Interface module for document-based electronic business processes based on ...

(54) INTERFACE MODULE FOR

DOCUMENT-BASED ELECTRONIC
BUSINESS PROCESSES BASED ON
TRANSACTIONS

(76) Inventor: Piero Altomare, Rothenburg (CH)

Correspondence Address:

FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK, NY 10112 (US)

(21) Appl. No.: 09/996,882

(22) Filed: Nov. 30, 2001

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data

Oct. 8, 2001 (EP) 01123991.0

Aug. 13, 2001 (EP) 01119457.8

Publication Classification

(51) Int. CI.7 G06F 17/60

(52) U.S. C I 705/1

(57) ABSTRACT

An interface module is used for carrying out transactionbased electronic commerce. The interface module (1) is

connected between a terminal (4) and a data network (8), such as the internet for example, in this case. Also provided is a module (1, 3) for displaying (14) and monitoring the flow of useful data (5, 6) to and from the terminal (4), the display module accessing document templates (12) to allow the useful data transmitted to be displayed as documents.

A further aspect is that an interface system is provided for connecting systems, heterogeneous ones where required, together via a data network, the system having interface modules which represent the link between the possibly heterogeneous systems, and the data transmission being performed on the basis of transactions by means of defined communications states at the transmitting and receiving ends.

An interface for transmitting useful data on a data network has in this case:

a company- and/or sector-specific configuring object which defines processes,

a template object which defines format templates for documents which are used for carrying out business processes defined in the configuring object, and

an interface object which assigns destinations on the data network intended for given processes, to act as partners in the processes.