Processing of data of a plurality of applications with a single client application

• US 20080222660A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Basware Oyj
• Original Assignee: Basware Oyj
• Inventors: Severinkangas, Auvo, Koskela, Joonas, Tavi, Jari
• Application Number:
  US11/714,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method, a system, an interface entity, and a client application for processing data of a plurality of applications in a single client application.

Claims

1. A method for enabling use of a plurality of applications by means of a single client application, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

receiving content data and description data from a first application of the plurality of applications;

receiving at least one processing rule from a processing rule provider, wherein the at least one processing rule is associated with processing data in said first application;

composing a first process contract, wherein the first process contract comprises the content data, process status data, object type data, and at least one processing instruction, wherein the process status data and the object type data are determined by the description data, and the least one processing instruction is determined by the at least one processing rule; and

making the first process contract available for delivery to the client application, wherein the first process contract is arranged to adapt the client application for interacting with the first application.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving content data and description data from a second application of the plurality of applications and composing a second process contract for said second application.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises receiving at least one further processing rule, wherein said further processing rule is associated with processing data in said second application.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the step of normalizing the description data received from the first application and the second application such that similar conditions in the first and the second applications are represented by similar portions of the normalized description data.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of delivering the first process contract to the client application by means of a distribution service, such as a web service.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of providing the first process contract to a proxy for delivery to the client application.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the proxy is arranged to modify the first process contract such that only necessary portions of the process contract are delivered to the client application.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the proxy is configured to receive device capability information from the client application and to modify the first process contract on the basis of the device capability information.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first process contract is a structured document.

10. A method for processing data originating from a plurality of applications by means of a single client application, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

receiving a first process contract by the client application, wherein the process contract comprises content data from a first application of the plurality of applications, process status data, object type data, and at least one processing instruction;

interpreting the at least one processing instruction by the client application, wherein the at least one processing instruction determines how the data included in the first process contract is processed in the client application;

processing the data included in the first process contract by means of the client application according to the at least one processing instruction.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises receiving a second process contract, which comprises content data from a second application of the plurality of applications.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the method comprises receiving a first portion of the first process contract from a proxy and a second portion of the first process contract from a memory means accessible to the client application.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the method comprises combining the first portion and the second portion of the first process contract to form a complete first process contract.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the processing of the data included in the first process contract comprises presenting, by means of a user interface, to a user at least the content data included in the first process contract and actions said user is allowed to perform on the content data, wherein the allowed actions are determined by the at least one processing instruction.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the processing of the data included in the first process contract comprises sending commands to another application, wherein the commands are determined by the at least one processing instruction.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein the method comprises processing the data included in the first process contract by a decision logic portion of the client application, wherein the decision logic portion is arranged to enable processing of the data according to the at least one processing instruction, and wherein the decision logic portion is extensible with software program code adapted to enable processing of data according to new processing instructions.

17. A method for providing data from a single client application to a plurality of applications by means of a process contract, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a first application from the plurality of applications by means of the client application;

selecting the type of a first process contract to be composed;

receiving a first process contract template corresponding to the type of the first process contract to be composed;

composing the first process contract by the client application by using the first process contract template;

sending the first process contract to the selected first application, wherein the first process contract comprises data to be provided to the selected first application.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

selecting a second application from the plurality of applications;

selecting the type of a second process contract to be composed;

receiving a second process contract template corresponding to the type of the second process contract to be composed;

composing the second process contract by the client application by using the second process contract template;

sending the second process contract to the selected second application, wherein the second process contract comprises data to be provided to the second application.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the first process contract template is received by retrieving said template from a memory means accessible to the client application.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the first process contract template is received as a response to a request for said template sent to a contract template provider.

21. An interface entity for enabling use of a plurality of applications by means of a single client application, wherein the interface entity comprises:

a collector component arranged to receive content data and description data from a first application of the plurality of applications; and

a producer component arranged to receive the content data and the description data from the collector component and at least one processing rule from a processing rule provider, wherein the at least one processing rule is associated with processing data in the first application, to compose a first process contract, wherein the first process contract is a structured document comprising the content data, process status data, object type data, and at least one processing instruction, wherein the process status data and the object type data are determined by the description data, and the least one processing instruction is determined by the at least one processing rule, and to make the first process contract available for delivery to the client application, wherein the first process contract is arranged to adapt the client application for interacting with the first application.

22. An interface entity according to claim 21, wherein the collector component is further arranged to receive content data and description data from a second application of the plurality of applications and a further processing rule from the processing rule provider, wherein the further processing rule is associated with processing data in the second application, to compose a second process contract, and to make the second process contract available for delivery to the client application, wherein the second process contract is arranged to adapt the client application for interacting with the second application.

23. An interface entity according to claim 22, wherein the collector component is further arranged to normalize the description data received from the first application and the second application such that similar conditions in the first and the second applications are represented by similar portions of the normalized description data.

33. A system for processing data of a plurality of applications by means of a single client application, wherein the system comprises:

said plurality of applications,

a processing rule provider,

an interface entity according to claim 21,

a client application according to claim 24.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein the system further comprises a process contract template provider.

24. A client application for processing data of a plurality of applications, wherein the client application comprises:

a general logic component arranged to receive a process contract and to provide the process contract to an interpreter component;

said interpreter component arranged to interpret at least one processing instruction, wherein the at least one processing instruction is included in the process contract; and

a decision logic component arranged to enable processing of data included in the process contract according to the at least processing instruction.

25. A client application according to claim 24, wherein the general logic component is arranged to receive a first portion of the process contract from a proxy and a second portion of the process contract from a memory means accessible to the general logic component, and to combine the first portion and the second portion to form a complete process contract.

26. A client application according to claim 24, wherein the decision logic component is arranged to present, by means of a user interface, to a user at least content data included in the process contract and actions said user is allowed to perform on the content data, wherein the allowed actions are determined by the at least one processing instruction.

27. A client application according to claim 24, wherein the decision logic component is arranged to send commands to another application, wherein the commands are determined by the at least one processing instruction.

28. A client application according to claim 24, wherein the general logic component is further arranged to receive a process contract template, wherein the template is used for composing a new process contract.

29. A client application according to claim 28, wherein the general logic component is arranged to receive the process contract template as a response to a request for a template sent to a process contract template provider.

30. A client application according to claim 28, wherein the general logic component is arranged to receive the process contract template by retrieving it from a memory means accessible to the general logic component.

31. A client application according to claim 28, wherein the general logic component is arranged to forward the process contract template to the decision logic, wherein the decision logic is arranged to present the template to a user by means of a user interface.

32. A device comprising a client application according to claim 24.