Techniques for changing perceivable stimuli associated with a user interface for an on-demand database service

• US 8,296,321 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Durdik, Paul, Josephson, Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/369,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 707/781, 707/783, 707/784, 707/785, 707/789, 707/788
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided techniques for providing perceivable stimuli in an interface of a multi-tenant on-demand database system. These techniques for providing perceivable stimuli facilitate collaborative efforts of groups of users of a multi-tenant on-demand database system while maintaining access constraints amongst users associated with a common tenant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for access to a sub-portion of content on a multi-tenant database system, wherein the sub-portion of content is subject to access constraints, and further wherein the request includes requester identification data;

identifying groups having access to the sub-portion of content;

identifying member information associated with the groups;

determining whether the requester identification data corresponds to the member information;

configuring an interface to provide perceivable stimuli to the requestor that corresponds to the sub-portion of content based on the requester information corresponding to the member information;

further including push information with the configured interface, wherein the push information comprises information to which access is not attainable by request of the requestor; and

wherein the push information further includes hysteretic data, the hysteretic data comprising information provided to the requestor before access to the multi-tenant database system is attained by the requestor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1:

wherein the push information is included at the initiative of a tenant of the multi-tenant database system; and

wherein configuring the interface further comprises populating different portions of a computer display with the sub-portion of content and with the push information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the push information is based on at least one or more of the following parameters:

a user'"'"'s schedule;

global positioning coordinates;

electronic message routing;

indicators that a salesperson is at a specific geographic location;

members of a virtual meeting independent of the geographic location of the members; and

wherein the parameters further determine whether a particular user receives the push information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein configuring the interface further comprises providing the perceivable stimuli with deterministic data, the deterministic data being related to a periodic business cycle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the requestor is associated with a tenant associated with the sub-portion and wherein configuring the interface further comprises providing the perceivable stimuli with information perceived by additional requestors associated with the tenant.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

querying the requestor as to whether visually perceivable information is to be included in the interface when the requestor is subsequently granted access to the database system.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having one or more sequences of instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out operations comprising:

receiving a request for access to a sub-portion of content on a multi-tenant database system, wherein the sub-portion of content is subject to access constraints, and further wherein the request includes requester identification data;

identifying groups having access to the sub-portion of content;

identifying member information associated with the groups;

determining whether the requester identification data corresponds to the member information;

configuring an interface to provide perceivable stimuli to the requestor that corresponds to the sub-portion of content based on the requester information corresponding to the member information;

further including push information with the configured interface, wherein the push information comprises information to which access is not attainable by request of the requestor; and

wherein the push information further includes hysteretic data, the hysteretic data comprising information provided to the requestor before access to the multi-tenant database system is attained by the requestor.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7:

wherein the push information is included at the initiative of a tenant of the multi-tenant database system; and

wherein configuring the interface further comprises populating different portions of a computer display with the sub-portion of content and with the push information.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7:

wherein the push information is based on at least one or more of the following parameters;

a user'"'"'s schedule;

global positioning coordinates;

electronic message routing;

indicators that a salesperson is at a specific geographic location;

members of a virtual meeting independent of the geographic location of the members; and

wherein the parameters further determine whether a particular user receives the push information.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein configuring the interface further comprises providing the perceivable stimuli with deterministic data, the deterministic data being related to a periodic business cycle.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the requestor is associated with a tenant associated with the sub-portion and wherein configuring the interface further comprises providing the perceivable stimuli with information perceived by additional requestors associated with the tenant.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to carry out operations further comprising:

querying the requestor as to whether visually perceivable information is to be included in the interface when the requestor is subsequently granted access to the database system.

13. An apparatus for providing perceivable stimuli, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory space having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out operations comprising;

receiving a request for access to a sub-portion of content on a multi-tenant database system, wherein the sub-portion of content is subject to access constraints, and further wherein the request includes requester identification data;

identifying groups having access to the sub-portion of content;

identifying member information associated with the groups;

determining whether the requester identification data corresponds to the member information;

configuring an interface to provide the perceivable stimuli to the requestor that corresponds to the sub-portion of content based on the requester information corresponding to the member information;

further including push information with the configured interface, wherein the push information comprises information to which access is not attainable by request of the requestor; and

wherein the push information further includes hysteretic data, the hysteretic data comprising information provided to the requestor before access to the multi-tenant database system is attained by the requestor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13:

wherein the push information is included at the initiative of a tenant of the multi-tenant database system; and

wherein configuring the interface further comprises populating different portions of a computer display with the sub-portion of content and with the push information.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the push information is based on at least one or more of the following parameters:

a user'"'"'s schedule;

global positioning coordinates;

electronic message routing;

indicators that a salesperson is at a specific geographic location;

members of a virtual meeting independent of the geographic location of the members; and

wherein the parameters further determine whether a particular user receives the push information.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the requestor is associated with a tenant associated with the sub-portion and wherein configuring the interface further comprises providing the perceivable stimuli with information perceived by additional requestors associated with the tenant.

17. A method for transmitting code to provide perceivable stimuli, the method comprising:

transmitting code for receiving a request for access to a sub-portion of content on a multi-tenant database system, wherein the sub-portion of content is subject to access constraints, and further wherein the request includes requester identification data;

transmitting code for identifying groups having access to the sub-portion of content;

transmitting code for identifying member information associated with the groups;

transmitting code for determining whether the requester identification data corresponds to the member information;

transmitting code for configuring an interface to provide the perceivable stimuli to the requestor that corresponds to the sub-portion of content based on the requester information corresponding to the member information;

transmitting code for further including push information with the configured interface, wherein the push information comprises information to which access is not attainable by request of the requestor; and

wherein the push information further includes hysteretic data, the hysteretic data comprising information provided to the requestor before access to the multi-tenant database system is attained by the requestor.

18. The method for transmitting code as recited by claim 17:

wherein the push information is included at the initiative of a tenant of the multi-tenant database system; and

wherein configuring the interface further comprises populating different portions of a computer display with the sub-portion of content and with the push information.

19. The method for transmitting code as recited by claim 17, wherein the push information is based on at least one or more of the following parameters:

a user'"'"'s schedule;

global positioning coordinates;

electronic message routing;

indicators that a salesperson is at a specific geographic location;

members of a virtual meeting independent of the geographic location of the members; and

wherein the parameters further determine whether a particular user receives the push information.

20. The method for transmitting code as recited by claim 17, wherein the requestor is associated with a tenant associated with the sub-portion and wherein configuring the interface further comprises providing the perceivable stimuli with information perceived by additional requestors associated with the tenant.