Validating an electronic transaction

• US 20040102999A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ye, Jianjun, Monson, Duke G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An electronic transaction may be processed by receiving an order to execute a transaction electronically, identifying a format for the order, identifying a version of the format, retrieving a metasyntax with a rule related to the identified format and the identified version, the rule defining one or more acceptable arrangements of one or more elements in the transaction, relating the order to the metasyntax, determining whether the order conforms to the metasyntax, and forwarding the order for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.

Claims

1. An automated method of processing an electronic transaction, the method comprising:

receiving an order to execute a transaction electronically;

identifying a format for the order;

identifying a version of the format;

retrieving a metasyntax with a rule related to the identified format and the identified version, the rule defining one or more acceptable arrangements of one or more elements in the transaction;

relating the order to the metasyntax;

determining whether the order conforms to the metasyntax; and

forwarding the order for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a message that the order is not valid when the order does not conform to the metasyntax.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling a user to create a new metasyntax.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein enabling a user to create the new metasyntax comprises doing so in response to determining that the order does not conform to the metasyntax.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax defines elements treated as a nested group.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax defines whether an element is required.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax defines multiple copies of an element.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax defines a set of elements.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax overrides a multiple copies attribute.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax instructs a program how to parse and process the order.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding the metasyntax for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the metasyntax defines a conditional element.

13. A transaction processor comprising:

a first communications interface structured and arranged to receive an order to execute a transaction electronically;

a format processing component structured and arranged to identify a format for the order;

a version processing component structured and arranged to identify a version of the format;

a metasyntax datastore structured and arranged to retrieve a metasyntax with a rule related to the identified format and the identified version, the rule defining one or more acceptable arrangements of one or more elements in the transaction;

a relating processing component structured and arranged to relate the order to the metasyntax;

a conformance processing component structured and arranged to determine whether the order conforms to the metasyntax; and

a second communications interface structured and arranged to forward the order and the metasyntax for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.

14. The transaction processor of claim 13 further comprising a message processing component structured and arranged to generate a message that the order is not valid when the order does not conform to the metasyntax.

15. The transaction processor of claim 13 further comprising a user interface processing component structured and arranged to enable a user to create a metasyntax.

16. The transaction processor of claim 15 wherein the user interface processor is structured and arranged to enable a user to create metasyntax in response to the conformance processor determining the order does not conform to the metasyntax.

17. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax defines elements treated as a nested group.

18. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax defines whether the element is required.

19. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax defines multiple copies of the element.

20. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax defines a set of elements.

21. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax overrides a multiple copies attribute.

22. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax instructs a program how to parse and process the order.

23. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the second communications interface is structured and arranged to forward the metasyntax for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.

24. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the a first communications interface, the format processing component, the version processing component, the metasyntax datastore, the relating processing component, the conformance processing component, and the second communications interface are all implemented by a single processor.

25. The transaction processor of claim 13 wherein the metasyntax indicates a conditional element.

26. A transaction processing program for controlling a computer, the program comprising:

a first communications code segment structured and arranged to receive an order to execute a transaction electronically;

a format code segment that controls the computer to identify a format for the order;

a version code segment that controls the computer to identify a version of the format;

a metasyntax code segment that causes the computer to retrieve a metasyntax with a rule related to the format and version, the rule defining one or more acceptable arrangements of one or more elements in the transaction;

a relating code segment that causes the computer to relate the order to the metasyntax;

a conformance code segment that causes the computer to determine whether the order conforms to the metasyntax; and

a second communications code segment that causes the computer to forward the order and the metasyntax for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.

27. A transaction processor comprising:

means for receiving an order to execute a transaction electronically;

means for identifying a format for the order;

means for identifying a version of the format;

means for retrieving a metasyntax with a rule related to the format and version, the rule defining one or more acceptable arrangements of one or more elements in the transaction;

means for relating the order to the metasyntax;

means for determining whether the order conforms to the metasyntax; and

means for forwarding the order and the metasyntax for subsequent processing when the order conforms to the metasyntax.