Hierarchical entitlement system with integrated inheritance and limit checks

• US 20070011091A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Smith, Debra
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A hierarchical entitlement system, method, and computer program product with integrated inheritance and limit checks are described. In one embodiment, for example, a computer-implemented method is described for specifying and enforcing entitlements for performance of financial transactions, the method comprises steps of: providing a hierarchical entitlement structure with inheritance for specifying entitlements for performing financial transactions; receiving user input for defining a plurality of entitlement groups of the hierarchical entitlement structure, wherein each entitlement group has specified permissions to perform financial transactions, limits on performance of the financial transactions, and membership of each user; in response to a particular user request to perform a financial transaction at runtime, identifying the particular user'"'"'s membership in a certain entitlement group; and determining whether to allow the particular user to perform the financial transaction based on permissions and limits of the hierarchical entitlement structure applicable to the particular user'"'"'s performance of the financial transaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for specifying and enforcing limits for transactions comprising:

in response to a request from a user to perform a transaction, identifying the membership of the user in an entitlement group;

determining units of the transaction requested by the user;

determining applicable limits to the transaction based on the units of the transaction; and

determining whether to allow the user to perform the transaction based on the applicable limits to the transaction, as defined by the entitlement group, based on the units of the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transactions are financial transactions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the units are currencies.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking transactions performed for purposes of determining compliance with limits.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of tracking transactions comprises:

associating a limit with a particular unit, the limit defined to limit a set of transactions only when values of the set of transactions are defined in terms the particular unit; and

maintaining a running total value for the limit based on execution of transactions in the set of transactions, the running total value defined in terms of the particular unit;

wherein the transaction requested by the user is in the set of transactions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether to allow the user to perform the transaction comprises:

determining whether the limit has been exceeded based on the running total value and the value of the transaction requested by the user.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of tracking transactions comprises:

associating a limit with a particular unit, the limit defined to limit a set of transactions whether or not values of the set of transactions are defined in terms of the particular unit; and

maintaining a running total value for the limit based on execution of transactions in the set of transactions, the running total value defined in terms of the particular unit;

wherein the transaction requested by the user is in the set of transactions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of tracking transactions further comprises:

converting the unit of the transaction requested by the user to the particular unit;

wherein the unit of the transaction requested by the user is not the particular unit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of converting the unit of the transaction comprises:

using a converter module to convert the unit of the transaction requested by the user to the particular unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the converter module is a currency exchange module, and further wherein the units are currencies.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether to allow the user to perform the transaction comprises:

determining whether the limit has been exceeded based on the running total value and the value of the transaction requested by the user.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to specify and enforce limits for transactions, the computer program logic comprising:

identifying means for enabling a processor to identify membership of a user in an entitlement group, responsive to a request by the user to perform a transaction;

first determining means for enabling a processor to determine units of the transaction requested by the user;

second determining means for enabling a processor to determine applicable limits to the transaction based on the units of the transaction; and

third determining means for enabling a processor to determine whether to allow the user to perform the transaction based on the applicable limits to the transaction, as defined by the entitlement group, given the units of the transaction.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the transactions are financial transactions.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the units are currencies.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking means for enabling a processor to track transactions performed for purposes of determining compliance with limits.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the tracking means comprises:

associating means for enabling a processor to associate a limit with a particular unit, the limit defined to limit a set of transactions only when values of the set of transactions are defined in terms of the particular unit; and

maintaining means for enabling a processor to maintain a running total value for the limit based on execution of transactions in the set of transactions, the running total value defined in terms of the particular unit;

wherein the transaction requested by the user is in the set of transactions.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the tracking means comprises:

associating means for enabling a processor to associate a limit with a particular unit, the limit defined to limit a set of transactions whether or not values of the set of transactions are defined in terms of the particular unit; and

maintaining means for enabling a processor to maintain a running total value for the limit based on execution of transactions in the set of transactions, the running total value defined in terms of the particular unit;

wherein the transaction requested by the user is in the set of transactions.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the tracking means further comprises:

converting means for enabling a processor to convert the unit of the transaction requested by the user to the particular unit;

wherein the unit of the transaction requested by the user is not in the particular unit.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the third determining means comprises:

fourth determining means for enabling a processor to determine whether the limit has been exceeded based on the running total value and the value of the transaction requested by the user.

17. The computer program product of step 16, wherein the third determining means comprises:

fourth determining means for enabling a processor to determine whether the limit has been exceeded based on the running total value and the value of the transaction requested by the user.

21. A system capable of specifying and enforcing limits for transactions, comprising:

a first module for identifying membership of a user in an entitlement group, responsive to a request by the user to perform a transaction;

a second module for determining units of the transaction requested by the user;

a third module for determining applicable limits to the transaction based on the units of the transaction; and

a fourth module for determining whether to allow the user to perform the transaction based on the applicable limits to the transaction, as defined by the entitlement group, based on the units of the transaction.