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US 7,257,579 B2Granted
Modeling and using business rules
AssigneeSap SE
InventorAndre Wachholz-Prill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method comprises determining a rule type needed for selecting an action to be performed with regard to a data object, identifying an access procedure associated with the rule type, retrieving query attributes from a context associated with the data object, searching an attribute database with a query attributes, and, if the query attributes match a first attribute set, accessing a first rule that belongs to the rule type and that is identified by the first attribute set. Each of a plurality of rules in a rule database is capable of being identified by any attribute set in the attribute database. Input functions for modeling the rules and creating the databases may be provided. Use of the rules can be simulated.
Claims33
A method for use in a computer system to identify actions with regard to data objects, the method comprising:
- determining a rule type that is needed by a computer system in selecting a particular action to be taken with regard to a data object;
- identifying an access procedure associated with the rule type that specifies which query attributes are to be used, the access procedure comprising a sequence of access rules, each of which access rules identifies at least one of the query attributes to be used;
- retrieving the query attributes from a context associated with the data object;
- searching an attribute database with at least one of the query attributes identified by a first access rule of the access procedure;
- and
- determining whether the at least one of the query attributes identified by the first access rule matches a first attribute set in the attribute database, and if so:
- (i) accessing in a rule database a first rule that belongs to the rule type and that is identified by the first attribute set, the first rule specifying the particular action to be taken by the computer system with regard to the data object, wherein each of a plurality of rules in the rule database is capable of being identified by any of a plurality of attribute sets in the attribute database;
- and (ii) generating an output that identifies the particular action.
5 more elements
A computer system comprising:
- a rule database comprising a plurality of rules specifying particular actions that the computer system can take with regard to a data object, each of which rules belongs to one of a plurality of rule types;
- an attribute database comprising a plurality of attribute sets, each of which attribute sets identifies one of the plurality of rules in the rule database, wherein each of the plurality of rules is capable of being identified by any of the plurality of attribute sets;
- a plurality of access procedures specifying which query attributes are to be used in searching the attribute database, each of which access procedures is associated with one of the plurality of rule types and comprises a sequence of access rules, each of which access rules identifies at least one of the query attributes to be used;
- and
- a device generating an output that identifies one of the particular actions.
2 more elements
A computer system comprising:
- a first input function for a user to create a rule database comprising a plurality of rules specifying particular actions that the computer system can take with regard to a data object, the first input function providing that the user can specify one of a plurality of rule types for each of the rules;
- a second input function for the user to create an attribute database comprising a plurality of attribute sets, the second input function providing that the user can specify one of the plurality of rules in the rule database to be identified by each of the attribute sets, wherein each of the plurality of rules is capable of being identified by any of the plurality of attribute sets;
- a third input function for the user to create a plurality of access procedures specifying which query attributes are to be used in searching the attribute database, the third input function providing that the user can associate each of the access procedures with one of the plurality of rule types and define a sequence of access rules for each of the access procedures, the third input function further providing that the user can specify at least one of the query attributes to be identified by each of the access rules;
- and
- at least one storage device for storing the rule database, the attribute database, and the plurality of access procedures.
2 more elements
A computer program product embodied in a physical machine-readable storage medium and containing executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations comprising:
- determine a rule type that is needed by a computer system in selecting a particular action to be taken with regard to a data object;
- identify an access procedure associated with the rule type that specifies which query attributes are to be used, the access procedure comprising a sequence of access rules, each of which access rules identifies at least one of the query attributes to be used;
- retrieve the query attributes from a context associated with the data object;
- search an attribute database with at least one of the query attributes identified by a first access rule of the access procedure;
- and
- determine whether the at least one of the query attributes identified by the first access rule matches a first attribute set in the attribute database, and if so:
- (i) access in a rule database a first rule that belongs to the rule type and that is identified by the first attribute set, the first rule specifying the particular action to be taken by the computer system with regard to the data object, wherein each of a plurality of rules in the rule database is capable of being identified by any of a plurality of attribute sets in the attribute database;
- and (ii) generate an output that identifies the particular action.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.