Method, system, and program for translating and interfacing between data pools and product information management (PIM) systems

• US 7,865,403 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sugumaran, Harikrishnan
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian; Mila
• Application Number:
  US11/955,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for translating and interfacing between data pools and product information management (PIM) systems. An element mapping is generated for each of a plurality of data pools mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information. A message mapping is generated for each of the plurality of data pools mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters. For each of the plurality of data pools, code is maintained that is enabled to cause operations comprising receiving a first document including user elements and messages and mapping the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document by using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

generating, in a computer readable medium, an element mapping, for each of a plurality of data pools, mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information;

generating, in the computer readable medium, a message mapping, for each of the plurality of data pools, mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters; and

maintaining, for each of the plurality of data pools, code specific to the data pool and user, in the computer readable medium, enabled to cause operations comprising receiving a first document including user elements and messages and mapping the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document by using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second documents comprise Extended Markup Language (XML) documents and the first and second definitions comprise an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or a Document Type Definition (DTD).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document includes one user message to update product information in a specified data pool with user attributes associated with the user message, further comprising:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to update the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document includes one user message to publish product information in a specified data pool to at least one retailer, further comprising:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the product information to publish to the at least one retailer;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes to at least one mapped user element and attributes to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped user message and parameters to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the at least one retailer.

6. A system in communication with a plurality of data pools, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, comprising;

an element mapping, for each of the plurality of data pools, mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information;

a message mapping, for each of the plurality of data pools, mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters; and

code specific to the data pool and user, in the computer readable medium, for each of the plurality of data pools, enabled to cause the processor to receive a first document including user elements and messages and map the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document by using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second documents comprise Extended Markup Language (XML) documents and the first and second definitions comprise an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or a Document Type Definition (DTD).

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first document includes one user message to update product information in a specified data pool with user attributes associated with the user message, wherein the code is enabled to cause the processor to further perform:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to update the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first document includes one user message to publish product information in a specified data pool to at least one retailer, further comprising:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the code is further enabled to cause the processor to perform:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the product information to publish to the at least one retailer;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes to at least one mapped user element and attributes to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped user message and parameters to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the at least one retailer.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium including code executed by a processor to communicate with a plurality of data pools and to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing an element mapping, for each of the plurality of data pools, mapping user elements and attributes to the data pool elements and attributes, wherein the data pools maintain product information;

processing a message mapping, for each of the plurality of data pools, mapping user messages and their parameters to data pool messages and their parameters; and

processing, for each of the plurality of data pools, code, specific to the data pool and user, in the computer readable medium enabled to cause operations comprising receiving a first document including user elements and messages and mapping the user elements and messages in the first document to a second document including data pool elements and attributes corresponding to the user elements and messages in the first document by using the element mapping to map a first definition of user elements and their attributes in the first document to a second definition of the specified data pool elements and their attributes in the second document that is transmitted to the specified data pool.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the first and second documents comprise Extended Markup Language (XML) documents and the first and second definitions comprise an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or a Document Type Definition (DTD).

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the first document includes one user message to update product information in a specified data pool with user attributes associated with the user message, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to update the product information in the specified data pool;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the first document includes one user message to publish product information in a specified data pool to at least one retailer, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the user message and parameters to at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped specified data pool message and parameters to the second document; and

transmitting the second document to the specified data pool.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving from the specified data pool a third document including at least one element and attributes for the product information to publish to the at least one retailer;

accessing the code for the specified data pool and the message mapping to map the at least one specified data pool element and attributes to at least one mapped user element and attributes to publish the product information in the specified data pool to the at least one retailer;

adding the at least one mapped user message and parameters to a fourth document; and

transmitting the fourth document to the at least one retailer.