Business alerts on process instances based on defined conditions

• US 20060241959A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chkodrov, Gueorgui, Taniguchi, David, Moustafa, Ahmed, Ballard, John, Jason, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

System and method for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition in a process. The process includes a plurality of event records associated with the process; each of the plurality of event records includes a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process. A subset of the plurality of event records is defined where the subset relates to the defined condition. The data in the defined subset is updated at a predetermined time interval. The user is notified when the updated data of the defined subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred. The subset may alternatively be defined as a function of a current time, a last run time and the defined condition.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition in a process including a plurality of event records associated with the process, each of the plurality of event records including a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process, said method comprising:

defining a subset of the plurality of event records wherein the subset relates to the defined condition;

updating the data in the defined subset at a predetermined time interval; and

notifying the user when the updated data of the defined subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein defining comprises defining the subset as a function of a current time, a last run time, and the defined condition, said current time specifying a time when the subset is currently defined, said last run time specifying a time when the subset is last defined.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein notifying comprises notifying the user when the data of the defined subset indicates the defined condition has occurred.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein defining comprises defining the subset at a time interval and wherein the last run time comprises a function of the current time and the time interval.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a subscription table including a plurality of users with corresponding defined conditions and wherein notifying comprises notifying each of the plurality of users when their corresponding defined condition as indicated in the subscription table has occurred.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein defining comprises pre-correlating data in the subset based on one or more of the following:

the defined condition, the current time and the last run time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

8. A system for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition in a process including a plurality of event records associated with the process, each of the plurality of event records including a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process, said system comprising:

an event provider for defining a subset of the plurality of event records wherein the subset relates to the defined condition;

wherein the event provider updates the data in the subset of the plurality of event records at a predetermined time interval; and

a notification component for notifying the user when the updated data of the defined subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the event provider defines the subset as a function of a current time, a last run time, and the defined condition, said current time specifying a time when the subset is currently defined, said last run time specifying a time when the subset is last defined.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the event provider defines the subset at a time interval and wherein the last run time comprises a function of the current time and the time interval.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the event provider pre-correlating data in the subset based on one or more of the following:

the defined condition, the current time and the last run time.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising a subscription table including a plurality of users with corresponding defined conditions and wherein the notification component notifies each of the plurality of users when their corresponding defined condition as indicated in the subscription table has occurred.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the event provider pre-correlates the updated data with the subset of event records from the plurality of updated event records according to the defined condition and wherein the notifying component notifies the user of the occurrence of the event when the pre-correlated data of the subset of plurality of event records indicates that the defined condition is satisfied.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition in a process including a plurality of event records associated with the process, each of the plurality of event records including a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process, said components comprising:

an event provider for pre-correlating data with a subset of the plurality of event records wherein the subset relates to the defined condition;

wherein the event provider updates the data in the defined subset at a predetermined time interval; and

a notification component for notifying the user when the updated data of the defined subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the event provider defines the subset as a function of a current time, a last run time, and the defined condition, said current time specifying a time when the subset is currently defined, said last run time specifying a time when the subset is last defined.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 15 wherein the event provider defines the subset at a time interval and wherein the last run time comprises a function of the current time and the time interval.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the event provider pre-correlating data in the subset based on one or more of the following:

the defined condition, the current time and the last run time.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the notification component includes a subscription table including a plurality of users with corresponding defined conditions and wherein the notification component notifies each of the plurality of users when their corresponding defined condition as indicated in the subscription table has occurred.