Systems and Methods for Task Assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019362320-A1
Application number	US-201916536687-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of task management executes at a computing device having one or more processors and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. There is received a description of a task associated with a user. Upon receipt of the description of the task, one or more entities associated with the task are identified using at least the description of the task and geographic information about the user. Information is identified for performing the task with the at least one respective entity in the one or more entities based upon an identity of the entity. This identified information for performing the task is then formatted for use by the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of providing task assistance, comprising:
presenting a user interface for an electronic messaging application, the electronic messaging application including a plurality of messages; identifying, by one or more processors of a computing device based on one or more of the plurality of messages of the messaging application, a task to be performed by a user; in response to the identifying, the one or more processors automatically performing the following:
identifying a set of entities associated with the task based on a description of the task and information about the user;
selecting one of the set of entities associated with the task;
based on selection of the entity from the set, identifying information for performing the task;
formatting the identified information for performing the task for presentation via the user interface; and
outputting, for presentation via the user interface, the task, the selected entity and the identified information for performing the task.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the task to be performed includes inferring the task based on an electronic message object within the plurality of messages of the electronic messaging application.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the set of entities includes evaluating whether each entity of the set of entities is capable of enabling performance of the task.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting one of the set of entities further includes comparing geographical locations for each of the entities in the set to geographical information associated with a location of the user.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the set of entities associated with the task includes resolving which entity in an organization of entities to select based on geographical information associated with a location of the user.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of entities includes one or more of business entities and government entities.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the description of the task.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the description of the task is received upon creation of the description by the user.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein formatting the identified information for performing the task for presentation via the user interface includes adding the identified information to a task item in a message list.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the set of entities includes identifying a time of day or an amount of time in which a given entity of the set is able to assist in performing the task.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying the time of day or the amount of time includes evaluating at least one of an opening time, a closing time, or a time of day when the given entity will stop receiving requests to assist in performing the task.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the information for performing the task is based on the description of the task.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the task is a service request, a cancellation request, or a renewal request.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic messaging application is either an email application or an instant messaging application.

15 . A computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; memory operatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for a method of providing task assistance, the method comprising: generating a user interface for an electronic messaging application, the electronic messaging application including a plurality of messages; identifying, based on one or more of the plurality of messages of the messaging application, a task to be performed by a user; in response to the identifying, automatically performing the following:
identifying a set of entities associated with the task based on a description of the task and information about the user;
selecting one of the set of entities associated with the task;
based on selection of the entity from the set, identifying information for performing the task;
formatting the identified information for performing the task for presentation via the user interface; and
outputting, for presentation via the user interface, the task, the selected entity and the identified information for performing the task.

16 . The computing device of claim 15 , wherein identifying the task to be performed includes inferring the task based on an electronic message object within the plurality of messages of the electronic messaging application.

17 . The computing device of claim 15 , wherein selecting one of the set of entities includes at least one of:
evaluating whether each entity of the set of entities is capable of enabling performance of the task; resolving which entity in an organization of entities to select based on geographical information associated with a location of the user; or identifying a time of day or an amount of time in which a given entity of the set is able to assist in performing the task.

18 . The computing device of claim 17 , wherein selecting one of the set of entities further includes comparing geographical locations for each of the entities in the set to geographical information associated with a location of the user.

19 . The computing device of claim 15 , wherein identifying the information for performing the task is based on the description of the task.

20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computing device having one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for performing a method of providing task assistance, the method comprising:
generating a user interface for an electronic messaging application, the electronic messaging application including a plurality of messages; identifying, based on one or more of the plurality of messages of the messaging application, a task to be performed by a user; in response to the identifying, automatically performing the following:
identifying a set of entities associated with the task based on a description of the task and information about the user;
selecting one of the set of entities associated with the task;
based on selection of the entity from the set, identifying information for performing the task;
formatting the identified information for performing the task for presentation via the user interface; and
outputting, for presentation via the user interface, the task, the selected entity and the identified information for performing the task.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Harris Tristan
• Can Sar Erwin
• Sohn Timothy Youngjin
• Umapathy Vijay
• Tsay Jacqueline Amy
• Glickman Seth Isaac

Classifications

• G06Q30/018

  Certifying business or products · CPC title

• G06Q10/063114

  Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group · CPC title

• H04L51/18

  Commands or executable codes · CPC title

• G06Q50/26

  Government or public services (business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40) · CPC title

• G06Q10/1097 Primary

  using calendar-based scheduling for task assignment · CPC title