Interoperable retrieval and deposit using annotated schema to interface between industrial document specification languages

Abstract

In order to achieve interoperability between diverse types of computer systems for the purpose of e-commerce, a system and method are provided for retrieving data from multiple relational databases into an XEDI document. First, a DTDSA is used to create an intermediate format for the data. Then, an annotated interoperable (universal) DTD is used to create the XEDI document. For depositing data from an XEDI document into multiple relational databases, a reverse process is used. The universal DTD is used to create the intermediate format. Then the DTDSA is used to create the relational database format. The deposit process requires analysis of join unions of data sought to be deposited, and also a static reversibility check for the DTDSA. A GUI interface is provided for generating annotations.

1 . A method for creating an electronic communication, comprising executing the following operations in at least one data processing device:
 first retrieving data from at least one type of data source into a first electronic format using at least one first annotated schema;   second retrieving data from the first electronic format into a second electronic format using at least one second annotated schema   wherein
 a schema is a machine readable entity defining structures and/or types for a respective sort of data; 
 at least one of: the data source, the first electronic format and the second electronic format has a respective schema; and 
 an “annotated schema” is a schema relating to a first sort of data, with inserted annotations relating to second sort of data, adapted to control automated retrieval. 
   
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one value pair. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the at least one type of data source and then to the first electronic format. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second electronic format belongs to the category of XML/EDI electronic document specification languages. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first annotated schema comprises at least one first annotated DTD and the second annotated schema comprises at least one second annotated DTD. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one second annotated schema comprises
 a single DTD for all possible document types within a single industrial electronic document specification language; and   annotations for retrieving specifications for a desired document type from the first electronic format.   
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of data source comprises heterogeneous data bases. 
   
   
       10 - 36 . (canceled) 
   
   
       37 . At least one medium embodying code readable by at least one data processing device, the code comprising
 a universal schema adapted to create all possible document types suitable for use with a single electronic document specification language;   annotations adapted to guide retrieval of data from at least one type of data source to specify a particular output document in accordance with the universal schema;   wherein
 a schema is a machine readable entity defining structures and/or types for a respective sort of data; 
 at least one of: the data source and the electronic document specification language has a respective schema; and 
 an “annotated schema” is a schema relating to a first sort of data, with inserted annotations relating to a second sort of data, adapted to control automated retrieval. 
   
   
   
       38 . (canceled) 
   
   
       39 . The medium of  claim 37 , wherein the universal schema is a DTD. 
   
   
       40 . The medium of  claim 37 , wherein the universal schema is annotated with recursive constructs. 
   
   
       41 . The medium of  claim 37 , wherein the universal schema is an annotated DTD that attaches unique labels to corresponding intermediate XML document or value pairs. 
   
   
       42 . A method for depositing data into at least one type of data source, the method comprising executing the following operations in a digital data processing device:
 receiving a specification for deposit;   processing the specification in accordance with an annotated schema; and   responsive to the processing, depositing data in at least one type of data source in accordance with a local format of that source   wherein
 a schema is a machine readable entity defining structures and/or types for a respective sort of data; 
 at least one of the data source, the first electronic format and the second electronic format has a respective schema; and 
 an “annotated schema” is a schema relating to one sort of data, with inserted annotations relating to another sort of data, adapted to control automated deposit. 
   
   
   
       43 - 44 . (canceled) 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not reversible, creating a revised annotated schema that is reversible, so that the data is depositable in accordance with the revised annotated schema. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein
 the annotated schema and the revised annotated schema each comprise a respective DTD;   the operations further comprise   developing a revised XML document for display to the user responsive to the revised annotated schema; and   depositing the data in accordance with annotations of the revised annotated schema.   
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the operations further comprise propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the processing comprises
 first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification in to a first local format; and   second processing the first local format in accordance with a local annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format.   
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein
 the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD;   the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair;   the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and   the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.   
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein
 the operations further comprise   determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit;   responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not reversible, creating a revised annotated schema according to which the specification for deposit is reversible;   the processing includes   first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification into a first local format; and   second processing the first local format in accordance with the revised annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format;   depositing includes propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.   
   
   
       52 . (canceled) 
   
   
       53 . At least one data processing device comprising:
 at least one memory for storing data and code;   at least one processor adapted to perform the following operations in conjunction with the at least one memory:   receiving a specification for deposit;   processing the specification in accordance with an annotated schema; and   responsive to the processing, depositing data in at least one type of data source in accordance with a local format of that source   wherein
 a schema is a machine readable entity defining structures and/or types for a respective sort of data; 
 at least one of the data source and the specification has a respective schema; and 
 an “annotated schema” is a schema relating to a first sort of data, with inserted annotations relating to a second sort of data, adapted to control automated deposit. 
   
   
   
       54 - 63 . (canceled) 
   
   
       64 . A medium, readable by at least one data processing device embodying code for performing the following operations:
 receiving a specification for deposit;   processing the specification in accordance with an annotated schema; and   responsive to the processing, depositing data in heterogeneous data sources in accordance with a local format of that source;   wherein
 a schema is a machine readable entity defining structures and/or types for a respective sort of data; 
 at least one of the data source and the specification has a respective schema; and 
 an “annotated schema” is a schema relating to a first sort of data, with inserted annotations relating to a second sort of data, adapted to control automated deposit. 
   
   
   
       64 - 74 . (canceled) 
   
   
       75 . The method of  claim 42 , comprising executing the following operations in at least one data processing device:
 retrieving first data stored in at least one first format from a first data source;   using at least one annotated schema including a universal annotated schema to convert the data into at least one second format;   depositing the first data according to at least one such second format into a second data source;   retrieving second data according to at least one such second format from the second data source; and   using at least the universal annotated schema to convert the second data to at least one such first format   wherein the universal annotated schema is adapted to control deposit, retrieval, and conversion.   
   
   
       76 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each schema describes a structure of a target format and each annotation relates to a structure of a source format, so that each annotated schema guarantees that the retrieving steps create data that conforms to the target format, without additional checking. 
   
   
       77 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein each schema describes a structure of a target format and each annotation relates to a structure of a source format, so that each annotated schema guarantees that the processing steps create data that conforms to the target format, without additional checking. 
   
   
       78 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the annotated schema is determined to be usable for both retrieval and deposit.