Computer implemented methods and apparatus for feed-based case management

• US 9,235,614 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Beechuk, Scott D., Kjellberg, Orjan N., Robinson, Larry P. G., Ramsey, Michael, Krishnan, Arvind, Khubchandani, Jyoti M., Lin, Jill Blue, Al-Alami, Mustafa O., Ellis, Jason A., Myers, Christopher A., Phan, Vahn K., Gulabrani, Chitra
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US14/014,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/792, 707/802, 707/803, 707/807
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Techniques for providing feed-based case management on an online social network. A user interface that includes a publisher and an information feed is provided. Information associated with a record is received and the record is updated in a database system. A feed item associated with the database system update is generated and provided in the information feed. The feed item includes one or more actionable selections providing a reference to the publisher. Selection of one of the one or more actionable selections causes the publisher to be operable to receive further information associated with the record. The record is capable of being updated based on the further information. In some implementations, the record is a case and the user interface serves as a single interface for all interactions required in solving the case.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for using a database system comprising:

receiving, by a server associated with the database system, first information associated with a record stored or configured to be stored in the database system;

updating, by the server, one or more data objects stored in the database system based on the first information;

creating, by the server, a feed item associated with the update, the feed item including one or more actionable selections providing a reference to a publisher, the feed item configured to be stored using one or more databases of the database system;

providing, by the server, the feed item in an information feed; and

causing, by the server, responsive to selection of the one or more actionable selections, the publisher to be operable to receive second information in one or more fields of the publisher, the publisher being further operable to publish the second information via one or more channels, the publisher configured to be displayed in association with the information feed in a user interface of a display device.

2. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server, for each field of the publisher, whether at least a portion of the second information is mapped to the field; and

populating, by the server, the one or more fields of the publisher with the second information.

3. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, wherein the second information is generated using an attach articles widget displayed in the user interface, the second information indicating a selected article from a knowledge base and indicating one or both of:

whether to attach an article to the record, and whether to attach the article to an electronic communication.

4. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, wherein the second information is generated using an attach files widget displayed in the user interface, the second information indicating one or both of:

whether to attach a file to the record, and whether to attach the file to an electronic communication.

5. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to an indication to attach the file to the record, updating, by the server, the database system by attaching the file to the record.

6. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, further comprising:

updating, by the server, the database system such that the second information is associated with the record.

7. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the server, the second information from the record.

8. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, wherein the second information is generated in association with an application configured to utilize an application programming interface.

9. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, wherein the second information includes at least a portion of one or more of:

an e-mail message, a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) get message, an HTTP post message, an Extensible Markup Language (XML) message, a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message, and a Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed message.

10. The computer implemented method for using the database system of claim 1, wherein the channel is one of:

feed-based communication, email, a web page interface, text messaging, instant messaging, call logging, status indication, electronic note writing, chat room posting, and message board posting.

11. A system comprising:

one or more servers in communication with a database system and with a client machine, the one or more servers configured to;

update the database system based on first information received in association with a record stored or configured to be stored in the database system;

create a feed item associated with the update, the feed item including one or more actionable selections providing a reference to a publisher, the feed item configured to be stored using one or more databases of the database system;

provide the feed item in an information feed; and

cause, responsive to selection of the one or more actionable selections, the publisher to be operable to receive second information in one or more fields of the publisher, the publisher being further operable to publish the second information via one or more channels, the publisher configured to be displayed in association with the information feed in a user interface of a display device on the client machine.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

determine, for each field of the publisher, whether at least a portion of the second information is mapped to the field; and

populate the one or more fields of the publisher with the second information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second information is generated using an attach files widget displayed in the user interface, the second information indicating one or both of:

whether to attach a file to the record, and whether to attach the file to an electronic communication.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the update is identified in the database system as a child object of the feed item.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

update the database system such that the second information is associated with the record.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the channel is one of:

feed-based communication, email, a web page interface, text messaging, instant messaging, call logging, status indication, electronic note writing, chat room posting, and message board posting.

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

updating a database system based on first information received in association with a record stored or configured to be stored in the database system;

creating a feed item associated with the update, the feed item including one or more actionable selections providing a reference to a publisher, the feed item configured to be stored using one or more databases of the database system;

providing the feed item in an information feed; and

causing, responsive to selection of the one or more actionable selections, the publisher to be operable to receive second information in one or more fields of the publisher, the publisher being further operable to publish the second information via one or more channels, the publisher configured to be displayed in association with the information feed in a user interface of a display device.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, for each field of the publisher, whether at least a portion of the second information is mapped to the field; and

populating the one or more fields of the publisher with the second information.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second information is generated using an attach articles widget displayed in the user interface, the second information indicating a selected article from a knowledge base and indicating one or both of:

whether to attach an article to the record, and whether to attach the article to an electronic communication.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second information is generated using an attach files widget displayed in the user interface, the second information indicating one or both of:

whether to attach a file to the record, and whether to attach the file to an electronic communication.

21. A computer implemented method for using a database system comprising:

providing, by a server associated with the database system, a feed item associated with an update to a record stored or configured to be stored in a database system, the update based on first information, the feed item including one or more actionable selections providing a reference to a publisher, the feed item configured to be stored using one or more databases of the database system;

providing, by the server, the feed item in an information feed; and

causing, by the server, responsive to selection of the one or more actionable selections, the publisher to be operable to receive second information in one or more fields of the publisher, the publisher being further operable to publish the second information via one or more channels, the publisher configured to be displayed in association with the information feed in a user interface of a display device.