Participant server which process documents for commerce in trading partner networks

US6226675A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Commerce One, LLC · US

Inventors

• Bart Alan Meltzer · Corralitos, US
• Andrew Everett Davidson · Ramona, US
• Matthew Fuchs · Los Gatos, US
• Robert John Glushko · San Francisco, US
• Kenneth Persson · Superior, US
• Kelly Lane Schwarzhoff · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 16, 1998
• Grant date: May 1, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 16, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0633
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Participant servers in a network of customers, suppliers and other trading partners exchange machine readable documents. The participants in the network use self defining electronic documents, such as XML based documents, which can be easily understood amongst the partners. Definitions of the electronic business documents, called business interface definitions, are posted on the Internet, or otherwise communicated to members of the network. The business interface definitions tell potential trading partners the services the company offers and the documents to use when communicating with such services. Thus, a typical business interface definition allows a customer to place an order by submitting a purchase order or a supplier checks availability by downloading an inventory status report. Participants are programmed by the composition of the input and output documents, coupled with interpretation information in a common business library, to handle the transaction in a way which closely parallels the way in which paper based businesses operate.