1. A computing device comprising:
a receiver and transmitter,
the receiver being arranged to receive a plurality of data requests from a plurality of data-receiving applications, and also to receive data from a store, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group, and
the transmitter being arranged to transmit data to said store and to transmit received-data received from said store to said data-receiving applications,
further, said computing device being arranged to:
process data requests received by said receiver from said data-receiving applications,
identify said received data requests as belonging to the group by reading the group identity from the data requests,
evaluate said data requests, said evaluation campuses one of the following:
i. stalling said single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
iii. merging data-requests received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring requests within a request group and transmitting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-request to create said single request,
produce a single request for the data requests within said request group and generated by said evaluation, and
cause said transmitter to transmit said single request to said data-store and further to receive data from said data-store, process said received-data and to transmit said received data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
2. A computing device according to claim 1 which is arranged such that said evaluation comprises postponing sending said single request until all requests within a request group have been received.
3. A computing device according to claim 1 which is arranged such that said evaluation comprises sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group.
4. A computing device according to claim 1 which is arranged such that said evaluation comprises monitoring requests within a request group and transmitting said single request when the computing device has received sufficient data to create said single request from data-requests made thereto.
5. A computing device according to claim 1 which is arranged such that said evaluation comprises merging data-requests received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request comprising at least portions of said data-requests.
6. A computing device according to claim 5 in which the data-requests comprise data providing a portion of a form.
7. A computing device according to claim 5 in which the single data-request comprises data providing all of, or substantially all of, a form.
8. A computing device according to claim 1 which is a proxy server andor an application running on a data-receiving device andor a store such as a server.
9. A computing device according to claim 1 which is arranged to use the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http) for any of the following: receive data-requests; transmit said single request; receive data from said store; transmit data to said data-receiving applications.
10. A method of requesting data comprising:
receiving a plurality of data requests from a plurality of data-receiving applications, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group,
evaluating said requests, said evaluation comprises one of the following:
i. stalling single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
iii. merging data-request received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring request within a request group and transmitting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request,
identifying said received data requests as belonging to the request group by reading the group identity from the data requests,
producing a single request for data, to a store, for said request group generated by said evaluation,
receiving received-data in response to said single request from said store,
processing said received-data, and
sending said received-data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
11. A system comprising:
at least two data-receiving applications running on one or more data-receiving devices, each data-receiving application being capable of requesting and receiving data,
a data-processor and a data store connected to said data-receiving applications via said data-processor,
said data-processor being arranged to:
receive a plurality of data-requests from said data-receiving applications, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group,
identify said received data requests as belonging to the group by reading the group identity from the data requests,
evaluate said data-requests said evaluation comprises one of the following:
i. stalling said single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
iii. merging data-request received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring requests within a request group and transmitting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request,
send a single request for the data-requests within said request group to said data store,
receive data from said data store, in response to said single request,
process said received data, and
distribute said received data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
12. A system according to claim 11 in which the data-receiving applications are arranged to communicate with one another via inter data-receiving application messages.
13. A system according to claim 11 in which a data-receiving application is arranged to generate and send a data-request to said data-processor following receipt of an inter data-receiving application message.
14. A system according to claim 11 in which said data-receiving applications are arranged to add to said data request one of the following: the number of data-requests that are to be made to said data-processor, in a data-request group; or a list of the data-receiving applicationsdevices that are to make a data-request to said data-processor.
15. A system according to claim 11 in which said data-processor is arranged to identify the first data-request received thereby within a data-request group.
16. A system according to claim 15 in which said data-processor is arranged to transmit said single request once said first data-request received has been identified.
17. A system according to claim 15 in which said data-processor is arranged neither to transmit to said store nor respond to said data-requests which are within a data-request group which are not the first data-request received thereby in that data-request group until data has been received from said store in response to said single request transmitted following said first data-request.
18. A system according to claim 11, in which said data-processor is arranged neither to transmit to said data store nor respond to said data-requests within a data-request group until all data-requests in that data-request group have been received thereby.
19. A system according to claim 11 in which said data-processor is arranged to merge data-requests within a data-request group in to a consolidated request, comprising at least portions of said data-requests, and to send said consolidated request as said single request.
20. A system according to claim 19 in which said data-processor is arranged to delay sending said single request to said data store until said data-processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request.
21. A system according to claim 20 in which any one data request can comprise any of the following: a partial data-request in which a portion of the data required to generate said single request is provided by that data-request; or a complete data-request in which all of the data required to generate said single request is provided by that data-request.
22. A system according to claim 21 in which said data-processing applications are arranged to add data to said data-requests which identifies whether said data request is partial data-request or a complete data-request.
23. A system according to claim 22 in which said data-receiving applications are arranged to add to said single request the capabilities of said data-receiving application andor data-receiving device on which said application is running for a single applicationdevice andor for each applicationdevice within a data-request group.
24. A system according to claim 23 in which said data-processor processes said capabilities received in said data-requests and ensure that said single request includes the capabilities for all data-receiving applicationsdevices within a request group.
25. A system according to claim 24 in which said data store sends a plurality of versions of the data requested in the single request according to the capabilities listed in the single request.
26. A system according to claim 11 in which the data-processor is any of the following: a proxy server; an application running on a data-receiving device; andor a store such as a server.
27. A system according to claim 11 which is arranged to use the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http) for any of the following: data-requests from the data-receiving applications to the data-processor; single request to said store from said data-processor; receiving data from said store; transmitting data to said data-receiving applications.
28. A method of delivering and receiving data to and from two or more data-receiving applications running on one or more data-receiving devices, said method comprising:
receiving a plurality of data requests from said data-receiving applications using a data-processor, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group,
evaluating said data requests, said evaluation comprises one of the following:
i. stalling said single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
iii. merging data-requests received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring requests within a request group and transmitting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request,
determining a data-request as belonging to the request group by reading the group identity from the plurality of data requests,
sending a single request to a data store from the data-processor,
processing data received from said data store in response to said single request using said data-processor, and
distributing said received data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
29. A computer readable medium containing instructions, which when read onto a computer cause that computer to perform the method of claim 10.
30. A computer readable medium containing instructions, which when read onto a computer cause that computer to perform the method of claim 28.
31. A computer readable medium containing instructions, which when read onto a computing device cause that computing device to function as the computing device of claim 1.
32. A computer readable medium containing instructions, which when read onto a processor cause that processor to function as the data-processor of claim 11.
33. A computing device which comprises
a receiver and transmitter,
the receiver being arranged to receive a plurality of data requests from a plurality of data-receiving applications, and also to receive data from a store, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group, and
the transmitter being arranged to transmit data to said store and to transmit received-data received from said store to said data-receiving applications,
further, said processor being arranged to
process requests for data received by said receiver from said data-receiving applications,
evaluate said requests said evaluation comprises one of the following:
i. stalling said single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request, within a request group;
iii. merging data-requests received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring requests within a request group and transmitting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request,
identify said received data requests as belonging to the group by reading the group identity from the data requests,
produce a single request for the data-requests within said request group and generated by said evaluation,
cause said transmitter to transmit said single request to said store,
receive data from said store,
process said received-data, and
transmit said received data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications,
wherein said computing device is further arranged such that said evaluation comprises one of:
postponing sending said single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
monitoring requests within a request group and transmitting said single request when the computing device has received sufficient data to create said single request from data-requests made thereto; and
merging data-requests received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request comprising at least portions of said data-requests.
34. A processing means comprising:
a receiver and transmitting means,
the receiver being arranged to receive a plurality of data requests from a plurality of data-receiving applications, and also to receive data from a storage means, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group, and
the transmitting means being arranged to transmit data to said storage means and to transmit received-data received from said storage means to said data-receiving applications,
said processing means being further arranged to:
process data requests received by said receiver from said data-receiving applications,
identify said received data requests as belonging to the group by reading the group identity from the plurality of data requests,
evaluate said data requests, said evaluation comprises one of the following:
i. stalling said single request until all request within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
iii. merging data-request received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring request within a request group and transmitting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request,
produce a single request for the data-requests within said request group and generated by said evaluation, and
cause said transmitting means to transmit said single request to said data storage means and further to receive data from said data storage means, process said received data and to transmit said received data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
35. A system comprising:
at least two data-receiving applications running on one or more data-receiving means, each data-receiving application being capable of requesting and receiving data,
a data-processing means and a data-storage means connected to said data-receiving applications via said data-processing means,
said data-processing means being arranged to:
receive a plurality of data-requests from said data-receiving applications, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group,
evaluate said data-requests, said evaluation comprises one of the following:
i. stalling said single request until all requests within a request group have been received;
ii. sending said single request on receipt of the first request within a request group;
iii. merging data-request received from said data-receiving applications such that said single request comprises a consolidated request; and
iv. monitoring request within a request group and transmiting said single request when the processor has received sufficient data from said data-requests to create said single request,
identify said received data requests as belonging to the group by reading the group identity from the data requests,
send a single request for the data requests within said request group to said data-storage means,
receive data from said data-storage means, in response to said single request, process said received data, and
distribute said received data, or portions thereof; to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
36. A method of delivering and receiving data to and from two or more data-receiving applications running on one or more data-receiving means, said method comprising:
receiving a plurality of requests for data from said data-receiving applications using a data processing means, wherein said plurality of data-receiving applications include a group identity in said plurality of data requests, thus indicating that said plurality of data requests form a request group,
assessing said data requests,
identifying said received data requests as belonging to the group by reading the group identity from the plurality of data requests,
sending a single request to a data storage means from the data processing means,
processing data received from said data storage means in response to said single request using said data processing means, and
distributing said received data, or portions thereof, to at least one of said data-receiving applications.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An order placement and acceptance management system, comprising:
an order database for storing order data, each increment of the order data being stored in a record of the order database;
demand processing means for receiving values of attributes, including a code representing an order acceptant, of the order data in records that are designated by an order acceptant via a network;
retrieving means for receiving the values of attributes from the demand processing means and retrieving a subset of the order data directed to the order acceptant, including at least one increment of the order data from the order database, the subset being determined at the request of the order acceptant, said subset having the values of attributes;
transmission means for transmitting the subset of the retrieved order data to an order acceptant system via the network; and
progress managing means for managing the progress of the order, where the progress managing means determines that the subset of the order data is defined as processed, on the basis of an input from the order acceptant system with regard to the subset of the received order data.
2. An order placement and acceptance management system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means reformats the subset of the order data to be transmitted in accordance with the demands of the order acceptant.
3. An order placement and acceptance management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the demand processing means authenticates an authentication ID of the order acceptant.
4. An order placement and acceptance management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the data to be transmitted by the transmission means includes the code data of a display code to be printed on a form for identifying the order data, which is included in the subset.
5. An order placement and acceptance management method for managing the order placement and acceptance by a system including an order database for storing the order data, each increment of the order data being stored in a record of the database, comprising:
receiving values of attributes, including a code representing an order acceptant, of the order data in records that are designated by the order acceptant via a network;
retrieving a subset of the order data directed to the order acceptant including at least one increment of the order data, from the order database, the subset being determined, at the request of the order acceptant, said subset having the received values of attributes;
transmitting the subset of the retrieved order data to an order acceptant system via the network; and
managing the progress of the order where managing the process of the order comprises that the subset of the order data is defined as processed, on the basis of an input from the order acceptant system with regard to the subset of the order data.
6. An order placement and acceptance management method according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting step reformats the subset of the order data to be transmitted in accordance with the order acceptant.
7. An order placement and acceptance management method according to claim 5 or claim 6, comprising the step of authenticating an authentication ID of the order acceptant before the receiving step.
8. An order placement and acceptance management method according to claim 5 or claim 6, the data to be transmitted by the transmission step
includes the code data of a display code to be printed on a form in order to identify the order data, which is included in the subset.