Cross-context task management

• US 20060106846A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Sadiq, Wasim, Schulz, Karsten A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,070,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system to manage tasks are described. The method may provide a graphical user interface to allow a user to identify a first task context and associate a plurality of first tasks with the first task context, and to identify a second task context and associate a plurality of second tasks with the second task context. The method may associate at least one of the plurality of first tasks with at least one of the plurality of second tasks. Accordingly, tasks in different contexts and sourced from different applications may be managed.

Claims

1. A method of managing a plurality of tasks using a computer, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to allow a user to;

identify a first task context and associate a plurality of first tasks with the first task context; and

identify a second task context and associate a plurality of second tasks with the second task context; and

associating at least one of the plurality of first tasks with at least one of the plurality of second tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, which comprises:

monitoring user input to perform an operation on one of the first tasks in the first context;

identifying if the first task is associated with at least one of the plurality of second tasks;

performing the operation on the first task and the plurality of associated second tasks.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes associating at least one email with at least one of the first task and the second task.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes receiving the first and second tasks from a plurality task sources including an email source and a task management system.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes sharing the first and second tasks between different software applications.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes assigning attributes to each of the first and second tasks and associating the first and second tasks based on the attributes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the attributes include at least one of a subject attribute, a user identification attribute, a start date attribute, and an end date attribute.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes associating the first task with at least one second task based on one of a hierarchical relation, a constraint relation, and temporal relation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to create and modify first and second tasks in different contexts.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes selectively displaying a workflow representation associated with at least one selected task selected from the plurality of first and second tasks.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein associations between different tasks are shown in the workflow representation by lines connecting associated first and second tasks.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second tasks comprise subtasks and selecting a task displayed in the workflow representation provides a further workflow diagram showing association between the subtasks.

13. The method of claim 10, which includes:

identifying a priority associated with each task; and

arranging the tasks in the workflow representation based on relative priorities.

14. The method of claim 13, which includes allowing a user to a drag task in the workflow representation to at least one different position in the workflow representation thereby to change a priority associated with the dragged task.

15. A machine-readable medium including instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 1.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to create and modify first and second tasks in different contexts.

25. The system of claim 1, which includes selectively displaying a workflow representation associated with at least one selected task selected from the plurality of first and second tasks is selectively displayed.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein associations between different tasks are shown in the workflow representation by lines connecting associated first and second tasks.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the first and second tasks comprise subtasks and selecting a task displayed in the workflow representation provides a further workflow diagram showing association between the subtasks.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein a priority associated with each task is identified and the tasks in the workflow representation are arranged based on relative priorities.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein a user is allowed to a drag task in the workflow representation to at least one different position in the workflow representation thereby to change a priority associated with the dragged task.

16. A system to facilitate management of a plurality, the system:

a interface module to provide a graphical user interface to allow a user to;

identify a first task context and associate a plurality of first tasks with the first task context; and

identify a second task context and associate a plurality of second tasks with the second task context; and

a processor module to associate at least one of the plurality of first tasks with at least one of the plurality of second tasks.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

user input is monitored to perform an operation on one of the first tasks in the first context, and at least one of the plurality of second tasks is identified that is associated with the first task; and

the operation is performed on the first task and the plurality of associated second tasks.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one email is associated with at least one of the first task and the second task.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second tasks are received from a plurality task sources including an email source and a task management system.

20. The system of claim 16, the first and second tasks are shared between different software applications.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein attributes are assigned to each of the first and second tasks and the first and second tasks are associated based on the attributes.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the attributes include at least one of a subject attribute, a user identification attribute, a start date attribute, and an end date attribute.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the first task is associated with at least one second task based on one of a hierarchical relation, a constraint relation, and temporal relation.

30. A system to facilitate management of a plurality, the system comprising:

means for providing a graphical user interface to allow a user to;

identify a first task context and associate a plurality of first tasks with the first task context; and

identify a second task context and associate a plurality of second tasks with the second task context; and

means for associating at least one of the plurality of first tasks with at least one of the plurality of second tasks.