DATA MODEL AND APPLICATIONS

• US 20090157636A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mackie, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Systems and methods relating to a data model are described. The data model includes aspects of both static and dynamic data structures. In a typical implementation the dynamic data structures are used to store information whose organization and values may change responsive to the values of other data stored in the data model. The static data structures are used to store information whose structure and content are relatively more static. Tables within the static and dynamic data structures include a unique key configured to interrelate information stored in each data structure. The data model is illustrated using a customer relationship management (CRM) example. In this example, roles and relationships between business objects are stored in the dynamic data structures.

Claims

1. A method of defining a role of a business object of a customer relation management system, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the business object, the business object described by a business object type and characterized by a database key;

selecting a role type of the role, the role type being responsive to the business object type; and

defining dynamic data characterizing the role and responsive to the role type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the role type is further responsive to an attribute of the business object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the attribute is a static attribute characterized by static data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the business object is a person.

5. The method of claim 1, further including a step of specifying a relationship of the business object, the specification being responsive to the role type.

6. A method of defining a relationship between a first business object and a second business object, the method comprising steps of:

selecting a relationship type, the relationship type being responsive to a role type of the first business object and responsive to a role type of the second business object, the role type of the first business object describing a role of the first business object and the role type of the second business object describing a role of the second business object; and

defining dynamic data characterizing the relationship and responsive to the relationship type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first business object has static attributes of a person.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first business object has static attributes of a corporation.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first business object is of a type business contact.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first business object is of a type process or of a type task.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first business object is part of a data system configured for customer relationship management.

12. A method of determining a contact method between a first business object and a second business object, the determining method comprising:

identifying a first business object and a second business object, the first business object being of type person;

identifying a relationship between the first business object and the second business object;

determining a contact method purpose responsive to the relationship; and

selecting a contact method using the contact method purpose.

13. The method of claim 12, further including retrieving contact data responsive to the contact method.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the relationship is described by a relationship type.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the relationship type is responsive to a business object role type.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the relationship type is dynamic data stored in a dynamic data structure.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of selecting a contact method further uses static data defining attributes of the first business object or attributes of the second business object.

18. A server system comprising:

means for storing dynamic and static data; and

means for determining a contact method between a first business object and a second business object, the means including,

means for identifying a first business object and a second business object, the first business object being of type person,

means for identifying a relationship between the first business object and the second business object,

means for determining a contact method purpose responsive to the relationship, and

means for selecting a contact method using the contact method purpose.