INTERNET-BASED DATABASE REPORT WRITER AND CUSTOMER DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20040205487A1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: SPECHT, MICHELLE L., ALBERT, RUSS L., PARKER, RANDI J., EAGLEMAN, JEREMY
• Granted Patent: US 7,152,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/501.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A database report writer and customer data management system and method provides a GUI type interface to allow users convenient on-line access, such as via the Internet, to customer billing and inventory data in the form of an on-line report. The present invention facilitates on-line creation of report definitions which specify desired data to be produced in a report, and other parameters relating to display, sorting, accounting, grouping, and filtering of report information. The present invention also allows users to create custom database tables and input their own data for display in reports along with billing and inventory data. As a result, the present invention provides the ability to eliminate conventional hardcopy reports typically produced in the form of a billing statement.

Claims

1. A system for generating an on-line report containing user billing and inventory information comprising:

a host site connected to at least one user computer terminal via an on-line interconnection, said host site comprising a database for storing the user billing and inventory information, and a processor terminal connected to the on-line interconnection for receiving user report requests and sending reports created in response to the received requests and additional on-line user input, wherein said processor terminal comprises;

a view manager arranged to generate a set of friction commands which can be selectively launched by user input to graphically display a list of available views each of which contains a report relating to particular user information stored in a database, create a new view and report, and edit a view and report; and

a data manager arranged to relate data maintained independently from the host site and input by a user with the user'"'"'s billing and inventory data for display as part of a requested report, wherein at least a portion of the data maintained independently from the host computer site and input by the user is displayed as part of the requested report.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said view manager comprises a view editor arranged to receive and implement user report editing instructions.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said view editor comprises a plurality of editing commands which are graphically displayed in the graphical user interface.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said plurality of editing commands comprise a drill down command, a grouping command, a sort command, and a total amount command.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the view manager further comprises a report filter arranged to receive user defined filter values for use as threshold values to selectively control which database information will be included in a report.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the on-line interconnection comprises an Internet connection and web browser.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface comprises JAVA applets and an HTML page.

8. A method for generating an on-line report containing user billing and inventory information in response to an inquiry from a user computer terminal via an on-line connection, said method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface for on-line access by the user, said graphical user interface providing a set of function commands which can be selectively launched to graphically display a list of available views each of which contains a report relating to particular user information stored in a host site database, create a new view and report, edit a view and report, allow input of user defined data and data maintained independently from the host site, and relate the independently maintained data with the user'"'"'s billing and inventory data for display in a report;

creating a report based on user responses to the set of commands;

including at least a portion of the data maintained independently from the host computer site and input by the user in the report; and

sending the created report to the user terminal via the on-line connection.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing report editing commands which can be accessed through the graphical user interface to specify desired data to be produced in a report.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing report editing commands which can be accessed through the graphical user interface to specify a desired report format.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing report editing commands which allow on-line user control of display, sorting, accounting, and grouping of report content.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing report editing commands which allow a user to input content filtering constraints to limit the quantity of user information produced in a report.