Method and system for providing application services

• US 20050044007A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shitomi, Hidehisa, Harada, Shunichi, Okumura, Tamotsu, Kohno, Toshiaki, Takahashi, Naoki
• Application Number:
  US10/937,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044007A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

An application service providing method of providing a user with application services, the method including the steps of: selecting applications or application providers and their applications satisfying user requirements from a plurality of applications provided by a application provider or providers; and providing application services by performing data format conversion, communication protocol conversion, or work flow management between the selected applications. Techniques are provided being capable of efficiently providing services of applications requested by a user.

Claims

1. An application service providing method of providing a user with application services, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a business function list of holding applications;

inputting function requirements, which are selected from the business function list by a user;

supplying application candidates satisfying the input function requirements;

providing service of applications selected from the application candidates by the user by performing data format conversion between data input by the user and data for the selected applications or communication protocol conversion; and

comparing the function requirements required by the user with the functions of the applications to calculate satisfaction degrees of the respective applications to switch the currently operating application to another application having a higher satisfaction degree for execution.

2. An application service providing method according to claim 1, wherein the application candidates satisfy response requirements indicating a response of an application inputted by the user.

3. An application service providing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting change of satisfaction rate of the function requirements; and

exchanging an application not satisfying the user requirements with another application.

4. An application service providing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing a user name, names of applications contracted with the user, login names and passwords of the applications in a login information table;

accepting input of the user name; and

performing login procedures to the applications corresponding to the input user name in the login information table.

13. An application service providing method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

storing first tag names corresponding to items displayed on a screen and second tag names corresponding to function results of the applications in a tag code list table with linking the first tag names with the second tag names;

determining the first tag names relating to the second tag names of the applications selected by the user; and

presenting item data corresponding to the determined first tag names to the user.

14. An application service providing method according to claim 1, wherein the charge requirements include at least one of a charge method, a limit charge, a collected charge, an intermediate total charge, a charge method of an application to be contracted, and a charge.

5. An application service providing system for providing a user with application services, the system comprising:

means for providing a business function list of holding applications;

means for inputting function requirements, which are selected from the business function list by a user;

means for supplying application candidates satisfying the input function requirements;

system linking means for providing service of applications selected from the application candidates by the user by performing data format conversion between data input by the user and data for the selected applications or communication protocol conversion; and

comparing the function requirements required by the user with the functions of the applications to calculate satisfaction degrees of the respective applications to switch the currently operating application to another application having a higher satisfaction degree.

6. An application service providing system according to claim 5, further comprising application exchanging means for exchanging the currently operating application with another application having a higher satisfaction degree if the currently operating application does not satisfy or is predicted not to satisfy the user requirements or if the satisfaction degree of the currently operating application is predicted to decrease.

7. An application service providing system according to claim 5, further comprising counter concentrating means for concentrating a counter of services for a plurality of applications.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for realizing on a computer an application service providing system for providing a user with application services, the program comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

providing a business function list of holding applications;

inputting function requirements, which are selected from the business function list by a user;

supplying application candidates satisfying the input function requirements;

providing service of applications selected from the application candidates by the user by performing data format conversion between data input by the user and data for the selected applications or communication protocol conversion; and

comparing the function requirements required by the user with the functions of applications to calculate satisfaction degrees of the respective applications to switch the currently operating application to another application having a higher satisfaction degree.

9. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the program further comprises instructions for performing a step exchanging the currently operating application with another application having a higher satisfaction degree if the currently operating application does not satisfy or is predicted to not satisfy the user requirements or if the satisfaction degree of the currently operating application is predicted to decrease.

10. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the program further comprises instructions for performing a step of concentrating a counter of services for a plurality of applications.

11. An application service providing method in an intermediary provider, which is different from a primary provider holding applications, of providing a user with application services, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting function requirements required by a user;

supplying application candidates satisfying the input function requirements from the applications held by the primary provider;

providing services of applications selected from the application candidates by the user by performing data format conversion, communication protocol conversion, or work flow management between the selected applications; and

comparing the function requirements required by the user with the functions of the applications to calculate satisfaction degrees of the respective applications to switch the currently operating application to another application having a higher satisfaction degree.

12. An application service providing system for providing a user with application services, the system comprising:

means for providing a business function list of holding applications;

means for inputting function requirements, which are selected from the business function list by a user;

means for supplying application candidates satisfying the input function requirements;

means for providing service of applications selected from the application candidates by the user by performing data format conversion, communication protocol conversion, or work flow management between the selected applications; and

means for comparing the function requirements required by the user with the functions of the applications to calculate satisfaction degrees of the respective applications to switch the currently operating application to another application having a higher satisfaction degree.

15. An application service providing method of providing a user with application services, the method comprising the steps of:

when the requirements for an application service are changed,

reading function requirements, response requirements, and charge requirements of an application service predetermined by a user;

comparing the read requirements with the requirements of the application currently provided;

if at least one of the requirements of the currently provided application does not satisfy the read requirements, selecting an application satisfying the read function requirements, the response requirements and the charge requirements; and

proposing the selected application to the user.