AUTOMATIC DATA DETERMINATION

• US 20080154854A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ritter, Gerd M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

In a computing system, a value that a user enters under guidance of a graphical user interface may be received for association with a field of a document. The received value is used to determine a value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document. Information indicating the value received in the input field and a rule used in determining the value for the at least another input field are stored in one or more fields of the document associated with the at least another input field.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of automatic data determination, the method comprising:

receiving a value that a user enters under guidance of a graphical user interface for association with a field of a document;

determining, using the received value, a value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document; and

storing, in one or more fields of the document associated with the at least another input field, information indicating (i) the value received in the input field, and (ii) a rule used in determining the value for the at least another input field.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in the graphical user interface the determined value in the at least another input field of the document.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, after displaying the determined value, a value that a user enters under guidance of the graphical user interface, and replacing the determined value with the user-entered value.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises a plurality of rules applied consecutively to determine the value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising making a subsequent decision based on the rule.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising making a subsequent decision based on at least a portion of the stored information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determined value is an attachment.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the stored information is displayed in the graphical user interface when the user makes a selection.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a tool tip in the graphical user interface, and wherein the selection comprises hovering a pointing indicator in the user interface over the tool tip.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from an external system, a value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document, and storing, in one or more fields of the document associated with the at least another input field, information indicating a rule used in determining the value for the at least another input field, the information received from the external system.

10. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for automatic data determination, the method comprising:

receive a value that a user enters under guidance of a graphical user interface for association with a field of a document;

determine, using the received value, a value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document; and

store, in one or more fields of the document associated with the at least another input field, information indicating (i) the value received in the input field, and (ii) a rule used in determining the value for the at least another input field.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed display in the graphical user interface the determined value in the at least another input field of the document.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising instructions that when executed receive, after displaying the determined value, a value that a user enters under guidance of the graphical user interface, and replacing the determined value with the user-entered value.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the rule comprises a plurality of rules applied consecutively to determine the value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed make a subsequent decision based on the rule.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed make a subsequent decision based on at least a portion of the stored information.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the determined value is an attachment.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the stored information is displayed in the graphical user interface when the user makes a selection.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed display a tool tip in the graphical user interface, and wherein the selection comprises hovering a pointing indicator in the user interface over the tool tip.

21. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed receive, from an external system, a value to be automatically associated with at least another field of the document, and store, in one or more fields of the document associated with the at least another input field, information indicating a rule used in determining the value for the at least another input field, the information received from the external system.

19. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface for automatic data determination, the graphical user interface comprising:

at least one input field that is capable of receiving a user-entered value for association with the input field in a document; and

at least another field of the document that is capable of being associated with an automatically generated value that is generated using the received value, and which is associated with one or more fields of the document where information is stored that indicates (i) the value received in the input field, and (ii) a rule used in determining the value for the at least another input field.