Matchmaker for assisting and executing the providing and conversion of data between objects in a data processing system storing data in typed objects having different data formats
First Claim
1. In a data processing system including a means for storing data in typed objects, each object being of a type defined by the type of data stored in the object, a processor for performing operations with respect to the typed objects, and at least one object manager for each type of object in the system for controlling the operations of the processor with respect to the objects of the corresponding type wherein a first object manager includes a data select means responsive to user inputs for selecting in an object of a corresponding type a portion of the data therein to be provided to a second object and the object manager corresponding to the second object includes a place means responsive to user inputs for indicating a location in the second object at which the selected data is to appear a matchmaker for assisting in the providing of the selected data from the first object to the second object, comprising:
- a first data format indicating means responsive to the data select means for providing indications of at least one data representation in which the first object manager will provide data;
a first data transfer means responsive to the data select means for providing as an output the selected data in one of the at least one data representation indicated by the first data format means;
a second data format indicating means responsive to the data place means for providing indications of at least one data representation in which the second object manager will accept data;
a second data transfer means for accepting as an input the selected data in one of the at least one data representation indicated by the second object manager data format means;
a format matching means responsive tothe indications of the data representations in which the first object manager will provide data, andthe indications of the data representations in which the second object manager will accept data, forindicating a data representation common to both the first object manager and the second object manager,wherein the first and second data transfer means are responsive to the indication of a common data representation for respectively providing and accepting the selected data in the indicated common data representation; and
a data exchange means for accepting the selected data from the first data transfer means in the indicated common data representation and providing the selected data to the second data transfer means in the indicated common data representation, the second data transfer means accepting the selected data in the indicated common data representation and providing the selected data in the indicated common data representation to the second object manager.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An object based data processing system including an extensible set of object types and a corresponding set of "object managers" wherein each object manager is a program for operating with the data stored in a corresponding type of object. The object managers in general support at least a standard set of operations. Any program can effect performance of these standard operations on objects of any type by making an "invocation" request. In response to an invocation request, object management services (which are available to all object managers) identifies and invokes an object manager that is suitable for performing the requested operation on the specified type of data. A mechanism is provided for linking data from one object into another object. A object catalog includes both information about objects and about links between objects. Data interchange services are provided for communicating data between objects of different types, using a set of standard data interchange formats. A matchmaker facility permits two processes that are to cooperate in a data interchange operation identify each other and to identify data formats they have in common. A facility is provided for managing shared data "resources". Customized versions of resources can be created and co-exist with standard resources. A resource retrieval function determines whether a customized or a standard resource is to be returned in response to each request for a resource.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. In a data processing system including a means for storing data in typed objects, each object being of a type defined by the type of data stored in the object, a processor for performing operations with respect to the typed objects, and at least one object manager for each type of object in the system for controlling the operations of the processor with respect to the objects of the corresponding type wherein a first object manager includes a data select means responsive to user inputs for selecting in an object of a corresponding type a portion of the data therein to be provided to a second object and the object manager corresponding to the second object includes a place means responsive to user inputs for indicating a location in the second object at which the selected data is to appear a matchmaker for assisting in the providing of the selected data from the first object to the second object, comprising:
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a first data format indicating means responsive to the data select means for providing indications of at least one data representation in which the first object manager will provide data; a first data transfer means responsive to the data select means for providing as an output the selected data in one of the at least one data representation indicated by the first data format means; a second data format indicating means responsive to the data place means for providing indications of at least one data representation in which the second object manager will accept data; a second data transfer means for accepting as an input the selected data in one of the at least one data representation indicated by the second object manager data format means; a format matching means responsive to the indications of the data representations in which the first object manager will provide data, and the indications of the data representations in which the second object manager will accept data, for indicating a data representation common to both the first object manager and the second object manager, wherein the first and second data transfer means are responsive to the indication of a common data representation for respectively providing and accepting the selected data in the indicated common data representation; and a data exchange means for accepting the selected data from the first data transfer means in the indicated common data representation and providing the selected data to the second data transfer means in the indicated common data representation, the second data transfer means accepting the selected data in the indicated common data representation and providing the selected data in the indicated common data representation to the second object manager. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification