Computer architecture for multi-organization data access

• US 6,295,536 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CGI Technologies and Solutions Incorporated (CGI Group)
• Original Assignee: American Management Systems, Incorporated (CGI, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanne, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/219,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 705/9, 707/201, 707/9, 707/10, 707/203, 709/206, 706/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Users are provided access to locally controlled data under centrally controlled rules of access. First, users request access to one or more agency databases from an enterprise system. After access is authorized using any known technique, users access agency databases, via the Internet, intranet(s) or other public or enterprise networks, using enterprise standard forms. Industry standard display programs, such as web browsers may be used to display the forms. The data fields on the forms are defined by agency and user profiles stored in enterprise databases. The content of the fields are supplied by the agency databases.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing records relating to forms and attachments in a plurality of databases;

manipulating the records relating to the forms and the attachments;

routing the forms to users for editing and approval;

creating agency profiles stored in enterprise databases; and

registering the users in response to completion of at least one form by the users by storing a user profile in the enterprise databases and user profile data in at least one agency database.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said routing comprises:

routing a request for access to an agency database to an agency administrator responsible for the agency database;

modifying the user profile in the enterprise databases upon receipt of approval of access;

storing at least a reference to the user profile in the agency database.

3. A method as recited in claim 2,

wherein the enterprise databases contain personal queues of the users, each personal queue identified by a user reference identifying a receiving user selected to receive at least one document, and

wherein said routing further comprises:

supplying user data and at least one user reference to a sending user when routing of a document is requested; and

routing form summary data and a form reference to the personal queue of at least one user identified by the at least one user reference.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said routing further comprises:

routing to the enterprise databases a routing template identifying specified users to receive a specified document type and an order in which the specified users receive a document; and

automatically routing the form summary data and the form reference to the personal queues of the specified users based on the routing template when a completed form of the specified document type is stored by a submitting user.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said manipulating comprises

retrieving the form summary data, the form reference, and an agency reference from the enterprise databases to obtain entries in the personal queue of one of the specified users,

formatting at least the form summary data for display to the one of the specified users as the personal queue of the one of the specified users,

retrieving reference data corresponding to the form reference from the agency database identified by the agency reference and the form data from the enterprise database upon selection of one of the entries in the personal queue of the one of the specified users, and

formatting the form data and the reference data for display to the one of the specified users.

6. A method as recited in claim 5,

wherein the specified document type is a purchase request,

wherein said routing automatically routes purchase requests to the specified users for approval, based on the routing template, and

wherein said manipulating formats the form data and the reference data to display information relating to at least one of cost, funding, vendor and requestor to the specified users.

7. A method, comprising:

storing records relating to forms and attachments in a plurality of databases;

manipulating the records relating to the forms and the attachments; and

routing the forms to users for editing and approval, and

wherein interfacing establishes communication between a user and an agency database when access is permitted by authorization data stored in enterprise databases,

wherein said manipulating supplies reference data in standard forms to the user after establishment of communication with the agency database, and

wherein said routing sends to the enterprise databases, form data, a form reference and an agency reference upon completion of one of the standard forms by the user.

8. A method as recited in claim 7,

wherein the agency database is one of a plurality of agency databases and the form data stored in the enterprise databases are used to format the reference data from any of the plurality of agency databases, and

wherein said manipulating further includes formatting the reference data, obtained from the agency database based on the form reference and the agency reference, and the form data obtained from the enterprise databases based on the form reference.

9. A method as recited in claim 7,

wherein the form data define a purchase request form, and

wherein said manipulating formats the form data and the reference data to display information relating to at least one of cost, funding, vendor and requestor to the user in an enterprise standard format.

10. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

an interface module interfacing with a plurality of databases storing records relating to forms and attachments;

a document handling module manipulating the records relating to the forms and the attachments;

a document routing module routing the forms to users for editing and approval; and

an administration module including;

creating agency profiles stored in enterprise databases; and

registering the users in response to completion of at least one form by the users by storing a user profile in the enterprise databases and user profile data in at least one agency database.

11. A computer program as recited in claim 10, wherein said document routing module includes

routing a request for access to an agency database to an agency administrator responsible for the agency database;

modifying the user profile in the enterprise databases upon receipt of approval of access;

storing at least a reference to the user profile in the agency database.

12. A computer program as recited in claim 11,

wherein the enterprise databases contain personal queues of the users, each personal queue identified by a user reference identifying a receiving user selected to receive at least one document, and

wherein said document routing module further comprises:

supplying user data and at least one user reference to a sending user when routing of a document is requested; and

routing form summary data and a form reference to said interface module for storage in the personal queue of at least one user identified by the at least one user reference.

13. A computer program as recited in claim 12, wherein said document routing module further comprises:

routing to said interface module for storage in the enterprise databases, a routing template identifying specified users to receive a specified document type and an order in which the specified users receive a document; and

automatically routing the form summary data and the form reference to the personal queues of the specified users based on the routing template when a completed form of the specified document type is stored by a submitting user.

14. A computer program as recited in claim 13, wherein said document handling module comprises

retrieving the form summary data, the form reference, and an agency reference from the enterprise databases to obtain entries in the personal queue of one of the specified users,

formatting at least the form summary data for display to the one of the specified users as the personal queue of the one of the specified users,

retrieving reference data corresponding to the form reference from the agency database identified by the agency reference and the form data from the enterprise database upon selection of one of the entries in the personal queue of the one of the specified users, and

formatting the form data and the reference data for display to the one of the specified users.

15. A computer program as recited in claim 14,

wherein the specified document type is a purchase request,

wherein said routing module automatically routes purchase requests to the specified users for approval, based on the routing template, and

wherein said document handling module formats the form data and the reference data to display information relating to at least one of cost, funding, vendor and requestor to the specified users.

16. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

an interface module interfacing with a plurality of databases storing records relating to forms and attachments;

a document handling module manipulating the records relating to the forms and the attachments; and

a document routing module routing the forms to users for editing and approval, and

wherein said interface module establishes communication between a user and an agency database when access is permitted by authorization data stored in enterprise databases,

wherein said document handling module comprises supplying reference data in standard forms to the user after establishment of communication with the agency database, and

wherein said document routing module comprises routing to said interface module for storage in the enterprise databases, form data, a form reference and an agency reference upon completion of one of the standard forms by the user.

17. A computer program as recited in claim 16,

wherein the agency database is one of a plurality of agency databases and the form data stored in the enterprise databases are used to format the reference data from any of the plurality of agency databases, and

wherein said document handling module further comprises formatting the reference data, obtained from the agency database based on the form reference and the agency reference, and the form data obtained from the enterprise databases based on the form reference.

18. A computer program as recited in claim 17,

wherein the form data define a purchase request form, and

wherein said document handling module formats the form data and the reference data to display information relating to at least one of cost, funding, vendor and requestor to the user in an enterprise standard format.

19. A data processing system, comprising:

an enterprise database server to store user data, agency profiles and form data;

a plurality of agency database servers to store agency databases including reference data; and

an enterprise system, coupled to said at least one enterprise database server and said agency database servers, to supply information from the agency profiles to users for selection among the agency databases and to route documents to the users based on the user data, each document combining selected form data from said enterprise database server and selected reference data from one of the plurality of agency databases.

20. A data processing system as recited in claim 19,

wherein said enterprise database server stores personal queues of the users, each personal queue identified by a user reference identifying a receiving user selected to receive at least one of the documents, and

wherein said enterprise system includes a Web server, coupled to said agency database servers via a public computer network, and routes form summary data and a form reference from a sending user to the personal queue of at least one receiving user identified by at least one user reference.

21. A data processing system as recited in claim 20,

wherein said data processing system further comprises remote computers, coupled to said Web server via the public computer network, to display the documents output by said Web server,

wherein said enterprise database server stores a routing template identifying specified users to receive a specified document type and an order in which the specified users receive a document, and

wherein said enterprise system automatically routes the form summary data and the form reference to the personal queues of the specified users based on the routing template when a completed form of the specified document type is stored by a submitting user.