Customizable two step mapping of extensible markup language data in an e-procurement system and method

• US 20030074271A1
• Filed: 10/17/2001
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Yafeng, Viswanath, Sridatta
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

In an electronic purchasing and procurement system having an Extensible Markup Language (XML) content transformation method and system. The XML content transformation system includes logic for identifying XML content from an external database and presenting XML content formatted in response to purchase requests from the users of the electronic purchasing and procurement system. In one embodiment of the present invention, the XML content transformation system receives an in-bound document containing XML content of a first XML data format. The XML content transformation system then maps the XML content of the first XML data format to an internal proprietary second XML data format using the tag information contained in the first XML data format. The second XML data format is subsequently transformed in a third XML data format suitable for delivery to the user in an out-bound documents.

Claims

1. An electronic purchasing and procurement system comprising:

an applications content mapping module for automatically mapping electronic purchase requisition applications content of a first data format processed internally to a second data format;

a database for storing data descriptors describing the contents of said electronic purchase requisition applications, said database further storing data object and attributes pertinent to said electronic purchase requisition applications content; and

applications content translation logic, in response to receiving a particular purchase request associated with a particular purchasing requisitioner, for dynamically presenting translated applications content in a third format suitable for delivery to said purchasing requisitioner and also for translating content to said particular purchasing requisitioner for presentation thereto.

2. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 1, further comprising an applications content configuration module coupled to said applications content mapping module for providing specific markup language templates which, in combination with said electronic purchase requisition applications content, are translated into content suitable for presentation to a particular purchasing requisitioner.

3. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 2, wherein said applications content configuration module is extensible to include pre-defined data descriptors for the contents of said electronic purchase requisition applications content.

4. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 1, wherein said applications content mapping module comprises data formatting logic for formatting the contents of said electronic purchase requisition applications content from said first format into said second format.

5. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 4, further comprising pre-defined tag information responsive to said second data format for enabling said applications content translation logic to retrieve associating data information describing the contents of said electronic purchase requisition applications content.

6. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 1, wherein said first data format of said electronic purchase requisition applications content is substantially compliant with Extensible Markup Language (XML) content.

7. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 5, wherein said applications content mapping module further comprises a two step mapping logic for automatically mapping index information of said first data format into said tag information of said second data format.

8. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 2, wherein applications content configuration module is an executable text file.

9. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 6, wherein said XML content is substantially compliant with the Open Buying on the Internet Standard.

10. The electronic purchasing and procurement system of claim 7, wherein said particular client is a wireless personal computer system.

11. An electronic purchasing and procurement request Extensible Markup Language (XML) content mapper in an electronic purchasing and procurement system, comprising:

a server coupled to said XML content mapper;

a plurality of goods and services catalogs residing in a database in said server, each of said catalogs comprising unique goods and services identification parameters;

a procurement and purchasing Extensible Markup Language (XML) content translator for retrieving in-bound XML data of a first type from a source external to said server in response to a purchase requisition request from a particular purchase order and generating an intermediary XML data of a second type and presenting out-bound XML data of a third type suitable for delivery in response to said purchase requisition request; and

a document exchange framework module coupled to said content mapper for providing data execution code for processing said purchase requisition request in said electronic purchasing and procurement system.

12. The XML content mapper of claim 11, further comprising XML content formatting templates specific to a purchase order line item data object and attribute information defining said goods and services in said purchase order.

13. The XML content mapper of claim 12, further comprising XML translation logic for translating tag information associated with said XML data of said first type into corresponding tag information of XML data of said second type for processing by said electronic purchasing and procurement system.

14. The XML content mapper of claim 13, further comprising a data configuration file for providing configuration information corresponding to the contents of said XML data of said first type to said XML translation logic.

15. The XML content mapper of claim 14, wherein said data configuration file is extensible to dynamically alter translation data provided to said XML translation logic.

16. The XML content mapper of claim 11, further comprising XML data traversing logic for traversing said database to extract data objects and attributes corresponding to said particular purchase order.

17. An electronic purchasing system, comprising:

a procurement and purchasing Extensible Markup Language (XML) content translator for retrieving in-bound XML data of a first type from an external source in response to a particular purchase requisition content access request from a particular purchase order and generating an intermediary XML data of a second type and presenting out-bound XML data of a third type suitable for delivery in response to said purchase requisition content access request; and

a document exchange framework module coupled to said XML content translator for providing data execution code for processing said purchase requisition content access request in said electronic purchasing system.

18. The electronic purchasing of claim 17, further comprising XML content formatting templates specific to a purchase order line item data object and an attribute information defining said goods and services in said purchase order.

19. The electronic purchasing of claim 18, further comprising XML translation logic for translating tag information associated with said XML data of said first type into corresponding tag information of XML data of said second type for processing by said electronic purchasing system.

20. The electronic purchasing of claim 18, further comprising a data configuration file for providing configuration information corresponding to the contents of said XML data of said first type to said XML translation logic.

21. The electronic purchasing system of claim 20, wherein said data configuration file content provider is extensible to dynamically alter translation data provided to said XML translation logic.

22. The electronic purchasing system of claim 20, wherein said XML data is substantially compliant with Wireless Markup Language content.

23. A method of mapping Extensible Markup Language (XML) in an electronic purchasing system, said method comprising:

receiving a purchase request having a first XML data format;

retrieving XML content in a second XML data format in response to said first XML data format in said purchase request from data sources internal to said purchasing system; and

transforming said retrieved XML content into appropriate content suitable for an underlying markup language of an Internet browser used by a user submitting said purchase request.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing configuration files for retrieving template information specific to said first XML data format for transforming said XML content.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing identification tags which correspond to data objects that is used in said transforming of said retrieved XML content.