Social network system with social objects

• US 9,626,728 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Sayan, Olkin, Terry M., Olkin, Jeffrey, Rabe, Daniel G., Karpel, Lenny
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYARD, DJENANE M
• Application Number:
  US15/130,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A social network system provides a social network that receives from an application a business object and an associated system of record and generates a social object that corresponds to the business object and that comprises the system of record for the enterprise application. The social network assigns one or more members to the social object. The social network receives first changes to the system of record and, in response, modifies the social object to incorporate the first changes. The system provides second changes to the social object to the enterprise application, and the enterprise application, in response, modifies the system of record to incorporate the second changes.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide a social network, the providing the social network comprising:

receiving from an enterprise application a business object, associated business object data comprising records for the enterprise application and corresponding enterprise members, wherein the enterprise members comprise an enterprise team assigned to the business object;

generating a social object for the social network that corresponds to the business object and the business object data and comprises related conversations;

assigning one or more social members to the social object, wherein the social members comprise the enterprise team and additional members of the social network and wherein a set of the social members is different than a set of the enterprise members and at least one of the social members is not a user of the enterprise application;

receiving first changes to the associated business object data and, in response, modifying the social object to incorporate the first changes; and

providing second changes to the social object to the enterprise application, wherein the enterprise application, in response, modifies the associated business object data to incorporate the second changes.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

relating one or more conversations to the social object, wherein the conversations can be initiated by any of the set of the social members.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein each conversation comprises a shared stream of posts and comments.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first changes to the associated business object data comprise a change to a customer record.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the relating comprises selecting a conversation within a user interface corresponding to the business object.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a wall to the social object, wherein the wall displays the first changes to the associated business object data.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the enterprise application comprises a customer relationship management (CRM) application or an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.

8. A computer implemented method to provide a social network, the method comprising:

receiving from an enterprise application a business object, associated business object data comprising records for the enterprise application and corresponding enterprise members, wherein the enterprise members comprise an enterprise team assigned to the business object;

generating a social object for the social network that corresponds to the business object and the business object data and comprises related conversations;

assigning one or more social members to the social object, wherein the social members comprise the enterprise team and additional members of the social network and wherein a set of the social members is different than a set of the enterprise members and at least one of the social members is not a user of the enterprise application;

receiving first changes to the associated business object data and, in response, modifying the social object to incorporate the first changes; and

providing second changes to the social object to the enterprise application, wherein the enterprise application, in response, modifies the associated business object data to incorporate the second changes.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

relating one or more conversations to the social object, wherein the conversations can be initiated by any of the set of the social members.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each conversation comprises a shared stream of posts and comments.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first changes to the associated business object data comprise a change to a customer record.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the relating comprises selecting a conversation within a user interface corresponding to the business object.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating a wall to the social object, wherein the wall displays the first changes to the associated business object data.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the enterprise application comprises a customer relationship management (CRM) application or an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.

15. A social network system comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor and storing a social network module that is executed by the processor to provide a social network, the social network comprising;

receiving from an enterprise application a business object, associated business object data comprising records for the enterprise application and corresponding enterprise members, wherein the enterprise members comprise an enterprise team assigned to the business object;

generating a social object for the social network that corresponds to the business object and the business object data and comprises related conversations;

assigning one or more social members to the social object, wherein the social members comprise the enterprise team and additional members of the social network and wherein a set of the social members is different than a set of the enterprise members and at least one of the social members is not a user of the enterprise application;

receiving first changes to the associated business object data and, in response, modifying the social object to incorporate the first changes; and

providing second changes to the social object to the enterprise application, wherein the enterprise application, in response, modifies the associated business object data to incorporate the second changes.

16. The social network system of claim 15, wherein the social object is hosted in a social network server and the business object is hosted in an enterprise application server.

17. The social network system of claim 15, further comprising:

relating one or more conversations to the social object, wherein the conversations can be initiated by any of the set of the social members.

18. The social network system of claim 15, further comprising:

associating a wall to the social object, wherein the wall displays the first changes to the associated business object data.

19. The social network system of claim 15, wherein the enterprise application comprises a customer relationship management (CRM) application or an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.

20. The social network system of claim 19, wherein the first changes to the associated business object data comprise a change to a customer record.