Providing status of portal content

• US 8,302,012 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schmitt, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): TAN, ALVIN H
• Application Number:
  US10/307,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,620 Days
• Field of Search: 715/742, 715/764, 715/765, 715/772, 715/810, 715/821, 715/856, 715/859, 715/513
• US Class Current: 715/742
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer-program products, for providing a portal-based desktop. A computer-implemented method for providing status of portal content includes identifying at least one element of portal content to which a user is subscribed. The method includes monitoring a state of the one element of portal content. The method includes indicating status of the one element of portal content, the indication being included as portal content. A computer program product, for providing status of portal content, includes instructions operable to cause a processor to identify at least one element of portal content to which a user is subscribed. The product includes instructions to monitor a state of the one element of portal content. The product includes instructions to indicate status of the one element of portal content, the indication being included as portal content. The product is tangibly stored on machine-readable medium.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing status of portal content in a portal session, comprising:

identifying the portal content, the portal content comprising;

one or more applications to which a user is subscribed, and

portal settings, the portal settings comprising features that pertain to unsubscribable elements of the portal session that are related to a configuration of the portal session;

monitoring one or more states of the one or more applications and the portal settings;

providing, to a client device, access to a portal desktop for presenting the portal content comprising the one or more applications and the portal settings;

providing a status indicator arrangement in the portal desktop, wherein a first portion of the status indicator arrangement represents states of the one or more applications and a second portion of the status indicator arrangement represents states of the portal settings;

notifying the user of a change in a state of one or more of the one or more applications and notifying the user of a change in state of the portal settings using the status indicator arrangement,

wherein notifying the user of the change in the state of the one or more of the one or more applications comprises notifying the user even if the one or more of the one or more applications are not being displayed to the user,

wherein the status indicator arrangement comprises graphical representations corresponding to the one or more applications and the portal settings, and wherein initial states of the graphical representations are referenced to states of the graphical representations in a previous portal session,

wherein notifying comprises changing an appearance of a predetermined graphical representation to indicate an occurrence of an event in the portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation, wherein changing the appearance of the predetermined graphical representation occurs in accordance with user input, the user input specifying the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation, the event comprises messages that specify a data object of the portal content and an action associated with the data object, and

in response to the user selecting the predetermined graphical representation in the status indicator arrangement, triggering an action related to portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the one or more states comprises:

determining a state of the one or more applications and the portal settings.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing the appearance of the predetermined graphical representation comprises:

selecting the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation from a plurality of graphical representations, each of the plurality of graphical representations being associated with a respective state of the one or more applications; and

displaying the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring the one or more states further comprises:

monitoring the one or more applications and the portal settings for a change of state;

replacing the predetermined graphical representation with an updated graphical representation associated with a detected change of state; and

iteratively monitoring and replacing, as required, the predetermined graphical representation with the updated graphical representation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the appearance of the predetermined graphical representation comprises:

outputting one of pop-up text, mouse-over text, and sound.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

providing a status indicator arrangement comprises displaying a status bar.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the status bar comprises providing the graphical representations to the portal desktop, the graphical representations comprising one of an icon, text, pop-up text, and sound.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring the one or more states comprises monitoring applications distributed over a network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified portal content comprises one of email, calendar functions, alerts, project development systems, and news.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying additional elements of portal content to which the user has subscribed;

monitoring statuses of the additional elements; and

providing additional graphical representations to indicate the statuses of the additional elements, the additional graphical representations being included as portal content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications and the portal settings comprise a first element of portal content, the method further comprising:

identifying a second element of portal content based on a role of the user;

monitoring a status of the second element of portal content; and

providing a second, different graphical representation to indicate the status of the second element of portal content, the second graphical representation being included as portal content.

12. The method of claim 1 in which triggering an action related to portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation comprises opening a new window with information related to the portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a space on a first portal page for displaying the status indicator arrangement such that the space is not erased when the first portal page changes to a second, different portal page.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising replacing a locally generated desktop on the client device with the portal desktop.

15. A computer program product, stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, for providing a status of portal content in a portal session, the product including instructions operable to cause a processor to:

identify the portal content, the portal content comprising;

one or more applications to which a user is subscribed, and

portal settings, the portal settings comprising features that pertain to unsubscribable elements of the portal session that are related to a configuration of the portal session;

monitor one or more states of the one or more applications and the portal settings;

provide, to a client device, access to a portal desktop for presenting the portal content including the one or more applications and the portal settings;

provide a status indicator arrangement in the portal desktop, wherein a first portion of the status indicator arrangement represents one or more states of the one or more applications and a second portion of the status indicator arrangement represents states of the portal settings, the status indicator arrangement being included in the portal content;

notify the user of a change in a state of one or more of the one of more applications and notifying the user of a change in a state of the portal settings using the status indicator arrangement,

wherein notifying the user of the change in the state of the one or more of the one or more applications comprises notifying the user even if the one or more of the one or more applications are not being displayed to the user,

wherein the status indicator arrangement comprises graphical representations corresponding to the one or more applications and the portal settings, and wherein initial states of the graphical representations are referenced to states of the graphical representations in a previous portal session,

wherein notifying comprises changing an appearance of a predetermined graphical representation to indicate an occurrence of an event in the portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation, wherein changing the appearance of the predetermined graphical representation occurs in accordance with user input, the user input specifying the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation, the event comprises messages that specify a data object of the portal content and an action associated with the data object, and

in response to the user selecting the predetermined graphical representation in the status indicator arrangement, trigger an action related to portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the product further comprises instructions to:

determine a state of the one or more applications and the portal settings.

17. The product of claim 16, further comprising instructions to:

select the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation from a plurality of graphical representations, each of the plurality of graphical representations being associated with a respective state of the one or more applications and the portal settings; and

display the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation.

18. The product of claim 17, further comprising instructions to:

monitor the one or more applications and the portal settings for a change of state;

replace the predetermined graphical representation with an updated graphical representation associated with a detected change of state; and

iteratively monitor and replace, as required, the predetermined graphical representation with the updated graphical representation.

19. The product of claim 15, wherein changing the appearance of the predetermined graphical representation further comprises:

outputting one of pop-up text, mouse-over text, and sound.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein:

providing a status indicator arrangement includes displaying a status bar.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein displaying a status bar comprises providing graphical representations to the portal desktop, the graphical representations comprising one of an icon, text, pop-up text, and sound.

22. The product of claim 15, wherein:

monitoring the one or more states comprises monitoring applications distributed over a network.

23. The product of claim 15, wherein the identified portal content comprises one of email, calendar functions, alerts, project development systems, and news.

24. The product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to:

identify additional elements of portal content to which the user has subscribed;

monitor statuses of the additional elements; and

provide additional graphical representations to indicate the statuses of the additional elements, the additional graphical representations being included as portal content.

25. The product of claim 15, wherein the one or more applications and the portal settings comprise a first element of portal content, the product further comprising instructions to:

identify a second element of portal content based on a role of the user;

monitor a status of the second element of portal content; and

provide a second, different graphical representation to indicate the status of the second element of portal content, the second graphical representation being included as portal content.

26. A system for providing status of portal content in a portal session, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

identify the portal content, the portal content comprising;

one or more applications to which a user is subscribed, and

portal settings, the portal settings comprising features that pertain to unsubscribable elements of the portal session that are related to a configuration of the portal session;

monitor one or more states of the one or more applications and the portal settings;

provide, to a client device, access to a portal desktop for presenting the portal content including the one or more applications and the portal settings;

provide a status indicator arrangement in the portal desktop, wherein a first portion of the status indicator arrangement represents the one or more states of the one or more applications and a second portion of the status indicator arrangement represents states of the portal settings;

notify the user of a change in a state of the one or more states of the one or more applications and the portal settings using the status indicator arrangement,

wherein the notifying the user of the change in the one or more states of the one or more applications comprises notifying the user even if the one or more applications are not being displayed to the user,

wherein the status indicator arrangement comprises graphical representations corresponding to the one or more applications and the portal settings, and wherein initial states of the graphical representations are referenced to states of the graphical representations in a previous portal session,

wherein notifying comprises changing an appearance of a predetermined graphical representation to indicate an occurrence of an event in the portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation, wherein changing the appearance of the predetermined graphical representation occurs in accordance with user input, the user input specifying the changed appearance of the predetermined graphical representation, the event comprises messages that specify a data object of the portal content and an action associated with the data object, and in response to the user selecting the predetermined graphical

representation in the status indicator arrangement, triggering an action related to portal content corresponding to the predetermined graphical representation.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a network in communication with the one or more processors and the client device, wherein the one or more applications comprise a plurality of applications distributed over the network, and wherein monitoring a state includes monitoring the plurality of applications.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

select the predetermined graphical representation from a plurality of graphical representations, each of the plurality of graphical representations being associated with a respective state of the one or more applications and the portal settings.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

replace the predetermined graphical representation with an updated graphical representation associated with a detected change of state; and

iteratively monitor and replace, as required, the predetermined graphical representation with the updated graphical representation.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the predetermined graphical representation comprises one of an icon, text, and pop-up text.