TASK HIERARCHY IN AN EVENT-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100262653A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corel Corporation (Corel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Cohuman, Inc. (Corel Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Chaffee, Alexander D., Work, Matthew K., Brennan, J. Leslie
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A hierarchy of project and personal tasks is maintained for users associated with multiple projects. The hierarchy is maintained using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display. A user-task list is obtained. The user-task list includes a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task The user-task list also includes a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task. The user-task list also includes an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining task hierarchies for multiple projects using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display, the method comprising:

obtaining, using the computer server processor, a user-task list comprising;

a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task,

a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task, and

an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score;

obtaining, using the computer server processor, a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;

determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters;

determining, using the computer server processor, an updated user-task hierarchy by ranking the first-project task and the second-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the second-project task score; and

displaying, using the client machine computer display, the user-task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining, using the computer server processor, the first-project task list comprising;

the first-project task,

an additional first-project task having an additional first-project task score, and

an initial first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and additional first-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the additional first-project task score;

determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and the additional first-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the additional first-project task score; and

displaying, using the client machine computer display, the first-project task list to the user in a format depicting the updated first-project task hierarchy.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the ranking of the first-project task in the updated user-task hierarchy is different than the ranking of the first-project task in the updated first-project task hierarchy.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user-task list further comprises:

a personal task having a personal task score, wherein the personal task is not associated with a project having a project task list, and

wherein determining an updated user-task hierarchy further comprises ranking the first-project task, the second-project task, and the personal task based on the updated first-project task score, the second-project task score, and the personal task score.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the task score for the first-project task comprises:

determining a scaling factor for each parameter of the set of parameters; and

determining the task score as the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein determining the task score for the first-project task further comprises:

obtaining a blocking-task score for a blocking task that is a prerequisite for the first-project task;

obtaining a blocking-task scaling factor for the blocking-task score; and

determining the task score by adding the product of the blocking-task score and the blocking-task scaling factor to the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy is a sequential list format with the highest-ranked task appearing first in the sequence.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of parameters does not include a due date.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of parameters includes information about a plurality of users associated with the first project.

10. A computer-implemented method for maintaining task hierarchies using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display, the method comprising:

obtaining, using the computer server processor, a user-task list comprising;

a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project team, the first-project team having a first-project task list including the first-project task,

a personal task having a personal task score, wherein the personal task is not associated a project team, and

an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and personal task based on the initial first-project task score and the personal task score;

obtaining, using the computer server processor, a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;

determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters;

determining, using the computer server processor, an updated user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and personal task based on the updated first-project task score and the personal task score; and

displaying, using the client machine computer display, the user task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

obtaining, using the computer server processor, the first-project task list comprising;

the first-project task,

an additional first-project task having an additional first-project task score, and

an initial first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and additional first-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the additional first-project task score;

determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and the additional first-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the additional first-project task score; and

displaying, using the client machine computer display, the first-project task list to the user in a format depicting the updated first-project task hierarchy.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining the task score for the first-project task comprises:

determining a scaling factor for each parameter of the set of parameters; and

determining the task score as the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.

13. A computer system for maintaining task hierarchies for multiple projects, the system comprising:

a computer server machine having;

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions,

a network connection to a client machine having a computer display, and

a memory storing computer-executable instructions for;

obtaining a user-task list comprising;

a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task,

a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task, and

an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score;

obtaining a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;

determining an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters; and

determining an updated user-task hierarchy by ranking the first-project task and the second-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the second-project task score; and

displaying, using the client machine computer display, the user-task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for maintaining task hierarchies for multiple projects, the instructions comprising:

obtaining a user-task list comprising;

a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task,

a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task, and

an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score;

obtaining a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;

determining an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters;

determining an updated user-task hierarchy by ranking the first-project task and the second-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the second-project task score; and

displaying the user task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the instructions further comprising:

obtaining the first-project task list comprising;

the first-project task,

an additional first-project task having an additional first-project task score, and

an initial first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and additional first-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the additional first-project task score;

determining an updated first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and the additional first-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the additional first-project task score; and

displaying the first-project task list to the user in a format depicting the updated first-project task hierarchy.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the ranking of the first-project task in the updated user-task hierarchy is different than the ranking of the first-project task in the updated first-project task hierarchy.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user-task list further comprises:

a personal task having a personal task score, wherein the personal task is not associated with a project having a project task list, and

wherein determining an updated user-task hierarchy further comprises ranking the first-project task, the second-project task, and the personal task based on the updated first-project task score, the second-project task score, and the personal task score.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining the task score for the first-project task comprises:

determining a scaling factor for each parameter of the set of parameters; and

determining the task score as the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the task score for the first-project task further comprises:

obtaining a blocking-task score for a blocking task that is a prerequisite for the first-project task;

obtaining a blocking-task scaling factor for the blocking-task score;

determining the task score by adding the product of the blocking-task score and the blocking-task scaling factor to the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.