Method, system, and program for translating and interfacing between data pools and product information management (PIM) systems

• US 20060074841A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sandpiper CDN, LLC (Theseus LF Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sandpiper CDN, LLC (Theseus LF Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Sugumaran, Harikrishnan
• Application Number:
  US10/951,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20060074841A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for translating and interfacing between data pools and product information management (PIM) systems. An element mapping is generated for each of a plurality of data pools mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information. A message mapping is generated for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters. For each of the plurality of data pools, code is maintained that is enabled to cause operations comprising receiving a first document including user elements and messages and mapping the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating an element mapping for each of a plurality of data pools mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information;

generating a message mapping for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters; and

maintaining for each of the plurality of data pools code enabled to cause operations comprising receiving a first document including user elements and messages and mapping the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the element and message mappings for at least two of the data pools are different, and wherein the data pools use different document formats to exchange product information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each data pool comprises a data synchronization data pool including product information from a plurality of different product suppliers, and wherein a plurality of retailers request product information from the data pool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the user elements in the first document to data pool elements in the second document further comprises:

using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second documents comprise Extended Markup Language (XML) documents and the first and second definitions comprise an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or a Document Type Definition (DTD).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document includes one user message to update product information in a specified data pool with user attributes associated with the user message, further comprising:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to update the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document includes one user message to publish product information in a specified data pool to at least one retailer, further comprising:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least specified mapped data pool message and parameters to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the product information to publish to the at least one retailer;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes to at least one mapped user element and attributes to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped user message and parameters to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the at least one retailer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document includes one user message from one retailer requesting product information in one specified data pool, further comprising:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to request the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the requested product information;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes for the requested product information to at least one mapped user element and attributes for the requested product information;

adding the at least one mapped user element and attributes to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the retailer requesting the product information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining operational metadata for each retailer and supplier initiating documents including user messages including access information to access at least one data pool; and

transmitting the second document to the data pool using the access information to enable access to the data pool for the retailer or supplier sending the first document.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document is directed to one specified data pool, further comprising:

maintaining a message archive for each data pool including messages received from suppliers and retailers directed to each data pool and messages received from the data pool directed to the suppliers or retailers.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing a third document received from one of the data pools;

mapping data pool elements and their attributes in the third document to user elements and attributes in a fourth document.

14. A system in communication with a plurality of data pools, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, comprising;

(i) an element mapping for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information;

(ii) a message mapping for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters; and

(iii) code, for each of the plurality of data pools, enabled to cause the processor to receive a first document including user elements and messages and map the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the element and message mappings for at least two of the data pools are different, and wherein the data pools use different document formats to exchange product information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each data pool comprises a data synchronization data pool including product information from a plurality of different product suppliers, and wherein a plurality of retailers request product information from the data pool.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the code operation of mapping the user elements in the first document to data pool elements in the second document further comprises:

using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second documents comprise Extended Markup Language (XML) documents and the first and second definitions comprise an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or a Document Type Definition (DTD).

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first document includes one user message to update product information in a specified data pool with user attributes associated with the user message, wherein the code is enabled to cause the processor to further perform:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to update the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the first document includes one user message to publish product information in a specified data pool to at least one retailer, wherein the code is enabled to cause the processor to further perform:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least specified mapped data pool message and parameters to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the code is further enabled to cause the processor to perform:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the product information to publish to the at least one retailer;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes to at least one mapped user element and attributes to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped user message and parameters to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the at least one retailer.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the first document includes one user message from one retailer requesting product information in one specified data pool, wherein the code is further enabled to cause the processor to perform:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to request the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the code is further enabled to cause the processor to perform:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the requested product information;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes for the requested product information to at least one mapped user element and attributes for the requested product information;

adding the at least one mapped user element and attributes to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the retailer requesting the product information.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer readable medium further includes operational metadata for each retailer and supplier initiating documents including user messages including access information to access at least one data pool, and wherein the code is further enabled to cause the processor to perform transmitting the second document to the data pool using the access information to enable access to the data pool for the retailer or supplier sending the first document.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the first document is directed to one specified data pool, and wherein the computer readable medium further includes a message archive for each data pool including messages received from suppliers and retailers directed to each data pool and messages received from the data pool directed to the suppliers or retailers.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the code is enabled to cause the processor to further perform:

processing a third document received from one of the data pools; and

mapping data pool elements and their attributes in the third document to user elements and attributes in a fourth document.

27. An article of manufacture in communication with a plurality of data pools, wherein the article of manufacture is enabled to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing an element mapping for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information;

processing a message mapping for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters; and

processing for each of the plurality of data pools code enabled to cause operations comprising receiving a first document including user elements and messages and mapping the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the element and message mappings for at least two of the data pools are different, and wherein the data pools use different document formats to exchange product information.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein each data pool comprises a data synchronization data pool including product information from a plurality of different product suppliers, and wherein a plurality of retailers request product information from the data pool.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein mapping the user elements in the first document to data pool elements in the second document further comprises:

using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the first and second documents comprise Extended Markup Language (XML) documents and the first and second definitions comprise an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or a Document Type Definition (DTD).

32. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the first document includes one user message to update product information in a specified data pool with user attributes associated with the user message, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to update the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the first document includes one user message to publish product information in a specified data pool to at least one retailer, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least specified mapped data pool message and parameters to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the product information to publish to the at least one retailer;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes to at least one mapped user element and attributes to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped user message and parameters to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the at least one retailer.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the first document includes one user message from one retailer requesting product information in one specified data pool, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to request the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the requested product information;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes for the requested product information to at least one mapped user element and attributes for the requested product information;

adding the at least one mapped user element and attributes to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the retailer requesting the product information.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

processing operational metadata for each retailer and supplier initiating documents including user messages including access information to access at least one data pool; and

transmitting the second document to the data pool using the access information to enable access to the data pool for the retailer or supplier sending the first document.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the first document is directed to one specified data pool, wherein the operations further comprise:

processing a message archive for each data pool including messages received from suppliers and retailers directed to each data pool and messages received from the data pool directed to the suppliers or retailers.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

processing a third document received from one of the data pools;

mapping data pool elements and their attributes in the third document to user elements and attributes in a fourth document.