Computer implemented methods and apparatus for representing a portion of a user interface as a network address

• US 9,197,513 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Vasudev, Gautam, Chen, Peng-Wen, Yerradoddi, Reddy Prasad, Schuenemann, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, RAYEEZ R
• Application Number:
  US13/886,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/146 Coding or compression of tree-structured data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for representing a portion of a user interface of a web browser as a web address. In some implementations, a computing device receives a request to encode as a web address a portion of a user interface provided in a web browser at the computing device. The computing device then generates a web address to identify content of the portion of the user interface. The portion of the user interface represented by the web address includes a primary user interface component and one or more secondary user interface components associated with the primary user interface component.

Claims

1. A method for representing a portion of a user interface associated with a web browser as a web address, the method comprising:

receiving a request to encode as a web address a portion of a user interface provided in association with a web browser at a display of a first computing device, the portion of the user interface having content including a primary user interface component and one or more secondary user interface components associated with the primary user interface component, the primary user interface component configured to include record information of a primary record stored in a database of a database system, the one or more secondary user interface components configured to include record information of one or more secondary records associated with the primary record, the one or more secondary records stored in a database of the database system;

generating a web address to identify the content of the portion of the user interface, the generated web address including a primary identifier identifying the primary record and including one or more secondary identifiers identifying the one or more secondary records; and

causing the generated web address to be transmitted to a second computing device for processing to;

identify the primary identifier and the one or more secondary identifiers of the generated web address,

identify the primary record and the one or more secondary records using the primary identifier and the one or more secondary identifiers, and

generate, using the identified primary record and the identified one or more secondary records, a presentation of the primary user interface component and the one or more secondary user interface components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each secondary user interface component is capable of being selected for display only when the associated portion of the user interface is selected for display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device generates the web address by:

determining the identifiers of the primary and secondary records displayed in the primary and secondary user interface components included in the portion of the user interface; and

structuring the web address to include the identifiers of the primary and secondary records associated with open primary and secondary user interface components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifiers included in the web address are separated with a dividing character or string.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary and secondary records displayed in the primary and secondary user interface components are stored in a communicably accessible database of a server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the secondary records displayed in the secondary user interface components is an external webpage hosted on an external server, and wherein the identifier of the webpage is an external web address of the external webpage.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, a request to identify to the first computing device the external web address of the external webpage displayed in a secondary user interface component, the request being an application programming interface (API) call from the external webpage; and

storing the external web address of the external webpage at the first computing device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the webpage may be displayed in a secondary user interface component if the external web address of the external webpage appears in a list stored on a database of a server in communication with the first computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the secondary records displayed in the secondary user interface components is in a child-parent relationship with the primary record displayed in the respective primary user interface component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface generated at the second computing device is the same as the user interface displayed at the first computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the web address occurs over a telephone system line.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to encode the portion of the user interface is generated by a first customer service agent at the first computing device, and wherein a second customer service agent at the second computing device is presented with the generated user interface of the second computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying the web address in the user interface of the first computing device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to encode the portion of the user interface is associated with an application programming interface (API) call at the first computing device.

15. A system comprising:

a database system storing a plurality of records as data objects; and

one or more servers having one or more processors operable to cause;

processing a web address encoded to identify content of a portion of a user interface provided in association with a web browser at a display of a first computing device, the content including a primary user interface component and one or more secondary user interface components associated with the primary user interface component, the primary user interface component configured to include record information of a primary record stored in a database of the database system, the one or more secondary user interface components configured to include record information of one or more secondary records associated with the primary record, the one or more secondary records stored in a database of the database system, the encoded web address including a primary identifier identifying the primary record and including one or more secondary identifiers identifying the one or more secondary records; and

sending the encoded web address to a second computing device for processing to;

identify the primary identifier and the one or more secondary identifiers of the web address,

identify the primary record and the one or more secondary records using the primary identifier and the one or more secondary identifiers, and

generate, using the identified primary record and the identified one or more secondary records, a presentation of the primary user interface component and the one or more secondary user interface components.

16. A computer program product comprising program code to be executed by at least one processor when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions configured to cause:

processing, at a server associated with a database system, a web address encoded to identify content of a portion of a user interface provided in association with a web browser at a display of a first computing device, the content including a primary user interface component and one or more secondary user interface components associated with the primary user interface component, the primary user interface component configured to include record information of a primary record stored in a database of the database system, the one or more secondary user interface components configured to include record information of one or more secondary records associated with the primary record, the one or more secondary records stored in a database of the database system, the encoded web address including a primary identifier identifying the primary record and including one or more secondary identifiers identifying the one or more secondary records; and

sending the encoded web address to a second computing device for processing to;

identify the primary identifier and the one or more secondary identifiers of the web address,

identify the primary record and the one or more secondary records using the primary identifier and the one or more secondary identifiers, and

generate, using the identified primary record and the identified one or more secondary records, a presentation of the primary user interface component and the one or more secondary user interface components.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, the instructions further configured to cause:

receiving, at the server, a request for record information for one or more primary or secondary records, wherein the one or more primary or secondary records are identified by the web address and are not open in the user interface of the second client machine; and

transmitting the requested record information for display in the user interface of the second client machine.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the primary and secondary records displayed in the primary and secondary user interface components are stored in a communicably accessible database of the server.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the web address includes the primary and secondary records of the portion of the user interface, the identifiers separated with a dividing character or string.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein one or more of the secondary records displayed in the secondary user interface components is hosted in the form of a webpage on an external server, and wherein the identifier of the webpage is an external web address of the webpage.