Timeshared electronic catalog system and method

• US 20050125310A1
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Brookler, David E., Weinberg, Paul N., Sullivan, Dave L., Hazi, Ariel, Tinari, Philip A., Arazi, Matan
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for providing a timeshared electronic catalog is disclosed. The system comprises an electronic database having a plurality of data records that comprise a master data set. The system comprises at least a first and second subset of the data records, wherein each subset comprises one or more data records selected from the master data set. The system includes a software program comprising a data record masking module for selectively providing a first view for displaying one of the subsets to a first user. Each of the plurality of data records contains a plurality of data elements, or fields, or attributes. The data record masking module is further for selecting which data elements are provided in the view. The system further includes a means for selectively providing which executable features from a plurality of executable features may be provided with each view.

Claims

1. A system for providing a timeshared electronic catalog, comprising:

an electronic database comprising a plurality of data records, one or more of the data records comprising a master data set;

a first and second subset of the data records, each subset comprising one or more data records selected from the master data set; and

a software program comprising a masking module for selectively providing a first view for displaying the first subset to a first user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of data records contains a plurality of data elements.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of data elements contains product information data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the masking module is further for selecting the first user to which the first view is displayed.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of bit vector indices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the masking module is further for defining the first subset by performing a bitwise AND operation between a first and second bit vector index, the first bit vector index defining all data records available in the master data set, and the second bit vector index defining the data records in the first subset.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the masking module is further for defining which data elements of the data records in the first data subset are displayed to the user, said masking module further for using a third bit vector index for defining all data elements available in each record in the master data set, said masking module further using a fourth bit vector index for defining the data elements in the first data subset to be displayed to the first user, wherein the masking module is further for performing a bitwise AND operation between the third and fourth bit vector indices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the masking module is further for providing a view for displaying the second subset to a second user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the masking module is further for defining the second subset by performing a bitwise AND operation between the first and a fifth bit vector index, the fifth bit vector index defining the data records in the second subset.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the masking module is further for defining which data elements of the data records in the second data subset are displayed to the second user, said masking module for performing a bitwise AND operation between the third and a sixth bit vector index for defining the data elements to be displayed to the second user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the masking module is further for preventing the first user from accessing all of the data in the second subset.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the masking module is for providing a view for each of the plurality of subsets, each view for displaying each respective subset to a plurality of respective users.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic database and software program are stored on a server connected to a network.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising one or more derivative processors electrically connected to the network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the one or more derivative processors are for defining one or more groups of one or more of the plurality users.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the masking module defines which subsets are available to each derivative processor for display to each of the groups defined by the respective derivative processor.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising a licensing module in the software program for maintaining and modifying the data within each subset based on a license granted to each respective user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the licensing module is for maintaining and modifying the subsets available to each derivative processor based on a respective license granted to each derivative processor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein software program comprises a billing module for billing each derivative processor based the respective license.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the licenses defines billing based on the number of times one or more data records are displayed to a user of the respective derivative processor.

21. The system of claim 20, comprising a first set of meta-data for formatting one or more of the data subsets for presenting.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the format defined by the first set of meta-data comprises style and other parameters for presenting the one or more data subsets.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first set of meta-data comprises computer instructions.

24. A system for providing a timeshared electronic catalog, comprising:

an electronic database;

a software program for executing a first executable feature on the electronic database and a second executable feature on the electronic database; and

a masking module in the software program for allowing a first user to execute the first executable feature.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the masking module is further for preventing the first user from executing the second executable feature.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the masking module is further for allowing a second user to execute the second executable feature.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the masking module is further for preventing the second user from executing the first executable feature.

28. The system of claim 27, comprising a plurality of executable features for executing on the database.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the masking module is for allowing a plurality of users to execute one or more of the executable features.

30. The system of claim 29, comprising one or more derivative processors electrically connected to the network.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein each of the one or more derivative processors are for defining one or more groups of one or more of the plurality users.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the masking module defines which of the executable features are available to each derivative processor for use by each of the groups defined by the respective derivative processor.

33. The system of claim 32, comprising a licensing module in the software program for maintaining and modifying the features associated with each respective user.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the licensing module is for maintaining and modifying the features available to each derivative processor.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein software program comprises a billing module for billing each respective user based the license granted to the respective derivative processor.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the billing module is for billing each derivative processor based on the features available to the respective derivative processor.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the billing module is for billing based on the number of times one or more features are used.