Patent ID: 8380552
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: accessing, in a storage device, a database of a plurality of electronic communications of a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of users are engaged in a common project and the electronic communications relate to the common project engaged in by the users; extracting, with a processor, timing information from the electronic communications; computing, with the processor, for each of the users, an average delay period using the extracted timing information; and generating, with the processor, an estimated delay value for the project based on the computed average delay periods, the method further comprising: collecting information corresponding to a plurality of past projects of the users; determining an average number of electronic communications per project associated with a respective one of the users based on the collected information corresponding to the plurality of past projects; and determining a project dependency parameter specifying degree of dependency of the project on the user, wherein the estimated delay value is based in part on the determined average project dependency parameter and the average number of electronic communications per project associated with a respective one of the users.