Patent ID: 8539493

Claim:
A method of determining a priority for a task in a queue comprising: receiving the task at a first queue of a plurality of queues, wherein the task comprises a part of a work flow process; assigning to the received task, using a processor, an initial priority, an aging increment value and an aging interval time period determined based at least in part by a priority assignment rule configured for the first queue, wherein the priority assignment rule configured for the first queue is different from a priority assignment rule configured for a second queue of the plurality of queues, wherein the priority assignment rule configured for the first queue is configured to use a data value of a first attribute of the received task to determine the initial priority, a data value of a second attribute of the received task to determine the aging increment value, and a data value of a third attribute of the received task to determine the aging interval time period, wherein the priority assignment rule configured for the first queue is configured to determine that the initial priority, aging increment value and aging interval time period are to comprise either a predetermined initial priority, a predetermined aging increment value and a predetermined aging interval time period configured for the first queue, or, another priority, another aging increment value and another aging interval time period that override the predetermined initial priority, the predetermined aging increment value and the predetermined aging interval time period configured for the first queue in the event that data values of the attributes of the received task specify a priority, an aging increment value and an aging interval time period different than the predetermined initial priority, the predetermined aging increment value and the predetermined aging interval time period configured for the first queue; and determining whether the received task is to be aged; and in the event that the received task is determined to be aged, aging a priority for the received task in the first queue by incrementing the priority from the assigned initial priority by the assigned aging increment value upon each completion of the assigned aging interval time period for as long as the received task remains in the first queue; wherein a task performer removes the received task from the first queue based at least in part on the priority, and wherein the task performer is assigned to complete the received task.