Patents by Inventor Walter Macklem

Walter Macklem has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8510264
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, steps in a multi-tenant database service are approved to manually and/or automatically satisfy requests to approve various steps in the service. The ability of embodiments to provide such additional approval capabilities may lead to more flexible step approval during use of the on-demand database service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Steven Tamm, Walter Macklem, Eric Wilson, Varadarajan Rajaram, Wendy Chang
  • Patent number: 8402045
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for storing a formula having first and second object fields. These mechanisms and methods for storing a formula having first and second object fields can allow access to data from related object types other than the object type being currently accessed. The ability of embodiments to provide such access may allow access to additional contents of a database for performing validations, calculations, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Mary Scotton, Walter Macklem, Eric Bezar, Jesse Collins
  • Publication number: 20130054583
    Abstract: A method of establishing personalized limits on a search responsive to a key word query in an enterprise search system is described that includes receiving an object types access history for a particular user. Applying this method, the object types access history includes records of object types selected from search results returning multiple object types and records of object types selected via interfaces other than search results. The method continues with determining and storing in computer readable memory a personalized scope of object types. The personalized scope of object types sets a limit on object types initially returned by an enterprise search system for the particular user in response to key word queries by the particular user that do not specify object types to search.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
    Inventors: Walter Macklem, David Nathanson, Jia Chen, Luke Ball, Shankara B. Subramanya, Kanishka Maheshwari, Susan Kimberlin
  • Publication number: 20130054582
    Abstract: Query independent scores are prepared and applied to search results. Search results applying query term relevance criteria are combined with query independent scores to form a combined score. The combined score may alter the original ranking using only the query scores. The query independent scores can be used to increase the combined scores of important objects, where importance measurements include frequently accessed objects, objects with more connections and/or objects that are the subject of discussion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Walter Macklem, Ron Yang, Susan M. Kimberlin
  • Publication number: 20130007062
    Abstract: An embodiment of a multi-tenant database system includes a multi-tenant database, an entity definition table, and a data processing engine. The database has objects for multiple tenants, including an existing object for a designated tenant. Each entry in the existing object has a respective entity identifier. The definition table has entries for the database objects, including a metadata entry for the existing object. This metadata entry has a tenant identifier for the designated tenant, an entity name for the existing object, and an old key prefix for the existing object. Each entity identifier of the existing object begins with the old key prefix. The engine performs a data truncation operation on the existing object by updating the metadata entry to replace the old key prefix with a new key prefix. This results in an updated object that is identified by the new key prefix and the tenant identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
    Inventors: Arup Dutta, Simon Wong, Dan Soble, Nathanael Black, Walter Macklem
  • Publication number: 20120131068
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for storing a formula having first and second object fields. These mechanisms and methods for storing a formula having first and second object fields can allow access to data from related object types other than the object type being currently accessed. The ability of embodiments to provide such access may allow access to additional contents of a database for performing validations, calculations, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Mary Scotton, Walter Macklem, Eric Bezar, Jesse Collins
  • Patent number: 8150833
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for storing a formula having first and second object fields. These mechanisms and methods for storing a formula having first and second object fields can allow access to data from related object types other than the object type being currently accessed. The ability of embodiments to provide such access may allow access to additional contents of a database for performing validations, calculations, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Mary Scotton, Walter Macklem, Eric Bezar, Jesse Collins
  • Publication number: 20120016913
    Abstract: A method for using extensible markup language (XML) for testing a process in a multi-tenant database system is disclosed. The method includes providing a user interface (UI) for a user of the multi-tenant database system, receiving the process for testing via the UI, where the process is created using the UI, receiving an indication from the UI that an XML file is to be extracted for testing the process, and extracting the XML file in response to the received indication, where the XML file is usable for testing the process. Further, sample data for the process can also be created and received. In addition, modifications of the XML file from the user via the UI can be done, the XML file can be executed for testing the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
    Inventors: Steven Tamm, Walter Macklem
  • Publication number: 20110302212
    Abstract: A system and method for analyzing operations in a multi-tenant database system environment is provided. The system may include a database storing tenant application data and common application data, the tenant application data and common application data controlling a creation, read, update, deletion or undeletion of an object in the multi-tenant database system environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
    Inventors: Sonali Agrawal, Walter Macklem, Reena Mathew, Simon Y. Wong
  • Publication number: 20110246476
    Abstract: A method of searching in a database of feed items enables efficient searching through a large corpus of data. Each feed item is associated with at least one object in the database. An index of feed items is generated. For each feed item in the database, the index includes a body of the feed item and at least one foreign key that identifies an object associated with the feed item. A search request with one or more search terms is received from a first user. Using the index of feed items, a pre-filtered set of feed items is generated for the first user. The search is executed, using the index of feed items and the pre-filtered set of feed items. Search results are limited to feed items in the pre-filtered set of feed items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: salesforce.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Macklem, Susan M. Kimberlin, William A. Press
  • Publication number: 20110225119
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects. These mechanisms and methods for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects can enable embodiments to provide a database system which stores information associated with multiple versions of content. The ability of embodiments to provide a database system which supports content versioning can enable an efficient and comprehensive storage of content types having different features by the database system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Simon Wong, Walter Macklem, Mark Fischer, Orjan Kjellberg, Olivier Pin, Sonali Agrawal, Ron Pragides, Etienne Giraudy
  • Publication number: 20110213816
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for using a database to access content stored outside of the database. These mechanisms and methods for using a database to access content stored outside of the database can enable embodiments to provide a database system which can be used to access content when the content is incapable of being stored in the database system, or is otherwise not stored in the database system. The ability of embodiments to provide access to such data via the database system can improve the usability of the database system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Kedar Doshi, Sonali Agrawal, Simon Wong, Chaitanya Bhatt, Sandip Ghosh, Gary Baker, Walter Macklem
  • Publication number: 20110106808
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides novel systems and methods for providing multi-dimensional categorization within a multi-tenant database system (“MTS”). Data items in entities stored in a MTS may be categorized along one or more category dimensions. A search query may include one or more selected categories in one or more category dimensions. Categorization methodologies include multi-selection, multi-position, and combinations thereof. Users of the MTS may also be categorized along one or more category dimensions. A filter may present a subset of data items relevant to a user in accordance with their categorization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: salesforce.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Hersans, Mark Fischer, Orjan Kjellberg, Oliver Pin, Sonali Agrawal, Walter Macklem
  • Publication number: 20110078213
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided techniques for managing functionality changes of an on-demand database system. The techniques facilitate implementing changes to the database system while minimize work flow reductions to users of the database system. To that end, one embodiment of the present invention delays implementation of the changes to provide users of the system an opportunity to adjust behavioral interaction with the database. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, users may implement the functional changes to determine any adverse impact on work flow, before the functional changes become permanent. In another embodiment, the user may be afforded an opportunity to selectively enable and disable the functionality changes before the duration expires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: Salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Eric D. Bezar, Sonali Agrawal, Varadarajan Rajaram, Walter Macklem, Jill Blue Lin, Sriram Gopalan, Sandip Ghosh
  • Publication number: 20100185593
    Abstract: Methods and systems include embodiments that recursively save parent, grandparent, and other records in a database that depend from a record. User-provided code within a save event or trigger can thus call further save methods without corrupting the database. Junction objects, objects that reflect records with two or more parents, can also be recursively saved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: Salesforce.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Y. Wong, Walter MacKlem, Lars Hofhansl, Varadarajan Rajaram, Eric Bezar