Defining an approval process for requests for approval

• US 20030189600A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuo, Richard, Deighton, Anthony, Walcott, Wister, Gune, Prasad, Chen, Mingte
• Granted Patent: US 7,131,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/971 Cooperative decision support systems for group of users

Abstract

A facility for defining a process for approving requests for approval of a selected type is described. The facility displays a palette containing visual representations of each of a plurality of approval process elements. The facility then receives a number of user input instances, each user input instance dragging one of the visual representations into a selected location in a workspace, so as to form an arrangement of approval process elements. The facility then stores a process definition corresponding to the formed arrangement of approval process elements.

Claims

1. A method in a computing system for defining a process for approving requests for approval of a selected type, comprising:

displaying a palette containing visual representations of each of a plurality of approval process elements;

receiving a plurality of instances of user input, each instance of user input dragging one of the visual representations into a selected location in a workspace to form an arrangement of approval process elements; and

storing a process definition corresponding to the formed arrangement of approval process elements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the stored process definition to process an approval request of the selected type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the stored process definition;

modifying the retrieved process definition; and

storing the modified process definition for processing approval requests of a distinguished type, the distinguished type being distinct from the selected type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the displayed visual representations is a visual representation of a gate element, the gate element establishing in the approval process a point at which each request that reaches that point must be approved by at least one of a group of one or more approvers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the displayed visual representations is a visual representation of a condition element, the condition element branching the approval process for each request that reaches the condition element into one of two alternative paths based upon the value of a condition associated with the condition element.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the displayed visual representations is a visual representation of a conjunction element, the conjunction element splitting the approval process for each request that reaches the conjunction element into both of two separate paths, both of which must be satisfied for the request to be approved.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the displayed visual representations is a visual representation of a disjunction element, the disjunction element splitting the approval process for each request that reaches the disjunction element into both of two separate paths, the first of which is completed determining whether the request is approved.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the displayed visual representations is a visual representation of an end element, the end element establishing in the approval process a point at which each request that reaches that point is determined to be approved.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the displayed visual representations is a connector, the connector establishing a flow in the approval process from a first approval process element to a second approval process element.

10. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to define a process for approving requests for approval of a selected type by:

displaying a palette containing visual representations of each of a plurality of approval process elements;

receiving a plurality of instances of user input, each instance of user input dragging one of the visual representations into a selected location in a workspace to form an arrangement of approval process elements; and

storing a process definition corresponding to the formed arrangement of approval process elements.

11. A computing system for defining a process for approving requests for approval of a selected type, comprising:

a display device that displays a palette containing visual representations of each of a plurality of approval process elements;

a user input module that receives a plurality of instances of user input, each instance of user input dragging one of the visual representations into a selected location in a workspace to form an arrangement of approval process elements; and

a storage device that stores a process definition corresponding to the formed arrangement of approval process elements.

12. A method in a computing system for defining a process for approving approval requests of a first type, comprising:

retrieving a process definition stored for approving approval requests of a second type that is distinct from the first type;

displaying a pictorial representation of the retrieved process definition;

receiving user input modifying the displayed pictorial representation; and

storing a process definition corresponding to the modified pictorial representation, the stored process definition defining a process for approving approval requests of the first type.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the approval requests of the first type are generated using a first application, and wherein approval requests of the second type are generated using a second application distinct from the first application.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the stored process definition identifies a view of the underlying application in which details about approval requests of the first type may be displayed.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the stored process definition identifies a class of business objects corresponding to approval requests of the first type.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the stored process definition identifies a business service for creating approval requests of the first type.

17. A computer memory containing an approval request routing data structure, the data structure comprising information identifying a group of two or more approval request approvers to whom, when the data structure is used to route an approval request, the approval request will be presented approximately simultaneously, and presented only until the first approver acts on the approval request.

18. The computer memory of claim 17 wherein the information identifying the group is a single identifier identifying the entire group.

19. The computer memory of claim 17 wherein the information identifying the group is a list of identifiers each identifying one member of the group.

20. The computer memory of claim 17 wherein the information identifying the group is a query whose result identifies members of the group.

21. The computer memory of claim 17 wherein the data structure further comprises a reference to a graphical representation of approval by the group.

22. A computer memory containing an approval request routing data structure, the data structure comprising:

information indicating a test to be performed when the data structure is used to route an approval request;

an identification of a first approval path to be followed if the test succeeds; and

an identification of a second approval path to be followed if the test fails, the second approval path being distinct from the first approval path.

23. The computer memory of claim 22 wherein the data structure further comprises a reference to a graphical representation of the test.