Business application entity subscriptions

• US 20050177601A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pillai, Jayadev, Zhiyanov, Dmitry V., St. Lorant, Misha H., Kureshy, Arif, Chopra, Gagan, El Husseini, Ahmad M., Wierman, Dean M.
• Application Number:
  US10/867,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In a method of customizing a software-implemented business process on a mobile computing device, subscriptions are defined to business solutions entities that are defined by metadata. Next, the entities identified by the subscriptions are uploaded to the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a software-implemented business process on a mobile computing device comprising steps of:

a) defining subscriptions to business solutions entities defined by metadata; and

b) uploading the entities to the mobile computing device that are identified by the subscriptions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the entities each have a field and corresponding data; and

the defining step a) includes defining search criteria for the field and identifying the entities having the field and the corresponding data that match the search criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining step a) includes:

displaying available entities;

selecting at least one of the available entities; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the selected entities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the entities each have an associated postal/zip code; and

the defining step a) includes selecting a postal/zip code and defining the subscriptions to identify the entities that are associated with the selected postal/zip code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the entities each have an associated state; and

the defining step a) includes selecting a state and defining the subscriptions to identify the entities that are associated with the selected state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the entities each have an associated date; and

the defining step a) includes selecting one of a date and a range of dates, and defining the subscriptions to identify the entities associated with the selected date or a date that is within the range of dates.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining step a) includes:

displaying available entity categories, each of which correspond to one or more entities;

selecting a category; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities corresponding to the selected category.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the entities are associated with an entity type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the entity type is selected from a group consisting of Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Activities.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the categories include at least one category selected from a group consisting of active entities, inactive entities, entities by postal/zip code and entities by state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the entities are each associated with one of a selection of entity types;

the defining step a) includes;

displaying one or more entity categories for each of the entity types;

selecting an entity category for one of the entity types; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities corresponding to the selected entity category.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the defining step a) includes:

displaying one or more associated entity types for at least one of the selected entity categories;

selecting one or more of the associated entity types; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities that are associated with the selected associated entity type and correspond to the entities that correspond to the selected entity category.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the entity types are selected from a group consisting of Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Activities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the entity categories include at least one category selected from a group consisting of active entities, inactive entities, entities by postal/zip code and entities by state.

15. A subscription services application of a mobile computing device for managing subscriptions to business solutions entities defined by metadata and contained in a remote data store, the subscription services application includes instructions, executable by a microprocessor, to perform steps of:

a) obtaining subscription metadata from the remote data store, the subscription metadata identifying available entities;

b) defining subscriptions to the entities; and

c) uploading the entities to the mobile computing device that are identified by the subscriptions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the entities each have a field and corresponding data; and

the defining step b) includes defining search criteria for the field and identifying the entities having the field and the corresponding data that match the search criteria.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the defining step b) includes:

displaying available entities;

selecting at least one of the entities; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the selected entities.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the entities each have an associated postal/zip code; and

the defining step b) includes selecting a postal/zip code and defining the subscriptions to identify the entities having the selected postal/zip code.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the entities each have an associated state; and

the defining step b) includes selecting a state and defining the subscriptions to identify the entities having the selected state.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the entities each have an associated date; and

the defining step b) includes selecting one of a date and a range of dates, and defining the subscriptions to identify the entities associated with the selected date or a date that is within the range of dates.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the defining step b) includes:

displaying available entity categories, each of which correspond to one or more entities;

selecting a category; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities corresponding to the selected category.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the entities are associated with an entity type selected from a group consisting of Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Activities.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the categories include at least one category selected from a group consisting of active entities, inactive entities, entities by postal/zip code and entities by state.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the entities are each associated with one of a selection of entity types;

the defining step b) includes;

displaying one or more entity categories for each of the entity types; and

selecting an entity category for one of the entity types; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities corresponding to the selected entity category.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the defining step b) includes:

displaying one or more associated entity types for at least one of the selected entity categories;

selecting one or more of the associated entity types; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities, which are associated with the selected associated entity type and correspond to the entities the selected entity category.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the entity types are selected from a group consisting of Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Activities.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the entity categories include at least one category selected from a group consisting of active entities, inactive entities, entities by postal/zip code and entities by state.

28. In a software-implemented business process on a mobile computing device, a method of defining subscriptions to business solutions entities that are defined by metadata and are each associated with an entity type, the method comprising steps of:

displaying one or more entity categories for each of the entity types;

selecting an entity category for one of the entity types; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities corresponding to the selected entity category.

29. The method of claim 28 including:

displaying one or more associated entity types for at least one of the selected entity categories;

selecting one or more of the associated entity types; and

defining the subscriptions to identify the entities that are associated with the selected associated entity type and correspond to the entities that correspond to the selected entity category.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the entity types are selected from a group consisting of Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities and Activities.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the entity categories include at least one category selected from a group consisting of active entities, inactive entities, entities by postal/zip code and entities by state.