Communication tagging

• US 20050120108A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wisniewski, Robert W., Wisniewski, Mary Yvonne Lanzerotti
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A communication system including a database adapted to store communication tag information; and a database agent. The database agent is adapted to determine if a communication has a task tag. The database agent is adapted to transfer predetermined communication tag information of the task tag of the communication to the database. The database agent is adapted to automatically send a communication based upon information stored in the predetermined communication tag information.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a database adapted to store communication tag information of a task tag; and

a database agent adapted to determine if a communication has the task tag, wherein the database agent is adapted to transfer predetermined communication tag information of the task tag of the communication to the database, and wherein the database agent is adapted to automatically send a communication based upon information stored in the predetermined communication tag information.

2. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the communication comprises an email and the database agent adapted to determine if the email has a task tag.

3. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the task tag comprises a task topic and a task reminder, and wherein the database agent is adapted to transfer the task reminder to the database.

4. A communication system as in claim 3 wherein the database agent is adapted to transfer the task topic to the database with the task reminder.

5. A communication system as in claim 3 wherein the database agent is adapted to store the task reminder in the database corresponding to a task topic already stored in the database.

6. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the database agent is adapted to generate a report based upon communication tag information stored in the database.

7. A communication system as in claim 6 wherein the database agent is adapted to automatically generate the report based upon a predetermined event.

8. A communication system as in claim 6 wherein the database agent is adapted to generate the report based upon a request submitted by a user.

9. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the communication tag information comprises an importance factor, and wherein the database agent is adapted to prioritize at least a portion of the communication tag information based upon the importance of factors of the communication tag information stored in the database.

10. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the database agent is adapted to automatically obtain information relating to the communication tag information from a remote computer.

11. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the database agent is adapted to collate at least a portion of the communication tag information stored in the database.

12. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein the communication tag information comprises a deliverable/project tag information, and wherein the database agent is adapted to transfer deliverable/project tag information of the task tag of the communication to the database.

13. A method for automatically tracking progress of a task on a computer network consisting of one or more users on a plurality of computer systems, the method comprising step of:

tagging a communication to be delivered between the computer systems over the network to form a tagged communication; and

acting on the tagged communication automatically by a database agent.

14. A method as in claim 13 where the tagged communication includes an electronic mail communication (email).

15. A method as in claim 13 where the tagged communication includes an instant electronic message (IM).

16. A method as in claim 13 where the tagged communication includes a telephone message converted to electronic communication with the use of voice-recognition software.

17. A method as in claim 13 wherein the step of acting involves storing the task in the database.

18. A method as in claim 13 where the step of acting involves updating information about the task in the database.

19. A method as in claim 13 where the step of acting involves generating a report.

20. A method as in claim 13 where the users are selected from a group consisting of individuals, collaborators, team leaders and managers.

21. A method as in claim 13 wherein the users include other computer programs, and wherein the other computer programs produce data including computer usage at a present or remote site, manufacturing yield, or customer purchasing patterns.

22. A method as in claim 13 wherein the users are selected from a group consisting of a combination of individuals, collaborators, team leaders, managers, and other computer programs.

23. A method as in claim 13 wherein an importance of the task on the tag is set and negotiated by the users.

24. A method as in claim 13 wherein a time duration of the task on the tag is set and negotiated by the users.

25. A method as in claim 13 wherein the step of acting involves merging communications from various tasks into one communication for a single task.

26. A method as in claim 13 wherein the step of acting involves separating communications from one task into several communications for separate tasks.

27. A method as in claim 13 wherein the step of acting involves monitoring a task deadline and being proactive in sending communication to humans and computers participating in the task.

28. A method as in claim 13 wherein tag properties on the communication include time to task completion, task progress, task topic, reminder interval, and collaborator type.

29. A method as in claim 13 wherein choices for tagging the communication include a tag property of a task progress which selected from a group consisting of previous, new, in-progress, complete, other.

30. A method as in claim 13 wherein choices for tagging the communication include a tag property of a collaborator type which can be selected from a group consisting of individual, collaborator, team leader, manager, senior manager, vice-president, CEO, CIO, contractor.

31. A method as in claim 13 wherein permissions may be associated with the task restricting viewing of the task only to users with appropriate access credentials.

32. A method as in claim 13 wherein the step of tagging a communication comprises adding deliverable/project information and task information to the communication.

33. A system for tracking tasks comprising:

a communication system adapted to attach a task tag to a communication; and

a tracking system separate from a communication sending computer and a communication receiving computer which is adapted to automatically enter predetermined information of the task tag of the communication into a database.

34. A method of tracking tasks comprising:

sending a communication;

attaching a task tag to the communication;

recording, by an automatic database agent, at least a portion of data in the task tag into a database; and

automatically sending a communication by the automatic database agent based, at least partially, on the data in the task tag.

35. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodied in a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for tracking tasks, the method comprising steps of:

searching a first communication to determine if the first communication has a task tag, the task tag comprising a task topic and a task progress; and

automatically sending a second communication by an automated database agent based upon data in the task tag.

36. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodied in a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for tracking tasks, the method comprising steps of:

creating a communication; and

attaching a task tag to the communication comprising a task topic and a task progress.