Computer-implemented methods and systems for facilitating business-to-business transactions on a collaborative business network and for system integration message routing and identifier mapping utilizing a shared workspace mechanism

• US 10,013,429 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2013
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TraceLink Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TraceLink Incorporated
• Inventors: Dahod, Shabbir M., Spellman, Peter J., Deus, Lucia, Cebelenski, Christopher, Baytarian, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bibbee, Jared M
• Application Number:
  US13/853,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130262372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 707607
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1794 Details of file format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for facilitating business-to-business transactions on a collaborative business network among a plurality of entities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating business-to-business transactions on a collaborative business network among a plurality of entities, the method comprising:

maintaining, at a server communicating with each of the plurality of entities, a collaborative network comprising a multiplicity of different collaborative workspaces each associated with a different collaborative project involving a selection of ones of the entities, and a directory specifying a corresponding file formats for transactions comprising documents received from and to be sent to each of said entities in a business process shared with another one or more of said entities with respect to a specific one of the collaborative workspaces;

receiving from a computing device associated with a first one of the entities, at the server, a transaction comprising a document from a the first one of said entities directed to a second one of said entities, the document including a specification of a particular one of the collaborative workspaces, said transaction having a first file format associated with said first entity;

translating, at the server, the received transaction from the file format associated with the first entity to convert the received transaction from the first file format into a canonical file format representing a standardized representation of the transaction for the first and second entities in connection with the particular one of the collaborative workspaces;

routing, at the server, the transaction in the canonical file format to the particular one of the collaborative workspaces shared by the first and second entities and specified by the document by retrieving from the document the specification of the particular one of the collaborative workspaces and automatically without manual intervention routing the transaction to the particular one of the collaborative workspaces as specified in the retrieved specification;

translating, at the server, the transaction represented in the canonical file format to a second file format for the transaction specified in the directory for files to be sent to the second entity; and

transmitting, from the particular one of the collaborative workspaces in the server to a computing device associated with the second entity, the transaction in the second file format specified in the directory for files to be sent to the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction from the first entity is received via a B2B transport, and the transaction to the second entity is transmitted via a B2B transport.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a master data cross reference lookup to convert one or more data elements in the transaction in the canonical file format from specifying an identifier of the first entity to a corresponding identifier of the second entity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more data elements comprises product codes.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a master data cross reference lookup to identify additional information on a data element in the transaction received from the first entity, and to populate one or more fields in the transaction in the canonical file format with the additional information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating related business objects in the particular one of the collaborative workspaces using the transaction in the canonical file format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after translating the transaction in the canonical file format, analyzing a workspace configuration in the particular one of the collaborative workspaces for the second entity to determine an action to be taken based on a type of the transaction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the action comprises parking the transaction in the workspace until the second entity allows delivery.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after transmitting the transaction in the canonical file format, updating the transaction in the canonical file format with configuration information for the second entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving configuration information from each of said entities specifying how messages or transactions are handled by their respective systems.

11. A computer system for facilitating business-to-business transactions on a collaborative business network among a plurality of entities, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory associated with the at least one processor; and

a program supported in the memory, the program having a plurality of instructions stored therein which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

maintain a collaborative network comprising a multiplicity of different collaborative workspaces each associated with a different collaborative project involving a selection of ones of the entities, and a directory specifying corresponding file formats for transactions comprising documents received from and to be sent to each of said entities in a business process shared with another one or more of said entities with respect to a specific one of the collaborative workspaces;

receive, from a computing device associated with a first one of the entities, a transaction comprising a document from a the first one of said entities directed to a second one of said entities, the document including a specification of a particular one of the collaborative workspaces, said transaction having a first file format associated with said first entity;

translate the received transaction from the file format associated with the first entity to convert the received transaction from the first file format into a canonical file format representing a standardized representation of the transaction for the first and second entities in connection with the particular one of the collaborative workspaces;

route the transaction in the canonical file format to the particular one of the collaborative workspaces executing on the computer system and shared by the first and second entities and specified by the document by retrieving from the document the specification of the particular one of the collaborative workspaces and automatically without manual intervention routing the transaction to the particular one of the collaborative workspaces as specified in the retrieved specification;

translate the transaction represented in the canonical file format to a second file format for the transaction specified in the directory for files to be sent to the second entity; and

transmit from the particular one of the collaborative workspaces, to a computing device associated with the second entity, the transaction in a second file format specified in the directory for files to be sent to the second entity.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the transaction from the first entity is received via a B2B transport, and the transaction to the second entity is transmitted via a B2B transport.

13. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to perform a master data cross reference lookup to convert one or more data elements in the transaction in the canonical file format from specifying an identifier of the first entity to a corresponding identifier of the second entity.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the one or more data elements comprises product codes.

15. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to perform a master data cross reference lookup to identify additional information on a data element in the transaction received from the first entity, and to populate one or more fields in the transaction in the canonical file format with the additional information.

16. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to update related business objects in the particular one of the collaborative workspaces using the transaction in the canonical file format.

17. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to, after translating the transaction in the canonical file format, analyze a workspace configuration in the particular one of the collaborative workspaces for the second entity to determine an action to be taken based on a type of the transaction.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the action comprises parking the transaction in the workspace until the second entity allows delivery.

19. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to, after transmitting the transaction in the canonical file format, update the transaction in the canonical file format with configuration information for the second entity.

20. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to receive configuration information from each of said entities specifying how messages or transactions are handled by their respective systems.