Methods and Apparatus for Inviting Users to Follow Records in an On-Demand Database Service Environment

• US 20120079038A1
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hersh, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods, and computer readable media for inviting users to follow records in an on-demand database service environment. In one embodiment, a message is received, for instance, at a server. The message includes an identification of a record stored in a database in the on-demand service environment. The identified record is selected for inviting one or more users to follow updates to the record. The updates are capable of being stored as feed items in one or more feed tables in the database. The feed items are capable of being published in an information feed displayed on a display device. A message received can also include an identification of one or more user profiles to invite to follow updates to the identified record in the on-demand service environment. An invitation message including an indication of the identified record is generated. The invitation message is sent to the identified one or more user profiles.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a message including an identification of a record stored in a database in an on-demand service environment, the identified record being selected for inviting one or more users to follow updates to the record, the updates capable of being stored as feed items in one or more feed tables in the database, the feed items capable of being published in an information feed displayed on a display device;

receiving a message including an identification of one or more user profiles to invite to follow updates to the identified record in the on-demand service environment;

generating an invitation message including an indication of the identified record; and

sending the invitation message to the identified one or more user profiles.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether one of the user profiles was following the identified record before sending the invitation message; and

displaying the invitation message on a user interface associated with the one user profile when the one user profile was not following the identified record before sending the invitation message.

3. The method of claim 1, the one or more user profiles being identified according to a designated group with which the one or more user profiles are associated.

4. The method of claim 3, the one or more user profiles being identified according to an attribute of the designated group.

5. The method of claim 1, the one or more user profiles being identified according to a designated role of the one or more user profiles.

6. The method of claim 1, the one or more user profiles being identified according to a designated name of the one or more user profiles.

7. The method of claim 1, the one or more user profiles being identified according to a designated attribute of the one or more user profiles.

8. The method of claim 1, the record being identified according to a designated type of the record.

9. The method of claim 8, the designated type of the record being an item selected from the group consisting of:

an account, an opportunity, a case, a contact, a task, an event, and a group.

10. The method of claim 1, the record being identified according to one or more designated fields of the record.

11. The method of claim 10, the record being identified by applying one or more criteria to the one or more designated fields of the record.

12. The method of claim 1, the record being identified according to a designated name of the record.

13. The method of claim 1, the record being a standard object.

14. The method of claim 1, the record being a custom object.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance message from an identified user profile; and

storing, in one or more feed tables in the database, data indicating that the identified user profile is following the updates to the record.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a rejection message from an identified user profile.

17. A system comprising:

a database; and

one or more servers configured to;

receive a message including an identification of a record stored in the database, the identified record being selected for inviting one or more users to follow updates to the record, the updates capable of being stored as feed items in one or more feed tables in the database, the feed items capable of being published in an information feed displayed on a display device;

receive a message including an identification of one or more user profiles to invite to follow updates to the identified record;

generate an invitation message including an indication of the identified record; and

send the invitation message to the identified one or more user profiles.

18. The system of claim 17, the one or more servers further configured to:

determine whether one of the user profiles was following the identified record before sending the invitation message; and

display the invitation message on a user interface associated with the one user profile when the one user profile was not following the identified record before sending the invitation message.

19. The system of claim 17, the record being identified according to one or more designated fields of the record.

20. The system of claim 19, the record being identified by applying one or more criteria to the one or more designated fields of the record.

21. The system of claim 17, the one or more servers further configured to:

receive an acceptance message from an identified user profile; and

store, in one or more feed tables in the database, data indicating that the identified user profile is following the updates to the record.

22. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable by a processor to enable the processor to:

receive a message including an identification of a record stored in the database, the identified record being selected for inviting one or more users to follow updates to the record, the updates capable of being stored as feed items in one or more feed tables in the database, the feed items capable of being published in an information feed displayed on a display device;

receive a message including an identification of one or more user profiles to invite to follow updates to the identified record;

generate an invitation message including an indication of the identified record; and

send the invitation message to the identified one or more user profiles.

23. The system of claim 22, the instructions further executable by the processor to enable the processor to:

determine whether one of the user profiles was following the identified record before sending the invitation message; and

display the invitation message on a user interface associated with the one user profile when the one user profile was not following the identified record before sending the invitation message.

24. The system of claim 22, the instructions further executable by the processor to enable the processor to:

receive an acceptance message from an identified user profile; and

store, in one or more feed tables in the database, data indicating that the identified user profile is following the updates to the record.