JP2001282727A - Computer, service providing system, data output method, service providing method, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operability of electronic documents and to save the labor for the communications of electronic documents. SOLUTION: An electronic exchange server 10 in this electronic tender system is provided with an object DB 11 for storing object groups prepared in an object language and having parentage and the document files of supplementary information therefor, an XML I/F 12 for converting the object groups and the document files of the supplementary information in this object DB 11 to files in an XML form and a file transmitting/receiving part (EDI) 13 for outputting the converted XML file and entity data thereof.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a service providing system such as an electronic bidding system for making a public bidding between supplier manufacturers through a communication network such as the Internet, a computer, a data output method, a service providing method, and a storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electronic trading systems via the Internet have been actively developed, and open bidding between suppliers has also been digitized. Usually, in a public tender, a bid document from a plurality of manufacturers is sent to a supplier as to what specifications and how much an order is received. The supplier checks each bid document individually, asks the manufacturer for any questions, and submits supplementary materials. Then, after eliminating the unknown contents in the supplementary material, the supplier selects and adopts the lowest price from the bidding documents from the manufacturer under the same conditions.

[0003] In order to digitize the open bidding mechanism which requires several exchanges of documents between supplier manufacturers, it is effective to minimize the number of exchanges of electronic documents.

[0004]

For example, after a bid document is passed from a manufacturer to a supplier, when the supplier requests supplementary data of the bid document, the supplier is informed of the bid document where the supplementary information is required. This may be necessary, and in some cases it may be better to communicate over the phone than an electronic document.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a service providing system, a computer, a data output method, which can improve operability of an electronic document and save communication of the electronic document. It is intended to provide a service providing method and a storage medium.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a computer according to the present invention stores an object group having a parent-child relationship created in an object language, an instance thereof, and supplementary information thereof. An object database to be converted, a conversion unit for converting an object group, an instance, and supplementary information of the object database into a file in a markup language format, and outputting a file in the markup language format converted by the conversion unit and its substantial data. And means for performing the following.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a service providing system in which a server and a client are connected via a communication network, and the server provides a service by accessing the server from the client. An object database storing a group of objects having a parent-child relationship, an instance thereof, and supplementary information created in an object language; First conversion means for converting the file into a file in a format, and means for transmitting the file in the markup language format converted by the first conversion means and its substantial data to the client, the client comprising: The sir Requesting means for issuing, the file markup language format which is transmitted from the server to the request and the the entity data to,
Second conversion means for converting an object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance, and its supplementary information, and displaying the object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance, and its supplementary information converted by the second conversion means; Means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data output method comprising:
Reading a group of objects having a parent-child relationship created by a program described in an object language, their instances, and their supplementary information from an object database and converting them into a file in a markup language format; and a converted markup language format And outputting the file and its actual data.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the service providing method, wherein the server and the client are connected via a communication network.
In a service providing method in which the server provides a service by accessing the server from the client, a step of issuing a request from the client to the server, wherein the request is sent to the server by an object language stored in an object database of the server. Converting the created group of objects having parent-child relationships, their instances, and their supplementary information into a file in a markup language format, and transmitting the converted file in the markup language format and its entity data to the client; Converting the markup language format file and its substance data transmitted from the server in response to the request to the object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance, and its supplementary information at the client. Is converted It is characterized by having a step of displaying the supplementary information and the object group and its instance with a parent-child relationship.

A storage medium according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a storage medium storing a computer-readable program for causing a computer to execute processing, wherein the computer has an object group created in an object language and having a parent-child relationship. A program for reading an instance and its supplementary information from an object database, converting the file into a markup language format file, and outputting the converted markup language format file and its substantial data is stored. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium in which a program for causing a client computer or a server computer connected to a communication network to perform processing is stored in a computer-readable manner. And converts the file in markup language format and its substance data transmitted from the server computer in response to the request into an object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance, and its supplementary information. A program for displaying a group of objects having a converted parent-child relationship, their instances, and their supplementary information is stored.

A storage medium according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a storage medium in which a program for causing a client computer or a server computer connected to a communication network to perform a process is stored in a computer-readable manner. The object group having a parent-child relationship created in the, the instance and its supplementary information are stored, and in response to a request from the client computer, the object group, the instance,
A program for converting the supplementary information into a file in a markup language format and transmitting the converted file in the markup language format and its actual data to the client computer is stored.

According to the present invention, a request is issued from a client to a server, and in response to the request, an object group stored in an object database of the server, its instance, and its supplementary information are converted into a file in a markup language format. Then, the converted file in the markup language format and its substance data are transmitted to the client.

On the other hand, the client converts the markup language format file transmitted from the server and its substance data into an object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance and its supplementary information, and displays it. The client can reproduce the tree structure of the object managed by the client as it is, so that the operability of the electronic document can be improved and the communication of the electronic document can be saved.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electronic bidding system according to one embodiment of the information communication system of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic bidding system includes a client computer 2 (hereinafter, referred to as a client 2) of an orderer Z, a client computer 3 (hereinafter, referred to as a client 3) of a plurality of bidders A and B, and a bidder A. A client computer 4 (hereinafter, referred to as a client 4), a server computer 10 for electronic slip exchange (hereinafter, referred to as an electronic slip exchange server 10), a bid control server 20, and the like of an associated company C are connected to a communication network such as the Internet 1. Clients 2, 3, and 4, such as bidder A and bidder A's affiliated trader C, place an order with orderer Z via electronic slip exchange server 10 and bid control server 20 on the Internet 1. This is a system for exchanging information (document information, drawing information, etc.) related to a certain construction. The electronic slip exchange server 10 and the bid control server 20 are installed in an outsourcing center or the like. Outsourcer Z (company) at outsourcing center
Exists, the client 2 is connected to the electronic slip exchange server 10 and the bid control server 20 via a network such as a LAN.

The orderer Z orders a quote request from the client 2 and transmits bid information and document / drawing information to the electronic slip exchange server 10. Bidding agents A and B receive an estimate response to the estimate request. The related trader C of the bidding trader A exchanges design documents and drawings with the orderer Z via the electronic slip exchange server 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic slip exchange server 1
0 is an inter-company electronic document management unit such as an object database 11 (hereinafter referred to as an object DB 11);
An ML interface 12 (hereinafter, referred to as an XML I / F 12), a file transmitting / receiving unit (EDI) 13, and a Web server 14 are provided. XML is eXtensib
abbreviation of le Markup Language, EDI is Electroni
c Data Interchange.

The object DB 11 manages the bidding information and the bidding information and the document information or drawing information that complements the bidding information and the bidding information, as object information in a tree structure. The XML I / F 12 extracts the object information to be transmitted from the object DB 11 as an object file or a group of the object file and the document file linked thereto, and passes it to the file transmission / reception unit (EDI) 13. The file transmission / reception unit (EDI) 13 groups the object file passed from the XML I / F 12 or a group of the object file and the document file into data that can be exchanged with the outside. The Web server 14 processes the data to be exchanged in the XSL format and stores the data in a format that can be browsed from the Internet 1. XSL is eXte
nsible Stylesheet Language.

The bid control server 20 has an EDI transmission control unit 21, a bid processing unit 22, a database 23 for storing document files such as specifications and drawings of works to be bid. The EDI transmission control unit 21 controls transmission of information to the file transmission / reception unit (EDI) 13 of the electronic slip exchange server 10. The bidding processing unit 22 manages the bidding information and the quotation request information of the construction generated by the client 2 of the orderer Z, and the bidders A and B.
The bidding process for the construction is performed based on the bidding information or the quotation information received from.

The XML I / F 12 is an object DB1
1 is converted into an object file while retaining its tree structure and taken out, and an external object file is converted into structured object information and converted into an object DB11.
Or put in. At this time, the sent entity file,
For example, document data and the like may be stored in binary in the object file, or only the file name may be stored in the object file and added as a separate file outside the object file. The same applies to a plurality of files.

Hereinafter, the operation of the electronic bidding system will be described. In the case of this electronic bidding system, the electronic slip exchange server 10 and the bid control server 20 installed in the outsourcing center are connected to the registered user (the orderer Z,
Clients 2, 3, such as bidders A and B and related contractor C
4), and the electronic slips from each client 2,
A service is provided for collectively exchanging electronic slips for each of them by access from 3 and 4.

Here, the object structure of bid information or bidding information managed by the object DB 11 will be described.

In the object DB 11, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the bidding information includes quote answer information having actual data such as the name of the bidding target and the estimated price, and information (material name, revision) attached to the bidding information. , Document file names, etc.), each information (object) is connected by a line to form a tree structure, and the relevance of each can be visually confirmed. An entity file, that is, a document file, hangs in the material file name.

When this object DB 11 is converted into an object file, that is, an XML file, it is converted into information in a form described in XML as shown in FIG.

That is, when an object in the object DB 11 is converted into an XML file, the tree structure indicating the parent-child relationship between the objects is maintained as shown in FIG. At this time, a document file, which is a substantial file of the supplementary document, is extracted from the object DB 11 by the XML I / F 12, and is set as an object file.

That is, when an object file is output from the object DB 11, the object file is output by a mapping mechanism as shown in FIG.

The entity of an object created by such processing of the XML I / F 12, ie, a record, is called an instance, and the object is processed in units of one record.

Here, for example, a communication procedure between the client 2 and the electronic slip exchange server 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, first, the client 2
After launching the web browser, launch the web browser
From 0, the user logs in to the electronic slip exchange server 10,
When the operation of the top page LOAD is performed, the client 2
Issues a Root data request to the electronic slip exchange server 10 (S101).

In the electronic slip exchange server 10, the
When receiving the data request, the electronic slip exchange server 10
Indicates the request result (success /
Error and data) (S102). As a result of this request, for example, success and data
Received by the Web browser of client 2,
Is saved as internal data of the Web browser, and the divided left window 30a of the screen 30 of the Web browser is
The folder 31 is displayed.

Subsequently, when the Root folder 31 displayed in the left window 30a of the Web browser is selected by a user operation and an operation to open the Root folder 31 is performed, the Web browser (client 2) transmits the R folder.
oot subfolder data request is electronic slip exchange server 1
0 (S103).

In the electronic slip exchange server 10, the
Upon receiving the t subfolder data request, the electronic slip exchange server 10 transmits a request result (success / error and data) to the Root subfolder data request (S104). When the Web browser of the client 2 receives, for example, success and data as a result of this request, it stores it as internal data of the client 2 and simultaneously stores Ro and Ro in the left window 30a of the Web browser.
Several sub folders 32a, 32b, 32c (data tree structure) connected to the ot folder 31 are displayed (tree view display).

Subsequently, a request for data existing in each of the subfolders 32a, 32b, 32c (subfolder data request) is sent from the Web browser to the electronic slip exchange server 10.
(S105).

When the electronic form exchange server 10 receives the subfolder data request, the electronic form exchange server 1
0 transmits a request result (success / error and data) to this subfolder data request (S10).
6). When the Web browser of the client 2 receives, for example, success and data as a result of the request, the Web browser stores it as internal data of the client 2.

Here, when, for example, the subfolder 32a of the left window 30a is selected, the subfolder data 33 of the selected subfolder 32a is displayed in the window 3a.
0b, and issues a document data request to the electronic slip exchange server 10 (S107).

When the electronic slip exchange server 10 receives the document data request, the electronic slip exchange server 1
0 transmits the request result (success / error and XML file name) to this document data request (S108), and creates and transfers an XML file and a document file corresponding to the XML file name (S109). .

For example, success and XML filename, XML
When the L file and the document file are received by the Web browser of the client 2, the Web browser saves the respective transfer files (the XML file 35 and the document file 36) on the client disk and, when the request is successful, ( S110), a new window 37 is opened, and the document decorated with XSL is displayed in the new window 37 in response to a read instruction. Since this document is associated with the document file by the <a> tag, when a file sandwiched between the <a> tags is selected (S111), a new window 38 is opened by the related application or the Web browser. The document file is displayed in.

The operation of registering information in the electronic slip exchange server 10 and the bid control server 20 in this electronic bidding system will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, clients 2, 3,
Reference numeral 4 denotes a data input unit 24, a transmission destination selection unit 25, a data encryption unit 26, a data communication unit 27, a delivery / read confirmation unit 28.
And so on. The data encryption unit 26 transmits the X to be transmitted.
The ML file and the document data are encrypted. The delivery / read confirmation unit 28 confirms the delivery of data and the read data.

The electronic slip exchange server 10 includes a user management unit 71 and a user management database 72 (hereinafter referred to as user management D).
B72), a data communication unit 73, an originality management unit 74, a data decryption unit 75, a reception confirmation unit 76, and the like. Member data is stored and managed in the user management DB 72. The user management unit 71 collates the member data in the user management DB 72 with the user data of the client whose transmission destination is selected, and performs user authentication. The originality management unit 74 stores data received by the data communication unit 73 and decoded by the data decoding unit 75. Data decryption unit 7
5 decrypts the received encrypted data into an XML file and document data. When the received data can be normally received and decoded, the reception confirmation unit 76 confirms the reception with the data transmission source.

In this electronic bidding system, when an electronic slip is registered in an outsourcing center, an XML file and document data are input or created from the data input unit 24 in, for example, the client 2, and a tree structure of these data is created. Done.

Then, at the time of data transmission, the transmission destination selection unit 2
5, when the transmission destination, in this case, the server of the outsourcing center (the electronic slip exchange server 10 and the bid control server 20) is selected, the HTTP with the user management unit 71 of the electronic slip exchange server 10 on the Internet 1 is performed.
Communication at S is performed. At this time, the user data is acquired from the user management DB 72, and the user management unit 71 performs user authentication.

After that, in the client 2, the XML file and the document data are encrypted by the data encryption unit 26, and the data communication unit 27 sends the encrypted data to the HTTPS / FTP /
The data is transmitted to the outsourcing center via the Internet 1 in a protocol format such as SMTP.

In the outsourcing center, when the data communication unit 73 of the electronic slip exchange server 10 receives the encrypted data from the Internet 1, the received data becomes
The data is decrypted by the data decryption unit 75 into an XML file and document data, and is accumulated (stored) in the original document management unit and the database 23 of the bid control server 20.

Thereafter, the reception confirmation section 76 of the electronic slip exchange server 10 and the delivery / read confirmation section 28 of the client 2 perform data reception confirmation and delivery confirmation by communication using HTTPS, and the process ends.

As described above, according to the electronic bidding system of this embodiment, between the members registered in the electronic slip exchange server 10, for example, between suppliers and manufacturers, each client 3, 3 is stored in the object DB 11 of the electronic slip exchange server 10. Child objects (subfolders, etc.) and simple attribute files (document files, such as supplementary information, etc.) are added to the parent objects (document files, such as bid information, bid information, quotation request, quotation response, etc.) from 4 and 5 Manage the association in a tree structure,
For example, by accessing the electronic slip exchange server 10 from the client 2 and issuing each data request, the object DB 11 managed on the electronic slip exchange server 10 side
Are converted to XML and transferred to the client 2, the tree structure between the objects in the object DB 11 is changed to the screen 30 of the Web browser of the client 2.
Can be displayed as it is, and by selecting and operating a desired folder or document file on the data tree with the client 2, it is possible to determine what kind of desired electronic document is and what supplementary material is attached to it. It is understood directly by the orderer Z or the like.

The electronic slip exchange server 10 transmits a request result (success / error and XML file name) in response to a document data request from the client 2, for example, and also transmits an XML corresponding to the XML file name.
Since the file and the document file are created and the files are transferred to the client 2 at the same time, the contents of the electronic slip can be examined at the client 2 without exchanging the electronic slip between the transmitting side and the receiving side many times. .

The complicated object structure of the object DB 11 can be transmitted to the communication partner as it is, and the flexibility can be improved as compared with the transfer of one plain record. By putting the meaning of the object in the main record or the like, the processing when the electronic slip is received can be automated, and labor can be saved. The provision of the Internet EDI unit 13 allows supplementary documents (child files) for the parent file to be sent simultaneously while maintaining the relevance of each other, so that attachment and the like become unnecessary, and the explanation can be saved. .

The present invention is not limited only to the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the client 2 has been described as an example, but the other clients 3, 4 and the like have the same communication operation although the file type is different.

In the above embodiment, the object DB 11
Object file of X by using XMLI / F12
ML conversion, but instead of XML, STEP (ISO
A more advanced object description language such as -10303-21) may be used.

In addition to the application business, in addition to the inter-company transaction in the XML object file of the construction ordering information as in the above-described embodiment, for example, the exchange of equipment maintenance management information between remote locations (remote equipment maintenance management business) ), Distribution of text and image information in XML format by a broadcast device, exchange of workflow information across companies, grasp of progress information of a workflow, and overall management.

Each unit in the above embodiment may be realized by software. At this time, the software may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk. In this case, the software (program) stored in the storage medium is read by the computer so that The processing in the embodiment becomes possible.

As a storage medium, a magnetic disk,
Floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk (C
D-ROM, CD-R, DVD, etc.), a magneto-optical disk (MO, etc.), a semiconductor memory, or any other storage medium that can store programs and that can be read by a computer. May be.

An OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on instructions of a program installed in the computer from the storage medium.
Alternatively, MW (middleware) such as database management software and network software may execute a part of each process for realizing the present embodiment.

Further, the storage medium is not limited to a medium independent of the computer, but also includes a storage medium in which a program transmitted through a LAN, the Internet, or the like is downloaded and stored or temporarily stored.

Further, the number of storage media is not limited to one, and the case where the processing in the present embodiment is executed from a plurality of media is also included in the recording medium of the present invention, and any media configuration may be used.

The computer executes each processing in the present embodiment based on a program stored in a storage medium. The computer includes one device such as a personal computer and a system in which a plurality of devices are connected to a network. Any of these configurations may be used.

The term "computer" is not limited to a personal computer, but also includes an arithmetic processing unit, a microcomputer, and the like included in an information processing device, and is a general term for devices and devices capable of realizing the functions of the present invention by a program. .

[0061]

As described above, according to the present invention, in response to a request from a client to a server, an object group, its instance, and its supplementary information stored in an object database of the server are described in a markup language format. The file is converted to a file, and the converted markup language format file and its substance data are transmitted to the client. On the other hand, the client converts the markup language file transmitted from the server and its substance data into a parent-child relationship. Since the object group and its instances and their supplementary information are converted and displayed, the tree structure of the objects managed by the server can be reproduced as it is on the client, improving the operability of electronic documents and improving electronic operability. The communication of documents can be labor-saving.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an electronic bidding system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electronic slip exchange server and a bid control server in this electronic bidding system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing object information having a tree structure in an object DB in the electronic bidding system.

4 is a diagram showing output data obtained by converting the object information of FIG. 3 into XML.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mapping mechanism when an object file is output from an object DB.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a communication procedure between a client and an electronic slip exchange server in the electronic bidding system.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an operation of registering information from a client to an electronic slip exchange server in this electronic bidding system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Internet, 2, 3, 4 ... client computer (client), 10: electronic slip exchange server,
11 ... object DB, 12 ... XML I / F, 13 ...
File transmission / reception unit (EDI), 14 Web server, 2
0: bid control server, 23: database, 24: data input unit, 25: destination selection unit, 26: data encryption unit, 27: data communication unit, 28: delivery / read confirmation unit, 3
0: Web browser screen, 30a: left window, 3
0b Right window, 71 User management unit, 72 User management database (user management DB), 73 Data communication unit, 74 Originality management unit, 75 Data decryption unit
76 ... receipt confirmation unit.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An object database storing an object group having a parent-child relationship, an instance thereof, and its supplementary information created in an object language, and a file in a markup language format containing the object group, instance, and supplementary information of the object database. And a means for outputting a file in a markup language format converted by the conversion means and its substantial data. 2. A service providing system in which a server and a client are connected via a communication network, and the server provides a service by accessing the server from the client, wherein the server has a parent-child relationship created in an object language. An object database that stores an object group, its instance, and its supplementary information; and a first conversion that converts the object group, instance, and supplementary information of the object database into a file in a markup language format in response to a request from the client. Means for transmitting a file in the markup language format converted by the first conversion means and its substantial data to the client, wherein the client issues a request to the server And the key A second conversion means for converting a markup language format file and its substance data transmitted from the server into an object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance, and its supplementary information; A service providing system comprising: a group of objects having a parent-child relationship converted by the conversion unit, and a unit for displaying the instance and its supplementary information. Reading an object group having a parent-child relationship created by a program described in an object language, an instance thereof, and its supplementary information from an object database and converting the object group into a file in a markup language format; Outputting a file in a markup language format and its substantial data. 4. A service providing method in which a server and a client are connected via a communication network, and wherein the server provides a service by accessing the server from the client, wherein the client issues a request to the server; Converting, in response to the request, an object group having a parent-child relationship created in the object language stored in the object database of the server, an instance thereof, and its supplementary information into a file in a markup language format; Transmitting a markup language format file and its substance data to the client; and transmitting, in the client, the markup language format file and the substance data transmitted from the server in response to the request in a parent-child relationship. Object with A service providing method of that instance and the step of converting into its supplemental information, and the object group with a transformed parent-child relationship that instance and characterized by having a step of displaying the supplemental information. 5. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process, wherein the computer stores, in an object database, a group of objects having a parent-child relationship, an instance thereof, and supplementary information thereof in an object language. A program for reading the converted file in markup language format and outputting the converted file in markup language format and its substance data. 6. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program for causing a client computer or a server computer connected to a communication network to perform processing, causing the client computer to issue a request to the server computer, A markup language format file and its substance data transmitted from the server computer in response to the request are converted into an object group having a parent-child relationship, its instance, and its supplementary information, and the converted parent-child relationship is obtained. A storage medium storing a program for displaying an object group, its instance, and its supplementary information. 7. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program for causing a client computer or a server computer connected to a communication network to perform processing, comprising: an object having a parent-child relationship created in the object language; Storing a group, its instance, and its supplementary information, converting the object group, instance, and supplementary information into a file in a markup language format in response to a request from the client computer; and converting the file in the markup language format. And a program for transmitting the entity data and the entity data to the client computer.