Activity management system and method, active management apparatus, client terminal and computer program

• US 8,239,771 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sawada, Takayuki, Tanaka, Mami, Yoshida, Yuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US12/777,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/740
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A CRM server sends to a client terminal activity data that has been read from a DB server, and directs the display thereof. When the activity data has been received from the CRM server, a client terminal obtains the screen data of a calendar screen is generated. Then a screen data for the activity detail screen that displays the activity data, screen data for an activity calendar screen is generated after display data for displaying information about a portion of the content of the activity has been added to screen data for a calendar screen in a field corresponding to a date and time shown by the activity data, and these generated screens are output on one screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a server system hosting a customer relationship management (CRM) application, a request from a client device for an activity management screen that integrates a registration screen with a calendar screen;

retrieving, using the server system, activity data to be displayed in the registration screen;

generating instructions for displaying the activity management screen on the client device, wherein the instructions are configured to be executed by the client device and, when executed by the client device, to cause the client device to;

retrieve calendar data to be displayed in the calendar screen from a calendaring application local to the client device, wherein the calendaring application maintains persistent data from which the calendar data is retrieved;

generate the activity management screen comprising the registration screen containing the activity data and the calendar screen containing the calendar data;

identify at least one business activity from the activity data to be indicated in the calendar screen; and

modify the calendar data to incorporate the identified at least one business activity such that the identified at least one business activity is indicated in the calendar screen, wherein the persistent data of the local calendar application is unaffected by the modification of the calendar data; and

providing the activity data and the generated instructions to the client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to:

receive input corresponding to a user of the client device editing a business activity in the registration screen to be associated with a specified date;

in response to receiving the input, modify the calendar data such that the edited business activity is displayed in the calendar screen for the specified date, and such that the persistent data of the local calendar application is unaffected by modifying the calendar data; and

update the calendar screen to display the edited business activity for the specified date such that the edited first business activity is displayed concurrently in the calendar screen and in the registration screen.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to:

transmit to the CRM application information indicating edits made to the business activity, and

receive from the CRM application a command to update the calendar screen, wherein the calendar screen is updated in response to receiving the command to update from the CRM application; and

the computer-implemented method further comprising;

receiving, at the server system, the transmitted information indicating the edits made to the business activity;

updating a data record maintained by the CRM application corresponding to the business activity to reflect the edits made to the business activity; and

transmitting the command to update the calendar screen to the client device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to generate the activity management screen to display the calendar screen and the registration screen at a same time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to retrieve calendar data corresponding to a specified period of time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the activity data is retrieved for the specified period of time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the specified period of time is a current month.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving login information for a user of the client device for authenticating with the CRM application;

authenticating the user to receive the requested information for displaying the activity management screen based on the received login information;

wherein retrieving the activity data comprises, in response to the user being authenticated, retrieving activity data corresponding to the user; and

wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to restrict the retrieved calendar data to calendar data corresponding to the user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to update the calendar screen to display the modified calendar data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the registration screen is configured to display business activities and to provide an interface for editing business activities;

and wherein the calendar screen is configured to display events within a specified period of time and to provide an interface for editing events.

11. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a server system hosting a CRM application, a request from a client device for an activity management screen that integrates a registration screen with a calendar screen;

retrieving, using the server system, activity data to be displayed in the registration screen;

generating instructions for displaying the activity management screen on the client device, wherein the instructions are configured to be executed by the client device and, when executed by the client device, to cause the client device to;

retrieve calendar data to be displayed in the calendar screen from a calendaring application local to the client device, wherein the calendaring application maintains persistent data from which the calendar data is retrieved;

generate the activity management screen comprising the registration screen containing the activity data and the calendar screen containing the calendar data;

identify at least one business activity from the activity data to be indicated in the calendar screen; and

modify the calendar data to incorporate the identified at least one business activity such that the identified at least one business activity is indicated in the calendar screen, wherein the persistent data of the local calendar application is unaffected by the modification of the calendar data; and

providing the activity data and the generated instructions to the client device.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to:

receive input corresponding to a user of the client device editing a business activity in the registration screen to be associated with a specified date;

in response to receiving the input, modify the calendar data such that the edited business activity is displayed in the calendar screen for the specified date, and such that the persistent data of the local calendar application is unaffected by modifying the calendar data; and

update the calendar screen to display the edited business activity for the specified date such that the edited first business activity is displayed concurrently in the calendar screen and in the registration screen.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to:

transmit to the CRM application information indicating edits made to the business activity, and

receive from the CRM application a command to update the calendar screen, wherein the calendar screen is updated in response to receiving the command to update from the CRM application; and

the operations further comprising;

receiving, at the server system, the transmitted information indicating the edits made to the business activity;

updating a data record maintained by the CRM application corresponding to the business activity to reflect the edits made to the business activity; and

transmitting the command to update the calendar screen to the client device.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to generate the activity management screen to display the calendar screen and the registration screen at a same time.

15. The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to retrieve calendar data corresponding to a specified period of time.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the activity data is retrieved for the specified period of time.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the specified period of time is a current month.

18. The article of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving login information for a user of the client device for authenticating with the CRM application;

authenticating the user to receive the requested information for displaying the activity management screen based on the received login information;

wherein retrieving the activity data comprises, in response to the user being authenticated, retrieving activity data corresponding to the user; and

wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to restrict the retrieved calendar data to calendar data corresponding to the user.

19. The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the client device to update the calendar screen to display the modified calendar data.

20. A system comprising:

a server hosting a CRM application;

an interface to the server that is configured to receive a request from a client device for an activity management screen that integrates a registration screen with a calendar screen;

a storage unit of the server that is configured to store activity data for the CRM application;

a data control unit of the server that is configured to retrieve activity data stored in the storage unit for displayed in the registration screen; and

a display instruction unit of the server that is configured to generate instructions for displaying the activity management screen on the client device, wherein the instructions are configured to be executed by the client device and, when executed by the client device, to cause the client device to;

retrieve calendar data to be displayed in the calendar screen from a calendaring application local to the client device, wherein the calendaring application maintains persistent data from which the calendar data is retrieved;

generate the activity management screen comprising the registration screen containing the activity data and the calendar screen containing the calendar data;

identify at least one business activity from the activity data to be indicated in the calendar screen; and

modify the calendar data to incorporate the identified at least one business activity such that the identified at least one business activity is indicated in the calendar screen, wherein the persistent data of the local calendar application is unaffected by the modification of the calendar data;

wherein the display instruction unit is further configured to transmit the activity data and the generated instructions to the client device.