Data consumption framework for semantic objects

• US 8,712,953 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Beringer, Joerg, Richter, Kai S., Hammerich, Reiner P., Tornow, Dominik R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffler, Raheem
• Application Number:
  US12/411,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A data enrichment and consumption framework enables defining data object consumption based on semantic aspects of the data object. Views, contexts, and associations of the data object are defined to dynamically render UI content based on interaction with the data object. Additionally, standard views can be defined to enable rapid development of UIs. The same data content is rendered in consistent ways across different devices and UI technologies.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a semantic data object defining access in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) network of an enterprise to data content in a defined context, where the SOA network includes a backend enterprise server hosting a data store to provide data to enterprise frontend devices, the semantic data object a modeled object defining services to interact with data in different contexts, the semantic data object representing data content of the data store in the defined context via the services, the defined context having an associated access and navigation of the data content in the frontend;

associating a metadata description with the semantic data object to enrich the semantic data object by defining associations and access to the data content of the semantic data object, and by defining standard views that each define access to and navigation of the data content of the semantic data object for various usage scenarios for the defined context, where each of the standard views differently defines a user interface projection of selected technical characteristics of the data content of the semantic data object;

generating an enriched semantic data object having the associated metadata description and having service definitions defining access to the data content through a request to the enriched semantic data object as a service interface to the data content in a usage scenario;

exposing the enriched semantic data object as a service interface for the access to the associated data in the usage scenario, the enriched semantic data object to provide access to the data content in an associated view and navigation of the data object in response to a runtime access to the enriched semantic data object;

accessing a navigation pattern that defines a transition from one view to another view in response to a request for a function of a user interface incorporating the service interface; and

applying the navigation pattern at runtime of the enriched semantic data object to transition from one view of the user interface to another based on the associations described in the metadata description.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the enriched semantic data object further comprises:

generating standardized methods for accessing the enriched semantic data object, the standardized methods accessible via service requests.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing the service interface to a decoder of a user interface device, from which the decoder renders a runtime native representation of the data in the associated view on the user interface device, wherein the decoder makes requests to the service interface via the standardized methods.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing the enriched semantic data object in a repository of enriched semantic data objects to create a library of reusable components for code development; and

providing the library of reusable components to enable incorporation of enriched semantic data objects with defined standard views and data access for accelerated development of applications based on the SOA network to abstract use of service interfaces from application development.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transition from one view to another view comprises a transition of one view of the semantic data object to another view of the semantic data object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transition from one view to another view comprises a transition of one view of the semantic data object to a view of another semantic data object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning from one view to another further comprises:

dynamically presenting different functionality based on the view.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

binding the service interface to the data content at runtime of the enriched semantic data object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein binding the service interface at runtime comprises:

dynamically changing a user interface at runtime based on an action or function selected in the user interface.

10. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a semantic data object defining access in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) network of an enterprise to data content in a defined context, where the SOA network includes a backend enterprise server hosting a data store to provide data to enterprise frontend devices, the semantic data object a modeled object defining services to interact with data in different contexts, each context having an associated access and navigation of the data;

enriching the semantic data object by associating a metadata description defining associations and access to and navigation of data content of the data store including methods for the enriched semantic data object, the metadata description including navigation pattern descriptions defining transitions among the data content including associated data content in response to requested methods on the enriched semantic data object; and

exposing the enriched semantic data object as a service interface for the access to the associated data content, the enriched semantic data object to provide the associated data content in response to a runtime access to the methods of the enriched semantic data object, to transition among views and contexts of the data content at runtime including the associated data content in accordance with the navigation pattern descriptions, and rendering a change corresponding to the transition to the user interface, including dynamically presenting functionality associated with the views and contexts.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the semantic data object comprises:

receiving a data object defined at least in part in context of how the data object is used.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transitioning among views and contexts of associated data content comprises:

transitioning among views and contexts defined in the semantic data object.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the SOA network defines access to data content via services.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein transitioning among views and contexts of associated data content comprises:

transitioning among views and contexts defined in associations described in the metadata description.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

defining a template binding the enriched semantic data object to data content in a context for a user interface; and

generating a user interface component from the template.

16. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a semantic data object defining access in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) network of an enterprise to data content in a defined context, where the SOA network includes a backend enterprise server hosting a data store to provide data to enterprise frontend devices, the semantic data object a modeled object defining services to interact with data in different contexts, each context having an associated access and navigation of the data;

enriching the semantic data object by associating a metadata description defining associations and access to data content of the data store associated with the semantic data object, including defining methods for the enriched semantic data object related to the associated data content, the metadata description including navigation descriptions defining transition among the data content based on user interaction;

exposing the enriched semantic data object as a service interface for the access to the associated data content, the enriched semantic data object to provide the data content in response to a runtime access to the methods of the enriched semantic data object, where different technical aspects of the data content and methods are made available in the different contexts in accordance with the transitions;

providing a user interface component as a container for the enriched semantic data object; and

binding the data content to the enriched semantic data object in the user interface component at runtime of the container.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein exposing the enriched semantic data object comprises:

presenting facets of the semantic data object in the container, where each facet has an associated context, and defines associations of the semantic data object to other data content in the context, and wherein the facets viewable within the container is dynamically changeable at runtime.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein binding the data content at runtime comprises:

assigning a view to the semantic data object during enriching, and not defining a context of the view until runtime.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein binding the data content at runtime further comprises:

querying the enriched semantic data object for a view in a context related to a given type of view.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein querying the enriched semantic data object for the view in the context related to the given type of view comprises:

querying the enriched semantic data object for view type without specifying a context; and

receiving a default view of the view type in response to the query.