Systems and Methods for Shared Task Management

Abstract

A task management system is disclosed for providing shared task management among a variety of users and allows users to create and share task-lists and tasks. Users can invite others to join task-lists and can assign responsibility for tasks to other users. In various embodiments, the system implicitly sets permissions for every task-list and task, and these permissions are automatically changed or updated by the system in response to users interacting with the system. In another embodiment, users can explicitly set these permissions. Thus, the task management system is configured so that there is no single administrator of the system; rather each user may be an administrator of certain tasks and task-lists and thus set the related task and task-list permissions. Thus, the system is configured to operate in the absence of explicitly set permissions, but is also flexible to allow for users to change and modify permissions explicitly.

1 . A task management system connected to a communication network with one or more users operating respective computing devices, the system comprising:
 one or more task management computers executing an application, with which said users interact via respective computing devices, the task management system being configured to enable one or more first users to generate a designation of one or more second users to a task-list or a task, the task being a member of one or more task-lists, said task-list and task having associated permissions, the task management computer changing automatically said permissions of said task-list and said task with respect to said second users based on said first-user designation.   
     
     
         2 . The task management system of  claim 1 , wherein said first-user designation comprises a selection of one or more second users to join a task-list, said selection being made from a list of one or more potential second users who may join said task-list. 
     
     
         3 . The task management system of  claim 2 , wherein said list of potential second users is a heuristic list, said heuristic list being configured to present to said first user the most probable order of second users whom said first user would desire to join a task-list, with the most probable second users being placed at the beginning of said list, and the least probable second users being placed at the end of said list. 
     
     
         4 . The task management system of  claim 2 , configured to enable said second users, that were selected by said first user, to choose to join said task-list in response to said first-user designation. 
     
     
         5 . The task management system of  claim 1 , wherein said first-user designation comprises a selection of one or more second users to be made responsible for a task, said selection being made from a list of one or more potential second users who may be made responsible for said task. 
     
     
         6 . The task management system of  claim 5 , wherein said list of one or more potential second users comprises users of the task management system who are joined to at least one task-list in common with said first user. 
     
     
         7 . The task management system of  claim 6 , wherein said list of potential second users is a heuristic list, said heuristic list being configured to present to said first user the most probable order of second users that said first user would desire to specify as being responsible for said task, with the most probable second users being placed at the beginning of said list, and the least probable second users being placed at the end of said list. 
     
     
         8 . The task management system of  claim 7 , wherein said most probable order of second users, listed in order, is:
 said first user, along with all other users who have been specified as being responsible for said task;   users who have chosen to join the task-list to which said task belongs;   users who have been selected to join said task-list, but who have not chosen to join said task-list; and   all other users of the task management system who are joined to at least one task-list in common with said first user.   
     
     
         9 . The task management system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a multiplexing gateway server, configured to receive a request from a user, including at least said first-user designation, transmit said request to one or more task management computers, receive a response from said task management computers, and transmit said response to said user.   
     
     
         10 . The task management system of  claim 9 , wherein one or more of said task management computers are located locally to said multiplexing gateway server. 
     
     
         11 . The task management system of  claim 9 , wherein one or more of said task management computers are located remotely from said multiplexing gateway server. 
     
     
         12 . The task management system of  claim 1 , configured to allow multiple task-lists to share a common set of member tasks, each task-list maintaining unique task-list attributes, such as task-list name, task-list description, and task-list permissions. 
     
     
         13 . The task management system of  claim 12 , configured to:
 receive a request from one of said users to create a task as a member of a first task-list of said multiple task-lists, said task inheriting automatically said first task-list permissions; and   automatically designate said task as a member of said other multiple task-lists.   
     
     
         14 . The task management system of  claim 1 , configured to present to each of said users a catalog of task-lists and tasks, comprising:
 tasks for which said user has been made responsible by said first-user designation;   task-lists that said user has been invited to join, by one or more other users by said first-user designation, and has chosen to join; and   tasks that are members of task-lists that said user has been invited to join and has chosen to join.   
     
     
         15 . The task management system of  claim 14 , configured to keep said user aware of changes to said catalog of task-lists and tasks by:
 (a) displaying a presentation of said task-lists and tasks to said user;   (b) storing the state of said task-lists and tasks, at the task management computer, at the time of said presentation to said user;   (c) providing, at established time intervals, only changed information from the time when the state of said task-lists and tasks was stored at step (b); and   (d) repeating steps (a)-(c).   
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable storage medium storing an application for shared task management among a plurality of users, said application directing a computer to perform the steps of:
 (A) receiving from a first user a designation of one or more second users to a task-list or task, the task being a member of one or more task-lists, said task-list and task having associated permissions; and   (B) automatically changing said task-list and task permissions based on said first-user designation.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein step (A) comprises receiving from said first user a selection of one or more second users to join a task-list. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein step (A) comprises receiving from said first user a selection of one or more second users to be made responsible for a task, and enabling said first user to make said selection from a list of potential second users who are joined to at least one task-list in common with said first user. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein said application further directs said computer to perform the step of:
 generating said list of potential second users, said list being a heuristic list configured to present to said first user the most probably order of second users that said first user would desire to specify as being responsible for said task, with the most probably second users being placed at the beginning of said list, and the leas probable second users being placed at the end of said list;   said step of generating said list occurring prior to said step of enabling said first user to make said selection from said list.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein said application further directs said computer to perform the step of:
 present to said plurality of users a catalog of task-lists and tasks, said catalog comprising:
 tasks for which said plurality of users has been made responsible by said first-user designation; 
 task-lists that said plurality of users has been invited to join, by one or more other users by said first-user designation, and has chosen to join; and 
 tasks that are members of task-lists that said plurality of users has been invited to join and has chosen to join.