DYNAMICALLY CONFIGURABLE WORKFLOW IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160132299A1
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Record360 LLC
• Original Assignee: Record360, Inc. (Alpine SG LLC)
• Inventors: Harrison, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 10,102,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/427 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to a mobile application that enables a completely and dynamically configurable workflow. Once installed on a mobile computer, the application is completely configurable without re-compiling the application. A user may configure the “look & feel,” as well as the workflow of a particular instance of the application, via configuration templates. Once the application is downloaded and installed in an executable form, the user may configure and/or reconfigure the workflow and the “look and feel” of the application without a re-compiling operation and/or generating new machine-code to enable the configuration. To configure and/or reconfigure the application, the user need only to edit and/or receive additional configuration templates. The execution of the configured workflow is not dependent upon the mobile computer being in communication with another network computer. The mobile application may be a native application. Accordingly, the completely customizable mobile application may be executed in an “offline” mode.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a workflow at a mobile computer that includes a processor, comprising:

providing an application to the mobile computer, wherein the application includes machine-code instructions and a plurality of executable modules; and

providing one or more configuration templates to the mobile computer, wherein the one or more configuration templates include a workflow definition that indicates at least a subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

when at least a portion of the machine-code instructions are executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the workflow is provided to a user of the mobile computer by performing a first set of actions comprising;

parsing, at the mobile computer, the one or more configuration templates;

determining, at the mobile computer, the subset of the plurality of modules included in the workflow definition based on parsing the one or more configuration templates; and

executing, at the mobile computer, each of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second configuration template to the mobile computer, wherein the second configuration template includes a second workflow definition that is separate from the workflow definitions and indicates at least a second subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

when the portion of the machine-code instructions are subsequently executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the second workflow is provided to the user of the mobile computer by performing a second set actions that are separate from the first set of actions and comprising;

parsing, at the mobile computer, the second configuration template;

determining, at the mobile computer, the second subset of the plurality of modules included in the second workflow definition based on parsing the second configuration template; and

executing, at the mobile computer, each of modules included in the second subset of the plurality of executable modules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow definition further indicates an ordered sequence of the subset of the plurality of the modules and the first set of actions further comprises:

executing, at the mobile computer, each of the subset of the plurality of executable modules in the ordered sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration templates further include an application canvas definition that indicates at least one of a font, background color, or text color, and wherein

executing at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules includes providing a user interface to the user based on the application canvas definition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration templates further include non-machine-code instructions that are specific to at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

executing the at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of executable modules includes performing additional actions that are based on the non-machine-code instructions that are specific to the at least one of the modules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein executing each of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules enables documenting a condition of tangible property.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein when the portion of the machine-code instructions are executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the mobile computer is configured in an off-line mode.

8. A system for configuring a workflow at a mobile computer that includes a processor, comprising:

a network; and

a network computer that performs a third set of actions comprising;

providing an application over the network to the mobile computer, wherein the application includes machine-code instructions and a plurality of executable modules; and

providing one or more configuration templates over the network to the mobile computer, wherein the one or more configuration templates include a workflow definition that indicates at least a subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

when at least a portion of the machine-code instructions are executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the workflow is provided to a user of the mobile computer by performing a first set of actions comprising;

parsing, at the mobile computer, the one or more configuration templates;

determining, at the mobile computer, the subset of the plurality of modules included in the workflow definition based on parsing the one or more configuration templates; and

executing, at the mobile computer, each of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules.

9. The system of claim 8, the third set of actions further comprising:

providing a second configuration template to the mobile computer, wherein the second configuration template includes a second workflow definition that is separate from the workflow definitions and indicates at least a second subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

when the portion of the machine-code instructions are subsequently executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the second workflow is provided to the user of the mobile computer by performing a second set actions that are separate from the first set of actions and comprising;

parsing, at the mobile computer, the second configuration template;

determining, at the mobile computer, the second subset of the plurality of modules included in the second workflow definition based on parsing the second configuration template; and

executing, at the mobile computer, each of modules included in the second subset of the plurality of executable modules.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the workflow definition further indicates an ordered sequence of the subset of the plurality of the modules and the first set of actions further comprises:

executing, at the mobile computer, each of the subset of the plurality of executable modules in the ordered sequence.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more configuration templates further include an application canvas definition that indicates at least one of a font, background color, or text color, and wherein

executing at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules includes providing a user interface to the user based on the application canvas definition.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more configuration templates further include non-machine-code instructions that are specific to at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

executing the at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of executable modules includes performing additional actions that are based on the non-machine-code instructions that are specific to the at least one of the modules.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein executing each of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules enables documenting a condition of tangible property.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein when the portion of the machine-code instructions are executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the mobile computer is configured in an off-line mode.

15. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes machine-code instructions and a plurality of executable modules for configuring a workflow at a mobile computer that includes a processor, when at least a portion of the machine-code instructions are executed by the processor, the workflow is provided to a user of the mobile computer by performing a first set of actions comprising:

receiving, at the mobile computer, one or more configuration templates, wherein the one or more configuration templates include a workflow definition that indicates at least a subset of the plurality of modules;

parsing, at the mobile computer, the one or more configuration templates;

determining, at the mobile computer, the subset of the plurality of modules included in the workflow definition based on parsing the one or more configuration templates; and

executing, at the mobile computer, each of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the workflow definition further indicates an ordered sequence of the subset of the plurality of the modules and the first set of actions further comprises:

executing, at the mobile computer, each of the subset of the plurality of executable modules in the ordered sequence.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the one or more configuration templates further include an application canvas definition that indicates at least one of a font, background color, or text color, and wherein

executing at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules includes providing a user interface to the user based on the application canvas definition.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the one or more configuration templates further include non-machine-code instructions that are specific to at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules, and wherein

executing the at least one of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of executable modules includes performing additional actions that are based on the non-machine-code instructions that are specific to the at least one of the modules.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein executing each of the modules included in the subset of the plurality of modules enables documenting a condition of tangible property.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein when the portion of the machine-code instructions are executed by the processor included in the mobile computer, the mobile computer is configured in an off-line mode.