Method and apparatus for conducting electronic commerce
First Claim
1. An object-oriented computer program product for providing a generic interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend, comprising:
- a medium readable by a computer, the computer readable medium having;
means for providing a plurality of business object classes, each business object class for providing a business object having;
means for mapping data between the frontend and the backend; and
means for transferring data between the frontend and the backend by transferring the business object therebetween.
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Abstract
A generic interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend is provided via an object oriented computer program product. In operation, the program creates one or more specific business objects from a plurality of specific business object classes. The program also provides a framework within which the business objects travel. A first framework instance is coupled to the frontend, and a second framework instance is coupled to the backend. In response to a request from the frontend or backend, the framework instance coupled to the requesting end creates a specific business object to perform the requested operation. Specific Business Objects are derived from a common class containing the methods required by the framework, a specific business object class containing the methods for performing a specific business function (e.g., order, provide production information, etc.), a frontend adapter class containing the methods for mapping data from the frontend to the business object, and a backend adapter class containing the methods for mapping data from the business object to a backend.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An object-oriented computer program product for providing a generic interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend, comprising:
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a medium readable by a computer, the computer readable medium having;
means for providing a plurality of business object classes, each business object class for providing a business object having;
means for mapping data between the frontend and the backend; and
means for transferring data between the frontend and the backend by transferring the business object therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 19)
means for providing a framework having;
an environment means for providing data relevant to performing business data manipulations within the framework;
a listener object coupled to the environment means, for coupling to the frontend or the backend, for receiving an operation ID from the frontend or the backend, for accessing the environment means to determine a business object class identified by the operation ID, and for creating a business object of the identified business object class;
at least one business framework object operatively coupled to both the listener object and the environment means for receiving business objects created by the listener object and for executing methods of each received business object; and
a communications object operatively coupled to the at least one business framework object and to the environment means, for sending and receiving business objects to and from both the at least one business framework object and a remote framework.
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5. An object-oriented computer program product for providing a generic interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend, comprising:
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a medium readable by a computer, the computer readable medium having;
a framework having;
an environment means for providing data relevant to performing business data manipulations within the framework;
a listener object coupled to the environment means, for coupling to the frontend or the backend, for receiving an operation ID from the frontend or the backend, for accessing the environment means to determine a business object class identified by the operation ID, and for creating a business object of the identified business object class;
at least one business framework object operatively coupled to both the listener object and the environment means for receiving business objects created by the listener object and for executing methods of each received business object; and
a communications object operatively coupled to the at least one business framework object and to the environment means, for sending and receiving business objects to and from both the at least one business framework object and a remote framework. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20)
a first framework object coupled to the listener object for receiving from the listener object;
a) the created business object; and
b) a handle to the frontend or the backend that transmitted the operation ID;
and for executing a load method of the created business object to load, from the transmitting frontend or backend, a key which identifies the location of business data to be transported by the created business object.
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8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the at least one business framework object further comprises:
a second framework object coupled to the first framework object and to the communications object for executing the business object'"'"'s inbound method, and wherein the business object'"'"'s inbound method uses the key to import data required by the created business object from the frontend or the backend location identified by the key.
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9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the at least one business framework object further comprises:
a second framework object coupled to the first framework object and to the communications object for executing the business object'"'"'s outbound method.
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10. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the communications object is for serializing business objects to be sent to a remote framework, and for deserializing business objects received from a remote framework.
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20. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:
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a common business object class containing methods required by the framework within which the business object is to travel;
at least one specific business object class containing data variables and methods specific to the operation to be performed by a business object of the specific business object class;
a frontend adapter class containing methods for adapting to a specific frontend;
a backend adapter class containing methods for adapting to a specific backend; and
means for creating a business object derived from the common business object class, the specific business object class, the frontend adapter class and the backend adapter class.
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11. An object-oriented computer program product for forming a business object to be used within a generic framework interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend, comprising:
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a medium readable by a computer, the computer readable medium having;
a common business object class containing methods required by the framework within which the business object is to travel;
at least one specific business object class containing data variables and methods specific to the operation to be performed by a business object of the specific business object class;
a frontend adapter class containing methods for adapting to a specific frontend;
a backend adapter class containing methods for adapting to a specific backend; and
means for creating a business object derived from the common business object class, the specific business object class, the frontend adapter class and the backend adapter class. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer based method for creating by inheritance a generic business object to interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend, comprising:
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inheriting a common business object class containing methods required by a framework within which business objects are to travel;
inheriting a plurality of specific business object classes, each specific business object class having data variables and methods specific to an operation to be performed by business objects of the specific business object class;
inheriting a frontend adapter class for mapping data from the frontend or the backend to a business object; and
inheriting a backend adapter class for mapping data from a business object to the frontend or the backend. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A computer based method for providing a generic interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend, comprising:
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receiving an operation ID from the frontend or the backend;
determining a business object class identified by the operation ID;
creating a business object of the identified business object class by;
inheriting a common business object class containing methods required by a framework within which the created business objects is to travel;
inheriting a specific business object class having data variables and methods specific to an operation to be performed by the created business object;
inheriting an inbound adapter class for mapping data from the frontend or the backend to the created business object; and
inheriting an outbound adapter class for mapping data from the created business object to the frontend or the backend; and
transporting the created business object to a remote framework instance. - View Dependent Claims (18)
receiving from the frontend or the backend which transmitted the operation ID, a key identifying the location of data required by the created object'"'"'s data variables; and
loading the data into the created business object.
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Specification