Managing project schedule data using separate current and historical task schedule data

• US 8,321,257 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Boyce, Andre
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goldberg, Ivan R
• Application Number:
  US12/122,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.13, 705/7.16, 705/7.17, 705/7.21, 705/7.22
• US Class Current: 705/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling

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 executing on a computer system and generating schedule data for a plurality of tasks in a project, wherein the schedule data for the plurality of tasks in the project includes data that identifies one or more started only tasks for which an actual start date has been specified but for which no actual end date has been specified, one or more planned only tasks for which a planned start or planned end date has been specified but for which no actual start date has been specified and one or more to-do list tasks for which no planned start date or planned end date has been specified, wherein the schedule data includes, for the plurality of tasks in the project, revision data and wherein the member schedule editor is configured to cause the schedule data to be displayed on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays the schedule data in a table organized in order of started only tasks, planned only tasks and to-do list tasks;

wherein for each task of the plurality of tasks in the project, the revision data for the task has a revision data value from a set of revision data values that includes at least a first revision data value, a second revision data value, and one or more other revision data values, wherein the one or more other revision data values are not the first revision data value nor the second revision data value, wherein the first revision data value indicates that no current schedule data exists for the task and that the task is a to-do list task, wherein the second revision data value indicates that current schedule data exists for the task and that the current schedule data has not been revised for the task, and the one or more other revision data values indicate at least that schedule data exists for the task and that the schedule data has been revised for the task;

the member schedule editor storing the schedule data in a current task schedule data structure;

in response to detecting a change made to the schedule data for a task in the project,

the member schedule editor causing the schedule data to be moved from the current task schedule data structure to a historical task schedule data structure that is separate from the current task schedule data structure,

the member schedule editor generating revised schedule data that reflects the change made to the schedule data or the addition of new schedule data for the task in the project and the revised schedule data further includes an updated revision data value for the task, wherein the updated revision value is selected from a set of revision data values that includes at least the second revision data value and the one or more other revision data values, wherein the updated revision data value indicates that schedule data exists for the task in the project, and

the member schedule editor causing the revised schedule data to be stored in the current task schedule data structure.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting a subsequent change made to the schedule data for the task in the project,

generating second revised schedule data that reflects the subsequent change made to the schedule data for the task in the project,

moving the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure to the historical task schedule data structure, and

storing the second revised schedule data in the current task schedule data structure.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current task schedule data structure is a current schedule data table and the historical task schedule data structure is a historical schedule data table.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising in response to a request for current schedule data for the task, retrieving and providing the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure and not retrieving the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising in response to a request for all schedule data for the task, retrieving and providing both the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure and the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising in response to a request for schedule data for the task,

retrieving the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure,

examining the revised schedule data to identify the updated revision data value,

if the updated revision data value indicates that additional schedule data is available for the task, then retrieving the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

7. 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, causes:

a member schedule editor executing on a computer system and generating schedule data for a plurality of tasks in a project, wherein the schedule data for the plurality of tasks in the project includes data that identifies one or more started only tasks for which an actual start date has been specified but for which no actual end date has been specified, one or more planned only tasks for which a planned start or planned end date has been specified but for which no actual start date has been specified and one or more to-do list tasks for which no planned start date or planned end date has been specified, wherein the schedule data includes, for the plurality of tasks in the project, revision data and wherein the member schedule editor is configured to cause the schedule data to be displayed on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays the schedule data in a table organized in order of started only tasks, planned only tasks and to-do list tasks;

wherein for each task of the plurality of tasks in the project, the revision data for the task has a revision data value from a set of revision data values that includes at least a first revision data value, a second revision data value, and one or more other revision data values, wherein the one or more other revision data values are not the first revision data value nor the second revision data value, wherein the first revision data value indicates that no current schedule data exists for the task and that the task is a to-do list task, wherein the second revision data value indicates that current schedule data exists for the task and that the current schedule data has not been revised for the task, and the one or more other revision data values indicate at least that schedule data exists for the task and that the schedule data has been revised for the task;

the member schedule editor storing the schedule data in a current task schedule data structure;

in response to detecting a change made to the schedule data for a task in the project,

the member schedule editor causing the schedule data to be moved from the current task schedule data structure to a historical task schedule data structure that is separate from the current task schedule data structure,

the member schedule editor generating revised schedule data that reflects the change made to the schedule data or the addition of new schedule data for the task in the project and the revised schedule data further includes an updated revision data value for the task, wherein the updated revision value is selected from a set of revision data values that includes at least the second revision data value and the one or more other revision data values, wherein the updated revision data value indicates that schedule data exists for the task in the project, and

the member schedule editor causing the revised schedule data to be stored in the current task schedule data structure.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:

in response to detecting a subsequent change made to the schedule data for the task in the project,

generating second revised schedule data that reflects the subsequent change made to the schedule data for the task in the project,

moving the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure to the historical task schedule data structure, and

storing the second revised schedule data in the current task schedule data structure.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the current task schedule data structure is a current schedule data table and the historical task schedule data structure is a historical schedule data table.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a request for current schedule data for the task, retrieving and providing the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure and not retrieving the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a request for all schedule data for the task, retrieving and providing both the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure and the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a request for schedule data for the task,

retrieving the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure,

examining the revised schedule data to identify the updated revision data value,

if the updated revision data value indicates that additional schedule data is available for the task, then retrieving the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

13. An apparatus for managing project schedule data, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, causes:

a member schedule editor executing on a computer system and generating schedule data for a plurality of tasks in a project, wherein the schedule data for the plurality of tasks in the project includes data that identifies one or more started only tasks for which an actual start date has been specified but for which no actual end date has been specified, one or more planned only tasks for which a planned start or planned end date has been specified but for which no actual start date has been specified and one or more to-do list tasks for which no planned start date or planned end date has been specified, wherein the schedule data includes, for the plurality of tasks in the project, revision data and wherein the member schedule editor is configured to cause the schedule data to be displayed on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays the schedule data in a table organized in order of started only tasks, planned only tasks and to-do list tasks;

wherein for each task of the plurality of tasks in the project, the revision data for the task has a revision data value from a set of revision data values that includes at least a first revision data value, a second revision data value, and one or more other revision data values, wherein the one or more other revision data values are not the first revision data value nor the second revision data value, wherein the first revision data value indicates that no current schedule data exists for the task and that the task is a to-do list task, wherein the second revision data value indicates that current schedule data exists for the task and that the current schedule data has not been revised for the task, and the one or more other revision data values indicate at least that schedule data exists for the task and that the schedule data has been revised for the task;

the member schedule editor storing the schedule data in a current task schedule data structure;

in response to detecting a change made to the schedule data for a task in the project,

the member schedule editor causing the schedule data to be moved from the current task schedule data structure to a historical task schedule data structure that is separate from the current task schedule data structure,

the member schedule editor generating revised schedule data that reflects the change made to the schedule data or the addition of new schedule data for the task in the project and the revised schedule data further includes an updated revision data value for the task, wherein the updated revision value is selected from a set of revision data values that includes at least the second revision data value and the one or more other revision data values, wherein the updated revision data value indicates that schedule data exists for the task in the project, and

the member schedule editor causing the revised schedule data to be stored in the current task schedule data structure.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause:

in response to detecting a subsequent change made to the schedule data for the task in the project,

generating second revised schedule data that reflects the subsequent change made to the schedule data for the task in the project,

moving the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure to the historical task schedule data structure, and

storing the second revised schedule data in the current task schedule data structure.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the current task schedule data structure is a current schedule data table and the historical task schedule data structure is a historical schedule data table.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a request for current schedule data for the task, retrieving and providing the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure and not retrieving the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a request for all schedule data for the task, retrieving and providing both the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure and the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the memory stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause in response to a request for schedule data for the task,

retrieving the revised schedule data from the current task schedule data structure,

examining the revised schedule data to identify the updated revision data value,

if the updated revision data value indicates that additional schedule data is available for the task, then retrieving the schedule data from the historical task schedule data structure.