APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR WORKFLOW CAPTURE AND DISPLAY

• US 20100070950A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Windell, David Thomas, Smith, Jeffrey John
• Granted Patent: US 11,182,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The apparatus for workflow capture and display is provided with a plurality of modules configured to functionally execute the necessary steps of capturing task workflow information, storing the task workflow information captured by the capture module in a data storage device, retrieving a portion of the task workflow information from the data storage device in response to a first event, and presenting the task workflow information in response to a second event. These modules in the described embodiments include a capture module, a storage module, an assembly module, and a presentation module.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a capture module configured to capture task workflow information;

a storage module in data communication with the capture module, the storage module configured to store the task workflow information captured by the capture module in a data storage device;

an assembly module in data communication with the storage module, the assembly module configured to retrieve a portion of the task workflow information from the data storage device in response to a first event; and

a presentation module in data communication with the assembly module, the presentation module configured to present the task workflow information in response to a second event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein assembly module further comprises a tag module, the tag module configured to assign a tag to a portion of the task workflow information in response to the first event, wherein the tag defines the portion of the workflow information to be retrieve from the data storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the task workflow information further comprises an image associated with a display device at a specified time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the task workflow information further comprises application information, the application information configured to indicate a software application in use at a specified time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the presentation module further comprises a reversion module configured to automatically configure a task bar to a captured task bar configuration in response to a reversion event, the captured task bar configuration defined by the application information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reversion module is further configured to open a first software application specified in a portion of the application information defined by the first event in response to a determination that the first software application is not open at the time of the reversion event.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reversion module is further configured to:

save data associated with a second software application in response to a determination that the second software application was not open at the time of the first event; and

close the second software application in response to a determination N that the second software application was not open at the time of the first event.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for workflow capture and display, the operations of the computer program product comprising:

capturing task workflow information;

storing the task workflow information captured by the capture operation in a data storage device;

retrieving a portion of the task workflow information from the data storage device in response to a first event; and

presenting the task workflow information in response to a second event.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise assigning a tag to a portion of the task workflow information in response to the first event, wherein the tag defines the portion of the workflow information to be retrieve from the data storage device.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the task workflow information further comprises an image associated with a display device at a specified time.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the task workflow information further comprises application information, the application information configured to indicate a software application in use at a specified time.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise automatically configuring a task bar to a captured task bar configuration in response to a reversion event, the captured task bar configuration defined by the application information.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise opening a first software application specified in a portion of the application information defined by the first event in response to a determination that the first software application is not open at the time of the reversion event.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

saving data associated with a second software application in response to a determination that the second software application was not open at the time of the first event; and

closing the second software application in response to a determination that the second software application was not open at the time of the first event.

15. A method, comprising:

capturing task workflow information;

storing the task workflow information captured by the capture operation in a data storage device;

retrieving a portion of the task workflow information from the data storage device in response to a first event; and

presenting the task workflow information in response to a second event.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising assigning a tag to a portion of the task workflow information in response to the first event, wherein the tag defines the portion of the workflow information to be retrieve from the data storage device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the task workflow information further comprises an image associated with a display device at a specified time.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the task workflow information further comprises application information, the application information configured to indicate a software application in use at a specified time.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically configuring a task bar to a captured task bar configuration in response to a reversion event, the captured task bar configuration defined by the application information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

opening a first software application specified in a portion of the application information defined by the first event in response to a determination that the first software application is not open at the time of the reversion event;

saving data associated with a second software application in response to a determination that the second software application was not open at the time of the first event; and

closing the second software application in response to a determination that the second software application was not open at the time of the first event.