MANAGING CONSISTENT INTERFACES FOR MERCHANDISING BUSINESS OBJECTS ACROSS HETEROGENEOUS SYSTEMS

• US 20110078048A1
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Becker, Markus, Braeuninger, Ingo, Lanzer, Udo, Theiss, Sascha
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to merchandise and point-of-sale transaction business objects.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for exchanging comprehensive merchandise information, including product, bill of material, configuration, sales price information and purchase price information, the medium comprising:

program code for receiving via a message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for providing information for a comprehensive merchandise view for a product including bill of material, configuration, sales price information and purchase price information that includes a message package hierarchically organized as;

a merchandise ERP replication bulk request message entity; and

a merchandise ERP replication request message package comprising a merchandise ERP replication request message entity and a merchandise package, the merchandise package comprising a merchandise entity and a receiving store package, where the merchandise entity includes an internal ID, and where the receiving store package includes at least one receiving store entity, where each receiving store entity includes a store internal ID; and

program code for sending a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the merchandise package further comprises at least one of the following:

a point of sale processing condition package, a description package, a global trade item number package, a quantity unit package, a quantity conversion package, a product category package, a configurable material assignment package, a configuration property valuation package, a measure unit code specific description package, a tax classification package, an empties bill of material package, a material merchandise bill of material package, a procurement price information package, and a sale price information package.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the merchandise entity further includes an action code, a material type code, and a material merchandise type code.

4. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for exchanging information for business activity that is performed in a retail store, including retail transactions, financial movements and goods movements, the medium comprising:

program code for receiving via a message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for providing a notification of one or more point of sale transactions that includes a message package hierarchically organized as;

a point of sale transaction ERP bulk create request message entity; and

a point of sale transaction ERP create request message package comprising a point of sale transaction ERP create request message entity and a point of sale transaction package, the point of sale transaction package comprising a point of sale transaction entity, where the point of sale transaction entity includes a store internal ID, a device ID, an ID, a business date, and a training mode active indicator; and

program code for sending a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the point of sale transaction package further comprises at least one of the following:

an operator package, a retail transaction package, a financial transaction package, and a control transaction package.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the point of sale transaction entity further includes a till ID, a processing period, and a currency code.

7. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions, embedded on tangible media, for exchanging comprehensive merchandise information, including product, bill of material, configuration, sales price information and purchase price information using a request;

a first memory storing a user interface controller for processing the request and involving a message including a message package hierarchically organized as;

a merchandise ERP replication bulk request message entity; and

a merchandise ERP replication request message package comprising a merchandise ERP replication request message entity and a merchandise package, the merchandise package comprising a merchandise entity and a receiving store package, where the merchandise entity includes an internal ID, and where the receiving store package includes at least one receiving store entity, where each receiving store entity includes a store internal ID; and

a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of service interfaces, where one of the service interfaces is operable to process the message via the service interface.

8. The distributed system of claim 7, wherein the first memory is remote from the graphical user interface.

9. The distributed system of claim 7, wherein the first memory is remote from the second memory.

10. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions, embedded on tangible media, for exchanging information for business activity that is performed in a retail store, including retail transactions, financial movements and goods movements using a request;

a first memory storing a user interface controller for processing the request and involving a message including a message package hierarchically organized as;

a point of sale transaction ERP bulk create request message entity; and

a point of sale transaction ERP create request message package comprising a point of sale transaction ERP create request message entity and a point of sale transaction package, the point of sale transaction package comprising a point of sale transaction entity, where the point of sale transaction entity includes a store internal ID, a device ID, an ID, a business date, and a training mode active indicator; and

a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of service interfaces, where one of the service interfaces is operable to process the message via the service interface.

11. The distributed system of claim 10, wherein the first memory is remote from the graphical user interface.

12. The distributed system of claim 10, wherein the first memory is remote from the second memory.