Mobile decision support system

• US 7,895,336 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Schmaltz, Michael Clayton, Feinbier, Loic Jaouen, Van Den Hondel, Alexander Peter, Cameron, Richard Neill
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ DITREN, BELIX M
• Application Number:
  US10/094,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,273 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 709/219, 709/218, 707100-1041, 707 1- 10, 700/17, 700/83, 700/86, 711/100
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A mobile decision support system for proactive decision support of an enterprise includes at least one server computer, at least one mobile communication device and at least one client system in operable communication over a network. The server computer includes a database. The client system may interface with the server computer and direct the configuration of hotspot information in the database. The hotspot information includes identification of a user, a response template and/or data. The mobile communication device may periodically request hotspot information from the server computer as a function of the user operating the mobile communication device. Based on the request, the hotspot information may be transmitted over the network to the mobile communication device. The user may generate a response to the hotspot information with the mobile communication device by selections within the response template. The response may be transmitted to recipients selected with the response template through reply channels also selected with the response template.

Claims

1. A method of mobile decision making, the method comprising:

configuring hotspot information in a database, the hotspot information representative of an issue, problem or event and comprising identification of a specific user the hotspot information is for, a response template tailored for use by the identified specific user to formulate a response to the hotspot information, and data;

checking the database for hotspot information as a function of a request generated by a mobile communication device, the request comprising identification of the user the hotspot information is specified for;

transmitting the hotspot information over a network to the mobile communication device that generated the request as a function of the user identified in the request; and

receiving a response to the hotspot information from the mobile communication device, wherein the response includes indication of a recipient, other than the user, that the response is to be transmitted to, and indication of a reply channel to transmit the response to the recipient, both of which were provided in the response template and were selectable by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising with the mobile communication device, the user selecting from the response template to configure a response to the hotspot information, the selection comprising identification of the recipient of the response, selection of the reply channel for the response and selection of response information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating the receipt of hotspot information with the mobile communication device; and

accessing the hotspot information with the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the hotspot information in the database as a function of the received response;

formatting the received response as a function of the reply channel indicated in the response; and

transmitting the formatted received response to the recipient indicated in the response over the reply channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a structured query language (SQL) query transmitted with hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and checking the database comprises translating the request to a format compatible with the database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring hotspot information comprises configuring the database over the network with a browser.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring hotspot information comprises configuring the database over the network with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring hotspot information comprises:

establishing a plurality of triggers for accumulated enterprise data; and

triggering configuration of hotspot information in the database as a function of a trigger, the data in the hotspot information comprising selected portions of the accumulated enterprise data.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a response to the hotspot information over the network to the database as a function of the response template.

9. A method of mobile decision making, the method comprising:

triggering dynamic configuration of hotspot information as a function of accumulated enterprise data, the hotspot information comprising a message, a response recipient selection list, a reply channel selection list, a portion of the accumulated enterprise data and a response information list;

requesting the hotspot information with a mobile communication device;

transmitting the hotspot information to the mobile communication device;

configuring a response to the hotspot information with the mobile communication device through selection from the transmitted hotspot information of a recipient of the response, a reply channel and response information; and

transmitting the response to the recipient with the reply channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein triggering dynamic configuration comprises establishing a plurality of key performance indicators as triggers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein triggering dynamic configuration comprises configuring a record in a database with the hotspot information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein triggering dynamic configuration comprises identifying a user to receive the hotspot information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein requesting the hotspot information comprises checking for hotspot information addressed to a user of the mobile communication device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the hotspot information comprises transmitting the request over at least one of a wireless network, the Internet and a wireline network.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the response comprises:

updating a record in a database with the response; and

accessing the database to format the response as a function of the reply channel.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the response comprises updating the accumulated enterprise data as a function of the response.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the response comprises dynamically configuring additional hotspot information as a function of the response.

18. A method of mobile decision making, the method comprising:

generating a reoccurring request for hotspot information with a wireless mobile communication device, the request comprising login information of a user operating the wireless mobile communication device;

transmitting the request over a network to a server computer, the server computer comprising a database;

accessing the database to retrieve hotspot information as a function of the login information received with the request;

transmitting dynamically configured hotspot information that is associated in the database with the login information to the wireless mobile communication device, the hotspot information comprising a message, a response template and data;

selecting, with the wireless mobile communication device, options provided by the server computer within the response template; and

transmitting a dynamically configured response from the wireless mobile communication device to the server computer, the response configured as a function of the options selected from the response template.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the initial act of selectively configuring the database to provide data and a response template personalized to the needs of the user.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the request comprises:

storing the requests when communication with the network is unavailable; and

transmitting the stored requests when communication with the network is reestablished.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting, with the wireless mobile communication device, options provided by the server computer comprises displaying the hotspot information with a graphical user interface as a function of a geographical location identified by the hotspot information.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein generating a reoccurring request for hotspot information comprises generating the reoccurring request on a predetermined schedule.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the initial act of downloading modules to the wireless mobile communication device as a function of the login information.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein generating a reoccurring request for hotspot information comprises formatting the request in structured query language (SQL).

25. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting dynamically configured hotspot information comprises storing the hotspot information in the wireless mobile communication device.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein generating a reoccurring request for hotspot information comprises operating the wireless mobile communication device with Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME).

27. A mobile decision support system for proactive decision support within an enterprise, the mobile decision support system comprising:

a server computer coupled with a network, the server computer comprising a database;

a client system coupled with the network, the client system operable to interface with the server computer and direct the configuration of hotspot information in the database, the hotspot information comprising identification of a specific user the hotspot information is for, a response template tailored for use by the identified specific user to formulate a response to the hotspot information and data;

a mobile communication device coupled with the network, the mobile communication device operable to request hotspot information from the server computer, the request including identification of the specific user operating the mobile communication device,

wherein the server computer is operable to retrieve the hotspot information for the specific user from the database based on the identification of the specific user included in the request, and transmit the retrieved hotspot information over the network to the mobile communication device,

wherein the mobile communication device is further operable to generate and transmit a response to the server computer as directed by the user, the response generated in accordance with selection by the user of a recipient of the response from the response template included in the hotspot information received by the mobile communication device.

28. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the response template comprises selection of a recipient of the response, a reply channel and response information.

29. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the server computer further comprises a response handler module, the response handler module operable to transmit the response to recipients dynamically selectable in the response as a function of the updated hotspot information, the response transmittable on a reply channel dynamically selectable in the response as a function of the updated hotspot information.

30. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the client system comprises an administrator client, the administrator client operable to configure hotspot information in the database via a browser, and at least one selection screen.

31. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the client system comprises an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the enterprise resource planning system operable to accumulate enterprise data and configure hotspot information as a function of the accumulated enterprise data and predetermined triggers.

32. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a watchdog module, a request module, a request handler module, a request change listener module and a user interface module, the request module and the watchdog module cooperatively operable to generate the requests, the request change listener module and the request handler module cooperatively operable to manage communication over the network.

33. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the mobile communication device comprises at least one of a wireless phone, a personal digital assistant and a pager operable with Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME), communication over the network comprising communication over at least one of a wireless communication network and the Internet.

35. The mobile decision support system of claim 27, wherein the server computer further comprises a mediator module, the mediator module operable to translate a request received from the mobile communication device, retrieve hotspot information from the database as a function of the request, and update the hotspot information in the database as a function of the response transmitted from the mobile communication device.