Methods and apparatus for interfacing with a phone system in an on-demand service environment

• US 8,718,241 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaw, Rahul, Wang, Rachel, Ellis, Jason A., Casalaina, Marco, Vasudev, Gautam
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US12/878,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.11, 379/88.19, 379/88.17, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods, and computer readable media for interfacing with a phone system in an on-demand service environment. In one embodiment, a client machine is in communication with a data provider and the phone system. The phone system is operated by a phone provider separate from the data provider. A message is received at the client machine from the phone system. The message includes information regarding a phone event in relation to a phone call. The phone event information is provided in a first part of a user interface in a web browser on the client machine. A second part of the user interface is capable of displaying information received at the client machine from the data provider. The first part of the user interface and the second part of the user interface are adapted to communicate with one another. For example, the first part of the user interface is adapted to send a message including the phone event information to the second part of the user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for interfacing with a phone system in an on-demand service environment, performed at a client machine in communication with a data provider and the phone system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the client machine, a message from the phone system including information regarding a phone event in relation to a phone call, the phone system providing the phone call and operated by a phone provider separate from the data provider;

providing the phone event information in a first part of a user interface in a web browser on the client machine;

receiving record information from the data provider at the client machine;

providing the record information in a second part of the user interface; and

communicating a message from the first part of the user interface including the phone event information to the second part of the user interface to update the second part or a third part of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, the web browser capable of displaying the phone event information responsive to the second part of the user interface receiving the message from the first part of the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, the web browser capable of causing the phone event information to be displayed in a third part of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the web browser of the client machine, input data from an input device.

5. The method of claim 4, the input data associated with a selection displayed in the web browser, the selection associated with the phone call.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

sending the input data from the first part of the user interface of the web browser to the phone system.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

sending a message including the input data from the second part of the user interface to the first part of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, the phone system having a first network domain, and the data provider having a second network domain.

9. The method of claim 1, the first part of the user interface and the second part of the user interface in communication with one another via an application programming interface (API).

10. The method of claim 9, the API being a cross-domain API.

11. The method of claim 10, a library associated with the web browser capable of calling the API.

12. The method of claim 1, the second part of the user interface subscribing to messages from the first part of the user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, the first part of the user interface subscribing to messages from the second part of the user interface.

14. A data processing apparatus for interfacing with a phone system in an on-demand service environment, the data processing apparatus in communication with a data provider and the phone system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored instructions which, when executed by the processor, enable the processor to;

receive a message from the phone system including information regarding a phone event in relation to a phone call, the phone system providing the phone call and operated by a phone provider separate from the data provider;

provide the phone event information in a first part of a user interface in a web browser;

receive information from the data provider;

provide the information in a second part of the user interface; and

communicate a message from the first part of the user interface including the phone event information to the second part of the user interface to update the second part or a third part of the user interface.

15. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, the web browser capable of displaying the phone event information responsive to the second part of the user interface receiving the message from the first part of the user interface.

16. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, the web browser capable of causing the phone event information to be displayed in a third part of the user interface.

17. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, the processor further enabled to:

receive input data from an input device.

18. The data processing apparatus of claim 17, the input data associated with a selection displayed in the web browser, the selection associated with the phone call.

19. The data processing apparatus of claim 17, the processor further enabled to:

send the input data from the first part of the user interface of the web browser to the phone system.

20. The data processing apparatus of claim 17, the processor further enabled to:

send a message including the input data from the second part of the user interface to the first part of the user interface.

21. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, the first part of the user interface and the second part of the user interface in communication with one another via an application programming interface (API).

22. The data processing apparatus of claim 21, the API being a cross-domain API.

23. The data processing apparatus of claim 22, a library associated with the web browser capable of calling the API.

24. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, the second part of the user interface subscribing to messages from the first part of the user interface.

25. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, the first part of the user interface subscribing to messages from the second part of the user interface.

26. One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for interfacing with a phone system in an on-demand service environment, performed at a client machine in communication with a data provider and the phone system, the instructions executable by a processor to enable the client machine to:

receive a message from the phone system including information regarding a phone event in relation to a phone call, the phone system providing the phone call and operated by a phone provider separate from the data provider;

provide the phone event information in a first part of a user interface in a web browser;

receive record information from the data provider;

provide the record information in a second part of the user interface; and

communicate a message from the first part of the user interface including the phone event information to the second part of the user interface to update the second part or a third part of the user interface.

27. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the web browser capable of displaying the phone event information responsive to the second part of the user interface receiving the message from the first part of the user interface.

28. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the web browser capable of causing the phone event information to be displayed in a third part of the user interface.

29. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the first part of the user interface and the second part of the user interface in communication with one another via an application programming interface (API).

30. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, the API being a cross-domain API.

31. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, a library associated with the web browser capable of calling the API.

32. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the second part of the user interface subscribing to messages from the first part of the user interface.

33. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the first part of the user interface subscribing to messages from the second part of the user interface.