Immediate next task dispatch system and method

• US 20030204431A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ingman, Robert Thomas Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A task management system assigns a plurality of tasks to a plurality of workers. The assigned tasks are dispatched according to dispatch orders. The task management system may designate a task as an immediate next task. The immediate next task is prioritized first in a dispatch order, and is thus the first task to be dispatched to a worker, or the next task to be dispatched to the worker if a task is currently dispatched to the worker.

Claims

1. A task management system for assigning a plurality of tasks to a plurality of workers, comprising:

a database for storing task records and worker records, each task record corresponding to a task and including task parameters, and each worker record corresponding to a worker and including worker parameters; and

a management module operable to access the database and compare the task records to the worker records and for each worker create a set of assigned tasks to the worker prioritized according to a corresponding dispatch order, and dispatch the set of assigned tasks to the worker based on the corresponding dispatch order, and further operable to receive an immediate next task request for a requested task and a requested worker and, if no other task is designated an immediate next task for the requested worker, designate the requested task as an immediate next task for the requested worker and prioritize the immediate next task first in the corresponding dispatch order of the set assigned tasks to the requested worker.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module is further operable to assign the immediate next task to the requested worker if the immediate next task is not assigned to the requested worker.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the management module is further operable to reassign the immediate next task from the requested worker to another worker.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the management module is further operable to remove the immediate next task designation as a result of the reassignment.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the management module is further operable to periodically update the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker and the corresponding dispatch order, and prioritize the immediate next task assigned to the requested worker first in the corresponding dispatch order after the update.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker and the corresponding dispatch order are based on the task parameters of the immediate next task.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the task parameters include a task location, and wherein the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker and the corresponding dispatch order are based on an estimated travel time from the immediate next task.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker and the corresponding dispatch order are independent of the task parameters of the immediate next task.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, and wherein the management module is operable to designate a dispatched task as an immediate next task for the worker if the worker does not complete the dispatched task during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, and wherein the management module is operable to designate only one immediate next task to the worker during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module is operable to identify alternate workers to be designated the task as an immediate next task if the management module cannot designate the task as an immediate next task for the requested worker.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, the worker'"'"'s schedule having a start time, and the task parameters include a preferred worker field indicating a preferred worker, and the management module is further operable to assign immediate next tasks to preferred workers and prioritize the immediate next tasks first in the corresponding dispatch orders of the sets of assigned tasks to the preferred workers prior to the start time.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding dispatch order includes dispatch times indicating when tasks in the set of assigned tasks are available for dispatch, and wherein the immediate next task is immediately available for dispatch.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of worker communication devices, each worker communication device comprising an input/output device and operable to communicate with the management module, receive a dispatched task from the management module, display the dispatched task to the worker, receive a reply indicating acceptance or rejection of the dispatched task, and send the reply to the management module to indicate whether the dispatched task has been accepted or rejected, and further operable to automatically accept the dispatched task if the dispatched task is an immediate next task.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of worker communication devices, each worker communication device comprising an input/output device and operable to communicate with the management module, receive a dispatched task from the management module, display the dispatched task to the worker, receive a reply indicating acceptance or rejection of the dispatched task, and send the reply to the management module to indicate whether the dispatched task has been accepted or rejected, and further operable to provide indicia of an immediate next task.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the indicia of an immediate next task is color coded text.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the indicia of an immediate next task is an audible alarm.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the immediate next task is associated with a preferred worker, and the management module is further operable to assign the immediate next task to the preferred worker and prioritize the immediate next task first in the corresponding dispatch order of the set of assigned tasks to the preferred worker.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the immediate next task may only be assigned to the preferred worker.

44. The system of claim 35, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, and wherein the management module is operable to designate a dispatched task as an immediate next task for the worker if the worker does not complete the dispatched task during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

60. Computer software stored on a computer readable media, the computer software comprising program code for carrying out a method according to claim 19.

20. A computer system implemented method of assigning a plurality of tasks to a plurality of workers, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a database task parameters for each task;

storing in the database worker parameters for each worker;

comparing the task parameters to the worker parameters to create a set of assigned tasks to each worker;

determining a corresponding dispatch order for each of the sets of assigned tasks;

receiving an immediate next task request for a task;

designating the task as an immediate next task for a worker if another task is not designated an immediate next task for the worker;

placing the immediate next task first in the corresponding dispatch order of the set of assigned tasks to the worker; and

dispatching tasks to the worker based on the corresponding dispatch order.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of assigning the immediate next task to the worker if the immediate next task is not assigned to the worker.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of specifying the worker as a preferred worker for the immediate next task.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

determining a start time of a schedule for the preferred worker; and

prior to the start time, assigning the immediate next task to the preferred worker.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

periodically updating the set of assigned tasks to the worker and the corresponding dispatch order; and

maintaining the immediate next task assigned to the worker first in the corresponding dispatch order during the periodically updating step.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining a corresponding dispatch order for each of the sets of assigned tasks comprises the steps of:

determining whether an immediate next task is in the set of assigned tasks; and

if an immediate next task is in the set of assigned tasks, basing the corresponding dispatch order on the immediate next task.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining a corresponding dispatch order for each of the sets of assigned tasks comprises the steps of:

determining whether an immediate next task is in the set of assigned tasks; and

if an immediate next task is in the set of assigned tasks, determining the corresponding dispatch order independent of the immediate next task.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

determining the worker'"'"'s schedule from the worker parameters; and

allowing the assignment of only one immediate next task to the worker during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

reassigning the immediate next task from the worker to another worker; and

removing the immediate next task designation from the task as a result of the reassignment.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

reassigning the immediate next task from the worker to another worker; and

maintaining the immediate next task designation during the reassignment.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of determining alternate workers to be designated the task as an immediate next task if another task is designated an immediate next task for the worker.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

determining the worker'"'"'s schedule from the worker parameters; and

designating a dispatched task as an immediate next task for the worker if the dispatched task is not completed during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

determining a dispatch time for each assigned task;

making available for dispatch an assigned task after the dispatch time; and

making available for dispatch an immediate next task immediately.

33. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a dispatched task at a communication device associated with the worker; and

automatically accepting the dispatched task at the communication device if the task is an immediate next task, or prompting the worker at the communication device to accept or reject the dispatched task if the dispatched task is not an immediate next task.

34. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a dispatched task at a communication device associated with the worker; and

providing indicia of an immediate next task if the dispatched task is an immediate next task; and

prompting the worker at the communication device to accept or reject the dispatched task.

35. A task management system for assigning a plurality of tasks to a plurality of workers, comprising:

a database for storing task records and worker records, each task record corresponding to a task and including task parameters, and each worker record corresponding to a worker and including worker parameters; and

a management module operable to access the database and compare the task records to the worker records and for each worker create a set of assigned tasks prioritized according to a corresponding dispatch order, and dispatch the set of assigned tasks to the worker based on the corresponding dispatch order, and further operable to receive an immediate next task request for a requested task and a requested worker and, if no other task is designated as an immediate next task for the requested worker, designate the requested task as an immediate next task for the requested worker and set the corresponding dispatch order of the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker subordinate to dispatch of the immediate next task.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the immediate next task is associated with a preferred worker, and the management module is further operable to designate the immediate next task to the preferred worker.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the immediate next task may only be designated to the preferred worker.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the management module is further operable to periodically update the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker and the corresponding dispatch order, and wherein the corresponding dispatch order remains subordinate to the dispatch of the immediate next task after the update.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the set of assigned tasks to the requested worker and the corresponding dispatch order are based on the task parameters of the immediate next task.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, and wherein the management module is operable to designate only one immediate next task to the worker during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein the management module is further operable to designate the immediate next task from the requested worker to another worker.

42. The system of claim 35, wherein the management module if further operable to identify alternate workers to be designated the requested task from the immediate next task request if the management module cannot designate the requested task as an immediate next task to the requested worker.

43. The system of claim 35, further comprising a plurality of worker communication devices, each worker communication device comprising an input/output device and operable to communicate with the management module, receive a dispatched task from the management module, display the dispatched task to the worker, receive a reply indicating acceptance or rejection of the dispatched task, and send the reply to the management module to indicate whether the dispatched task has been accepted or rejected, and further operable to automatically accept the dispatched task if the dispatched task is an immediate next task.

45. A task management system for assigning a plurality of tasks to a plurality of workers, comprising:

a database for storing task records and worker records, each task record corresponding to a task and including task parameters, and each worker record corresponding to a worker and including worker parameters; and

a management module operable to access the database and compare the task records to the worker records to create a set of assigned tasks for each worker, prioritize the sets of assigned tasks according to corresponding dispatch orders, dispatch the sets of assigned tasks to the workers based on the corresponding dispatch orders, and further operable to receive an immediate next task request for a task, identify workers qualified to be designated the task as an immediate next task, and designate the task as an immediate next task for an identified worker and prioritize the immediate next task first in the corresponding dispatch order of the set of assigned tasks to the identified worker.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the management module is further operable to assign the immediate next task to the identified worker if the immediate next task is not assigned to the identified worker.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, and wherein the management module is further operable to assign only one immediate next task to a worker during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the management module is further operable to reassign the immediate next task from the identified worker to another worker.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the management module is further operable to remove the immediate next task designation as a result of the reassignment.

50. The system of claim 46, wherein the management module is further operable to periodically update the set of assigned tasks to the identified worker and the corresponding dispatch order, and prioritize the immediate next task assigned to the identified worker first in the corresponding dispatch order after the update.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the set of assigned tasks to the identified worker and the corresponding dispatch order are independent of the task parameters of the immediate next task.

52. The system of claim 45, wherein the set of assigned tasks to the identified worker and the corresponding dispatch order are based on the task parameters of the immediate next task.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the task parameters include a task location, and wherein the set of assigned tasks to the identified worker and the corresponding dispatch order are based on an estimated travel time from the immediate next task.

54. The system of claim 45, wherein the corresponding dispatch orders includes dispatch times indicating when tasks in the sets of assigned tasks are available for dispatch, and wherein the immediate next task is immediately available for dispatch.

55. The system of claim 45, further comprising a plurality of worker communication devices, each worker communication device comprising an input/output device and operable to communicate with the management module, receive a dispatched task from the management module, display the dispatched task to the worker, receive a reply indicating acceptance or rejection of the dispatched task, and send the reply to the management module to indicate whether the dispatched task has been accepted or rejected, and further operable to automatically accept the dispatched task if the dispatched task is an immediate next task.

56. The system of claim 45, wherein the worker parameters include a schedule parameter indicating a worker'"'"'s schedule, and wherein the management module is operable to designate a dispatched task as an immediate next task for the worker if the worker does not complete the dispatched task during the worker'"'"'s schedule.

57. The system of claim 45, further comprising a plurality of worker communication devices, each worker communication device comprising an input/output device and operable to communicate with the management module, receive a dispatched task from the management module, display the dispatched task to the worker, receive a reply indicating acceptance or rejection of the dispatched task, and send the reply to the management module to indicate whether the dispatched task has been accepted or rejected, and further operable to provide indicia of an immediate next task.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the indicia of an immediate next task is color coded text.

59. The system of claim 57, wherein the indicia of an immediate next task is an audible alarm.