Methods and systems for animating a workflow and a project plan

• US 20050257136A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Borland Software Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Borland Software Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Charisius, Dietrich, Coad, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention allow a user to animate different versions of a plan or workflow. Each version reflects an instance in an edit history, i.e., reflects the changes made to the plan or workflow. Additionally, methods and systems consistent with the present invention allow a user to view the various plans created from a given workflow over time. Finally, methods and systems consistent with the present invention may be used to review the steps performed during the activation of a plan.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

retrieving edits to a plan;

receiving an indication of a rate of display;

setting a time period equal to a reciprocal of the rate;

determining whether to display in a forward mode;

when it is determined to display in the forward mode,

removing the edits from the plan;

displaying the plan; and

for each of the edits,

applying the edit to the plan;

displaying the plan;

pausing for the time period;

determining whether to adjust the rate of the display; and

when it is determined that the rate of the display will be adjusted,

receiving an indication of a new rate of display; and

setting the time period equal to a reciprocal of the new rate; and

when it is determined not to display in the forward mode,

displaying the plan; and

for each of the edits,

removing the edit from the plan;

displaying the plan;

pausing for the time period;

determining whether to adjust the rate of the display; and

when it is determined that the rate of the display will be adjusted,

receiving an indication of the new rate of display; and

setting the time period equal to the reciprocal of the new rate.

2. A method in a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

retrieving edits to a workflow;

receiving an indication of a rate of display;

setting a time period equal to a reciprocal of the rate;

determining whether to display in a forward mode;

when it is determined to display in the forward mode;

removing the edits from the workflow;

displaying the workflow; and

for each of the edits,

applying the edit to the workflow;

displaying the workflow;

pausing for the time period;

determining whether to adjust the rate of the display; and

when it is determined that the rate of the display will be adjusted,

receiving an indication of a new rate of display; and

setting the time period equal to a reciprocal of the new rate; and

when it is determined not to display in the forward mode,

displaying the workflow; and

for each of the edits,

removing the edit from the workflow;

displaying the workflow;

pausing for the time period;

determining whether to adjust the rate of the display; and

when it is determined that the rate of the display will be adjusted,

receiving an indication of the new rate of display; and

setting the time period equal to the reciprocal of the new rate.

3. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving edits to a plan;

determining whether to display in a forward mode;

when it is determined to display in the forward mode,

removing the edits from the plan;

displaying the plan; and

for each of the edits,

applying the edit to the play; and

displaying the plan; and

when it is determined not to display in the forward mode,

displaying the plan; and

for each of the edits,

removing the edit from the plan; and

displaying the plan.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the state comprises an unexecuted state.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the state comprises an executing state.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the state comprises an executed state.

10. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving edits to a workflow;

determining whether to display in a forward mode;

when it is determined to display in the forward mode,

removing the edits from the workflow;

displaying the workflow; and

for each of the edits,

applying the edit to the workflow; and

displaying the workflow; and

when it is determined not to display in the forward mode,

displaying the workflow; and

for each of the edits,

removing the edit from the workflow; and

displaying the workflow.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the edits to the workflow reflect a modification to the workflow.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the workflow is displayed in a flow diagram.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system comprising a plan and the plan comprising a plurality of tasks, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical representation of the plan, wherein the graphical representation has portions that correspond to the tasks;

retrieving edits to the play, wherein each of the edits modifies a state of one of the plurality of tasks; and

for each of the edits,

applying the edit to the corresponding task of the plan; and

displaying the portion of the graphical representation that corresponds to the edited task in a visually distinctive manner.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the state comprises an unexecuted state.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the state comprises an executing state.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the state comprises an executed state.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the graphical display comprises a Gantt chart.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

receiving an indication of a rate of display;

setting a time period equal to a reciprocal of the rate; and

pausing for the time period before applying the edit to the corresponding task of the plan for each of the edits.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the plan comprises a plurality of tasks and the edits to the plan reflect a state of each task in the plan.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the edits to the plan reflect a modification to the plan.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the plan is displayed in a Gantt chart.