Method and apparatus for exchanging data in a platform independent manner

• US 7,010,580 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Fu, Xiang, Stafford, Roy Campbell
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lezak, Arrienne M.
• Application Number:
  US09/685,417
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 705 1- 45, 705 50- 80, 705400-418
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Provided is a system and method for easily packaging and exchanging complex information such as that contained in a database in the form of objects and attached documents. The invention may include a server configured to create a viewer package containing data and viewer code that allows a client computer to read data within the viewer package. The viewer code provides a client computer with the ability to perform functions that are as robust and as useful to common functions of a database for viewing, consuming and manipulating data. The data to be accessed may be formatted in one or more universal formats so that a user opening the viewer package can access the data, independent of the medium onto which it is received.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for creating an electronic data viewer package for use in the transaction of business product information between a data owner and a registered user;

comprising;

preparing a platform independent viewer package by the data owner, wherein the viewer package includes product information data owned by the data owner and to be accessed by at least one registered user of the viewer package according to predetermined user access criteria;

identifying at least one attribute associated with the registered user of the viewer package;

identifying at least one function that the at least one registered user of the viewer package is permitted to perform based on predetermined user access criteria;

retrieving the viewer package by the data owner from a database and generating the viewer package in a structure corresponding to a structure of the data in the database and based on the at least one attribute associated with the registered user, said attribute identifying controlled access to the data by a registered user according to predetermined privileges set by the owner of the data, wherein the viewer package allows the registered user located in a remote location to perform the at least one function in a manner that remotely emulates a database for viewing, consuming, and manipulating data retrieved from within the viewer package and in a manner that is independent from direct access to the database; and

transferring the viewer package and application code to the registered user to allow the registered user access to a virtual copy of the data as it resides in the database, where the data in the viewer package may be accessed by a registered user in a remote location and in a manner that remotely emulates controlled access to a database that is independent from direct access to the database from which the viewer package was prepared.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring application code to the registered user; and

the registered user executing the application code to perform at least one function on the data in the viewer package.

3. A computer implemented method for creating an electronic data viewer package for use in the transaction of business information between a data owner and a regstered user;

comprising;

preparing a viewer package containing a virtual and platform independent copy of a data owner'"'"'s product information data from a database having a data structure that, when used by a registered user emulates the structure of a database, and application code to view the virtual copy of the data, wherein the request identifies at least one registered user that will access the data contained in the viewer package from a remote location and independent from any direct access to the database, and wherein the preparation is provided to a server configured to generate the viewer package based on the identity and at least one attribute of the at least one registered user said attribute identifying controlled access to viewer package data by the at least one registered user according to predetermined privileges set by an owner of the data;

receiving the viewer package wherein the viewer data in the viewer package has a structure that corresponds to the data structure of data in the database from which the viewer package was prepared;

receiving the application program; and

executing the application program, wherein the application program allows the registered user to access at least a portion of the data contained in the viewer package in a manner that emulates a database for viewing, consuming, and manipulating a virtual copy of the database data from within the view package in a remote location according the predetermined access criteria assigned to the registered user and in a manner that remotely emulates access to a database in a manner that is independent from direct access to the database.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the viewer package identifies functions that may be performed by the registered user with respect to the data contained in the viewer package.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a memory device configured to store a data packaging management application, wherein the data packaging management application is configured to generate a viewer package for use in the transaction of business product information between a data owner and a registered user;

wherein the viewer package is platform independent and based on at least one attribute associated with a registered user of the viewer package said attribute identifying controlled access to product information data by a registered user according to predetermined privileges set by an owner of the data, and wherein the viewer package contains a virtual copy derived from data located in a remote database and having a data structure to be accessed by the registered user and application code to be downloaded to and used by the registered user to view the data in a remote location, said data being a virtual copy of data located in the database and being downloaded with a data structure corresponding to the data structure of the database; and

a processor coupled to the memory device and configured to execute the data packaging management application including the application code downloaded to the registered user, wherein execution of the data packaging management application allows the registered user to perform at least one function associated with the data from within the viewer package and application code contained in the viewer package according to predetermined access criteria in a manner that emulates a database for viewing, consuming, and manipulating a virtual copy of data within the viewer package in a remote location and in a manner that remotely emulates access to a database that is independent from direct access to the database.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the data packaging management application is further configured to retrieve data from a database and stores the data in the viewer package in a data structure corresponding to the data structure of the database.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the data is retrieved from the database based on the at least one attribute associated with the registered user.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one function the registered user is allowed to perform on the downloaded data with the downloaded application code is based on the at least one attribute associated with the registered user.

9. A computer implemented method for storing, packaging, and transferring business product information data among requesters with different access levels whereby access to items of data is limited to particular requesters comprising:

preparing a platform indeptendent viewer package by an owner of the data, wherein the viewer package includes product information data derived from a database and packaged in a manner for it be accessed by a registered user of the viewer package according to user access criteria;

identifying at least one attribute associated with the registered user of the viewer package;

identifying at least one function that the registered user of the viewer package is permitted to perform;

retrieving the viewer package from a database and generating a platform independent viewer package therefrom in an XML structure corresponding to a structure of the data in the database and based on the at least one attribute associated with the registered user, said attribute identifying controlled access to the data by a registered user according to predetermined privileges set by an owner of the data, wherein the viewer package contains URL links embedded inside of a document to contain objects and code for a Java run-time environment, said URL links representing functionality to process XML document tags, said URL links including Java code for downloading via a URL class loader mechanism contained in a Java platform, whereby once class byte codes are downloaded class object and temporary object instances are created and used to evaluate the information contained inside the XML document whereby the viewer package allows a registered user to perform the at least one function in a manner that remotely emulates a database for viewing, consuming, and manipulating data retrieved from within the viewer package and in a manner that is independent from direct access to the database; and

transferring the platform independent viewer package including application code to the registered user to allow the registered user access to the data in the platform independent viewer package in a remote location and in a manner that remotely emulates access to a database that is independent from direct access to the database.

10. A computer implemented method for storing, packaging, and transferring business product information data among requesters with different access levels comprising:

preparing platform independent viewer package wherein the request is provided to a server configured to generate the viewer package based on the identity and at least one attribute of the registered user said attribute identifying controlled access to the data by the registered user according to predetermined privileges set by an owner of the data, said platform independent viewer package containing product information data from a database having a data structure, and application code to view the data, the data in the platform independent viewer package having an XML structure corresponding to a structure of the data in the database and based on at least one attribute associated with the registered user, said attribute identifying controlled access to the data by a registered user according to predetermined privileges set by an owner of the data, wherein the viewer package further contains URL links embedded inside of an XML document to contain objects and code for a Java run-time environment, said URL links representing functionality to process XML document tags, said URL links including Java code for downloading via a URL class loader mechanism contained in a Java platform, whereby once class byte codes are downloaded class object and temporary object instances are created and used to evaluate the information contained inside the XML document whereby the viewer package allows a registered user to perform the at least one function in a manner that emulates a database for viewing, consuming, and manipulating a virtual copy of the database data independent from direct access to the database;

receiving the viewer package including the XML document and the Java code application program in a remote location; and

executing the Java code application program, wherein the Java code application program allows the registered user to access at least a portion of the XML data contained in the viewer package in a manner that remotely emulates a database for viewing, consuming, and manipulating the XML data retrieved from within the viewer package and in a manner that is independent from direct access to the database.