Generation and retrieval of report information

• US 9,369,423 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clover Leaf Environmental Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Killoran, John P. Jr., Von Damm, Gina Katherine, Peek, Dennis William, Kirkman, Angela
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US14/577,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

An information management system may store information related to tasks to be performed by workers in an organization. Workers in the organization may communicate with the information management system using email messages. The information management system may not require a login or authentication procedure, and workers may interact with the information management system without the need to log in to the information management system. The information management system may receive an email message from a worker that indicates a request for a report. The information management system may determine whether to transmit the report to the worker based on whether the worker is appropriately registered with the information management system, and/or whether the worker has administrative privileges. The information management system, in response to a positive determination, may transmit the report to the email address from which the requesting email message was sent.

Claims

1. A method for use in an information management system, the method comprising:

storing information in a database that describes a plurality of individuals in a group including an email address and one or more tasks that are associated with each of the individuals in the group;

receiving a first email message, wherein the first email message includes an action type parameter that indicates a request for a report;

determining, by a processor, whether to respond to the request for the report based on the action type parameter and an email address from which the first email message was sent; and

in response to a determination to respond to the request for the report, generating the report, and sending a second email message to the email address from which the first email message was sent, wherein the second email message includes the report;

wherein the report is automatically generated based on emails received from the individuals in the group that indicate a status of completion of the one or more tasks assigned to the one or more individuals in the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the report includes the information stored in the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the report is configured for all individuals in the group, or configured for only one of the plurality of individuals in the group.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information in the database further describes one or more facilities, and the report includes, for each of the one or more facilities, information that indicates a percentage of tasks completed at the respective facility for a given time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information in the database further includes, for each of the individuals in the group, whether the individual has administrative privileges, and wherein the determining whether to respond to the request for the report is further based on whether the email address from which the first email message was sent is associated with an individual that has administrative privileges.

6. An information management system comprising:

at least one communications interface configured to receive a first email message, wherein the first email message includes an action type parameter that indicates a request for a report;

a database configured to store information that describes one or individuals in a group and one or more tasks assigned to the individuals in the group; and

at least one processor configured to determine whether to respond to the request for the report based on the action type parameter and an email address from which the first email message was sent;

wherein the at least one communications interface is further configured to send, in response to a determination to respond to the request for the report, a second email message to the email address from which the first email message was sent, wherein the second email message includes the report;

wherein the report is automatically generated based on emails received from the individuals in the group that indicate a status of completion of the one or more tasks assigned to the individuals in the group.

7. The information management system of claim 6, wherein the report is a report that is configured for all individuals in the group, or is a report configured for an individual in the group.

8. The information management system of claim 6, wherein the database is further configured to store information that describes one or more facilities, and the report includes, for each of the one or more facilities, information that indicates a percentage of tasks completed at the respective facility for a given time period.

9. The information management system of claim 6, further comprising:

a database configured to store information that describes one or more individuals in a group, including, for each of the individuals in the group, an email address associated with the individual;

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether to respond to the request for the report based on whether the email address from which the first email message was sent is an email address associated with one of the individuals in the group.

10. The information management system of claim 9, wherein the database is further configured to store information that includes, for each of the individuals in the group, whether the individual has administrative privileges, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether to respond to the request for the report based on whether the email address from which the first email message was sent is associated with an individual that has administrative privileges.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor in an information management system, will cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing information in a database that describes one or more individuals in a group, and comprises, for each of the individuals in the group, an email address associated with each individual and one or more tasks that are assigned to individuals in the group;

receiving a first email message, wherein the first email message includes an action type parameter that indicates a request for a report;

determining whether to respond to the request for the report based on the action type parameter and an email address from which the first email message was sent; and

in response to a determination to respond to the request for the report, sending a second email message to the email address from which the first email message was sent, wherein the second email message includes the report;

wherein the report is based on emails received from the individuals in the group that indicate a status of completion of the one or more tasks assigned to the individuals in the group.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the report is configured for all individuals in the group, or is a report configured for an individual in the group.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the information in the database further describes one or more facilities, and the report includes, for each of the one or more facilities, information that indicates a percentage of tasks completed at the respective facility for a given time period.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining whether to respond to the request for the report is further based on whether the email address from which the first email message was sent is an email address associated with one of the individuals in the group.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the information in the database further includes, for each of the individuals in the group, whether the individual has administrative privileges, and wherein the determining whether to respond to the request for the report is further based on whether the email address from which the first email message was sent is associated with an individual that has administrative privileges.