Dynamically repositioning workflow by end users

• US 20070156888A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kothari, Nikhil, Hilerio, Israel, Harder, Michael, Indurkar, Pravin, Sanabria, Andres, Uemura, Marcelo R., Mihai, Constantin
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods that dynamically reset a workflow state by employing a dynamic state manager that is external to the workflow, and enables interaction of a host with a workflow instance. An event driven workflow or state machine workflow can be supplied, wherein ad hoc events are employed to reset and manipulate the workflow to states that have not been modeled as part of the workflow itself, to dynamically create relation ships at runtime.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a dynamic state manager external to a workflow that resets a workflow state to dynamically create relationships among states via events; and

a host application that passes a state to the dynamic state manager to drive the state by a reset of an instance of the workflow.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising an interactive activity component that stops the workflow at specific points and awaits an input from the host.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 2 the workflow associated with an application navigation control displayed in a browser.

4. The computer implemented system of claim 3 the workflow with a one to one association between each display and each state.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 4 further comprising navigation paths that are supplied by the host.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 5, the navigation paths having a “

go-to”

form.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 5, the events correspond to user interfaces.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 5, the events are ad hoc events not modeled as part of the workflow logic.

9. A computer implemented method comprising the following computer executable acts:

setting a state to active by a dynamic state manager external to a workflow based on an event sent by a host; and

moving a current state of the workflow to the state.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, the event sent based on a User Interface displayed in a browser.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 9 further comprising verifying whether the state is available.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising sending an error message if the state is not available.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising suspending the workflow.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising executing the state.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14 further comprising transitioning of states using events.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising verifying whether the state is a last state of the workflow.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16 further comprising executing the state if the state is not the last state of the workflow.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16 further comprising loading a workflow instance by a workflow provider associated with the workflow.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 17 further comprising passing the event to another state if the event is not consumed by the state.

20. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

means for resetting a workflow state; and

means for driving a current workflow state to a new workflow state.