Methods and systems for manipulating a database through portable data entry devices

In a system having a database containing original data having a database data structure, a method for manipulating the original data though the use of at least one PDA module, the method comprising the steps of:

• collecting PDA data representative of inventory information with a PDA device via a user interface, wherein a data collection module within the PDA module stores the PDA data in a PDA data structure, the PDA module executing on the PDA device and wherein the user interface is an interface selected from the group consisting of a graphical user interface, an interactive user interface, a voice recognition user interface, and a textual user interface;
• preparing the PDA data, at and under the control of the PDA, stored in the collection module for transmission to a manipulation module, wherein preparing the PDA data comprises compressing and formatting the PDA data;
• transmitting the PDA data from the data collection module to the manipulation module, wherein the manipulation module converts the PDA data having a PDA data structure to database data having the database data structure such that the PDA data is database data;
• and
• storing the database data in the database by way of an interface module such that the database data updates the original data.

In a system having a database containing inventory data having a database data structure, the system in communication with one or more PDA devices, a method for gathering and updating the inventory data though the use of the one or more PDA devices, the method comprising the steps of:

• collecting PDA data with the one or more PDA devices via a user interface, wherein each of the PDA devices is executing a PDA module that stores the PDA data, having a PDA data structure, in a data collection module and wherein the user interface is a user interface selected from the group of interfaces consisting of a graphical user interface, an interactive user interface, a voice recognition user interface, and a textual user interface;
• manipulating the PDA data stored in the data collection module at and under the control of the PDA device for transmission to a manipulation module, wherein preparing the PDA data comprises compressing and formatting the PDA data in the PDA data structure;
• retrieving by the manipulation module the PDA data, wherein the manipulation module converts the PDA data having a PDA data structure to database data having the database data structure;
• and
• storing the database data in the database by way of an interface module that directly creates, reads, accesses, updates, deletes, selects, and modifies the original data stored in the database without interfacing with the database management system and the resource planning application so, such that the database data updates the inventory data.

A computer program product for implementing a method for transceiving data between a database and a PDA device, the computer program product comprising:

• at least one computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise:
• program code means for collecting PDA data with PDA module executing on the PDA device, wherein the PDA module stores the PDA data in a PDA data structure and the PDA data is representative of at least one of changes, modifications, deletions or additions to data received by the PDA device from the database;
• program code means for transmitting the PDA data to a manipulation module from the PDA device, wherein the manipulation module converts the PDA data having a PDA data structure to data having a database data structure such that the PDA data is formatted as database data;
• and
• program code means for storing the database data in the database by way of an interface module that directly creates, reads, accesses, updates, deletes, selects, and modifies data currently in the database with the PDA data without interfacing with a database management system and a resource planning application.

In a system having a database containing original data, a method for gathering and updating the original data, the method comprising the steps of:

• collecting PDA data with a PDA module executing on a PDA device, wherein the PDA module stores the PDA data that is representative of at least one of changes, additions, or deletions to at least a portion of the original data received by the PDA device;
• upon manipulating the PDA data at and under the control of the PDA device, transmitting the PDA data to a manipulation module from the PDA module, wherein the manipulation module converts the PDA data to database data;
• and
• storing the database data in the database by way of a data control module that is adapted to update the original data using the database data, wherein the data control module directly creates, reads, accesses, updates, deletes, selects, and modifies the original data stored in the database without interfacing with a database management system and a resource planning application of the system.

In a system having a database containing original data having a database data structure, a method for manipulating the original data through the use of at least one PDA module, the method comprising the steps of:

• collecting PDA data with a PDA device via a user interface, wherein a data collection module within the PDA module stores the PDA data in a PDA data structure, the PDA module executing on the PDA device and wherein the user interface is an interface selected from the group consisting of a graphical user interface, an interactive user interface, a voice recognition user interface, and a textual user interface;
• preparing the PDA data stored in the collection module at and by the PDA device for transmission to a manipulation module, wherein preparing the PDA data comprises compressing and formatting the PDA data;
• transmitting the PDA data from the data collection module to the manipulation module, wherein the manipulation module converts the PDA data having a PDA data structure to database data having the database data structure such that the PDA data is database data;
• and
• storing the database data in the database by directly creating, reading, accessing, updating, deleting, selecting, and modifying the original data stored in the database without interfacing with a database management system and a resource planning application of the system, such that the database data updates the original data.