IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,346,881
Granted Patent B2
US 12,346,881 · App. 18/643,127 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Systems and methods to characterize work unit records of a collaboration environment based on stages within a workflow

Inventors: Lili Jiang Rachowin (San Francisco, CA); Eric Seth Pelz (San Francisco, CA); Micah Hanan Fenner (San Francisco, CA); John Joseph Welsh (San Francisco, CA); Michael Shengyang Chen (San Francisco, CA); Ariel Janover (Brooklyn, NY); Louis Benjamin Lafair (Berkeley, CA); Alexander Thomas Ryan (San Francisco, CA); Shirley Yang (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Asana, Inc.
G06Q10/103G06F3/0482G06Q10/0633
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,346,881
App. No.
18/643,127
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods to characterize work unit records of a collaboration environment based on stages within a workflow are described herein. Exemplary implementations may: manage environment state information maintaining a collaboration environment including work unit records; manage workflow information characterizing workflows comprising stages; responsive to work unit records being at individual stages, select the rules that apply at the individual stages; and/or perform other operations.

Claims (39)

1. A system configured to characterize a work unit record of a collaboration environment based on stages within a workflow and provide navigation functionality between a graphical user interface page for the work unit record and a graphical user interface page for the workflow, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:

manage, by a server, environment state information maintaining a collaboration environment, the collaboration environment being configured to facilitate interaction by a user with the collaboration environment, the user interacting with the collaboration environment via a remotely located client computing platform communicating with the server over a network connection, the environment state information including a work unit record for a unit of work managed, created, and/or assigned within the collaboration environment, the work unit record including a current stage value of a stage parameter characterizing stage of the work unit record within a workflow;

manage, by the server, workflow information characterizing the workflow, the workflow information comprising:

a set of stages, the set of stages including a first stage associated with a first stage value of the stage parameter, and a second stage associated with a second stage value of the stage parameter;

progression information specifying an order of progression through the set of stages, the order defining progress from the first stage to the second stage; and

rule information including first rules that apply at the first stage, and second rules that apply at the second stage, wherein the rule information includes automation information, the automation information including a first set of automated actions to carry out in response to a first trigger event, and a second set of automated actions to carry out in response to a second trigger event, and wherein the first trigger event includes specification of the first stage value of the stage parameter, and the second trigger event includes specification of the second stage value of the stage parameter;

establish the network connection between the remotely located client computing platform and the server;

effectuate communication of user interface information from the server to the remotely located client computing platform over the network connection to cause the remotely located client computing platform to present a graphical user interface work page for the work unit record within a graphical user interface of the collaboration environment, the graphical user interface work page including a user interface element displaying the current stage value of the stage parameter included in the work unit record, wherein the user interface element is selectable to cause the graphical user interface to navigate from the graphical user interface work page to a graphical user interface workflow page for the workflow;

responsive to obtaining user input information conveying user input into the graphical user interface including selection of the user interface element, cause the graphical user interface to navigate from the graphical user interface work page to the graphical user interface workflow page;

responsive to the current stage value being the first stage value because the work unit record is at the first stage, select and apply the first rules to the work unit record; and

responsive to the current stage value being the second stage value because the work unit record is at the second stage, select and apply the second rules to the work unit record.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rule information includes criteria information, the criteria information including criteria that must be met in order to progress from the first stage to the second stage.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the criteria includes one or more of work completion, uploading a digital content item, or communicating with one or more users.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by the machine-readable instructions to:

responsive to the criteria being met for the work unit record, transition the work unit record from the first stage to the second stage by changing the current stage value from the first stage value to the second stage value.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein automated actions include one or more of creating a new work unit record, specifying a user assignment, specifying a due date, work unit completion, causing progress to another workflow, or sending a communication to one or more users.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the workflow is editable via the graphical user interface workflow page.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by the machine-readable instructions to:

responsive to the work unit record being at a transition state between the first stage and the second stage, select transition rules that apply at the transition state.

8. A method to characterize a work unit record of a collaboration environment based on stages within a workflow and provide navigation functionality between a graphical user interface page for the work unit record and a graphical user interface page for the workflow, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions, such that execution of the machine-readable instructions by the one or more physical processors causes the one or more physical processors to perform the method comprising:

managing, by a server, environment state information maintaining a collaboration environment, the collaboration environment being configured to facilitate interaction by a user with the collaboration environment, the user interacting with the collaboration environment via a remotely located client computing platform communicating with the server over a network connection, the environment state information including a work unit record for a unit of work managed, created, and/or assigned within the collaboration environment, the work unit record including a current stage value of a stage parameter characterizing stage of the work unit record within a workflow;

managing, by the server, workflow information characterizing the workflow, the workflow information comprising:

a set of stages, the set of stages including a first stage associated with a first stage value of the stage parameter, and a second stage associated with a second stage value of the stage parameter;

progression information specifying an order of progression through the set of stages, the order defining progress from the first stage to the second stage; and

rule information including first rules that apply at the first stage, and second rules that apply at the second stage, wherein the rule information includes automation information, the automation information including a first set of automated actions to carry out in response to a first trigger event, and a second set of automated actions to carry out in response to a second trigger event, and wherein the first trigger event includes specification of the first stage value of the stage parameter, and the second trigger event includes specification of the second stage value of the stage parameter;

establishing the network connection between the remotely located client computing platform and the server;

effectuating communication of user interface information from the server to the remotely located client computing platform over the network connection to cause the remotely located client computing platform to present a graphical user interface work page for the work unit record within a graphical user interface of the collaboration environment, the graphical user interface work page including a user interface element displaying the current stage value of the stage parameter included in the work unit record, wherein the user interface element is selectable to cause the graphical user interface to navigate from the graphical user interface work page to a graphical user interface workflow page for the workflow;

responsive to obtaining user input information conveying user input into the graphical user interface including selection of the user interface element, causing the graphical user interface to navigate from the graphical user interface work page to the graphical user interface workflow page;

responsive to the current stage value being the first stage value because the work unit record is at the first stage, selecting and applying the first rules to the work unit record; and

responsive to the current stage value being the second stage value because the work unit record is at the second stage, selecting and applying the second rules to the work unit record.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the rule information includes criteria information, the criteria information including criteria that must be met in order to progress from the first stage to the second stage.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the criteria includes one or more of work completion, uploading a digital content item, or communicating with one or more users.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

responsive to the criteria being met for the work unit record, transitioning the work unit record from the first stage to the second stage by changing the current stage value from the first stage value to the second stage value.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein automated actions include one or more of creating a new work unit record, specifying a user assignment, specifying a due date, work unit completion, causing progress to another workflow, or sending a communication to one or more users.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the workflow is editable via the graphical user interface workflow page.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

responsive to the work unit record being at a transition state between the first stage and the second stage, selecting transition rules that apply at the transition state.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2024
From: RACHOWIN, LILI JIANG; PELZ, ERIC SETH; FENNER, MICAH HANAN; WELSH, JOHN JOSEPH; YANG, SHIRLEY; CHEN, MICHAEL SHENGYANG; JANOVER, ARIEL; LAFAIR, LOUIS BENJAMIN; RYAN, ALEXANDER THOMAS
To: ASANA, INC.
Reel/Frame 067209/0456 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17731923 · Apr 28, 2022
Related Publication 20240273469A1 · Aug 15, 2024
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