Facilitating data manipulation in a browser-based user interface of an enterprise business application

• US 8,949,705 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetSuite Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NetSuite Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Braud, Luke A., Goldwasser, Baruch, Goldberg, Evan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US13/663,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 715/212, 715/219, 715/220, 715/227, 715/255
• US Class Current: 715/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Optimal presentation and editing of business data in a browser-based user interface of an integrated web-based business information system is described, including a browser at a user computer in dynamic communication with a web server allowing database editing and updating without browser page refreshes. For optimizing the data input/editing experience of the user, an array of features in various combinations is provided including: single-click instantiation of cell editing in a table displayed by the browser; single off-click or keyboard commits instantiating cell-wise data transfers; bulk editing allowing group modification of data elements across a plurality of adjacently-displayed or non-adjacently displayed records; client-side, location-based caching of old cell values allowing selective go-back for any edited or bulk-edited cell, in any order desired by the user, prior to a page-refreshing input event; and easy establishment/modification of sub-records associated with any of a displayed list of records using sub-record access icons, rollover menus, and auxiliary browser windows.

Claims

1. A method for updating data being displayed to a user, said data being obtained at least in part from a data storage element, said data storage element storing a plurality of data elements having values associated therewith, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a rendering of data elements and associated values received from said data storage element in a browser window, said rendered data elements and associated values including at least a first data element having a first initial associated value and a second data element having a second initial associated value, wherein the value associated with said second data element is dependent on the value associated with said first data element;

(b) receiving editing commands from the user corresponding to replacing said first initial associated value with a first modified associated value of said first data element, said editing commands ending with a terminating command;

(c) responsive to said terminating command;

(i) updating the display of said first data element in said rendering to reflect said first modified associated value without requiring a refresh of said browser window; and

(ii) transferring said first modified associated value to said data storage element;

(d) responsive to said transfer of said first modified associated value to the data storage element;

(i) updating the value associated with said first data element in said data storage element to reflect said first modified associated value; and

(ii) updating the value associated with said second data element in said data storage element based on said dependence, thereby creating a second modified associated value; and

(e) updating said rendering of said second data element in said browser window rendering to reflect said second modified associated value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises:

maintaining said first initial associated value in a memory of the user'"'"'s computing device associated with said browser, and the method further comprises;

(f) receiving an undo command from the user; and

(g) responsive to said undo command;

(i) retrieving said first initial associated value from said memory,

(ii) updating the display of said first selected data element in said rendering to reflect said first initial associated value, and

(iii) transferring said first initial associated value to the data storage element without requiring a page refresh of the browser window, for association with said first selected data element in said data storage element.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(h) responsive to said transfer of said first initial associated value to the data storage element;

(i) updating said value associated with said second data element in said data storage element based on said dependence of the associated value of said second data element on the value of said first data element, thereby creating a second updated associated value; and

(i) updating the display of said second data element in said browser window to reflect said second updated associated value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (d) further comprises updating the value associated with said second data element in said data storage element based on said dependence, thereby creating a third modified value, and the method further comprises, updating the display of said second data element in said browser window to reflect said third modified value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage element is a database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the database is communicatively coupled to a user computing device, the user computing device displaying the browser window to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said first data element and said first initial associated value are stored in a first database communicatively coupled to said user computing device and said second data element and said second initial associated value are stored in a second database communicatively coupled to said user computing device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said database is an element of a remotely located integrated business system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the integrated business system includes one or more of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) capability, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capability, or an eCommerce capability.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first data element and said first initial value are displayed in a first portlet window within said browser window and said second data element and said second initial value are displayed in a second portlet window within said browser window.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to displaying said rendering of said data elements and associated values, determining whether said user is authorized to view said data elements and associated values based on said user'"'"'s role within a business organization.