Report system and method using prompt objects

US7861161B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• MicroStrategy Incorporated · US

Inventors

• Jeffrey A. Bedell · Arlington, US
• Eduardo Carranza · Fairfax, US
• L. Douglas Everhart · Arlington, US
• William Hurwood · Washington, US
• Benjamin Z. Li · Great Falls, US
• Ramkumar Ramachandran · Reston, US
• David B. Sherwood · McLean, US
• Stephen Scott Trundle · Falls Church, US
• Abhimanyu Warikoo · New York, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 19, 2001
• Grant date: Dec 28, 2010
• Expiry date: Apr 20, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F16/838
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An report system that incorporates prompt objects in a report definition to enable a user to specify answers to questions to customize a reporting system (e.g., decision support system, business intelligence and OLAP) report at execution time. A prompt object contains a single question to be answered, validation values for the answer, and attributes indicating how the prompt object is to be processed. A report is thus defined by selecting prompt objects in place of templates, filters, or any of the aspects of a template or filter. As a separate object, a single prompt may be issued once and the answer supplied to each reference to the prompt object in a report.