Task management from within a data feed

• US 9,846,527 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hull, Mark, Bollini, Anand Kishore, Schemers, Roland, Schubiner, Clayton, Fong, Christopher J., Ting, Wing Lun, Richards, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US14/266,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer-implemented method for assigning a task based on content presented in a data feed are presented. A data feed that includes a set of content items is presented. Each of the content items included in the data feed may include a graphical user interface element capable of invoking task assignment functionality with respect to each content item. A task based on a content item presented in the data feed may be created and assigned to a selected user in response to receiving a selection of the graphical user interface element. The method may further include generating an individual status report for the user that includes every task assigned to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing presentation of a data feed on one or more computing devices of a group of users, the data feed including a set of content items directed to the group of users, each content item of the set of content items including a graphical user interface (GUI) element capable of invoking task assignment functionality;

receiving user input including a selection of the GUI element of a particular content item of the set of content items and an identifier of a particular user of the group of users;

responsive to receiving the user input, assigning, using a processor of a machine, a task based on the particular content item to the particular user of the group of users;

determining, based on information included in the content item, a task start date and a task end date for the task;

accessing a set of tasks assigned to the particular user;

the set of tasks including the task assigned to the particular user based on the particular content item;

determining a status for each task of the set of tasks based on information received from the particular user indicating an amount of progress achieved in furtherance of the corresponding task;

generating an individual status report including the list of tasks assigned to the particular user, the individual status report including a status indicator and temporal attributes for each task of the list of tasks, each status indicator including a numerical value corresponding to the amount of progress achieved in furtherance of the corresponding task, the temporal attributes of each task including a date range for the corresponding task;

causing display of the individual status report within the data feed presented on a first computing device from among the one or more computing devices, the first computing device corresponding to the particular user;

generating a project status report corresponding to a project comprising a plurality of tasks assigned to the group of users, the plurality of tasks including the task assigned to the particular user, the generating of project status report including determining an overall project status based on an aggregate of an respective progress of each task in the plurality of tasks, the project status report including an indicator of the overall project status;

causing display of the project status report within the data feed presented on at least a second computing device from among the one or more computing devices corresponding to the group of users;

determining an updated status for at least one task based on updated information received from at least one user of the group of users; and

updating the data feed presented on at least the second computing device based on the updated status for the at least one task, the updating of the data feed including updating the indicator of the overall project status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator is variable in color, and wherein the color of the indicator indicates the amount of progress.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of users belong to a common organization within a company.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indicator of the overall project status includes a numerical value indicating an amount of progress on the overall project.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the project status report includes a status indicator for each task in the plurality of tasks of the project.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning the task based on the particular content item comprises:

determining a title of the task based on the content item;

generating a task object;

the task object being a data structure including the title and the temporal attributes; and

storing the task object as part of member data of the particular user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of content items includes text pertaining to the plurality of tasks of the project.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data feed further provides additional GUI elements to provide feedback pertaining to the set of content items.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

causing presentation of a data feed on one or more computing devices of a group of users, the data feed including a set of content items directed to the group of users, each content item of the set of content items including a graphical user interface (GUI) element capable of invoking task assignment functionality;

receiving user input including a selection of the GUI element of a particular content item of the set of content items and an identifier of a particular user of the group of users;

responsive to receiving the user input, assigning, using a processor of a machine, a task based on the particular content item to the particular user of the group of users;

determining, based on information included in the content item, a date range for the task;

accessing a set of tasks assigned to the particular user, the set of tasks including the task assigned to the particular user based on the particular content item;

determining a status for each task of the set of tasks based on information received from the particular user indicating an amount of progress achieved in furtherance of the corresponding task;

generating an individual status report including the list of tasks assigned to the particular user, the individual status report including a status indicator and temporal attributes for each task of the list of tasks, each status indicator including a numerical value corresponding to the amount of progress achieved in furtherance of the corresponding task, the temporal attributes of each task including a task start date and a task end date for the corresponding task;

causing display of the individual status report within the data feed presented on a first computing device from among the one or more computing devices, the first computing device corresponding to the particular user;

generating a project status report corresponding to a project comprising a plurality of tasks assigned to the group of users, the plurality of tasks including the task assigned to the particular user, the generating of project status report including determining an overall project status based on an aggregate of an respective progress of each task in the plurality of tasks, the project status report including an indicator of the overall project status;

causing display of the project status report within the data feed presented on at least a second computing device from among the one or more computing devices corresponding to the group of users;

determining an updated status for at least one task based on updated information received from at least one user of the group of users; and

updating the data feed presented on at least the second computing device based on the updated status for the at least one task, the updating of the data feed including updating the indicator of the overall project status.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the status indicator includes a percentage of progress.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the status indicator of the status of each task is text.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the task is one of multiple tasks of a project, and wherein the data feed is presented to a particular user within the group of users, the particular user responsible for the project.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the project status report further includes:

an individual status for each task of the plurality of tasks;

a textual description of each task in the plurality of tasks; and

an identifier of an assigned user for each task in the plurality of tasks.

14. A system comprising:

a processor of a machine;

a computer-readable medium having instructions store there on, which, when executed by a processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

causing presentation of a data feed on one or more computing devices of a group of users, the data feed including a set of content items directed to the group of users, each content item of the set of content items including a graphical user interface (GUI) element capable of invoking task assignment functionality;

receiving user input including a selection of the GUI element of a particular content item of the set of content items and an identifier of a particular user of the group of users;

responsive to receiving the user input, assigning, using a processor of a machine, a task based on the particular content item to the particular user of the group of users;

determining, based on information included in the content item, a date range for the task;

accessing a set of tasks assigned to the particular user, the set of tasks including the task assigned to the particular user based on the particular content item;

determining a status for each task of the set of tasks based on information received from the particular user indicating an amount of progress achieved in furtherance of the corresponding task;

generating an individual status report including the list of tasks assigned to the particular user, the individual status report including a status indicator and temporal attributes for each task of the list of tasks, each status indicator including a numerical value corresponding to the amount of progress achieved in furtherance of the corresponding task, and the temporal attributes of each task including a task start date and a task end date for the corresponding task;

causing display of the individual status report within the data feed presented on a first computing device from among the one or more computing devices, the first computing device corresponding to the particular user;

generating a project status report corresponding to a project comprising a plurality of tasks assigned to the group of users, the plurality of tasks including the task assigned to the particular user, the generating of project status report including determining an overall project status based on an aggregate of an respective progress of each task in the plurality of tasks, the project status report including an indicator of the overall project status;

causing display of the project status report within the data feed presented on at least a second computing device from among the one or more computing devices corresponding to the group of users;

determining an updated status for at least one task based on updated information received from at least one user of the group of users; and

updating the data feed presented on at least the second computing device based on the updated status for the at least one task, the updating of the data feed including updating the indicator of the overall project status.