Method for generating and updating knowledge-based configurators that are multi platform and multi language capable

• US 6,049,822 A
• Filed: 10/31/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Determine, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Selectica Incorporated (Determine, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mittal, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/962,594
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/300, 709/302, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104, 707/500, 707/501, 707/513
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method for creating and disseminating knowledge-based object models converts object models created on a source platform to a first human-readable flat file prior to transmission on a network, allowing object models to be transported across differing platforms incorporating different languages. At a network receiving station, a transmitted flat file is read and the object model is recreated by a run-time engine. In some embodiments flat files created on the source platform are used by a graphical user interface (GUI) model builder to create a GUI object model associated with the first object model, which is converted to a second flat file to be transported to a receiving station along with the first flat file. Both flat files in this embodiment are used at the receiving station to recreate the associated object models. In further embodiments multimedia files are generated on the source platform and associated with the GUI object model, and transported to the receiving station along with the flat files.

Claims

1. A method for transporting a knowledge-based object model from a source platform to a recipient platform via a data network, and for enabling the recipient to use the object model, comprising steps of:

(a) converting the object model into a first human-readable, non-binary text file at the source platform, the text file representing objects and object relationships;

(b) using the first text file to create a graphics user interface (GUI) object model at the source platform, GUI objects in the GUI model related to individual objects of the object model;

(c) converting the GUI object model into a second human-readable, non-binary text file at the source platform;

(d) relating the GUI objects to multimedia files;

(e) transporting the first and second text files and the multimedia files across the data network from the source platform to the recipient platform; and

(f) reconstructing the object model and the GUI object model at the recipient platform from the human-readable text files.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the source platform is a first Internet-connected computer and the recipient platform is a second Internet-connected computer, and in step (b) the text files and the multimedia files are transported across the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step for a user, using an appropriate reader and software engine, to interface with the object model, the GUI object model, and the multimedia files at the recipient platform, selecting and viewing files representing objects in the object model.

4. A system for providing a knowledge-based object model to an end user, in a form the end-user can use the model selectively, comprising:

a first text file writer executing on the source platform, enabled to convert the object model to a first non-binary text file;

an object model generator executing on the source platform, enabled to create a GUI object model with GUI objects related to objects of the object model from the first text file;

a second text file writer executing on the source platform enabled to convert the GUI object model to a second non-binary text file, and to relate objects of the GUI model to multimedia files; and

a reader and software engine executing on a recipient platform connected by a network connection to the source platform, enabled to reconstruct the object model and the GUI object model on the recipient platform;

wherein the first text file writer converts the object model to a non-binary text file, the object model generator creates the GUI object model from the first text file, the second text file writer converts the GUI model to a second non-binary text file and relates objects in the second file to multimedia files, the source platform sends the two text files and multimedia files to the recipient platform, and the reader and software at the recipient platform recreates the object model and the GUI object model from the text files, enabling a user to select and view objects in the object models.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the network connection is the Internet, and the source platform and the recipient platform are both computers connected to the Internet.