WO1992020180A1

WO1992020180A1 - A method and system of transmitting structured information

Info

Publication number: WO1992020180A1
Application number: PCT/SE1992/000298
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peder Harald Rune Swenman
Original assignee: Communicator Infotech Ab
Priority date: 1991-05-07
Filing date: 1992-05-07
Publication date: 1992-11-12
Also published as: EP0584141A1; SE9101384D0; SE469768B; SE9101384L

Abstract

A method for transmitting structured information via radio data communication. The method is mainly characterized in that configuration data is transmitted by radio data communication between a computer system for configuring an application program to a specific application by means of which application information can be structured. The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the method.

Description

A Method and System of Transmitting Structured Information

The present invention relates to a method pertaining to the transmission of structured information via radio data communication.

The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the method.

A large part of the information exchanged in, for instance, military transport management and hospital transport management, purchase orders, debit order, position reporting, various orders, etc., is of the kind which corresponds to the filling-in of forms, in which a predetermined format, structure, of information is applied. When practicing present-day techniques, this implies a large flow of information which is to be exchanged, this information concerning information to be entered onto a form and the information entered on the form.

The present invention relates to a method .and to a system which afford a high degree of flexibility with regard to applications and which greatly reduce the amount of information exchanged.

The present invention thus relates to a method pertaining to the transmission of formatted information via radio data communication. The method is mainly characterized by transferring configuration data with radio data communication between a computer system for configuring a generally applicable program to a specific application, by means of which application information can be structured. The invention also relates to a system for transferring structured information via radio data communication.

The system is mainly characterized by means for transferring configuration data between computer systems with radio data communication for configuring a general application program to a specific application intended for structuring information. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and with reference to the ac companying drawing, in which

Figure 1 is a schematic, principle illustration of a first embodiment of an inventive system for carrying out the inventive method.

Figure 1 illustrates a transmitting computer system 1 which includes a computer unit 2, such as a smaller computer unit in the form of a personal computer, PC, and a radio unit 3 which is connected to the computer unit 2 and which is intended for radio data communication, including both transmission and reception.

The illustrated system also includes a receiving computer system 4 which comprises a terminal unit 5 and a radio unit 6 connected to the terminal unit 5 and intended for radio data communication.

The reference numeral 7 identifies a system of conductors, which may be of different kinds, and which may comprise, for instance, a data-processing ADB-system.

The transmitting computer system 1 is intended to initiate and transmit configuration data to a receiving computer system having radio data communication, this configuration data being intended for the configuration of a general application program of the receiving unit 4 and/or the conductor system 7 to a specific application 8, a data structure, intended for structuring information.

Thus, in the receiving computer system, generated structures are intended to be filled-in with information by coitiputer and/or operator, wherein the receiving system is intended to transmit the thus structured information in data readable posts or packets to at least one computer system by means of radio data communication. The information is processed in a desired, suitable manner, for instance is transmitted to and shown on a terminal screen 2 ' and/or is transferred to a computer processing system 7 ' , ADB-system 7 ' , such .as an ADB-system of a conductor centre 7. When applicable, the structured information is sent to the transmitting system 1, from which configuration data has been transmitted. According to one embodiimnent, the receiving computer system 4 to which configuration data is intended to be sent is comprised of mobile terminals which are constructed to transmit structured information to at least one computer system, for instance a transmitting computer system 1.

Thus, the aforesaid specific application is intended to be generated with the application program, which is normally of a considerably general nature, and it will be understood that this specific application need not be a form which has been structurized for the insertion of information, but may have the nature of some other computer-Usable applications, such as algorithms and the like.

The inventive method and the manner in which the inventive system operates will be understood in all essentials from the aforegoing. Specific applications can be defined with a transmitting computer system 1 with the aid of a general application program by means of configuration data. Such specific applications of receiving computer systems can be generated by transmitting to a receiving computer system, by means of radio data communication, configuration data, e.g. data in the form of simple instructions, digital codes or the like, this configuration data containing essentially a more limited amount of information than the application as such. This information can be delivered in the receiving system to the -application or the like, which is generated in accordance with the application concerned. Delivered information is sent to a desired computer system structured in accordance with the application concerned.

As will be seen from the aforegoing, the invention affords considerable advantages. The invention thus provides in a simple way a highly flexible system with regard to applications. Highly limited and only useful information is transmitted, exchanged, via radio data communication. This enables the system to operate at high speeds. According to the invention, the system can be rapidly adapted to different fields of use, such .as placing of orders, debit order, position reporting, various orders, etc. Adaptation to existing ADB-systems is relatively simple. For example, adaptation to existing ADB-systems is facilitated for instance by generating an EDI-syntax, while opening the way, at the same time, for handling well-specified EDIFACT-messages, such as custom documents. Although the invention has been described above with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments are conceivable and that minor modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept.

Claims

1. A method pertaining to the transmission of structured information via radio data communication, characteri z ed by transmitting configuration data with radio data communication beween a computer system (1, 4) for configuration of an application program to a specific application (8), by means of which application information can be structured.

2. A method according to Claim 1, characteri z ed by formatting the information with the aid of data structure (8) generated with configuration data in a receiving computer system (4), said configuration data being transferred by radio data communication.

3. A method according to Claim 2, characteri z ed by filling-in a data structure (8) generated in a receiving computer system (4) with information transmitted via radio data communication from the receiving computer system (4) to at least one computer system (1, 7).

4. A method according to Claim 3, characteri zed by transferring thus filled-in transmitted and received information to, for instance, a "terminal screen (2'), ADB-system (7') or the like.

5. A method according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, character i z ed by transferring configuration data to mobile terminals (4) from which structured information is transmitted.

6. A system for transmitting structured information via radio communication, characterized by means (1) for transferring configuration data between computer systems having radio data communication for configuring a general application program to a specific application (8) arranged for the structurization of information.

7. A system according to Claim 6, character i z ed by means (1, 4) for generating data structures (8) intended for the formatting of information in a receiving ccarputer system, by means of configuration data transmitted by radio data communication.

8. A system according to Claim 7, character ized by means for filling-in with information a data structure generated in a receiving computer system (4), and means for transmitting, via radio data communication, the information structured in accordance with said structure (8) to at least one computer system (1, 7).

9. A system according to Claim 8, characterized by means (4) for transmitting thus filled-in, transmitted and received information to, e.g., a terminal screen (2'), ADB-system (7) or the like in accordance with the data structure according to which the information is structured.

10. A system according to Claim 7, 8 or 9, characteriz ed in that receiving computer systems (4) to which configuration data is intended to be sent are comprise of mobile terminals (4) constructed to transmit structured information to at least one computer system (1, 7).

11. A system according to Claim 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, character i z ed in that transmitting computer systems (1) include a smaller computer unit in the form of a so-called PC (2), personal computer, and a radio unit (3) connected to the computer unit (2) for radio communication.