Process for allocating data sets to time values of a consecutive sequence.

The invention relates to a method for assigning data sets to time values ​​in a chronological order.

Data from activities are often stored in records that are related to a time axis. The activities can be presented in clear form with bar graphs. This makes it possible to quickly recognize the beginning and end, as well as the overlapping of individual activities. Such individual activities may relate, for example, to the occupancy of hotel rooms or the use of personnel for various tasks.

Sometimes records in different files are assigned to the time values. If records need to be changed, or if the number of records increases, this often requires tedious reconciliation until the correct allocation exists. In particular, difficulties may arise in a reduction or increase.

A method of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph can be found in EP-A-0 306 965, in order to achieve a coordination of processes by means of data processing.

The invention is based on the object of developing a method for assigning data sets to time values ​​of a chronological sequence with which changes, extensions or reductions of the data relating to the time values ​​can be taken into account without great effort.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the time values ​​are stored as data strings in a field in each case, that the reading of a time value begins with the start of the data string and takes place up to the selected time value, and that the time of the reading from the beginning of the data string to the selected time value In each case a memory address is allocated which addresses at least one data record. Such a data string can be arbitrarily enlarged and reduced in size within the scope of the storage capacity of the intended field. Thus, the length of a time axis can be determined, read out and displayed very quickly and simply. The extension increases and the reduction of the time axis reduces the number of necessary addresses.

Preferably, a group of bits is provided in the data string for distinguishing the units of the time sequence. Each unit of the time axis is determined by the same bit pattern. This allows multi-digit time values ​​to be stored with little effort in storage capacity. In a suitable embodiment, the time values ​​are displayed as a bar graph interactively on a screen of a digital computer. The selection of specific addresses can be effected in a simple manner by the length of a bar graph. In addition, the required address store can be defined over the length of the bar graph. It is particularly advantageous if the address formed by the readout time of the data string is inserted in at least one command of the digital computer. This allows the records accessible by the selected address to be altered in the manner specified by the command. It is therefore possible to change the records quickly and easily.

Preferably, the start and end of a data string is determined by the representation of a bar graph on the screen by positioning a cursor on the corresponding location.

The cursor can be positioned by means of a mouse, ie by means of a control unit which can be moved on a table and is connected to the respective digital computer. The operation is thereby simplified even further.

The above-described measures can advantageously be used with accounting systems. Booking systems are used, for example, for space reservation in buses, railways, airplanes and ships, as well as for hotel room reservation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is described in more detail below with the aid of an exemplary embodiment illustrated in a drawing, from which further details, features and advantages are given.

Show it:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A diagram of the temporal occurrence of the bits of a data string with assignment to addresses of storage locations of a file,</dd><dt>2 a to e</dt><dd>Diagrams of procedural steps for managing a room reservation system,</dd><dt>FIG. 2 f</dt><dd>A structure diagram with the operations taking place during a key interrogation,</dd><dt>FIG. 2 g</dt><dd>A structural diagram for processes which occur during a change in the schedule,</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A screen presentation of a room reservation plan and</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A screen display of a guest information corresponding to the room occupancy.</dd></dl>

FIG. 1 shows a data string (1) consisting of bit groups, of which only the bit groups (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) denote are. Each bit group contains at least one bit. But there can be more. The data string is stored in a field of a memory of a digital computer. The individual bit groups, for example (2) to (9), are related to the first bit group (0). Each bit group corresponds to a time value, eg a day of a month. The data string (1) corresponds, for example, to all days of a month. It is not stored every day as an absolute value, but as a bit group, which is assigned to a tag unit, together with the other bit groups. The readout of a value assigned to a specific tag begins with the bit group (0) and ends with the bit group assigned to the respective tag.

The readout duration increases as the selected bit group is longer. The readout times of the various days of a month are each assigned different addresses, which are, for example, addresses of a file (10). FIG. 1 shows memory cells of the file (10). The addresses of a series of memory cells are designated by (A 10) to (A 15). These addresses correspond, for example, to the read-out times of one of the bit groups (2) to (7). The data string (1) is thus assigned in its different bit groups to different time values, which in turn correspond to a number of data sets which are accessible via addresses corresponding to the time values.

The bit groups of the data string (1) are displayed on a screen of a digital computer as a bar graph, which is terminated when the selected time has been displayed, when reading from the field, beginning with the bit group (0). The selection can be done with a cursor, for example. The readout time is assigned to a specific address in which there is at least one data record which can be read out, displayed or changed. In this way, it is possible interactively to select data related to a chronological order quickly and easily, for example to display, change or update it. The data string (1) can be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced in the context of a memory area reserved for this purpose. The length of a time axis can thus be determined quickly and easily. This also determines the data records that are to be influenced, for example, via the corresponding addresses. The addresses selected via the time axes are inserted into commands which are, for example, specified by means of the keys of a keyboard, to read out data records, to rearrange them, or to change their structure and contents.

The method described above can advantageously be carried out with a personal computer. Keyboard, mouse or light pen (Light Pen) can be connected as input media. The mouse, a box-like control device, which is connected to the computer via a cable, is moved on the surface of a table. In parallel, the cursor moves on the screen of the computer. In the case of a light beam, the desired position is "checked" on the screen, the cursor is projected onto the corresponding spot. The cursor can thus be directed to a specific point at which, for example, the bar graph of the data string (1) is to be terminated.

The above-described method can advantageously be performed with a personal computer to which a mouse is connected. The mouse, a box-like control device, which is connected to the computer via a cable, is moved on the surface of a table. In parallel, the cursor moves on the screen of the computer. The cursor can be directed to a specific point at which the bar graph of the data string (1) should be terminated.

FIGS. 2a to 2d show the application of the above-described method to a hotel room reservation system. For the room reservation system, a room file, a workspace file and time files are provided. The room file contains the room category and a description which relates, for example, to the location, floor, court or street side and the like. In the booking file, the room allocation for a certain period and the names or addresses of the guests are given. The time value files contain data strings for years, months and days. In a guest file, names and addresses, nationality, passport number, telephone and possibly company and salutation are stored.

Before you create and display a work schedule for the rooms, the calendar for the maintenance plan must first be generated. The calendar is generated by entering the temporal lower and upper limit in annual values ​​into the computer after the start shown in FIG. 2a in a first step (11). Thereafter, in a step (12), the occupancy map file and the time value file are initialized. The room file is then set to the beginning in a step (13). Beginning with the given room, a new record for the occupancy plan is created in step (14), in which the room data of the corresponding room are inserted into the file in step (15). In the following step (16), a cross-reference is created for the workspace file. A further step (17) allows you to select months by entering the desired x value for the entries December x-1 and January x + 1. This creates the occupancy values ​​for the respective room and period. After the creation of the occupancy values ​​for the respective room, the following step (18) is used to check whether there are still vacant rooms available. If this is the case, then steps 14 to 17 are repeated for the further selected room. If there are no rooms to be occupied, a step (19) is followed by step (18). In step (19) the annual value is increased by 1. Thereafter, in a step (20), the check is made as to whether the new year value is equal to the upper limit entered in step (11). If this is not the case, step (13) and the further steps for the new year value are repeated. When the upper limit is reached, the generation of the calendar is over. Steps (11) to (20) are composed of individual process steps which are shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 b to 2 e as well as the structural diagrams shown in FIGS. 2 f and 2 g. The flowcharts contain the individual process steps in block form with the corresponding explanations.

The construction and the representation of various necessary and / or advantageous information in connection with the reservation system is effected with the aid of the mouse control shown in FIG. 2b. The mouse moves the cursor to the right, left, up or down on the screen. The direction of movement depends on predefinable pushbutton inputs which are interrogated one after the other. The inquiry of the keys for the mouse control is indicated in FIG. 2b by the method step (21), which is to be understood as a series of procedural steps, of which important ones are explained in detail below.

In a step (22), the key input from a method step (21) is checked and a corresponding movement with the cursor is caused. These are 4 directions for moving (high, low, left, right), as well as one way to leave the plan and one for further processing within the reservation system. These steps are checked and executed independently, whether the keyboard, mouse or light pen is used.

Depending on certain function keys (Fig. 2 b or 2 f) (F3) to (F10)), freely definable jumps can be executed within the time values, ie it can be "scrolled" at certain intervals within the reservation system: (here: -, weekly, monthly, other systems: minutes, hours and days).

Steps (21) to (25) therefore serve to achieve a certain temporal and spatial position (here, for example, room number 105 on 17.7.89) as quickly and comfortably as possible.

The following step (26) checks whether the "ENTER" key has been pressed. If so, a further processing can now be carried out at the current position, eg delete / change / create new assignments (Fig. 2).

In step (26), a function selection is carried out on the basis of the cursor coordinates and the targeted bit group. It then determines the further procedure within the reservation system. Depending on the cursor position, an agreed value is assigned to a variable, here called the function value. This value in turn determines the next processing. In the sample assignment plan, the agreed values ​​1 to 5 can be assigned to this function value, which are checked in method steps (27), (28), (66), (68) and (69). These five values ​​are followed by five possible processing steps:<ul><li>"1" Initialization of the function value, value after non-agreed key input.</li><li>"2" Displays information about the guest of the room, whose assignment (data string) has been selected and allows three processing operations (Fig. 2c, d, g):<ul><li>A) The personal data of the guest can be retrieved,</li><li>B) the occupancy can be moved to another room or to a different date (steps (34) and (35)),</li><li>C) the occupancy can be completely erased (steps (36), (37), FIG. 2c). Steps (44) to (49) determine the corresponding time values ​​for the beginning and end of the bit group. However, if the bit groups with the agreed pattern for "room free" are marked on the screen at the same cursor position, a new room assignment can now be carried out manually. For this purpose, a bit group is marked as "occupied" by means of a keyboard, mouse or light beam (FIG. 2d, steps (41a) to (41k)). The associated time values ​​are determined by the computer (BfZ-EPROM).</li></ul></li><li>"3" Information about a selected room can be accessed.</li><li>"4" causes a rebuilding of the screen after a change of influence (here: change of the room category).</li><li>"5" allows you to change the time value ranges (here, for example, forwards or backwards by one week / month / day).</li></ul>

In FIG. 2d, the optical design of a bit group to be modified, starting from offset, is carried out after the key interrogation (41a) on the basis of the determined offset from step (41). The possible key inputs (41b), (41e), (41f) and (41g) effect the following possible changes to the bit group:<ul><li>(41b): The desired range size of the bit group has been reached and can now be processed as a reservation.</li><li>(41e): The formatting is canceled, the processing is canceled.</li><li>(41f): The range size to be modified of the bit group is expanded by one time unit (here: one day).</li><li>(41g): The range size of the bit group to be modified is reduced by one time unit.</li></ul>

After the desired bit group has been created, proceed to step (42) and enter the changed bit group as a reservation / reservation. Subsequently, the occupancy plan is constructed in its now updated form (step (44)), ie the changed contents of the bit groups are shown on the display.

The first step in the layout plan structure (FIG. 2e) is the check in step (50) as to whether a properly initialized occupancy file is active (variable FileStat). Step (51) determines the associated month name (May) from the month number (eg 05). The daily file is set to the current year, ie, check, whether leap year. The check in step (53) ensures that the scheduling plan for the desired year is generated. If not, an empty schedule is shown (step (54)). Otherwise all rooms will be displayed one after the other for the current year and the selected influence size (here: room category, step (57)). If all the rooms in a category are shown (step (59)), the rest of the screen is filled with empty strings (step (54)). If the room category matches, a data string is taken over from the bit group for the selected period and displayed on the screen.

After indicating the bit group in step (60), a counter is incremented in step (61). If the value exceeded (15), the layout of the assignment plan is canceled, as the screen is full. The remaining rooms can be projected onto the screen by mouse control (step (66), FIG. 2b).

In FIG. 3, a selected portion of a scheduling plan as viewed on the screen of the monitor is shown. In the left column (62), the room numbers selected for display are displayed. 3 shows a series of room numbers, eg (103), (104), (105), etc. In the top line (64) of the display, the month indication, a reference to which the representation relates, Namely to the room-occupancy plan, and the room category, eg double rooms. The next line (65) contains the number of a day of the month. Each column is assigned an unspecified column. Each room number is assigned a line. The lines are shown in the form of bar graphs, the name of the guest being displayed in the middle of the bar graph. The name is displayed centered in the bar graph. If the time is shorter, the bar is shortened or omitted for 1-day appointments. In the lower lines, the "scrolling" marks are displayed day, week or month. These fields must be controlled with the mouse, light pen or keyboard, if you wish to use "scroll" without using the special keys (F3) to (F10).

FIG. 4 shows a possible representation of information about a guest as part of the room occupancy plan. This representation is partly superimposed on the workspace representation because it does not require the entire screen.

In the representation of the room occupancy plan shown in FIG. 3, already made reservations / bookings / options (depending on the agreed bit pattern) are shown. These can be moved by the described steps (32) to (37) (rebookings) or information about rooms or guests.

With appropriate adaptation, the above-described method can also be used for network engineering. For a production plant, production times, eg machine assignment times can be specified and changed as required. ON-LINE monitoring and control of machine working times and transport times is possible. In particular, the data strings can be directly influenced by sensors arranged on transport devices and / or machines, which determine the actuation times. It is then easily accessible and monitored via a monitor. If the production times and transport times are subject to a control, target times can be entered via the screen.

The address obtained by the length of the data string can in particular be used as a relative address.