Patent ID: 6868390
Filing Date: 2005-03-15
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A business support system connectable to a plurality of external processing systems that are external to the business support system and that have different protocols, the business support system comprising: a plurality of service request production means corresponding to the plurality of external processing systems, respectively, each of the service request production means producing service information request data, in a predetermined form for a corresponding one of the plurality of external processing systems, in response to a request of a user from a terminal apparatus used by the user, the terminal apparatus being one of a plurality of different communication means; a plurality of data form conversion means corresponding to the plurality of external processing systems, respectively, each of the data form conversion means converting the form of the service information request data produced by a corresponding one of the service request production means into a form that can be processed by a corresponding one of the external processing systems and also for converting service information provided from the corresponding one of the external processing systems in response to the service information request data into the predetermined form; service information providing means for providing the service information converted into the predetermined form by one of the data form conversion means to the terminal apparatus originating the request for the service information; data management means for managing the service information converted into the predetermined form by the one of the data form conversion means; determining means for determining whether or not the service information is updated by accessing the corresponding external processing system; accessing means accessing the corresponding external processing system to send the service information request data converted into the form that can be processed by the corresponding external processing system to obtain the service information with respect to the service information request data, when the determining means determines that the service information is not updated, wherein the service information obtained from the corresponding external processing system is converted into the predetermined form by the one of the data form conversion means, managed by the data management means, and provided to the terminal apparatus by the service information providing means.