System and method for enabling smart contacting and resource finding in an enterprise

• US 8,589,431 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Satyanarayanan, Puthenkulam, Jose Paul, Mhatre, Pankaj, Xavier, Nixon Pallickal, Sreedharan, Manoj
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Susan
• Application Number:
  US13/421,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 707/755, 455/414.1, 455/456.3, 715/753, 715/763, 709/206, 726/4
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

The present application provides a PeopleFinder system, a related method and a PeopleFinder device for enabling smart and more efficient contacting for enterprise professionals. The present application enables building a multi-stage search query with one or more combinations of possible search fields in a contact record or resource information records such as conference rooms, special purpose rooms, copiers or printers, and the like. Upon retrieving the search results from a server that is connected to an enterprise directory server the search results are presented on a mobile device along with adaptation of the results using location information. The invention enables the search results to display enterprise contact or resource records based on employees or resources that may be near the user performing the search.

Claims

1. A system for searching one or more resources in an enterprise, the system comprising:

a client device;

a server being communicatively coupled with the client device;

a database server being communicatively coupled with the server, and communicatively coupled with one or more enterprise database configured to store a plurality of records containing information pertaining to said one or more resources including geolocation coordinates of the said one or more resources;

wherein the client device is configured to

receive one or more keywords from an input means;

determine its own geolocation co-ordinates;

receive an input for transmitting the geolocation co-ordinates to the server;

transmit said keywords along with the geolocation co-ordinates to the server; and

query the server for retrieving a time zone information related to the one or more resources;

wherein the server is configured to

create and execute a multi-stage search query on the database server by using the received one or more keywords;

retrieve the geolocation co-ordinates and a lookup table containing time zone information related to geolocation co-ordinates from the enterprise database via the database server;

determine a record related to the client device in the enterprise database;

store the geolocation co-ordinates in the record; and

compute and transmit the time zone information to the client device;

the database server is configured to retrieve one or more resource information from the records stored in the enterprise database and to send the one or more resource information to the server; and

the server is further configured to send the one or more resource information to the client device,

wherein the client device is configured to receive a setting information for blocking a communication request from a second resource for a defined time period, the client device is further configured to send the setting information to the server, the server is further configured to store the setting information in a related record stored in the enterprise database, and

wherein the client device coupled with the second resource is configured to receive an asynchronous notification when the predefined time period is over.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the database server is integrated with the server.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the records comprise one or more of Resource Name, Organization name, Work Phone Number, Mobile Phone Number, Home Phone Number, Fax Number, Work Address, Home Address, Office Cubicle Number, Email Address, Manager Id, Geo Location coordinates of the resources, Expertise Profile Information.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more resources is a person in the enterprise and is communicatively coupled with a corresponding client device.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more resources is an electronic equipment in the enterprise.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to receive an input for selectively sharing the geo location coordinates stored in the record with other resources in the enterprise.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client device transmits a request for retrieving a call history information related to the resource to the server;

the server is configured to retrieve the call history information from the enterprise database by sending a request to the database server and by utilizing the Geo location co-ordinates, the server is further configured to transmit the call history information to the client device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client device transmits a request for retrieving a time zone based call history information related to the one or more resources to the server;

the server is configured to retrieve the call history information from the enterprise database by sending a request to the database server and by utilizing the time zone information;

the server is further configured to transmit the call history information to the client device.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client device transmits a request for retrieving a floor map information related to the one or more resources to the server;

the server is configured to retrieve the floor map information from the enterprise database by sending a request to the database server;

the server is further configured to transmit the floor map information to the client device.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the floor map information is a Multi-Zoom Level Map.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client device is associated with a Quick response code and displays and shares the Quick response code with one or more client devices.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the Quick response code stores information related to the client device.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client device transmits a request for retrieving an Organization Chart information related to the one or more resources to the server;

the server is configured to retrieve the Organization Chart information from the enterprise database by sending a request to the database server;

the server is further configured to transmit the an Organization Chart information to the client device.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the Organization Chart is traversed in a sequential manner upward or downward in an organization tree structure.

15. A method for searching one or more resource in an enterprise, the method is implemented by a processor using stored programmed instructions, the method comprising

receiving one or more keywords from a client device;

creating and executing a multi-stage search query on a database server by using the one or more keywords;

retrieving geolocation co-ordinates and a lookup table containing time zone information related to the geolocation co-ordinates from an enterprise database, wherein the geolocation coordinates and the lookup table are associated with the client device;

determining a record related to the client device in the enterprise database;

storing the geolocation co-ordinates in the record;

computing and transmitting the time zone information to the client device;

retrieving one or more resource information from a database server; and

sending the one or more resource information to the client device,

wherein the client device is configured to receive a setting information for blocking a communication request from a second resource for a defined time period, the client device is further configured to send the setting information to the server, the server is further configured to store the setting information in a related record stored in the enterprise database, and

wherein the client device coupled with the second resource is configured to receive an asynchronous notification when the predefined time period is over.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the multi-stage search query is a two stage search query.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the multi-stage search query is a web based XML query.