System, method and computer-program product for structured data capture

• US 20070100858A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Greene, Scott, Hester, David, Milstead, James, Pankrast, Renee
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

Techniques are provided for capturing data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process. Schema including input requests for the data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process are specified. The schema can then be transformed into a template which includes the input requests and which conforms to the schema. The template can then be interpreted, and the input requests can be presented to a data provider. Structured data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process can then be generated based on responses to the input requests.

Claims

1. A method for capturing data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process, the method comprising:

specifying schema comprising input requests for the data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process, and

transforming the schema into a template conforming to the schema, wherein the template comprises the input requests;

interpreting the template and presenting the input requests to a data provider; and

generating structured data, based on responses to the input, requests, which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying the schema, comprises:

specifying a step for each input request, wherein each step comprises a variable name; and

changing the steps into the schema.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the schema comprise XML schema, and wherein transforming the schema into a template conforming to the schema, comprises:

transforming the XML schema into an XML-based template conforming to the XML schema.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the input requests comprise questions and the responses comprise responses to the questions, and wherein generating structured data, comprises:

generating an XML document, based on the responses to the questions, comprising the structured data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating an XML document comprises:

saving the responses to the questions in the XML document as structured XML data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process and which conform to the XML schema.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

communicating with an external data provider to obtain external data from at least one web service.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

integrating the external data within at least one of the steps to satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying standard text to be combined with the responses to the input requests.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

converting the XML document to an unstructured human-readable text format.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein converting the XML document to an unstructured human-readable text format, comprises:

performing an eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) on the XML document to generate an XSL document comprising the structured XML data integrated into the standard text.

25. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an external data provider configured to provide a web service, wherein the query module is configured to interface with external data provider and use the web service to generate the structured XML data.

11. A system for capturing data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process, comprising:

a computer comprising a template generation module, the template generation module comprising;

a first user interface for specifying schema, wherein the schema comprise input requests for the data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process, and

a transformation sub-module configured to transform the schema into a template conforming to the schema, wherein the template comprises the input requests; and

a terminal coupled to the computer, the terminal comprising a query module in communication with the template generation module, the query module comprising;

an interpreter sub-module configured to interpret the template received from the template generation module;

a second user interface for presenting the input requests of the template for the data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process; and

a processor sub-module configured to generate structured data based on the responses to the input requests specified by the template, wherein the structured data satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein specifying the schema, comprises:

specifying a step for each input request, wherein each step comprises a variable name; and

translating the steps into the schema.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the schema comprise XML schema, and wherein the transformation sub-module, comprises:

a transformation sub-module configured to transform the XML schema into an XML-based template conforming to the XML schema.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the input requests comprise questions and the responses comprise responses to the questions, and wherein the processor sub-module, comprises:

a processor sub-module is configured to generate an XML document, based on the responses to the questions, comprising the structured data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor sub-module comprises:

an XML engine configured to save the responses to the questions in the XML document as structured XML data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process and which conform to the XML schema.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an external data provider, and

wherein the template generation module further comprises;

an interface for communicating with the external data provider to integrate external data from at least one web service within at least one of the steps to satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the query module further comprises:

an interface for communicating with the external data provider to query the external data provider for information to assist the data provider.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the template generation module further comprises:

a verbiage editor sub-module for specifying standard text to be combined with the responses to the input requests.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the query module further comprises:

a conversion sub-module configured to convert the XML document to an unstructured human-readable text format.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the conversion sub-module comprises:

an extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) conversion sub-module configured to perform an extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) on the XML document to generate a document another format comprising the structured XML data integrated into the standard text.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

an external data consumer (EDC) configured to receive the XML document and the XSL-transformed document from the terminal.

22. A computer having a template generation module, the template generation module comprising:

a user interface for specifying schema, wherein the schema comprise input requests for data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process, and

a transformation sub-module configured to transform the schema into a template conforming to the schema, wherein the template comprises the input requests.

23. A terminal having a query module, the query module comprising:

an interpreter sub-module configured to interpret a template comprising input requests for data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process;

a user interface for presenting the input requests to a data provider; and

a processor sub-module configured to generate structured data based on responses to the input requests, wherein the structured data satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process.

24. A system for capturing data which satisfy data requirements of a particular data capture process, comprising:

a computer, comprising;

a template generation module configured to generate a XML-based data capture template for capturing data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process; and

a device, comprising;

a query module configured to use the XML-based data capture template from the template generation module to generate structured XML data which satisfy the data requirements of the particular data capture process, and convert the structured XML data into unstructured text data.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

an external data consumer configured to receive the unstructured text data and structured XML data.