Methods and apparatus for presenting search results according to a priority order determined by user activity

• US 10,331,689 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrentino, Glenn, Vogt, James David, Courtney, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Jay A
• Application Number:
  US14/872,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20170097964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method for presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) of an enterprise software application connected to a server, the enterprise software application comprising at least a multi-tenant database, is provided. The method receives, at the server, user input comprising a search; generates, at the server, a set of search results based on the search, the set of search results being associated with entities of the enterprise software application, each of the entities comprising a respective database object containing predefined categories of data, the multi-tenant database comprising at least the database object; determines a priority order of the search results, based on user interaction history with the entities; and presents, via the GUI, the search results according to the priority order.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) of an enterprise software application connected to a server, the enterprise software application comprising at least a multi-tenant database, the method comprising:

receiving user input comprising a search, by the server via the GUI, wherein the GUI comprises at least a search query box and a ribbon of user-selectable tabs arranged in a first priority order, wherein each of the user-selectable tabs corresponds to one of a plurality of entities of the enterprise software application, and wherein each of the plurality of entities comprises a database object of the multi-tenant database;

generating, by the server, a set of search results based on the search, the set of search results being associated with the plurality of entities of the enterprise software application, each of the plurality of entities comprising a respective database object containing predefined categories of data, the multi-tenant database comprising at least the database object;

determining a second priority order of the search results, based on user interaction history with each of the plurality of entities, wherein the second priority order prioritizes the plurality of entities in order of most user activity to least user activity;

rearranging the user-selectable tabs of the ribbon according to the second priority order, by the server, to create a set of reordered user-selectable tabs; and

presenting, via the GUI, the search results in the second priority order and according to the set of reordered user-selectable tabs, by;

receiving a user input selection of a first user-selectable tab associated with a first one of the entities, wherein the set of reordered user-selectable tabs includes the first user-selectable tab; and

in response to the user input selection,

identifying a first subset of the search results associated with the first one of the entities; and

displaying the first subset on a first user-selectable tab associated with the first one of the entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second priority order further comprises:

evaluating the user interaction history with the entities to identify activity levels associated with each of the entities; and

prioritizing the entities in order of most user activity to least user activity, to create the second priority order; and

arranging graphical elements associated with the entities in the second priority order;

wherein presenting the search results via the GUI further comprises displaying the search results using the graphical elements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a plurality of user-selectable tabs on the user interface, wherein the plurality of user-selectable tabs comprises the first user-selectable tab, wherein each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs is associated with a respective one of the entities, and wherein each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs is configured to present a corresponding subset of the search results associated with the respective one of the entities; and

identifying a current placement of each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs;

wherein the presenting step further comprises reorganizing the current placement of each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs, based on the second priority order.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying an individual one of the entities that is not associated with the plurality of user-selectable tabs;

presenting the individual one of the entities on a drop-down menu, the individual one of the entities being associated with a subset of the search results; and

when the individual one of the entities is selected via the drop-down menu, displaying the subset of the search results.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

wherein the drop-down menu comprises a static graphical element positioned outside of the second priority order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a truncated list of the set of search results, based on the second priority order, wherein the truncated list comprises component truncated lists of the set of search results;

wherein each of the component truncated lists is associated with a respective one of the entities, and

wherein each of the component truncated lists comprises a heading associated with a respective one of the entities.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

presenting the truncated list as a static graphical element positioned outside of the second priority order.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a feed of conversations associated with the search, the search results comprising at least the feed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the presenting step further comprises displaying the feed as a static graphical element of the GUI;

and

wherein the static graphical element is positioned outside of the second priority order.

10. A system for presenting search results via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an enterprise software application connected to a server system, the enterprise software application comprising at least a multi-tenant database, the system comprising:

a client computer system communicatively coupled to the server system, the client computer system configured to;

display the GUI;

receive user input via the GUI, the user input comprising a search, wherein the GUI comprises at least a search query box and a ribbon of user-selectable tabs arranged in a first priority order, wherein each of the user-selectable tabs corresponds to one of a plurality of entities of the enterprise software application, and wherein each of the plurality of entities comprises a database object of the multi-tenant database; and

present a plurality of entities as user-selectable graphical elements of the GUI, based on a priority order determined by the server system; and

the server system, configured to;

evaluate the received user input;

generate a set of search results based on the search, the set of search results being associated with the plurality of entities of the enterprise software application, each of the plurality of entities comprising a database object containing data fitted into predefined categories, the multi-tenant database comprising at least the database object;

determine a second priority order of the search results, based on user interaction history with each of the plurality of entities, wherein the second priority order prioritizes the plurality of entities in order of most user activity to least user activity;

rearrange the user-selectable tabs of the ribbon according to the second priority order, to create a set of reordered user-selectable tabs; and

transmit the second priority order to the client computer system to alter presentation of the set of reordered user-selectable tabs; and

present the search results in the second priority order and according to the set of reordered user-selectable tabs, by;

receiving a user input selection of a first user-selectable tab associated with a first one of the entities, wherein the set of reordered user-selectable tabs includes the first user-selectable tab; and

in response to the user input selection,

identifying a first subset of the search results associated with the first one of the entities; and

displaying the first subset on a first user-selectable tab associated with the first one of the entities.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server system is further configured to:

create a summary of the set of search results based on the second priority order, the summary comprising component truncated lists of the set of search results, and each of the component truncated lists being associated with a respective one of the entities; and

communicate the summary to the client computer system; and

wherein the client computer system is further configured to;

present the summary on a static graphical element of the GUI, the static graphical element being positioned outside of the second priority order; and

present each of the component truncated lists on a respective one of the plurality of graphical elements of the GUI, the respective one being associated with a same one of the entities that the component truncated list is associated with.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the server system is further configured to:

identify a plurality of conversations associated with the search in the enterprise software application, the search results comprising at least the feed;

wherein the client computer system is further configured to present the feed of conversations associated with the search as a static graphical element of the GUI; and

wherein the static graphical element is positioned outside of the second priority order.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, are capable of performing a method comprising:

determining a priority order for a plurality of entities associated with a multi-tenant database of an enterprise software application connected to a server, each of the plurality of entities comprising a database object containing data fitted into predefined categories, the multi-tenant database comprising at least the database object, wherein the priority order prioritizes the plurality of entities in order of most user activity to least user activity; and

presenting a set of user search results via a graphical user interface (GUI) of the enterprise software application, based on the determined priority order, by;

receiving a user input selection of a first user-selectable tab associated with a first one of the plurality of entities; and

in response to the user input selection,

identifying a first subset of the search results associated with the first one of the plurality of entities; and

displaying the first subset on a first user-selectable tab associated with the first one of the plurality of entities;

wherein the GUI comprises at least a search query box and a ribbon of user-selectable tabs arranged in the priority order, wherein each of the user-selectable tabs corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of entities of the enterprise software application, and wherein each of the plurality of entities comprises a database object of the multi-tenant database.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the priority order further comprises:

evaluating the user interaction history with the entities to identify activity levels associated with each of the entities;

prioritizing the entities in order of most user activity to least user activity, to create the priority order; and

arranging graphical elements associated with the entities in the priority order;

wherein presenting the set of user search results further comprises displaying the search results using the graphical elements.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein displaying the search results using the graphical elements further comprises:

identifying a subset of the search results associated with a first one of the entities; and

displaying the subset on the user-selectable tab associated with the first one of the entities, wherein each of the graphical elements comprises a user-selectable tab associated with a respective one of the entities.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a plurality of user-selectable tabs on the user interface, wherein the plurality of user-selectable tabs comprises the first user-selectable tab, wherein each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs is associated with a respective one of the entities, and wherein each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs is configured to present a corresponding subset of the search results associated with the respective one of the entities;

identifying a current placement of each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs; and

reorganizing the current placement of each of the plurality of user-selectable tabs, based on the priority order.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying an individual one of the entities that is not associated with the plurality of user-selectable tabs;

presenting the individual one of the entities on a drop-down menu, the individual one of the entities being associated with a subset of the search results; and

when the individual one of the entities is selected via the drop-down menu, displaying the subset of the search results.