diff --git a/openerp/osv/fields.py b/openerp/osv/fields.py
index f55e4b9c027..eb4a073e3b2 100644
--- a/openerp/osv/fields.py
+++ b/openerp/osv/fields.py
@@ -1169,5 +1169,24 @@ def field_to_dict(self, cr, user, context, field):
 
     return res
 
+
+class column_info(object):
+    """Struct containing details about an osv column, either one local to
+       its model, or one inherited via _inherits.
+
+       :attr name: name of the column
+       :attr column: column instance, subclass of osv.fields._column
+       :attr parent_model: if the column is inherited, name of the model
+                           that contains it, None for local columns.
+       :attr parent_column: the name of the column containing the m2o
+                            relationship to the parent model that contains
+                            this column, None for local columns.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, name, column, parent_model=None, parent_column=None):
+        self.name = name
+        self.column = column
+        self.parent_model = parent_model
+        self.parent_column = parent_column
+
 # vim:expandtab:smartindent:tabstop=4:softtabstop=4:shiftwidth=4:
 
diff --git a/openerp/osv/orm.py b/openerp/osv/orm.py
index 3212c09410e..9a1fc307b12 100644
--- a/openerp/osv/orm.py
+++ b/openerp/osv/orm.py
@@ -477,6 +477,11 @@ class orm_template(object):
     # r is the (local) field towards m,
     # and f is the _column object itself.
     _inherit_fields = {}
+    # Mapping field name/column_info object
+    # This is similar to _inherit_fields but:
+    # 1. includes self fields,
+    # 2. uses column_info instead of a triple.
+    _all_columns = {}
     _table = None
     _invalids = set()
     _log_create = False
@@ -1263,7 +1268,7 @@ class orm_template(object):
 
 
     def fields_get(self, cr, user, allfields=None, context=None, write_access=True):
-        """ Returns the definition of each field.
+        """ Return the definition of each field.
 
             The returned value is a dictionary (indiced by field name) of
             dictionaries. The _inherits'd fields are included. The string,
@@ -3141,6 +3146,7 @@ class orm(orm_template):
             if self._name in obj._inherits:
                 obj._inherits_reload()
 
+
     def _inherits_reload(self):
         """ Recompute the _inherit_fields mapping.
 
@@ -3155,8 +3161,22 @@ class orm(orm_template):
             for col in other._inherit_fields.keys():
                 res[col] = (table, self._inherits[table], other._inherit_fields[col][2])
         self._inherit_fields = res
+        self._all_columns = self._get_column_infos()
         self._inherits_reload_src()
 
+
+    def _get_column_infos(self):
+        """Returns a dict mapping all fields names (direct fields and
+           inherited field via _inherits) to a ``column_info`` struct
+           giving detailed columns """
+        result = {}
+        for k, (parent, m2o, col) in self._inherit_fields.iteritems():
+            result[k] = fields.column_info(k, col, parent, m2o)
+        for k, col in self._columns.iteritems():
+            result[k] = fields.column_info(k, col)
+        return result
+
+
     def _inherits_check(self):
         for table, field_name in self._inherits.items():
             if field_name not in self._columns: