Method and apparatus for displaying network-based deal transactions

• US 7,379,064 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Currie, Christine, Currie, Robert E., Schulman, Robert M., Baker, Dixie, Raffel, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Doren; Beth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Loftis; Johnna
• Application Number:
  US09/797,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,646 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/7, 705/10, 345/440
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A method and apparatus for network-based sales force automation are provided that meet objectives of increasing sales and marketing efficiency and efficiency of technical and customer support by providing multi-dimensional displays of transactional information to users. Transactional information of deals, contacts, accounts, and leads is provided over the Internet using a Web browser. The information of related transactions is electronically linked, and the transactional information is electronically searchable using custom profiles. The transactional information is accessed and shared among host organization members according to a hierarchy and predefined territories. A Radar Screen Opportunity Display (RSOD) may be selected on which deal objects are displayed that represent the stages in a sales pipeline of corresponding deals. New business information may be selected, wherein automatic notification is provided of new information and changed information relating to transactions, wherein the new business information comprises information on at least one monitored customer Web site. A communication capability is provided that comprises electronic mail, facsimile, telephones, and paging devices, wherein communication is automatically established using transactional information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, over a network, shared information regarding a transaction, wherein

the transaction comprises one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts;

electronically linking information of first and second related transactions;

determining a deal of the one or more deals to be displayed;

generating for display a deal object corresponding to the deal to be displayed;

displaying the deal object a determined distance from a central point on a display,

wherein

the determined distance of the deal object represents a related stage of a plurality of stages of the corresponding deal, and

the central point representing a final stage of the plurality of stages of the corresponding deal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the deal to be displayed comprises:

a sales deal,

a service to be performed,

a product defect, and

a call by a representative.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a size and a color and a shape and a fill pattern of the deal object are each indicative of at least one characteristic of the corresponding deal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the deal object using animation, wherein said animation indicates progression and regression of the corresponding deal over a specified period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deal object comprises:

an object tail, wherein

a length and a direction of the object tail are each indicative of at least one characteristic of the corresponding deal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dividing the display into a plurality of sectors, wherein a location of the deal object in a particular sector is representative of at least one characteristic of the corresponding deal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the deal object provides an electronic link to a detail page comprising information relating to the corresponding deal.

8. A system comprising:

a display device;

a processor, coupled to a network and the display device, and configured to

provide shared information regarding a transaction, wherein

the transaction comprises one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts,

link information of a first and second related transaction,

determine a deal of the one or more deals to be displayed,

generate for display a deal object corresponding to the deal to be displayed, and

display the deal object a determined distance from a central point on the display device, wherein

the determined distance of the deal object represents a related stage of a plurality of stages of the corresponding deal, and

the central point representing a final stage of the plurality of stages of the corresponding deal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a size and a color and a shape and a fill pattern of the deal object are each indicative of a characteristic of the corresponding deal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the deal object is animated, the animation indicating the progression and regression of the corresponding deal over a specified period of time.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the deal object comprises an object tail, wherein the length of the object tail and the direction of the object tail are each indicative of a characteristic of the corresponding deal.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the display device is divided into a plurality of sectors, the location of the deal object in a particular sector representative of a characteristic of the corresponding deal.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the deal object provides an electronic link to a detail page comprising information relating to the corresponding deal.

14. A system comprising:

shared information regarding a transaction, wherein

the shared information regarding the transaction comprises information regarding one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts,

the shared information is shared according to a hierarchy and predefined territories, and

one or more links among related transactions;

a network coupled to the system, wherein

the shared information is transmitted over the network, and

a display for displaying a deal object corresponding to a selected deal of the one or more deals, wherein

the deal object is displayed a determined distance from a central point on the display,

the determined distance represents a related stage of a plurality of stages of the selected deal,

the central point represents a final stage of the plurality of stages of the corresponding deal,

a size and a color and a shape and a fill pattern of the deal object are each indicative of at least one characteristic of the selected deal, and

the deal object provides an electronic link to a detail page comprising information relating to the selected deal.

15. A computer readable medium comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable in a processing system, configured to provide, over a network, shared information regarding a transaction, wherein

the shared information regarding the transaction comprises information regarding one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts;

a second set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to electronically link shared information regarding related transactions; and

a third set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to determine a deal of the one or more deals to be displayed;

a fourth set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to generate for display a deal object corresponding to the deal to be displayed;

a fifth set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to display the deal object a determined distance from a central point on a display, wherein

the determined distance of the deal object represents a related stage of a plurality of stages of the corresponding deal, and

the central point representing a final stage of the plurality of stages of the corresponding deal.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein a size and a color and a shape and a fill pattern of the deal object are each indicative of at least one characteristic of the corresponding deal.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising:

a sixth set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to display the deal object using animation, wherein

the animation indicates progression and regression of the corresponding deal over a specified period of time.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the deal object comprises an object tail, wherein a length and a direction of the object tail are each indicative of at least one characteristic of the corresponding deal.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising:

a sixth set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to divide the display into a plurality of sectors, wherein

a location of the deal object in a particular sector is representative of at least one characteristic of the corresponding deal.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the deal object provides an electronic link to a detail page comprising information relating to the corresponding deal.