Integrating and managing social networking information in an on-demand database system

• US 8,621,015 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Chauhan, Chet
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US12/917,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Some embodiments comprise integrating information from a social network into a multi-tenant database system. A plurality of information from the social network is retrieved, using a processor and a network interface of a server computer in the multi-tenant database system, wherein the plurality of information is associated with a message transmitted using the social network. Metadata related to the transmitted message is generated, using the processor. A conversation object is generated, using the processor, based on the plurality of information associated with the transmitted message and the metadata related to the transmitted message. The conversation object is then stored in an entity in the multi-tenant database system, using the processor of the server computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of integrating information from a social network into a multi-tenant database system, the method comprising:

retrieving, using a processor and a network interface of a server computer in the multi-tenant database system, a plurality of information from the social network, wherein the plurality of information is associated with a message transmitted using the social network;

determining that the message was transmitted by an unknown user, wherein the unknown user is not associated with any object currently existing contact object or a lead object in the multi-tenant database system;

creating a new contact object or a lead object; and

associating the message with the newly created object;

generating, using the processor, metadata related to the transmitted message;

generating, using the processor, a conversation object based on the plurality of information associated with the transmitted message and the metadata related to the transmitted message; and

storing, using the processor of the server computer, the conversation object in an entity in the multi-tenant database system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the plurality of information from the social network comprises searching through a plurality of messages using one or more filters.

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

retrieving the conversation object from the entity in the multi-tenant database system; and

taking one or more actions, using the processor, based on the message, wherein an action comprises one or more of reviewing the message, categorizing the message, editing metadata related to the message, responding to the message, posting a message on the social network, creating a new lead based on the message, updating an existing lead based on the message, creating a new case based on the message, updating an existing case based on the message, creating a new knowledge-base entry based on the message, updating an existing knowledge-base entry based on the message, and deleting the message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein responding to the message comprises transmitting a response to the message through the social network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein posting the message on the social network comprises transmitting a new message through the social network.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating metadata related to the transmitted message comprises:

determining that the message was transmitted by a known user, wherein the known user is associated with an object that already exists in the multi-tenant database system, wherein the existing object is either a contact object or a lead object; and

associating the message with the existing object.

7. A computer-implemented method of integrating information from a social network into a database system, the method comprising:

retrieving, using a processor and a network interface of a server computer in the database system, a plurality of information from the social network, wherein the plurality of information is associated with a message transmitted using the social network;

determining that the message was transmitted by an unknown user, wherein the unknown user is not associated with any object currently existing in the database system, wherein the any existing object is either a contact object or a lead object;

creating a new object, wherein the new object is either a contact object or a lead object;

associating the message with the newly created object;

generating, using the processor, a conversation object based on the plurality of information associated with the transmitted message and metadata related to the transmitted message; and

storing, using the processor of the server computer, the conversation object in an entity in the multi-tenant database system.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program code executable by a processor in a computer to integrate information from a social network into a multi-tenant database system, the program code including instructions to:

retrieve, using a processor and a network interface of a server computer in the multi-tenant database system, a plurality of information from the social network, wherein the plurality of information is associated with a message transmitted using the social network;

determine that the message was transmitted by an unknown user, wherein the unknown user is not associated with any object currently existing contact object or a lead object in the multi-tenant database system;

create a new contact object or a lead object; and

associate the message with the newly created object;

generate, using the processor, metadata related to the transmitted message;

generate, using the processor, a conversation object based on the plurality of information associated with the transmitted message and the metadata related to the transmitted message; and

store, using the processor of the server computer, the conversation object in an entity in the multi-tenant database system.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the program code includes instructions to retrieve the plurality of information from the social network by searching through a plurality of messages using one or more filters.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the program code includes further instructions to:

retrieve the conversation object from the entity in the multi-tenant database system; and

take at least one action, using the processor, based on the message, wherein an action comprises one or more of reviewing the message, categorizing the message, editing metadata related to the message, responding to the message, posting a message on the social network, creating a new lead based on the message, updating an existing lead based on the message, creating a new case based on the message, updating an existing case based on the message, creating a new knowledge-base entry based on the message, updating an existing knowledge-base entry based on the message, or deleting the message.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program code includes instructions to respond to the message by transmitting a response to the message through the social network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program code includes instructions to post the message on the social network by transmitting a new message through the social network.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the program code includes further instructions to generate metadata related to the transmitted message by:

determining that the message was transmitted by a known user, wherein the known user is associated with an object that already exists in the multi-tenant database system, wherein the existing object is either a contact object or a lead object; and

associating the message with the existing object.

14. A system for integrating information from a social network into a multi-tenant database system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with instructions to;

retrieve, using a processor and a network interface of a server computer in the multi-tenant database system, a plurality of information from the social network, wherein the plurality of information is associated with a message transmitted using the social network;

determine that the message was transmitted by an unknown user, wherein the unknown user is not associated with any object currently existing in the database system, wherein the any existing object is either a contact object or a lead object;

create a new object, wherein the new object is either a contact object or a lead object; and

associate the message with the newly created object;

generate, using the processor, a conversation object based on the plurality of information associated with the transmitted message and the metadata related to the transmitted message; and

store, using the processor of the server computer, the conversation object in an entity in the multi-tenant database system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is tangibly embodied with further instructions to retrieve the plurality of information from the social network by searching through a plurality of messages using one or more filters.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is tangibly embodied with further instructions to:

retrieve the conversation object from the entity in the multi-tenant database system; and

take at least one action, using the processor, based on the message, wherein an action comprises one or more of reviewing the message, categorizing the message, editing metadata related to the message, responding to the message, posting a message on the social network, creating a new lead based on the message, updating an existing lead based on the message, creating a new case based on the message, updating an existing case based on the message, creating a new knowledge-base entry based on the message, updating an existing knowledge-base entry based on the message, or deleting the message.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is tangibly embodied with further instructions to respond to the message by transmitting a response to the message through the social network.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is embodied with further instructions to post the message on the social network by transmitting a new message through the social network.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is tangibly embodied with further instructions to generate metadata related to the transmitted message by:

determining that the message was transmitted by a known user, wherein the known user is associated with an object that already exists in the multi-tenant database system, wherein the existing object is either a contact object or a lead object; and

associating the message with the existing object.