# US 10,482,508 B2 · Customizable state machine and state aggregation technique for processing collaborative and transactional business objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,482,508 B2 - Document ID: US10482508B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/607,231 - Filed: 2017-05-26 - Published: 2017-09-14 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2001-10-15 - Assignees: JDA Software Group, Inc. - Applicants: JDA Software Group, Inc. - Inventors: Chethan Gorur; Ramkartik Mulukutla - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482508B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/067: Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 10/101: Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services - G06Q 10/103: {Workflow collaboration or project management} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A computer-implemented method is provided for aggregating state information associated with a composite business object representing at least one collaboration between business entities. The method includes retrieving the state information for the composite business object from a computer-readable medium and determining a state for the composite business object based on an assigned priority level for a state in a hierarchy of states associated with the composite business object, each state in the hierarchy of states having a corresponding assigned priority level. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for facilitating processing by a state machine of business objects, comprising: retrieving, over a computer network, composite state information of a composite business object from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the composite business object representing at least one collaboration between two or more business enterprises and including one or more components comprising component state information; controlling the composite state information of the composite business object based on one or more data structures comprising state information stored as values in a multidimensional state transition matrix, action information, and transition information associated with the composite business object, wherein a first dimension of the state transition matrix represents a state identifier associated with the composite business object, a second dimension of the state transition matrix represents an action identifier associated with the composite business object, and a third dimension of the state transition matrix represents an entity identifier associated with the composite business object; and configuring a derived state information for the composite business object by assigning a priority level from a hierarchy of states to the individual component state information of the one or more components and selecting the component state information having the highest priority, each state in the hierarchy of states having a corresponding assigned priority level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the assigned priority level comprises a highest priority level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state information comprises at least one of state identifier information, state handler class information, synchronization requirement information, and super-state relationship information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the action information comprises at least one of allowed action information and update rule information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the transition information comprises at least one of entity type information, starting state information, action taken information, and resulting state information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the business object is processed using one of two or more state machines within a computer-implemented system for collaboration between business entities, each state machine comprising a state transition matrix that contains information representing a plurality of graphs for the state machine and that has been generated using two or more text files for the state machine, each graph corresponding to a particular collaborating business entity. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software method for facilitating processing by a state machine of business objects, the software when executed using one or more computers is configured to: retrieve composite state information of a composite business object from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the composite business object including one or more components comprising component state information; control the composite state information of the composite business object based on one or more data structures comprising state information stored as values in a multidimensional state transition matrix, action information, and transition information associated with the composite business object, wherein a first dimension of the state transition matrix represents a state identifier associated with the composite business object, a second dimension of the state transition matrix represents an action identifier associated with the composite business object, and a third dimension of the state transition matrix represents an entity identifier associated with the composite business object; and configure a derived state information for the composite business object by assigning a priority level from a hierarchy of states to the individual component state information of the one or more components and selecting the component state information having the highest priority, each state in the hierarchy of states having a corresponding assigned priority level. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the assigned priority level comprises a highest priority level. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the state information comprises at least one of state identifier information, state handler class information, synchronization requirement information, and super-state relationship information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the action information comprises at least one of allowed action information and update rule information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the transition information comprises at least one of entity type information, starting state information, action taken information, and resulting state information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the business object is processed using one of two or more state machines within a computer-implemented system for collaboration between business entities, each state machine comprising a state transition matrix that contains information representing a plurality of graphs for the state machine and that has been generated using two or more text files for the state machine, each graph corresponding to a particular collaborating business entity. ### Claim 13 A system for facilitating processing by a state machine of business objects, comprising: an electronic marketplace comprising two or more business enterprises; at least one supplier entity of the two or more business enterprises, wherein the at least one supplier entity supplies one or more products; and the electronic marketplace configured to: retrieve composite state information of a composite business object from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the composite business object representing at least one collaboration between the two or more business enterprises comprising and including one or more components comprising component state information; control the composite state information of the composite business object based on one or more data structures comprising state information stored as values in a multidimensional state transition matrix, action information, and transition information associated with the composite business object, wherein a first dimension of the state transition matrix represents a state identifier associated with the composite business object, a second dimension of the state transition matrix represents an action identifier associated with the composite business object, and a third dimension of the state transition matrix represents an entity identifier associated with the composite business object; and configure a derived state information of the composite business object by assigning a priority level from a hierarchy of states to the individual component state information of the one or more components and selecting the component state information having the highest priority, each state in the hierarchy of states having a corresponding assigned priority level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the assigned priority level comprises a highest priority level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the state information comprises at least one of state identifier information, state handler class information, synchronization requirement information, and super-state relationship information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the action information comprises at least one of allowed action information and update rule information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the transition information comprises at least one of entity type information, starting state information, action taken information, and resulting state information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the business object is processed using one of two or more state machines within a computer-implemented system for collaboration between business entities, each state machine comprising a state transition matrix that contains information representing a plurality of graphs for the state machine and that has been generated using two or more text files for the state machine, each graph corresponding to a particular collaborating business entity.