JPH0728547A - Personal information activity support system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a user to concentrate on a work main body by displaying the latest activity chart based on the latest job list and a schedule list after update to eliminate a need of his consideration for the work order, namely, the work to be next executed. CONSTITUTION:A window 160 (personal activity manager window) is displayed, and child windows 170 (job, schedule, and activity chart) are displayed as a set in its client area. In this case, the job list, the schedule list, and the activity chart are displayed in these child windows respectively. When a power source is turned on, a personal activity manager is operated to display the job list, the schedule list, and the activity chart as a set in windows on the display screen of a client.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a plurality of clients Newwa - CSS connected to the server through a click (C li
ent relates to S erver S ystem), about the method in particular support the personal work of the office worker.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For office work, word processors, spreadsheets,
There are various work such as database, e-mail, conference, business trip, etc. Commercially available distribution software is used as a tool for supporting these operations on the client machine. Typical ones are word processor software, spread
Sheet software, database software, mail software, schedule management software, work item management software, etc.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques are not always sufficient as techniques for effectively supporting personal work in an office. That is, even though there is individual distribution software that operates on the client machine, these are not organically linked and systemized, and they cannot contribute to improving the productivity of office workers.

Specifically, the conventional schedule management software and work item management software simply manage the scheduled schedules and work items. What kind of work is to be performed in relation to the schedule? No consideration was given to whether to proceed in order.
For this reason, the worker had to consider it, and he could not fully concentrate on the work body. Also, when executing the main body of work (word processor, spreadsheet, database, email, etc.),
It is necessary to prepare the necessary window environment one by one,
The operation was troublesome.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a means for displaying / updating a job list, a schedule list, and an activity chart on a display screen of a client (referred to as a personal activity manager). 2) of the activity allocation means (personal scheduler) that runs on the server side and allocates the activities (components of the job) to the gaps in the schedule.
In addition, when the activity chart update is instructed inside the personal activity manager, the activity chart update means for requesting reallocation to the personal scheduler and displaying the result again, and the activity chart When you click the execute button on the dialog box display method that displays detailed information about the activity or schedule specified above and the dialog box that displays detailed information of the activity, the distribution software group required to execute the activity is automatically Three means of distribution software control means to be activated are provided.

[0006]

[Operation] Each office worker has a client machine connected to the server via the network on his or her desk. When you turn it on,
The personal activity manager operates, and a set of a job list, a schedule list, and an activity chart is displayed in a window on the display screen of the client.

The worker looks at these information while looking back on the work results up to now, and updates them if there is a change in the job or schedule. After that, give an instruction to update the activity chart by selecting a menu. At this time, personal activity
The activity chart update means in the manager operates and requests the personal scheduler to reallocate the activity. Upon receiving the request, the personal scheduler uses the latest updated job list and schedule list as input information.
Activities (job components) are assigned to the gaps in the schedule, the latest activity chart is output, and a notification of the end of reallocation processing is sent to the request source. Upon receiving this notification, the activity chart update means redisplays (updates) the activity chart and the job list related thereto.

The operator clicks the schedule or activity whose contents are to be confirmed on the latest activity chart with the mouse. At this time, the dialog box display means in the personal activity manager operates to display detailed information about the clicked schedule or activity. After confirming the content on the dialog box that displays the detailed information of the activity, press the execute button to activate the distribution software control means, and the window of the personal activity manager will be iconified, and the distribution necessary for executing the activity will be displayed. The software group is activated. The activated distribution software group opens the corresponding window group.

A worker activates a target window to execute necessary office work (word processor, spreadsheet, database, mail, etc.).

When the work is completed, the icon is double-clicked. The Personal Activity Manager window will be re-displayed, so proceed as before.

Since each means operates as described above, the presented activity chart is an appropriate chart that responds immediately to changes in jobs and schedules that frequently occur in the office. Therefore, since the office worker may proceed with the work by using this as a guide, it is not necessary to consider the work order, and the work body can concentrate on the work body, thus improving work efficiency. Also, if you click the desired activity on the activity chart with the mouse cursor,
The detailed information is displayed in the dialog box, and after confirming the content, press the execute button to automatically provide the window environment required to execute the activity. There is no need to prepare a simple window environment, and operation is not bothersome.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a CS for connecting a plurality of clients 20 to 40 to a server 10 via a network 50.
It is a configuration diagram of a S (C lient S erver S ystem ). The clients 1 to n are laptop computers, notebook computers, etc., which are installed on the desks of office workers, one per person. A computer or workstation with higher performance than the client is usually used for the server.

FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of the server 10 and the clients 20-40. CPU60, memory 7
0, hard disk 80, flexible disk 90,
Keyboard 100, mouse 110, display 12
0, a LAN controller 130, and a bus 140.

The CPU 60 has, for example, 16 bits or 3 bits.
It is a 2-bit microprocessor.

The memory 70 holds programs and data. Particularly client memory, the client OS including a window system (O perating S y
stem) programs, application programs running on them, and data are retained. In addition, the server-side memory holds a server OS program, application programs operating on the server OS program, and data.

The basic function of the hard disk 80 is to store programs and data. In particular, the server OS hard disk stores a server OS program, a client OS program, an application program, and data. The personal scheduler (running on the server side), the personal activity manager (transferring to the client and running on the client side), and the distribution software (transferring to the client and running on the client side), which will be described later, are here as application programs. Memorized in. A job list, a schedule list, and a personal activity chart for each office worker, which will be described later, are also stored here as data.

The flexible disk 90 provides a portable storage medium function for programs and data, inputs programs and data to a client or server from the outside, and conversely outputs these to the outside from the client or server. It is used to

The keyboard 100, mouse 110, and display 120 all provide interactivity. The personal activity manager existing in the memory on the client side displays a job list, a schedule list, and an activity chart, which will be described later, on the display 120 as a window. Distribution software (word processor, spreadsheet, etc.) can also be used to display documents, spreadsheets, etc. 1
20 window display. An office worker interactively executes work by operating these with a keyboard or mouse input.

FIG. 2 further shows the LAN controller 130.
including. The LAN controller provides a communication function via a network between the client and the server.

3 and 4 show screen transitions in office work using a client. FIG. 3A is a screen immediately after the client is powered on and logged in to the network. A window 160 (which will be referred to as a personal activity manager window) is displayed, and a child window 170 (a job, a schedule, and an activity chart) is displayed as a set in the client area. It In each child window,
Job list, schedule list, activities
The chart is displayed.

Here, the job is a job to be executed by the logged-in office worker on the client side, such as creating a business report. The structure is shown in FIG. There are multiple jobs that the office worker should execute (J ₁ ,
J _2, ..., Jn), each job is composed of a plurality of activities _{(A 21, A 22, ...} , A 28), and each activity has constraints on execution order. For example, to execute activity A ₂₅ , activities A ₂₁ , A ₂₂ , and A ₂₃ must be completed. Activity A ₂₁ , A ₂₂ , A ₂₃ , activity A ₂₅
Let's call it the preceding activity of. In addition, the schedule is a plan related to the collaborative work promised by the office workers to others, such as meetings and business trips.
They are arranged discretely as shown in black in (b) (including the lunch break and break periods will be called a schedule).

On the server side, a scheduling program (which will be called a personal scheduler) runs. This is a program that allocates the activities that make up a job to the gaps in the schedule, using the job and the schedule as input information, and outputs them. The result of this allocation will be called an activity chart.

FIG. 6 shows a display example of the job child window. There are two types, a summary display ((a) in the figure) and a detailed display ((b) in the figure), both of which can be switched by menu selection or the like.

The job list (summary display) is a table in which the attributes of individual jobs to be executed by the office worker are displayed in a job unit. For example, the importance, the check, the job name, the available date and time, It consists of job deadline, scheduled completion date / time, delivery delay days, and remarks. Here, the "check" column is a column for checking the completed job. The "scheduled completion date and time" column is a scheduled date and time when all the activities of the job are completed on the activity chart (assignment result by the personal scheduler). The “delivery delay days” column is the deviation of the scheduled completion date and time from the job deadline. Description of other columns is omitted.

The job list (detailed display) displays, in addition to the above items, information about each activity constituting each job. For example, importance, check, job name, activity name , AP used. First name , when required
Between, execution state, preceding activities, job expiration, scheduled completion date and time, delayed delivery dates, and in each column of the remarks. The underlined items are the items added for the activity. Here, "use AP name" field is used to hold the name of the distributed software group used upon execution of the activity (AP: A pplicati
on P rogram). Also, the "Running status" column shows
This is a column for holding the completion state. Furthermore, the "preceding activity" column is a column for holding another activity group that must be completed when the activity is executed. Description of other columns is omitted.

Normally, office work is subject to many fluctuations, and if there is a change in a job, the office worker changes it each time.
At this time, if the change is related to the job, the summary display screen,
If it is a change related to the activity, change it using the detail display screen. Also, since the job addition includes the description of the activity, the job is added using the detail display screen.
FIG. 7 shows a display example of the schedule child window. Schedule list, for example, month, day, day of the week,
It consists of start time, end time, place, visitor, message, and remarks.

When there is a change in the scheduled schedule, the office worker changes it each time, and this list is always updated to the latest one.

[Activity Chart Child]
A display example of the window is shown in FIG. Black areas (R ₆ etc.) are scheduled time zones, hatched areas (R ₁ and R ₂ etc.) are times for activity execution, and blank areas are unscheduled hours. Is.

The update of the activity chart is instructed by a menu selection or the like by the office worker.
When this update instruction is given, the activity chart child window requests the server side personal scheduler for reallocation.
The personal scheduler that was asked to reallocate
In response to this, using the latest job list and the latest schedule list as input information, the activities that make up the job are assigned to the gaps in the schedule, and the latest activity chart is output. The outline of the processing will be described later.

The above is the description of the three child windows.

Returning to FIG. 3A, the office worker confirms the work schedule of the office worker by referring to the display contents of the activity chart child window. For example, when the mouse cursor is positioned at R ₆ in FIG. 8 and clicked, a dialog box 180 is displayed as shown in FIG.
Information about ₆ is displayed. The office worker can check the schedule in advance by looking at it, so that various troubles such as forgetting the scheduled schedule can be prevented. When the OK button is pressed after confirmation, the dialog box is erased and the screen returns to FIG. Moreover, when the mouse cursor is positioned at R ₁ in FIG. 8 and clicked,
As shown in FIG. 3C, the dialog box 190 is displayed, and the information regarding R ₁ is displayed inside the dialog box 190. The office worker looks at this and confirms the content of the activity to be performed. After confirming the contents, if the cancel button is pressed, the screen returns to FIG. 3 (a), but if the execute button is pressed, the screen becomes as shown in FIG. 3 (d). That is, the dialog box 190 is deleted (the screen is shown in FIG.
, The personal activity manager window 160 is automatically made into an icon (becomes an icon 200), and the distribution software group necessary for executing the activity whose contents have been confirmed previously is activated and the corresponding window is displayed. Group 210 is automatically opened. The office worker operates these windows to execute the activity (if a word processor is to be activated, this is done by activating the word processor window. The same applies to spreadsheets, databases, mails, etc.).

When the execution of the activity is completed in this way, the office worker opens the personal activity manager window 160 by double-clicking the icon (FIG. 4 (a)). Furthermore, after updating the job list (summary display, detailed display) such as checking completed jobs in the job child window, the next activity to be executed on the activity chart child window Click (R _{2 in} FIG. 8). As before,
As shown in (b), the dialog box 190 is displayed, and the information regarding R ₂ is displayed inside the dialog box 190. The office worker looks at this and confirms the content of the activity to be performed next. After confirming the contents, press the cancel button to return to Fig. 4 (a), but press the execute button to display the screen in Fig. 4
It becomes as shown in (c). That is, the dialog box 190 is deleted (the screen returns to the state of FIG. 4A), and the personal activity manager window 160 is automatically iconized (icon 20).
0), all the previously displayed window groups 210 are erased, new distribution software necessary for executing the new activity is started, and the corresponding window 220 is displayed.
Will be opened automatically. Office workers operate this window to perform activities. The same applies hereinafter.

FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the software loaded in the memory 70 on the client side. It is composed of a client OS 230 and a plurality of application programs (AP _{1 to} APn) operating on it. Immediately after logging in to the network, the client OS and AP
₁ (Personal Activity Manager) only. These exist on the hard disk 80 of the server 10 and are loaded into the memory 70 on the client side upon login. The data flow is shown by the bold line in FIG. Returning to FIG. 9, AP _{2 to} APn are distribution software groups loaded when the office worker presses the execute button on the dialog box (displayed when an activity is specified on the activity chart) ( For example, word processors, spreadsheets, databases, emails, etc.).

Application program (AP ₁ ~
APn) is a window system (client OS)
Part of)) is configured in a message-driven programming style. AP ₁ is the main function (Mai
n), window function (Pwin), child window function (Cwin1 to Cwin3), dialog function (Dlg1, Dlg2,
…). AP _{2 to} AP n are commercial distribution software, and their structure cannot be specified, but generally they are composed of a main function and a window function.

FIG. 11 shows an outline of processing in the main function, window function, child window function and dialog function. In the figure, (a) is a main function, and (b) is an outline of processing of a window function, a child window function, and a dialog function (the window function, child window function, and dialog function have the same structure. , Collectively shown in FIG. 11 (b).

In the main function, after the window class is registered, created, displayed, and initialized (10) such as timer initialization, the message sent from the window system is acquired (30) and the acquired message is acquired. Is delivered to the window function (40) and the process is repeated (20).

In the window function, child window function, and dialog function, the type of message delivered from the main function is determined (10), and the message processing corresponding to each is performed (20-40).

For example, when the window shown in FIG. 3 (a) is opened, the window function receives the window open message and executes the corresponding window
Three child windows in the client area (Job, Schedule, Activity Chart)
Open. When each child window is opened, each child window function receives a child window open message, and as corresponding processing, the corresponding data (job list, schedule, etc.) is stored in the client area of the child window. Display list, activity chart). These data are stored on the hard disk 8 of the server 10.
0 is stored for each office worker, and each child window function loads and displays the data of this office worker on the memory of the corresponding client by requesting the window system to transfer the data of this office worker. The data flow is the same as in FIG.

The update of the job list and the schedule list by the office worker is performed by operating the mouse or the keyboard. Even for these operations, each child window function receives a message and updates the job list and the schedule list in response to the message. Further, the update of the activity chart is instructed by a menu selection or the like by the office worker, and a message therefor is also delivered to the child window function (activity chart). When the child window function (activity chart) receives this message, it requests the server side personal scheduler for reallocation. Upon receipt of this, the personal scheduler performs reallocation, and when it finishes, issues a termination notice to the child window function (activity chart). The child window function (activity chart) receives this and loads the latest activity chart from the hard disk on the server side and displays it. At this time,
The Job Child window also sends a message to redisplay it (because the "Scheduled completion date" and "Delayed delivery days" fields change).

On the activity chart, the child window function (activity chart) also receives a message and displays a dialog box when the user positions and clicks the mouse cursor at the desired location for confirmation of the content. ((B) and (c) of FIG. 3). This is A for displaying the dialog box.
Realized by calling the PI (A pplication P rograming I nterface ) function. Further, when the office worker presses the execute button on the dialog box regarding the activity, the following processing is performed correspondingly.

(1) Iconization of Personal Activity Manager window By calling an API function for window iconization, the Personal Activity Manager window is displayed.
The window 160 is iconified.

(2) Provision of required window environment The old window group is deleted and the required window group is opened. The deletion of the old window group is performed by sending an end message to the old window group stored in the table. Figure 6 shows the opening of new windows.
"Used AP name" in the job list (detailed display) in (b)
It is realized by performing a table search or the like based on the information in the column, converting it into a file name, and requesting the window system to load and execute the program file from the server hard disk. The data flow is the same as in FIG.

The server-side personal scheduler is activated when it receives a reallocation request by a child window function (activity chart), and its processing outline is shown in FIG. Adopting "discrete simulation technique of variable time increment",
It is composed of a main function (FIG. 11A) and a sub function (FIG. 11B).

In the main function, after initializing (10) such as initializing the event queue, one event with the earliest occurrence time is acquired from the event queue (30), and the acquired event is a subfunction. The process of delivering to (40) is repeated (20).

The sub-function judges the type of the event delivered from the main function (10) and performs the event processing corresponding to each (20-50).

The types of events are interrupt start,
Interrupted, activity completed, job arrived. Here, the interruption is a scheduled time zone in which the schedule is filled in black in FIG. 5B. From an activity's perspective, these are called interrupts because they are times during which they must be interrupted.

FIG. 13 shows an outline of the processing (20 in FIG. 12B) corresponding to the interrupt start event. The status is updated from non-interrupting to interrupting (10), the interrupt start time is stored (20), the end event of the interrupt is registered in the event queue (30), and then the current status is checked ( 40) If a certain activity is currently being executed, suspend it and output it as an activity to be executed to the activity chart (50), and set the occurrence time of the completion event of that activity for a certain time ( Delay (60) from the start of interrupt until the end of interrupt.

FIG. 14 shows an outline of the processing (30 in FIG. 12B) corresponding to the interrupt end event. The status is updated from being interrupted to being not interrupted (10), the activity that should execute the interrupt is output to the activity chart (20), and the presence or absence of the next interrupt is checked (30). If so, after registering the interrupt start event in the event queue (40), check the current status (50), and if no activity is running, check the activity queue (6
0) If there is an activity to be executed in the activity queue, one activity to be executed is fetched from the activity queue (70) and the execution is started (80). The details of the execution start processing are as follows. That is, the status is updated from the non-execution to the execution of the activity, the start time (= current time) of the activity is stored, and the time required for the activity is added to the current time to obtain the scheduled completion time,
Register the completion event of the activity in the event queue.

FIG. 15 shows an outline of the process (40 in FIG. 12B) corresponding to the activity completion event. Output the completed activity to the activity chart (10), update the status from activity executing to non-executing (20), and if there is a subsequent activity that can be started when the activity is completed. After checking (30), if there is any activity to be executed in the activity queue (50), after registering these in the activity queue (40), if there is an activity to be executed, from the activity queue One activity to be executed is fetched (60) and its execution is started (70). The detailed process of starting execution is the same as step 80 in FIG.

Processing corresponding to a job arrival event (see FIG. 1)
FIG. 16 shows an outline of 50) of 2 (b). After registering the most preceding activity group of the arrived job in the activity queue (10), check the current status (20),
If it is not interrupted, further check the status (30). If no activity is being executed,
Pick one activity to execute from the queue (4
0), start its execution (50). The detailed process of starting execution is the same as step 80 in FIG.

The above is the description of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0053]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In order to respond to uncertain and drastic changes in the office environment, the job list and schedule list can be updated at all times, and if the update of the activity chart is indicated by menu selection, etc., the latest Since the latest activity chart based on the job list and schedule list is displayed, it becomes an appropriate activity chart that immediately responds to changes in the situation such as changes in jobs and schedules, and office workers can proceed with work using this as a guide. You can Therefore,
There is no need to consider the work sequence such as which work should be executed next, and the work can be concentrated on the work body, so that work efficiency is improved. In addition, when the office worker clicks the desired activity on the activity chart with the mouse cursor, the details are displayed in the dialog box, and when the execute button is clicked, word processing, spreadsheet, database, mail, etc. of that activity are displayed. The window environment required for execution is automatically provided, and the office worker does not need to prepare the required window environment one by one as in the conventional case, and the operation is not troublesome.

[Brief description of drawings]

[1] may be applied method of the present invention CSS (C lient S
erver is a configuration diagram of a S ystem).

FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a client and a server in CSS.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a screen transition (No. 1) of a client when performing an office work according to the method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a screen transition (No. 2) of the client when performing an office work according to the method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of jobs and schedules.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a job list.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of a schedule list.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of an activity chart.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of an application program existing in a memory on the client side.

FIG. 10 is a data flow diagram when a program or data is transferred from a server-side hard disk to a client-side memory.

FIG. 11: Outline of processing of application program AP ₁ (personal activity manager) (AP
_{2 to} APn are also the same).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a processing outline of a personal scheduler (running on the server side).

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a detailed processing outline of interrupt start event handling processing in the personal scheduler.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a detailed processing outline of interrupt end event handling processing in the personal scheduler.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a detailed processing outline of activity completion event handling processing in the personal scheduler.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a detailed processing outline of job arrival event handling processing in the personal scheduler.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Server, 20-40 ... Client, 50 ... Network, 60 ... CPU, 70 ... Memory, 80 ... Hard disk, 90 ... Flexible disk, 100 ... Keyboard, 110 ... Mouse, 120 ... Display, 130 ... LAN controller, 140 ... Bus, 150 ... Screen, 160 ... Personal Activity Manager window, 170 ... Child window (Job, Schedule, Activity chart), 180 ... Schedule inquiry dialog box, 190 ... Activity inquiry dialog box, 200 ... Personal・ Activity manager window icon, 210 ... Distribution software window, 220 ... Distribution software window, 230 ... Client O , 240 to 260 ... the application program.

Claims (4)

[Claims] To [claim 1] CSS (C lient S erver S ystem ) on the display screen of the client machine, as presented information in order to understand the work office worker person to be executed, an individual worker to run on the desk Job list, which is a list of work (sales report creation, etc.), schedule list, which is a list of collaborative work (meetings, business trips, etc.) to be performed away from the desk, and the job By displaying the activity chart obtained by assigning the activities that are the constituent elements as a set, and specifying the activity or schedule you want to inquire on the above activity chart, correspondingly,
A personal information activity support method that displays more detailed information about a specified activity or schedule in a dialog box. 2. The distribution software group required for executing the activity is automatically started when the execute button is pressed after confirming the content on the dialog box displaying the details of the activity. The personal information activity support method described in item 1. 3. The personal information activity support method according to claim 1, wherein the job list and the schedule list are constructed so that they can be created and updated by an office worker himself / herself. 4. On the server side, a personal scheduler, which is a program that allocates the activities that are the constituent elements of the job to the schedule gap and obtains the activity chart, runs and receives an instruction to update the activity chart. 2. At the time, the client requests the server-side personal scheduler for re-allocation, and upon receiving the re-allocation end notification, the activity chart and the job list related thereto are re-displayed. The personal information activity support method described.