Method and apparatus for implementing a corporate directory and service center

• US 20030191751A1
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramamurthy, Prakash, Joshi, Vrinda S., Vora, Kumar, Stone, Adam C., Moatazedi, Shahram, Swadi, Praveen R., Shandony, Michael J., Raman, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/947 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing a corporate directory and service center is described. The method includes and the apparatus performs querying for common characteristics, displaying information in a varied manner of displays and switching between the manners of displaying, maintaining data integrity and changing data, and defining types of data with forms of display or treatments for handling the data. The method may be embodied in various media as instructions which a machine may execute to perform the method.

Claims

1. A method of searching a plurality of data entries, each data entry having a plurality of attributes comprising:

providing a common characteristic;

seaching the plurality of data entries for the common characteristic; and

organizing the data entries which have the common characteristic of the plurality of data entries.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of data entries are accessible by a directory server, and

the searching comprises accessing the directory server using LDAP (lightweight directory access protocol).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

each data entry of a subset of data entries of the plurality of data entries represents an employee.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the common characteristic is a manager'"'"'s name and an employee is represented by each data entry of a subset of the plurality of data entries.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the organizing further includes displaying the data entries which have the common characteristic in a manner readable by a human.

6. A method of determining a set of options given a defined characteristic comprising:

searching a plurality of data entries for each data entry having the defined characteristic;

generating a set of data entries from the searching, the set of data entries comprising each data entry having the defined characteristic, the set of data entries being a subset of the plurality of data entries; and

organizing the set of data entries.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the defined characteristic is the property of being a building;

each data entry of the plurality of data entries is accessible by a directory server, and

the searching comprises using LDAP to access the plurality of data entries.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the defined characteristic is the property of being a department; and

each data entry of the plurality of data entries is accessible by a directory server, and

the searching comprises using LDAP to access the plurality of data entries.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein:

each data entry of the plurality of data entries is accessible by a directory server;

the searching comprises using LDAP to access the plurality of data entries;

the common characteristic being a predefined combination of values assigned to attributes of the data entries of the plurality of data entries;

and further comprising;

displaying the set of data entries in a manner readable by a user.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein:

each data entry of the plurality of data entries is accessible by a directory server;

the searching comprises using LDAP to access the plurality of data entries;

the defined characteristic is the property of being an employee;

and further comprising;

extracting from each data entry of the set of data entries a department name; and

forming a set of department names containing each department name extracted from the set of data entries.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein:

each data entry of the plurality of data entries is accessible by a directory server;

the searching comprises using LDAP to access the plurality of data entries;

the defined characteristic is having a first employee as a manager;

and further comprising;

extracting from each data entry of the set of data entries a name and a unique identifier;

forming a set of names containing each name extracted from the set of data entries;

forming a set of unique identifiers containing each unique identifier extracted from the set of data entries; and

displaying the set of names in a form perceptible to a user.

12. A method of providing information comprising:

obtaining a data entry from a directory server, the data entry having a plurality of data items; and

displaying the data entry in a human readable form by displaying a subset of the plurality of data items.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a request for a first data entry;

and wherein;

obtaining a data entry comprises obtaining the first data entry.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a selection of a data item; and

acting upon that selection to trigger an action associated with a property of the data item.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the property of the data item is the property of being a telephone number and the action associated with the data item is dialing the telephone number.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the property of the data item is the property of being an email address and the action associated with the data item is providing a template suitable for use in sending an email message to the email address.

17. A method of maintaining a database of a plurality of data entries, each data entry having a unique identifier, comprising:

changing the unique identifier for a first entry of the plurality of data entries, thereby creating a changed unique identifier for the first entry;

searching the plurality of data entries for a subset of data entries, each data entry of the subset of data entries having a reference to the first entry; and

updating the reference to the first entry of each data entry of the subset of data entries to reflect the changed unique identifier of the first entry.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

each data entry represents something to be tracked;

each unique identifier includes a department name; and

the changing the unique identifier comprises changing the department name associated with the first entry to reflect movement of the first entry from a first department to a second department.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the first data entry represents an employee of a company.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the first data entry represents a tangible asset of a company.

21. A method of processing changes to a plurality of data entries comprising:

receiving a first request for a change in a data entry of the plurality of data entries;

automatically generating a predefined set of corresponding requests, the corresponding requests defined as prerequisites to completing the change for which the first request was received;

maintaining status indicating whether the requests of the set of corresponding requests have been completed or denied; and

generating a result, the result being either denial of the first request for the change or completion of the first request for the change, completion of the first request for the change including modification of the data entry of the plurality of data entries.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

automatically generating a predefined set of notifications, each notification of the predefined set of notifications corresponding to the change for which the first request was received.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the first request embodied in a first ticket; and

each request of the set of corresponding requests embodied in a ticket.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

a ticket may have a set of actions associated with the ticket, the request embodied in the ticket being completed when each action of the set of actions has occurred;

a ticket may have a responsible person; and

a ticket may be transferred.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein:

maintaining status of a ticket comprises updating a record of the ticket in one of a pending pool of tickets, a completed pool of tickets, or a cancelled pool of tickets.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein:

maintaining status of a ticket further comprises updating the record of the ticket to reflect a priority of the ticket.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein:

maintaining status of a ticket comprises updating the record of the ticket.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the change requested comprises adding a telephone line; and

the predefined set of corresponding requests include a request to add a new phone line, a request to supply a phone, and a request to update a telephone directory to reflect the new phone line.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the change requested comprises changing a department entry; and

the predefined set of corresponding requests include a request to update the department entry.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the change requested comprises changing an office location; and

the predefined set of corresponding requests include a request to move the contents of the office, a request to update the office location, and a request to update a telephone entry.

31. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the first request embodied in a first ticket;

each request of the set of corresponding requests embodied in a ticket; and

each ticket accessible by a directory server through the use of LDAP.

32. A method of displaying a data entry on a display comprising:

displaying the data entry in a first manner of display;

receiving a first triggering event, the first triggering event corresponding to a second manner of display;

displaying the data entry in the second manner of display in response to the first triggering event.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein:

the first triggering event comprises a user selecting a first tab on the display, the first tab corresponding to the second manner of display.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to a third manner of display; and

displaying the data entry in the third manner of display in response to the second triggering event.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein:

the second triggering event comprises the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the third manner of display.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to the first manner of display, the second triggering event comprising the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the first manner of display; and

displaying the data entry in the first manner of display in response to the second triggering event.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to a universal resource locator (URL), the second triggering event comprising the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the URL;

locating a set of information corresponding to the URL; and

displaying the set of information corresponding to the URL.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the third manner of display is determined by a set of preferences, the set of preferences stored in a memory associated with the display.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein:

the memory is persistent.

40. A method of accessing a set of data entries, each data entry comprising a set of data items, comprising:

providing a set of semantic types of data Items, each semantic type having a name and a treatment;

recognizing a data item of a data entry of the set of data entries as having a first semantic type of the set of semantic types;

and handling the data item of the data entry of the set of data entries according to the treatment of the first semantic type.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein:

the data entries are accessible by a directory server and use of LDAP (lightweight directory access protocol); and

each data item comprises an attribute and a value.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein:

recognizing a data item comprises matching the attribute of the data item to the first semantic type; and

the set of semantic types are accessible by the directory server.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein:

the set of semantic types may be changed dynamically.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein:

the first semantic type corresponds to a telephone number, which implies the data item has a value that is suitable for use with a telephone system; and

the treatment of the first semantic type comprises

displaying the data item in a format suitable for a telephone number, and

using the value of the data item to initiate a telephone call on the telephone system when requested.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein:

the first semantic type corresponds to a preferred electronic mail address (preferred email), which implies the data item has a value that is suitable for use with a electronic mail system; and

the treatment of the first semantic type comprises

displaying the data item in a format suitable for a preferred email address, and

using the value of the data item to initiate sending an electronic mail message on the electronic mail system when requested.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein:

the first semantic type corresponds to a manager, which implies the data item has a value that is suitable for locating a data entry corresponding to a manager; and

the treatment of the first semantic type comprises

displaying a name from the data entry locatable by the value of the data item, and

using the value of the data item to locate and display the data entry corresponding to the manager upon request.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein:

the first semantic type corresponds to a photograph, which implies the data item has a value that encodes a photograph; and

the treatment of the first semantic type comprises displaying the data item as a photograph.

48. A method of generating a report, the report including relevant data entries from a set of data entries, comprising:

receiving a query, the query specifying common characteristics of the relevant data entries;

searching the set of data entries for the common characteristics, each data entry of the set of data entries having the common characteristics being identified as a relevant data entry;

displaying the relevant data entries; and

generating a report key, the report key encoding the query.

49. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

utilizing the report key to search the set of data entries for the common characteristics, the data entries of the set of data entries having the common characteristics being identified as updated relevant data entries; and

displaying the updated relevant data entries.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein:

the report key is a universal resource locator (URL) and selecting the report key causes the utilizing and the displaying the updated relevant data entries.

51. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

storing the report key in a persistent memory;

utilizing the report key to search the set of data entries for the common characteristics, the data entries of the set of data entries having the common characteristics being identified as updated relevant data entries; and

displaying the updated relevant data entries.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

displaying a list of a set of report keys, the set of report keys including the report key;

selecting the report key from the list, the selecting causing the utilizing and the displaying the updated relevant data entries.

53. The method of claim 48 wherein:

the report key may be transferred or communicated from a first user to a second user, the second user able to use the report key to cause performance of the searching and the displaying the relevant data entries.

54. A machine readable medium embodying instructions, the instructions executable by a processor for performing a method of displaying a data entry on a display, the method comprising:

displaying the data entry in a first manner of display;

receiving a first triggering event, the first triggering event corresponding to a second manner of display;

displaying the data entry in the second manner of display in response to the first triggering event.

55. The medium of claim 54 wherein:

the first triggering event comprises a user selecting a first tab on the display, the first tab corresponding to the second manner of display.

56. The medium of claim 55 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to a third manner of display; and

displaying the data entry in the third manner of display in response to the second triggering event.

57. The medium of claim 56 wherein:

the second triggering event comprises the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the third manner of display.

58. The medium of claim 55 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to the first manner of display, the second triggering event comprising the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the first manner of display; and

displaying the data entry in the first manner of display in response to the second triggering event.

59. The medium of claim 55 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to a universal resource locator (URL), the second triggering event comprising the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the URL;

locating a set of information corresponding to the URL; and

displaying the set of information corresponding to the URL.

60. The medium of claim 57 wherein:

the third manner of display is determined by a set of preferences, the set of preferences stored in a memory associated with the display.

61. The medium of claim 60 wherein:

the memory is persistent.

62. An apparatus capable of displaying a data entry on a display comprising:

means for displaying the data entry in a first manner of display;

means for receiving a first triggering event, the first triggering event corresponding to a second manner of display;

means for displaying the data entry in the second manner of display in response to the first triggering event.

63. The apparatus of claim 62 wherein:

the first triggering event comprises a user selecting a first tab on the display, the first tab corresponding to the second manner of display.

64. The apparatus of claim 63 further comprising:

means for receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to a third manner of display; and

means for displaying the data entry in the third manner of display in response to the second triggering event.

65. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein:

the second triggering event comprises the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the third manner of display.

66. The apparatus of claim 63 further comprising:

means for receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to the first manner of display, the second triggering event comprising the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the first manner of display; and

means for displaying the data entry in the first manner of display in response to the second triggering event.

67. The apparatus of claim 63 further comprising:

means for receiving a second triggering event, the second triggering event corresponding to a universal resource locator (URL), the second triggering event comprising the user selecting a second tab on the display, the second tab corresponding to the URL;

means for locating a set of information corresponding to the URL; and

means for displaying the set of information corresponding to the URL.

68. The apparatus of claim 65 wherein:

the third manner of display is determined by a set of preferences, the set of preferences stored in a memory associated with the display.

69. The medium of claim 68 wherein:

the memory is persistent.

70. A method of controlling access to a set of data entries comprising:

restricting access to a first subset of the set of data entries;

restricting modification requests to a second subset of the set of data entries; and

restricting modification to a second subset of the set of data entries.

71. A method of implementing access control to a set of data entries comprising:

setting a first access control regime for a first organization, an access control regime being a set of restrictions;

setting a second access control regime for a second organization; and

arbitrating between the first access control regime and the second access control regime for a person, the person being a member of the first organization and a member of the second organization.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein:

the arbitrating comprises utilizing the second access control regime.

73. The method of claim 71 wherein:

the arbitrating comprises utilizing the first access control regime.

74. The method of claim 71 wherein:

the arbitrating comprises utilizing the set of restrictions of the first access control regime in conjunction with the set of restrictions of the second access control regime.

75. The method of claim 74 wherein:

the second organization is a subset of the first organization.

76. The method of claim 71 wherein:

the first access control regime is set by a first individual and the second access control regime is set by a second individual.

77. The method of claim 71 wherein:

the first access control regime is more restrictive than the second access control regime;

the second organization is a subset of the first organization; and

the second access control regime is used for members of the second organization.

78. The method of claim 71 wherein:

the first access control regime is implemented as a set of rules based on a set of attributes associated with the user attempting access.