Distributed handling of associated data sets in a computer network
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for handling procurement-related data sets accessible from a plurality of network components, the method comprising:
- providing a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart;
generating a first list of data sets from the at least one data item in response to receiving a user-defined selection criteria;
displaying the purchase order and a second list of data sets, the second list of data sets comprising at least a portion of the first list of data sets, wherein each data set included in the second list of data sets is configured to generate a follow-on data set;
displaying, for a first data set included in the second list of data sets, a related first control element configured to automatically generate, in response to activation of the first control element, the first follow-on data set;
storing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set; and
outputting the first follow-on data set to at least one of the plurality of network components.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A networked database includes the automatic creation of follow-on data sets from initial data sets. A dialogue routine is implemented for initiating a dialogue-type communication that includes inputting and confirming data required for creating the follow-on data sets. The database is provided with a plurality of data sets and is capable of generating and displaying a list of data sets according to user-defined criteria. For a data set in the generated list that allows for the automatic creation of a follow-on data set, a related, configurable, user-activated control element is displayed. Upon user-activation, the control element, generates a control signal for initiating the automatic creation of the follow-on data set based on data derived from the selected data set and/or any data set associated with the selected data set. The newly created follow-on data set is then associated with the selected data set.
23 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for handling procurement-related data sets accessible from a plurality of network components, the method comprising:
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providing a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; generating a first list of data sets from the at least one data item in response to receiving a user-defined selection criteria; displaying the purchase order and a second list of data sets, the second list of data sets comprising at least a portion of the first list of data sets, wherein each data set included in the second list of data sets is configured to generate a follow-on data set; displaying, for a first data set included in the second list of data sets, a related first control element configured to automatically generate, in response to activation of the first control element, the first follow-on data set; storing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set; and outputting the first follow-on data set to at least one of the plurality of network components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28)
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15. A method for handling procurement-related data sets accessible from a plurality of network components, the method comprising:
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providing a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; generating a first list of data sets from the at least one data item in response to receiving a user-defined selection criteria; displaying the purchase order and a second list of data sets, the second list of data sets comprising at least a portion of the first list of data sets, wherein each data set included in the second list of data sets is configured to generate a follow-on data set; displaying, for a first data set included in the second list of data sets, a first control element configured to automatically generate, in response to activation of the first control element, the first follow-on data set; and storing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the purchase and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A computer program product, embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising program code portions for being executed on one or more components of a computer network, the computer program product including:
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first program code for searching a database for purchase orders according to at least one user-defined selection criteria, and for generating a purchase order list thereof, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; second program code for displaying the purchase order list at least partially, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list, a related first control element is displayed that automatically creates a first follow-on data set, the related first control element being configured for activation by a user-operated input device that generates a first control signal for initiating the automatic creation of the first follow-on data set for the displayed purchase order; and third program code, responsive to generation of the first control signal, for skipping an implemented dialogue routine for the first follow-on data set to be created, for automatically creating the first follow-on data set based on data derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order, and for associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set.
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18. A computer program product, embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising program code portions for being executed on one or more components of a computer network, the program code portions controlling the one or more components to handle procurement-related purchase orders in a computer, the computer code product comprising:
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first program code to provide a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; second program code to generate a list of purchase orders from the database according to at least one user-defined selection criteria; third program code to at least partially display the list, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list a related first control element is displayed that automatically creates a first follow-on data set, the first control element being configured for activation by a user-operated input device that generates a first control signal for automatically creating the first follow-on data set for the displayed purchase order; and fourth program code to skip an implemented dialogue routine for the first follow-on data set to be created upon generation of the first control signal, and to automatically create the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order, and to associate in the database the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set displayed.
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19. A network component of a computer network, the network component comprising:
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a processor for executing an instruction for searching at least one database for purchase orders according to at least one user-defined criteria, each of the purchase orders including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart, and for generating a list thereof, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list, a related first control element is provided that automatically creates a first follow-on data set, the related first control element being configured for activation by a user-operated input device for initiating the automatic creation of the first follow-on data set for the displayed purchase order; wherein, upon activation of the control element, the executed instruction skips a dialogue routine for the first follow-on data set to be created, for automatically creating the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order, and for associating the displayed purchase order with the first follow-on data set, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method for handling data sets in a computer network, the method comprising:
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generating a list of purchase orders according to at least one user-defined criteria, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, at and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; displaying the list at least partially, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list a related first control element is displayed that enables the automatic creation of a first follow-on data set; and skipping a dialogue routine for the first follow-on data set to be created upon activation of the first control element, to automatically create the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order and to associate the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set.
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22. A method for handling procurement-related data sets in a computer network by automatically creating, for a data set, at least one associated follow-on data set, the method comprising:
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providing a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; generating a list of purchase orders from the database according to at least one user-defined criteria; displaying the list at least partially, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list, a related first control element is displayed that enables the automatic creation of a first follow-on data set, the related first control element being configured for activation by a user operated input device to generate a first control signal for initiating the automatic creation of the first follow-on data set for the displayed purchase order; and skipping a dialogue routine for the follow-on data set to be created upon generation of the first control signal, automatically creating the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order and to associate in the database the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set.
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23. An apparatus of a computer network, the apparatus comprising:
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processing means for generating an instruction for searching a database for purchase orders according to at least one user-defined criteria, the purchase orders including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart, and for generating a list thereof for presentation on a display, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list a related first control element is provided that enables the automatic creation of a first follow-on data set, the first control element being configured for activation by a user-operated input device to initiate the automatic creation of the first follow-on data set for the displayed purchase order; wherein the processing means, upon activation of the first control element, skips a dialogue routine for the first follow-on data set to be created, automatically creating the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order and associating the displayed purchase order with the first follow-on data set, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set.
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24. A system comprising a computer processor and a memory coupled to the processor, where the memory is encoded with one or more programs that perform a method for handling procurement-related data sets in a computer network, the method comprising:
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providing a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; generating a list of purchase orders according to at least one user-defined selection criteria displaying the list at least partially, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list, a related first control element is displayed that enables the automatic creation of a first follow-on data set; skipping a dialogue routine for the first follow-on data set to be created upon activation of the control element, to automatically create the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order; and associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set.
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25. A system comprising a computer processor and a memory coupled to the processor, where the memory is encoded with one or more programs that perform a method for handling procurement-related data sets in a computer network, the method comprising:
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providing a database with a plurality of purchase orders, each purchase order including at least one data item and associated with a shopping cart, the shopping cart comprising a header including a timestamp, and a follow-on data set table configured to store a reference to each follow-on data set related to the shopping cart; generating a list of purchase orders from the database according to at least one user-defined selection criteria; displaying the list at least partially, wherein, for a displayed purchase order of the list, a first control element is displayed that enables the automatic creation of a first follow-on data set, the first control element being configured for activation by a user-operated input device to generate a first control signal for initiating the automatic creation of the first follow-on data set for the displayed purchase order; skipping a dialogue routine for the follow-on data set to be created upon generation of the first control signal, automatically creating the first follow-on data set based on data automatically derived from at least one of the displayed purchase order and any data set associated with the displayed purchase order; and associating in a database the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order, wherein associating the first follow-on data set with the displayed purchase order includes writing information relating to the first follow-on data set in the follow-on data set table, the information including a reference to the displayed purchase order and a dependency between a first processing stage associated with the displayed purchase order and a second processing stage associated with the first follow-on data set.
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29. The method of 28, wherein evaluating the data set history includes comparing an initially ordered quantity specified in the purchase order with a quantity that has already been invoiced, wherein the follow-on data set includes a quantity that is based on the comparison.
Specification