System and method for maintaining a personnel directory

• US 7,013,299 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherwood, Amy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US09/985,871
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/10, 707/202, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/6, 707/3, 707/4, 395/600, 714/47, 701/29, 704/9, 702/182
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for maintaining information in a personnel directory, according to which historical data is saved and associated with current data, so that a user can locate an individual using outdated information. An embodiment of the invention includes receiving a request to edit an existing data entry of the personnel directory, copying the existing data entry to create a previous data entry, editing the existing data entry, and associating the previous data entry with an associated data entry. A further embodiment includes receiving a search query looking for the previous data entry, searching the personnel directory for the previous data entry, identifying the associated data entry as corresponding to the previous data entry, and reporting the previous data entry and the associated data entry.

Claims

1. A personnel directory application comprising:

(a) a first database interface through which the personnel directory application is adapted to store a plurality of current data entries in a current database;

(b) a second database interface through which the personnel directory application is adapted to store a plurality of outdated data entries in a historical database, wherein the current and historical databases contain data entries that are mutually exclusive; and

(c) a graphical user interface that accepts a search query for a desired outdated data entry, wherein the personnel directory establishes associations between the current data entries in the current database and the outdated data entries in the historical database, and wherein the graphical user interface, in response to the search query, presents the desired outdated data entry from the historical database and its associated current data entry from the current database including a reason for the association, wherein the current and outdated data entries are marked accordingly.

2. The personnel directory application of claim 1, wherein the current database and the historical database are a single database.

3. A system for maintaining a personnel directory comprising:

(a) a personnel directory application;

(b) a current database in communication with the personnel directory application; and

(c) a historical database in communication with the personnel directory application, wherein the personnel directory application is adapted to receive a request to edit a data entry of the current database location, to copy the data entry of the current database location into the historical database location in response to receiving the request, to edit the data entry of the current database location into an edited data entry, and to associate the edited data entry of the current database location with the copied data entry of the historical database location to establish associations between one or more up-to-date data entries of the current database location and one or more outdated data entries of the historical database location, wherein further the up-to-date entries data in the current database and the outdated data entries in the historical database location are mutually exclusive sets of data entries.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the current database location and the historical database location are in separate databases.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the personnel directory application is adapted to search the current database for the copied data entry, to search the historical database for the copied data entry, and to identify the copied data entry as corresponding to the edited data entry.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the personnel directory application is adapted to provide an explanation of the association between the copied data entry and the edited data entry.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the personnel directory application is adapted to copy a particular data entry of the current database location into the historical database location, to delete the particular data entry of the current database location, and to associate the particular copied data entry of the historical database location with a replacement data entry of the current database location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the personnel directory application is adapted to prompt a user to determine the replacement data entry.

9. A method for maintaining a personnel directory of an organization comprising the steps of:

copying a particular existing data entry at a current database location, which maintains a plurality of data entries of the personnel directory, into a copied data entry at a historical database location maintaining a plurality of data entries;

deleting the existing data entry from the current database location;

determining a replacement data entry for the current database location;

associating the copied data entry at the historical database location with the replacement data entry at the current database location and any other related data entries residing in either database, wherein information in the historical database does not exist in the current database and vice versa;

receiving a search query for the copied data entry at the historical database location; and

reporting the copied data entry from the historical database locations, wherein the associated replacement data entry and any other associated data entries wherein the copied data entry is marked as such.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of reporting how the copied data entry and the associated replacement data entry are associated.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the existing data entry includes information related to a member who is departing the organization, and wherein the replacement data entry includes information related to a replacement member of the organization who substitutes for the departing member.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining comprises determining an organizational position of the departing member from the existing data entry, locating a second existing data entry with the organizational position, and making the second existing data entry the replacement data entry.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining comprises determining a supervisor of the departing member from the existing data entry, locating a second existing data entry corresponding to the supervisor, and making the second existing data entry the replacement data entry.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining comprises prompting a user to specify the replacement data entry.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the current database location and the historical database location are in separate databases.

16. A method for maintaining a personnel directory of an organization comprising the steps of:

copying a particular existing data entry at a current database location maintaining a plurality of data entries of the personnel directory into a copied data entry at a historical database location;

editing the existing data entry to create a new data entry that is stored in the current database location, wherein the current database and the historical database are then mutually exclusive databases wherein further information in the historical database does not exist in the current database and vice versa;

associating the new data entry at the current database location with at least the copied data entry at the historical database location, wherein the association includes entering an explanation of the association;

receiving a search query for the copied data entry at the historical database location; and

reporting the copied data entry from the historical database location and the associated new data entry from the current database location, wherein the copied data entry is marked as such.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of reporting how the copied data entry and the associated new data entry are associated.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the existing data entry includes a name of a member in the organization, and wherein the step of editing comprises changing the name of the member.

19. A method for maintaining and using a personnel directory comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to edit an existing data entry of the personnel directory, wherein the existing data entry is a portion of the current database and is stored in a current database location;

in response to receiving the request to edit the existing data entry, copying exclusively the existing data entry from the current database location to create a previous data entry in a historical database location wherein further the historical database location and the current database location are in separate databases which contain mutually exclusive information;

editing the existing data entry stored in the current database location to produce an associated data entry;

associating the previous data entry stored in the historical database location with one or more associated data entries, wherein the association includes entering an explanation of the association, wherein further the one or more associated data entries resides in either database;

receiving a search query for a data entry;

searching the current database for the data entry in a current database search;

searching the historical database for the data entry in a historical database search;

locating the data entry satisfying the search query;

identifying one or more associated data entries corresponding to the data entry satisfying the search query; and

reporting the data entry satisfying the search query and the one or more associated data entries, wherein any previous entries being reported are indicated as such.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of editing comprises changing the existing data entry to a new data entry, and wherein the associated data entry is the new data entry.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the existing data entry includes a name of a person listed in the personnel directory, and wherein the new data entry includes a new name of the person.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of editing the existing data entry comprises deleting the existing data entry, and wherein the associated data entry includes a replacement data entry of the personnel directory.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of importing data entries from exogenous computer applications and databases.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of prompting a user to identify the replacement data entry.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of identifying the replacement data entry automatically using predefined rules.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the existing data entry corresponds to a departed person, and wherein the replacement data entry corresponds to a person who has assumed responsibilities of the departed person.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein editing the existing data entry consists of deleting the existing data entry and wherein further the personnel directory automatically assigns a replacement data entry.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of reporting how the previous data entry and the associated data entry are associated.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of reporting why the previous data entry was superseded.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of receiving a search query comprises at least one of receiving the search query in a search engine of the personnel directory and receiving the search query as a request to browse a list of data entries from at least one of the current database and the historical database.