Managing to-do lists in a schedule editor in a project management system

• US 8,352,498 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/122,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/790, 707/792, 707/802, 705/7, 705/9, 705/713, 705/721, 715/762
• US Class Current: 707/790
• 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 that do not have actual end dates specified and that are assigned to at least a member of a project, wherein the task schedule data for the one or more of a plurality of uncompleted tasks includes a first group of data that identifies scheduled tasks that do not have actual end dates specified but that have at least a planned start date or a planned end date specified, and a second group of data that identifies one or more to-do list tasks that do not have actual end dates specified and do not have planned start dates or planned end dates specified;

the member schedule editor causing information about the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified and that are assigned to at least the member of the project to be displayed on a graphical user interface by

arranging together on the graphical user interface the first group of data that identifies scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified but that have at least a planned start date or a planned end date specified and task schedule data for the scheduled tasks, and

arranging together on the same graphical user interface as the first group of data but displayed separately from the first group of data, the second group of data that identifies one or more to-do list tasks from the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, wherein the to-do list tasks do not have actual end dates specified and do not have planned start dates or planned end dates specified;

the member schedule editor allowing at least the member of the project to whom the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified are assigned to update one or more portions of the task schedule data and in response to a user updating the one or more portions of the task schedule data, the member schedule editor generating and storing revised task schedule data that reflects the user updating the one or more portions of the task schedule data, wherein the member schedule editor also maintains the task schedule data;

wherein the computer-implemented method is implemented by one or more computers.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising in response to an update to schedule data for a particular task from the plurality of uncompleted tasks that results in the particular task no longer having a planned start date or a planned end date, the member schedule editor causing data that identifies the particular task to be removed from the first group of data displayed on the graphical user interface and added to the second group of data displayed on the graphical user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the member schedule editor causing the first group of data that identifies the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks and the task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 data that identifies the particular to-do list task and the schedule data for the particular to-do list task on the graphical user interface with the first group of data that identifies the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks and the task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 of the plurality of uncompleted tasks.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, in response to a particular task from the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 the 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 non-transitory 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 that do not have actual end dates specified and that are assigned to at least a member of a project, wherein the task schedule data for the one or more of a plurality of uncompleted tasks includes a first group of data that identifies scheduled tasks that do not have actual end dates specified but that have at least a planned start date or a planned end date specified, and a second group of data that identifies one or more to-do list tasks that do not have actual end dates specified and do not have planned start dates or planned end dates specified;

the member schedule editor causing information about the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified and that are assigned to at least the member of the project to be displayed on a graphical user interface by

arranging together on the graphical user interface the first group of data that identifies scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified but that have at least a planned start date or a planned end date specified and task schedule data for the scheduled tasks, and

arranging together on the same graphical user interface as the first group of data but displayed separately from the first group of data, the second group of data that identifies one or more to-do list tasks from the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, wherein the to-do list tasks do not have actual end dates specified and do not have planned start dates or planned end dates specified;

the member schedule editor allowing at least the member of the project to whom the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified are assigned to update one or more portions of the task schedule data and in response to a user updating the one or more portions of the task schedule data, the member schedule editor generating and storing revised task schedule data that reflects the user updating the one or more portions of the task schedule data, wherein the member schedule editor also maintains the task schedule data.

9. The non-transitory 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 an update to schedule data for a particular task from the plurality of uncompleted tasks that results in the particular task no longer having a planned start date or a planned end date, the member schedule editor causing data that identifies the particular task to be removed from the first group of data displayed on the graphical user interface and added to the second group of data displayed on the graphical user interface.

10. The non-transitory 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 first group of data that identifies the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks and the task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks is displayed higher in the list than the data that identifies the one or more to-do list tasks.

11. The non-transitory 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 data that identifies the particular to-do list task and the schedule data for the particular to-do list task on the graphical user interface with the first group of data that identifies the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks and the task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks.

12. The non-transitory 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 of the plurality of uncompleted tasks.

13. The non-transitory 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 of the plurality of uncompleted 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 non-transitory 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 the 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:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions which, when processed by the 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 that do not have actual end dates specified and that are assigned to at least a member of a project, wherein the task schedule data for the one or more of a plurality of uncompleted tasks includes a first group of data that identifies scheduled tasks that do not have actual end dates specified but that have at least a planned start date or a planned end date specified, and a second group of data that identifies one or more to-do list tasks that do not have actual end dates specified and do not have planned start dates or planned end dates specified;

the member schedule editor causing information about the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified and that are assigned to at least the member of the project to be displayed on a graphical user interface by

arranging together on the graphical user interface the first group of data that identifies scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified but that have at least a planned start date or a planned end date specified and task schedule data for the scheduled tasks, and

arranging together on the same graphical user interface as the first group of data but displayed separately from the first group of data, the second group of data that identifies one or more to-do list tasks from the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, wherein the to-do list tasks do not have actual end dates specified and do not have planned start dates or planned end dates specified;

the member schedule editor allowing at least the member of the project to whom the plurality of uncompleted tasks that do not have actual end dates specified are assigned to update one or more portions of the task schedule data and in response to a user updating the one or more portions of the task schedule data, the member schedule editor generating and storing revised task schedule data that reflects the user updating the one or more portions of the task schedule data, wherein the member schedule editor also maintains the task schedule data.

16. 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 an update to schedule data for a particular task from the plurality of uncompleted tasks that results in the particular task no longer having a planned start date or a planned end date, the member schedule editor causing data that identifies the particular task to be removed from the first group of data displayed on the graphical user interface and added to the second group of data displayed on the graphical user interface.

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 first group of data that identifies the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks, task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks and the task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 updating the graphical user interface by arranging data that identifies the particular to-do list task and the schedule data for the particular to-do list task on the graphical user interface with the first group of data that identifies the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted tasks and the task schedule data for the scheduled tasks in the one or more of the plurality of uncompleted 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 of the plurality of uncompleted 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 of the plurality of uncompleted 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.

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 the 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.