Scheduling system and user interfaces
In one embodiment, a scheduling system includes an interactive graphical user interface. Each cell has a position in a displayed first array of cells and has respective scheduling data associated with it. Each cell is visually translocatable out of the first array under a user navigation to another position within the interface. A second array of cells is displayed within the interface and some cells in the second array correspond to open time slots in a schedule. A scheduling module in the system is configured to receive a user selection of a first cell in the first array of cells, identify, based on at least some of the scheduling data associated with the selected first cell, a matching open time slot in the second array of cells, control a visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to the matching open time slot position in the second array of cells, and associate or transfer at least some of the scheduling data associated with the first cell to the open time slot position in the second array of cells.
1. A non-transitory scheduling system including:
an interactive graphical user interface including:
a first array of cells displayed within the graphical user interface, each cell having a position in the first array of cells, each cell having respective scheduling data associated with it, and each cell being visually translocatable out of the first array under a user navigation to another position within the graphical user interface;
a second array of cells displayed within the graphical user interface, some cells in the second array corresponding to open time slots in an undocked appointment scheduling view in the graphical user interface;
at least one processor configured to:
present a plurality of docking elements in the graphical user interface, each docking element associated with a respective appointment target entity, each of the plurality of docking elements individually selectable to dock or undock a respective appointment scheduling view in the graphical user interface, each of the plurality of presented docking elements bearing a respective target entity name and being visible in the graphical user interface without appointment details when docked,
select a selected docking element launches a respective appointment scheduling view specific to a selected respective appointment target entity,
display, an overflow element visible at a lower edge portion of the graphical user interface showing a minimized view of the respective appointment scheduling view specific to the selected respective appointment target entity, wherein the overflow element expands to a checkout window comprising a selectable user interface element allowing prebooking a future appointment for the selected respective appointment target entity,
display a sidebar corresponding to the selected respective appointment target entity, the sidebar including a first cell in the first array of cells, wherein the first cell in the first array of cells corresponds to a past appointment associated with the selected respective appointment target entity,
receive a user selection of the first cell in the first array of cells,
identify, based on at least some of the scheduling data associated with the selected first cell, an open time slot in the second array of cells matching a duration of the past appointment,
control, under a user navigation, a visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to a position of the open time slot in the second array of cells, and
associate the at least some of the scheduling data associated with the first cell to the open time slot in the second array of cells; and
a database for storing the scheduling data in association with the cell in the first and second arrays of cells.
2. The scheduling system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to place a temporary marker in the position of the open time slot in the second array of cells in response to identifying the open time slot and before controlling the visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to the position of the matching open time slot.
3. The scheduling system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array to the position of the open time slot in the second array in response to a drag-and-drop user navigation.
4. The scheduling system of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling data associated with each cell in the first array of cells comprises at least one of a group comprising:
a location, a time, a time period, a date, a service, a service provider, and a user identification.
5. The scheduling system of claim 4 , wherein the second array of cells is configured or arranged based in part on at least one aspect of the scheduling data associated with each cell in the first array of cells.
6. A scheduling process including:
providing an interactive graphical user interface;
displaying a first array of cells within the graphical user interface, each cell having a position in the first array of cells, each cell having respective scheduling data associated with it, and each cell being visually translocatable out of the first array under user navigation to another position within the graphical user interface;
displaying a second array of cells within the graphical user interface, some cells in the second array corresponding to open time slots in an undocked appointment scheduling view in the graphical user interface;
presenting a plurality of docking elements in the graphical user interface, each docking element associated with a respective appointment target entity, each of the plurality of docking elements individually selectable to dock or undock a respective appointment scheduling view in the graphical user interface, each of the plurality of presented docking elements bearing a respective target entity name and being visible in the graphical user interface without appointment details when docked;
selecting a selected docking element launches a respective appointment scheduling view specific to a selected respective appointment target entity;
displaying, an overflow element visible at a lower edge portion of the graphical user interface showing a minimized view of the respective appointment scheduling view specific to the selected respective appointment target entity, wherein the overflow element expands to a checkout window comprising a selectable user interface element allowing prebooking a future appointment for the selected respective appointment target entity;
displaying a sidebar corresponding to the selected respective appointment target entity, the sidebar including a first cell in the first array of cells, wherein the first cell in the first array of cells corresponds to a past appointment associated with the selected respective appointment target entity;
receiving a user selection of the first cell in the first array of cells;
identifying, based on at least some of the scheduling data associated with the selected first cell, an open time slot in the second array of cells matching a duration of the past appointment;
controlling, under a user navigation, a visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to a position of the open time slot in the second array of cells;
associating the at least some of the scheduling data associated with the first cell to the open time slot in the second array of cells; and
storing in a database the scheduling data in association with the first cell in the first and second arrays of cells.
7. The scheduling process of claim 6 , further comprising placing a temporary marker in the position of the open time slot in the second array of cells in response to identifying the open time slot and before controlling the visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to the open time slot.
8. The scheduling process of claim 6 , further comprising controlling the visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array to the position of the open time slot in the second array in response to a drag-and-drop user navigation.
9. The scheduling process of claim 6 , wherein the scheduling data associated with each cell in the first array of cells comprises at least one of a group comprising:
a location, a time, a time period, a date, a service, a service provider, and a user identification.
10. The scheduling process of claim 9 , further comprising configuring or arranging the second array of cells based in part on at least one aspect of the scheduling data associated with each cell in the first array of cells.
11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions which, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising, at least:
providing an interactive graphical user interface;
displaying a first array of cells within the graphical user interface, each cell having a position in the first array of cells, each cell having respective scheduling data associated with it, and each cell being visually translocatable out of the first array under user navigation to another position within the graphical user interface;
displaying a second array of cells within the graphical user interface, some cells in the second array corresponding to open time slots in an undocked appointment scheduling view in the graphical user interface;
presenting a plurality of docking elements in the graphical user interface, each docking element associated with a respective appointment target entity, each of the plurality of docking elements individually selectable to dock or undock a respective appointment scheduling view in the graphical user interface, each of the plurality of presented docking elements bearing a respective target entity name and being visible in the graphical user interface without appointment details when docked;
selecting a selected docking element launches a respective appointment scheduling view specific to a selected respective appointment target entity;
displaying, an overflow element visible at a lower edge portion of the graphical user interface showing a minimized view of the respective appointment scheduling view specific to the selected respective appointment target entity, wherein the overflow element expands to a checkout window comprising a selectable user interface element allowing prebooking a future appointment for the selected respective appointment target entity;
displaying a sidebar corresponding to the selected respective appointment target entity, the sidebar including a first cell in the first array of cells, wherein the first cell in the first array of cells corresponds to a past appointment associated with the selected respective appointment target entity;
receiving a user selection of the first cell in the first array of cells;
identifying, based on at least some of the scheduling data associated with the selected first cell, an open time slot in the second array of cells matching a duration of the past appointment;
controlling, under a user navigation, a visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to a position of the open time slot in the second array of cells;
associating the at least some of the scheduling data associated with the first cell to the open time slot in the second array of cells; and
storing in a database the scheduling data in association with the first cell in the first and second arrays of cells.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise placing a temporary marker in the position of the open time slot in the second array of cells in response to identifying the open time slot and before controlling the visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to the open time slot.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise controlling the visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array to the position of the open time slot in the second array in response to a drag-and-drop user navigation.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the scheduling data associated with each cell in the first array of cells comprises at least one of a group comprising:
a location, a time, a time period, a date, a service, a service provider, and a user identification.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise configuring or arranging the second array of cells based in part on at least one aspect of the scheduling data associated with each cell in the first array of cells.