Project management system

An image generating apparatus that operates in conjunction with a document database, a recording unit and a collection system, comprising:

• the document database stores a plurality of documents relating to a plurality of projects,
• the recording unit that automatically records a communication history for each project, a document history for each project and an access history for each project, which are separate from each other, wherein:
• a plurality of users are involved in each project,
• the communication history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any communication by at least one of the plurality of involved users with another at least one of the plurality of involved users,
• the document history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any operation on any document relating to each project, and
• the access history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any access to any document or any communication relating to each project, and
• the collecting system that retrieves a record of a selected project from the recording unit,
• the image generating apparatus comprising an image generating unit that generates, based on the retrieved record of the selected project, an image separately showing a record frequency of the records in the communication history of the selected project, a record frequency of the records in the document history of the selected project and a record frequency of the records in the access history of the selected project in a time-series relationship, wherein the image generating unit
• summarizes the record frequencies during a predetermined time period,
• determines a time period over which the record frequencies exceed a predetermined threshold value based on the summary,
• identifies an accessed document referenced in at least one of the communication history, document history and access history within the determined time period,
• arranges the generated image representing the document in relation to the time-series relationship;
• and
• a display unit that displays the generated image regarding the selected project.

A project management method for facilitating access to documents regarding a plurality of projects stored in a document database, the method comprising:

• recording a communication history for each project, a document history for each project and an access history for each project, which are separate from each other, wherein:
• a plurality of users are involved in each project,
• the communication history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any communication by at least one of the plurality of involved users with another at least one of the plurality of involved users;
• the document history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any operation on any document relating to each project;
• and
• the access history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any access to any document relating to each project;
• retrieving a record of a selected project from the recording unit;
• generating an image, based on the retrieved record of the selected project, separately showing a record frequency of the records in the communication history of the selected project, a record frequency of the records in the document history of the selected project and a record frequency of the records in the access history of the selected project in a time-series relationship, wherein generating an image includes
• summarizing the record frequencies during a predetermined time period,
• determining a time period over which the record frequencies exceed a predetermined threshold value based on the summary,
• identifying an accessed document referenced in at least one of the communication history, document history and access history within the determined time period,
• arranging the generated image representing the document in relation to the time-series relationship;
• and
• displaying the generated image regarding the selected project.

A computer-readable medium containing a program for instructing a computer system to execute a method for project management, the method comprising:

• recording a communication history for each project, a document history for each project and an access history for each project, which are separate from each other, wherein:
• a plurality of users are involved in each project,
• the communication history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any communication by at least one of the plurality of involved users with another at least one of the plurality of involved users;
• the document history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any operation on any document relating to each project;
• and
• the access history for each project contains records that identify an occurrence in time of any access to any document relating to each project;
• retrieving a record of a selected project from the recording unit;
• generating an image, based on the retrieved record of the selected project, separately showing a record frequency of the records in the communication history of the selected project, a record frequency of the records in the document history of the selected project and a record frequency of the records in the access history of the selected project in a time-series relationship, wherein generating an image includes
• summarizing the record frequencies during a predetermined time period,
• determining a time period over which the record frequencies exceed a predetermined threshold value based on the summary,
• identifying an accessed document referenced in at least one of the communication history, document history and access history within the determined time period,
• arranging the generated image representing the document in relation to the time-series relationship;
• and
• displaying the generated image regarding the selected project.