System and method for providing metadata interaction and visualization with task-related objects

• US 20050138631A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ducheneaut, Nicolas B., Bobrow, Daniel G., Bellotti, Victoria, Smith, Ian E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for providing metadata interaction and visualization with task-related objects is described. A plurality of task-oriented items is defined. Each task-oriented item includes a storage component specifying metadata relating to at least one of planning, executing or completing a task. A visualization is provided to tie in the task-oriented items and associate modeling logic operating on at least one such task-oriented item. The visualization is displayed by highlighting at least one of interdependencies and conflicts between the metadata of the task-oriented items.

Claims

1. A system for providing dynamic interaction with task-oriented items in a task management framework, comprising:

at least one template comprising a visualization interface and one or more user interactive components;

modeling logic to associate with at least one such user interactive component and to operate on at least one task-oriented item; and

a task management interface to instantiate the at least one template and to execute the modeling logic responsive to a selection of the user interactive component.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a task object to logically link the at least one task-oriented item to the at least one template instance.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

processing logic to propagate an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item to at least one other such task-oriented item.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of a direct link or indirect causal inference to associate the modeling logic with the at least one task-oriented item.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a parser to parse an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item, wherein the effect is assimilated into the at least one template instance.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a semantic analyzer to semantically analyze an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item, wherein the effect is assimilated into the at least one template instance.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a visualization to visualize an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an evaluator to evaluate an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item relative to a task-oriented item is selected from the group comprising email, an activity, an event, a contact, a task object, and application data.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

metadata to associate with at least one such task-oriented item responsive to a selection of a user interactive component.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a log to track at least one user preference observed responsive to a selection of a user interactive component.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an evaluator to statistically evaluate the at least one user preference over a plurality of such selections.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the task-oriented item is selected from the group comprising email, an activity, an event, a contact, a task object, and application data.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a resource viewer to access at least one such task-oriented item responsive to a selection of a user interactive component.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the task object comprises a collection of one or more task-oriented items.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the user interactive component is selected from the group comprising an icon and a hotspot.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the task management framework comprises one or more components selected from the group comprising a task viewer, an email client, an activity manager, an event manager, a contact manager, and an application.

17. A method for providing dynamic interaction with task-oriented items in a task management framework, comprising:

defining at least one template comprising a visualization interface and one or more user interactive components;

associating modeling logic with at least one such user interactive component and operating on at least one task-oriented item; and

instantiating the at least one template and executing the modeling logic responsive to a selection of the user interactive component.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

logically linking the at least one task-oriented item to the at least one template instance.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

propagating an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item to at least one other such task-oriented item.

20. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

associating the modeling logic with the at least one task-oriented item through at least one of a direct link or indirect causal inference.

21. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

parsing an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item; and

assimilating the effect into the at least one template instance.

22. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

semantically analyzing an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item; and

assimilating the effect into the at least one template instance.

23. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

visualizing an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item.

24. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

evaluating an effect of the operation on the at least one task-oriented item relative to a task-oriented item is selected from the group comprising email, an activity, an event, a contact, a task object, and application data.

25. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

associating metadata with at least one such task-oriented item responsive to a selection of a user interactive component.

26. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

tracking at least one user preference observed responsive to a selection of a user interactive component.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

statistically evaluating the at least one user preference over a plurality of such selections.

28. A method according to claim 17, wherein the task-oriented item is selected from the group comprising email, an activity, an event, a contact, a task object, and application data.

29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising:

accessing at least one such task-oriented item responsive to a selection of a user interactive component.

30. A method according to claim 28, wherein the task object comprises a collection of one or more task-oriented items.

31. A method according to claim 17, wherein the user interactive component is selected from the group comprising an icon and a hotspot.

32. A method according to claim 17, wherein the task management framework comprises one or more components selected from the group comprising a task viewer, an email client, an activity manager, an event manager, a contact manager, and an application.

33. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 17.

34. An apparatus for providing dynamic interaction with task-oriented items in a task management framework, comprising:

means for defining at least one template comprising a visualization interface and one or more user interactive components;

means for associating modeling logic with at least one such user interactive component and means for operating on at least one task-oriented item; and

means for instantiating the at least one template and means for executing the modeling logic responsive to a selection of the user interactive component.