Method and system for providing work related information in a mobile environment

• US 20070232333A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Xu, Tian
• Application Number:
  US11/395,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for collecting work related information from a mobile employee. A mobile employee sends a short message by simply pressing one key on his mobile phone, the system of the present invention collects the geographic, time, work status and employee information of the mobile employee. A mobile employee sends a short message to a mobile employee information collector. An SMS message receiver receives the short message and sends a geographic information query to a geographic information pager, and an employee information query to an employee information pager. A data processing unit receives the short message, the geographic information and employee information of the mobile employee and triggers a workflow in a data management system. The workflow could be used for keeping time record, managing inventory, assigning tasks, etc.

Claims

1. A method for providing work related information, comprising:

receiving a short message from an employee about a task over a wireless telecommunication network; and

triggering a workflow in a data management system in response to the short message, wherein the method further comprising identifying geographic information of the employee.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request for the employee'"'"'s geographic information to the wireless telecommunication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information is received from the wireless telecommunication network via an email.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information is provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to the data management system for the employee'"'"'s employee information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising combining the geographic information, the short message and its sending time, and the employee information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the short message is about the type of the task.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the short message is a code representing information about the task.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the short message is a code representing information about the employee'"'"'s attendance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile employee inputs content of the short message by pressing one key on a mobile phone keypad once.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an SMS notification message to the mobile employee via the wireless telecommunication network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is used to keep time record of the mobile employee.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is used for inventory management.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is used for task assignment.

15. A system for collecting work related information, comprising:

a mobile message receiving mechanism for receiving a short message from an employee about a task over a wireless telecommunication network;

a data processing unit for triggering a workflow in a data management system in response to the short message; and

a geographic information pager for sending a request for the employee'"'"'s geographic information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the data processing unit stores a plurality of short codes.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an employee information pager for sending a request to the data management system for the employee'"'"'s employee information.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a response unit for sending an SMS notification message to the mobile employee via the wireless telecommunication network.

19. A method, comprising:

responsive to a message received from a user of a wireless network, querying the wireless network for information representing a location from which the wireless network received the message from the user; and

storing contents of the message and location information received from the wireless network in a log representing the activity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the message is received according to a protocol of a Short Message Service of the wireless network.