System and method for actionable event generation for task delegation and management via a discussion forum in a web-based collaboration environment

• US 9,904,435 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Savage, John Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gattew, Asteway T
• Application Number:
  US13/345,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 715751, 715753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

System and method for actionable event generation for task delegation and management via a discussion forum in a web-based collaboration environment are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for creating an actionable event via a discussion forum in a web-based collaboration environment. The method includes, for creating an actionable event via a discussion forum in a web-based collaboration environment, where, through commenting, the user is able to create the actionable event relating to the work item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, in a unified user interface for a cloud-based collaboration environment, a view in a discussion forum with integrated commenting and task assignment features;

receiving, via the unified user interface, a first input including a comment regarding a work item stored in a particular workspace of a plurality of workspaces of the cloud-based collaboration environment;

displaying, via the unified user interface, the comment based on the received first input, the displayed comment including a first option to convert the comment into an actionable event wherein the first option includes a displayed list of one or more assignable tasks;

receiving a second input, via the unified user interface, including a selection of a first assigned task from the one or more assignable tasks;

converting the comment, based on the first and second inputs, into a first actionable event associated with the work item, the first actionable event including the selected first assigned task to be performed on the work item;

displaying, via the unified user interface, a second option to delegate the first assigned task to a collaborator of the cloud-based collaboration environment, wherein the second option includes a displayed list of one or more collaborators that have access to the particular workspace in which the work item is stored;

receiving a third input, via the unified user interface, including a selection of a first collaborator, from the one or more collaborators with access to the particular workspace, to which to delegate the first assigned task;

assigning, based on the third input, the first assigned task to be performed on the work item by the selected first collaborator, wherein a status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task is tracked and updated by a server computer operating as part of the cloud-based collaboration environment;

detecting a second actionable event associated with the work item, the second actionable event including a second assigned task delegated to be performed on the work item by a second collaborator;

in response to determining that the first assigned task must be performed on the work item before the second assigned task, automatically;

providing access to the work item, via the unified user interface, to the first collaborator before providing access to the second collaborator;

tracking the status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item; and

displaying an indication of the tracked status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item in the same unified user interface through which the comment regarding the work item was received; and

in response to detecting, based on tracking the status of the first assigned task, that the first assigned task has been completed by the first collaborator, automatically providing access to the work item, via the unified user interface, to the second collaborator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first assigned task is selected from the group consisting of:

review, approve, update, edit, and complete.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first actionable event is associated with completion time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first actionable event includes a task to review the work item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first actionable event includes a task to update or approve the work item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item is based on an update on the status received from the first collaborator via the unified user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a status of the first actionable event is based on the status of the first assigned task associated with the first actionable event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein user names are created as linkable items in the comment received through the unified user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in status of the first actionable event, based on a received input indicating an interaction with the work item by the first collaborator via the unified user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the status includes a completed status, an incomplete status, or an in progress status.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first assigned task includes an associated due date.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

display, in a unified user interface for a cloud-based collaboration environment, a view in a discussion forum with integrated commenting and task assignment feature;

receive, via the unified user interface, a first input including a comment regarding a work item stored in a particular workspace of a plurality of workspaces of the cloud-based collaboration environment;

display, via the unified user interface, the comment based on the received first input, the displayed comment including a first option to convert the comment into an actionable event, wherein the first option includes a displayed list of one or more assignable tasks;

receive a second input, via the unified user interface, including a selection of a first assigned task from the one or more assignable tasks;

convert the comment, based on the first and second inputs, into a first actionable event associated with the work item, the first actionable event including the selected first assigned task to be performed on the work item;

display, via the unified user interface, a second option to delegate the first assigned task to a collaborator of the cloud-based collaboration environment, wherein the second option includes a displayed list of one or more collaborators that have access to the particular workspace in which the work item is stored;

receive a third input, via the unified user interface, including a selection of a first collaborator, from the one or more collaborators with access to the particular workspace, to which to delegate the first assigned task;

assign, based on the third input, the first assigned task to be performed on the work item by the selected first collaborator, wherein a status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task is tracked and updated by a server computer operating as part of the cloud-based collaboration environment;

detect a second actionable event associated with the work item, the second actionable event including a second assigned task delegated to be performed on the work item by a second collaborator;

in response to determining that the first assigned task must be performed on the work item before the second assigned task, automatically;

provide access to the work item, via the unified user interface, to the first collaborator before providing access to the second collaborator;

track the status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item; and

display an indication of the tracked status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item in the same unified user interface through which the comment regarding the work item was received; and

in response to detecting, based on tracking the status of the first assigned task, that the first assigned task has been completed by the first collaborator, automatically provide access to the work item, via the unified user interface, to the second collaborator.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to further, create a linkable item associated with mention of a user name in the comment entered in the unified user interface.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein, the first actionable event includes a task to review the work item.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein, the first actionable event includes a task to update or approve the work item.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein, the status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item is based on an update on the status received from the first collaborator via the unified user interface.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory units coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more memory units having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

display, in a unified user interface for a cloud-based collaboration environment, a view in a discussion forum with integrated commenting and task assignment features;

receive, via the unified user interface, a first input including a comment regarding a work item stored in a particular workspace of a plurality of workspaces of the cloud-based collaboration environment;

display, via the unified user interface, the comment based on the received first input, the displayed comment including a first option to convert the comment into an actionable event, wherein, the first option includes a displayed list of one or more assignable tasks;

receive a second input, via the unified user interface, including a selection of a first assigned task from the one or more assignable tasks;

convert the comment, based on the first and second inputs, into a first actionable event associated with the work item, the first actionable event including the selected first assigned task to be performed on the work item;

display, via the unified user interface, a second option to delegate the first assigned task to a collaborator of the cloud-based collaboration environment, wherein the second option includes a displayed list of one or more collaborators that have access to the particular workspace in which the work item is stored;

receive a third input, via the unified user interface, including a selection of a first collaborator, from the one or more collaborators with access to the particular workspace, to which to delegate the first assigned task;

assign, based on the third input, the first assigned task to be performed on the work item by the selected first collaborator, wherein a status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task is tracked and updated by server computer operating as part of the cloud-based collaboration environment;

detect a second actionable event associated with the work item, the second actionable event including a second assigned task delegated to be performed on the work item by a second collaborator;

in response to determining that the first assigned task must be performed on the work item before the second assigned task, automatically;

provide access to the work item, via the unified user interface, to the first collaborator before providing access to the second collaborator;

track the status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item; and

display an indication of the tracked status of the first collaborator'"'"'s performance of the first assigned task on the work item in the same unified user interface through which the comment regarding the work item was received; and

in response to detecting, based on tracking the status of the first assigned task, that first assigned task has been completed by the first collaborator, automatically provide access to the work item, via the unified user interface, to the second collaborator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first assigned task is selected from the group consisting of:

review, approve, update, edit, and complete.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more memory units have further instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to further:

detect a change in status of the first actionable event, based on a received input indicating an interaction with the work item by the first collaborator via the unified user interface; and

display the change in status of the first actionable event, including the first assigned task associated with the first actionable event, via the unified user interface.