Methods, Systems and Apparatuses for Scalable Electronic Data Interchange Communications

• US 20140136961A1
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dicentral Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dicentral Corporation
• Inventors: Mai, Thuy Quang, Mai, Binh Quang, Pham, Hung Van
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for a computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic data interchange (“EDI”) communication. An EDI document from a first trading partner is in a first format, with data in a plurality of fields. The fields are mapped to fields of an EDI standard. The data in the mapped fields are translated to an intermediate format to create an intermediate format file. Rules, which may be customized, may be applied to the intermediate format file. The rules may include business rules customized for the first trading partner, math rules and/or logic rules. The intermediate format file may be verified to determine whether it complies with the EDI standard and/or the business rules of the first trading partner. The data from the intermediate format to a second format compatible with a computer system of a second trading partner, to create a second format file.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic data interchange (“

EDI”

), comprising;

receiving an EDI document in a first format having data in a plurality of fields from a first computer system of a first trading partner;

facilitating mapping of the fields of the EDI document to a plurality of EDI standard fields of an EDI standard;

translating the data in the mapped fields to an intermediate format; and

translating the data from the intermediate format to a second format compatible with a second computer system of a second trading partner, to create a second format file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first trading partner is a buyer and the second trading partner is a seller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the EDI document contains business information, transportation information, medical information, scientific information, or engineering information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the EDI standard is the American National Standards Institute (“

ANSI”

) Accredited Standards Committee (“

ASC”

) X12 standard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of facilitating mapping the fields from the EDI document to the EDI standard fields includes providing a drop and drag functionality through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of translating the data in the mapped fields to an intermediate format includes adding at least one tag to the data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying at least one rules component to the data in the intermediate format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one rules component includes a business rules component, which includes at least one business requirement of the first trading partner.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one rules component includes a logical rules component or a mathematical rules component.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the intermediate format is a universal EDI format.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the data in the intermediate format meets the at least one business requirement of the first trading partner.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if the business rule is violated, an alert is sent to the first computer system of the first trading partner.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the second format file to a smart web form and sending the smart web form to the second computer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the smart web form is interactive and permits modification.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a responsive documentation in the second format, the responsive documentation having a plurality of second fields, at least one second field containing responsive data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising mapping the plurality of second fields in the responsive documentation to the standard fields of the EDI standard.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising translating the responsive documentation to the first format.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending the responsive documentation in the first format to the first computer system.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to:

receive an electronic data interchange (“

EDI”

) document in a first format, having data in a plurality of fields from a first trading partner;

facilitate mapping of the fields of the EDI document to a plurality of standard fields of an EDI standard;

translate the data in the mapped fields to an intermediate format; and

translate the data from the intermediate format to a second format compatible with a computer system of a second trading partner, to create a second format file.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the EDI document contains business information, transportation information, medical information, scientific information, or engineering information.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the step to facilitate mapping the fields from the EDI document to the plurality of standard fields of an EDI standard includes providing a drop and drag functionality through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

).

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the step to translate the data in the mapped fields to an intermediate format includes adding at least one tag to the data.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the processor-based system further enabled to:

apply at least one rules component to the data in the intermediate format.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the at least one rules component is a business rules component, a logical rules component or a mathematical rules component.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the intermediate format is a universal EDI format and wherein the processor-based system is further enabled to verify that the data in the intermediate format meets at least one business requirement of the first trading partner.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 19, the processor-based system further enabled to:

provide the second computer accessibility to the second format file in the form of an interactive and modifiable smart web form

receive a responsive documentation in the second format, the responsive documentation having a plurality of second fields, at least one second field containing responsive data;

map the plurality of second fields in the responsive documentation to the standard fields of the EDI standard;

translate the responsive documentation to the first format; and

send the responsive documentation in the first format to the first computer system.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor coupled to at least one bus and at least one memory, the processor configured to receive from a first computer system an EDI document in a first format and having a plurality of fields;

a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having a drag and drop functionality, coupled to the processor and to an input device, and configured to allow a user to the input device to map a plurality of fields of the EDI document in a first format to standard fields of an EDI standard using the drag and drop functionality;

a main translator coupled to the processor and coupled to the GUI, the main translator being configured to translate the data in the mapped fields of the EDI document to an intermediate format to create an intermediate file;

an EDI transformation component coupled to the main translator and configured to append at least one rules component to the data in the intermediate file; and

an EDI mini-translator engine coupled to the EDI transformation component and configured to translate the intermediate file to a secondary format to create a secondary format file.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one rules component is a business rules component, a logical rules component or a mathematical rules component.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one rules component is a business rules component and the EDI transformation component is further configured to send an alert to the first computer system if the business rules component is violated.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein EDI mini-translator engine is further configured to create a smart web form from the secondary format file and make the smart web form accessible to a second computer.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein EDI main translator is further configured to receive a responsive documentation in the second format, the responsive documentation having a plurality of second fields, at least one second field containing responsive data, to map the plurality of second fields in the responsive documentation to the standard fields of the EDI standard;

to translate the responsive documentation to the first format, and to send the responsive documentation in the first format to the first computer system.

32. A computing system responsive to input data, adapted for facilitating electronic data interchange (“

EDI”

) communication comprising;

a processor coupled to memory and to a bus, configured to receive an EDI document in a first format from a first computer system;

a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having a drag and drop functionality, coupled to the processor and to an input device, and configured to allow a user, acting through the input device, to map a plurality of fields of the EDI document in a first format to standard fields of an EDI standard using the drag and drop functionality;

a main translator coupled to the processor and coupled to the GUI, the main translator being configured to translate the data in the mapped fields of the EDI document to an intermediate format to create an intermediate file;

an EDI transformation component coupled to the main translator and configured to append at least a business rules component to the intermediate file, to determine whether the intermediate file complies with the business rule and to send an alert to the first computer system if the intermediate file does not comply with the business rule; and

an EDI mini-translator engine for translating the intermediate file to a secondary format to create a secondary format file.

33. The computing system of claim 32, wherein EDI main translator is further configured to receive a responsive documentation in the second format, the responsive documentation having a plurality of second fields, at least one second field containing responsive data, to map the plurality of second fields in the responsive documentation to the standard fields of the EDI standard;

to translate the responsive documentation to the first format, and to send the responsive documentation in the first format to the first computer system.