System and method for a cloud based solution to track notes against business records

• US 9,817,991 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetSuite Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NetSuite Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Boncha, Chris, Camacho, Juan, Xue, Wei (Michelle), Kessman, Rosalina, Rajkumar, Sam, Lim, Johanne
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYOU, YONAS A
• Application Number:
  US14/708,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for creating, editing and using notes within the context of a records database. In an embodiment, a user may create a virtual sticky note that is associated with an underlying record such that the note is displayed with the record but extraneous from any field in the business record. Further, not all notes may be seen by all users as various levels of privacy may be established for different users. Embodiments enable users to efficiently and effectively associate their comments or other inputs with a record or file that is maintained on a cloud-based or multi-tenant platform. The notes may be implemented is a cloud-based solution to track notes/comments against business records maintained on a multi-tenant platform. In one embodiment, a note creator may permit other users to specify rules or criteria that determine who or what portions of an organization may view the created notes.

Claims

1. A method for improving the operation of a computer system, the method comprising:

creating a data record having data that can be accessed by credentialed users of a multi-tenant computing system;

establishing restricted access for the created record and storing the restricted-access record in a tenant data store in the multi-tenant computing system such that a first subset of the credentialed users of the multi-tenant computing system may access the restricted-access record;

accessing the restricted-access record stored in the tenant data store using access credentials of a user in the first subset of users;

generating a note associated with the record, the note having restricted access that is different from the restricted access of the record that corresponds to a second subset of the credentialed users of the multi-tenant computing system;

accessing the restricted-access record using access credentials of a user in the second subset; and

displaying the record on the display with the note displayed over the record if the access credentials allow for access to both the restricted-access record and the note.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted access of the record comprises a restriction of access to users of the tenant data store who have the access credentials corresponding to the record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted access of the note comprises a restriction of access to users of the tenant data store who have the access credentials assigned by a note generating user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the note after the note is generated; and

changing the restricted access of the note.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a communication to be sent to users who are designated as having access to the restricted-access note.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the generated note with a creator; and

displaying all notes created by the creator on a note board display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the note comprises a color associated with a priority of the note.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the note comprises text data entered at the time of the creation of the note.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating an assimilation command that causes data stored in the note to be entered into a field of the associated record.

10. A multi-tenant computing platform, comprising:

a records application configured to store records in a tenant data store;

each record having record data stored therein;

a graphical user interface configured to display a graphical representation of data associated with one or more records such that the display is restricted to a first set of one or more credentialed users; and

a notes application configured to facilitate generation of a note associated with one or more records in the tenant data store, each note having restricted access such that only a second set of one or more credentialed users may access the note, the second set different from the first set;

wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display a note over a record if and only if a credentialed user of the graphical user interface is in the first set of one or more credentialed users and in the second set of one or more credentialed users.

11. The multi-tenant computing platform of claim 10, further comprising a credentials application configured to store credentials data for users wherein users may have credentials associated with access to notes.

12. The multi-tenant computing platform of claim 10, further comprising a note board application configured to display one or more notes without respectively associated records.

13. The multi-tenant computing platform of claim 10, further comprising a note priority application configured to store a designated priority for each note.

14. The multi-tenant computing platform of claim 10, wherein the records stored in the tenant data store comprises business records for an enterprise resource planning system.

15. The multi-tenant computing platform of claim 10, wherein the records stored in the tenant data store comprises business records for a customer relationship management system.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions to improve operation of a multi-tenant computing platform, the instructions comprising:

facilitating creation of a data record having data that can be accessed by credentialed users of a multi-tenant computing system;

facilitating establishing restricted access for the created record and storing the restricted-access record in a tenant data store in the multi-tenant computing system such that a first subset of the credentialed users of the multi-tenant computing system may access the restricted-access record

providing a user access to the restricted-access record stored in the tenant data store using access credentials of a user in the first subset of users;

facilitating generation of a note associated with the record, the note having restricted access that is different from the restricted access of the record that corresponds to a second subset of the credentialed users of the multi-tenant computing system;

facilitating access to the restricted-access record using access credentials of a user in the second subset; and

displaying the record on the display with the note displayed over the record if the access credentials allow for access to both the restricted-access record and the note.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the restricted access of the record comprises a restriction of access to users of the tenant data store who have the access credentials corresponding to the record.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the restricted access of the note comprises a restriction of access to users of the tenant data store who have access credentials assigned by a note generating user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

accessing the note after the note is generated; and

changing the restricted access of the note.