Document exchange
First Claim
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1. A method for exchanging documents in transactions between partners that are joined in an exchange network, the partners communicating with each other via a hub entity, the method comprising:
- storing an agreement associated with each document type for each partner that joins the exchange network, wherein each agreement defines one or more rules about the data format in which the respective partner sends and receives documents of the document type;
placing in a file receive location a document from a first partner, the file receive location being password protected such that only a partner that provides a correct identity with any document it sends may place that document at the file receive location; and
performing steps, by the hub entity, including,retrieving the document from the file receive location,validating the document against its respective agreement,transforming the document into a standard document format that is partner system platform neutral and that is a different data format than the format in which the document from the first partner was received,assigning a key to the document for future references,processing the document based on the agreement, the process including applying rules of the hub entity and rules of the first partner, andbased on the corresponding agreement, transforming the processed document from the standard format into an altered document format that is associated with a second partner and sending the altered document to the second partner.
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Abstract
In an e-commerce context, a method and system are provided for exchanging documents in transactions between partners. The partners are joined in an exchange network and are communicating with each other via a hub entity. The documents are transformed from one partner'"'"'s native format to another partner'"'"'s native format via an interim standard document to which a common process is applied. The common process applies partner-specific rules to the standard document.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for exchanging documents in transactions between partners that are joined in an exchange network, the partners communicating with each other via a hub entity, the method comprising:
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storing an agreement associated with each document type for each partner that joins the exchange network, wherein each agreement defines one or more rules about the data format in which the respective partner sends and receives documents of the document type; placing in a file receive location a document from a first partner, the file receive location being password protected such that only a partner that provides a correct identity with any document it sends may place that document at the file receive location; and performing steps, by the hub entity, including, retrieving the document from the file receive location, validating the document against its respective agreement, transforming the document into a standard document format that is partner system platform neutral and that is a different data format than the format in which the document from the first partner was received, assigning a key to the document for future references, processing the document based on the agreement, the process including applying rules of the hub entity and rules of the first partner, and based on the corresponding agreement, transforming the processed document from the standard format into an altered document format that is associated with a second partner and sending the altered document to the second partner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for exchanging documents in a trade of goods transaction between partners that are joined in an exchange network of a hub entity, the partners being part of a supply chain and trading with each other via the hub entity, the method comprising:
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sending purchase order document to a seller via a document exchange at the hub entity; acknowledging receipt of the purchase order document to a buyer via the document exchange if the purchase order document includes an indication that acknowledgement is expected; wherein each of the documents sent or received via the document exchange is respectively transformed into and/or out of a standard format that is partner and system platform neutral and that is a different data format than the format in which the purchase order document was received and is processed based on an agreement that is partner specific and takes into account rules of the hub entity, wherein each agreement defines one or more rules about the format in which the specific partner sends and receives documents of the document type; and wherein the document exchange enables trading partners, including the buyer and seller, to exchange documents without the need to consider each other'"'"'s native formats. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification