Electronic transaction system and method and storage medium storing therein control program for executing format conversion in electronic transaction

• US 6,658,483 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1998
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Tutomu, Iwamoto, Takashi, Kokubo, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/075,219
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/205, 709/208, 709/201, 709/224, 709/223, 709/313, 705/1, 705/40, 705/79, 705/26, 705/4, 705/35, 345/333, 717/8, 717/1, 717/102, 713/200, 714/16, 714/49, 703/27, 379/221, 707/10, 707/104, 707/4, 707/500.1
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A set-up supporting server stores a model table which is used for conversion of a translator of a client for order receiver and a set-up supporting tool for correcting the model table and setting up into the translator. A set-up processing module of the client for order receiver receives a down-load of the model table 72 and set-up supporting tool in response to a supporting request to the set-up supporting server and automatically executes a set-up process of the translator 36 on the basis of an input of predetermined individual information.

Claims

1. An electronic transaction system comprising:

an order issuer apparatus of a first entity having a translator converting a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format specific to the order issuer apparatus into a standard EDI transaction message conforming to a standard EDI format which is transmitted through a network, where the local and standard messages represent a transaction between the first entity and one of a plurality of other entities;

a plurality of order receiver apparatuses of the other entities, each having a translator converting the standard EDI transaction message conforming to the standard EDI format received through the network into a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format specific to each of the order receiver apparatuses;

a set-up supporting apparatus storing model information which is used during the conversion of the translators of said order receiver apparatuses and a set up supporting tool interactively editing said model information and setting up to be used by said translator, the model information comprising information defining a local EDI message format, information defining a standard message format, and information mapping between the local message format and the standard message format.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein

as said model information,

said set-up supporting apparatus stores:

a mapping table in which linking relation between a local message table in which a local EDI message format has been defined and a standard message table in which a standard EDI message format has been defined; and

a use set table in which a kind of said mapping table has been set,

and as said set-up supporting tool,

said set-up supporting apparatus stores;

a set-up operation picture plane;

a set-up executing module; and

a platform serving as a virtual machine environment for making said set-up executing module operative, and

said set-up processing apparatus receives a down-load of said set-up operation picture plane and platform in response to the supporting request to said set-up supporting apparatus, inputs the individual information by using said set-up operation picture plane, and after that, executes an authorization requesting operation, thereby receiving a down-load of said mapping table, use set table, and set-up executing module, correcting said mapping table and use set table on the basis of said individual information, converting into a table which is peculiar to a company, and setting up into a translator for order reception.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said set-up processing apparatus inputs a company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, and a using platform as said individual information and notifies said set-up supporting apparatus of said company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, using platform, and further an authorizing request including an ID code on the basis of the authorization requesting operation, and

said set-up supporting apparatus has a customer management table in which an ID code of a partner who executes an electronic transaction has previously been registered, registers said company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, and using platform into said customer management table when a collation coincidence of the ID code and an adaptation of the using platform are obtained from said set-up processing apparatus on the basis of the authorizing request, and further, executes the down-load of said model table and said set-up supporting tool into said set-up processing apparatus on the basis of a success in said authorizing process.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said set-up executing module which was down-loaded into said set-up processing apparatus changes said mapping table and said company enterprise code and customer enterprise code in said use set table to the company enterprise code and customer enterprise code inputted by said operation picture plane, thereby converting into a mapping table and use set table which are peculiar to the company.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein

said set-up supporting apparatus further stores a local transaction message for testing and a standard transaction messages for testing and down-loads said transaction message for testing in response to the supporting request from said set-up processing apparatus, and

said set-up processing apparatus executes a conversion test of the translator in which the set-up was completed by said down-loaded transaction messages for testing and notifies said set-up supporting apparatus of a test result.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an error mail transmitting apparatus for transmitting error contents as an electronic mail when an error occurs in the translator of said order receiver apparatus;

a supporting mail apparatus for obtaining countermeasure information for the generated error by a retrieval of a database based on said error contents when the electronic mail is received from said error mail transmitting apparatus and returning an electronic mail; and

an error correspondence processing apparatus for receiving the electronic mail from said supporting mail apparatus and presenting the countermeasure information for the generated error of said translator.

2. An electronic transaction system comprising:

an order issuer apparatus having a translator for converting a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format specific to the order issuer apparatus into a standard EDI transaction message conforming to a standard EDI format which is transmitted through a network;

a plurality of order receiver apparatuses each having a translator for converting the standard EDI transaction message conforming to the standard EDI format received through the network into a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format specific to each of the order receiver apparatuses;

a set-up supporting apparatus storing model information which is used for the conversion of the translators of said order receiver apparatuses and a set up supporting tool for correcting said model information and setting up into said translator; and

a set-up processing apparatus, provided for said order receiver apparatuses, for receiving a down-load of said model table and set-up supporting tool by a supporting request to said set-up supporting apparatus and automatically setting up said translator on the basis of individual information, wherein

as said model information,

said set-up supporting apparatus stores;

a local message table in which a local EDI message format has been defined;

a standard message table in which a standard message format has been defined;

a mapping table in which a relation between said local message table and said standard message table has been defined; and

a use set table in which kinds of said mapping table and said local message table have been set, and

as said set-up supporting tool, said set-up supporting apparatus stores;

a set-up operation picture plane;

a set-up executing module; and

a platform serving as a virtual machine environment for making said set-up executing module operative, and said set-up processing apparatus receives the down-load of said set-up operation picture plane and said platform in response to the supporting request to said set-up supporting apparatus, inputs the individual information by using said set-up operation picture plane, and after that, performs an authorization requesting operation, thereby receiving a down-load of said local message table, standard message table, mapping table, use set table, and set-up executing module, correcting said mapping table and said use set table on the basis of said individual information, converting into a table peculiar to a company corresponding to the individual information, and setting up said table into the translator.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said set-up processing apparatus inputs a company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, and a using platform as said individual information and notifies said set-up supporting apparatus of said company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, using platform, and further an authorizing request including an ID code on the basis of the authorization requesting operation, and

said set-up supporting apparatus has a customer management table in which an ID code of a partner who executes an electronic transaction has previously been registered, registers said company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, and using platform into said customer management table when a collation coincidence of the ID code and an adaptation of the using platform are obtained from said set-up processing apparatus on the basis of the authorizing request, and further, executes the down-load of said model table and said set-up supporting tool into said set-up processing apparatus on the basis of a success in said authorizing process.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said set-up executing module which was down-loaded into said set-up processing apparatus changes said mapping table and said company enterprise code and customer enterprise code in said use set table to the company enterprise code and customer enterprise code inputted by said operation picture plane, thereby converting into a mapping table and use set table which are peculiar to the company.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein

said set-up supporting apparatus further stores a local transaction message for testing and a standard transaction message for testing and down-loads said transaction messages for testing in response to the supporting request from said set-up processing apparatus, and

said set-up processing apparatus executes a conversion test of the translator in which the set-up was completed by said down-loaded transaction messages for testing and notifies said set-up supporting apparatus of a test result.

11. An electronic transaction system, comprising:

a translator performing a conversion between a local EDI transaction message of a local EDI format specific to the order issuer apparatus and a standard EDI transaction message of a standard EDI format which is transmitted and received through a network; and

a set-up processing apparatus receiving a down-load of a model table and a set-up supporting tool by a supporting request to said set-up supporting apparatus and automatically setting up said translator on the basis of individual information, the model table comprising information defining the local EDI message format, information defining the standard EDI message format, and information mapping between said local EDI message format and said standard EDI message format, where the supporting tool is used to interactively edit the model and individual information.

12. A set-up supporting apparatus for supporting a set-up of a translator to perform a conversion between a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format specific to an electronic transaction system and a standard EDI transaction message of a standard EDI format which is transmitted by a first entity and received through a network by a second entity, comprising:

a model EDI translation table which is used to set up a translator of an order receiver apparatus, the model EDI translation table comprising information defining the local EDI message format, information defining the standard EDI message format, and information mapping between said local EDI message format and said standard EDI message format; and

a set-up supporting tool for interactively editing said model table and setting up the model in the translator,

wherein in response to a supporting request from said electronic transaction system, said model EDI translation table and set-up supporting tool are down-loaded, thereby allowing a set-up process of said translator to be automatically executed.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

as said EDI translation model table,

a local message table in which a local EDI message format has been defined,

a standard message table in which a standard EDI message format has been defined,

a mapping table in which a relation between said local message table and said standard message table has been defined, and

a use set table in which kinds of said mapping table and said local message table have been set are stored, and

as said set-up supporting tool,

a set-up operation picture plane,

a set-up executing module, and

a platform serving as a virtual machine environment for making said set-up executing module operative are stored, and

on the basis of the supporting request from said electronic transaction system, said set-up operation picture plane and platform are down-loaded, and in response to an authorizing request in association with an input of individual information using said set-up operation picture plane, said local message table, standard message table, mapping table, use set table, and set-up executing module are downloaded, are converted into a table peculiar to a company by a correction of said mapping table and use set table based on said individual information, and are set up into the translator.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, further having a customer management table in which an ID code of a partner who executes an electronic transaction has previously been registered,

and wherein when a company enterprise code, a customer enterprise code, a using platform, and further, an authorizing request including an ID code from said electronic transaction system are received, if a collation coincidence of the ID code and an adaptation of the using platform are derived, said company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, and using platform, into said customer management table are registered, and further, said model table and set-up supporting tool are down-loaded into a set-up processing apparatus on the basis of a success in said authorizing process.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said set-up executing module which was down-loaded into said electronic transaction system changes said company enterprise code and customer enterprise code in said mapping table and use set table to a company enterprise code inputted by said operation picture plane, thereby converting into a mapping table and a use set table which are peculiar to a company.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a transaction message for testing is further stored, said transaction message for testing is down-loaded in response to the supporting request from said set-up processing apparatus, and said set-up executing module allows said translator in which the set-up was completed to execute a conversion test and to notify of a test result.

17. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

as said model EDI translation table,

a mapping table in which a relation between a local message table in which a local EDI message format has been defined and a standard message table in which a standard EDI message format has been defined and

a use set table in which a kind of said mapping table has been set are stored, and

as said set-up supporting tool,

a set-up operation picture plane,

a set-up executing module, and

a platform serving as a virtual machine environment for making said set-up executing module operative are stored, and

on the basis of the supporting request from said electronic transaction system, said set-up operation picture plane and platform are down-loaded, and in response to an authorizing request in association with an input of individual information using said set-up operation picture plane, said local message table, standard message table, mapping table, use set table, and set-up executing module are downloaded, are converted into a table which is peculiar to a company by a correction of said mapping table and use set table based on said individual information, and are set up into the translator.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, further having a customer management table in which an ID code of a partner who executes an electronic transaction has previously been registered,

and wherein when a company enterprise code, a customer enterprise code, a using platform, and further, an authorizing request including an ID code from said electronic transaction system are received, if a collation coincidence of the ID code and an adaptation of the using platform are derived, said company enterprise code, customer enterprise code, and using platform are registered into said customer management table, and further, said model table and set-up supporting tool are down-loaded into a set-up processing apparatus on the basis of a success in said authorizing process.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said set-up executing module which was down-loaded into said electronic transaction system changes said company enterprise code and customer enterprise code in said mapping table and use set table to a company enterprise code inputted by said operation picture plane, thereby converting into a mapping table and a use set table which are peculiar to a company.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a transaction message for testing is further stored, said transaction message for testing is down-loaded in response to the supporting request from said set-up processing apparatus, and said set-up executing module allows said translator in which the set-up was completed to execute a conversion test and to notify of a test result.

21. A computer readable recording medium in which control programs for executing a format conversion by an electronic transaction have been recorded, comprising:

an order issuer processing module of a first entity having a translator converting a local EDI transaction order message conforming to a local EDI format specific to the order issuer apparatus into a standard EDI transaction message conforming to a standard EDI format which is transmitted and received through a network, where the local and standard messages represent a transaction between the first entity and one of a plurality of other entities;

a plurality of order reception processing modules of the other entities, each having a translator receiving and converting the standard EDI transaction message conforming to the standard EDI format received through the network into a local EDI transaction order message conforming to a local EDI format specific to each of the order receiver modules;

a set-up supporting module storing model information which is used during the conversion of the translators of said order reception processing module and a set-up supporting tool interactively editing said model information and setting up to be used by said translator, the model information comprising information defining the local EDI message format, information defining the standard EDI message format, and information mapping between said local EDI message format and said standard EDI message format; and

a set-up processing module, provided for said order reception processing modules, receiving a down-load of said model table and set-up supporting tool by a supporting request to said set-up supporting module and automatically setting up said translator on the basis of individual information.

22. A computer readable recording medium in which control programs for executing a format conversion by an electronic transaction have been recorded, comprising:

a translator for performing a conversion between a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format and a standard EDI transaction message conforming to a standard EDI format which is transmitted and received through a network; and

a set-up processing module receiving a down load of a model table and a set-up supporting tool by a supporting request to an outside and automatically executing a set-up of said translator on the basis of individual information, the model table comprising information defining the local EDI message format, information defining the standard EDI message format, and information mapping between said local EDI message format and said standard EDI message format, where the supporting tool is used to interactively edit the model and individual information.

23. A computer readable recording medium in which control programs for executing a format conversion by an electronic transaction have been recorded, comprising:

a model table which is used by a translator when performing a conversion between a local EDI transaction message conforming to a local EDI format provided in an electronic transaction module and a standard EDI transaction message conforming to a standard EDI format which is transmitted and received through a network the model table comprising information defining the local EDI message format, information defining the standard message format, and information mapping between the local message format and the standard message format, where the supporting tool is used to interactively edit the model table and individual information;

a set-up supporting tool interactively editing said model table and setting to be used by the translator; and

a set-up supporting module for down-loading said model table and set-up supporting tool in response to a supporting request from an outside and allowing a setup process of said translator to be automatically executed.

24. A method of electronic transaction translation set up, comprising:

receiving a mapping model comprising information describing a standard EDI message format and also comprising information describing a local EDI message format, and also receiving a set-up tool for editing the mapping model;

using the set-up tool to interactively edit the mapping model and thereby relate parts of the information describing the standard EDI message format to parts of the information describing the local EDI message format; and

after said editing and relating, using the mapping model to perform automatic translation between messages conforming to the standard EDI message format and messages conforming to the local EDI message format.