WORKFLOW ENGINE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090055825A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Gary S., White, Joseph P.
• Application Number:
  US11/841,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055825A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Provided is a workflow engine for managing data. More specifically, the workflow engine includes a receiving subsystem that is operable to receive data. An environment evaluating subsystem is also provided and is operable to evaluate an environment and determine at least one environmental parameter. A data evaluating system is in communication with the receiving subsystem and the environment evaluating subsystem. The data evaluating system is operable to determine at least one data parameter from the received data and to receive the environmental parameter. The data evaluating system will evaluate the data parameter and environment parameter and select at least one appropriate workflow rule for use in establishing a workflow job operation for execution by a job operation subsystem. An associated method of use is also provided.

Claims

1. A workflow engine for managing data, comprising:

a receiving subsystem operable to receive data;

an environment evaluating subsystem operable to evaluate an environment and determine at least one environmental parameter;

a data evaluating subsystem in communication with the receiving subsystem and the environment evaluating subsystem, the data evaluating subsystem operable to;

receive data from the receiving system and determine at least one data parameter;

receive the at least one environmental parameter;

evaluate the data parameter and environmental parameter and determine the selection of at least one appropriate workflow rule; and

establish a workflow job operation for execution by a job operation subsystem.

2. The workflow engine of claim 1, further including a workflow rule pool in communication with the data evaluating subsystem, the evaluating subsystem being operable to provide rule information contained in received data to the rule pool, the rule pool being operable to add and remove a rule during system operation.

3. The workflow engine of claim 1, further including a translator in communication with the receiving subsystem, the translator being operable to receive provided data in an enterprise format and to translate the data into a compliant format for evaluation by the data evaluating subsystem.

4. The workflow engine of claim 1, further including a problem solving optimizer in communication with the evaluating subsystem, the optimizer operable to receive a generic problem request from the evaluating subsystem and to provide an optimized result for determining the at least one appropriate workflow rule.

5. The workflow engine of claim 1, wherein the evaluating system is operable to provide multiple workflow job operations substantially contemporaneously.

6. The workflow engine of claim 1, wherein the workflow engine establishes workflow job operations for a mission management system.

7. A mission management system comprising a workflow engine as in claim 1.

8. A workflow engine for managing data, comprising:

an interface operable to provide connectivity between the workflow engine and an external enterprise;

a translation subsystem coupled to the interface, translation subsystem operable to translate inbound data from an enterprise format to a compliant workflow engine format and to translate outbound data from the compliant workflow engine format to an enterprise format;

an environment evaluating subsystem operable to evaluate an environment and determine at least one environmental parameter;

a workflow rule pool having at least one workflow rule;

a data evaluating subsystem in communication with the translation subsystem, the environment evaluating subsystem and the workflow rule pool, the data evaluating subsystem operable to;

receive data from the interface and determine at least one data parameter;

receive the at least one environmental parameter;

evaluate the data parameter and environmental parameter to determine the selection of at least one appropriate workflow rule from the workflow rule pool; and

establish a workflow job operation for execution by a job operation subsystem.

9. The workflow engine of claim 8, the evaluating subsystem being operable to provide rule information contained in received data to the workflow rule pool, the workflow rule pool being operable to add and remove a rule during system operation.

10. The workflow engine of claim 8, wherein the workflow engine is a portable, enterprise independent mission management system.

11. The workflow engine of claim 8, wherein the translation subsystem includes a plurality of translators, the translation subsystem operable to determine the initial or desired enterprise data format and to select a corresponding translator.

12. The workflow engine of claim 8, wherein the evaluating system is operable to provide multiple workflow job operations substantially contemporaneously.

13. The workflow engine of claim 8, wherein the workflow engine is operable to receive and execute multiple instances of inbound data concurrently.

14. The workflow engine of claim 8, further including a problem solving optimizer in communication with the evaluating subsystem, the optimizer operable to receive a generic problem request from the evaluating subsystem and provide an optimized result for determining the at least one appropriate workflow rule.

15. A method of adaptive mission management, comprising:

receiving data in enterprise format;

translating the received data into a workflow engine format;

sampling the environment to determine at least one environmental parameter

evaluating the translated data to determine at least one data parameter;

evaluating the data parameter and the environmental parameter to identify at least one appropriate workflow rule;

selecting at least one identified workflow rule and developing a workflow job operation with respect to the selected rule, translated data and environmental parameter; and

directing the workflow job operation to a job operation subsystem for execution.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the translating is performed by a translation subsystem, the environment sampling is performed by an environment evaluating subsystem and the evaluating and selecting is performed by a data evaluating subsystem.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein multiple instantiations of the method may be performed concurrently.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is stored on a computer readable medium as a computer program, which when executed in a computer system will perform the method of mission management.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the workflow engine format is XML.

20. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for adaptive mission management, comprising:

an interface routine operatively associated with an input device to provide connectivity between the workflow engine and an external enterprise;

a translation routine operable to receive data from the interface routine and translate inbound data from an enterprise format to a compliant workflow engine format and to translate outbound data from the compliant workflow engine format to an enterprise format;

an environment evaluating routine for evaluating an environment and determine at least one environmental parameter;

a workflow rule pool routine operating to establish a workflow rule pool having at least one workflow rule;

a data evaluating routine in communication with the translation routine, the environment evaluating routine and the workflow rule pool routine, the data evaluating routine operable to;

receive data from the interface routine and determine at least one data parameter;

receive the at least one environmental parameter;

evaluate the data parameter and environmental parameter to determine the selection of at least one appropriate workflow rule from the workflow rule pool; and

establish a workflow job operation for execution by a job operation subsystem.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, the evaluating subsystem being operable to provide rule information contained in received data to the workflow rule pool, the workflow rule pool routine being operable to add and remove a rule during system operation.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the workflow engine is a portable, enterprise independent mission management system.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the translation routine includes a plurality of translators, the translation routine operable to determine the initial or desired enterprise data format and to select a corresponding translator.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the evaluating routine is operable to provide multiple workflow job operations substantially contemporaneously.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the workflow engine is operable to receive and execute multiple instances of inbound data concurrently.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further including a problem solving optimizer routine, the optimizer operable to receive a generic problem request from the evaluating routine and provide an optimized result for determining the at least one appropriate workflow rule.