Business Network GUI

• US 20120110468A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: ACKERMANN, JOERG, BHATT, ANKUR, DENNER, JUERGEN, ILLENBERGER, CHRISTIAN, LIEBIG, CHRISTOPH, ROTHERMEL, GUNTHER, VOGES, SANDRA
• Granted Patent: US 9,483,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device includes instructions that, when executed, generate in a display device a graphical user interface comprising: a business view area with first objects representing business entities participating in a business network and second objects representing business connections between the business entities; and a connect view area with third objects representing applications participating in the business network and fourth objects representing logical interactions between the applications; wherein the graphical user interface dynamically updates the first, second, third and fourth objects with metadata that is at least in part automatically gathered in the business network.

Claims

1. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generate in a display device a graphical user interface comprising:

a business view area with first objects representing business entities participating in a business network and second objects representing business connections between the business entities; and

a connect view area with third objects representing applications participating in the business network and fourth objects representing logical interactions between the applications;

wherein the graphical user interface dynamically updates the first, second, third and fourth objects with metadata that is at least in part automatically gathered in the business network.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth objects are interactive and allow a user to perform drill-in and drill-out operations to select a level of detail for presenting at least part of the business network.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the drill-in and drill-out operations provide user navigation between (i) a first participant pair from the first and second objects, and (ii) a second participant pair from the third and fourth objects, based on associations between the first and second pairs in the metadata.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a grid view area with fifth objects representing the applications and middleware participating in the business network and sixth objects representing interactions and message exchanges between the applications and middleware, the grid view area showing a technical level of the business network.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein at least one of the business view and connect view areas includes a history function providing user navigation to an earlier state of the business network, the earlier state based on earlier recorded metadata.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein at least one of the business view and connect view areas includes a fifth object representing a business document, the fifth object connected to at least one of the first, second, third and fourth objects corresponding to a participant-to-participant exchange of the business document in the business network.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a network space area configured for maintaining a predefined subset of the business network and for editing or adding to metadata of the predefined subset.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the network space area further comprises a collaboration area configured for users from parts of the business network to exchange communications including at least a representation showing at least some of the first, second, third and fourth objects.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the collaboration area is configured for a communication recipient to add the representation to the predefined subset, the representation interacting with at least one existing object in the predefined subset.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a snapshot area showing a static snapshot of at least a subset of the business network.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises layers selectively applicable to the business view area or the connect view area, each layer including additional information from the metadata for the business view area or the connect view area.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the additional information includes at least one information type selected from:

relevant business documents, relevant agreements, interface names, middleware components, and message volume.

13. A system comprising:

a display device;

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processor generate on the display device a graphical user interface comprising;

a business view area with first objects representing business entities participating in a business network and second objects representing business connections between the business entities; and

a connect view area with third objects representing applications participating in the business network and fourth objects representing logical interactions between the applications;

wherein the graphical user interface dynamically updates the first, second, third and fourth objects with metadata that is at least in part automatically gathered in the business network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a grid view area with fifth objects representing the applications and middleware participating in the business network and sixth objects representing interactions and message exchanges between the applications and middleware, the grid view area showing a technical level of the business network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the business view and connect view areas includes a history function providing user navigation to an earlier state of the business network, the earlier state based on earlier recorded metadata.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a network space area configured for maintaining a predefined subset of the business network and for editing or adding to metadata of the predefined subset.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the network space area further comprises a collaboration area configured for users from parts of the business network to exchange communications including a representation showing at least some of the first, second, third and fourth objects.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the collaboration area is configured for a communication recipient to add the representation to the predefined subset, the representation interacting with at least one existing object in the predefined subset.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises layers selectively applicable to the business view area or the connect view area, each layer including additional information from the metadata for the business view area or the connect view area.

20. A method comprising:

displaying a business network view to negotiation parties who are currently negotiating a contract with rights and obligations for participating in a business network, the business network view comprising at least (i) a business view with first objects representing business entities participating in the business network that correspond to at least one of the negotiation parties and second objects representing business connections for the represented business entities, or (ii) a connect view with third objects representing applications participating in the business network and fourth objects representing logical interactions between the applications;

modifying the business network view based on input and displaying a modified business network view that includes a change in the rights or obligations of at least one of the negotiation parties; and

updating and storing a contract document for the negotiation parties after displaying the modified business network view, the contract document updated based on the change to reflect agreement on at least the change.