Modeling the life cycle of individual data objects

• US 20050010504A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gebhard, Gerhard, Singh, Rajwinder, Weppner, Harald
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Techniques are provided for individual data objects in an enterprise computing system, where the individual data objects represent unique assets of a family of assets. The individual data objects are used in addition to business partner master data, and also in some cases in addition to generic product master data. The individual data objects are configurable such that attributes for an individual data object change over the lifetime of the unique asset to which the individual data object pertains. Techniques for modeling the lifecycle of an individual object family are described. Techniques also are provided for an integration framework that integrates a software application with an individual object that is used or altered by the software application.

Claims

1-38. -38. (Cancelled)

39. A method for user modeling, within a computer system, of a lifecycle of uniquely identified computer data objects that are members of a computer data object family, the method comprising:

receiving a user-defined triggering event occurring in a software application system;

receiving user-defined

     1) permissible states for one or more object attributes that may be present for a uniquely identified computer data object that is a member of the data object family, and

     2) permissible transitions between the defined permissible states; and

receiving a user-defined action to be performed on a uniquely identified computer data object that is a member of the computer data object family, when the user-defined triggering event occurs and causes a permissible state transition to occur.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein each of the uniquely identified computer data objects corresponds to a unique asset belonging to an asset family that corresponds to the computer data object family.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein each of the uniquely identified computer data objects is an instance of the data object family.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein the user-defined triggering event is an event identified and provided by the software application system.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein the user-defined triggering event is an event determined from information provided by the software application system.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising receiving an identification of context information provided by the software application system from which context data the triggering event is determined.

45. The method of claim 39 wherein at least one of the user-defined states has an exit action associated therewith that is executed when a state transition occurs from that state.

46. The method of claim 39 wherein at least one of the user-defined states has an entry action associated therewith that is executed when a state transition occurs to that state.

47. The method of claim 39 wherein at least one of the user-defined state transitions has an action associated therewith that is executed when that state transitions occurs.

48. The method of claim 39 wherein the user-defined action is the creation of a computer history record that documents the event triggering the user-defined action.

49. The method of claim 39 wherein the user-defined action is the storing of a new attribute value for a specified attribute of a uniquely identified computer data object that is a member of the computer data object family.

50. The method of claim 39 further comprising storing the user-defined triggering event, permissible states, permissible state transitions, and action in a computer system that interacts with a repository of the uniquely identified computer data objects.

51. A computer program product comprising program instructions that when executed enable a computer system to perform a method for user modeling of a lifecycle of uniquely identified computer data objects that are members of a computer data object family, the method comprising:

receiving a user-defined triggering event occurring in a software application system;

receiving user-defined

     1) permissible states for one or more object attributes that may be present for a uniquely identified computer data object that is a member of the data object family, and

     2) permissible transitions between the defined permissible states; and

receiving a user-defined action to be performed on a uniquely identified computer data object that is a member of the computer data object family, when the user-defined triggering event occurs and causes a permissible state transition to occur.

52. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein each of the uniquely identified computer data objects corresponds to a unique asset belonging to an asset family that corresponds to the computer data object family.

53. The computer program product of claim 52 wherein each of the uniquely identified computer data objects is an instance of the data object family.

54. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the user-defined triggering event is an event identified and provided by the software application system.

55. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the user-defined triggering event is an event determined from information provided by the software application system.

56. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the method further comprises receiving an identification of context information provided by the software application system from which context data the triggering event is determined.

57. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein at least one of the user-defined states has an exit action associated therewith that is executed when a state transition occurs from that state.

58. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein at least one of the user-defined states has an entry action associated therewith that is executed when a state transition occurs to that state.

59. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein at least one of the user-defined state transitions has an action associated therewith that is executed when that state transitions occurs.

60. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the user-defined action is the creation of a computer history record that documents the event triggering the user-defined action.

61. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the user-defined action is the storing of a new attribute value for a specified attribute of a uniquely identified computer data object that is a member of the computer data object family.

62. The computer program product of claim 51 wherein the method further comprises storing the user-defined triggering event, permissible states, permissible state transitions, and action in a computer system that interacts with a repository of the uniquely identified computer data objects.