Method and system for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service

• US 9,262,393 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Naderi, Nadia
• Primary Examiner(s): TSUI, WILSON W
• Application Number:
  US13/030,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 715221-226, 715/705, 715/708, 715/744, 715/745
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service in a database system. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide users with an efficient form wizard for filling electronic forms. The ability of embodiments to provide a form wizard can enable users to efficiently accomplish the rapid filling of multiple forms without the need to scroll through the electronic forms and entering the same information repeatedly.

Claims

1. A method for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service in a machine resident database system for a multi-tenant database system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to set up a form wizard for a first form comprising form fields displayed at the user machine;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface including an interfae screen that will be displayed in addition to the first form, and the interface screen further comprising the form fields of the first form that are each available for user-defined selection;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information obtained from the sent form wizard setup interface, the information received including user defined selections from the interface screen for setting up a form wizard user interface;

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the form wizard user interface providing indications of how to fill out the first form as the first form is being filled out;

receiving at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to fill a plurality of the form fields using the form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, the form wizard user interface configured to prompt the user to sequentially fill in the plurality of the form fields by searching the first form for the form fields and presenting the searched fields to the user in priority order based on the user defined selections and in a step-by step fashion;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill each of the respective form fields of the first form from the form wizard;

sending to the user machine an updated instance of the first form having the respective form fields filled in with the specifying information; and

in response to the first form being completed by the user for one account, sending to the user a second electronic form for another account associated with the user, for the user to fill out, and receiving at the machine resident database system, specifying information for the second electronic form for the other account filled out, via the form wizard.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface enables navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the form fields is a mandatory form field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the form fields is an optional form field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface automatically determines mandatory form fields.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface automatically adopts an application user interface design standard of the mandatory form fields.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received contain optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard user interface allows a user to designate default values for the form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the form wizard setup interface is accessible only to users having appropriate privileges.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges; and

the information received contains optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

the information received contains optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface, the form wizard user interface allowing a user to designate default values for the form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill the form fields of a same type; and

the method further comprises enabling navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device.

13. The method of claim, 1 the form wizard user interface including a graphical image with an input field, the form wizard user interface appearing on top the image of the form, the form wizard user interface covering a portion of the form, while leaving a portion of the form having the particular field uncovered.

14. The method of claim 13, the form wizard user interface being a dialogue box.

15. The method of claim 1, the image of the form including a link for activating the form wizard.

16. The method of claim 1, the form wizard directing a user to fill in the mandatory fields prior to filling in fields that are not mandatory.

17. The method of claim 1, the form wizard user interface including a field for entering data required by a particular form field of the form, the method further comprising:

sending, by the machine resident database system, an indication of which form field of the form is the particular form field;

sending, by the machine resident database system, an image of the first form, the image of the first form and the form wizard user interface being separate graphical objects, the image of the first form and the form wizard user interface being visually distinct from one another, and the image of the first form, the indication of the particular form field, and the form wizard user interface are visible by the user of the form wizard simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 17, the sending to the user machine an updated instance of the first form reflecting the filing of each respective form field further including at least:

sending, by the machine resident database system, another image of the form and the form wizard user interface, but with the indication of the particular field indicating a different field.

19. The method of claim 1, as the first form is being filled out, the form wizard navigates the user through the form without the user needing to use the scroll bar.

20. A method for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service in a machine resident database system for a multi-tenant database system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to set up a form wizard for a first form comprising at least one or more form fields displayed at the user machine;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface including an interface screen that will be displayed in addition to the first form, and the interface screen further comprising the at least one or more form fields of the first form that are each available for user-defined selection;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information obtained from the sent form wizard setup interface, the information received including user defined selections from the interface screen for setting up a form wizard user interface;

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the form wizard user interface providing indications of how to fill out the first form as the form is being filled out;

receiving at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to fill at least one of the form fields using a form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, the form wizard user interface configured to prompt the user to sequentially fill in the plurality of the form fields by searching the form for the form fields and presenting the searched field to the user in priority order based on the user defined selections and in a step-by-step fashion;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill the at least one of the form fields from the form wizard; and

sending to the user machine an updated instance of the first form having the at least one of the form fields filled in with the specifying information;

in response to the first form being completed by the user for one account, sending to the user a second form for another account associated with the user, for the user to fill out, and receiving at the machine resident database system, specifying information for the second form for the other account filled out, via the form wizard;

wherein the form wizard user interface is capable of filling form fields without benefit of a pointing device and includes a save-and-new link, which when activated automatically saves the current form and opens a new form.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing thereon one or more instructions, which when implemented cause a processor to implement a method for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service, the method comprising:

receiving, at a machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to set up a form wizard for a form comprising form fields displayed at the user machine;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface including an interface screen that will be displayed in addition to the first form, and the interface screen further comprising the form fields of the form that are each available for user-defined selection;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information obtained from the sent form wizard setup interface, the information received including user defined selections from the interface screen for setting up the form wizard user interface;

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received, the form wizard user interface providing indications of how to fill out the form as the form is being filled out;

receiving at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to fill a plurality of the form fields using the form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, the form wizard user interface configured to prompt the user to sequentially fill in the plurality of the form fields by searching the form for the form fields and presenting the searched field to the user in priority order based on the user defined selections and in a step-by-step fashion;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill each of the respective form fields of the form from the form wizard; and

sending to the user machine an updated instance of the form having the respective form fields filled in with the specifying information.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein:

the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges; and

the information received contains optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein:

the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

the information received contains optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface, the form wizard user interface allowing a user to designate default values for form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type; and

the method further comprises enabling navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device.

24. A machine resident host system for simplifying form filling in an on-demand service in a multi-tenant database system, the host system comprising:

a processor system; and

a memory system including at least volatile memory, and non-volatile memory;

the non-volatile memory including at least one machine readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which when implemented causes the processor system to implement a method including at least;

receiving, at a machine resident database system, a request from a user machine to set up a form wizard for a form comprising form fields displayed at the user machine;

sending, by the machine resident database system, a form wizard setup interface to set up the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface including an interface screen that will be displayed in addition to the form, and the interface screen further comprising fields of the form that are each available for user-defined selection;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, information obtained from the sent form wizard setup interface, the information received including user defined selections from the interface screen for setting up the form wizard user interface;

setting up the form wizard user interface based on the information received;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, a request from the user machine to fill a plurality of the form fields using the form wizard;

sending, by the machine resident database system, the form wizard user interface configured to prompt the user to sequentially fill in the plurality of the form fields by searching the form for the form fields and presenting the searched field to the user in priority order based on the user defined selections and in a step-by-step fashion;

receiving, at the machine resident database system, specifying information to fill each of the respective form fields of the form from the form wizard; and

sending to the user machine an updated instance of the form having the respective form fields filled in with the specifying information;

the form wizard user interface including a graphical image with an input field, the form wizard user interface appearing on top the image of the form, the form wizard user interface covering a portion of the form, while leaving a portion of the form having the particular field uncovered.

25. The machine resident host system of claim 24, wherein:

the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges; and

the information received contains optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface.

26. The machine resident host system of claim 24, wherein:

the form wizard contains instructions for instructing a user to use the form wizard, the form wizard setup interface accessible only to users having appropriate privileges;

the information received contains optional form fields for setting up the form wizard user interface, the form wizard user interface allowing a user to designate default values for form fields, the default values allowing the user to quickly fill form fields of a same type; and

the method further comprises enabling navigation of the form fields without benefit of a pointing device.