Providing data presentation functionality associated with collaboration database

• US 10,366,114 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bendig, Krista, Penner, Nathan, Eby, Travis, Li, Yi, Werchan, Felicia, McAllister, Daniel, Peterson, Mark, Clouse, Raul
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheung, Hubert
• Application Number:
  US15/196,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20170139927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

Data presentation functionality associated with a collaboration database may be provided. A presentation of a table in conjunction with a collaboration database may be detected. At least one field in the table that includes people type data may also be detected. Initial letters associated with a person or an entity may be detected as input into the at least one field. A type of entry of the initial letters may be detected. A local data source may be searched to identify matching entries. Suggestions may then be displayed. If one of the suggestions is selected, additional information associated with the selected suggestion may be displayed on a contact card in a vicinity of the at least one field. An interactive functionality associated with the additional information through the contact card may be provided upon selection of the at least one field when the table is presented.

Claims

1. A server configured to provide data presentation functionality associated with a collaboration database, the server comprising:

a communication module configured to facilitate communication between a collaboration service, a plurality of client applications, and one or more other services;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute, in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, the collaboration service and a collaboration engine integrated with the collaboration service, wherein the collaboration engine is configured to;

detect a presentation of a table in conjunction with the collaboration database and at least one field in the table that includes people type data;

receive an input indicating a keyword associated with with a person or an entity;

search through a local data source for an entry within the local data source that contains the keyword associated with the person or the entity;

determine that the local data source does not contain the entry associated with the person or the entity;

in response to determining that the local data source does not contain the entry associated with the person or the entity, search through an external data source for the entry that contains the keyword associated with the person or the entity;

cause a display of a suggestion comprising data from the entry;

in response to a selection of the suggestion, provide additional information associated with the suggestion on a contact card that is in a vicinity of the at least one field, wherein the additional information is received from the external data source or the local data source; and

provide an interactive functionality to modify the at least one field in the table by the use of at least one user interface control in the contact card.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the collaboration engine is further configured to:

upon detecting a participant interest in one of the suggestions based on one of a hover action and a highlight action executed on the displayed suggestion, provide the additional information.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the additional information includes one or more of a name, an address, an email address, a title, a telephone number, a salary, a global positioning system (GPS) identifier, a graphic file, an audio file, notes, a map, a link to a website, an attachment, and another communication identifier.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the collaboration engine is further configured to:

automatically modify a presentation of the data in the table based on platform capabilities associated with the collaboration service.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the external data source includes one or more of a social network database, professional network database, and an external directory.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the collaboration engine is further configured to:

provide the table created through an application executed on a mobile computing device in conjunction with the collaboration service.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the people type data includes contact information and context information associated with one or more of the person or the entity.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the entity is one of an organization, a company, and a group.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the local data source includes a personal address book, an organizational directory, and the collaborative database.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein a type of entry includes one of a name, an address, an email address, a title, a telephone number, and another communication identifier.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the one or more other services include a Global Positioning Service (GPS), a scheduling service, and a presence service.

12. The server of claim 1, wherein the additional information displayed with the contact card comprises at least one of a company name, a title, an email address, or a phone number.

13. The server of claim 1, wherein the additional information is related to the person or the entity, and wherein the additional information displayed within the contact card indicates at least one of a company name, a title, an email address, or a phone number.

14. A method to provide data presentation functionality associated with a collaboration database, the method comprising:

detecting a presentation of a table in conjunction with the collaboration database and at least one field in the table that includes people type data;

receiving an input indicating a keyword associated with a person or an entity;

searching through a local data source for an entry within the local data source that contains the keyword associated with the person or the entity;

determining that the local data source does not contain the entry associated with the person or the entity;

in response to determining that the local data source does not contain the entry associated with the person or the entity, searching through an external data source for the entry that contains the keyword associated with the person or the entity;

causing a display of a suggestion comprising data from the entry;

in response to a selection of the suggestion, providing additional information associated with the suggestion on a contact card that is in a vicinity of the at least one field, wherein the additional information is received from the external data source or the local data source; and

providing an interactive functionality to modify the at least one field in the table by the use of at least one user interface control in the contact card.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the interactive functionality includes one or more of:

an initiation of a communication session, a display of an address on a map, a display of a location of a participant on the map, a display of a location of an entity on the map, an initiation of a search for information associated with the participant through a search engine and an initiation of a search for information associated with the entity through the search engine.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

implementing an intelligent learning algorithm on the one or more initial letters to identify the suggestions.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the matching entries share one or more of a keyword, a syntax modifier, and a portion of the keyword.

18. A mobile computing device to provide data presentation functionality associated with a collaboration database, the mobile computing device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to execute, in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, an application associated with a collaboration service, wherein the application is configured to;

detect a presentation of a table in conjunction with the collaboration database and at least one field in the table that includes people type data;

receive an input indicating a keyword associated with a person or an entity being input into the at least one field;

search through a local data source for an entry within the local data source that contains the keyword associated with the person or the entity;

determine that the local data source does not contain the entry associated with the person or the entity;

in response to determining that the local data source does not contain the entry associated with the person or the entity, search through an external data source for the entry that contains the keyword associated with the person or the entity;

cause a display of a suggestion comprising data from the entry;

in response to a selection of the suggestion, provide additional information associated with the suggestion on a contact card that is in a vicinity of the at least one field, wherein the additional information is received from the external data source or the local data source; and

provide an interactive functionality to modify the at least one field in the table by the use of at least one user interface control in the contact card.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the application associated with the collaboration service is one of a word-processing application, a spreadsheet application, a presentation application, and a notebook application.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the application is further configured to:

upon detecting a participant interest in one of the suggestions based on one of a hover action and a highlight action executed on the displayed suggestion, provide the additional information, wherein the additional information includes one or more of a name, an address, an email address, a title, a telephone number, a salary, a global positioning system (GPS) identifier, a graphic file, an audio file, notes, a map, a link to a website, an attachment, and another communication identifier.