A method of generating software based on business components. A plurality of logical business components in a business are first defined with each business component having a plurality of capabilities. Next, functional interrelationships are identified between the logical business components. Code modules are then generated to carry out the capabilities of the logical business components and the functional interrelationships between the logical business components, wherein the code modules represent a transformation of the logical business components to their physical implementation, while ensuring the capabilities that are carried out by each code module are essentially unique to the logical business component associated with the code module. Next, the functional aspects of the code modules and the functional relationships of the code modules are tested. The code modules are then subsequently deployed in an e-commerce environment.

Business components framework

The present invention provides for the management of user information of both site server and regular web site users. A site server is provided with information stored thereon including preferences, roles, and details related to users. A database separate from the site server is also provided. The database has information stored thereon including preferences, roles, and details relating to the users. An identity of one of the users is authenticated. A single interface is displayed which provides the user access to both the site server and the database upon authentication of the identity of the user. The user is allowed to view and change the information that is stored on the site server and the database and that is associated with the user. The single interface is tailored based on the information associated with the user.

Managing user information on an e-commerce system

A system and method for maintaining security in a distributed computing environment comprises a policy manager located on a server for managing and distributing a security policy, and an application guard located on a client for managing access to securable components as specified by the security policy. In the preferred embodiment, a global policy specifies access privileges of the user to securable components. The policy manager may then preferably distribute a local client policy based on the global policy to the client. An application guard located on the client then manages access to the securable components as specified by the local policy.

System and method for maintaining security in a distributed computer network

A universal plug and play (UPnP) device makes itself known through a set of processes—discovery, description, control, eventing, and presentation. Following discovery of a UPnP device, an entity can learn more about the device and its capabilities by retrieving the device's description. The description includes vendor-specific manufacturer information like the model name and number, serial number, manufacturer name, URLs to vendor-specific Web sites, etc. The description also includes a list of any embedded devices or services, as well as URLs for control, eventing, and presentation. The description is written by a vendor, and is usually based on a device template produced by a UPnP forum working committee. The template is derived from a template language that is used to define elements to describe the device and any services supported by the device. The template language is written using an XML-based syntax that organizes and structures the elements.

XML-based template language for devices and services

A system and method are provided for providing an activity framework. First, a plurality of sub-activities are created which each include sub-activity logic adapted to generate an output based on an input received from a user upon execution. Second, a plurality of activities are defined which each execute the sub-activities in a unique manner upon being selected for accomplishing a goal associated with the activity. Selection of one of the activities is allowed by receiving user indicia. An interface is depicted for allowing receipt of the input and display of the output during execution of the sub-activities associated with the selected activity.

Activity framework design in an e-commerce based environment for providing supporting services to a model view controller

A system for exchanging and merging messages over a network includes a server accessible by a plurality of remote browsers for transmitting a template including fields for information entry and a business system accessible by the server for generating a return document pursuant to information entered in the template on the browsers. The business system includes a first parser for receiving a document from a browser, the document including information about data characteristics of information entered into the template, and a second parser for receiving information about data characteristics to provide a return template. A merging algorithm is implemented to merge the document with the return template for providing a return document to the browser having portions of the return template with data entered therein.

System for dynamically exchanging and merging XML documents over a network

Dynamic business process automation system using XML documents

A system for automatically generating a style sheet includes a parser for generating a document type graph in accordance with an input structure, a graphical user interface tool for interactively mapping the document type graph to form a display template in accordance with user requirements and a script generator for generating and storing the style sheet in accordance with the graphical user interface and the design template.

Automatic display script and style sheet generation

A method for allowing flexible creation and alteration of business processes within a commerce system includes using state machines to describe the actions that can be taken by particular roles at particular points in a process. The state machines are used by a commerce system to enforce validity of user actions, to track the execution of actions within an instance of the business process, to provide the user interface with a list of actions available to a user working on an instance of the business process, to provide coordination between state machines, and to allow different organizations to have varied business processes.

E-market architecture for supporting multiple roles and reconfigurable business porcesses

The invention provides a system adapted to enable contextual collaboration within a computer network. The invention provides a collaboration manager that supports manipulation of collaboration spaces. The collaboration spaces contain one or more collaboration elements that have potentially different collaboration modalities. The context manager maintains resources and resource interrelationships within contexts. The resources can include collaboration elements, processes, tasks, business objects, users, and/or roles. A view generator selects a set of the resources to be displayed to a user of the computer network. The invention also includes an interface adapted to allow applications to specify commands to manipulate collaboration spaces, commands to maintain resources and resource interrelationships within contexts, and queries for context-sensitive views.

Mitchell A. Cohen

Papers

System for dynamically exchanging and merging XML documents over a network

Dynamic business process automation system using XML documents

Automatic display script and style sheet generation

E-market architecture for supporting multiple roles and reconfigurable business porcesses

method and system for providing a common collaboration framework accessible from within multiple applications