Managing information exchange between business entities

• US 8,775,671 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rodeck, Marco, Mehta, Harish, Kunz, Thomas, Chrosziel, Florian, Bhrer, Otto, Kraemer, Joerg, Merkel, Rita
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOK, PHYLLIS A
• Application Number:
  US13/469,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/217, 709/219, 709230-232, 709/238, 709/242, 709/243, 709/24, 705 50- 59, 705 64- 80, 705 11- 4, 705 729- 736, 705 261- 2644, 705 28- 29, 705 35- 45, 705300-309, 705313-318, 705330-341
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques for managing information exchange between business entities include identifying a plurality of routing rules stored in a database of a first business entity computing system; receiving a request for a business transaction through an application of a plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system; determining, based on the identified routing rules, an identifiable business context reference (IBCR) associated with a second business entity computing system, the IBC comprising a unique identifier associated with the second business entity and a first plurality of business data attributes associated with the second business entity; determining, based on the identified IBCR, a communication connection associated with the IBC and an identifiable business context (IBC) associated with the first business entity computing system; and initiating the business transaction between the first business entity computing system and the second business entity computing system through the determined communication connection.

Claims

1. A method for managing information exchange between business entities, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of routing rules stored in a database of a first business entity computing system;

receiving a request for a business transaction through an application of a plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system;

determining, based on the identified routing rules, an identifiable business context reference (IBCR) that is one of a plurality of IBCRs, each IBCR associated with a unique business entity computing system of a plurality of business entity computing systems that comprises a second business entity computing system, the determination comprising;

comparing the plurality of routing rules to the IBCR associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of business entity computing systems,

determining the IBCR associated with the second business entity computing system based on the comparison, and

identifying the IBCR associated with the second business entity computing system to a user through the application, the IBCR comprising a unique identifier associated with the second business entity and a first plurality of business data attributes associated with the second business entity;

determining, based on the identified IBCR, a communication connection associated with the IBCR and an identifiable business context (IBC) associated with the first business entity computing system; and

initiating the business transaction between the first business entity computing system and the second business entity computing system through the determined communication connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to identifying the plurality of routing rules, receiving the routing rules through the application of the plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of routing rules comprise:

at least one rule comprising a product type associated with the second business entity computing system; and

at least one rule comprising a delivery criteria associated with the second business computing system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a logical port of the second business entity computing system based on the IBCR.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication connection comprises a communication protocol defined by one of web service protocol, a REST protocol, an iTalk communication protocol, an HTTP protocol, an HTTPS, an SMTP protocol, or a Fast Common Gateway Interface (FastCGI) protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier and the first plurality of business data attributes are defined in an XML data object.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of routing rules stored in a database of a first business entity computing system;

receiving a request for a business transaction through an application of a plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system;

determining, based on the identified routing rules, an identifiable business context reference (IBCR) that is one of a plurality of IBCRs, each IBCR associated with a unique business entity computing system of a plurality of business entity computing systems comprising a second business entity computing system, the determination comprising;

comparing the plurality of routing rules to the IBCR associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of business entity computing systems,

determining the IBCR associated with the second business entity computing system based on the comparison, and

identifying the IBCR associated with the second business entity computing system to a user through the application, the IBCR comprising a unique identifier associated with the second business entity and a first plurality of business data attributes associated with the second business entity;

determining, based on the identified IBCR, a communication connection associated with the IBCR and an identifiable business context (IBC) associated with the first business entity computing system; and

initiating the business transaction between the first business entity computing system and the second business entity computing system through the determined communication connection.

8. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to identifying the plurality of routing rules, receiving the routing rules through the application of the plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system.

9. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the plurality of routing rules comprise:

at least one rule comprising a product type associated with the second business entity computing system; and

at least one rule comprising a delivery criteria associated with the second business computing system.

10. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a logical port of the second business entity computing system based on the IBCR.

11. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the communication connection comprises a communication protocol defined by one of web service protocol, a REST protocol, an iTalk communication protocol, an HTTP protocol, an HTTPS, an SMTP protocol, or a Fast Common Gateway Interface (FastCGI) protocol.

12. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier and the first plurality of business data attributes are defined in an XML data object.

13. A system of one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of routing rules stored in a database of a first business entity computing system;

receiving a request for a business transaction through an application of a plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system;

determining, based on the identified routing rules, an identifiable business context reference (IBCR) that is one of a plurality of IBCRs, each IBCR associated with a unique business entity computing system of a plurality of business entity computing systems comprising a second business entity computing system, the determination comprising;

comparing the plurality of routing rules to the IBCR associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of business entity computing systems,

determining the IBCR associated with the second business entity computing system based on the comparison, and

identifying the IBCR associated with the second business entity computing system to a user through the application, the IBCR comprising a unique identifier associated with the second business entity and a first plurality of business data attributes associated with the second business entity;

determining, based on the identified IBCR, a communication connection associated with the IBCR and an identifiable business context (IBC) associated with the first business entity computing system; and

initiating the business transaction between the first business entity computing system and the second business entity computing system through the determined communication connection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to identifying the plurality of routing rules, receiving the routing rules through the application of the plurality of applications of the first business entity computing system.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of routing rules comprise:

at least one rule comprising a product type associated with the second business entity computing system; and

at least one rule comprising a delivery criteria associated with the second business computing system.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a logical port of the second business entity computing system based on the IBCR.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication connection comprises a communication protocol defined by one of web service protocol, a REST protocol, an iTalk communication protocol, an HTTP protocol, an HTTPS, an SMTP protocol, or a Fast Common Gateway Interface (FastCGI) protocol.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier and the first plurality of business data attributes are defined in an XML data object.