CRM office integration

• US 20060212299A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Law, Veronica Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services

Abstract

The method and system claimed recognizes phrases or segments within an electronic document, where the phrase or segment acts to trigger a function call to a sever component that connects to a CRM system or a CRM database and retrieves relevant information relating to and based on the recognized phrase. Further, the relevant information is formatted and displayed based on the content of the information retrieved and the context and content of the identified phrase.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing operations comprising:

opening an electronic document for editing using a document application associated with the document;

identifying a phrase within the document that is associated with a non-document application based on one of a content and a context of the phrase;

providing an indication that the phrase is recognized;

initiating elements of the non-document application to retrieve additional information based on one of a content and a context of the recognized phrase;

creating format instructions for data retrieved from the non-document application based on the recognized phrase and the content of the retrieved data;

displaying the retrieved data using a view based on the format instructions when the phrase is selected.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising executing a server component function that initiates a set of functions of the non-document application based on one of a content and a context of the recognized phrase.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the server component is a web service component, and the external application is at least one of a customer relationship management system and a database management system having a customer relationship management database.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein identifying a phrase within the document comprises recognizing a reference to a customer relationship management object.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein recognizing a reference to a customer relationship management object comprises at least one of recognizing an account number relating to an account object, recognizing a customer name relating to a customer object, and recognizing a case ID relating to a case object.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the document application is one of a word processing application, a messaging and collaboration application, and a spreadsheet application.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising inserting a portion of the retrieved data into the document when a user selects the portion.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising modifying the displayed retrieved data and executing another function that updates one of a database table and a state variable of the external application based on the modified retrieved data.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising saving the document with a reference to a business object.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising inserting a pre-identified, selectable phrase into the document.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein displaying the retrieved data comprises displaying the data in a task pane associated with the document application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the query is based on a user ID.

13. A computer system comprising:

a customer relationship management system having a customer relationship management database;

a database management system comprising a set of databases, wherein at least one of the databases is the customer relationship management database;

a web service component comprising a function associated with the customer relationship management system;

a document application associated with an electronic document;

a client component associated with the document application that identifies a portion of the document that is associated with the web service component function based on one of a content and context of the portion, and further wherein the client component calls the web service component function after identifying the portion;

an application integration and rendering module that collects data resulting from calling the web service component function and displays the data based on formatting instructions.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising a task pane wherein the application integration and rendering module displays the data in the task pane.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the web service component initiates a set of functions in the customer relationship management system, wherein the customer relationship management system communicates with a database management server managing a customer relationship management application database.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the client component identifies the portion based on an underlying XML markup schema.

17. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising a network operating system, wherein the function utilizes a security feature of the network operating system to authenticate a user of the document application, and further wherein the web service component function is based on a user ID.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the formatting instructions are based on the context and content of the retrieved data and the identified portion.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the web service component communicates directly with the database management system to retrieve information from the customer relationship management database.

20. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the document application is one of a word processing application, a messaging and collaboration application, and a spreadsheet application.