Web browser as web service server in interaction with business process engine

• US 20050182768A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lu, Yanbing, Waldorf, Jerry A., Demetriades, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Systems and techniques for using a Web-service based business process to interact with a Web browser as if the Web browser were a Web service server. In one exemplary implementation, an interface module with a HTTP server is provided to convert data from the Web browser into an XML document from a Web service server and to convert data from the business process engine in an XML document to a Web service server into a Web page for the Web browser. The business process engine may be programmed in the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL) or other suitable business process execution languages.

Claims

1. A system, comprising at least one computer which is configured to comprise:

a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server in communication with a computer network to receive input from a Web browser in the network and to send output to the Web browser;

a servlet to receive a HTTP message that is generated by the HTTP server in response to a received input from the Web browser and convert the HTTP message into an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document as if it were a Web service XML document received from a Web service server;

a business process engine comprising executable business processes and operable to interact with a Web service server in executing the business processes, the business process engine operable to respond to information from the browser in the XML document converted by the servlet and to produce a Web service XML request to the browser as if the browser were a Web service server, wherein the business process engine sends the Web service XML request to the servlet; and

a plurality of JavaServer Page (JSP) pages that are predefined according to activities of the business process engine and operate to convert a Web service XML communication from the business process engine into a hypertext markup language (HTML) page to the Web browser, wherein the servlet receives and directs each Web service XML communication from the business process engine to a selected JSP page,

wherein the HTTP server directs each HTML page converted by the JSP pages to the Web browser via the computer network.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services to describe each business process.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Services Conversation Language to define each business process.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Service Choreography Interface language to define each business process.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Modeling Language to define each business process.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS) defined by the electronic business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML) to define each business process.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Services Flow Language to define each business process.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine uses the XLANG language to define each business process.

9. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a backend application and is operable to execute a function provided by the backend application.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a database and is operable to retrieve data from the database.

11. The system as in claim 1, wherein the business process engine further comprises an executable business process that calls a predetermined Web service in the network.

12. A system, comprising:

a server in communication with a communication network to receive input from a Web browser in the network and to send output to the Web browser;

a servlet to receive a message that is generated by the server in response to a received input from the Web browser and convert the message into a Web service document;

a business process engine comprising executable business processes and operable to interact with a Web service in executing the business processes, the business process engine operable to respond to information from the Web browser in the Web service document converted by the servlet and to produce a Web service request to the Web browser as if the browser were a Web service server, wherein the business process engine sends the Web service request to the servlet; and

a plurality of page templates that are predefined according to activities of the business process engine and operate to convert a Web service communication from the business process engine into a Web page to the Web browser, wherein the servlet receives and directs each Web service communication from the business process engine to a selected page template,

wherein the server directs each Web page converted by the page templates to the Web browser via the computer network,

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a backend application and is operable to execute a function provided by the backend application

14. The system as in claim 12, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a database and is operable to retrieve data from the database.

15. The system as in claim 12, wherein the business process engine further comprises an executable business process that calls a predetermined Web service in the network.

16. A system, comprising:

a Web interface module in communication with a communication network to receive input from a Web browser in the network and to send output to the Web browser, the Web interface module operable to convert input from the Web browser into a Web service data file as if the input were received from a Web service server and to convert a received Web service document directed to the Web browser into an output in a form of one or more Web pages for delivery to the Web browser; and

a business process engine comprising executable business processes and operable to interact with a Web service server in executing the business processes, the business process engine operable to respond to information from the Web browser in the Web service data file converted by the Web interface module and to produce a Web service request to the Web browser as if the Web browser were a Web service server, wherein the Web interface module converts the Web service request into one or more Web pages and sends the one or more Web pages to the Web browser.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services to describe each business process.

18. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Services Conversation Language to define each business process.

19. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Service Choreography Interface language to define each business process.

20. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Modeling Language to define each business process.

21. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS) defined by the electronic business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML) to define each business process.

22. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Services Flow Language to define each business process.

23. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine uses the XLANG language to define each business process.

24. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a backend application and is operable to execute a function provided by the backend application.

25. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a database and is operable to retrieve data from the database.

26. The system as in claim 16, wherein the business process engine further comprises an executable business process that calls a predetermined Web service in the network.

27. A system, comprising:

a business process engine having executable business processes and operable to directly interact with a Web service server in executing the business processes, wherein the executable business processes comprise a first set of processes that control a sequence of Web pages at a Web browser connected to interact with the business process engine; and

a Web interface module in communication with the Web browser and to present the Web browser to the business process engine as another Web service server,

wherein the Web interface module converts data to the business process engine from the Web browser into a Web service format from a Web service server and converts Web service data from the first set of processes in the business process engine to the Web browser into a format that can be transmitted to and can be processed by the Web browser.

28. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services to describe each business process.

29. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Services Conversation Language to define each business process.

30. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Service Choreography Interface language to define each business process.

31. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Modeling Language to define each business process.

32. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS) defined by the electronic business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML) to define each business process.

33. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the Web Services Flow Language to define each business process.

34. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine uses the XLANG language to define each business process.

35. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a backend application and is operable to execute a function provided by the backend application.

36. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine further comprises an interface with a database and is operable to retrieve data from the database.

37. The system as in claim 27, wherein the business process engine further comprises an executable business process that calls a predetermined Web service in the network.

38. The system as in claim 27, wherein the Web interface module comprises:

a communication server to communicate with the Web browser;

a servlet to interface between the communication server and the business process engine, the servlet operable to receive a message from the communication server in response to a received input from the Web browser and to convert the message into a Web service document; and

a plurality of page templates that are predefined according to the first set of processes in the business process engine and operate to convert the Web service data from the business process engine into at least one Web page, wherein the communication server receives and sends the at least one Web page to the Web browser.

39. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media that store machine-executable instructions operable to cause a machine to:

directly invoke a Web service through a Web service call to the Web service to execute at least a portion of processes in a business workflow;

during execution of a process in the business workflow, invoke a Web browser as a Web service server by converting information exchanged between the business workflow and the Web browser to allow for the business workflow to use a Web service call to invoke the Web browser; and

control a Web page flow at the Web browser according to processing activities of the business workflow.

40. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services.

41. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the Web Services Conversation Language.

42. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the Web Service Choreography Interface language.

43. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the Business Process Modeling Language.

44. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS) defined by the electronic business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML).

45. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the Web Services Flow Language.

46. The article as in claim 39, wherein the business workflow is described in the XLANG language.

47. The article as in claim 39, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media further store one or more machine-executable instructions operable to cause the machine to interact with a backend application and to execute a function provided by the backend application.

48. The article as in claim 39, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media further store one or more machine-executable instructions operable to cause the machine to interact with a database and to retrieve data from the database.

49. The article as in claim 39, wherein the one or more machine-readable storage media further store one or more machine-executable instructions operable to cause the machine to interact with a predetermined Web service during execution of the business workflow.

50. The article as in claim 39, wherein the machine-executable instructions allow the machine to generate a plurality of Web page templates that are predefined according to the business workflow, and wherein the Web page templates operate to convert the Web service data generated in the business workflow for the Web browser into at least one Web page to be processed by the Web browser.

51. A method, comprising:

describing processing operations of a business process engine in a computer programming language to allow for directly invoking a Web service in a Web service server and exchange of information in Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents;

providing a set of predefined Web page templates that correspond to activities of the business process engine to interact with a Web browser and to control a page flow at the Web browser, wherein each Web page template is operable to convert information from the business process engine in XML documents to the Web browser into a hypertext markup language (HTML) Web page to be displayed by the Web browser;

using the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to transmit the HTML Web page to the Web browser;

using the business process engine to invoke the Web browser as a Web service server;

converting data from the Web browser into an XML document from a Web service server; and

directing the converted XML document to the business process engine to be processed as a Web service reply.

52. The method as in claim 51, further comprising using a Java servlet to convert data from the Web browser into an XML document and to select a predefined Web page template from the set of predefined Web page templates to convert information from the business process engine in an XML document into a HTML Web page.

53. The method as in claim 51, wherein the predefined Web page templates are JavaServer Pages.

54. The method as in claim 51, further comprising communicating information of a hyperlink to a first Web page defined by one of the Web page templates to a user of the Web browser so that the user can communicate with the business process engine through the Web browser as a Web Service server.

55. The method as in claim 52, wherein the information of the hyperlink is sent to the user via an electronic mail,

56. The method as in claim 51, further comprising interacting the business process engine with a backend application to use the backend application to execute a function needed in a business process within the business process engine.

57. The method as in claim 51, further comprising interacting the business process engine with a database to retrieve data from the database and to use the data in a business process within the business process engine.

58. The method as in claim 51, further comprising using the business process engine to call a predetermined Web service and using a function in the predetermined Web service in a business process within the business process engine.

59. A method, comprising:

describing processing operations of a business process engine in a computer programming language to allow for directly invoking a Web service in a Web service server and to exchange information in documents;

providing a set of predefined Web page templates that correspond to activities of the business process engine to interact with a Web browser and to control a page flow at the Web browser according to processing operations of the business process engine, wherein each Web page template is operable to convert information from the business process engine in the documents to the Web browser into a Web page to be displayed by the Web browser,

using a protocol to transmit the Web page to the Web browser;

using a Web service of the business process engine to invoke the Web browser as a Web service server; and

converting data from the Web browser into a document from a Web service server and directing the converted document to the business process engine to be processed as a Web service reply.

60. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services.

61. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in Web Services Conversation Language.

62. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in the Web Service Choreography Interface.

63. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in the Business Process Modeling Language.

64. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS) defined by the electronic business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML).

65. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in the Web Services Flow Language.

66. The method as in claim 59, wherein the processing operations of the business process engine are described in XLANG.

67. A method, comprising:

converting a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) message from a Web browser into an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document as a Web Service message;

directing the converted XML document to a software module for Web Services which processes the converted XML document as a message from a Web Service Server and produces an XML request for a service from the Web Service Server;

converting the XML request into a Web page; and

using the HTTP to transmit the Web page to the Web browser.

68. The method as in claim 67, further comprising communicating information of a hyperlink to a predetermined Web page to a user of the Web browser to allow the user to communicate with the business process engine via the Web browser as a Web service server.

69. The method as in claim 67, wherein the information of the hyperlink is sent to the user via an electronic mail.

70. The method as in claim 67, further comprising executing a business process that comprises a plurality of processing operations, using an input from the Web browser in executing at least one of the processing operations, and using a backend application to execute a function needed in executing one of the processing operations.

71. The method as in claim 67, further comprising executing a business process that comprises a plurality of processing operations, using an input from the Web browser in executing at least one of the processing operations, retrieving data from a database, and using the retrieved data in executing one of the processing operations.

72. The method as in claim 67, further comprising executing a business process that comprises a plurality of processing operations, using an input from the Web

browser in executing at least one of the processing operations, and calling a predetermined Web service to use a function in the predetermined Web service in executing one of the processing operations.