Patent Application
20140365952
Computer systems are very common today. In fact, they are in use in many different types of environments.
Business computer systems are also in wide use. Such business systems include customer relations management (CRM) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, line-of-business (LOB) systems, etc. These types of systems often include business data that is stored as entities, or other business data records. Such business data records (or entities) often include records that are used to describe various aspects of a business. For instance, they can include customer entities that describe and identify customers, vendor entities that describe and identify vendors, sales entities that describe particular sales, quote entities, order entities, inventory entities, etc. The business systems also commonly include process functionality that facilitates performing various business processes or tasks on the data. Users log into the business system in order to perform business tasks for conducting the business.
Such business systems also currently include roles. Users are assigned one or more roles, based upon the types of tasks they are to perform for the business. The roles can include certain security permissions, and they can also provide access to different types of data records (or entities), based on a given role.
Business systems can also be very large. They contain a great number of data records (or entities) that can be displayed or manipulated through the use of thousands of different forms. Therefore, visualizing the data in a meaningful way can be very difficult.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A user interface is displayed that has one or more workspace display selectors, based on a user role. Each workspace display selector corresponds to a given workspace display. A workspace display includes a plurality of different groups, each group including a plurality of different components. Each group corresponds to a task, set of tasks or topic of information related to a user's role. The particular components included in each group are user interface display elements that are each related to an item of content within the corresponding group.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background.
FIG. 3—is a block diagram of one illustrative workspace display.
Business system 100 illustratively includes business data store 108, business process component 110, processor 112, visualization component 114 and display customization component 116. Business data store 108 illustratively includes business data for business system 100. The business data can include entities 118 or other types of business records 120. It also includes a set of roles 122 that can be held by various users of the business data system 100. Further, business data store 108 illustratively includes various workflows 124. Business process component 110 illustratively executes the workflows 124 on entities 118 or other business data records 120, based on user inputs from users that each have one or more given roles 122.
Visualization component 114 illustratively generates various visualizations, or views, of the data and processes (or workflows) stored in business data store 108. The visualizations can include, for example, one or more dashboard displays 126, a plurality of different workspace displays 128, a plurality of different list page displays 129, a plurality of different entity hub displays 130, and other displays 132.
Dashboard display 126 is illustratively an overview of the various data and workflows in business system 100. It illustratively provides a plurality of different links to different places within the application comprising business system 100.
Workspace display 128 is illustratively a customizable, activity-oriented display that provides user 106 with visibility into the different work (tasks, activities, data, etc.) performed by user 106 in executing his or her job. The workspace display 128 illustratively consolidates information from several different areas in business system 100 (e.g., in a business application that executes the functionality of business system 100) and presents it in an organized way for visualization by user 106.
List page display 129 is illustratively a page that breaks related items out into their individual rows. The other displays 126, 128, and 130 illustratively have user actuatable links that can summarize related information, but actuated to navigate the user to a list page display 129 that has the related information broken out. For example, whereas a workspace display 128 might have an individual element (such as a tile or a list or a chart, etc.) that summarizes the related information, the corresponding list page display 129 will break the summarized information into their individual rows. A workspace display 128 can also have multiple elements that each point to a different list page display 129.
Entity hub display 130 is illustratively a display that shows a great deal of information about a single data record (such as a single entity 118 or other data record 120, which may be a vendor record, a customer record, an employee record, etc.). The entity hub display 130 illustratively includes a plurality of different sections of information, with each section designed to present its information in a given way (such as a data field, a list, etc.) given the different types of information.
Business process component 110 illustratively accesses and facilitates the functionality of the various workflows 124 that are preformed in business system 100. It can access the various data (such as entities 118 and business records 120) stored in data store 108, in facilitating this functionality as well.
Display customization component 116 illustratively allows user 106 to customize the displays that user 106 has access to in business system 100. For instance, display customization component 116 can provide functionality that allows user 106 to customize one or more of the workspace displays 128 that user 106 has access to in system 100.
Processor 112 is illustratively a computer processor with associated memory and timing circuitry (not separately shown). It is illustratively a functional part of business system 100 and is activated by, and facilitates the functionality of, other components or items in business system 100.
Data store 108 is shown as a single data store, and is local to system 100. It should be noted, however, that it can be multiple different data stores as well. Also, one or more data stores can be remote from system 100, or local to system 100, or some can be local while others are remote.
User input mechanisms 104 can take a wide variety of different forms. For instance, they can be text boxes, active tiles, check boxes, icons, links, dropdown menus, or other input mechanisms. In addition, they can be actuated by user 106 in a variety of different ways as well. For instance, they can be actuated using a point and click device (such as a mouse or trackball) using a soft or hard keyboard, a thumbpad, a keypad, various buttons, a joystick, etc. In addition, where the device on which user interface displays are displayed has a touch sensitive screen, they can be actuated using touch gestures (such as with a user's finger, a stylus, etc.). Further, where the device or system includes speech recognition components, they can be actuated using voice commands.
It will also be noted that multiple blocks are shown in
In one embodiment, each user 106 is assigned a role 122, based upon the types of activities or tasks that the given user 106 will perform in business system 100. Thus, in one embodiment, workspace display 128 is generated to provide information related to the role of a given user 106. That is, user 106 is provided with different information on a corresponding workspace display 128, based upon the particular role or roles that are assigned to user 106 in business system 100. In this way, user 106 is presented with a visualization of information that is highly relevant to the job being performed by user 106 in business system 100.
In addition, some types of roles 122 may have multiple corresponding workspace displays 128 generated for them. By way of example, assume that user 106 is assigned an administrator's role in business system 100. In that case, user 106 may be provided with access to multiple different workspace displays 128. A first workspace display 128 may be a security workspace. The security workspace may include information related to security features of business system 100, such as access, permissions granted in system 100, security violations in system 100, authentication issues related to system 100, etc. User 106 (being in an administrative role) may also have access to a workspace display 128 corresponding to the health of system 100. This workspace display 128 may include information related to the performance of system 100, the memory usage and speed of system 100, etc. Thus, a given user 106 that has only a single role 122 may have access to multiple different workspace displays 128.
Similarly, a given user 106 may have multiple different roles 122. By way of example, assume that a given user 106 is responsible for both the human resources tasks related to business system 100, and payroll tasks. In that case, the given user 106 may have a human resources role 122 and a payroll role 122. Thus, user 106 may have access to one or more workspace displays 128 for each role 122 assigned to user 106 in business system 100. In this way, when user 106 is performing the human resources tasks, user 106 can access the human resources workspace display 128 which will contain all of the information user 106 believes is relevant to the human resources role and the human resources tasks. Then, when user 106 is performing the payroll tasks in system 100, user 106 can access one or more payroll workspace displays 128 which contain the information relevant to the payroll tasks and role. In this way, the user need not have just a single display with all of the information related to both the payroll tasks and the human resources tasks on a single display, which can be confusing and cumbersome to work with.
This can include a wide variety of different things. For instance, user 106 can provide authentication information 152 (such as a user name and password), or a role 154 (or the role can be automatically accessed within system 100 once the user provides authentication information 152). In addition, if user 106 has already logged into (or otherwise accessed) business system 100, the user 106 may be viewing a dashboard display 126 and the user can access his or her workspace from the dashboard display, as indicated by block 156 in
It will also be noted, that in one embodiment, components 170 and 172 are dynamic tiles. The dynamic tiles each correspond to one or more items of data, views, activities, tasks, etc. in business system 100. They also each have a display element that is dynamic. That is, the display element is updated based upon changes to the underlying data or other item which the component 170 or 172 represents. If the user actuates tile 172, the user is illustratively navigated to the corresponding workspace display 128. Also, if this particular user 106 has a role that has multiple workspaces, or if this particular user 106 has multiple roles, then dashboard display 164 illustratively includes a tile for each of the user's workspace displays 128.
In one embodiment, elements 187-197 are arranged on workspace navigation pane 185 in a hierarchical way. For instance, the workspace displays that user 106 most frequently accesses can have the corresponding elements 187-197 higher up in the list of elements 187-197 shown on workspace navigation pane 185. Of course, the hierarchy can be determined in other ways (other than frequency of use) as well. It can be seen in
It should also be noted that, in
Once the user provides a suitable user input to request the display of a workspace display 128, visualization component 114 illustratively generates one or more role-tailored workspace displays corresponding to the role or roles assigned to user 106 and corresponding to the particular workspace display 128 that the user has requested. This is indicated by block 184 in
The workspace displays can comprise a tiled user interface display indicated by block 188, and it is illustratively arranged with groups 190 of components 192. This is described in greater detail below with respect to
Workspace display 196 illustratively includes a plurality of groups 200, 202, 204, 206 and 208, and each group has one or more components 210, 212, 214, 216 and 218. Each group 200-208 illustratively corresponds to a topic area or subject matter area, or a set of activities or tasks, related to the role assigned to user 106. For example, group 200 may be a “related information” group that shows a collection of tiles that provide quick access to entities frequently used by the user or related to the tasks preformed by the role assigned to user 106. Group 202 may be a “what's new” group which displays update information corresponding to activities of others in the account management area. Group 204 may illustratively be a “projects” group that shows charts and graphs and other information related to the various projects that user 106 is managing. Group 206 may illustratively be an upcoming deliverables group that shows upcoming deliverables for the accounts being managed by user 106. Of course, these are exemplary groups and they can be related to substantially any topic area, task or activity associated with the role assigned to user 106. Each of the components 210-218 illustratively correspond to an item of data or to a task or activity that is related to the role assigned to user 106.
Once a workspace display (such as display 196 shown in
In one embodiment, the workspace display is a panoramic display. That is, if there is more information in the workspace display than can be displayed on a single screen, the screen can be panned to the left or to the right in order to expose and display the additional information. For example, if the workspace display is displayed on a touch sensitive screen, the user can simply pan the display to the left or to the right using a swipe touch gesture. In this way, the user can scroll horizontally (or panoramically) to view all of the various groups on the workspace display. Receiving a panoramic scroll input, to scroll panoramically through the groups in a workspace display, is indicated by block 246 in
In one embodiment, the components in each group can be scrolled vertically as well. For instance, and referring again to
Further, the user can interact with the workspace display by actuating one of the components in one of the groups. When the user does this, the user is illustratively navigated (i.e., the user drills down) to a display that shows more detailed information represented by that particular component. Interacting with a component to drill down to more detailed information is indicated by block 250 in
Of course, the user can interact with the workspace display in other ways as well. This is indicated by block 252.
Once the user interaction input is received on the workspace display, visualization component 114 navigates the user, or reacts in another desired way, based upon the interaction user input. This is indicated by block 254 in
It can be seen that each of the groups 258-264 includes a set of components. Group 258 includes tiles 266 that, when actuated by the user, navigate the user to an underlying entity represented by the specific tile. Each tile 266 is illustratively a single click or touch target. The tile surface is dynamic and may be frequently updated with new content from the underlying entity. Tiles 266 allow users to navigate to an application context which may be an entity, a list of entities, another workspace, a form, or a task, etc. These are listed by way of example only.
The what's new group 260 includes an activity feed 268. An activity feed displays a continuous flow of collaboration and activity related information. It can help users to obtain visibility into the work, projects, tasks and assignments that are most important to them. In providing an interaction user input to an activity feed 268, a user can illustratively post, filter or add a comment to the activity feed from the workspace display.
Referring again to
User 106 can also interact with the charts by clicking on one of the bars in one of charts 280. This causes visualization component 114 (in
In another embodiment, in order to interact with a chart, the user can select an entire chart.
The user can interact with other components in other groups in different ways as well. Those discussed above are discussed for the sake of example only.
The user can also illustratively customize the workspace display. For instance, continuing with reference to the flow diagram of
To reorder groups or components, the user can illustratively perform a drag and drop operation in order to move a group or a component to a desired location. In that case, display customization component 116 (shown in
The user can add or delete groups or components relative to the workspace display in a variety of different ways. For instance, in one embodiment, when the user selects a group or a component, display customization component 116 displays a command bar with controls for removing the selected group or component. The user is also illustratively provided suitable user input mechanisms in order to add a group or component to the workspace display. This is described in greater detail below with respect to
In any case, the user provides a customization input to customize the workspace display. Display customization component 116 (shown in
Display customization component 116 first receives a user input identifying information to be added to the user's workspace. This is indicated by block 350 in
In another embodiment, the user 106 can invoke a command bar or slide-in panel with user input mechanisms that allow the user 106 to identify a particular item of information to be added to the user's workspace display 128. This is indicated by block 354 in
The user 106 can add items to the workspace in other ways as well, other than the two ways described above with respect to blocks 352 and 354. This is indicated by block 370.
In any case, identifying a particular item of information to be added to the user's workspace display is indicated by block 350 in the flow diagram of
Once the user has identified an item of information to be added to the workspace display, display customization component 116 illustratively generates a dialog to allow user 106 to define the particular format and location where the new item is to be displayed on the workspace display. This is indicated by block 372. This can include a wide variety of different information. For instance, it can allow user 106 to indicate that the item is to be displayed in a new group 374 on the workspace display. It can also enable the user to indicate that this item is simply a new component of an existing group as indicated by block 376. It can allow user 106 to specify the component type (such as chart, list, activity feed, card, etc.) as indicated by block 378. It can allow the user to specify the component size as indicated by block 380. It can allow the user to specify the position on the workspace display as indicated by block 382, and it can allow the user to specify other information as well, as indicated by block 384.
Pane 386 also allows user 106 to specify the component size using size selector 392. In one embodiment, once the user has made desired selections, the user simply actuates the add to workspace button 394, and display customization component 116 automatically adds the identified information to the workspace display in the identified display format (e.g., the component type, the size, the location, etc.). This is indicated by block 396 in the flow diagram of
It will be noted that the item of information can be added to the workspace display in other ways as well. For instance, it can be automatically added to the far right side of the workspace display, as a default. The user can then illustratively reposition the newly added component or group by dragging and dropping it to a new location within the workspace display, as discussed above. By way of example,
It can thus be seen that the workspace display aggregates information for a user, based upon the user's role. The information can be grouped according to the tasks performed by a user in the given role, and each group can have one or more components. Each component can be one of a variety of different component types, and illustratively represents an item of information, a task, an activity, an entity, another kind of data record, etc. The user can illustratively pan the workspace display to view all of the different groups, and can scroll vertically within a group to view all components in that group. The user can interact with the components to view more detailed information, to perform tasks or activities, or to customize the workspace display to delete components or groups, add components or groups, reorder them, or perform other operations. The user can also illustratively choose from among a plurality of different workspace displays. This can happen, for instance, where the user's role corresponds to two or more workspace displays, or where the user has multiple roles, each with its own workspace display.
The description is intended to include both public cloud computing and private cloud computing. Cloud computing (both public and private) provides substantially seamless pooling of resources, as well as a reduced need to manage and configure underlying hardware infrastructure.
A public cloud is managed by a vendor and typically supports multiple consumers using the same infrastructure. Also, a public cloud, as opposed to a private cloud, can free up the end users from managing the hardware. A private cloud may be managed by the organization itself and the infrastructure is typically not shared with other organizations. The organization still maintains the hardware to some extent, such as installations and repairs, etc.
In the embodiment shown in
It will also be noted that architecture 100, or portions of it, can be disposed on a wide variety of different devices. Some of those devices include servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, or other mobile devices, such as palm top computers, cell phones, smart phones, multimedia players, personal digital assistants, etc.
Under other embodiments, applications or systems are received on a removable Secure Digital (SD) card that is connected to a SD card interface 15. SD card interface 15 and communication links 13 communicate with a processor 17 (which can also embody processor 112 from
I/O components 23, in one embodiment, are provided to facilitate input and output operations. I/O components 23 for various embodiments of the device 16 can include input components such as buttons, touch sensors, multi-touch sensors, optical or video sensors, voice sensors, touch screens, proximity sensors, microphones, tilt sensors, and gravity switches and output components such as a display device, a speaker, and or a printer port. Other I/O components 23 can be used as well.
Clock 25 illustratively comprises a real time clock component that outputs a time and date. It can also, illustratively, provide timing functions for processor 17.
Location system 27 illustratively includes a component that outputs a current geographical location of device 16. This can include, for instance, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a LORAN system, a dead reckoning system, a cellular triangulation system, or other positioning system. It can also include, for example, mapping software or navigation software that generates desired maps, navigation routes and other geographic functions.
Memory 21 stores operating system 29, network settings 31, applications 33, application configuration settings 35, data store 37, communication drivers 39, and communication configuration settings 41. Memory 21 can include all types of tangible volatile and non-volatile computer-readable memory devices. It can also include computer storage media (described below). Memory 21 stores computer readable instructions that, when executed by processor 17, cause the processor to perform computer-implemented steps or functions according to the instructions. Similarly, device 16 can have a client business system 24 which can run various business applications or embody parts or all of system 100. Processor 17 can be activated by other components to facilitate their functionality as well.
Examples of the network settings 31 include things such as proxy information, Internet connection information, and mappings. Application configuration settings 35 include settings that tailor the application for a specific enterprise or user. Communication configuration settings 41 provide parameters for communicating with other computers and include items such as GPRS parameters, SMS parameters, connection user names and passwords.
Applications 33 can be applications that have previously been stored on the device 16 or applications that are installed during use, although these can be part of operating system 29, or hosted external to device 16, as well.
The mobile device of
Note that other forms of the devices 16 are possible.
Computer 810 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 810 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media is different from, and does not include, a modulated data signal or carrier wave. It includes hardware storage media including both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computer 810. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The system memory 830 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 831 and random access memory (RAM) 832. A basic input/output system 833 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 810, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 831. RAM 832 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 820. By way of example, and not limitation,
The computer 810 may also include other removable/non-removable volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,
Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Program-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Program-specific Standard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc.
The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in
A user may enter commands and information into the computer 810 through input devices such as a keyboard 862, a microphone 863, and a pointing device 861, such as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may include a joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 820 through a user input interface 860 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A visual display 891 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 821 via an interface, such as a video interface 890. In addition to the monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers 897 and printer 896, which may be connected through an output peripheral interface 895.
The computer 810 is operated in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 880. The remote computer 880 may be a personal computer, a hand-held device, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 810. The logical connections depicted in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 810 is connected to the LAN 871 through a network interface or adapter 870. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 810 typically includes a modem 872 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 873, such as the Internet. The modem 872, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus 821 via the user input interface 860, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 810, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation,
It should also be noted that the different embodiments described herein can be combined in different ways. That is, parts of one or more embodiments can be combined with parts of one or more other embodiments. All of this is contemplated herein.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
