Automatic search functionality within business applications

• US 20070299817A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Surpatanu, Nicolae, Taneja, Rajat, O'Meara, Brendan, Mathew, Ashvin, Somashekar, Eshwar
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an integration of automatic search functionality into a business application. The application is monitored for an instance wherein the user is initiating an activity that involves an expenditure. Upon detection of such an activity, a query is automatically generated based on information related to the expenditure. The query is communicated to a search component, from which corresponding search results are eventually received. Finally, at least some information related to the search results is displayed to the user. In one embodiment, assuming the user'"'"'s express or implicit approval, auto-generation of data and/or modification of business process flow are facilitated based on the search results.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of integrating automatic search functionality into a business application, the method comprising:

monitoring a business application and recognizing when a user is initiating a transaction that involves an expenditure;

automatically generating a query based on information related to the expenditure;

communicating the query to a search component;

receiving search results from the search component, wherein the search results are the outcome of a processing of the query; and

displaying to the user at least some information related to the search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the query incorporates a search parameter that is data input by the user as part of the transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the query incorporates a search parameter that is something other than data input by the user as part of the transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the query incorporates data that existed prior to the recognized transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query incorporates data that is indicative of a contextual characteristic of the transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the query incorporates data that is related to other transactions similar to the transaction initiated by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the search results, facilitating the automatic entry of data into one or more data fields associated with a user display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the search results, providing a proposed item of data that, upon approval from the user, is entered into a data field associated with a user display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the search results, facilitating a modification of a business process associated with the business application.

10. A business application system, comprising:

a business application;

a query processing component configured to automatically generate a query based on information related to an expenditure transaction associated with the business application;

a search component configured to process the query and produce corresponding search results; and

wherein the business application is configured to display at least some information related to the search results.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the query incorporates a search parameter that is data input by a user as part of the expenditure transaction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the query incorporates a search parameter that is something other than data input by a user as part of the expenditure transaction.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the query incorporates data that existed prior to the expenditure transaction.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the query incorporates data that is indicative of a contextual characteristic of the expenditure transaction.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the query incorporates data that is related to other transactions similar to the expenditure transaction.

16. A computer-implemented method of integrating automatic search functionality into a business application, the method comprising:

monitoring a business application and recognizing when a user is initiating a transaction that involves an expenditure;

automatically generating a query based on information related to the expenditure;

communicating the query to a search component;

receiving search results from the search component, wherein the search results are the outcome of a processing of the query; and

facilitating, based on the search results a modification of the transaction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein facilitating a modification comprises facilitating auto-generation of data related to the transaction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein facilitating a modification comprises facilitating a modification of a process flow associated with the business application.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the query incorporates a search parameter that is something other than data input by the user as part of the transaction.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the query incorporates data that existed prior to the recognized transaction.