Task hierarchy in an event-driven communication system
View Patent ↗A hierarchy of project and personal tasks is maintained for users associated with multiple projects. The hierarchy is maintained using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display. A user-task list is obtained. The user-task list includes a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task The user-task list also includes a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task. The user-task list also includes an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score.
1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining task hierarchies for multiple projects using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display, the method comprising:
obtaining, using the computer server processor, a user-task list comprising:
a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task,
a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task, and
an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score;
obtaining, using the computer server processor, a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;
determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters;
determining, using the computer server processor, an updated user-task hierarchy by ranking the first-project task and the second-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the second-project task score; and
displaying, using the client machine computer display, the user-task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
obtaining, using the computer server processor, the first-project task list comprising:
the first-project task,
an additional first-project task having an additional first-project task score, and
an initial first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and additional first-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the additional first-project task score;
determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and the additional first-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the additional first-project task score; and
displaying, using the client machine computer display, the first-project task list to the user in a format depicting the updated first-project task hierarchy.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the ranking of the first-project task in the updated user-task hierarchy is different than the ranking of the first-project task in the updated first-project task hierarchy.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the user-task list further comprises:
a personal task having a personal task score, wherein the personal task is not associated with a project having a project task list, and
wherein determining an updated user-task hierarchy further comprises ranking the first-project task, the second-project task, and the personal task based on the updated first-project task score, the second-project task score, and the personal task score.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the task score for the first-project task comprises:
determining a scaling factor for each parameter of the set of parameters; and
determining the task score as the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein determining the task score for the first-project task further comprises:
obtaining a blocking-task score for a blocking task that is a prerequisite for the first-project task;
obtaining a blocking-task scaling factor for the blocking-task score; and
determining the task score by adding the product of the blocking-task score and the blocking-task scaling factor to the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy is a sequential list format with the highest-ranked task appearing first in the sequence.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of parameters does not include a due date.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of parameters includes information about a plurality of users associated with the first project.
10. A computer-implemented method for maintaining task hierarchies using a computer server machine having a processor and network connection to a client machine having a computer display, the method comprising:
obtaining, using the computer server processor, a user-task list comprising:
a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project team, the first-project team having a first-project task list including the first-project task,
a personal task having a personal task score, wherein the personal task is not associated a project team, and
an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and personal task based on the initial first-project task score and the personal task score;
obtaining, using the computer server processor, a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;
determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters;
determining, using the computer server processor, an updated user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and personal task based on the updated first-project task score and the personal task score; and
displaying, using the client machine computer display, the user task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , the method further comprising:
obtaining, using the computer server processor, the first-project task list comprising:
the first-project task,
an additional first-project task having an additional first-project task score, and
an initial first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and additional first-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the additional first-project task score;
determining, using the computer server processor, an updated first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and the additional first-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the additional first-project task score; and
displaying, using the client machine computer display, the first-project task list to the user in a format depicting the updated first-project task hierarchy.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein determining the task score for the first-project task comprises:
determining a scaling factor for each parameter of the set of parameters; and
determining the task score as the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.
13. A computer system for maintaining task hierarchies for multiple projects, the system comprising:
a computer server machine having:
a processor for executing computer-executable instructions,
a network connection to a client machine having a computer display, and
a memory storing computer-executable instructions for:
obtaining a user-task list comprising:
a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task,
a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task, and
an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score;
obtaining a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;
determining an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters; and
determining an updated user-task hierarchy by ranking the first-project task and the second-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the second-project task score; and
displaying, using the client machine computer display, the user-task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for maintaining task hierarchies for multiple projects, the instructions comprising:
obtaining a user-task list comprising:
a first-project task having an initial first-project task score, wherein the first-project task is associated with a first-project, the first-project having a first-project task list including the first-project task,
a second-project task having an second-project task score, wherein the second-project task is associated with a second-project, the second-project having a second-project task list including the second-project task, and
an initial user-task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and second-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the second-project task score;
obtaining a set of parameters associated with the first-project task;
determining an updated first-project task score for the first-project task, wherein the updated first-project task score is determined based on the set of parameters;
determining an updated user-task hierarchy by ranking the first-project task and the second-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the second-project task score; and
displaying the user task list to a user in a format depicting the updated user-task hierarchy.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the instructions further comprising:
obtaining the first-project task list comprising:
the first-project task,
an additional first-project task having an additional first-project task score, and
an initial first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and additional first-project task based on the initial first-project task score and the additional first-project task score;
determining an updated first-project task hierarchy ranking the first-project task and the additional first-project task based on the updated first-project task score and the additional first-project task score; and
displaying the first-project task list to the user in a format depicting the updated first-project task hierarchy.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the ranking of the first-project task in the updated user-task hierarchy is different than the ranking of the first-project task in the updated first-project task hierarchy.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the user-task list further comprises:
a personal task having a personal task score, wherein the personal task is not associated with a project having a project task list, and
wherein determining an updated user-task hierarchy further comprises ranking the first-project task, the second-project task, and the personal task based on the updated first-project task score, the second-project task score, and the personal task score.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein determining the task score for the first-project task comprises:
determining a scaling factor for each parameter of the set of parameters; and
determining the task score as the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein determining the task score for the first-project task further comprises:
obtaining a blocking-task score for a blocking task that is a prerequisite for the first-project task;
obtaining a blocking-task scaling factor for the blocking-task score;
determining the task score by adding the product of the blocking-task score and the blocking-task scaling factor to the sum of the product of each scaling factor and each respective parameter of the set of parameters.