System and method for providing a task-centric online environment

A computer-based method for assisting end users in performing tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry, the method comprising:

• displaying a plurality of individual task items on a first display, wherein each of the plurality of individual task items specifies a particular task related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry, and wherein each of the plurality of individual task items is user-selectable to display a display for the particular task specified by the individual task item;
• selecting a first individual task item of the plurality of individual task items in response to a first user input;
• displaying a second display for a first task specified by the first individual task item in response to said selecting the first individual task item, wherein the second display includes one or more subtask items each specifying a particular subtask of the first task, and wherein each of the one or more subtask items is user-selectable to display task details of the particular subtask specified by the subtask item;
• selecting a first subtask item of the one or more subtask items associated with the first task in response to a second user input;
• and
• displaying in the second display one or more task detail items of a first subtask specified by the first subtask item in response to said selecting the first subtask item, wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of a plurality of task detail displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• wherein the plurality of task detail displays each comprises information for use in assisting the end users in performing one or more portions of at least one of the tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry.

A computer-based method for assisting end users in performing high-level tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry, the method comprising:

• displaying a plurality of high-level task items on a first display, wherein each of the plurality of high-level task items specifies a high-level task related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry, and wherein each of the plurality of high-level task items is user-selectable to display more information related to the particular high-level task specified by the high-level task item;
• selecting a first high-level task item of the plurality of high-level task items in response to a first user input;
• displaying one or more task topic items associated with a high-level task specified by the first high-level task item in response to selecting the first high-level task item, wherein each of the one or more task topic items specifies a particular task topic of the high-level task, wherein each of the one or more task topic items is user-selectable to display task details of the particular task topic specified by the task topic item;
• selecting a first task topic item of the one or more task topic items associated with the first high-level task in response to a second user input;
• and
• displaying in the second display one or more task detail items in response to said selecting the first task topic item, wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of a plurality of task detail displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• wherein the plurality of task detail displays each comprises information for use in assisting the end users in performing one or more portions of at least one of the high-level tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry.

A computer-based method for assisting end users in performing tasks related to a field of endeavor, the method comprising:

• accessing a first display, the first display comprising:
• one or more task items, wherein each of the one or more task items specifies a particular task related to the field of endeavor;
• and
• one or more subtask items each associated with a first task specified by a currently active task item of the one or more task items, wherein each of the one or more subtask items specifies a particular subtask of the first task, wherein each of the one or more subtask items is user-selectable to display task details of the particular subtask specified by the subtask item;
• selecting a first subtask item of the one or more subtask items associated with the first task in response to a first user input;
• and
• displaying one or more task detail items of a first subtask specified by the first subtask item in response to said selecting the first subtask item, wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of a plurality of task detail displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• wherein the plurality of task detail displays each comprises information for use in assisting the end users in performing one or more portions of at least one of the tasks related to the field of endeavor.

A server computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, wherein the memory includes:
• a knowledge base, wherein the knowledge base comprises information on a plurality of tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry;
• a server program;
• and
• a plurality of displays, wherein the plurality of displays are configured to be provided by the server program as a task-centric user interface to the knowledge base;
• wherein the server program is executable by the processor within the server computer system to:
• provide a first display of the plurality of displays to a client system, wherein the first display comprises one or more task items each associated with one of the plurality of tasks;
• receive a first user input specifying a first of the one or more task items and selecting a first of the one or more tasks associated with the first task item;
• provide a second display of the plurality of displays to the client system in response to the first user input, wherein the second display comprises one or more subtask items each associated with one of one or more subtasks of the first task;
• receive a second user input specifying a first of the one or more subtask items and selecting a first of the one or more subtasks associated with the first subtask item;
• and
• update the second display on the client system in response to the second user input, wherein after the update the second display comprises one or more task detail items each associated with one of one or more task details of the first subtask;
• wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of a plurality of task detail displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• and
• wherein the plurality of task detail displays each comprises information for use in assisting end users in performing one or more portions of at least one of the tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry.

A server computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, wherein the memory includes:
• a knowledge base, wherein the knowledge base comprises information on a plurality of tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry;
• a server program;
• and
• a plurality of displays, wherein the plurality of displays are configured to be provided by the server program as a task-centric user interface to the knowledge base;
• wherein the server program is executable by the processor within the server computer system to:
• provide a first display of the plurality of displays to a client system, wherein the first display comprises a plurality of task items each associated with one of the plurality of tasks;
• receive a first user input specifying a first of the plurality task items and selecting a first of the plurality of tasks associated with the first task item;
• update the first display on the client system in response to the first user input specifying the first task item, wherein after the update the first display comprises one or more subtask items each associated with one of one or more subtasks of the first task;
• receive a second user input specifying a first of the one or more subtask items and selecting a first of the one or more subtasks associated with the first subtask item;
• and
• update the first display on the client system in response to the second user input specifying the first subtask item, wherein after the update the first display comprises one or more task detail items each associated with one of one or more task details of the first subtask;
• wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of a plurality of task detail displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• and
• wherein the plurality of task detail displays each comprises information for use in assisting end users in performing one or more portions of at least one of the tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry.

A system for assisting end users in performing tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry through a task-centric online environment, the system comprising:

• a server computer system comprising a first processor and a first memory, wherein the first memory includes:
• a knowledge base, wherein the knowledge base comprises information on a plurality of tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry;
• a server program;
• and
• a plurality of displays, wherein the plurality of displays are configured to be provided by the server program as a task-centric user interface to the knowledge base;
• a client computer system comprising a display device, a second processor and a second memory;
• wherein the system is operable to:
• display on the display device of the client system a first display of the plurality of displays, wherein the first display is provided to the client system by the server system, and wherein the first display comprises:
• one or more task items, wherein each of the one or more task items specifies a particular task related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry;
• and
• one or more subtask items each associated with a first task specified by a currently active task item of the one or more task items, wherein each of the one or more subtask items specifies a particular subtask of the first task, wherein each of the one or more subtask items is user-selectable to display task details of the particular subtask specified by the subtask item;
• receive a first user input on the client system selecting a first subtask item of the one or more subtask items associated with the first task;
• and
• update the first display displayed on the client system to display one or more task detail items of a first subtask specified by the first subtask item in response to the first user input selecting the first subtask item, wherein each of the one or more task detail items is associated with one of the plurality of displays, and wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of the plurality of displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• wherein each of the displays associated with the one or more task detail items comprises information for use in assisting the end users in performing one or more portions of at least one of the tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry.

A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

• accessing a first display comprising:
• one or more task items, wherein each of the one or more task items specifies a particular task related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry;
• and
• one or more subtask items each associated with a first task specified by a currently active task item of the one or more task items, wherein each of the one or more subtask items specifies a particular subtask of the first task, wherein each of the one or more subtask items is user-selectable to display task details of the particular subtask specified by the subtask item;
• selecting a first subtask item of the one or more subtask items associated with the first task in response to a first user input;
• and
• displaying one or more task detail items of a first subtask specified by the first subtask item in response to said selecting the first subtask item, wherein each of the one or more task detail items are user-selectable to display one of a plurality of task detail displays associated with the particular task detail item;
• wherein the plurality of task detail displays comprise information for use in assisting end users in performing tasks related to the upstream exploration and production areas of the oil and gas industry.