Workflow scheduler
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive workflow schedule optimiser arranged to enable a user to reconfigure an instantiated workflow for a task comprising a plurality of actions having a predetermined dependency relationship to each other. The optimiser comprises means to input one or more user-specified constraint conditions into the workflow schedule optimiser; means to regenerate a workflow dependent on user specified condition from the instantiated workflow, the regenerated workflow satisfying said one or more user-specified constraint conditions. The optimiser optimises the global utilisation of the resources required to fulfil the user request by processing in parallel the resource requirements of each of said plurality of actions required by the regenerated workflow.
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Citations
82 Claims
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1-42. -42. (canceled)
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43. An interactive workflow scheduler comprising a web-portal supported by a front end platform arranged to interface with a real-time scheduling application supported by a back-end platform, the scheduler arranged to enable a user to control the configuration of an instantiated workflow established by said back-end platform for a user request issued remotely during an on-line communications session established between the user and the front-end platform, the instantiated workflow comprising a plurality of actions having a predetermined dependency relationship to each other, the scheduler comprising:
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an interface provided by said by said front-end platform, the interface being arranged to enable the user to remotely input one or more user-specified constraint conditions into the workflow scheduler during the on-line communications session;
a workflow generator arranged to generate a workflow in real-time dependent on said user specified conditions from the instantiated workflow during the same on-line communications session, the generated workflow satisfying said one or more user-specified constraint conditions, wherein the scheduler optimises the global utilisation of the resources required to fulfil the user request by processing in parallel the resource requirements of each of said plurality of actions required by the generated workflow using said back-end platform during said same on-line communications session. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 55)
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49. A method of determining the optimal allocation of an available resource to fulfil a user request for a service during an on-line communications session between the user and a scheduling system comprising a front-end platform arranged to interface with a back-end platform arranged to generate workflows, the user interface to the scheduling system being arranged to enable the user to specify a request, a method comprising the steps of:
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associating the request with one or more user-defined constraints affecting the implementation of the service during a communications session;
generating a hierarchical series of actions based on a framework which is systematically determined to fulfil the user request; and
processing the logical dependency, consequence and service enablement for said hierarchical series of actions in parallel to determine the optimal availability of resources to fulfil the user'"'"'s request and satisfying the given constraints during said communications session. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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50. An interactive workflow scheduling system enabling a user of an on-line service portal to schedule a request for a service, the portal comprising:
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a user interface arranged to enable a user to specify a service request and to associate the request with one or more user defined constraints during said communications session;
an interface to a scheduler arranged to determine a plurality of actions which are required to fulfil the user service request during said communications session and to determine the relationship between the series of actions generated to define a framework between the actions in dependence on said one -or more user defined constraints; and
to determine in parallel how each action should be assigned available resources to fulfil the user request during said communications. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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56. An interactive workflow schedule optimiser arranged to enable a user to perform an optimisation process during a communications session by iteratively reconfiguring an instantiated workflow for a task comprising a plurality of actions having a predetermined dependency relationship to each other, the schedule optimiser comprising:
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an interface arranged to enable a user to input one or more user-specified constraint conditions into the workflow scheduler with each iteration of the optimisation process;
an interface arranged to regenerate in each iteration of the optimisation process, a workflow dependent on at least one user-specified condition from the instantiated workflow, the regenerated workflow satisfying said one or more user-specified constraint conditions, wherein the scheduler optimiser optimises the global utilisation of the resources required to fulfil the user request in each iteration by processing in parallel the resource requirements of each of said plurality of actions required by the regenerated workflow for that iteration of the optimisation process.
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57. A method for requesting a service, wherein a user of a communications device requests performance of said service and wherein fulfilment of the request requires a plurality of actions to be executed, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating service request information derived from the user specifying said service, requesting performance of said service, and specifying one or more constraints on how said request is to be performed;
communicating said service request information to a remote resource scheduler, whereby said resource scheduler is arranged to process received service request information to determine from the context of the service requested the acceptability of the user specified constraints in dependence on their utilisation of the resources required to implement the actions which collectively fulfil said request, communicating, during the same communications session as the session in which the user specifies said one or more constraints, an indication of the acceptability of the individual constraints to the communications device of the user. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
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61. An interactive workflow scheduling system arranged to schedule fulfilment of a service request communicated by a user over a communications system, the system comprising:
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a scheduler for scheduling said service request;
a service portal for generating said service request, whereby during a communications session information generated by the user at the service portal is communicated to said scheduler;
an interface provided at the service portal enabling the service request to be associated by the user with one or more user defined constraints during said communications session;
an interface provided at the service portal to said scheduler, the scheduler being arranged to determine a plurality of actions which are required to fulfil the user service request during said communications session, to determine the relationship between the series of actions generated to define a framework between the actions in dependence on said one -or more user defined constraints; and
to determine in parallel how each action should be assigned available resources to fulfil the user request during said communications. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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- 64. A real-time reservation system comprising a reservation portal, a workflow library, and an appointable workflow generator, the reservation portal being arranged to receive user input identifying a service request and constraint data which defines user constraints on the making of appointments, the workflow library comprising a plurality of workflow templates each comprising a plurality of at least partially interdependent actions and each being mapped to a predetermined service request, the appointable workflow generator being arranged to receive the constraint data from the reservation portal and to process a workflow template to generate an appointable workflow comprising a set of appointable actions, taking account of the constraint data, and the interdependencies between actions in the workflow template, whereby the reservation system is able to generate multiple appointments for actions having complex interdependencies.
- 73. A method of reserving resource comprising receiving user input identifying a service request, receiving user constraint data which defines user constraints on the making of appointments, obtaining a workflow template comprising a plurality of at least partially interdependent actions associated with the service request, and processing the workflow template to generate an appointable workflow comprising a set of appointable actions, taking account of the constraint data, and the interdependencies between actions in the workflow template, whereby the reservation system is able to generate multiple appointments for actions having complex interdependencies.
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82. An interactive workflow scheduler comprising a web-portal supported by a front end platform arranged to interface with a real-time scheduling application supported by a back-end platform, the scheduler arranged to enable a user to control the re-configuration of an an instantiated workflow established by said back-end platform for a user request issued remotely during an on-line communications session environment established between the user and the front-end platform, the instantiated workflow comprising a plurality of actions having a predetermined dependency relationship to each other, the scheduler comprising:
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an interface provided by said web-portal supported by said front-end platform, the interface being arranged to enable the user to remotely input one or more user-specified constraint conditions into the workflow scheduler during the on-line communications session;
a workflow generator arranged to generate a workflow in real-time dependent on said user specified conditions from the instantiated workflow during the same on-line communications session, the generated workflow satisfying said one or more user-specified constraint conditions, wherein the scheduler optimises the global utilisation of the resources required to fulfil the user request by processing in parallel the resource requirements of each of said plurality of actions required by the generated workflow using said back-end platform during said same on-line communications session, wherein the interactive workflow scheduler further includes;
a real-time reservation system comprising a reservation portal, a workflow library, and an appointable workflow generator, the reservation portal being arranged to receive user input identifying a service request and constraint data which defines user constraints on the making of appointments, the workflow library comprising a plurality of workflow templates each comprising a plurality of at least partially interdependent actions and each being mapped to a predetermined service request, the appointable workflow generator being arranged to receive the constraint data from the reservation portal and to process a workflow template to generate an appointable workflow comprising a set of appointable actions, taking account of the constraint data, and the interdependencies between actions in the workflow template, whereby the reservation system is able to generate multiple appointments for actions having complex interdependencies.
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Specification