User location tracking

#This specification relates to user task management and user task progress and location tracking.

#Task management is the process of managing tasks throughout their lifecycle. Typical project management software can manage estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget for tasks within a project. Mobile device tracking refers to attaining the current geographic location of the mobile device by receiving location coordinates from the device.

#In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of assigning a respective task to each user of a plurality of users, the task having a schedule indicating one or more scheduled times when the user should be located at a respective geographic location for the scheduled time; sending respective information to one or more client devices, wherein each client device is associated with a different one of the users and wherein the information comprises the geographic locations indicated by the schedule for the task assigned to the user, wherein the client device is configured to track locations of the client device; receiving tracked locations from a plurality of the client devices and monitoring the tracked locations over time; determining a respective task progress for each of a plurality of first users based on monitoring; and modifying the respective task assigned to one or more second users based on the respective task progresses. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for task management and employee tracking.

#FIG. 2A is an example user interface for displaying location data for a user.

#FIG. 2B is an example user interface for displaying a user's location history.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for task management and employee tracking. A server system 122 provides task management and employee tracking functionality. The server system 122 comprises software components and databases that can be deployed at one or more data centers 120 in one or more geographic locations, for example. The server system 122 software components comprise a location monitor 114, a task monitor 124, a rules engine 112, and end-user applications 116. The software components can comprise subcomponents that can execute on the same or on different individual data processing apparatus. The server system 122 databases comprise an event log 102, rules database 104, tasks database 106, user database 108, and device database 110. The databases can reside in one or more physical storage systems. The software components and data will be further described below.

#The task monitor 124 is a software component that monitors the progress of each task assigned to a user (e.g., employee, contractor, subcontractor, client, etc.) of the server system 122. Task definitions are stored in tasks database 106. Tasks can have one or more of the properties in TABLE 1. Other task properties are possible.

#TABLE 1 Task Property Description Name The name of the task. Description A description of the task and what it entails. Priority The task priority: critical, medium, low, or none. State The state of task progress based on milestone completion: completed, on track, ahead, behind, delinquent, or inactive. User(s) or User The names of users or types of users than can be assigned the task. For Type(s) example, the task can be assigned to users in a given company department, having a given job description, residing in a given geographic location, residing in a given time zone, having schedule availability, having a specific skill set, having a specific performance rating, or having a required license or credential. Time Limit or End The estimated time for completing the task or a date by which the task must be Date complete. Travel Whether user travel is required. Milestone A schedule for completing milestones required by the task. Each milestone can Schedule define a goal that should be accomplished by the schedule date and time of the milestone. For example, the goal could be a specific work product deliverable, a number of hours billed, or a geographic location that the user must be located in. Milestone The completion status of each milestone. Completion Billing Billing arrangements for the task such as user billing rate(s), customer billing information arrangements (e.g., fixed fee, capped, hourly), and billing rate tiers. License State or federal licenses required by the user in order to perform the task. Requirements State or Federal State or federal rules that must be followed by the user performing the task. Rules