US Patent 5,987,423: Object oriented technology framework for order processing (IBM Corporation)

Title: Object oriented technology framework for order processing
Patent Number: US Patent 5,987,423
Issued: November 16, 1999
Filed: March 28, 1997
Parent case: n/a
Inventor(s): Arnold, Vincent D. et al.
Assignee: IBM Corporation
Referenced at issuance: US Patent 5,758,153 (Object Technology Licensing Corp.)
Referenced after issuance:
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There were 31 references to prior patents at issuance, including US Patent 5,758,153, referenced above. The remaining 30 references are unremarkable for the scope and purposes of this blog.

An advanced search at USPTO online on May 30, 2008 for distinguishing references to this patent after its issuance using ref/5987423 reveals 30 references. A more refined search reveals no patents deemed relevant for the scope and purposes of this blog.

Abstract:

The invention fulfills a need for an order processing application program development tool that permits application program developers to more quickly develop and more easily maintain order processing applications. 

Independent claims (as numbered):

1. A computer data processing system comprising:

a central processing unit;

a user interface; and

a main memory having an operating system that supports an object oriented programming environment containing a framework that provides an extensible order management system for a Company that is specified by a data object, the framework including a Sales Order mechanism comprising a Sales Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more sales orders and a Purchase Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more purchase orders.

10. A program product data storage device, tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a computer system having an operating system that supports an object oriented programming environment, the program product comprising:

a recordable media;

a framework recorded on the recordable media, the framework having

(a) an Order Management mechanism comprising an Order abstract base class specifying data structures that identify orders received by a company from customer business partners for products,

(b) a Sales Order mechanism comprising a Sales Order category of data structures containing object classes that identify one or more sales orders received from customers of the company, each sales order referencing object classes such that the referenced objects identify products that are the subject of the sales order and identify pricing and discounts applicable to the products, and are abstracted from the Order class, and

(c) a Purchase Order mechanism comprising a Purchase Order category of data structures containing object classes that identify one or more purchase orders issued by the company, each purchase order referencing object classes such that the referenced objects identify products that are the subject of the purchase order and identify pricing and discounts applicable to the products, and are abstracted from the Order class.

11. An object oriented extensible order management system framework for use in a computer system having an operating system that supports an object oriented programming environment and includes a memory in which object classes can be stored, the framework including a Sales Order mechanism comprising a Sales Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more sales orders and a Purchase Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more purchase orders.

21. A program product data storage device, tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a computer system having an operating system that supports an object oriented programming environment, the program product comprising:

a recordable media; and

a framework recorded on the recordable media, the framework including a Sales Order mechanism comprising a Sales Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more sales orders and a Purchase Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more purchase orders.

31. A method of distributing a program product, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between a first computer system and a second computer system; and

transmitting the program product from the first computer system to the second computer system, wherein the program product comprises an object oriented framework including:

a Sales Order mechanism comprising a Sales Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more sales orders, and

a Purchase Order category of cooperating objects that identify one or more purchase orders.