Business Query Language

• US 20080189655A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kol, Nir, Samson, Frederic E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses enable providing a structured business query interface to receive a structured business query. The interface can be provided as an extension to a business productivity application. The query is made without having to change context from the application to another program, but rather can be made within the context of the application. The query triggers access to a backend, which may result in accessing a data object that is inserted or embedded into the application, or a document of the application. In one embodiment, a business process extension is also available to the application, which enables a task pane within the application with other features and/or data. In one embodiment, related data can be accessed in response to selecting the inserted data object, which can provide additional information on the data object without leaving the context of the application.

Claims

1. A method for a structured business query language, comprising:

providing a structured business query construct based on a business context of a business productivity application during runtime of the business productivity application;

receiving, in response to providing the structured business query construct, an input query from within the business productivity application;

accessing a business object in response to the input query; and

inserting the business object into the business productivity application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the structured business query construct comprises:

providing a guided procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the structured business query construct comprises:

providing the structured business query construct in response to a key sequence inputted in the business productivity application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the structured business query construct based on the business context comprises:

providing a selectable list of input query items based on the business context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the structured business query construct based on the business context comprises:

providing the structured business query construct based on a security privilege of a user of the business productivity application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the structured business query construct based on the business context comprises:

providing the structured business query construct based on a business role of a user of the business productivity application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the structured business query construct based on the business context comprises:

providing the structured business query construct based on a context defined by metadata associated with an environment of the business productivity application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the structured business query construct based on the context defined by the metadata comprises:

providing the structured business query construct based on how an environment of the business productivity application was instantiated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the business productivity application comprises one of an email program, a spreadsheet program, a word processing program, or a slide presentation program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input query comprises:

receiving a selection of an item of a hierarchical selection tree.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the business object comprises:

accessing a web service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the business object comprises:

accessing enterprise level data from a backend system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the business object into the business productivity application comprises:

inserting a representation of the business object into the business productivity application, the representation having a non-text component.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the business object into the business productivity application comprises:

inserting one or more of a data point, a chart, a table, a graph, or a populated form paragraph.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing related data that is related to the business object; and

presenting the related data in the business productivity application environment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data is accessed in response to a mouse-over of the inserted business object.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data is accessed in response to a selection of a component of a representation of the inserted business object.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the related data comprises:

presenting the related data in a pop-up window.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the related data comprises:

invoking a business process extension of the business productivity application.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a machine readable medium having content stored thereon to provide instructions to cause a machine to perform operations including:

providing a structured business query construct based on a business context of a business productivity application during runtime of the business productivity application;

receiving, in response to providing the structured business query construct, an input query from within the business productivity application soliciting a data object;

accessing the data object from an enterprise backend in response to the input query; and

inserting the business object into the business productivity application.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the input query comprises content to provide instructions for

receiving an item of an input query in a first state, where a user has a specific item of information to be matched.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the content to provide instructions for

receiving the input query comprises content to provide instructions for receiving an item of an input query in a second state, where a user selects from among a list of provided options.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the input query comprises content to provide instructions for either

receiving a first item of an input query in a first state, where a user has a specific item of information to be matched;

or

receiving a first item of an input query in a second state, where a user selects from among a list of provided options; and

then

receiving a second item of the input query in either the first or second state after receiving the first item.

24. A system comprising:

means for receiving a request to invoke a data object query from within a context of a business productivity application during runtime of the business productivity application;

means for providing, in response to the request, a structured business query interface based on the business context, within the context of the business productivity application;

means for receiving an input query from the structured business query interface;

means for accessing a data object in response to the input query; and

means for inserting the accessed data object into the business productivity application.