Project management systems and methods

• US 20060041447A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diana Vucina, Mark Vucina
• Original Assignee: Diana Vucina, Mark Vucina
• Inventors: Vucina, Diana, Vucina, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide improved project management systems and methods. In one embodiment the present invention includes a project management system comprising a plurality of radial task regions displayed around a focal point and a plurality of time regions displayed around the focal point, wherein each time region represents a period of time. The present invention may be implemented in software or as a project management template provided on a sheet of material such as paper.

Claims

1. A project management system comprising:

a plurality of radial task regions displayed around a focal point; and

a plurality of time regions displayed around the focal point, wherein each time region represents a period of time.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a central region including the focal point.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a boundary of the central region represents a point in time.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the task regions are defined between a plurality of adjacent task boundaries arranged radially around the focal point.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each task region is associated with one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more task regions are associated with information about a task.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein time is represented as advancing inward toward the focal point.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein time is represented as advancing outward away from the focal point.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein time regions are concentric around the focal point.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the time period is user definable.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of task regions overlap the plurality of time regions such that each time region comprises a plurality of portions of different task regions.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of task regions overlap the plurality of time regions such that each task region comprises a plurality of portions of different time regions.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more task identifiers, wherein at least one task region includes one or more task identifiers.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said project management system is implemented in software.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said project management system is implemented as a project management template printed on a sheet of material.

16. A project management system comprising a plurality of radial task boundaries, wherein a plurality of task regions are defined between adjacent task boundaries.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the radial task boundaries are arranged around a focal point, and wherein the focal point represents a point in time.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising a central region, wherein a boundary of the central region represents a point in time.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising associating each task region with information about one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein each task region is associated with at least one task description record.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein each task boundary represents time advancing inward toward a focal point or central region.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein each task boundary represents time advancing outward away from a focal point or central region.

23. The system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of time regions, wherein each time region represents a time period, and wherein the plurality of task regions overlap the plurality of time regions such that each time region comprises a plurality of portions of different task regions.

24. The system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of time regions, wherein each time region represents a time period, and wherein the plurality of time regions overlap the plurality of task regions such that each task region comprises a plurality of portions of different time regions.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the time period is user definable.

26. The system of claim 16 further comprising one or more task identifiers.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein said project management system is implemented in software.

28. The system of claim 16 wherein said project management system is implemented as a project management template printed on a sheet of material.

29. A project management system comprising:

a plurality of task identifiers arranged radially around a focal point,

wherein the focal point represents a point in time and each task identifier represents the progression of a task relative to the point in time.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising associating each task identifier with information about one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein each task identifier comprises:

a first end that corresponds to a start time of a respective task; and

a second end that corresponds to an end time of the respective task.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein each task identifier is color-coded to indicate a status of a respective task, wherein a first color corresponds to a first time period that begins at a start time and ends at a first target end time, and wherein a second color corresponds to second time period that begins at the first target end time and ends at a second target end time.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein time is represented as advancing inward toward the focal point.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein time is represented as advancing outward away from the focal point.

35. The system of claim 29 further comprising a plurality of concentric time regions around the focal point, wherein each time region represents a time period.

36. The system of claim 29 further comprising a plurality of radial task boundaries, wherein a region between two adjacent task boundaries defines a task region.

37. The system of claim 36 further comprising associating each task region with information about one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

38. The system of claim 29 wherein said project management system is implemented in software.

39. The system of claim 29 wherein said project management system is implemented as a project management template printed on a sheet of material.

40. A project management template comprising a sheet of material displaying a chart having a plurality of radial task boundaries, wherein a task region defined between adjacent task boundaries corresponds to one or more tasks.

41. The project management template of claim 40 further comprising a description region comprising a plurality of task description records.

42. The project management template of claim 41 wherein each task region is associated with at least one task description record for receiving information about a task.

43. The project management template of claim 41 wherein each task region visually indicates an associated task description record.

44. The project management template of claim 41 wherein each task region indicates an associated task description record by using a unique symbol.

45. The project management template of claim 40 wherein the sheet of material includes a surface for receiving markings.

46. The project management template of claim 40 wherein the chart further comprises a layer over the surface for receiving markings.

47. The project management template of claim 46 wherein the layer is plastic or a polymer.

48. A project management template comprising:

a sheet of material having a surface;

an image on the surface, wherein the image comprises a chart having a plurality of concentric time regions, wherein each time region represents a time period.

49. The project management template of claim 48 wherein the image further comprises a description region comprising a plurality of task description records for receiving information about one or more tasks.

50. The project management template of claim 48 further comprising a central region, wherein a boundary of the central region represents a point in time.

51. The project management template of claim 48 further comprising a plurality of radial task boundaries, wherein adjacent task boundaries define a task region.

52. The project management template of claim 51 wherein the plurality of task regions overlap the plurality of time regions such that each time region comprises a plurality of portions of different task regions.

53. The project management template of claim 51 wherein the plurality of task regions overlap the plurality of time regions such that each task region comprises a plurality of portions of different time regions.

54. The project management template of claim 48 wherein time is represented as advancing inward toward the focal point.

55. The project management template of claim 48 wherein time is represented as advancing outward away from the focal point.

56. The project management template of claim 48 wherein the time period is user definable.

57. The project management template of claim 48 wherein the surface is paper, laminate, polymer, or plastic.

58. The project management template of claim 48 further comprising a laminate layer on top of the surface for receiving markings.

59. A project management method comprising displaying a plurality of radial task boundaries, wherein a plurality of task regions defined between adjacent task boundaries corresponds to one or more tasks.

60. The system of claim 59 wherein the radial task boundaries are arranged around a focal point, and wherein the focal point represents a point in time.

61. The system of claim 59 further comprising displaying a central region, wherein a boundary of the central region represents a point in time.

62. The method of claim 59 further comprising associating each task region with information about one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

63. The method of claim 59 wherein each task region is associated with at least one task description record.

64. The method of claim 59 further comprising displaying a plurality of time regions arranged around the focal point, wherein each time region represents a time period.

65. The method of claim 59 further comprising displaying one or more task identifiers.

66. The method of claim 59 wherein said project management method is implemented in software.

67. The method of claim 59 wherein said project management method is implemented as a project management template displayed as an image on a sheet of material.

68. The method of claim 59 further comprising storing program instructions on a computer readable medium, wherein when the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system executes said project management method.

69. A project management method comprising displaying a plurality of task identifiers radially around a focal point, wherein the focal point represents a point in time and each task identifier represents the progression of a task relative to the point in time.

70. The method of claim 69 further comprising associating each task identifier with information about one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

71. The method of claim 69 wherein each task identifier comprises:

a first end that corresponds to a start time of a respective task; and

a second end that corresponds to an end time of the respective task.

72. The method of claim 69 wherein time is represented as advancing inward toward the focal point.

73. The method of claim 69 wherein time is represented as advancing outward away from the focal point.

74. The method of claim 69 further comprising displaying a plurality of concentric time regions around the focal point, wherein each time region represents a time period.

75. The method of claim 69 further comprising displaying a plurality of radial task boundaries, wherein a region between two adjacent task boundaries defines a task region.

76. The method of claim 69 further comprising associating each task region with information about one or more tasks, projects, jobs, events, or goals.

77. The method of claim 69 further comprising storing program instructions on a computer readable medium, wherein when the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system executes said project management method.