Methods and systems for providing validity logic

• US 7,350,033 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Helmut A., Schmitt, Winfried, Balzar, Andreas, Ziegler, Carsten M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US10/881,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 711/170, 711/156, 711/144, 711/145
• US Class Current: 711/145
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing validity logic. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving at least one data value, determining validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, and providing the validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include receiving at least one data value, receiving validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, and determining, based on the received validity data, a validity value, the validity value indicating the validity of the received at least one data value.

Claims

1. A method for providing validity logic, the method comprising:

storing validity data;

receiving at least one data value;

determining, from the stored validity data, validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, wherein the determined validity data comprises;

a validity type element indicating one of the following validity types;

validity by time, validity by artificial category, and validity by time and artificial category, and

a validity information element, wherein

if the validity type element indicates validity by time, the validity information element comprises time data including at least one of a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid; and

based on the determined validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, providing a validity value by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category, the validity information element comprises category data indicating at least one of a category for which the received at least one data value is valid and a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category, the validity information element comprises:

time data indicating at least one of a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid; and

category data indicating at least one of a category for which the received at least one data value is valid and a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

4. A method for providing validity logic, the method comprising:

storing validity data;

receiving at least one data value;

receiving, from the stored validity data, validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, the received validity data comprising a validity type element and a validity information element; and

determining, based on the received validity data, a validity value, the validity value indicating the validity of the received at least one data value, wherein determining the validity value comprises;

providing a validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing a validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the validity value comprises:

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the validity value comprises:

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and if the validity information element comprises a category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid and if the validity information element comprises a category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the validity value comprises providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is undefined if at least one of the validity type element and the validity information element is at least one of blank and undefined.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the validity value indicates one of the following:

that the received at least one data value is valid, that the received at least one data value is invalid, and that the validity of the received at least one data value is undefined.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the validity value comprises providing a default value for the validity value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the default value depends upon a validity type indicated by the received validity data.

11. A system for providing validity logic, the system comprising:

a memory storage for maintaining a database that includes validity data; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to

receive at least one data value;

determine, from the stored validity data, validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, wherein the determined validity data comprises;

a validity type element indicating one of the following validity types;

validity by time, validity by artificial category, and validity by time and artificial category, and

a validity information element, wherein

if the validity type element indicates validity by time, the validity information element comprises time data including at least one of a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid; and

based on the determined validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, provide a validity value.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category, the validity information element comprises category data indicating at least one of a category for which the received at least one data value is valid and a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category, the validity information element comprises:

time data indicating at least one of a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid; and

category data indicating at least one of a category for which the received at least one data value is valid and a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

14. A system for providing validity logic, the system comprising:

a memory storage for maintaining a database that includes validity data; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to

receive at least one data value;

receive, from the stored validity data, validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, the received validity data comprising a validity type element and a validity information element; and

determine, based on the received validity data, a validity value, the validity value indicating the validity of the received at least one data value, wherein determining the validity value comprises;

providing a validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing a validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the validity value comprises:

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the validity value comprises:

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the validity value further comprises providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is undefined if at least one of the validity type element and the validity information element is at least one of blank and undefined.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the validity value indicates one of the following:

that the received at least one data value is valid, that the received at least one data value is invalid, and that the validity of the received at least one data value is undefined.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the validity value comprises providing a default value for the validity value.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the default value depends upon a validity type indicated by the received validity data.

21. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing validity logic, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving at least one data value;

determining validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, wherein the determined validity data comprises;

a validity type element indicating one of the following validity types;

validity by time, validity by artificial category, and validity by time and artificial category, and

a validity information element, wherein

if the validity type element indicates validity by time, the validity information element comprises time data including at least one of a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid; and

based on the determined validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, providing a validity value.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category, the validity information element comprises category data indicating at least one of a category for which the received at least one data value is valid and a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category, the validity information element comprises:

time data indicating at least one of a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid; and

category data indicating at least one of a category for which the received at least one data value is valid and a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

24. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing validity logic, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving at least one data value;

receiving validity data corresponding to the received at least one data value, the received validity data comprising a validity type element and a validity information element; and

determining, based on the received validity data, a validity value, the validity value indicating the validity of the received at least one data value, wherein determining the validity value comprises;

providing a validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing a validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by artificial category and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein determining the validity value comprises:

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein determining the validity value comprises:

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is valid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is valid and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is valid; and

providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is invalid if the validity type element indicates validity by time and artificial category and if the validity information element comprises time data that indicates a time period for which the received at least one data value is invalid and if the validity information element comprises category data that indicates a category for which the received at least one data value is invalid.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein determining the validity value comprises providing the validity value indicating that the received at least one data value is undefined if at least one of the validity type element and the validity information element is at least one of blank and undefined.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the validity value indicates one of the following:

that the received at least one data value is valid, that the received at least one data value is invalid, and that the validity of the received at least one data value is undefined.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein determining the validity value comprises providing a default value for the validity value.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the default value depends upon a validity type indicated by the validity data.