Electronic data entry system employing an expert system to facilitate generation of electronic data forms with complex interrelationships between fields and subforms

• US 5,367,619 A
• Filed: 01/10/1994
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Timothy F., Tinley, David M., Parsons, Carol A., Dipaolo, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/179,994
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 395/148, 395/149, 395/600, 395/50, 395/156, 364/413.02, 364/413.1, 364/401
• US Class Current: 715/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An rulebase software system is incorporated into a form data entry system for a digital computer to assure that only complete, consistent and valid data entries are made in accordance with the expert system rulebase. The rulebase is in a simple tabular format which eliminates the need for programming. The system interprets the rulebase tables automatically in order to draw the data forms and subforms displayed on the computer screen. Dependencies between input data fields on a data form and between fields and subforms are embedded in the tables of the rulebase. Valid data entries displayed for a given menu field vary in accordance with certain prior entries, and fields which can only assume one valid value can be automatically filled in with the single value dependent upon the value previously entered for designated other fields. Context sensitive hypertext help forms called by a selected field are dependent upon values previously entered for designated other fields.

Claims

1. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and a user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, wherein each field has a data entry, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device; and

menu generating means for generating on said display screen dynamically varying menus, each comprising a list of valid potential data entries for certain selected menu fields, with said list of valid potential data entries for a given selected menu field varying dynamically, in a manner wherein the potential data entries on said list are dependent upon combinations of data entries made for designated other fields, a valid potential data entry in each dynamically varying menu being selectable as the data entry in the given selected menu field through said user input device, said menu generating means incorporating an expert system having a rulebase which includes rules establishing said list of valid potential data entries for the dynamically varying menus for each of said certain selected menu fields for each combination of data entries of said designated other fields upon which each said certain selected menu field depends, and means for firing the rules to select said list of valid potential data entries in a manner wherein said list is dependent upon current combinations of data entries made for the designated other fields.

2. The data entry system of claim 1 wherein said menu generating means generates a dynamically varying menu for at least one of said certain selected menu fields which has only one valid data entry for each combination of data entries for said designated other fields, with said one valid data entry varying dynamically in a manner wherein said one valid data entry is dependent upon said each combination of data entries in said designated other fields.

3. The data entry system of claim 2 including means for automatically entering without user input said one valid data entry for said at least one certain selected menu field when a data entry for one of said designated other fields is changed, said valid data entry, which is automatically entered, being the one valid data entry that is generated by said menu generating means, said one valid data entry being dependent upon combinations of data entries for said designated other fields, including the changed data entry for said one designated other yfield.

4. The data entry system of claim 3 wherein the field, for which the one valid data entry is automatically entered, is a designated other field for an additional field having only one valid data entry, said data entry system including means for iteratively automatically entering the one valid data entry for additional fields wherein each said additional field has only one valid data entry, until data entries for no more fields change.

5. The data entry system of claim 4 wherein said rulebase of said expert system includes rules establishing the one valid data entry for the selected field for each combination of data entries of said designated other fields and means for firing said rules to select the one valid data entry in a manner wherein the one valid data entry is dependent upon said combinations of data entries for said designated other fields.

6. The data entry system of claim 5 wherein said expert system includes a table for each of said fields having only one valid data entry dependent upon the combinations of data entries for said designated other fields, each said table including an input column for each designated other field upon which the one valid data entry for the selected field depends, an output column, and successive rows each containing in said input columns a combination of data entries for the designated other fields, and in said output column the one valid data entry for the selected field for the combination of data entries of the designated other fields in the input columns, each said row constituting a rule in the rulebase.

7. The data entry system of claim 1 wherein said expert system includes a table for each dynamically varying menu, each table including an input column for each designated other field upon which the dynamically varying menu depends, an output column and successive rows each containing in said input columns values for the designated other fields, and in said output column the menu of valid data entries for the dynamically varying menu for the combination of values of the designated other fields in the input columns, each said row constituting a rule in said rulebase.

8. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and a user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, wherein each field has a data entry, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device; and

menu generating means for generating on said display screen dynamically varying menus comprising a list of valid potential data entries for certain selected menu fields, with said list of valid potential data entries for a given selected menu field varying dynamically in a manner wherein the potential data entries on said list are dependent upon combinations of data entries made for designated other fields, a valid potential data entry in said dynamically varying menu being selectable as the data entry in the given selected menu field through said user input device; and

means for selectively validating data entries previously made, as data entries are made for additional fields, including means for sequentially selecting each dynamically varying menu field and generating current valid potential data entries for said each dynamically varying menu field dependent upon the current combinations of data entries of the designated other fields upon which the selected dynamically varying menu field is dependent, comparing the data entry previously made for said selected dynamically varying menu field with said current valid potential data entries, and generating an indication that said data entry previously made is invalid when it does not match any of said current valid potential data entries.

9. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and a user input devices, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device; and

means responsive to selection of a selected field on a parent form for selecting for display on said display screen one of a plurality of subforms, with said selecting for display of said one subform dynamically varying in a manner wherein said selecting for display of said one subform is dependent upon combinations of data entered for designated other fields on said parent form, said selection means incorporating an expert system having a rulebase which includes rules establishing, for each combination of data entered for said designated other fields, the one subform displayed by selection of said selected field, and means for firing said rules to select the said one subform in said manner wherein said selecting for display of said one subform is dependent on said combinations of data entered for said designated other fields, and

wherein said rulebase includes an indirection table for said selected field, said table including an input column for each designated other field upon which selection of the one subform displayed by selection of the selected field is dependent, an output column, and successive rows each containing in said input columns a combination of data entered for said designated other fields, and in said output column the one subform displayed for the combination of data entered for the designated other fields in the input columns, each said row constituting a rule in said rulebase.

10. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and a user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device;

means responsive to selection of a selected field on a parent form for selecting for display on said display screen one of a plurality of subforms, with said selecting for display of said one subform dynamically varying in a manner wherein said selecting for display of said one subform is dependent upon combinations of data entered for designated other fields on said parent form;

said fields being identified by field names, and wherein a field of a given field name is repeated in multiple locations and including means for designating fields with specified names as global fields and entering a value entered in a global field with a given specified name in each location of that field including locations on a single form and other forms in the system;

override means for passing values of identified fields in a parent form to fields of the same name in all subforms of the parent form; and

means for labeling at least one field on a parent form for modification of said at least one field'"'"'s value upon return from a subform, and means for modifying the value of a labeled field on said parent form to the value of a field of the same name on the subform when returning to the parent form from the subform.

11. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and a user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device for entry of data, at least one selected field when selected calling one of a plurality of hypertext forms containing help information for display on said display screen, selection of the one of said plurality of hypertext forms called for display varying dynamically in a manner wherein said selection of the one of said plurality of hypertext forms is dependent upon combinations of data entries for designated other fields, said means incorporating an expert system having a rulebase which includes rules establishing the selection of the one hypertext form of said plurality of forms displayed by selection of said selected field for each combination of data entries for said designated other fields, and means for firing said rules to select the one hypertext form, said selection being dependent upon the combinations of data entries of said designated other fields, the rulebase including an indirection table for said selected field, said table including an input column for each designated other field upon which said selection of the one hypertext form displayed by selection of the selected field is dependent, an output column, and successive rows each containing in said input columns a combination of data entries for said designated other fields, and in said output column the one hypertext form displayed for the combinations of data entries for the designated other fields contained in the input columns, each said row constituting a rule in said rulebase.

12. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and a user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device for entry of data, at least one selected field when selected calling one of a plurality of hypertext forms containing help information for display on said display screen, selection of the one of said plurality of hypertext forms called for display varying dynamically in a manner wherein said selection of the one of said plurality of hypertext forms is dependent upon combinations of data entries for designated other fields, said means for generating forms on said display screen including means for generating a network of hypertext forms each having at least one field which when selected through said user input device calls for display on said display screen another hypertext form in said network, the selection of said another hypertext form called being dependent upon combinations of data entries for of the designated other fields.

13. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device, properties of said fields being defined by a form table having a plurality of columns each defining an attribute of said fields and a row for each field containing in each column a value of the attribute represented by that column for that field, and means for changing selected attribute values for said given field by changing in the row of said form table for said given field the values in the columns for said selected attributes, said field attributes including attributes which define a form structure for a current form in a memory, said form structure including a field cell for each field, at least some of said field cells including a location for a data entry for said field entered through said user input device, said means for generating said form tables including means for generating an array form table for generating an array form, said array form table having a set of fields with each field in said set defined by a row in said array form table, said system including means for replicating said set of fields a selected number of times in said form structure in memory.

14. A data entry system for a digital computer having a display screen and user input device, said system comprising:

means for generating on said display screen, forms having background text and a plurality of fields for the insertion of data, said fields being successively selectable through said user input device, properties of said fields being defined by a form table having a plurality of columns each defining an attribute of said fields and a row for each field containing in each column a value of the attribute represented by that column for that field, and means for changing selected attribute values for said given field by changing in the row of said form table for said given field the values in the columns for said selected attributes, said means for generating said forms including means for generating for a call field an indirection table in a given location in memory, said indication table having at least one input column for a designated other field, one output column and a plurality of rows, each row containing in said input column a value for said designated other field and in said output column the form table of a form to be called by the call field for each value of said designated other field, and wherein said form table for said call field includes as an attribute the given location in said memory of said indirection table.