Data processing system and method

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of data processing, and more particularly to providing a return value to an application program.

Background and prior art

In many data processing systems a calling application program provides data to another program that evaluates the data and provides a return value back to the calling application program. Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of the such a prior art data processing system 100.

Data processing system 100 has application program 102 and evaluation program 104. Application program 102 can send function call 106 that contains data to evaluation program 104. This invokes evaluation program 104 that evaluates the data contained in the function call 106 in order to provide a return value 108 back to application program 102.

Application program 102 and evaluation program 104 can be run on the same hardware or on different remote computers. In the latter case a request-response protocol, such as the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) can be used. In this case function call 106 is an HTTP request and return value 108 is communicated back from evaluation program 104 to application program 102 as a HTTP response.

Data processing system 100 can have various applications. For example application program 102 receives biometric data (e.g. from a biometric data acquisition module that is coupled to a CCD camera) and a user ID (e.g. form a chip card) and provides the biometric data and user ID to evaluation program 104 by means of function call 106. Evaluation program 104 evaluates the biometric data and calculates a confidence value that the person from which the biometric data has been acquired is in fact the person having the user ID as provided with function call 106. In other words, the return value is a confidence value that indicates the likelihood that the person from which the biometric data is acquired is the same as the person to which the user ID belongs. The confidence value is returned from evaluation program 104 to application program 102 as return value 108.

Another example is that application program 102 provides measurement data to evaluation program 104. For example the measurement data is acquired by sensors or by manual entry from an ongoing process, such as a production process. The measurement data provided to evaluation program 104 by means of function call 106 is evaluated in order to determine an actual status of the ongoing process. The actual status is signalled back to the application program 102 by means of return value 108.

Another example for usage of data processing system 100 is for the purpose of valuation, e.g. cost and/or price determination, of one or a plurality of products. In this instance application program 102 provides data such as product quantity, used materials, services etc. to evaluation program 104 that performs a corresponding valuation. The result of the valuation is returned as return value 108 to application program 102.

A common disadvantage of data processing systems of the type as shown in figure 1 is a lack of flexibility both concerning the evaluation functions performed by the evaluation program and the data that can be considered for performing the evaluation functions. This lack of flexibility is also disadvantageous in terms of the possibility of software re-use. Often there is a one to one relationship of application program and evaluation program as the interface between the application program and the evaluation program is so specific that the evaluation program cannot be used by other application programs. This often results in a duplication of resources as a separate evaluation program is required for similar evaluation tasks. As a consequence inefficient usage of the available data processing resources is made.

Summary of the invention

The present invention provides for a data processing system comprising means for receiving a first data object from an application program. The first data object has a plurality of first data fields. Each one of the first data fields has a unique field name. Further the first data object may have data fields with other field names.

When the first data object is received by the data processing system a second data object is generated. Initially the second data object is empty and has a number of data fields with the unique field names as specified in the data processing system. Data is transferred from data fields of the first data object to data fields of the second data object having identical field names.

Further, a sub-set of the data fields of the second data object is identified in the data processing system. Data that is transferred to data fields of the sub-set is used for selecting one of a plurality of data processing functions stored by the data processing system. The data that is transferred to the second data object is evaluated by means of the selected one of the data processing functions and a resulting value is returned to the application program.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the data fields belonging to the sub-set are key fields. The data processing functions are stored in a relational database having the same key fields. When data is transferred from the first data object to the second data object the data entered into the key fields is used for querying the database in order to select one of the data processing functions.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention a rule base is used for selecting one of the data processing functions. One or more of the rules of the rule base are applied to the data transferred to the sub-set of data fields of the second data object in order to select one of the data processing functions.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention at least one graphical user interface is provided in order to edit the unique field names, modify the sub-set, the data processing functions and/or the rule base.

The present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides a flexible data processing system that can be used by various application programs. Data consistency is provided by the definition of unique field names without further constraints. This semantic flexibility is combined with algorithmic flexibility regarding the data processing functions themselves and the selection logic of the data processing functions. This combination provides both user friendliness, flexibility and the possibility of software reuse. In particular, the data processing system of the invention can be used for various application programs and various communication protocols across different technical platforms.

Brief description of the drawings

In the following preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in greater detail by making reference to the drawings in which: <dl id="dl0001"><dt>Figure 1</dt><dd>is a block diagram of a prior art data processing system,</dd><dt>Figure 2</dt><dd>is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a data processing system of the invention,</dd><dt>Figure 3</dt><dd>is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the data processing system of figure 2,</dd><dt>Figure 4</dt><dd>is a block diagram of a second preferred embodiment of a data processing system of the invention,</dd><dt>Figure 5</dt><dd>is a flow chart illustrating operation of the data processing system of figure 4.</dd></dl>

Detailed description

Figure 2 shows data processing system 200 having application program 202 and evaluation module 204. Application program 202 may or may not run on the same physical platform as evaluation module 204. For example, data processing system 200 is a single server computer for running both application program 202 and providing evaluation module 204. Alternatively application program 202 can be executed on a remote computer that communicates with the server computer that provides evaluation module 204 over a network connection.

Evaluation module 204 has processor 210, storage 212 and graphical user interface 214.

Processor 210 serves to execute program modules 216, 218 and 220. Program module 216 serves to receive data object 206 from application program 202. Program module 216 has program module 222 for generating an empty valuation object in response to receipt of data object 206. Further program module 216 has program module 224 for transferring data from data object 206 into the initially empty valuation object.

Program module 218 serves for the purpose of function selection of one of the data processing functions stored in storage 212. Program module 220 serves to execute the data processing function that has been selected by program module 218.

The data processing functions are stored in storage 212. In the example considered here the data processing functions F1, F2, F3 and F4 are stored in table 226. The data processing functions can be entered and edited in table 226 by means of graphical user interface 214.

Further a table 228 is stored in storage 212. Table 228 has a list of unique field names N1, N3, N4, and N7. A sub-set of the unique field names is identified as search fields in table 228, i.e. field names N3 and N4 as shown in figure 2. Data that is transferred into data fields having field names N3 and N4 is used by program module 218 for selection of the data processing function from table 226. This selection is performed by program module 218 by applying one or more rules of rule base 230 to data that is transferred into the search fields N3 and/or N4.

Table 228 and rules of rule base 230 can be entered and/or edited by means of graphical user interface 214.

In operation application program 202 sends data object 206 to evaluation module 204. Data object 206 has a number of data fields N1 to N7 some of which have field names contained in table 228.

In response program module 216 is invoked and program module 222 generates an initially empty valuation object 232 that is used for internal processing within evaluation module 204. Program module 224 transfers data values of data fields having identical field names from data object 206 to valuation object 232. This way valuation object 232 is filled with data values. It is to be noted that the content of valuation object 232 is determined by table 228 in as far as table 228 specifies the unique field names of the data fields of valuation object 232. This semantic definition of the data fields by table 228 is used to transfer data from data object 206 to valuation object 232.

Valuation object 232 is entered into program module 218 that reads the data from the data fields of valuation object 232 that are identified as search fields in table 228. Further program module 218 applies one or more rules of rule base 230 to the data contained in the search fields of valuation object 232 in order to select one of the data processing functions from table 226.

Next valuation object 232 is entered into program module 220 in order to apply the selected data processing function to valuation object 232. The resulting value is returned as return value 208 to application program 202.

Figure 3 shows a corresponding flow chart. In step 300 a data object is received from an application program. In response an empty valuation object is generated in step 302. The data fields of the valuation object are determined by the unique field names that are stored in the data processing system (cf. table 228). Next the valuation object is filled with data from the data object by transferring of data from data fields of the data object to data fields of the valuation object having identical names (step 304).

In step 306 one of a plurality of data processing functions is selected on the basis of a sub-set of the data that has been transferred into the valuation object. This sub-set is defined by the corresponding entries (cf. entries into: "search field" of table 228 of figure 2). The selected data processing function is executed in step 308 using the data of valuation object 232 as input. The function output is provided as a return value to the application program in step 310.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment. Elements of figure 4 that correspond to elements of figure 2 are designated by like reference numerals. In the embodiment of figure 4 the data processing functions F1 to F4 are stored in database 426. Database 426 has database tables with primary keys that are identified in table 428 in row "DB key". Program module 418 has program module 434 for querying database 426.

When program module 418 receives valuation object 432 it uses the data entered into the data fields identified by the entries in row "DB key" as keys for performing a database query. In the example considered here the data values C and D of data fields N3 and N4 are used for querying database 426. The result of the database query is one of the data processing functions F1 to F4 which is executed by program module 420.

It is to be noted that evaluation module can be used by various different application programs. The communication of the application programs with the evaluation module is based on the unique filed names stored in the storage of the data processing system.

Figure 5 shows the corresponding flow chart. Steps 500 to step 504 corresponds to steps 300 to 304 of the method of figure 3. In step 506 a database query is performed using the sub-set of the data fields identified by table 428 as keys. The data processing function which is thus identified is executed in step 508 and return value is provided back to the application program in step 510.

List of Reference Numerals

<dl id="dl0002"><dt>100</dt><dd>data processing system</dd><dt>102</dt><dd>application program</dd><dt>104</dt><dd>evaluation program</dd><dt>106</dt><dd>function call</dd><dt>108</dt><dd>return value</dd><dt>200</dt><dd>data processing system</dd><dt>202</dt><dd>application program</dd><dt>204</dt><dd>evaluation module</dd><dt>206</dt><dd>data object</dd><dt>208</dt><dd>return value</dd><dt>210</dt><dd>processor</dd><dt>212</dt><dd>storage</dd><dt>214</dt><dd>graphical user interface</dd><dt>216</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>218</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>220</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>222</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>224</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>226</dt><dd>table</dd><dt>228</dt><dd>table</dd><dt>230</dt><dd>rule base</dd><dt>232</dt><dd>valuation object</dd><dt>400</dt><dd>data processing system</dd><dt>402</dt><dd>application program</dd><dt>404</dt><dd>evaluation module</dd><dt>406</dt><dd>data object</dd><dt>408</dt><dd>return value</dd><dt>410</dt><dd>processor</dd><dt>412</dt><dd>storage</dd><dt>414</dt><dd>graphical user interface</dd><dt>416</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>418</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>420</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>422</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>424</dt><dd>program module</dd><dt>426</dt><dd>database</dd><dt>428</dt><dd>table</dd><dt>432</dt><dd>valuation object</dd><dt>434</dt><dd>program module</dd></dl>