Enabling automatic business processes using state transfer diagram and abstraction

• US 20070204169A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhou, Nianjun, Meliksetian, Dikran, Bahl, Amarjit
• Application Number:
  US11/364,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204169A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An application specific framework is generated from configuration information contained in a configuration file. The application specific framework comprises a state transformation diagram. Application specific plug-in code is generated from the configuration information for attaching application programs to the framework. External events trigger navigation of the state transformation diagram according to rules derived from user profile and user state information. Navigation of the state transformation exercises function of the attached application programs. Modification of the function of the framework is accomplished by simply modifying the configuration information as needed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating an application specific framework, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating the application specific framework from configuration information, the application specific framework comprising an external event interface for receiving external events, a configuration file interface for receiving configuration information, an application specific plug-in code for interfacing with application programs, user state storage and user profile storage;

b) the created application specific framework obtaining user specific information about one or more users, the user specific information comprising profile information about a respective user and current user state of the respective user;

c) the created application specific framework, responsive to an external event, navigating the state transformation diagram from the current user state to a new current user state, the navigation based on the user specific information;

d) saving the new current user state as the current user state;

e) responsive to the navigating step invoking a corresponding function via the derived application specific plug-in code; and

f) repeating steps c) through e) for subsequent external events.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

a.1) obtaining the configuration information from the configuration file, the configuration information comprising a state transformation diagram for the application specific framework;

a.2) deriving the application specific plug-in code from the obtained configuration information, the application specific plug-in code comprising functions for supporting application specific requirements;

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the deriving application specific plug-in code step comprises the steps of:

a.2.1) parsing the configuration information to create stub code for interfacing the application specific framework with one or more application programs; and

a.2.2) implementing the stub code as the application specific plug-in using the programming language of the stub code.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, responsive to the external event, step c) comprises selecting the new current user state from a plurality of user states based on any one of the current user state, the external event or the configuration information.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of:

creating the configuration information, wherein the configuration information comprises any one of external event definitions or the state transformation diagram; and

saving the configuration information in the configuration file.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the external event definitions comprise event trigger points, the event trigger points comprising critical thresholds.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the obtained state transformation diagram comprises a directed graph having a set of logic vector array values, the logic vector array values presenting a vertex of the graph of the obtained state transformation diagram.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user state is presented as a current logic vector array Boolean value presented by a vertex of the application specific state transformation diagram, wherein the navigating the state transformation diagram step comprises the further step of executing functions specified by a name of an edge of the state transformation diagram in the plug-in code.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

determining a relationship of attributes of the profile information;

providing the determined relationship of attributes as the user specific information for the navigation step.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the parsing to create stub code step comprises creating any one of Java stub code, C++ stub code or a general-purpose language selected for creating the plug-in code.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user comprises any one of a GUI interface to a human user, a computer program responding to a mechanical event, or a computer program responding to a program event.

12. A computer program product for generating an application specific framework, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

a) creating the application specific framework from configuration information, the application specific framework comprising an external event interface for receiving external events, a configuration file interface for receiving configuration information, an application specific plug-in code for interfacing with application programs, user state storage and user profile storage;

b) the created application specific framework obtaining user specific information about one or more users, the user specific information comprising profile information about a respective user and current user state of the respective user;

c) the created application specific framework, responsive to an external event, navigating the state transformation diagram from the current user state to a new current user state, the navigation based on the user specific information;

d) saving the new current user state as the current user state;

e) responsive to the navigating step invoking a corresponding function via the derived application specific plug-in code; and

f) repeating steps c) through e) for subsequent external events.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, comprising the further steps of:

a.1) obtaining the configuration information from the configuration file, the configuration information comprising a state transformation diagram for the application specific framework;

a.2) deriving the application specific plug-in code from the obtained configuration information, the application specific plug-in code comprising functions for supporting application specific requirements;

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the deriving application specific plug-in code step comprises the steps of:

a.2.1) parsing the configuration information to create stub code for interfacing the application specific framework with one or more application programs; and

a.2.2) implementing the stub code as the application specific plug-in using the programming language of the stub code.

15. The computer program product according to claim 12, comprising the further step of:

creating the configuration information, wherein the configuration information comprises any one of external event definitions or the state transformation diagram; and

saving the configuration information in the configuration file.

16. The computer program product according to claim 12, comprising the further steps of:

determining a relationship of attributes of the profile information;

providing the determined relationship of attributes as the user specific information for the navigation step.

20. The system according to claim 12, comprising the further steps of:

determining a relationship of attributes of the profile information;

providing the determined relationship of attributes as the user specific information for the navigation step.

17. A system for generating an application specific framework, the system comprising:

a main store;

a network;

a processor in communications with the main store the network wherein the system includes instructions to execute a method comprising the steps of;

a) creating the application specific framework from configuration information, the application specific framework comprising an external event interface for receiving external events, a configuration file interface for receiving configuration information, an application specific plug-in code for interfacing with application programs, user state storage and user profile storage;

b) the created application specific framework obtaining user specific information about one or more users, the user specific information comprising profile information about a respective user and current user state of the respective user;

c) the created application specific framework, responsive to an external event, navigating the state transformation diagram from the current user state to a new current user state, the navigation based on the user specific information;

d) saving the new current user state as the current user state;

e) responsive to the navigating step invoking a corresponding function via the derived application specific plug-in code; and

f) repeating steps c) through e) for subsequent external events.

18. The system according to claim 17, comprising the further steps of:

a.1) obtaining the configuration information from the configuration file, the configuration information comprising a state transformation diagram for the application specific framework;

a.2) deriving the application specific plug-in code from the obtained configuration information, the application specific plug-in code comprising functions for supporting application specific requirements;

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the deriving application specific plug-in code step comprises the steps of:

a.2.1) parsing the configuration information to create stub code for interfacing the application specific framework with one or more application programs; and

a.2.2) implementing the stub code as the application specific plug-in using the programming language of the stub code.