Method and apparatus for communication and collaborative information management

• US 8,972,495 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tagatoo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tagatoo Incorporated
• Inventors: Borna, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORMAN, JAMES Q
• Application Number:
  US11/521,636
• Time in Patent Office: 3,092 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/240, 709/204, 715/501, 715/751, 715/752, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A communication system includes a communication server configured to receive a request to generate a communication and receive a request to associate the communication with one or more classifications from a plurality of classifications. The system further includes a store coupled to the communication server and configured to store the communications and/or store the classification received in the association request. The classifications are associated with a request for information from a recipient of the communication. The classifications are associated with a request for information from a recipient of the communication, a request for sharing information with the recipient of the communication, and a request for action from the recipient of the communication.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a. a client processor configured to provide a client application comprising;

i. a software generating module configured to provide an interface to generate a communication life cycle by composing an email and assigning to the email one or more pieces of classification data from a plurality of pieces of classification data, wherein a first piece of classification data indicates an inquiry, a second piece of classification data indicates a task, and a third piece of classification data indicates an FYI, and wherein the interface comprises one or more interface elements to assign the one or more pieces of classification data to the email, and wherein the one or more pieces of classification data are stored in metadata of the email;

ii. a software receiving module configured to receive the email, identify an email type based on the metadata of the email, and organize the email according to the email type, the email type comprising an inquiry, a task, or an FYI; and

iii. a software responding module configured to provide an interface to respond to the email, wherein a response to a task email comprises one or more of accepting the task, declining the task, indicating an amount completion of the task, and delegating the task to another recipient, and wherein a response to an inquiry email comprises one or more of responding to the inquiry, forwarding the inquiry to another recipient, and deleting the inquiry email, and wherein a response to an FYI email requires generation of another communication life cycle; and

b. a server comprising a store and a server processor configured to provide a server application comprising;

iv. a software parsing module configured to parse and store the metadata of the email, wherein the stored metadata comprises classification data and one or more of;

identification information of a user sending the email, identification information of a user receiving the email, a task due date, a task completion date, a dependency between more than one task, a dependency between more than one inquiry, and a dependency between more than one user.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the classification data further includes a user defined classification.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the software receiving module configured to receive the email is configured to allow or disallow the delivery of the email based on the one or more classification data assigned to the email.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the allowance or disallowance is based on a user hierarchy, an organization preference, or a user preference.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the client processor further comprises a software module configured to generate at least one report based on the classification data stored in email metadata and track a first status of a first inquiry or a first task.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the status may include a due date, start date, completion date, a delegation, dependencies between a plurality of tasks, or a priority for completion of the first task or response to the first inquiry.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the dependencies between a plurality of tasks are hierarchical dependencies based on delegation of the first task or the first inquiry, or based on a delegation of a portion of the first task or the first inquiry.

8. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the report includes the first status of the first task and at least a second status of a second task associated with the first task.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the association between the first task and the second task is a delegation.

10. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the client processor is configured to communicate the report to members of a group associated with the first task or the first inquiry.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the report is configured to provide the members of a group a collaborative overview of the first task or the first inquiry.

12. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a software module configured to track and store a status of the inquiry, or the task and generate and send an update to members of a group associated with the inquiry or the task, wherein the update includes the status.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the status includes dependencies, delegation, ownership of the task, or ownership of the inquiry.

14. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a software module configured to utilize the stored metadata to organize classification data and generate a report comprising one or more of, a delegation chart, a list, a Gantt chart, a timeline chart, and a calendar.

15. The communication system of claim 1, where classification data is used by the server for collaboration and tracking purposes.

16. The communication system of claim 1, wherein an email classified as a task or an inquiry includes a time limit by which to complete the task or respond to the inquiry, respectively.

17. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the email header and body are stored with the metadata.