Automated analysis of data reports to determine data structure and to perform automated data processing

• US 10,089,343 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Azoulay, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US14/944,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20170139966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24566 Recursive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for building a hierarchy of elements depending on data disclosed in reports includes identifying one or more areas containing one or more elements in each of multiple reports which contain data, where the elements comprise parent elements and child elements. The method includes parsing the data of each of the elements to simulate relationship operations between the parent elements and the child elements until consistent aggregations are found, identifying data with a same unit and adjusting the data to have a same scale or a same precision, recursively searching the aggregated data by applying the found relationship operations to build a tree structure having at least a portion of the elements of each report built in the tree structure arranged in a hierarchy of elements and storing the tree structure, including a level of each of the elements and the relationship operation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for building a hierarchy of elements depending on data disclosed in reports including executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the method comprising:

identifying one or more areas containing one or more elements in each of multiple reports which contain data, wherein the elements comprise parent elements and child elements;

parsing the data of each of the elements to simulate relationship operations between the parent elements and the child elements until consistent aggregations are found;

identifying data with a same unit and adjusting the data to have a same scale or a same precision;

recursively searching the aggregated data by applying the found relationship operations to build a tree structure having at least a portion of the elements of each report built in the tree structure arranged in a hierarchy of elements to enable automated identification of inconsistencies and errors in the data, wherein the tree structure includes an identifier generated for each element;

identifying duplicate data and applying a same identifier for an identified duplicate; and

storing the tree structure, including a level of each of the elements and the relationship operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the data includes parsing the data of each of the elements to simulate relationship operations between the parent elements and the child elements until consistent aggregations are found includes factoring a tolerance value against errors between the parent elements and the child elements when finding consistent aggregations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tolerance value is configurable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating a layout of the reports including an indentation of labels of each element, group outlines, special fonts on aggregated data into level attributes in the tree structure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the tree structure comprises storing the tree structure in a report such that the tree structure is hidden from view.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing rounding adjustments using the tree structure.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more consistency checks using the tree structure.

8. A computer program product for building a hierarchy of elements depending on data disclosed in reports, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to:

identify one or more areas containing one or more elements in each of multiple reports which contain data, wherein the elements comprise parent elements and child elements;

parse the data of each of the elements to simulate relationship operations between the parent elements and the child elements until consistent aggregations are found;

identify data with a same unit and adjusting the data to have a same scale or a same precision;

recursively search the aggregated data by applying the found relationship operations to build a tree structure having at least a portion of the elements of each report built in the tree structure arranged in a hierarchy of elements to enable automated identification of inconsistencies and errors in the data;

translate a layout of the reports including an indentation of labels of each element, group outlines, special fonts on aggregated data into level attributes in the tree structure; and

store the tree structure, including a level of each of the elements and the relationship operation.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to parse the data include instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to parse the data of each of the elements to simulate relationship operations between the parent elements and the child elements until consistent aggregations are found includes factoring a tolerance value against errors between the parent elements and the child elements when finding consistent aggregations.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the tolerance value is configurable.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the tree structure includes an identifier generated for each element.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to identify duplicate data and apply a same identifier for an identified duplicate.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to store the tree structure comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to store the tree structure in a report such that the tree structure is hidden from view.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to perform rounding adjustments using the tree structure.

15. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at least one computing device to perform one or more consistency checks using the tree structure.

16. A computer-implemented method for building a hierarchy of elements depending on data disclosed in reports including executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the method comprising:

identifying one or more areas containing one or more elements in each of multiple reports which contain data, wherein the elements comprise parent elements and child elements;

parsing the data of each of the elements to simulate relationship operations between the parent elements and the child elements until consistent aggregations are found including factoring a tolerance value against errors between the parent elements and the child elements when finding consistent aggregations;

identifying data with a same unit and adjusting the data to have a same scale or a same precision;

recursively searching the aggregated data by applying the found relationship operations to build a tree structure having at least a portion of the elements of each report built in the tree structure arranged in a hierarchy of elements to enable automated identification of inconsistencies and errors in the data; and

storing the tree structure, including a level of each of the elements and the relationship operation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tolerance value is configurable.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein storing the tree structure comprises storing the tree structure in a report such that the tree structure is hidden from view.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing rounding adjustments using the tree structure.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing one or more consistency checks using the tree structure.