Methods, systems, and computer program product for implementing software applications with dynamic conditions and dynamic actions

• US 10,474,478 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Sivertson, Matthew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roni, Syed A
• Application Number:
  US15/796,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20190129732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2321 using statistics or function optimisation, e.g. modelling of probability density functions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/433 Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/046 Forward inferencing; Production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for implementing software products or services with dynamic conditions and dynamic actions. These techniques identify a plurality of flow nodes for a software application. One or more dynamic conditions may be identified or determined for the plurality of flow nodes; and one or more dynamic actions may be identified or determined for the one or more dynamic conditions. A dynamic flow may be determined with the plurality of flow nodes, the one or more dynamic conditions, and the one or more dynamic actions, without hard coded inter-dependency between two or more flow nodes of the plurality of flow nodes.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for implementing software products or services with dynamic conditions and dynamic actions, comprising:

identifying, by one or more dynamic application modules comprising computer-executable instructions stored at partially in memory and executed by at least one microprocessor, a plurality of flow nodes for a software application;

identifying or determining one or more dynamic conditions for the plurality of flow nodes;

identifying or determining one or more dynamic actions for the one or more dynamic conditions;

generating a dynamic flow with the plurality of flow nodes, the one or more dynamic conditions, and the one or more dynamic actions, without hard coded inter-dependency between two or more flow nodes of the plurality of flow nodes; and

executing the dynamic flow for the software application by;

identifying first runtime data during an execution of the dynamic flow; and

performing one or more relevance analyses for the first runtime data.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1,

wherein a dynamic condition associated with or included in a flow node in the dynamic flow is independently evaluated to generate a dynamic evaluation result during an execution of the dynamic flow.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2,

wherein a dynamic action associated with or included in a flow node in the dynamic flow is independently performed based in part or in whole upon the dynamic evaluation result of the dynamic condition.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

executing the dynamic flow for the software application at least by independently evaluating one or more dynamic conditions during execution of a first flow node in the dynamic flow and at least by independently executing one or more dynamic actions based in part or in whole upon dynamic evaluation results of the one or more dynamic conditions.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying runtime data that is acquired during the execution of the first flow node in the dynamic flow; and

reducing the plurality of flow nodes into a reduced set of flow nodes having a fewer number of flow nodes than a total number of the plurality of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the runtime data.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

modifying the dynamic flow at least by performing a modification pertaining to one or more flow nodes in the dynamic flow; and

transforming the dynamic flow into a modified dynamic flow based in part or in whole upon the modification.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying the dynamic flow comprises adding a new flow node to the dynamic flow to transform the dynamic flow into the modified dynamic flow, where the new flow node is added to the dynamic flow without modifying the plurality of flow nodes in the dynamic flow.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying the dynamic flow comprises removing an existing flow node from the dynamic flow to transform the dynamic flow into the modified dynamic flow, where the existing flow node is removed from the dynamic flow without modifying the plurality of flow nodes in the dynamic flow.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 6, modifying the dynamic flow comprising:

identifying a first flow node in the dynamic flow;

identifying a second flow node in the dynamic flow; and

swapping locations of the first flow node and the second flow node in the dynamic flow, where the locations are swapped in the dynamic flow without modifying the plurality of flow nodes in the dynamic flow.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 4, executing the dynamic flow further comprising:

determining a first dynamic evaluation result at least by evaluating one or more first dynamic conditions included in or associated with a current flow node that is executing based in part or in whole upon results of the one or more analyses; and

executing one or more first dynamic actions of the one or more dynamic actions based in part or in whole upon the first dynamic evaluation result of the one or more first dynamic conditions.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, executing the dynamic flow further comprises reducing the plurality of flow nodes for the dynamic flow into a first reduced set at least by determining a first relevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the first runtime data or the first dynamic evaluation result of the one or more first dynamic conditions or by determining a first irrelevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the first runtime data or the first dynamic evaluation result of the one or more first dynamic conditions.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, executing the dynamic flow further comprising:

identifying a next flow node for the dynamic flow from the first reduced set for execution after the current flow node; and

identifying or determining one or more second dynamic conditions included in or associated with the next flow node.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, executing the dynamic flow further comprising:

determining a second dynamic evaluation result at least by evaluating the one or more first dynamic conditions included in or associated with the next flow node that is executing; and

executing the one or more second dynamic actions based in part or in whole upon the second dynamic evaluation result of the one or more second dynamic conditions.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, executing the dynamic flow further comprising:

identifying second runtime data during an execution of the dynamic flow; and

reducing the first reduced set into a second reduced set for the dynamic flow at least by determining a second relevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the second runtime data or the second dynamic evaluation result of the one or more second dynamic conditions or by determining a second irrelevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the second runtime data or the second dynamic evaluation result of the one or more second dynamic conditions.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer accessible storage medium having stored thereupon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor or at least one processor core executing one or more threads, causes the at least one processor or the at least one processor core to perform a set of acts for implementing software products or services with dynamic conditions and dynamic actions, the set of acts comprising:

identifying, by one or more dynamic application modules comprising computer executable instructions stored at partially in memory and executed by at least one microprocessor, a plurality of flow nodes for a software application;

identifying or determining one or more dynamic conditions for the plurality of flow nodes;

identifying or determining one or more dynamic actions for the one or more dynamic conditions;

determining a dynamic flow with the plurality of flow nodes, the one or more dynamic conditions, and the one or more dynamic actions, without hard coded inter-dependency between two or more flow nodes of the plurality of flow nodes; and

executing the dynamic flow for the software application by;

identifying first runtime data during an execution of the dynamic flow; and

performing one or more relevance analyses for the first runtime data.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, the set of acts further comprising:

executing the dynamic flow for the software application at least by independently evaluating one or more dynamic conditions during execution of a first flow node in the dynamic flow and at least by independently executing one or more dynamic actions based in part or in whole upon dynamic evaluation results of the one or more dynamic conditions.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, the set of acts further comprising:

identifying runtime data that is acquired during the execution of the first flow node in the dynamic flow; and

reducing the plurality of flow nodes into a reduced set of flow nodes having a fewer number of flow nodes than a total number of the plurality of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the runtime data.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, the set of acts further comprising:

modifying the dynamic flow at least by performing a modification pertaining to one or more flow nodes in the dynamic flow; and

transforming the dynamic flow into a modified dynamic flow based in part or in whole upon the modification.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, the set of acts further comprising at least one of:

a first act comprising adding a new flow node to the dynamic flow to transform the dynamic flow into the modified dynamic flow, where the new flow node is added to the dynamic flow without modifying the plurality of flow nodes in the dynamic flow;

a second act comprising removing an existing flow node from the dynamic flow to transform the dynamic flow into the modified dynamic flow, where the existing flow node is removed from the dynamic flow without modifying the plurality of flow nodes in the dynamic flow;

or

a third act comprising;

identifying a first flow node in the dynamic flow;

identifying a second flow node in the dynamic flow; and

swapping locations of the first flow node and the second flow node in the dynamic flow, where the locations are swapped in the dynamic flow without modifying the plurality of flow nodes in the dynamic flow.

20. A system for implementing software products or services with dynamic conditions and dynamic actions, comprising:

a plurality of modules, at least one of which is stored at least partially in memory and comprises at least one microprocessor including one or more processor cores executing one or more threads; and

a non-transitory computer accessible storage medium storing thereupon program code that includes a sequence of instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor, causes the at least one microprocessor at least to;

identify, by one or more dynamic application modules comprising computer executable instructions stored at partially in memory and executed by the at least one microprocessor, a plurality of flow nodes for a software application;

identify or determine one or more dynamic conditions for the plurality of flow nodes;

identify or determine one or more dynamic actions for the one or more dynamic conditions; and

determine a dynamic flow with the plurality of flow nodes, the one or more dynamic conditions, and the one or more dynamic actions, without hard coded inter-dependency between two or more flow nodes of the plurality of flow nodes; and

wherein the program code includes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor or processor core, cause the at least one processor or processor core at least further to;

identify first runtime data during an execution of the dynamic flow; and

perform one or more relevance analyses for the first runtime data.

21. The system of claim 20,

wherein the program code includes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor or processor core, cause the at least one processor or processor core at least further to:

determine a first dynamic evaluation result at least by evaluating one or more first dynamic conditions included in or associated with a current flow node that is executing; and

execute one or more first dynamic actions of the one or more dynamic actions based in part or in whole upon the first dynamic evaluation result of the one or more first dynamic conditions.

22. The system of claim 21,

wherein the program code includes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor or processor core, cause the at least one processor or processor core at least further to reduce the plurality of flow nodes for the dynamic flow into a first reduced set at least by determining a first relevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the first runtime data or the first dynamic evaluation result of the one or more first dynamic conditions or by determining a first irrelevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the first runtime data or the first dynamic evaluation result of the one or more first dynamic conditions.

23. The system of claim 22,

wherein the program code includes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor or processor core, cause the at least one processor or processor core at least further to:

identify a next flow node for the dynamic flow from the first reduced set for execution after the current flow node;

identify or determine one or more second dynamic conditions included in or associated with the next flow node;

determine a second dynamic evaluation result at least by evaluating the one or more first dynamic conditions included in or associated with the next flow node that is executing; and

execute the one or more second dynamic actions based in part or in whole upon the second dynamic evaluation result of the one or more second dynamic conditions.

24. The system of claim 23,

wherein the program code includes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one microprocessor or processor core, cause the at least one processor or processor core at least further to:

identify second runtime data during an execution of the dynamic flow; and

reduce the first reduced set into a second reduced set for the dynamic flow at least by determining a second relevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the second runtime data or the second dynamic evaluation result of the one or more second dynamic conditions or by determining a second irrelevant set of flow nodes based in part or in whole upon the second runtime data or the second dynamic evaluation result of the one or more second dynamic conditions.