Navigation systems with event notification

• US 9,442,620 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: King, Nigel, Miranda, Steven, Singh, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US11/842,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,311 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/705, 715/733, 715/751, 715/764, 715/771, 715/783, 715/810, 715/825, 715853-855, 715/907, 715/961, 715/965, 715/966, 715/969, 715/970
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

This disclosure describes tools for navigating within applications, and in particular business applications. For example, a menu system may incorporate a notification system, such that notifications of events received at a business application are displayed within the context of the menu system. The user can be allowed to select an event from the menu system, allowing the user to quickly navigate to a context, within the application, corresponding to the event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system hosting a business application, information providing notification of a set of one or more events;

identifying, at the computer system, a menu item of a menu to which the set of one or more events pertain, the menu item corresponding to a function of the business application;

determining that a user should be notified of the set of one or more events based at least in part on consulting a set of business rules that comprises a first set of one or more business rules that specify notification based at least in part on a change in value of a key performance indicator, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events pertains to the key performance indicator;

in response to the determining, modifying a visual appearance of the menu item within the menu to provide an indication of receiving the set of one or more events based at least in part on a level of urgency associated with the set of one or more events, wherein the modifying comprises using an element that displays the set of one or more events;

modifying a menu hierarchy of the menu item of the menu to include another menu item in the menu hierarchy for each event in the set of one or more events;

receiving at the computer system, input from the user of the business application, indicative of a selection of an event from the set of one or more events displayed in the modified menu hierarchy; and

navigating, in response to the selection, to a context within the business application corresponding to the selected event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is directed to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more events comprises multiple events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the visual appearance of the menu item within then menu comprises providing, in the menu, an indication of a number of events for which notification was received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events is generated by the business application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the business application supports a workflow comprising a plurality of tasks, and wherein at least one of the set of one or more events comprises completion, by a second user, of one of the plurality of tasks.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the function corresponds to the workflow, and wherein navigating to a context within the business application comprises navigating to a screen corresponding to a second of the plurality of tasks in the workflow.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events comprises modification of a set of data in a database maintained by the business application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events corresponds to a timer within the business application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the element is operable to expand a tree view comprising the menu hierarchy with the set of one or more events.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the tree view comprises a set of one or more hyperlinks corresponding to the set of one or more events.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a selection of an event comprises the user selecting one of the one or more hyperlinks.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu is displayed on a web page.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the business application, notification of a second set of one or more events;

identifying, at the computer system, a second function of the business application to which the second set of one or more events pertain;

identifying a second menu item corresponding to the second function; and

modifying a display property of the second menu item to provide an indication of the second set of one or more events.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the user should be notified of the set of one or more events is upon receiving notification of a set of one or more events.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of one or more business rules comprises a first business rule governing operation of the business application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first business rule defines the key performance indicator.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the set of one or more events comprises the change in the value of the key performance indicator.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the visual appearance of the menu item comprises of at least one of:

modifying a font in which the menu item is displayed;

modifying a text color in which the menu item is displayed; and

adding a special graphical identifier along with the menu item displayed.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer system, the set of instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving information providing notification of a set of one or more events;

instructions for identifying a menu item of a menu to which the set of one or more events pertain, the menu item corresponding to a function of a business application;

instructions for determining that a user should be notified of the set of one or more events based at least in part on consulting a set of business rules that comprises a first set of one or more business rules that specify notification based at least in part on a change in value of a key performance indicator, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events pertains to the key performance indicator, and, in response to the determining, modifying a visual appearance of the menu item within in the menu based at least in part on a level of urgency associated with the set of one or more events, wherein the modifying comprises using an element that displays the set of one or more events;

instructions for modifying a menu hierarchy of the menu item of the menu to include another menu item in the menu hierarchy for each event in the set of one or more events;

instructions for receiving, input from the user of the business application, indicative of a selection of an event from the set of one or more events displayed in the modified menu hierarchy; and

instructions for navigating, in response to the selection, to a context within the business application corresponding to the selected event.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the notification is directed to the user.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the set of one or more events comprises multiple events.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein instructions for modifying the visual appearance of the menu item within then menu comprises instructions for providing, in the menu, an indication of a number of events for which notification was received.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events is generated by the business application.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the business application supports a workflow comprising a plurality of tasks, and wherein at least one of the set of one or more events comprises completion, by a second user, of one of the plurality of tasks.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the function corresponds to the workflow, and wherein navigating to a context within the business application comprises navigating to a screen corresponding to a second of the plurality of tasks in the workflow.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events comprises modification of a set of data in a database maintained by the business application.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events corresponds to a timer within the business application.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the element is operable to expand a tree view comprising the menu hierarchy with the set of one or more events.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the tree view comprises a set of one or more hyperlinks corresponding to the set of one or more events.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein receiving a selection of an event comprises the user selecting one of the one or more hyperlinks.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the menu is displayed on a web page.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, the set of instructions further comprising:

instructions for receiving, at the business application, notification of a second set of one or more events

instructions for identifying, at the computer system, a second function of the business application to which the second set of one or more events pertain;

instructions for identifying a second menu item corresponding to the second function; and

instructions for modifying a display property of the second menu item to provide an indication of the second set of one or more events.

34. A computer system comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions executable by the one or more processors that configure the processor to;

receive information providing notification of a set of one or more events;

identify a menu item of a menu to which the set of one or more events pertain, the menu item corresponding to a function of a business application;

determining that a user should be notified of the set of one or more events based at least in part on consulting a set of business rules that comprises a first set of one or more business rules that specify notification based at least in part on a change in value of a key performance indicator, wherein at least one of the set of one or more events pertains to the key performance indicator;

in response to the determining, modify a visual appearance of the menu item within the menu to provide an indication of receiving the set of one or more events based at least in part on a level of urgency associated with the set of one or more events, wherein the modifying comprises;

using an element that displays the set of one or more events;

modify a menu hierarchy of the menu item of the menu to include another menu item in the menu hierarchy for each event in the set of one or more events;

receive, input from the user of the business application, indicative of a selection of an event from the set of one or more events displayed in the modified menu hierarchy; and

navigate, in response to the selection, to a context within the business application corresponding to the selected event.

35. The computer system of claim 34, wherein the computer system is in communication with a web server, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a web page comprising the menu and instructions for transmitting, via the web server, the web page for reception by a web browser operated by the user;

the instructions for receiving input from the user comprise receiving input from the web browser via the web server;

the instructions for receiving a selection of an event comprise instructions for receiving the selection from the web browser via the web server; and

the instructions for navigating to a context within the business application comprise instructions for generating a second web page corresponding to the context within the business application and instructions for transmitting, via the web server, the second web page for reception by the web browser.

36. The computer system of claim 35, wherein the computer system comprises the web server.

37. A computer system comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

one or more non-transitory memories storing a business application configured to be executable by the one or more processors, the business application comprising a navigation system comprising a menu configured to display a plurality of interface elements each selectable as menu items to access a corresponding function of the business application, the navigation system being configured to;

receive information providing notification of an event;

identify a function of the business application to which the event pertains;

identify a menu item corresponding to the identified function;

determine that a user should be notified of the event based at least in part on consulting a set of business rules that comprises a first set of one or more business rules that specify notification based at least in part on a change in value of a key performance indicator, wherein the event pertains to the key performance indicator;

in response to the determining, modify the menu for the user based at least in part on a level of urgency associated with the event, wherein the modified menu comprises the menu item, an indication of the event, and an element that displays another menu item for the event relative to the menu item in a menu hierarchy;

receive, from the user, a selection of the event via the menu item; and

navigate, in response to the selection, to a context within the business application corresponding to the event.