Design tool and methodology for enterprise software applications

• US 20080040704A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harold Reed, Payman Khodabandehloo
• Original Assignee: Harold Reed, Payman Khodabandehloo
• Inventors: Reed, Harold, Khodabandehloo, Payman
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for creating and viewing simulation models that are used for managing requirements and design specifications for complex systems. Users simultaneously collaborate on the description of a complex system such as an enterprise software project throughout its life cycle. User interfaces, designed to assist in the visualization of a particular form of knowledge, allow users to describe the complex system with simple interactive elements. Information in all perspectives is presented so that it is legible and discernable to a non-technical audience. Multi-dimensional data structures record all the resulting information, creating a simulation model of the complex system, and the tasks required for construction and maintenance. Tasks are driven from the specifications not as a separate activity, but as part of the same activity to facilitate project management by allowing decisions to be tracked virtually throughout the simulation model.

Claims

1. A server for facilitating a creation of a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution, wherein the server communicates with clients via a distributed computing network, and wherein the server comprises:

(a) a memory storing an instruction set and data related to the simulation model; and

(b) a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory and the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to;

(i) present a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present a text canvas (ADT) that includes a table to represent individual end-users of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

(iii) present a text canvas (FDT) that includes a table to represent individual functional features of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

wherein the canvases are related to form a conceptual construct such that a modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas within the conceptual construct so that the editors effectively communicate together while using the corresponding canvas.

2. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a storyboard canvas that includes spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tools to represent the navigation and/or work-flow of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application designers, or other interactivity experts are able to create, modify and directionally connect the graphical tools and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a wireframe canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent the individual user interface components, including buttons, data fields, windows, screens, and other user interface controls, of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application designers, and user interface experts are able to assemble unique user interfaces by combining the graphical tools and thereby define the solution;

(iii) present presentation canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent skinning decisions including fonts, colors, borders, images, and graphical presentation option, of the solution such that editors such as graphic designers, producers and interface experts are able to define a look-and-feel and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of a user interface such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

3. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a data packaging canvas that includes branching structures to represent the structures and hierarchies of data within the solution such that editors such as information architects, application architects, database engineers, networking specialists, or other technical experts are able to create, navigate, and modify the branching structures and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a data tables canvas that includes a table-builder to represent the database schemata of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application architects, database architects, database engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the tabular representation of the database schemata and thereby define the solution; and

(iii) present a data relations canvas that includes spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tools to represent the database schemata of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application architects, database architects, database engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the relational structures of the database schemata and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of database schemata such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

4. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a technical schematic canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent the organizations and computing systems comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, database engineers, network engineers, system architects, UML experts, or other technical experts are able to describe the computing environment and infrastructure, including hardware and software, and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a visualization of organizations that includes recursive container-based expandable interactive graphical tools represent the organizations and individuals comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, project managers, UML experts, or other domain experts are able to create and modify the organizational structure and thereby define the solution;

(iii) present a visualization of computing systems that includes layered interactive graphical tools to represent the physical computing systems comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, network architects, network engineers, system architects, system engineers, UML experts, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of computing systems and thereby define the solution;

(iv) present a visualization of networks that includes connection-based interactive graphical tools to represent the networks comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, network architects, network engineers, system architects, system engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of networks and thereby define the solution;

(v) present a visualization of software components that includes recursive container-based expandable interactive graphical tools to represent the software components of the solution such that editors such as application architects, database architects, database engineers, software engineers, UML experts, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of software components and thereby define the solution; and

(vi) present a visualization of software component interaction that includes connection-based interactive graphical tools to represent the software procedural and API calls comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, database architects, database engineers, software engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of software components and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of computing hardware and software such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

5. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a task canvas that includes recursive container-based, pre-and-post-conditional expandable interactive graphical tools to represent the tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors such as project managers, team leaders, and other professionals are able to describe the efforts required to construct portions of the solution (including dependencies between efforts, and resource requirements/availability/assignment), and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a time-line canvas that includes linear, sub-branching interactive graphical tools to represent the temporal relationships between tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors such as project managers, team leaders, and other professionals are able to create and modify the coordinate the efforts required to construct portions of the solution and thereby define the solution; and

(iii) present tabulated task canvas that includes a set of tables to represent all attributes and aspects of tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors such as project managers, team leaders, and other professionals are able to fully represent and manage the efforts required to construct portions of the solution and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of the project such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

6. A server for facilitating a creation of a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution, wherein the server communicates with clients via a distributed computing network, and wherein the server comprises:

(a) a memory storing an instruction set and data related to the simulation model; and

(b) a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory and the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to;

(i) present a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present an interactive schematic canvas that includes expandable icons arranged on a circle to represent the solution such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons;

(iii) present a data canvas that includes a branching structure to represent the solution such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure; and

(iv) present a user interface canvas that uses graphics to represent the solution such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics,

wherein the canvases are related to form a conceptual construct such that a modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas within the conceptual construct so that the editor, system architect, data analyst and user interface designer effectively communicate together while using the corresponding canvas.

7. A server as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphics of the user interface canvas include storyboards.

8. A server as recited in claim 6, wherein promulgation includes the step of coupling a modification to the conceptual construct.

9. A server as recited in claim 6, wherein modifications can be decoupled.

10. A method for creating a conceptual construct for a complex enterprise software, the method comprising the steps of:

a) presenting a canvas designed for a first audience that enters data related to the complex enterprise software into the canvas; and

b) creating additional canvases based upon the complex enterprise software data, the additional canvases being designed for a second audience.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the canvases are selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present an interactive schematic canvas that includes expandable icons arranged on a circle to represent the solution such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons;

(iii) present a data canvas that includes a branching structure to represent the solution such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure; and

(iv) present a user interface canvas 122d that uses graphics to represent the solution such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics.

12. A method for navigating between a first and a second visual perspective of a large conceptual construct, each visual perspective having elements, the method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a first element in the first visual perspective as a startpoint;

b) selecting a second element in the second visual perspective as an endpoint; and

c) allowing a user to navigate from the first element to the second element and vice versa,

wherein all the elements can serve as the startpoint or endpoint.

13. A method for seamlessly navigating elements of schematics in canvases comprising the steps of:

a) navigating a construct as a graph, the construct being a collection of the elements coupled to form a plurality of nodes in that the graph is a start-point;

b) starting with a first element visible in a first schematic in a first canvas as the start-point, navigating individually through a plurality of elements to form a set of the elements;

c) providing access to the set for interactive manipulation by;

I. replacing the first schematic with a second schematic containing a next element in the set, centering the view of the second schematic on the next element in the set,

II. displaying the second schematic containing the next element in the set in a new schematic in a new canvas within the first canvas, or in another window, centering the view of the new schematic on the next element in the set,

III. temporarily superimposing the next element in the set over the first element without otherwise altering the first schematic, or

IV. displaying the second schematic containing the next element in the set in a transparent overlay over the first schematic, centering the view of the second schematic on the next element in the set, and

d) presenting a list of all elements in the set, allowing navigation to any one by selection from the list.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of presenting the list comprises the step of presenting a text-based list of elements.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of presenting the list comprises the step of presenting a branching structure of elements grouped together logically.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of presenting the list comprises the step of presenting a collection of graphical images identifying each of the elements, such as a collection of icons.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of presenting the list comprises the step of presenting a spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tool displaying all elements around the start-point.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first element and the next element are on the same canvas.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first element and the next element are coupled to a portion of the construct.