Managing To-Do Lists In A Schedule Editor In A Project Management System

• US 20090287731A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A project management system manages project schedule data using separate current and historical task schedule data structures. In general, current schedule data is stored separately from historical schedule data, so that the current schedule data may be retrieved separately from the historical task schedule data. The project management system may also maintain unscheduled tasks as “to-do lists.” Tasks may be added to a member'"'"'s schedule without specifying any planned dates and the tasks are added to the database. The tasks have an associated revision number of 0 to indicate that the tasks were added, but not yet scheduled. The tasks are displayed in the member schedule editor and in Web page schedules. The tasks may then be displayed in the member schedule editor and in Web page schedules in a manner that allows a user to readily determine that the tasks are “to-do list” tasks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing project schedule data, the computer-implemented method comprising:

a member schedule editor retrieving from a data repository, task schedule data for one or more of a plurality of uncompleted tasks associated with a member of a project;

the member schedule editor causing information about the plurality of uncompleted tasks associated with the member of the project to be displayed on a graphical user interface by

for the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, arranging together on the graphical user interface data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks, and

for one or more to-do list tasks in the plurality of uncompleted tasks for which no schedule data is specified, arranging together on the graphical user interface data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the member schedule editor causing the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks to be displayed on the graphical user interface separate from the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the member schedule editor causing the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks, the schedule data for the one or more tasks and the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks to be displayed on the graphical user interface in a list, wherein the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks is displayed higher in the list than the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising in response to schedule data being specified for a particular to-do list task from the one or more to-do list tasks, the member schedule editor updating the graphical user interface by arranging the particular to-do list task and schedule data for the particular to-do list task on the graphical user interface with the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the member schedule editor causing to be displayed on the graphical user interface data that identifies one or more completed sub-tasks for the one or more tasks.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, in response to a particular task from the one or more tasks being completed, the member schedule editor removing from the graphical user interface data that specifies the particular task and schedule data for the particular task.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, the member schedule editor causing to be displayed on the graphical user interface, for one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, data that identifies one or more to-do list sub-tasks for which no schedule data is specified.

8. A computer-readable medium for managing project schedule data, the computer-readable medium carrying instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

a member schedule editor retrieving from a data repository, task schedule data for one or more of a plurality of uncompleted tasks associated with a member of a project;

the member schedule editor causing information about the plurality of uncompleted tasks associated with the member of the project to be displayed on a graphical user interface by

for the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, arranging together on the graphical user interface data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks, and

for one or more to-do list tasks in the plurality of uncompleted tasks for which no schedule data is specified, arranging together on the graphical user interface data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the member schedule editor causing the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks to be displayed on the graphical user interface separate from the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the member schedule editor causing the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks, the schedule data for the one or more tasks and the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks to be displayed on the graphical user interface in a list, wherein the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks is displayed higher in the list than the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to schedule data being specified for a particular to-do list task from the one or more to-do list tasks, the member schedule editor updating the graphical user interface by arranging the particular to-do list task and the schedule data on the graphical user interface with the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the member schedule editor causing to be displayed on the graphical user interface data that identifies one or more completed sub-tasks for the one or more tasks.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause, in response to a particular task from the one or more tasks being completed, the member schedule editor removing from the graphical user interface data that specifies the particular task and schedule data for the particular task.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause, the member schedule editor causing to be displayed on the graphical user interface, for one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, data that identifies one or more to-do list sub-tasks for which no schedule data is specified.

15. An apparatus for managing project schedule data, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

a member schedule editor retrieving from a data repository, task schedule data for one or more of a plurality of uncompleted tasks associated with a member of a project;

the member schedule editor causing information about the plurality of uncompleted tasks associated with the member of the project to be displayed on a graphical user interface by

for the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, arranging together on the graphical user interface data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks, and

for one or more to-do list tasks in the plurality of uncompleted tasks for which no schedule data is specified, arranging together on the graphical user interface data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the member schedule editor causing the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks to be displayed on the graphical user interface separate from the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the member schedule editor to cause the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks, the schedule data for the one or more tasks and the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks to be displayed on the graphical user interface in a list, wherein the data that identifies tasks in the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks is displayed higher in the list than the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to schedule data being specified for a particular to-do list task from the one or more to-do list tasks, the member schedule editor to update the graphical user interface by arranging the particular to-do list task and the schedule data on the graphical user interface with the one or more tasks and the schedule data for the one or more tasks.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the member schedule editor to cause to be displayed on the graphical user interface data that identifies one or more completed sub-tasks for the one or more tasks.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a particular task from the one or more tasks being completed, the member schedule editor to remove from the graphical user interface data that specifies the particular task and schedule data for the particular task.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause, the member schedule editor causing to be displayed on the graphical user interface, for one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, data that identifies one or more to-do list sub-tasks for which no schedule data is specified.