Providing a timeline of events regarding a database record

• US 10,324,922 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Kallan, Daron Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyo, Monica M
• Application Number:
  US14/482,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 707725, 707732, 717125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer program products for providing a timeline of events regarding a database record in an on-demand database service. In some non-limiting examples, the database record can be stored in a database in a cloud computing environment, and the timeline can display events or interactions related to the database record. Metadata associated with an event or interaction can be used to identify data associated with the event or interaction, and metadata can be used to determine what events or interactions are displayed in the timeline according to filtering parameters. Metadata can also be used to determine a customer satisfaction rating or health-based numeric for the database record.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a database system implemented using a server system comprising one or more hardware processors, the database system configurable to cause;

displaying, in a user interface on a display device, a plurality of filtering parameters in association with a first database record stored in a database and identified in the user interface,

obtaining, via the user interface, first user input selecting a first subset of the filtering parameters, the first subset of filtering parameters identifying one or more of a plurality of event types of events and identifying one or more of a plurality of customer relationship management (CRM) types of database records,

identifying one or more of a plurality of events associated with the first database record as being of the identified one or more event types,

identifying one or more of a plurality of second database records associated with the first database record as being of the identified one or more CRM types,

displaying, in the user interface on the display device, a timeline in association with the first database record, the timeline presenting the identified one or more events and the identified one or more records chronologically according to respective timestamps, the timeline graphically indicating a respective event type of each identified event and a respective CRM type of each identified record,

obtaining, via the user interface, second user input selecting a second subset of the filtering parameters, the second subset of filtering parameters being different from the first subset of filtering parameters,

updating the timeline, responsive to obtaining the second subset of filtering parameters, to present one or more events and one or more records satisfying the second subset of filtering parameters,

identifying, using metadata characterizing one or more events presented in the timeline and characterizing one or more records presented in the timeline, respective user dispositions for the presented one or more events and for the presented one or more records,

determining, using the metadata, a numerical range for the identified user dispositions,

determining, based on the identified user dispositions, a health-based numeric for the timeline, and

associating the health-based numeric for the timeline with the first database record.

2. The system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

retrieving metadata stored in association with the identified one or more events, the metadata identifying for each event one or more of;

a title, an object type, an object ID, a source, a description, a priority, a timestamp, or a user disposition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second database records comprise data identifying a record identification (ID) of the first database record.

4. The system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

aggregating, using the metadata, user-defined characteristics identifying the user dispositions, wherein the health-based numeric is determined based on the aggregation.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein aggregating the user-defined characteristics comprises:

normalizing the user-defined characteristics,

weighting one or more data items associated with the identified one or more events and associated with the identified one or more records to produce the health-based numeric, and

applying the health-based numeric to the normalized user-defined characteristics.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a filtering parameter indicates a hierarchical relationship with the first database record.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified one or more records comprises one or more of:

cases, accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities, contracts, campaigns, tasks, or work orders.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified one or more events comprises one or more of:

emails, activities, attachments, social networking posts, social networking comments, or online chats.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing display, in a user interface on a display device, of a plurality of filtering parameters in association with a first database record stored in a database and identified in the user interface;

obtaining, via the user interface, first user input selecting a first subset of the filtering parameters, the first subset of filtering parameters identifying one or more of a plurality of event types of events and identifying one or more of a plurality of customer relationship management (CRM) types of database records;

identifying one or more of a plurality of events associated with the first database record as being of the identified one or more event types;

identifying one or more of a plurality of second database records associated with the first database record as being of the identified one or more CRM types;

causing display, in the user interface on the display device, of a timeline in association with the first database record, the presenting the identified one or more events and the identified one or more records chronologically according to respective timestamps, the timeline graphically indicating a respective event type of each identified event and a respective CRM type of each identified record;

obtaining, via the user interface, second user input selecting a second subset of the filtering parameters, the second subset of filtering parameters being different from the first subset of filtering parameters;

causing updating of the timeline, responsive to obtaining the second subset of filtering parameters, to present one or more events and one or more records satisfying the second subset of filtering parameters;

identifying, using metadata characterizing one or more events presented in the timeline and characterizing one or more records presented in the timeline, respective user dispositions for the presented one or more events and for the presented one or more records,

determining, using the metadata, a numerical range for the identified user dispositions,

determining, based on the identified user dispositions, a health-based numeric for the timeline, and

associating the health-based numeric for the timeline with the first database record.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving metadata stored in association with the identified one or more events, the metadata identifying for each event one or more of;

a title, an object type, an object ID, a source, a description, a priority, a timestamp, or a user disposition.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

aggregating, using the metadata, user-defined characteristics identifying the user dispositions, wherein the health-based numeric is determined based on the aggregation.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

a filtering parameter indicates a hierarchical relationship with the first database record.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions configurable to cause:

displaying, in a user interface on a display device, a plurality of filtering parameters in association with a first database record stored in a database and identified in the user interface,

obtaining, via the user interface, first user input selecting a first subset of the filtering parameters, the first subset of filtering parameters identifying one or more of a plurality of event types of events and identifying one or more of a plurality of customer relationship management (CRM) types of database records,

identifying one or more of a plurality of events associated with the first database record as being of the identified one or more event types,

identifying one or more of a plurality of second database records associated with the first database record as being of the identified one or more CRM types,

displaying, in the user interface on the display device, a timeline in association with the first database record, the timeline presenting the identified one or more events and the identified one or more records chronologically according to respective timestamps, the timeline graphically indicating a respective event type of each identified event and a respective CRM type of each identified record,

obtaining, via the user interface, second user input selecting a second subset of the filtering parameters, the second subset of filtering parameters being different from the first subset of filtering parameters,

updating the timeline, responsive to obtaining the second subset of filtering parameters, to present one or more events and one or more records satisfying the second subset of filtering parameters,

identifying, using metadata characterizing one or more events presented in the timeline and characterizing one or more records presented in the timeline, respective user dispositions for the presented one or more events and for the presented one or more records,

determining, using the metadata, a numerical range for the identified user dispositions,

determining, based on the identified user dispositions, a health-based numeric for the timeline, and

associating the health-based numeric for the timeline with the first database record.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, the instructions further configurable to cause:

retrieving metadata stored in association with the identified one or more events, the metadata identifying for each event one or more of;

a title, an object type, an object ID, a source, a description, a priority, a timestamp, or a user disposition.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, the instructions further configurable to cause:

aggregating, using the metadata, user-defined characteristics identifying the user dispositions, wherein the health-based numeric is determined based on the aggregation.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a filtering parameter indicates a hierarchical relationship with the first database record.