Pseudo internal numbering mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9886435-B2
Application number	US-201414582185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems and methods to provide pseudo internal numbering for uniquely and continuously numbering of legally bound documents are described herein. In one aspect, an external numbering range object (NRO) is generated in a computer system. The range of numbers assignable by the external NRO is split into a set of intervals based on a prefix. In another aspect, an internal NRO is generated corresponding to a subset of the intervals of the external NRO. The correspondence between the internal NRO and the subset of intervals is determined by a part of the prefix. In yet another aspect, the unique and continuous numbers generated by the internal NRO are correlated with the numbers in the intervals of the subset of intervals of the external NRO based on a correspondence between values of the prefix of the external NRO and a prefix of the internal NRO.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system to implement pseudo internal numbering mechanism for unique and continuous numbering of documents generated in a software application, the system comprising:
a memory to store executable instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory to execute the instructions to:
generate an external number range object (NRO) to assign numbers to the documents, wherein each number associated with the external NRO is logically split to a prefix and a body of the external NRO with predefined lengths;
define a set of intervals of numbers associate-able with the external NRO, based on possible combination of characters in the prefix of the external NRO;
group the set of intervals into subsets of intervals of the external NRO, based on possible combinations of characters in a first part of the prefix of the external NRO;
generate an internal NRO corresponding to a subset of the subsets of intervals of the external NRO, wherein each number generated by the internal NRO is logically split to a prefix and a body of the internal NRO with predefined lengths;
define a set of intervals of numbers generate-able by the internal NRO, based on possible combinations of characters in the prefix of the internal NRO;
correlate a number associated with the external NRO, within the subset of intervals of the external NRO, with a number generated by the internal NRO, based a value of the prefix of the external NRO and a value of the prefix of the internal NRO; and
assign the number associated with the external NRO to a document.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the prefix of the external NRO allows usage of alpha-numeric characters to extend a cardinality of the set of intervals.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the external NRO allows usage of numeric characters to enable the correlation between the number associated with the external NRO and the number generated by the internal NRO.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a cardinality of the set of intervals of the numbers generate-able by the internal NRO is limited by possible characters of a second part of the prefix of the external NRO.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a value of the prefix of the internal NRO for an interval of the set of intervals of the numbers generate-able by the internal NRO corresponds to a value of the second part of the prefix of the external NRO of an interval of the subset of intervals of the external NRO.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein correlating the number associated with the external NRO with the number generated by the internal NRO comprises:
assigning the value of the body of the number generated by the internal NRO to the body of the number associated with the external NRO based on the correspondence.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the number generated by the internal NRO is generated based on a request associated with the document, wherein the request relates to a specific interval of the subset of intervals of the external NRO based on at least one of an entity and a type of the document.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
generate an external number range object (NRO) to assign numbers to documents, wherein each number associated with the external NRO is logically split to a prefix and a body of the external NRO with predefined lengths;
define a set of intervals of numbers associate-able with the external NRO, based on possible combination of characters in the prefix of the external NRO;
group the set of intervals into subsets of intervals of the external NRO, based on possible combinations of characters in a first part of the prefix of the external NRO;
generate an internal NRO corresponding to a subset of the subsets of intervals of the external NRO, wherein each number generated by the internal NRO is logically split to a prefix and a body of the internal NRO with predefined lengths:
define a set of intervals of numbers generate-able by the internal NRO, based on possible combinations of characters in the prefix of the internal NRO;
correlate a number associated with the external NRO, within the subset of intervals of the external NRO, with a number generated by the internal NRO, based a value of the prefix of the external NRO and a value of the prefix of the internal NRO; and
assign the number associated with the external NRO to a document.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the prefix of the external NRO allows usage of alpha-numeric characters to extend a cardinality of the set of intervals, and wherein the body of the external NRO allows usage of numeric characters to enable the correlation between the number associated with the external NRO and the number generated by the internal NRO.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein a cardinality of the set of intervals of the numbers generate-able by the internal NRO is limited by possible characters of a second part of the prefix of the external NRO.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein a value of the prefix of the internal NRO for an interval of the set of intervals of the numbers generate-able by the internal NRO corresponds to a value of the second part of the prefix of the external NRO of an interval of the subset of intervals of the external NRO.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein correlating the number associated with the external NRO with the number generated by the internal NRO comprises:
assigning the value of the body of the number generated by the internal NRO to the body of the number associated with the external NRO based on the correspondence.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the number generated by the internal NRO is generated based on a request associated with the document, wherein the request relates to a specific interval of the subset of intervals of the external NRO based on at least one of an entity and a type of the document.

14. A computer implemented method to provide pseudo internal numbering for unique and continuous numbering of documents generated in a software application, the method comprising:
generating, by a processor of a computer, an external number range object (NRO) to assign numbers to the documents, wherein each number associated with the external NRO is logically split to a prefix and a body of the external NRO with predefined lengths;
defining a set of intervals of numbers associate-able with the external NRO, based on possible combination of characters in the prefix of the external NRO;
grouping the set of intervals into subsets of intervals of the external NRO, based on possible combinations of characters in a first part of the prefix of the external NRO;
generating an internal NRO corresponding to a subset of the subsets of intervals of the external NRO, wherein each number generated by the internal NRO is logically split to a prefix and a body of the internal NRO with predefined lengths;
defining a set of intervals of numbers generate-able by the internal NRO, based on possible combinations of characters in the prefix of the internal NRO;
correlating a number associated with the external NRO, within the subset of intervals of the external NRO, with a number generated by the internal NRO, based a value of the prefix of the external NRO and a value of the prefix of the internal NRO; and
assigning, at a memory of the computer, the number associated with the external NRO to a document.

15. The method

Assignees

• Veit Thomas
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Veit Thomas

Classifications

• G06F16/93 Primary

  Document management systems · CPC title

• G06F17/30011 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic