System and method for transforming and using content in other systems

• US 7,302,421 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theoris Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Theoris Software LLC
• Inventors: Aldridge, Gregory E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/802,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/2, 707/101, 707/102, 707/200, 715/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer system and method is disclosed that transforms data for use in other applications. Several client workstations and servers are coupled together over a network. A client computer contains a user interface for performing the mapping and transformation. Data elements are mapped from a data source to a multi-dimensional cube. The multi-dimensional cube is transformed into a test recordset to determine if the data elements are mapped correctly. The mapping information is saved to a template. A server includes business logic for using the saved template to create a final recordset from the data source using the template. The server sends at least part of the recordset to a browser user interface on a client computer for display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of unstructured electronic data sources;

mapping a plurality of undefined data elements from each data source to an OLAP cube based upon at least one user-defined dimension of the plurality of data elements identified from at least one of the data sources;

wherein the mapping step includes;

creating at least one level for each user-defined dimension;

adding a first set of values to a selected one of the at least one level for each user-defined dimension;

creating at least one measure representing a type of data within the at least one data source;

adding a second set of values selected from the data source to the at least one measure, wherein each value in the second set is associated with at least one value selected from the first set; and

specifying at least one rule that is applied to the data elements to generate the OLAP cube;

transforming the OLAP cube into a test recordset to determine if the plurality of data elements are mapped correctly;

saving the mapping information to a template; and

generating a final recordset from the data source using the template.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using at least part of the final recordset in an application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application is a digital dashboard with multiple content windows and at least part of the final recordset is displayed in one of the content windows.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the data sources is an HTML document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the HTML document has a static layout.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the HTML document has a dynamic layout that can change.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the HTML document is a report.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the data source is a report.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the at least one level is a lowest level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of values and the second set of values have at least some overlapping values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming and generating steps each include:

determining a plurality of intersections in a plurality of dimension trees in the OLAP cube; and

building the respective test or final recordset from the intersections.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the intersections are determined by overlapping positions of the data elements in the OLAP cube.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining step includes:

selecting a dimension tree of the plurality of dimension trees to use as a main tree; and

using the main tree as a driving force to determine the plurality of intersections.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transforming step and generating step are the same step and are performed after the saving step.