TASK PRIORITIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION USING INTERCONNECTED DATA SOURCES

• US 20150300829A1
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Gregory P., Sundaram, Girish, Hari Hara Prasad, Ramya
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A computer identifies a location that is associated with a task, included in a first list of tasks, based on a first information. The computer determines a first travel time from a second location that is associated with a mobile device to the first location based on a second information. The second information indicates an amount of travel time that is associated with a route from the second location to the first location. The computer generates a plurality of permutations of the tasks included in the first list of tasks. The computer selects a permutation from the plurality of permutations based on the first travel time. The computer generates a second list of tasks using the selected permutation. The organization of the tasks included in the second list of tasks reduces the travel time that is required to complete those tasks.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing tasks, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computer, a first location that is associated with a first task, based, at least in part, on a first information, wherein the first task is included in a first list of tasks;

determining, by the computer, a first travel time from a second location to the first location based, at least in part, on a second information, wherein the second location is associated with a mobile device that supplied the first list of tasks, and wherein the second information includes data that indicates an amount of travel time that is associated with a route from the second location to the first location;

generating, by the computer, a plurality of permutations of the tasks included in the first list of tasks, wherein each permutation, of the plurality of permutations, respectively includes at least two of the tasks included in the first list of tasks;

selecting, by the computer, a first permutation from the plurality of permutations based, at least in part, on the first travel time; and

generating, by the computer, a second list of tasks based, at least in part, on the selected first permutation of the tasks, wherein an organization of the tasks included in the second list of tasks reduces at least a second travel time that is required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the second list of tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes one or more of:

(a) a street address that corresponds to the location associated with the first task, (b) a review of a business related to the completion of the first task (c) a global positioning system (GPS) coordinate of the location associated with the first task, or (d) a mode of transportation that is available based, at least in part, the second location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information includes one or more of:

a) a degree of congestion for a mode of transit;

b) a measured pattern of movement associated with a mode of transit;

c) a pattern of movement for a mode of transit that is predicted to exist;

d) a queue length for a mode of transit at the first location;

e) a queue length for a mode of transit that is included in the route from the second location to the first location;

f) a social media posting related to the first location that indicates a degree of congestion for a mode of transit;

g) a current weather condition for the first location;

or h) a forecasted weather condition for the first location.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer, an updated location of the mobile device, based, at least in part, on an updated set of GPS coordinates of the mobile device;

determining, by the computer, a third travel time based, at least in part, on the updated location of the mobile device and the location of a second task;

selecting, by the computer, a second permutation from the plurality of permutations based, at least in part, on the updated location of the mobile device and the location of the second task; and

generating, by the computer, a third list of tasks based, at least in part, on the selected second permutation of the tasks, wherein an organization of the tasks included in the third list of tasks reduces a third travel time that is required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the third list of tasks.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer, a ranking for a given permutation included in the plurality of permutations, wherein the ranking for the given permutation is based, at least in part, on an amount of travel time required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the given permutation, and wherein the selection of the permutation from the plurality of permutations is further based, at least in part, on the ranking of the given permutation with respect to another permutation included in the plurality of permutations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first information and the second information are retrieved from a digital data source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first travel time and the second travel time are estimated by using both the first information and the second information as one or both of variables or data points that are applied to a given route to generate an estimated travel time that accounts for changes in an environment that includes that route.

8. A computer program product for prioritizing tasks, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions to perform a method, the method comprising;

identifying, by a computer, a first location that is associated with a first task, based, at least in part, on a first information, wherein the first task is included in a first list of tasks;

determining, by the computer, a first travel time from a second location to the first location based, at least in part, on a second information, wherein the second location is associated with a mobile device that supplied the first list of tasks, and wherein the second information includes data that indicates an amount of travel time that is associated with a route from the second location to the first location;

generating, by the computer, a plurality of permutations of the tasks included in the first list of tasks, wherein each permutation, of the plurality of permutations, respectively includes at least two of the tasks included in the first list of tasks;

selecting, by the computer, a first permutation from the plurality of permutations based, at least in part, on the first travel time; and

generating, by the computer, a second list of tasks based, at least in part, on the selected first permutation of the tasks, wherein an organization of the tasks included in the second list of tasks reduces at least a second travel time that is required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the second list of tasks.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first information includes one or more of:

(a) a street address that corresponds to the location associated with the first task, (b) a review of a business related to the completion of the first task (c) a global positioning system (GPS) coordinate of the location associated with the first task, or (d) a mode of transportation that is available based, at least in part, the second location.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second information includes one or more of:

a) a degree of congestion for a mode of transit;

b) a measured pattern of movement associated with a mode of transit;

c) a pattern of movement for a mode of transit that is predicted to exist;

d) a queue length for a mode of transit at the first location;

e) a queue length for a mode of transit that is included in the route from the second location to the first location;

f) a social media posting related to the first location that indicates a degree of congestion for a mode of transit;

g) a current weather condition for the first location;

or h) a forecasted weather condition for the first location.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer, an updated location of the mobile device, based, at least in part, on an updated set of GPS coordinates of the mobile device;

determining, by the computer, a third travel time based, at least in part, on the updated location of the mobile device and the location of a second task;

selecting, by the computer, a second permutation from the plurality of permutations based, at least in part, on the updated location of the mobile device and the location of the second task; and

generating, by the computer, a third list of tasks based, at least in part, on the selected second permutation of the tasks, wherein an organization of the tasks included in the third list of tasks reduces a third travel time that is required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the third list of tasks.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer, a ranking for a given permutation included in the plurality of permutations, wherein the ranking for the given permutation is based, at least in part, on an amount of travel time required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the given permutation, and wherein the selection of the permutation from the plurality of permutations is further based, at least in part, on the ranking of the given permutation with respect to another permutation included in the plurality of permutations.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein one or both of the first information and the second information are retrieved from a digital data source.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first travel time and the second travel time are estimated by using both the first information and the second information as one or both of variables or data points that are applied to a given route to generate an estimated travel time that accounts for changes in an environment that includes that route.

15. A computer system for prioritizing tasks, the computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising;

identifying, by a computer, a first location that is associated with a first task, based, at least in part, on a first information, wherein the first task is included in a first list of tasks;

determining, by the computer, a first travel time from a second location to the first location based, at least in part, on a second information, wherein the second location is associated with a mobile device that supplied the first list of tasks, and wherein the second information includes data that indicates an amount of travel time that is associated with a route from the second location to the first location;

generating, by the computer, a plurality of permutations of the tasks included in the first list of tasks, wherein each permutation, of the plurality of permutations, respectively includes at least two of the tasks included in the first list of tasks;

selecting, by the computer, a first permutation from the plurality of permutations based, at least in part, on the first travel time; and

generating, by the computer, a second list of tasks based, at least in part, on the selected first permutation of the tasks, wherein an organization of the tasks included in the second list of tasks reduces at least a second travel time that is required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the second list of tasks.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first information includes one or more of:

(a) a street address that corresponds to the location associated with the first task, (b) a review of a business related to the completion of the first task (c) a global positioning system (GPS) coordinate of the location associated with the first task, or (d) a mode of transportation that is available based, at least in part, the second location.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the second information includes one or more of:

a) a degree of congestion for a mode of transit;

b) a measured pattern of movement associated with a mode of transit;

c) a pattern of movement for a mode of transit that is predicted to exist;

d) a queue length for a mode of transit at the first location;

e) a queue length for a mode of transit that is included in the route from the second location to the first location;

f) a social media posting related to the first location that indicates a degree of congestion for a mode of transit;

g) a current weather condition for the first location;

or h) a forecasted weather condition for the first location.

18. The computer system of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer, an updated location of the mobile device, based, at least in part, on an updated set of GPS coordinates of the mobile device;

determining, by the computer, a third travel time based, at least in part, on the updated location of the mobile device and the location of a second task;

selecting, by the computer, a second permutation from the plurality of permutations based, at least in part, on the updated location of the mobile device and the location of the second task; and

generating, by the computer, a third list of tasks based, at least in part, on the selected second permutation of the tasks, wherein an organization of the tasks included in the third list of tasks reduces a third travel time that is required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the third list of tasks.

19. The computer system of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computer, a ranking for a given permutation included in the plurality of permutations, wherein the ranking for the given permutation is based, at least in part, on an amount of travel time required to complete at least a portion of the tasks included in the given permutation, and wherein the selection of the permutation from the plurality of permutations is further based, at least in part, on the ranking of the given permutation with respect to another permutation included in the plurality of permutations.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first travel time and the second travel time are estimated by using both the first information and the second information as one or both of variables or data points that are applied to a given route to generate an estimated travel time that accounts for changes in an environment that includes that route.