Integrated collaboration environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9038140-B2
Application number	US-201213678529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2012
Priority date	Nov 8, 2012
Publication date	May 19, 2015
Grant date	May 19, 2015

Abstract

Described herein is a technology for facilitating the integration of a collaboration environment. In some implementations, an activity associated with a business object is accessed via a work center. A request to post the activity is sent to a collaboration application. The collaboration application then returns an activity identifier, and the user is redirected to the activity identifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of integrating a collaboration environment, comprising:
obtaining, by an integration module, via an authorization protocol, a consumer key and a consumer secret that represent credentials to access one or more protected resources or services provided by a collaboration application, wherein the collaboration application provides a structured communications interface for users to participate in a collaboration;
accessing, by the integration module, via a work center, an activity associated with a business object, wherein the business object is stored in an in-memory database and the work center provides a user interface configured for a user to interact with at least a portion of a customer relationship management (CRM) module, wherein the activity describes one or more tasks to be performed through the collaboration;
sending, from the integration module, to the collaboration application, a request to post the activity, wherein the request includes the consumer key and the consumer secret;
after a user authorizes the integration module to access the collaboration application on the user's behalf, generating, by the collaboration application, an access token and an access token secret;
sending, from the collaboration application, to the integration module, an activity identifier in response to receiving a request signed with the access token and the access token secret; and
receiving, by the integration module, from the collaboration application, the activity identifier that links to the collaboration application.

2. A computer-implemented method of integrating a collaboration environment, comprising:
obtaining, by an integration module, via an authorization protocol, a consumer key and a consumer secret that represent credentials to access one or more protected resources or services provided by a collaboration application, wherein the collaboration application provides a structured communications interface for users to participate in a collaboration;
accessing, by the integration module, via a work center, an activity associated with a business object, wherein the activity describes one or more tasks to be performed through the collaboration;
sending, from the integration module, to the collaboration application, a request to post the activity, wherein the request includes the consumer key and the consumer secret;
after a user authorizes the integration module to access the collaboration application on the user's behalf, generating, by the collaboration application, an access token and an access token secret;
sending, from the collaboration application, to the integration module, an activity identifier in response to receiving a request signed with the access token and the access token secret;
receiving, by the integration module, from the collaboration application, the activity identifier; and redirecting, by the integration module, the user to the activity identifier.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the business object comprises an initiative object.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the work center provides a user interface configured for the user to interact with at least a portion of a customer relationship management (CRM) module.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein data associated with the CRM module is stored in an in-memory database.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the collaboration application comprises an enterprise social networking tool.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein redirecting the user comprises automatically launching a web page of the collaboration application via a web browser.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein redirecting the user comprises automatically launching a web page of the collaboration application, wherein the web page is embedded within the work center.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the activity identifier comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the authorization protocol comprises OAuth.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising storing the identifier with the business object for subsequent use.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program code, the program code executable by a computer to:
obtain, by an integration module, via an authorization protocol, a consumer key and a consumer secret that represent credentials to access one or more protected resources or services provided by a collaboration application, wherein the collaboration application provides a structured communications interface for users to participate in a collaboration;
access, by the integration module, via a work center, an activity associated with a business object, wherein the activity describes one or more tasks to be performed through the collaboration;
send, from the integration module, to the collaboration application, a request to post the activity, wherein the request includes the consumer key and the consumer secret;
after a user authorizes the integration module to access the collaboration application on the user's behalf, generating, by the collaboration application, an access token and an access token secret;
sending, from the collaboration application, to the integration module, an activity identifier in response to receiving a request signed with the access token and the access token secret;
receive, by the integration module, from the collaboration application, the activity identifier; and
redirect, by the integration module, the user to the activity identifier.

13. A system comprising:
a non-transitory memory device for storing computer-readable program code; and
a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor being operative with the computer-readable program code to:
obtain, via an authorization protocol, a consumer key and a consumer secret that represent credentials to access one or more protected resources or services provided by a collaboration application, wherein the collaboration application provides a structured communications interface for users to participate in a collaboration;
access, via a work center, an activity associated with a business object, wherein the activity describes one or more tasks to be performed through the collaboration;
send, to the collaboration application, a request to post the activity, wherein the request includes the consumer key and the consumer secret;
receive, from the collaboration application, an activity identifier;
wherein the collaboration application sends the activity identifier to the system in response to receiving, from the system, a request signed with an access token and an access token secret; and
wherein the access token and the access token secret are generated, by the collaboration application, after a user authorizes the system to access the collaboration application on the user's behalf; and redirect the user to the activity identifier.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the activity identifier comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the authorization protocol comprises OAuth.

Assignees

• Sap Ag
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Mao Weicheng
• Huang Ziqiang
• Wang Hua
• Gong Xueyong
• Rey Michael

Classifications

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/06311 Primary

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title