Consistent interface for document output request

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9261950-B2
Application number	US-201213626352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a document output request business object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for a document output request, including a set of output requests related to a business document, the medium comprising:
program code for receiving via a message-based interface derived from a common business object model, where the common business object model includes business objects having relationships that enable derivation of message-based interfaces and message packages, the message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for requesting output of a business document, including a set of output requests related to a referenced business object, the output requests using one or more output channels for sending out documents, the first message including a message package hierarchically organized in memory based on and derived from the common business object model, the first message package including:
at a first hierarchical level in the first message package, a document output request message entity;
at the first hierarchical level in the first message package, a message header package including, at a second hierarchical level in the first message package, a message header entity; and
at the first hierarchical level in the first message package, a document output request package including, at a second hierarchical level in the first message package, a document output request entity, wherein the document output request entity includes, at a third hierarchical level in the first message package, an access control list entity, a universally unique identifier (UUID), a reference object node identifier (ID), a reference object type code, and a reference object node type code;

program code for processing the first message based on the hierarchical organization of the first message package, where processing the first message includes unpacking the first message package based on the hierarchical organization of the first message package, the specific grouping and order of the hierarchical elements, and the first message package's derivation from the common business object model, wherein the particular hierarchical organization of the first message package and the specific grouping and order of the hierarchical elements are used at least in part to identify the purpose of the first message; and
program code for sending a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message, where the second message includes a second message package derived from the common business object model to provide consistent semantics with the first message package.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the document output request entity further includes, at the third hierarchical level in the first message package, at least one item entity, wherein each item entity includes, at a fourth hierarchical level in the first message package a document output request item UUID, an output request form template group code, and a synchronous output indicator.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the item entity includes, at a fifth hierarchical level in the first message package, at least one of: at least one item carbon copy email entity, an item preview entity, at least one item attachment entity, and an archive document dependent object entity.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the item entity further includes, at the third hierarchical level in the first message package, at least one of: a recipient business partner UUID, a sender company ID, a sender company UUID, a sender organisational centre ID, a sender organisational centre UUID, a print queue ID, a responsible identity ID, a responsible identity UUID, system administrative data, an output request form template code, an output request form template country code, an output request form template language code, a sender country code, a communication medium type code, a watermark code, a status, a sender email universal resource identifier (URI), an output copy number value, electronic message subject text, electronic message body text, a document name, a form message binary object, a formatted facsimile number description, and an email URI.

5. A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:
at least one processor operable to execute computer readable instructions embodied on non-transitory media;
a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions executable by the at least one processor, embedded on non-transitory media, for requesting output of a business document, including a set of output requests related to a referenced business object, the output requests using one or more output channels for sending out documents, the instructions using a request;
a first memory storing a user interface controller executable by the at least one processor for processing the request and involving a first message including a first message package derived from a common business object model, where the common business object model includes business objects having relationships that enable derivation of message-based service interfaces and message packages, the first message package hierarchically organized based on and derived from the common business object model, the hierarchical organization of the message package including:
at a first hierarchical level in the first message package, a document output request message entity;
at the first hierarchical level in the first message package, a message header package including, at a second hierarchical level in the first message package, a message header entity; and
at the first hierarchical level in the first message package, a document output request package including, at a second hierarchical level in the first message package, a document output request entity, wherein the document output request entity includes, at a third hierarchical level in the first message package, an access control list entity, a universally unique identifier (UUID), a reference object node identifier (ID), a reference object type code, and a reference object node type code;

a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of message-based service interfaces executable by the at least one processor and derived from the common business object model to provide consistent semantics with messages derived from the common business object model, wherein one of the message-based service interfaces is operable to process the message based on the hierarchical organization of the first message package, where processing the message includes unpacking the first message package based on the hierarchical organization of the first message package, the specific grouping and order of the hierarchical elements, and the first message package's derivation from the common business object model, wherein the hierarchical organization of the message package and the grouping and order of the hierarchical elements in the message package are used at least in part to identify the purpose of the message.

6. The distributed system of claim 5 , wherein the first memory is remote from the graphical user interface.

7. The distributed system of claim 5 , wherein the first memory is remote from the second memory.

Assignees

• Gu Zifeng
• Huang Jin
• Birkenhauer Christoph
• Gnan Werner
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Gu Zifeng
• Huang Jin
• Birkenhauer Christoph
• Gnan Werner

Classifications

• G06F8/38 Primary

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F3/01 Primary

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0601

  Electronic shopping [e-shopping] · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title