Task management system associating with contact information and method thereof

• US 9,002,954 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yen, Jacqueline Li-Ling, Yu, Ying-Chen, Liao, Shen-Jai S J
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAQUE, ABUSAYEED M
• Application Number:
  US12/956,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A task item can be stored in a collaboration database, wherein the collaboration database able to be accessed by a communication module and a task management tool, which both run on a client. The communication module can be able to access a communication server that provides a communication service to the client. The task management tool can be able to access a collaboration server that provides a collaboration service to the client. A collaboration item can be established that contains a task identifier associating with the task item and a collaboration identifier associating with contact information. The communication module running in a client can be called according to the contact information of the collaboration database. The task item can be displayed within a user interface of a communication application via the communication module.

Claims

1. A method for managing task associating with contact information, comprising:

storing a task item in a collaboration database, wherein the collaboration database able to be accessed by a communication module and a task management tool, which both run on a client, wherein the communication modules is able to access a communication server that provides a communication service to the client, wherein the task management tool is able to access a collaboration server that provides a collaboration service to the client, wherein the communication module and the task management tool share information through the collaboration database in order to provide an integrated service to the user, wherein the collaboration database is a non-transient storage medium local to the client, which is remotely located from the communication server and from the collaboration server;

establishing, within the collaboration database, a collaboration item containing a task identifier associating with the task item, and a collaboration identifier associating with contact information;

calling the communication module running in a client according to the contact information of the collaboration database; and

displaying the task item within a user interface of a communication application via the communication module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication module is an instant messaging module, wherein the communication server is an instant messaging server that provides instant messaging services to the client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instant messaging module and the task management tool share information through the collaboration database in order to provide an integrated service to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the instant messaging server and the collaboration server are two different servers provided by different entities, wherein the instant messaging module is a module of an instant messaging application running on the client, and wherein the task management tool is a tool of a task management application running on the client, wherein the instant messaging application and the task management application are two distinct applications, configured to run autonomously independent of each other.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the instant messaging module permits a user to create the task from within a user interface of the instant messaging application without running the task management tool.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said method further comprises:

when the a user logs onto the instant messaging server from the client and when the user is a valid user of the collaboration database, automatically logging into the collaboration database;

determining a set of collaboration items from the collaboration database that are valid for the user;

initiate a notification window; and

displaying a task item list in the notification window wherein the task item list comprises the determined set of collaboration items.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the task item comprises:

establishing the task item via the communication module, the task item including at least one of the following;

a task summary, a task description and a task schedule; and

storing the task item in a collaboration database, wherein in absence of the communication module, the communication application is unable to access the collaboration database, and wherein the communication module is a module not originally packaged and sold with the communication application.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the task item comprises:

establishing the task item via a task management module, the task item including at least one of the following;

a task summary, a task description and a task schedule; and

storing the task item in a collaboration database.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the establishing of the collaboration item comprises:

establishing the contact information based on at least one of the following;

a name, an electronic mail address, a category and an address.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the task item via the communication module comprises:

initiating the communication module;

arranging at least one available task item in a list; and

selectively displaying content of the task item responsive to an operation by a user.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending via the communication module a request for communication to at least one contact person based on the contact information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the communication module to arrange a list indicating at least one available task item and to selectively display content of the task item responsive to an operation of a user.

13. A system for managing task associating with contact information, comprising:

a communication tool able to access a communication server that provides a communication service to at least one client;

a task management tool that is able to access a collaboration server that provides a collaboration service to the at least one client;

a collaboration database storing at least one collaboration item, the collaboration item having a task identifier associating with the task item, and a collaboration identifier associating with contact information, wherein the collaboration database is able to be accessed by the communication tool and the task management tool, which both run on the client, wherein the communication tool arranges a list indicating at least one available task item and selectively displaying content of the task item responsive to an operation of a user, wherein the communication module and the task management tool share information through the collaboration database in order to provide an integrated service to the user, wherein the collaboration database is a non-transient storage medium local to the client, which is remotely located from the communication server and from the collaboration server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication tool is an instant messaging module, wherein the communication server is an instant messaging server that provides instant messaging services to the client.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instant messaging module and the task management tool share information through the collaboration database in order to provide an integrated service to the user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instant messaging server and the collaboration server are two different servers provided by different entities, wherein the instant messaging module is a module of an instant messaging application running on the client, and wherein the task management tool is a tool of a task management application running on the client, wherein the instant messaging application and the task management application are two distinct applications, configured to run autonomously independent of each other.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to store a task item in a collaboration database, wherein the collaboration database able to be accessed by a communication module and a task management tool, which both run on a client, wherein the communication modules is able to access a communication server that provides a communication service to the client, wherein the task management tool is able to access a collaboration server that provides a collaboration service to the client;

computer usable program code stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to establish, within the collaboration database, a collaboration item containing a task identifier associating with the task item, and a collaboration identifier associating with contact information;

computer usable program code stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to call the communication module running in a client according to the contact information of the collaboration database; and

computer usable program code stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage medium that when executed by a processor is operable to display the task item within a user interface of a communication application via the communication module, wherein the computer usable code to store the task item establishes the task item via the communication module, the task item including at least one of the following;

a task summary, a task description and a task schedule; and

wherein the computer usable code stores the task item in a collaboration database, wherein in absence of the communication module, the communication application is unable to access the collaboration database, and wherein the communication module is a module not originally packaged and sold with the communication application.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the communication module is an instant messaging module, wherein the communication server is an instant messaging server that provides instant messaging services to the client.