed possible solutions a period surrounding the selected possible solution is blown up and displayed on the second time line. Possible solutions within the period on said second time line are indicated and can also be selected.

Description

User interface of an appointment scheduling system showing an appointment solution within a day

technical field

The present invention relates to a user interface for an appointment scheduling system.

Appointment scheduling systems can be applied to medical institutions where a number of constraints need to be considered to schedule appointments for patients, such as whether staff and equipment are available and whether patients can be scheduled.

Background technique

In an appointment scheduling system, a convenient user interface greatly facilitates the user and improves the user's efficiency.

One of the items of user interest is to have a visual display of all appointment solutions for a particular scheduled task such as a time period of the day.

The important puzzles are:

- Consolidate all solutions into a single day view,

- Minimize user navigation to find the right solution

- Maximize the intuitiveness of the solution

- have a space-saving solution

Typically, users will face the following problems:

He must be able to communicate easily and directly to the patient what are the possible solutions while exhausting as many as possible

- He must be able to answer typical questions like what was the earliest solution (occasionally with constraints like "AM", "PM") and what was the latest solution for that day (AM, PM)

- When a certain start time is met, he must be easily able to switch from one resource to another if alternative resources are available

- In the case of combined appointments, where multiple examinations are booked simultaneously with specific time interval requirements, he must see all solutions in a similar manner

Existing scheduling applications display the appointment resolution for a day in one of the following ways:

1) a list of slabs as solutions, typically sorted in chronological order, or

2) Agenda days as a resource or combination of resources - Agenda days are typically linear timelines, displayed vertically or horizontally.

3) A two-dimensional view of the combined result timetable as a combination of resources, where the y-axis shows hours in days and the x-axis shows minutes. This view is implemented in the scheduling plan sold by Agfa-Gevaert N.V. under the trade name Qplanner.

In addition, most of these solutions do not satisfy all search constraints: post-testing is often required for selected solutions with respect to patient occupation or inter-procedural constraints. Such post-testing severely hampers the scheduling process, since finding an appropriate solution (often with some difficulty) may turn out to be problematic after post-testing.

Existing presentations of solutions for appointment scheduling systems as described above fail to address one or more of the above mentioned problems.

(1) In the case of a slab list of solutions, typically sorted chronologically, there remains the following problem.

- An exhaustive slab list of solutions in a day can consist of hundreds of possibilities (considering all possible combinations of resources and even more in combination appointments). This cannot be easily communicated to the patient.

- This presentation of results does not provide an immediate view from which an answer to a question such as what was the latest solution in the morning or what was the earliest solution in the afternoon can be derived.

(2) In the case of a presentation in the form of an agenda day for a certain resource or combination of resources, where the agenda day is typically presented as a linear vertically or horizontally positioned timeline, the following problem still exists.

- Considering all possible resource combinations, there will still be dozens of resource combinations left, each showing their agenda - in the case of examining combinations, the possible combinations grow exponentially to several hundred rows. This does not give a practical view, so appointment schedulers are not exhaustive in their solution representations.

- Questions like "what was the earliest solution (am, pm)", "what was the latest solution that day (am, pm)", etc. cannot be easily answered.

-Additionally, when the patient is in doubt between the earliest or latest solution for that day (typically because the day is the day before or after the patient's workday), the user is scroll between.

- Typically, the appointment duration may be 5 to 10 minutes. This means that high resolution is required on the agenda to be able to choose efficiently over the solutions offered.

(3) The overview of possible solutions provided by the product Qplanner of Agfa-Gevaert N.V. can still be optimized because of the following elements.

- Since each portfolio is displayed in a different tab, the system does not provide a direct view of all solutions, so the user has to browse through each tab to get a complete view,

- The system has a limit of 10 resource combinations (thus 10 tags) and this is for a single inspection schedule only. So it does not provide an exhaustive solution.

- Only one solution is shown in case of combined inspection scheduling. In this regard, too, it is not exhaustive.

- The system provides a two-dimensional day-view, which is compact and avoids scrolling, but on the other hand it is not intuitive.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a user interface of the appointment scheduling system that shows the appointment scheduling system for a certain period of time (eg, within a day) in a way that is optimized relative to prior art solutions.

US 2005/004815 A1 generally discloses an appointment scheduling system using time-phased planning. This application does not disclose the user interface disclosed by the present invention.

US 5860067 discloses a user interface for displaying a scale for scheduling resources, thereby allowing the time segment to be entered by using the input unit to point to the time segment with position and length to indicate hours or days; Segment, showing available solutions. The interface features scale zoom-in in a secondary, separate window to display a more detailed time scale.

US 2003/016248A1 describes scaling in conventional visual event calendars: the time scale is scaled, i.e. its granularity is increased or decreased, while the scheduling area remains operable, including displaying a "busy bar" and scheduling interactions; The scroll box indicates the portion being scrolled and allows direct scrolling manipulation.

Research Disclosure, Kenneth Mason Publications, Westbourne, GB, Vol.329, No.19, September 1991, the article "Zooming on visual calendar data" discloses the use of scalable scrolling control of the timeline, for graphical user interface displays. The content is scaled and tiled simultaneously.

By clicking and dragging any of the scale controls, the scale of the timeline can be changed. The selected field and time are highlighted to the currently selected time at the finest resolution. The finer scales and units are dim in comparison.

Contents of the invention

The above aspects are achieved by a user interface as claimed in claim 1 .

In the user interface according to the invention, possible solutions for scheduling an appointment within a predetermined time period (eg day and part of a day - morning, afternoon, consecutive hours) are displayed on a first timeline. In response to a user selecting one of said displayed possible solutions, eg by clicking on such a possible solution, the time period surrounding the selected possible solution is enlarged and displayed on the second timeline. The second timeline is preferably parallel to the first timeline.

A more detailed view of all possible solutions over the time period zoomed in on the second timeline is given.

These possible solutions are ranked for selection by the user.

In the context of the present invention, a solution is considered a "possible solution" when it denotes a time or time slot over which all predetermined constraints are satisfied and over which the required Resources (radiology room, examination equipment, doctors, operators) are all schedulable (times or time slots are "unoccupied") such that scheduling events on such times or time slots is allowed .

Since a scheduled procedure is performed on a patient, more than one solution is available in most cases. Appointment scheduling systems create a so-called solution space, which is the set of all solutions available for a given resource considering a given set of constraints.

An example of a scheduling engine for an appointment scheduling system is described in detail in an application entitled "Method for processing linked lists of time segments" filed by the same applicant on the same filing date as this application.

Specific features of preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment (dual timeline) according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is another example of the dual timeline according to the present invention,

Figure 3 shows a dual timeline where specified time periods are scaled to 5 minute resolution,

Figure 4 shows a dual timeline where specified time periods are scaled to 10 minute resolution,

Fig. 5 is a screenshot showing an overview of resource combinations for a certain time period of the day,

Figure 6 is a screenshot of each resource combination showing a particular selection made on the overview illustrated in the screenshot of Figure 5;

Figure 7 depicts a collection of actions involving resources and connected by containment, relationship and sequence chains;

Figure 8 depicts a simplified set of actions remaining after a relationship chain has been designed according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 9 depicts a simplified set of actions remaining after designing out relationships and containment chains according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 10 depicts a simplified set of actions that are left after relational, containment and sequence chains have been devised according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 11 depicts a collection of time windows associated with actions;

Figure 12 demonstrates the processing of relationship chains according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 13 demonstrates the processing of a containment chain according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 14 demonstrates the processing of a sequential chain with preceding actions according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 15 demonstrates the processing of a sequential chain with subsequent actions according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 16 demonstrates the processing of a sequence chain with subsequent actions taking into account slack time according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 17 shows an example of a processing relationship chain according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 18 shows another example of a processing relationship chain according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 19 shows three examples of processing inclusion chains according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 20 shows an example of processing of time windows according to a preferred embodiment;

Figure 21 shows an example using deductive logic;

Figure 22 shows an example using inductive logic;

Fig. 23 shows a data processing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Figures 1 and 2 are displays relating to an embodiment of a user interface according to the invention.

A view of one day is constructed showing only the appointment start time as a solution. Swiping through the day is achieved through the "previous", "next" arrows.

When a time of day includes at least one solution, it is highlighted (or bold), otherwise it remains in regular glyph.

Considering a 5 to 10 minute resolution to click on a time of day to book an appointment, the view would have to be a very long timeline requiring scrolling.

This way of working is too time consuming to meet the demands provided to patients to complete appointments.

Combining the requirements of the overview and the actual needs of clicking on the specific time of the day, a dual timeline is constructed:

- The upper line provides an overview of all solutions with highlighted appointment start times. It is possible to choose such a solution. This upper view is typically constructed to show the boundaries of the solution space, ie: first and last solutions in the morning and first and last solutions in the afternoon (to address typical patient needs - see above)

- depending on the position of the selection on the upper line, the zoom light (zoom light) moves with the clicked area and indicates on the bottom timeline the start time around the clicked area, possible solutions are highlighted again or in Displayed in bold.

By connecting the two lines with a zoom light, an intuitive navigation is created.

At the same time it allows quick interaction to book a certain time of day: at most two clicks are required (one on the upper line and one on the bottom line), thus avoiding unnecessary scrolling (if a solution is already displayed on the first timeline, One-click solution selection is possible, which is often the case for "boundary-solutions"). After that, the zoom resolution can be initialized or modified by pressing the zoom in or zoom out functions:

Zoom to 5 min resolution: see Figure 3.

Scale to 10 min resolution: see Figure 4.

Additionally, in conjunction with a calendar solution day (similarly highlighted or not), it is possible to navigate to the next solution day in the next and previous manner as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 .

Finally, the user interface according to the invention allows the user to switch between possible resource combinations for a time of day when a certain starting time is appropriate for the patient.

This is done by right-clicking on a specific time of day.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in the first view, the total duration of each of the different solutions is presented, together with the number of resources used.

This can be the basis for the first decision, typically:

-Patient Focused: lowest overall duration

- resource/hospital oriented: minimum number of resources involved

Further, for a particular selection, each combination of resources is shown, and the user can toggle these combinations. (still on that particular time slot)

Below aspects of the basic scheduling method, more specifically methods for generating solution spaces (including possible solutions) are broadly described.

Before explaining the general principles of the method according to the invention, the method is first explained by devising a specific example, which is also a specific embodiment of the invention.

According to this example, an appointment needs to be scheduled to examine the patient by means of a scanner. Patients will need to undress before the scan and put on again afterward.

The check itself takes 2 hours. 1 hour is provided for both undressing and dressing. After the patient has undressed, he doesn't want to wait for the examination. When this check is complete, he can accept having to wait up to 1 hour before getting dressed again.

Figure 7 describes the actions that are part of an appointment and the relationships between them. The Reservation (100) action includes three other actions: Undress (110) action, Actual Check (120) action and Dress (130) action. This containment relationship is represented by three containment chains (190, 191, 192) between the individual actions (110, 120, 130) and the reservation (100) action. The Reservation (100) action is referred to as a parent with respect to the Undress (110), Actual Inspection (120) and Dress (130) actions, which are referred to as children. It is not symmetrical because of the parent-child relationship involving the chain (190, 191, 192).

An action is defined as "atomic" when it does not contain other actions. For example, the undress (110) action is an atom, while the book (110) action is not.

The undressing (110), physical inspection (120) and dressing (130) actions are sequential and this relationship is represented by a sequential chain (193, 194). The nature of the order means that such chains are not symmetrical, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 7.

The check (120) can only be performed if the scanner (140) is available. This relationship is represented by a relationship chain (183). Also, performing the inspection does require the operator to be able to schedule, so the relationship chain (184) also exists between the inspection and the operator (150). A chain of relationships between two actions indicates that both actions can only be executed at the same time. Accordingly such chains are symmetric and transitive in nature. Transitivity is represented in Figure 7 by the dashed line (185) between the scanner and operator action.

In more general cases, procedures and examinations are preceded by preoperative actions and followed by postoperative actions. In a more general context, an action refers to an activity involving a resource. Such resources may be patients, physicians, nurses, operators, diagnostic or treatment instruments, examination or treatment rooms, or any other kind of resource that may be associated with an activity. The resources may or may not relate to the field of health care. The activity may be the use of equipment, the presence of a person, the occupancy of a facility or any other activity involving the use or availability of any resource. In the more general case, any topology of any number of actions chained by containment, relationship, or order is possible.

Fig. 11 shows how a corresponding time window (501-507) is associated with each action (100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170) in Fig. 7 . A time window consists of a linked list of non-contiguous time segments, each segment having a start time and an end time. For example, for patient (160) actions, the linked list consists of time segments (510, 511, 512).

A time window may represent a time frame within which an action may potentially occur. However, a time window may also represent a time range within which the action may begin or may end.

In the example of Figure 11, the time windows for the patient (150), changing room (170), scanner (140) and operator (150) are part of the problem definition data. These time windows represent the constraints imposed by the respective resources. However, the undressing (110), checking (120) and dressing (130) actions and the time windows (504-507) of the appointment (100) are generally, initially undetermined, since they are necessary for a scheduling problem while computing the solution body. An undetermined time window is represented as a contiguous time segment with the length of the time window. For example, 508 is the initial time window associated with the check action (120). As the solution for the scheduling problem according to the invention is processed, the number of segments of the undetermined time window may vary and the start and end times of the remaining time segments may become more and more concentrated until they represent the same The case where all constraints imposed by resources are consistent.

Since the constraints imposed by resources are represented by chains of relations (180-185), containment (190-192) and order (193, 194), the processing solution basically boils down to designing these chains.

When designing these chains, a number of different situations are to be distinguished, which correspond to chains of different nature (relationship, containment or sequence), interpretation of time windows of actions (start time, end time or action time), time The relative position of the segments (the way the time segments overlap in the time windows of linked actions). Processing the results of the chain includes adjusting the time segments in the time windows corresponding to the chained actions so that they are consistent with the constraints imposed by the corresponding resources.

In the following paragraphs, the processing of the different chains is discussed.

Case 1: Time Window Processing of Actions Connected by Relationship Chains

Figure 12 illustrates multiple cases of actions connected by relational chains, whose temporal segments occur in different relative positions (overlapping and non-overlapping). A time window (620-623) is interpreted as a representation of the time at which an action (600-603) can occur. Because the meaning of the relationship chain is that two actions (600, 601) can only occur simultaneously, the effect of designing the chain is that each time window (620, 621) should be a time window (622) composed of time segments (612, 613). , 623) Instead, the time segments (612, 613) are intersections of the time segments (610, 611) in the original time window.

Because of the transitive nature of relation chains, if an action has more than one relation chain directly and indirectly connected to another action, the time windows for all these actions will be replaced by time windows whose time segments are all Intersection of all time segments of the time window for these related actions.

Second case: processing through a time window containing chained actions

Figure 13 illustrates multiple cases of actions connected by inclusion chains, whose temporal segments occur in different relative positions (overlapping and non-overlapping). A time window (700-702) is interpreted as a representation of the time at which an action can occur. The meaning of the containment chain is that the time segment (710) of the child action (701) must occur within the time segment (710) of the time window (720) of the parent action (700). This is done by replacing the child action's (701) time window (721) time segment (711) with the intersection (712) of their own (711) and parent action's time window (720) time segment (710) to achieve.

Case 3: Time Windowing of Actions Connected by a Sequential Chain

The following terms are introduced or clarified:

- Time windows for actions : A linked list of time segments describing when actions can occur.

- time window of start time of an action : a linked list describing time segments when said action can start;

- time window of end time of an action : a linked list describing time segments when said action can end;

The time window of an action, the time window of the start time of the same action and the time window of the end time of the same action are interrelated.

Referring to Figure 15 and according to an embodiment of the present invention, the time window (921) representing the start time (911) of an action is calculated from the corresponding time window (920) representing said action by Calculated by subtracting the action duration (930) from the end time of the time segment (910) in the time window (920).

Referring to FIG. 14 and in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the time window (821) representing the end time of an action is calculated from the corresponding time window (820) representing the action by taking the duration of the action ( 830) to the start time of the time segment (810) in the latter time window (820).

According to an embodiment of the invention, the time windows representing the start time and end time of an action are interrelated by shifting the start and end time in the time segment by the duration of the action.

According to one embodiment of the invention, when a first preceding action (800, 902) is followed by a second following action (802, 900), certain constraints are imposed on the start and end times of the two actions .

The first constraint includes the start time of the subsequent action so that the start time of the subsequent action is never earlier than the earliest finish time of any of the preceding actions. According to one aspect of the invention, this effect is achieved by replacing the time period (813) of the start time (823) of the subsequent action (802) with their own (813) and the end time (821) of the preceding action (800). ) obtained from the intersection (814) between the time segments (811).

The second constraint includes the finish time of the preceding action to achieve that the finish time of the preceding action is never later than the latest start time of any of the following actions. According to one aspect of the invention, this effect is achieved by substituting the time segments (913) of the end times (923) of the preceding actions (902) by their own (913) and start times (900) of the following actions (900) 921) obtained from the intersection (914) between the time segments (911).

Where a margin of time is allowed between two actions, the end time of the time segment of the preceding action is preferably extended by a maximum allowed margin of time before said first restriction is applied. Referring to Figure 16, the time window (1020) of the prior action (1000) is used to calculate the prior Time window (1021) of end time (1001) of action (1000). Next, the segment (1011) of the time window (1021) of the end time of the preceding action (1001) is extended (1011) by the maximum slack time (1040) to produce the time window (1022) of the end time (1002) of the preceding action The time segment (1012) plus the rich time. To obtain the time window (1024) of the start time of the subsequent action (1004), the end time of the segment (1013) of the time window (1023) of the subsequent action (1003) is moved backward by the subsequent action (1003) The duration of (1050). The segment (1015) of the time window (1025) at the start time of the subsequent action (1005) is obtained by taking the intersection between the time segment (1012) and the time segment (1014).

Designing a sequential chain between two actions involves applying the above two constraints.

According to the invention has been described:

- how the relationship chain is handled (1);

- how composite chains are handled (2);

- how the relationship between time windows representing actions, start time and end time (3) is handled;

- how sequential chains are processed (4);

- How the rich time is handled in the sequence chain (5).

We then proceed by devising the previously presented example in accordance with the principles of the invention.

The problem that has to be solved is to find the time window representing the starting time(s) for the check.

The first step consists of designing the relationship chain in Figure 7.

Referring to FIG. 17 , this is done using the general principle according to the invention explained previously with reference to FIG. 12 .

Similarly, referring to Figure 18, a chain of relationships can be designed between inspection, operator and scanner.

After this operation, the graph in Fig. 7 is simplified to that in Fig. 8, and note: the time windows associated with the appointment and inspection actions are not the original ones, but the time windows obtained from the previous step.

The second step consists of designing the containment chain in the graph in Figure 8 . According to the invention, this is achieved by processing the time segments in the time windows of the undressing, checking and dressing actions so that they fall within the time segments of the time window of the scheduled actions. This is demonstrated in FIGS. 19A , 19B and 19C using the general principle of the invention explained earlier with reference to FIG. 13 .

After this operation, the graph in Figure 7 or Figure 8 is simplified as in Figure 9, and note: the time windows associated with the undressing, checking and dressing actions are not the original ones, but are obtained from the previous step time window.

The third step consists of designing out the constraints imposed by the sequence chain.

There are other actions before and after the check action. According to one aspect of the invention, this means the start and end times of the time segments with corresponding time windows.

Referring to Fig. 20, according to the general principle explained by means of Figs. 14, 15 and 16 before, the start time (1310) of the inspection should never be earlier than the earliest end time (1307) of the undressing action, and the end of the inspection containing the rich time The time (1303) should never be later than the latest start time (1301) of the dressing action.

After this operation, the graphs in Figures 7, 8 and 9 can be simplified as in Figure 10, and note that the time window associated with the checking action is the time window obtained from the previous step.

Introduction to Deductive and Inductive Logic

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, inductive logic methods are used to control the processing of time windows, as opposed to deductive logic. These terms will be explained in more detail.

In general, deductive logic starts with variables whose values are known (called "hypotheses"), and proceeds step by step according to a predefined process to deduce the values of the variables for which it is solved (called "final conclusions"). This processing occurs through the calculation of intermediate values (referred to as "intermediate conclusions").

In deductive logic, the flow of information processing itself is the subject of programming, and the result is fixed once it has been programmed. Hence, deductive logic programming is effective for problems where the classification of relationships between variables is fixed and only the assumed values are affected by changes.

Fig. 22 shows an example of deductive logic. H1, H2 and H3 are the basic assumptions. Processing (151) hypothesis H2 produces intermediate conclusion C1. Processing (152) conclusion C1 and hypothesis H1 produces intermediate conclusion C2. Conclusion C2 and hypothesis H3 are then processed (153) leading to final conclusion C3.

In contrast, the entry point of the inductive logic method according to the invention is the final conclusion itself, and its value is initially unknown. With a collection of inductive steps in the form of an exploratory process, hypothesized data are first assembled and then systematically processed to compute final conclusions.

The inductive step for calculating (intermediate) conclusions consists in determining what other variables are needed to calculate said (intermediate) conclusions. There are two possibilities:

1) The values of the required variables are known because they are assumptions and intermediate conclusions whose values have been determined before; in this case the variables can be manipulated to obtain (intermediate) conclusions.

2) Or at least one of the required variables is an intermediate conclusion whose value has not yet been determined; in this case, this (intermediate) conclusion initiates a new induction step.

The subject of programming in the inductive logic approach is not a deductive information processing flow, but a set of rules governing the inductive steps.

The expanded induction method rule set includes determining:

1) The nature (category) of the variables (intermediate conclusions) needed to calculate the conclusions;

2) For each property (category) of a variable's (intermediate) conclusions it is determined which other variables (other intermediate conclusions or hypotheses) need to be processed in order to calculate the result of said (intermediate) conclusions.

Unlike the deductive logic approach, the problem definition now states not only the value of the hypothesis, but also a classification of the relationships between the variables. This allows greater flexibility in solving problems with different classifications of relationships between variables. Once the rule set has been programmed, the same program can be used to deal with problems with various classifications of relationships between variables as above.

An example of the method using inductive logic is presented in Fig. 23. The entry point is a request to calculate the value of variable C3. The rule set specifies that the variable C3 requires the treatment of two other variables (being H3) and the intermediate conclusion C2, where the value of H3 is known because it is a hypothesis, while the value of C2 is unknown at this point. The latter leads to a new induction step to compute the unknown variable C2. This rule set specifies that variable C2 requires the processing of two other variables H2 and an intermediate conclusion C1, where its value is known because it is a hypothesis, and that of C1 is unknown at this point. The latter induces a new inductive step to compute C1. The rule set specifies that variable C1 requires processing of variable H2, the value of which is known. This leads to processing of H2 to obtain C1. Now C1 is known, which results in processing C1 and H1 to compute C2. Now C2 is known, which leads to processing C2 and H3 to compute the final conclusion C3.

Preferred embodiment based on inductive logic

According to the invention, the solution of the scheduling problem as described in the above example is preferably performed by using inductive logic methods.

According to one embodiment, the following classes or variables may be used to manage resources:

- the time window associated with the action

- the time window relative to the start time of the action

- a time window related to the end time of the action

According to the same embodiment, this induction logic is governed by a set of three rules:

- The first rule states that obtaining the value of a variable of type "start time of action" requires the processing of the value of "end time of this action" and the value of "previous action".

- The second rule states that getting the value of a variable of type "Action" requires the processing of the values of "Parent Action" and "Related Action".

= The third rule states that obtaining the value of a variable of type "End Time of Action" requires the processing of the same "Action", "Leave Time" and "Later Action".

In the more general case, however, other rule sets yielding equivalent results may also be chosen and are within the scope of the invention. This follows from the fact that the categories of variables in the above set of rules are related to each other by simple relationships.

We have found that a collection of the above three categorical variables combined with the above three rules provides a self-contained approach compared to an approach capable of implementing resource scheduling and management for multiple situations.

The method according to the invention processes time windows and produces a time window which typically comprises a plurality of time segments, where each time segment indicates a single solution when a corresponding action can take place (or start). The method thus yields not just one solution to the scheduling problem as in the prior art, but a complete set of solutions.

The method according to the present invention can be used for any resource scheduling and management problem which can be modeled as a set of actions corresponding to resources, which are linked by a combination of inclusion, relational and sequential chains and rich time .

Having described the general principles according to the invention, we proceed by working out the example presented earlier.

Referring to Figure 20, the method begins with an instantiation variable start time check, which is the final conclusion of the scheduling question.

A symbol in a circle above one of Figures 17 to 20 indicates a reference to the same symbol in a circle in one of the other Figures.

Since the value of the variable start time check is unknown at this point, this leads to an induction step (IS1). According to the first rule of the invention, in order to calculate the value of the start time of the check (1410), the value of the end time of the check action (1408=1405) and the value of the undressing action (1406=1302) are required. Since these values are unknown at this point, this leads to two new inductive steps: the first (IS2) enables the calculation of the value (1406=1302) of the undressing action, and the second (IS3) for The value of the end time of the examination is calculated (1408=1405).

We proceed by first explaining the induction step (IS2). 17-20, the second rule stipulates that in order to calculate the value of the undressing action (1406 = 1302), the value of the reservation action (1300 = 1103) as the parent action needs to be processed. Since the value of the reservation action (1300=1103) is unknown at this time, this in turn leads to an inductive step (IS4) for the calculation of this variable. Since this variable (1300=1103) appointment is of type "Action", the same (second) rule applies, which needs to process the values of the relevant changing room (1101) and patient (1100) actions. Since these actions are hypotheses, their values are known, which enables the calculation of the value of the action of booking (1300=1103) and the action of undressing (1406=1302) afterwards.

Immediately afterwards we proceed by describing the induction step (IS3). 17-20, the third rule stipulates that the calculation of the value of the end time of the inspection (1408=1405) needs to process the value of the inspection action (1402=1308) and the value of the dressing action (1400=1305). Because the variable (1402 = 1308) of the check action is of type "Action", the second rule applies, which requires processing the values of the Parent Reservation (1306 = 1103) action and related Scanner (1200) and Operator (1201) actions. The value of the parent book action (1306=1103) is calculated in the same way as in the induction step (IS2). The values of the relevant actions (1200, 1201) are known since they are hypotheses, which enables the calculation of the values of the checking (1402=1308) actions. Since the variable (1400=1305) also belongs to the action type, the second rule applies again, causing the processing of the values of the variables (1303=1103) and (1304=1101). At this point, the calculation of the value of the end time of the examination (1408=1405) may be done, and then the calculation of the value of the start time of the examination (1410).

The invention as mentioned above is preferably implemented using a data processing system such as a computer. Figure 23 shows an embodiment of such a system (1700). The computer includes a network connection (1750), a central processing unit (1760) and a storage device (1770) connected by a computer bus (1790). Typically, the computer also has a computer human interface for inputting data (1710, 1720) and a computer human interface for outputting data (1730). According to the invention, computer program code is stored on a computer readable medium, such as a mass storage device (1740) or a portable data carrier (1790) readable by portable data carrier reading means (1780).

Having described preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (10)

1. A user interface for an appointment scheduling system, wherein - a first displayed timeline on which possible solutions created are indicated in the form of times or time slots for which a scheduled appointment is available within a predetermined time period, said predetermined time period being Given predetermined constraints and availability of resources, - the indicated possible solutions are arranged in response to a user selection of one of said indicated possible solutions such that a time period around the selected possible solution is enlarged and simultaneously displayed on a second timeline, said display produces a dual timeline, and - Possible solutions within said time period on the second timeline are indicated and arranged for selection by the user. 2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is one day. 3. A user interface according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined time period is a part of a day, and wherein sliding means are provided which, once activated, the user can slide to display time periods relating to other parts of the day. 4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein on the first timeline, a plurality of times are indicated, and wherein possible solutions are highlighted. 5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein on the second timeline, a plurality of times are indicated, and wherein possible solutions are highlighted. 6. A user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said times are equidistant. 7. A user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the time is the start of a time slot in which an appointment can be scheduled. 8. A user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the interval between said times is settable by a user. 9. A user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second timeline is displayed parallel to the first timeline. 10. A user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein upon selection of a displayed solution, a plurality of corresponding combinations of reserved resources and/or durations are displayed.

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