Method and system for the management of professional services project information

• US 10,242,077 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patrick Joseph Coyne
• Original Assignee: Patrick Joseph Coyne
• Inventors: Coyne, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Farhan M
• Application Number:
  US14/920,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160042044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A method and system are provided for the transfer and/or aggregation of data and, in particular, integrating data used in managing a professional services practice. The invention preferably transfers and/or aggregates data relating to the identity of clients and matters for whom professional services are being rendered with data relating to the work which data may be maintained in inconsistent, proprietary formats, comprising one or more of the following types of information: accounting; budgeting; docketing; time and billing: work product; word processing; records; project management; and/or other information relating to the professional services. The system of the present invention preferably comprises data storage and data processing means adapted to use the data in substantially portable and/or application-independent format, and/or and transfer or aggregate data between common, and/or proprietary data formats.

Claims

1. A computing system for enhancing the portability of data between distributed applications, the computing system comprising:

a computer network;

a plurality of distributed applications providing data in a plurality of proprietary formats;

a database connected with the plurality of distributed applications via the computer network, the database comprising a plurality of hierarchical tiers, wherein;

a first tier of the plurality of hierarchical tiers comprises client-identifying information,

a second tier of the plurality of hierarchical tiers comprises matter-identifying information, and

a third tier of the plurality of hierarchical tiers comprises event-identifying information; and

a server computer comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the server computer to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the computer network, first data from a first distributed application of the plurality of distributed applications, the first data comprising first client-identifying information and first matter-identifying information;

determining whether a first format the first data is compliant with an application-independent data standard;

when the first format is not compliant with the application-independent data standard,

retrieving the first data using a first data query corresponding to the first distributed application;

converting the first data into a format compliant with the application-independent data standard; and

when the first format is compliant with the application-independent data standard, not performing the retrieving and the converting of the first data;

receiving, via the computer network, second data from a second distributed application of the plurality of distributed applications, the second data comprising second client-identifying information and second matter-identifying information;

determining whether a second format of the second data is compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the second format is not compliant with the application-independent data standard,

retrieving the second data using a second data query corresponding to the second distributed application, and

converting the second data into the format compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the second format is compliant with the application-independent data standard, not performing the retrieving and the converting of the second data;

generating combined client-matter information by combining the first data and the second data;

storing the combined client-matter information in the plurality of hierarchical tiers of the database, wherein client-identifying information of the combined client-matter information is stored in the first tier, and matter-identifying information is stored in the second tier;

receiving, via the computer network, third data from a third distributed application of the plurality of distributed applications, the third data comprising event information relating to the combined client-matter information;

determining whether a third format of the third data is compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the third format is not compliant with the application-independent data standard,

retrieving the third data using a third data query corresponding to the third distributed application, and

converting the third data into the format compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the third format is compliant with the application-independent data standard, not performing the retrieving and the converting of the third data;

storing the third data in the database in relation to the combined client-matter information;

generating a hierarchical view representing the combined client-matter information, the hierarchical view comprising a client view, a matter view, and an event view, wherein;

at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data is displayed in the client view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the first tier of the hierarchical database,

at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data is displayed in the matter view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the second tier of the hierarchical database, and

at least a portion of the third data is displayed in the event view based on the third data being associated with the with the third tier of the hierarchical database;

displaying the hierarchical view, wherein the client view is located at a first tier of the hierarchical view, the matter view is located at a second tier of the hierarchical view, and the event view located at a third tier of the hierarchical view; and

serving the hierarchical view to a plurality of web applications via a virtual private network interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the application-independent data standard is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second format is a proprietary format of the second application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical view further comprises a project view displayed at a fourth tier of the hierarchical view.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via the computer network, first data from a first distributed application of the plurality of distributed applications, the first data comprising first client-identifying information and first matter-identifying information;

determining whether a first format the first data is compliant with an application-independent data standard;

when the first format is not compliant with the application-independent data standard,

retrieving the first data using a first data query corresponding to the first distributed application;

converting the first data into a format compliant with the application-independent data standard; and

when the first format is compliant with the application-independent data standard, not performing the retrieving and the converting of the first data;

receiving, via the computer network, second data from a second distributed application of the plurality of distributed applications, the second data comprising second client-identifying information and second matter-identifying information;

determining whether a second format of the second data is compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the second format is not compliant with the application-independent data standard,

retrieving the second data using a second data query corresponding to the second distributed application, and

converting the second data into the format compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the second format is compliant with the application-independent data standard, not performing the retrieving and the converting of the second data;

generating combined client-matter information by combining the first data and the second data;

storing the combined client-matter information in the plurality of hierarchical tiers of the database, wherein client-identifying information of the combined client-matter information is stored in the first tier, and matter-identifying information is stored in the second tier;

receiving, via the computer network, third data from a third distributed application of the plurality of distributed applications, the third data comprising event information relating to the combined client-matter information;

determining whether a third format of the third data is compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the third format is not compliant with the application-independent data standard,

retrieving the third data using a third data query corresponding to the third distributed application, and

converting the third data into the format compliant with the application-independent data standard;

when the third format is compliant with the application-independent data standard, not performing the retrieving and the converting of the third data;

storing the third data in the database in relation to the combined client-matter information;

generating a hierarchical view representing the combined client-matter information, the hierarchical view comprising a client view, a matter view, and an event view, wherein;

at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data is displayed in the client view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the first tier of the hierarchical database,

at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data is displayed in the matter view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the second tier of the hierarchical database, and

at least a portion of the third data is displayed in the event view based on the third data being associated with the with the third tier of the hierarchical database;

displaying the hierarchical view, wherein the client view is located at a first tier of the hierarchical view, the matter view is located at a second tier of the hierarchical view, and the event view located at a third tier of the hierarchical view; and

serving the hierarchical view to a plurality of web applications via a virtual private network interface.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the application-independent data standard is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second format is a proprietary format of the second application.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein:

the hierarchical view further comprises a project view displayed at a fourth tier of the hierarchical view.

9. A computing system for enhancing the portability of data between distributed applications, the computing system comprising:

a plurality of distributed applications providing data in a plurality of proprietary formats;

a database connected with the plurality of applications, the database comprising a plurality of hierarchical tiers, wherein a first tier of the plurality of hierarchical tiers comprises client-identifying information, a second tier of the plurality of hierarchical tiers comprises matter-identifying information, a third tier of the plurality of hierarchical tiers comprises event-identifying information; and

a computing system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable media device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

receiving first data from a first application of the plurality of applications, the first data comprising first client-identifying information and a first matter-identifying information;

determining that a first format the first data is not compliant with the application-independent data standard;

converting the first data into a format compliant with the application-independent data standard using a first database query corresponding to the first distributed application; and

receiving second data from a second application of the plurality of applications, the second data comprising the second client-identifying information and the second matter-identifying information;

determining that a second format of the second data is not compliant with the application-independent data standard;

converting the second data into the format compliant with the application-independent data standard using a second database query corresponding to the second distributed application;

generating combined client-matter information by combining the first data and the second data;

storing the combined client-matter data in the plurality of hierarchical tiers of the database, wherein client-identifying information of the combined client-matter data is stored in the first tier, and matter-identifying information is stored in the second tier;

receiving third data from a third application of the plurality of applications, the third data comprising event information relating to the client-matter information;

storing the third data in the database in relation to the combined client-matter information;

generating a hierarchical view representing the combined client-matter information, the hierarchical view comprising a client view, a matter view, and an event view, wherein;

at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the client view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the first tier of the hierarchical database,

at least a portion of the first data or at least a portion of the second data are displayed in the matter view based on the first data and the second data being associated with the second tier of the hierarchical database, and

at least a portion of the third data is displayed in the event view based on the third data being associated with the with the third tier of the hierarchical database in relation to the combined client-matter information; and

serving the hierarchical view one or more web applications via the network.