Integrating line-of-business application data with documents
First Claim
1. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:
- marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes;
accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship;
attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and
attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template;
determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template;
determining a business object associated with the current schema node;
formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template;
sending the data query to the LOB application;
receiving business data from the LOB application;
displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node;
receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application;
creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and
maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Merging data from LOB applications into document templates within productivity applications without the need for custom programming is provided. A document template within a productivity application is provided, and an XML schema is attached to the document template. The XML schema allows the LOB application data to be modeled generically using a business object paradigm. Meta-data is accessed from the LOB application. Using the attached XML schema, a user may mark-up the document template with schema nodes corresponding to the meta-data from the LOB application. Data from the LOB application may then be accessed and merged into the schema nodes, creating a data-merged document. Data may be further interactively merged from the LOB application into the data-merged document.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:
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marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes; accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship; attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template; determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template; determining a business object associated with the current schema node; formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template; sending the data query to the LOB application; receiving business data from the LOB application; displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node; receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application; creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, wherein the computer system includes a processor that executes computer-readable instructions, said execution causing the computer system to perform a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:
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marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes; accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship; attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template; determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template; determining a business object associated with the current schema node; formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template; sending the data query to the LOB application; receiving business data from the LOB application; displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node; receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application; creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:
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marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes; accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship; attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template; determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template; determining a business object associated with the current schema node; formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template; sending the data query to the LOB application; receiving business data from the LOB application; displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node; receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application; creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification