Task based user interface

• US 7,640,548 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Yong, Musaev, Aibek, Yu, Jai, Lam, Guo Chew, Choi, Karn, Brunner, Stephan Otto, Furlong, Tarri E., Stirrup, Ashley Grant, Ra, Do Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): To; Jennifer N
• Application Number:
  US10/177,534
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 718100-108, 705 7- 9, 705/2, 705/10, 707/104.1, 706/46, 706/56, 717104-105, 434/118, 434/219, 703/2, 715/709, 715/530, 715/204, 715/700, 715/751, 715/753, 715/708, 709/205, 709/206
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A facility for guiding users through a series of steps or tasks, often associated with a process, is described. The facility assigns tasks or steps to users having roles identified with the task or step. The role associated with the task or step may change depending on the state of the task or step. When the role associated with a task or step changes, the facility may assign the task or step to another user. The facility guides a user through a task or step by providing instructions and other information, such as data tables and user input fields, that may be used to complete the task or step. The facility provides for the definition of processes by allowing users to specify tasks, steps and instructions relating to processes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

based upon an initial state of a role-based task, identifying a first role corresponding to the initial state of the role-based task, wherein the method is performed in a computing system configured to guide users through steps in a role-based task;

assigning the role-based task to a first user having the identified first role;

presenting the first user with user-instructions for completing one or more steps in the role-based task;

after a step is completed,

updating the state of the role-based task to reflect the completion of the step,

wherein the updated state of the role-based task requires associating a new role with the role-based task, and identifying a second role corresponding to the updated state of the role-based task;

assigning the role-based task to a second user having the identified second role; and

presenting the second user with user-instructions for completing one or more steps in the role-based task.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the role-based task is one of two or more tasks that comprise a process defined within an organization.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user-instructions for completing one or more steps in the role-based task are presented in one or more viewing components, and wherein each step in the role-based task is associated with its own viewing component.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises presenting user interface tools that correspond with textual instructions for completing the role-based task wherein the user interface tools facilitate the completion of the role-based task.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the role-based task is a specific instance of an abstractly defined task, and wherein the user-instructions for completing the role-based task are applicable to other specific instances of the abstractly defined task.

6. A method comprising:

displaying role-based tasks in a selected employee'"'"'s task list wherein each of the displayed role-based tasks is related to a role of the selected employee, wherein the method is performed in a computing system configured to guide employees within an organization through steps in a role-based task and each employee is associated with one or more roles within the organization;

displaying role-based task instances in the employee'"'"'s task inbox wherein each role-based task instance corresponds with a selected role-based task in the selected employee'"'"'s task list and wherein each role-based task instance is associated with the selected employee based on rules presented in the definition of the corresponding role-based task;

upon selection by the selected employee of a role-based task instance from the task inbox, retrieving information for use in guiding the employee in completing the selected instance of the role-based task, wherein the retrieved information comprises information specific to the selected instance of the role-based task and instructions for completing the corresponding role-based task; and

based on the retrieved information, establishing an interactive task-guiding environment for guiding the selected employee through one or more steps of the corresponding role-based task.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the interactive task-guiding environment consists of a series of viewing components, each viewing component displaying instructions for completing a step of the selected instance of the role-based task.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the interactive task-guiding environment comprises a display of user input fields for receiving user input associated with the completion of the selected instance of the role-based task.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the interactive task-guiding environment comprises a display of data tables that display information for completing the selected instance of the role-based task.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the selected employee'"'"'s role is a manager, and wherein further the rules presented in the definition of the corresponding role-based task include search parameters that limit the association of role-based task instances for the selected employee to those role-based task instances arising from employees under the selected employee'"'"'s supervision.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to cause a computer system to guide users through a collection of role-based tasks, the collection of tasks defining a process, comprising

a first subset of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to, based upon an initial state of a first role-based task within the collection of role-based tasks, identify a first role corresponding to an initial state of the first role-based task;

a second subset of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to assign the first role-based task to a first user having the identified first role;

a third subset of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to present to the first user-instructions for completing one or more steps in the first role-based task;

a fourth subset of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to, after a final step of the first role-based task is completed, based upon an initial state of a second role-based task within the collection of role-based tasks, identify a second role corresponding to an initial state of the second role-based task;

a fifth subset of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to assign the second role-based task to a second user having the identified second role;

a sixth subset of instructions, executable on the computer system, configured to present the second user with user-instructions for completing one or more steps in the second role-based task; and

computer readable storage media, wherein said computer program product is encoded in said computer readable storage media.

12. A computing system comprising:

a display device on which is displayed instructional information for guiding a user to complete one or more steps in a role-based task, wherein the computing system is configured to guide a user through steps in a role-based task;

a storage device for storing information related to defining role-based tasks and guiding a user in completing the role-based tasks;

a user input module that receives a plurality of instances of user input, each instance related to guiding a user in completing a role-based task; and

a guiding environment subsystem that, in response to the receipt of received user input by the input module, creates a guiding environment that guides a user in completing the role-based task, wherein

the role-based task is one of a plurality of role-based tasks,

at least one of the role-based tasks corresponds to a role corresponding to an initial state of the at least one of the role-based tasks,

the guiding environment subsystem comprises an identifying subsystem, and

the identifying subsystem is configured to identify a role corresponding to an initial state of the role-based task, based upon the initial state of the role-based task.

13. The computing system of claim 12 wherein the instances of user input received by the user input module include user input for specifying instructions related to guiding a user in completing a role-based task.

14. The computing system of claim 12 wherein the instances of user input received by the user input module include input from a user being guided in completing a role-based task.