(12) Ulllted States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,577,841 B2
US008577841B2
(12) Ulllted States Patent
(10) Patent N0.:
Ouyang et a]. (54)
(45) Date of Patent:
ENABLEMENT OF QUASI TIME
6,631,386 B1 *
HIERARCHIES
2004/0225636 A1 *
11/2004
Heinzel 0y e et a . al. ....... . ..
2005/0262495 A1*
11/2005
Fung et al.
IIWBIIIOFSI Le Ouyangs Shanghal (CN); Thomas Pike, Kenzingen (DE); Huiming Zhang, '
(*)
Notice:
Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154 b b 94 d
( ) y
ays
.
.
.
(51)
Int‘ Cl‘ G06F 7/00 G06F 17/30
“3822/3
. . . . . ..
707/203
2012/0016867 A1*
1/2012 Clemm et a1.
707/722
4/2012 Bansode et a1.
707/638
2013/0073465 A1*
3/2013
* _
Richey .......................... .. 705/44
_
cued by exammer
ABSTRACT
stored in different versions of a data structure depicting the hierarchical organizational structure. Each of these versions may include a validity period ?eld representing a time period that the hierarchical organizational structure depicted in the version accurately re?ects the organizational structure of the organization. Each of the versions may also be designated as
(200601) (200601)
US‘ Cl‘ _ _ U_SPC """"" "_' """ "_ """ " 707/638’ 707/769’ 707/813
Fleld of Classl?catlon Search
active or inactive. In some instances, each of the versions may be designated as inactive except for a version that re?ects the
organizational structure of the organization at a particular
.... ..~ ............................................
707/638
See apphcanon ?le for Complete Search hlstory'
time, which may Change Over time_ Historical Copies Of Ver_
sions may be stored and subsequently recalled to identify an
_
organizational structure that Was in effect at a particular time
References Clted
in the past. The recalled version may then be used to limit the results of a query to a selected node of the historical organi zational structure.
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5/1994 3/1999
.
Changes to a hierarchical organizational structure may be
Pnor Pubhcatlon Data US 2013/0117230 A1 May 9, 2013
5,317,729 A * 5,890,166 A *
a
2012/0084257 A1 *
(57)
(65)
(56)
oyama e
(74) Attorney, Agenz, or Firm i Kenyon & Kenyon LLP
Dec. 2, 2011 .
O
Primary Examiner * Binh V Ho
App1_ NO_; 13/310,063
USPC
707/10 707/5
5883/8533??? iii 13/5883 12°F """"
'
_
(58)
.. 717/170
2009/0313309 A1 * 12/2009 Becker et a1. .... ..
'
383/333 ..... .. 707/1
8/2006 Weber et a1. 7/2007 Idicula et a1. ..
03E)’ Houbmg Llu’ Shanghal (CN)
Asslgneei SAP AG, Wa11dOIf(DE)
(22) Filed:
2006/0179062 A1 * 2007/0162441 A1*
Shanghai (CN); K‘a‘“ Weiss’ Hasslmh (73)
(52)
10/2003 Arun et a1. .......................... .. 1/1
20031102208633? iii 13/338? Kismet“? 6‘ a"
.
(21)
Nov. 5, 2013
DEPENDENCY IN ORGANIZATIONAL _
(75)
US 8,577,841 B2
Mukherjee et a1. ................. .. 1/1 Eisenberg et a1. .................. .. 1/1
15 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
Active Data Structure m
Top Level 1 1— Copy Active
Sub-Level Q
Structure m
Sub-Level 12
Inactive Data Structure @
[UOIQDOIUN’ Identifier m _ Suffix 1_Ql
Modify Copied structure m
Inactive Data Structure w
(001N301) (Di-2011)
At Start or 01-72011 m
Historic Data Structure@
Active Data Structure 119
(D01) 01-JUN-10--31-DEC-10
(0012001)
. Item m
Sub-Level g
US. Patent
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 1 017
US 8,577,841 B2
FIG. 1
Active Data Structure m
(001) mildentifierm Top Level 1 Sub-Level g
'—Oltem u
_ Copy Active Structure E
Sub-Level Q
Inactive Data Structure m
(001#001)/—\,-/ Identifier m —|—— —5UHIX ' Q Top Level 1
Sub-Level g
l—Q|tem u
Sub_|_eVe| 2
\ Modify Copied Structure Q
I—()Item m
‘
Inactive Data Structure w
(001#O01) (Q1-2011) Top Level 1
ValiditV Date E
' ¢ 0 Q At Start
sub-teveIg
-
—( )It em — 11
(11-2011 183
4OItem 1 2
i
Historic Data Structure m
‘*
Active Data Structure m
(001) (01-JUN-10--31-DEC-10) Top Level 1
Time Period 104
Sub-Level Q
(001#001) Top Level 1
Sub-Level Q
I—() Item g
4Q Item m
Sub-Level Q I—O|tem m
40 Item Q Sub-Level Q
US. Patent
Nov. 5, 2013
Sheet 2 0f 7
FIG. 2 Copy Active Data Structure 2 1
l Store Modified Data Structures as
Inactive Versions each with a Validity
Period & —During First Validity Period-"
Store Historical Version of Data Structure 203
l Replace Active Data Structure with
Inactive Version Valid During Validity Period M -During Query Operation ---- -
Identify Version Active During Time Period Specified in Query E
l Present Organization Structure Depicted in Identified Version m
I Enable User to Select Node in Presented Structure to Complete
Query M
US 8,577,841 B2
US. Patent
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 3 of7
US 8,577,841 B2
FIG. 3 Identify Time Period Associated with a Query @
1
Identifying a Type of Organizational Structure Associated with the Query
Q
1
Comparing the Identified Time Period and Type to Time Periods and
Types of Data Structures E
1 Identifying a Data Structure
Depicting the Identified Type of Organizational Structure at the Identified Time Period @
l Presenting the Identified Data Structure to a User @
l Enabling the User to Select One or More Nodes in the Presented
Structure @
1 Limiting the Query Output to the Selected Node(s) @
US. Patent
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 4 of7
US 8,577,841 B2
cQorgzumwo 1v.9: HOH
EB82QE: @82Sq5 2
US. Patent
n1.0:
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 5 of7
US 8,577,841 B2
51:LHm2rO?cw!E“. lmMcaE1BgQ?rbfm2t“cnw
(12) Ulllted States Patent
(10) Patent N0.:
Ouyang et a]. (54)
(45) Date of Patent:
ENABLEMENT OF QUASI TIME
6,631,386 B1 *
HIERARCHIES
2004/0225636 A1 *
11/2004
Heinzel 0y e et a . al. ....... . ..
2005/0262495 A1*
11/2005
Fung et al.
IIWBIIIOFSI Le Ouyangs Shanghal (CN); Thomas Pike, Kenzingen (DE); Huiming Zhang, '
(*)
Notice:
Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154 b b 94 d
( ) y
ays
.
.
.
(51)
Int‘ Cl‘ G06F 7/00 G06F 17/30
“3822/3
. . . . . ..
707/203
2012/0016867 A1*
1/2012 Clemm et a1.
707/722
4/2012 Bansode et a1.
707/638
2013/0073465 A1*
3/2013
* _
Richey .......................... .. 705/44
_
cued by exammer
ABSTRACT
stored in different versions of a data structure depicting the hierarchical organizational structure. Each of these versions may include a validity period ?eld representing a time period that the hierarchical organizational structure depicted in the version accurately re?ects the organizational structure of the organization. Each of the versions may also be designated as
(200601) (200601)
US‘ Cl‘ _ _ U_SPC """"" "_' """ "_ """ " 707/638’ 707/769’ 707/813
Fleld of Classl?catlon Search
active or inactive. In some instances, each of the versions may be designated as inactive except for a version that re?ects the
organizational structure of the organization at a particular
.... ..~ ............................................
707/638
See apphcanon ?le for Complete Search hlstory'
time, which may Change Over time_ Historical Copies Of Ver_
sions may be stored and subsequently recalled to identify an
_
organizational structure that Was in effect at a particular time
References Clted
in the past. The recalled version may then be used to limit the results of a query to a selected node of the historical organi zational structure.
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5/1994 3/1999
.
Changes to a hierarchical organizational structure may be
Pnor Pubhcatlon Data US 2013/0117230 A1 May 9, 2013
5,317,729 A * 5,890,166 A *
a
2012/0084257 A1 *
(57)
(65)
(56)
oyama e
(74) Attorney, Agenz, or Firm i Kenyon & Kenyon LLP
Dec. 2, 2011 .
O
Primary Examiner * Binh V Ho
App1_ NO_; 13/310,063
USPC
707/10 707/5
5883/8533??? iii 13/5883 12°F """"
'
_
(58)
.. 717/170
2009/0313309 A1 * 12/2009 Becker et a1. .... ..
'
383/333 ..... .. 707/1
8/2006 Weber et a1. 7/2007 Idicula et a1. ..
03E)’ Houbmg Llu’ Shanghal (CN)
Asslgneei SAP AG, Wa11dOIf(DE)
(22) Filed:
2006/0179062 A1 * 2007/0162441 A1*
Shanghai (CN); K‘a‘“ Weiss’ Hasslmh (73)
(52)
10/2003 Arun et a1. .......................... .. 1/1
20031102208633? iii 13/338? Kismet“? 6‘ a"
.
(21)
Nov. 5, 2013
DEPENDENCY IN ORGANIZATIONAL _
(75)
US 8,577,841 B2
Mukherjee et a1. ................. .. 1/1 Eisenberg et a1. .................. .. 1/1
15 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
Active Data Structure m
Top Level 1 1— Copy Active
Sub-Level Q
Structure m
Sub-Level 12
Inactive Data Structure @
[UOIQDOIUN’ Identifier m _ Suffix 1_Ql
Modify Copied structure m
Inactive Data Structure w
(001N301) (Di-2011)
At Start or 01-72011 m
Historic Data Structure@
Active Data Structure 119
(D01) 01-JUN-10--31-DEC-10
(0012001)
. Item m
Sub-Level g
US. Patent
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 1 017
US 8,577,841 B2
FIG. 1
Active Data Structure m
(001) mildentifierm Top Level 1 Sub-Level g
'—Oltem u
_ Copy Active Structure E
Sub-Level Q
Inactive Data Structure m
(001#001)/—\,-/ Identifier m —|—— —5UHIX ' Q Top Level 1
Sub-Level g
l—Q|tem u
Sub_|_eVe| 2
\ Modify Copied Structure Q
I—()Item m
‘
Inactive Data Structure w
(001#O01) (Q1-2011) Top Level 1
ValiditV Date E
' ¢ 0 Q At Start
sub-teveIg
-
—( )It em — 11
(11-2011 183
4OItem 1 2
i
Historic Data Structure m
‘*
Active Data Structure m
(001) (01-JUN-10--31-DEC-10) Top Level 1
Time Period 104
Sub-Level Q
(001#001) Top Level 1
Sub-Level Q
I—() Item g
4Q Item m
Sub-Level Q I—O|tem m
40 Item Q Sub-Level Q
US. Patent
Nov. 5, 2013
Sheet 2 0f 7
FIG. 2 Copy Active Data Structure 2 1
l Store Modified Data Structures as
Inactive Versions each with a Validity
Period & —During First Validity Period-"
Store Historical Version of Data Structure 203
l Replace Active Data Structure with
Inactive Version Valid During Validity Period M -During Query Operation ---- -
Identify Version Active During Time Period Specified in Query E
l Present Organization Structure Depicted in Identified Version m
I Enable User to Select Node in Presented Structure to Complete
Query M
US 8,577,841 B2
US. Patent
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 3 of7
US 8,577,841 B2
FIG. 3 Identify Time Period Associated with a Query @
1
Identifying a Type of Organizational Structure Associated with the Query
Q
1
Comparing the Identified Time Period and Type to Time Periods and
Types of Data Structures E
1 Identifying a Data Structure
Depicting the Identified Type of Organizational Structure at the Identified Time Period @
l Presenting the Identified Data Structure to a User @
l Enabling the User to Select One or More Nodes in the Presented
Structure @
1 Limiting the Query Output to the Selected Node(s) @
US. Patent
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 4 of7
US 8,577,841 B2
cQorgzumwo 1v.9: HOH
EB82QE: @82Sq5 2
US. Patent
n1.0:
Nov. 5,2013
Sheet 5 of7
US 8,577,841 B2
51:LHm2rO?cw!E“. lmMcaE1BgQ?rbfm2t“cnw
