US 6,732,109 B2 · Method and system for transferring information between a user interface and a database over a global information network

Abstract

A relational database residing on a second computer, and is accessed by a user interface via a global information network such as the Internet. The relational database is accessed through four intermediate processing layers: an interaction layer, an application layer, a business object layer, and an information model layer, each located on a second computer, with the information model layer logically adjacent to the database, and the interaction layer logically adjacent to the user interface operating on the browser. The information model layer maintains a first relational tree of the information in the relational database. This relational tree appears as a plurality of entities in a mark up language (such as XML) to the business object layer and the information in the relational database is accessible via the relational tree. The business object model layer includes a plurality of business object instances, each of which maintains a second relational tree corresponding to a portion of the first relational tree. The second relational tree appears as a plurality of entities in a mark up language (such as XML) to the application layer. The application layer includes a plurality of application object instances, each of which includes an application object definition which specifies one or more methods and business object instances available to the application object. The application layer appears as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the interaction layer. The interaction layer includes a plurality of interaction objects, each interaction object including information identifying an application object and information specifying a manner in which requests from a user interface are to be processed for transmission to the application object and in which responses from the application object are to be transmitted to the user interface. The interaction layer appears as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the user interface.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A system for transferring information between a user interface and a database over a global information network, comprising:

a plurality of user interfaces located on a plurality of first computers;
an interaction layer on a second computer;
an application layer on the second computer;
a business object model layer on the second computer;
a information model layer on the second computer;
a relational database located on the second computer;
the information model layer maintaining a first relational tree of the information in the relational database, the relational tree appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the business object layer, the information in the relational database being accessible via the relational tree in the information model layer;
the business object model layer including a plurality of business object instances, each business object instance maintaining a second relational tree corresponding to a portion of the first relational tree, the second relational tree appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the application layer;
the application layer including a plurality of application object instances, each application object including an application object definition which specifies one or more methods and business object instances available to the application object, the methods being operable to implement behavior requested by a browser using information from the database accessed through the business object instances, the application layer appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the interaction layer;
the interaction layer including a plurality of interaction objects, each interaction object including information identifying an application object and information specifying a manner in which requests from a user interface are to be processed for transmission to the application object and in which responses from the application object are to be transmitted to the user interface, the interaction layer appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the user interface;
and
the user interface located on a client computer, the user interface being displayed from a plurality of entities in a mark up language.

9 more elements

A computer readable medium containing computer executable process steps operable to control a computer to transfer information between a user interface and a database over a global information network, comprising:

an interaction layer, an application layer, a business object model layer, an information model layer, and a relational database stored on a computer readable medium;
the information model layer maintaining a first relational tree of the information in the relational database, the relational tree appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the business object layer, the information in the relational database being accessible via the relational tree;
the business object model layer including a plurality of business object instances, each business object instance maintaining a second relational tree corresponding to a portion of the first relational tree, the second relational tree appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the application layer;
the application layer including a plurality of application object instances, each application object including an application object definition which specifies one or more methods and business object instances available to the application object, the methods being operable to implement behavior requested by a browser using information from the database accessed through the business object instances, the application layer appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to the interaction layer;
and
the interaction layer including a plurality of interaction objects, each interaction object including information identifying an application object and information specifying a manner in which requests from a user interface are to be processed for transmission to the application object and in which responses from the application object are to be transmitted to the user interface, the interaction layer appearing as a plurality of entities in a mark up language to a user interface. first relational tree.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for transferring information between a user interface and a database over a global information network

Life of this patent

Method and system for transferring information between a user interface and a database over a global information network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30