Reproducible Selection of Members in a Hierarchy

• US 20080040382A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Morris, Richard, Skinner, Marc, Sharma, Harsh
• Granted Patent: US 10,635,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method for selecting members in a hierarchy includes determining a sequence of one or more actions associated with a member selection tree. The actions collectively selecting one or more members from a hierarchy of members. The hierarchy of members is associated with a particular dimension of an organization of data. The method further includes recording the sequence of actions in a member selection script. In addition, the method includes executing the member selection script to select one or more members after the hierarchy of members has been modified.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for reproducing a selection of members in a hierarchy, the method performed using a computer system comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the method comprising:

providing a member selection interface to a user, the member selection interface comprising;

a dimension selection tool capable of providing the user with the ability to select a dimension from which members are selected;

a hierarchy selection tool capable of providing the user with the ability to select a hierarchy of members associated with the data dimension;

a level selection table capable of providing the user with the ability to select one or more levels associated with the selected hierarchy of members; and

a member selection tree for hierarchically displaying the members included in the one or more levels of the level selection table;

receiving input of one or more actions by the user in navigating through the hierarchy of members in the member selection interface;

determining a sequence of the one or more actions associated with the member selection interface, the actions collectively selecting one or more members from the hierarchy of members, the hierarchy of members being associated with a particular dimension of an organization of data;

recording the sequence of actions of the user in a member selection script, the member selection script including a hierarchy selection command for determining the sequence of actions to be recorded; and

executing the recorded member selection script, after the hierarchy of members has been modified, to reproduce the user'"'"'s original input to the member selection interface, based upon the members and hierarchical relationships of the user'"'"'s original actions in navigating through the hierarchy of members in the member selection interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting the dimension from which members are to be selected, the dimension selected from the group consisting of a product dimension, a geography dimension, and a time dimension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting the hierarchy from which members are to be selected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting or deselecting one or more levels of the hierarchy from which members are to be selected, the members being selectable only from selected levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of the actions comprise expanding a member to view the children of the member; and

the selection of an expanded member causing only the selection of the expanded member.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of the actions comprise collapsing a member to hide the children of the member; and

the selection of a collapsed member causing the selection of the expanded member and the children of the expanded member.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting or deselecting one or more members from the hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions are recorded in the member selection script using one or more commands, the commands and one or more parameters associated with each command identifying the one or more actions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user manually generates the member selection script.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the member selection script is automatically generated based on input received from the user using a member selection interface.

11. A system for reproducing a selection of members in a hierarchy, the system comprising one or more computer systems each comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units collectively operable to:

provide a member selection interface to a user, the member selection interface comprising;

a dimension selection tool capable of providing the user with the ability to select a dimension from which members are selected;

a hierarchy selection tool capable of providing the user with the ability to select a hierarchy of members associated with the data dimension;

a level selection table capable of providing the user with the ability to select one or more levels associated with the selected hierarchy of members; and

a member selection tree for hierarchically displaying the members included in the one or more levels of the level selection table;

receive input of one or more actions by the user in navigating through the hierarchy of members in the member selection interface;

determine a sequence of the one or more actions associated with the member selection interface, the actions collectively selecting one or more members from the hierarchy of members, the hierarchy of members being associated with a particular dimension of an organization of data;

record the sequence of actions of the user in a member selection script, the member selection script including a hierarchy selection command for determining the sequence of actions to be recorded; and

execute the recorded member selection script, after the hierarchy of members has been modified, to reproduce the user'"'"'s original input to the member selection interface, based upon the members and hierarchical relationships of the user'"'"'s original inputs actions in navigating through the hierarchy of members in the member selection interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting the dimension from which members are to be selected, the dimension selected from the group consisting of a product dimension, a geography dimension, and a time dimension.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting the hierarchy from which members are to be selected.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting or deselecting one or more levels of the hierarchy from which members are to be selected, the members being selectable only from selected levels.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

one or more of the actions comprise expanding a member to view the children of the member; and

the selection of an expanded member causing only the selection of the expanded member.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

one or more of the actions comprise collapsing a member to hide the children of the member; and

the selection of a collapsed member causing the selection of the expanded member and the children of the expanded member.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the actions comprise selecting or deselecting one or more members from the hierarchy.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actions are recorded in the member selection script using one or more commands, the commands and one or more parameters associated with each command identifying the one or more actions.

19. The system of claim 11, further operable to automatically generate the member selection script based on input received from the user using a member selection interface.

20. Software for reproducing a selection of members in a hierarchy, the software embodied in at least one computer-readable medium and, when executed on a computer system comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, operable to:

provide a member selection interface to a user, comprising;

a dimension selection tool capable of providing the user with the ability to select a dimension from which members are selected;

a hierarchy selection tool capable of providing the user with the ability to select a hierarchy of members associated with the data dimension;

a level selection table capable of providing the user with the ability to select one or more levels associated with the selected hierarchy of members; and

a member selection tree for hierarchically displaying the members included in the one or more levels of the level selection table;

receive input of one or more actions by the user in navigating through the hierarchy of members in the member selection interface;

determine a sequence of the one or more actions associated with the member selection interface, the actions collectively selecting one or more members from the hierarchy of members, the hierarchy of members being associated with a particular dimension of an organization of data;

record the sequence of actions of the user in a member selection script, the member selection script including a hierarchy selection command for determining the sequence of actions to be recorded; and

execute the recorded member selection script, after the hierarchy of members has been modified, to reproduce the user'"'"'s original input to the member selection interface, based upon the members and hierarchical relationships of the user'"'"'s original actions in navigating through the hierarchy of members in the member selection interface.