Patent ID: 9477945
Filing Date: 2016-10-25
CPC Classification: G06F,G06Q

Claim Text:
1. A computer implemented method for task-centered context management, the method comprising: generating a console comprising a set of contexts corresponding to different tasks, where each context groups a set of communications that are specific to a particular task; identifying, by a computer, a first communication pertaining to a first task that is transmitted through a first communication channel; launching, within the console, a user interface (UI) that corresponds to the first communication over the first communication channel, the UI corresponding to a first context comprising a space where screen devices supporting communications corresponding to the first task are grouped together, the UI being initially populated with at least one first screen device that corresponds to the first communication channel; subsequent to launching the UI, launching, by the computer, a second communication that does not have a corresponding screen device that is within the first context, the second communication being transmitted through a second communication channel that is different than the first communication channel; determining whether the second communication corresponds to the first task; responsive to determining that the second communication corresponds to the first task, populating the UI with at least one second screen device that corresponds to the second communication channel such that the first screen device is grouped with the second screen device within the first context and the first communication and the second communication comprise separate communications that are simultaneous and concurrent; merging at least one of the first screen device or the second screen device with at least an additional screen device included within a second context into a single window; responsive to switching from the first context to an additional context, where the first context and additional context share an exclusive communication channel, automatically activating a communication in the additional context and pausing one or more communications in the first context, determining a first priority of the first context relative to a second priority of a second context; wherein the first priority or second priority are based at least in part on one or more of an urgency of a task corresponding to the first context or the second context or a value placed on a user associated with the first context or the second context; placing a first icon corresponding to the first context relative to a second icon corresponding to the second context based at least in part on the first priority relative to the second priority; placing an icon corresponding to a low-priority context in a drop-down list of icons; receiving a request to open an item corresponding to the first communication from a dashboard; receiving a request to reject the first communication; determining that the first communication has timed out; removing an icon or a text block corresponding to the first communication responsive to receiving the request to reject the first communication or determining that the first communication has timed out; receiving event indications from within the first context; populating the first context based at least in part on the event indications; facilitating display and coordination of activities between the first communication channel and the second communication channel using a channel manager; characterizing the first context as set of single-channel real-time interactions or as a set of multichannel real-time interactions; navigating between multiple contexts using a multi-terminal environment having two display surfaces; deleting the first context responsive to receiving a request to close a tab corresponding to the first context or responsive to termination of all communications within the first context; downgrading the first context from a live mode to an offline mode responsive to termination of all live communication channels within the first context; wherein the second screen device is populated relative to the first screen device based at least in part on event types corresponding to the first communication and the second communication such that a set of live events form a first subgroup within the UI and a set of offline events form a second subgroup within the UI that is different from the first subgroup, the set of live events corresponding to real-time communications and the set of offline events corresponding to non-real-time communications; wherein the first communication and the second communication are capable of being switched between the live state and the offline state; wherein the first context is represented in a global toolbar as an icon or a text block, the global toolbar capable of being collapsed or expanded; wherein the first context is subsumed within a tool-based UI; wherein the first context is launched and managed by a task-centered context manager; wherein the first task refers to a collection of one or more activities involved in achieving a goal state of at least one of a problem, an issue, or a marketing objective; wherein a console comprises a top-level window comprising multiple contexts corresponding to different tasks, the multiple contexts including at least the first context corresponding to the first task; wherein the first communication channel is an incoming email event, an outgoing email event, an outgoing chat event, a problem post event, a solution post event, an agent click event, social media, or a web portal; wherein the UI is embodied as a window-based screen device or as a console user interface; wherein the first screen device and second screen device each comprise a UI surface, a single window, or a screen widget on a display surface; wherein the first communication is an incoming communication corresponding to a chat event or a phone call event; and wherein the UI comprises at least one of, a global toolbar, a dashboard, or a home button.