Reconciling smart fields

• US 9,229,919 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apttus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Apttex Corporation
• Inventors: Krappe, Kirk, Giri, Neehar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Cheyne D
• Application Number:
  US13/423,282
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 707/695, 715/228, 715/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

Managing a plurality of document versions saved in a cloud-based structured database management system. Allowing the user of a document creation application to add intelligence to objects within a document, thereby allowing the user to reconcile changes made to the document during a negotiation lifecycle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

via a computational device, configuring a document creation application with an add-in comprising instructions for linking said document creation application with a business management application that runs on a platform of a structured database management system and stores datum in said structured database management system;

via a computational device, configuring said add-in with a plurality of tools that, when executed, accesses utilities of said business management application via said document creation application without leaving an interface of said document creation application, wherein said plurality of tools comprises;

a check-in tool configured for allowing one or more end users to save one or more versions of a document on said platform;

a field definition tool that flags objects within said document as having a field value associated with said object;

wherein the field definition tool is configured to define field values to correlate with database definitions used in said structured database management system; and

to automatically populate said objects with data from said structured database management system when said field values match said database definitions; and

a reconciliation tool configured for comparing flagged objects in a document open in said document creation application against one or more versions of a document on said platform;

wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for presenting one or more differences between field values in the document open in said document creation application and field values in a version of a document on said platform to a user within the document creation application itself.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said document creation application comprises a word processing application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said comparing comprises comparing data format.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said comparing comprises comparing field values.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for highlighting said flagged objects in a user interface of said document creation application to indicate the presence of an object having a field value.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for, upon detecting one or more differences, providing said user with tools for performing each of:

changing field values in the document open in said document creation application to the field values of the version of a document on said platform; and

confirming the field value of one or more difference.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for presenting one or more instances of deleted objects flagged with field values as compared to a document on said platform.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for annotating objects flagged with field values with comments regarding said objects.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for displaying said comments in a user interface within said document creation application when differences are found between a document open in said document creation application and a version of a document on said platform.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said comments comprise annotations native to said document creation application.

11. A system comprising:

a non-transitory machine readable medium; and

instructions carried by the machine-readable medium and operable to cause a programmable processor to perform;

configuring a word processing application with an add-in comprising instructions for linking said word processing application with a contract management application that runs on a cloud-based platform of a structured database management system and stores datum in said structured database management system;

configuring said add-in with a plurality of tools that, when executed, accesses utilities of said contract management application via said document creation application without leaving an interface of said document creation application, wherein said plurality of tools comprise;

a check-in tool configured for allowing one or more end users to save a one or more versions of a document on said cloud-based platform;

a field definition tool that flags objects within said document as having a field value associated with said object, defines field values to correlate with database definitions used in said structured database management system, and automatically populates said objects with data from said structured database management system when said field values match said database definitions; and

a reconciliation tool configured for comparing flagged objects in a document open in said document creation application against one or more versions of a document on said cloud-based platform;

wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for (a) presenting one or more differences between field values in the document open in said word processing application and field values in a version of a document on said cloud-based platform to a user within the document creation application itself;

(b) upon detecting one or more differences, providing said user with tools for performing each of;

changing field values in the document open in said document creation application to the field values of the version of a document on said cloud-based platform; and

confirming the field value of one or more difference;

(c) annotating objects flagged with field values with comments regarding said objects, wherein said comments comprise annotations native to said document creation application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said comparing comprises comparing data format and comparing field values.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for highlighting said flagged objects in a user interface of said document creation application to indicate the presence of an object having a field value.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for presenting one or more instances of deleted objects flagged with field values as compared to a document on said cloud-based platform.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said reconciliation tool is further configured for displaying said comments in a user interface within said document creation application when differences are found between a document open in said document creation application and a version of a document on said cloud-based platform.