Methods for supporting users with task continuity and completion across devices and time
Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing task continuity and supporting task completion across devices and time. A task management application is configured to monitor one or more interactions between a user and a device. The interactions can include the use of the device, the use of one or more applications, and/or other tasks, subtasks, or other operations. Predictive models constructed from data or logical models can be used to predict the attention resources available or allocated to a task or subtask as well as the attention and affordances available within a context for addressing the task and these inferences can be used to mark or route the task for later reminding and display. In some embodiments, the task management application is configured to remind or execute a follow-up action when a session is resumed. Embodiments include providing users with easy to use gestures and mechanisms for providing input about desired follow up on the same or other devices.
1. A computer-implemented method for managing a task, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:
recognizing initiation of a session at a first computing device;
identifying one or more tasks or sub-tasks associated with the session;
monitoring one or more user interactions with the first computing device to determine if the one or more tasks or sub-tasks associated with the session have not been completed;
manually marking, by a user of the first computing device, the one or more tasks or sub-tasks to be continued within a specified context comprising environmental information associated with a second computing device, the environmental information including data collected by one or more sensors in the second computing device;
determining that the session has been resumed at the second computing device; and
triggering one or more follow-up actions at the second computing device for the one or more tasks or sub-tasks that have been marked, but not been completed, the one or more follow-up actions identified based upon timing data indicating anticipated timing information for the user to complete the one or more tasks or sub-tasks.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the specified context comprises one or more capabilities of the second computing device.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more follow-up actions are identified based, at least in part, upon affordances and attentional resources required to complete the one or more tasks or sub-tasks that have not yet been completed.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the specified context comprises completion of the one or more tasks or sub-tasks on the second computing device.
5. A computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more of an optical disk, a solid state memory device, or a magnetic storage disk and having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computing device, will cause the computing device to:
determine that a session has been resumed at the computing device that was initiated at another computing device;
determine if one or more tasks or sub-tasks associated with the session have not been completed based upon one or more user interactions with the another computing device and have been manually marked by a user at the another computing device to be continued within a specified context comprising environmental information associated with the computing device, the environmental information including data collected by one or more sensors in the computing device; and trigger one or more follow-up actions at the computing device for the one or more tasks or sub-tasks that have been marked, but not been completed, the one or more follow-up actions being identified based upon the environmental information associated with the computing device and timing data indicating anticipated timing information for the user to complete the one or more tasks or sub-tasks.
6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the one or more follow-up actions comprise generating and sending an electronic message.
7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the memory storing instructions causes the computing device to display information relating to the session having one or more tasks or sub-tasks that has not been completed.
8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the memory storing instructions causes the computing device to display one or more indications relating to an importance of the session having one or more tasks or sub-tasks that has not been completed.
9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the indications are provided by applying a color coding to the session having one or more tasks or sub-tasks that has not been completed.
10. A computing device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to
determine that a session initiated at another computing device has been resumed at the computing device,
in response to determining that the session initiated at the another computing device has been resumed at the computing device, determine if one or more tasks or sub-tasks associated with the session have not been completed based upon one or more user interactions with the another computing device and have been manually marked by a user at the another computing device to be continued within a specified context comprising environmental information associated with the computing device, the environmental information including data collected by one or more sensors in the computing device, and
initiate one or more follow-up actions at the computing device for the one or more tasks or sub-tasks associated with the session that have been marked, but not been completed, the one or more follow-up actions being identified based upon the environmental information associated with the computing device and timing data indicating anticipated timing information for the user to complete the one or more tasks or sub-tasks.
11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more follow-up actions are additionally identified based upon contextual information comprising one or more capabilities of the computing device.
12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more follow-up actions comprise one or more reminders, and wherein the reminders are identified based, at least in part, upon the contextual information.
13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more follow-up actions are identified based, at least in part, upon affordances and attentional resources needed to complete the tasks and sub-tasks that have not yet been completed.
14. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more follow-up actions comprise restarting an application.