Systems and methods for implementing customized drop-down menus

• US 9,600,512 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Gasn, Marni, Kwong, Herman
• Primary Examiner(s): Radtke, Mark A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STITT, ERIK V
• Application Number:
  US12/879,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20110209094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/764, 715/843
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/235 Update request formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing customized drop-down menus in user interface displays. Drop-down menus include one or more selection options and a table having multiple fields. Drop-down menu items are particularly useful for assisting a user with assigning information synchronized into a target database from one database system, such as an Outlook file, to objects in the target database system, such as a multi-tenant database system as well as providing suggestions to the user from search results when they may want to choose one of those results or perform a different action altogether.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a database system implemented using a server system, the database system configurable to cause;

accessing a source database storing a plurality of source records in a first format, the first format capable of being used by a source application to process the source records, the source application provided by a first provider and providing at least one information management service;

determining, using the database system, that a portion of the source records are candidate source records to be assigned to a target database, the target database storing a plurality of target records in a second format different from the first format, the second format capable of being used by a target application to process the target records, the target application provided by a second provider different from and external to the first provider and providing at least one customer management service;

processing a selection of two or more of the candidate source records from the portion of source records, the two or more candidate source records capable of being assigned to a same target record;

responsive to the selection of the two or more candidate source records, identifying by a server associated with the database system;

a first target record as comprising a customer account, the identification of the first target record based on a name of an organization being associated with the two or more candidate source records and with the customer account, and

a second target record as comprising an opportunity, the opportunity being a potential sale or a pending sale, the identification of the second target record based on a purchase order being associated with the two or more candidate source records and with the customer account;

displaying a first item in a user interface on a display device, the first item comprising a representation of the identified customer account and a first visual indicator, the first visual indicator representing a first object type of the customer account;

displaying a second item in the user interface on the display device, the second item comprising a representation of the identified opportunity and a second visual indicator, the second visual indicator representing a second object type of the opportunity, the second object type being a different customer relationship management object type than the first object type;

processing a selection of the identified customer account, the selection submitted via the user interface on the display device; and

assigning, using the database system and in real-time with respect to processing the selection of the identified customer account, the two or more candidate source records to the selected customer account, the assignment being identifiable by data stored in the target database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first item includes one or more additional selectable options.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more additional selectable options includes an option to create a new object.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more additional selectable options includes an option to perform an additional search.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification of the first target record is done in real-time in response to receiving the selection of two or more candidate source records.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification of the first target record is done prior to displaying the first item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein assigning, by a server associated with the database system, includes associating fields of the two or more candidate source records with fields of the selected customer account.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the source database is an Outlook file and wherein the target database is a multi-tenant database system.

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

accessing a source database of a database system implemented using a server system, the source database storing a plurality of source records in a first format, the first format capable of being used by a source application to process the source records, the source application provided by a first provider and providing at least one information management service;

determining, using the database system, that a portion of the source records are candidate source records to be assigned to a target database, the target database storing a plurality of target records in a second format different from the first format, the second format capable of being used by a target application to process the target records, the target application provided by a second provider different from and external to the first provider and providing at least one customer management service;

processing a selection of two or more of the candidate source records from the portion of source records, the two or more candidate source records capable of being assigned to a same target record;

responsive to the selection of the two or more candidate source records, identifying by a server associated with the database system;

a first target record as comprising a customer account, the identification of the first target record based on a name of an organization being associated with the two or more candidate source records and with the customer account, and

a second target record as comprising an opportunity, the opportunity being a potential sale or a pending sale, the identification of the second target record based on a purchase order being associated with the two or more candidate source records and with the customer account;

displaying a first item in a user interface on a display device, the first item comprising a representation of the identified customer account and a first visual indicator, the first visual indicator representing a first object type of the customer account;

displaying a second item in the user interface on the display device, the second item comprising a representation of the identified opportunity and a second visual indicator, the second visual indicator representing a second object type of the opportunity, the second object type being a different customer relationship management object type than the first object type;

processing a selection of the identified customer account, the selection submitted via the user interface on the display device; and

assigning, using the database system and in real-time with respect to processing the selection of the identified customer account, the two or more candidate source records to the selected customer account, the assignment being identifiable by data stored in the target database.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first item includes one or more additional selectable options.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the one or more additional selectable options includes an option to create a new object.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the one or more additional selectable options includes an option to perform an additional search.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the identification of the first target record is done in near real-time in response to receiving the selection of two or more candidate source records.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the identification of the first target record is done prior to displaying the first item.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the identification of the first target record is done prior to displaying the user interface on the display device.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the source database includes an Outlook file and wherein the target database is a multi-tenant database system.

17. A method comprising:

accessing a source database of a database system storing a plurality of source records in a first format, the first format capable of being used by a source application to process the source records, the source application provided by a first provider and providing at least one information management service;

determining, using the database system, that a portion of the source records are candidate source records to be assigned to a target database, the target database storing a plurality of target records in a second format different from the first format, the second format capable of being used by a target application to process the target records, the target application provided by a second provider different from and external to the first provider and providing at least one customer management service;

processing a selection of two or more of the candidate source records from the portion of source records, the two or more candidate source records capable of being assigned to a same target record;

responsive to the selection of the two or more candidate source records, identifying by a server associated with the database system;

a first target record as comprising a customer account, the identification of the first target record based on a name of an organization being associated with the two or more candidate source records and with the customer account, and

a second target record as comprising an opportunity, the opportunity being a potential sale or a pending sale, the identification of the second target record based on a purchase order being associated with the two or more candidate source records and with the customer account;

causing display of a first item in a user interface on a display device, the first item comprising a representation of the identified customer account and a first visual indicator, the first visual indicator representing a first object type of the customer account;

causing display of a second item in the user interface on the display device, the second item comprising a representation of the identified opportunity and a second visual indicator, the second visual indicator representing a second object type of the opportunity, the second object type being a different customer relationship management object type than the first object type;

processing a selection of the identified customer account, the selection submitted via the user interface on the display device; and

assigning, using the database system and in real-time with respect to processing the selection of the identified customer account, the two or more candidate source records to the selected customer account, the assignment being identifiable by data stored in the target database.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the source database includes an Outlook file.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first item includes one or both of an option to create a new object, and an option to perform an additional search against objects in the target database.