Systems and methods for processing electronic documents in a computer network

US7596543B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SAP AG · DE

Inventors

• Christoph Lange · Berlin, DE
• Karin Brecht-Tillinger · Edingen-Neckarhausen, DE
• Oleg Shestakov · Eppelheim, DE
• Ruediger Radcke · Budapest, HU
• Erwin Pinter · Schifferstadt, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 22, 2005
• Grant date: Sep 29, 2009
• Expiry date: Aug 8, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/04
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for processing an electronic document by one or more computer network components having network addresses in a computer network. Within the electronic document, a plurality of approval items are identified that require status manipulation operations within the electronic document. These approval objects may be grouped together based on the properties of the approval items to form one or more approval objects. Thereafter, each approval object is associated with one or more computer network components based on the properties of the approval object, so that each approval object may be routed to the network addresses of the associated computer network components for status manipulation processing. Depending on the results of the status manipulation processing, a follow-on data set may be generated for the electronic document and sent to one or more additional computer network components.