Configuring keys for use in processing business data

• US 7,546,304 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Doughty, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/699,037
• Time in Patent Office: 3,147 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/138, 707 1- 4, 707/9, 707/102, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/201, 707/6, 707/7, 707/10, 705/1, 705/5, 705/35, 705/44, 705/4, 705/6, 705/30, 705/135, 705/36, 705/38, 705/39, 705 40- 45, 711/216, 711/217, 711/153, 715/513, 715/538, 709/215
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method for configuring key definitions, key values, and key value search masks for locating processing parameter values in a Financial Service Organization (FSO) computer system. The FSO computer system may include one or more processing parameters. A processing parameter may have one key definition, one or more key values with one processing parameter value assigned to each key value, and one or more key value search masks. The FSO computer system may include a database for storing the key definitions, key values and their associated parameter values, and key value search masks. Configuring the key definitions may include providing a user interface for the selection of one or more data elements to be used as key elements in the key definition. The user interface may also allow the specification of a sequence in which the key elements will appear in the key definition. Configuring a key value and the processing parameter value associated with the key value may include providing a user interface for entering key element values that are combined to form the key value, and for entering the processing parameter values associated with the key value. The user interface may allow the user to enter wildcard values for the key element values. Configuring key value search masks may include providing a user interface for entering values in the search mask fields. A search mask may include a search mask field for each key element in the key definition. The user interface may allow the user to enter wildcard values and equal values in the search mask fields.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing a plurality of key definitions in a database table in a database of an Financial Service Organization (FSO) computer system, wherein the FSO computer system is configured to perform processing on FSO transaction-related data, wherein the key definitions in the database table are configured for use in processing FSO transaction-related data in the FSO computer system, wherein storing the plurality of key definitions in the database table comprises, for each of at least two rows in the database table;

displaying two or more key element representations on a display screen in data communication with the Financial Service Organization (FSO) computer system;

receiving a selection by a user of at least two key element representations from the two or more displayed key element representations;

preparing a key definition from two or more key elements corresponding to the at least two selected key element representations in response to the user selecting the at least two key element representations;

storing the key definition in the database table, the key definition being configured for use in preparing a processing key value from transaction-related data in the FSO computer system, wherein the processing key value is configured for use in locating a process control data set in the database in the FSO computer system, the process control data set comprising one or more process control data values and configured for use in processing the transaction-related data in the FSO computer system;

defining by the user one or more key masks for the key definition, wherein each key mask comprises one or more mask fields, and wherein the one or more mask fields in the key mask correspond to one or more key elements in the key definition; and

storing the one or more key masks in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection by the user, preparing the key definition, and storing the key definition occur during a configuration of the FSO computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein preparing the key definition from the two or more key elements further comprises the user specifying a sequence of the key elements in the key definition, wherein the user specifying a sequence of the key elements in the key definition comprises the user inputting one or more sequence parameters, at least one of one or more sequence parameters specifying the place of one of a selected key data element in a sequence of the selected key data elements for the key definition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a plurality of data elements, and wherein the method further comprises:

selecting by the user a plurality of key elements for use in key definitions from the plurality of data elements; and

selecting by the user one or more key elements for displaying on the display screen from the plurality of key elements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining by the user one or more key values for the key definition;

defining by the user a processing parameter value for each of the key values for the key definition; and

storing the one or more key values and the processing parameter values in the database; and

locating one of the processing parameter values, wherein locating one of the processing parameter values comprises matching a constructed processing key value with one of the one or more key values stored in the database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more key values is unique among the one or more key values for the key definition.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the database comprises a process control data table associated with the key definition, wherein the process control data table comprises one or more rows, and wherein each row in the process control data table comprises one or more fields for storing one key value and one or more fields for storing the processing parameter value for the key value stored in the row.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more key values comprises one key element value for each of the one or more key elements in the key definition, and wherein defining by the user the one or more key values for the key definition further comprises defining by the user the one or more key element values for each of the one or more key values.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user defining the one or more key element values for each of the one or more key values comprises the user selecting a key element value for each of the one or more key elements in the key definition from a plurality of available key element values for the key element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of available key element values comprises a wildcard key element value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is relational or is object-oriented.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction-related data comprises a credit card transaction, and wherein the processing parameter value comprises one or more data values configured for processing the credit card transaction.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing a plurality of key definitions in a database table in a database of an Financial Service Organization (FSO) computer system, wherein the FSO computer system is configured to perform processing on FSO transaction-related data, wherein the key definitions in the database table are configured for use in processing FSO transaction-related data in the FSO computer system, wherein storing the plurality of key definitions in the database table comprises, for each of at least two rows in the database table;

displaying two or more key element representations on a display screen in data communication with the Financial Service Organization (FSO) computer system;

receiving a selection by a user of at least two key element representations from the two or more displayed key element representations;

preparing a key definition from two or more key elements corresponding to the at least two selected key element representations in response to the user selecting the at least two key element representations;

storing the key definition in the database table, the key definition being configured for use in preparing a processing key value from transaction-related data in the FSO computer system, wherein the processing key value is configured for use in locating a process control data set in the database in the FSO computer system, the process control data set comprising one or more process control data values and configured for use in processing the transaction-related data in the FSO computer system; and

defining by the user one or more key masks for the key definition, wherein defining by the user the one or more key masks comprises the user selecting a mask field value from a plurality of mask field values for each of one or more mask fields in each of the one or more key masks, and wherein the plurality of mask field values comprises an equal mask field value and a wildcard mask field value,

wherein the database is relational or is object-oriented.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing parameter value comprises one or more merchant transaction pricing values.