Method and apparatus for defining and evaluating a graphic rule

• US 5,815,152 A
• Filed: 06/19/1997
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: D+H USA Corporation (Finastra Global Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Logical Software Solutions Corp (Finastra Global Ltd.)
• Inventors: Collier, Mary F., Bennett, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/879,087
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 395/348, 395/340, 395/326, 395/341, 395/342, 395/343, 395/339
• US Class Current: 715/839
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for graphically defining a rule to be evaluated by a computer system for determining actions to be taken when processing a particular instance of a system entity. Each rule contains one or more conditions, each of which evaluates to at least two alternatives. One or more actions may be defined for each alternative which will be executed upon evaluation of the condition.

Claims

1. A method of defining a rule to be evaluated by a system comprising the steps of:

graphically selecting a condition to be associated with a rule, the condition evaluating to at least two values;

graphically displaying the condition on a display;

graphically adding condition legs to the condition on the display; and

graphically associating at least one object with each condition leg on the display, wherein the at least one object is executed when the condition evaluates to the corresponding condition leg, and wherein the condition, the condition legs, and the at least one object form a dynamically modifiable and interchangeable graphical map of the rule on the display.

12. The method of defining a rule according to claim 1, wherein the condition, condition legs, and the at least one object are represented on the display as icons.

2. A method of defining a rule to be evaluated by a system comprising the steps of:

selecting a rule icon for a rule;

placing the rule icon in a display area;

connecting the rule icon to object icons for objects in the display area;

adding a condition icon for a condition to the rule icon including a first leg icon for a first leg and a second leg icon for a second leg; and

attaching an object icon to each of the first and second leg icons, the object icon representing one of an action object or a routing object, wherein the rule icon, conditions icon, the condition leg icons, and the object icon from a dynamically modifiable and interchangeable graphical map of the rule on a display screen.

3. The method of defining a rule according to claim 2, wherein said step of adding the condition icon to the rule icon includes the steps of:

selecting the condition icon;

placing the condition icon on the rule icon in the display area;

displaying a new condition icon for a new condition in the display area connected to the rule icon;

displaying the first and second leg icons wherein the first and second leg icons are connected to the new condition icon; and

configuring the condition icon.

4. The method of defining a rule according to claim 3, wherein said step of configuring the condition icon includes the steps of:

selecting the condition icon to be configured;

displaying a condition area in the display area; and

defining a condition statement associated with the condition icon in the condition area.

5. The method of defining a rule according to claim 5, wherein said step of defining a condition statement includes:

inputting a condition name in the condition area; and

inputting a description of the condition statement.

6. The method of defining a rule according to claim 5, wherein said step of defining a condition statement includes the steps of:

selecting a data field from a group of data fields to be evaluated by the condition statement;

inputting a value as part of the condition statement for evaluating the selected data field;

adding the condition statement to the condition icon; and

displaying the condition statement in the condition area.

7. The method of defining a rule according to claim 7, wherein said step of defining a condition statement further includes the step of selecting an operator when more than one condition statement is to be added to the condition icon.

8. An apparatus for defining a rule in a system comprising:

means for graphically selecting a condition icon for a condition to be associated with a rule, condition leg icons for condition legs for the condition icon, and at least one object icon for at least one object to be associated with each condition leg icon;

wherein the at least one object includes at least one of an action object and a routing object

means for graphically inputting conditions parameters to be associated with each conditions leg icon;

memory for storing the condition parameters; and

a display, responsive to said selecting means, for graphically displaying the condition icon, the condition leg icons including the condition parameters, and the at least one object icon associated with each condition leg icon to form a dynamically modifiable and interchangeable graphical map of the rule.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said selecting means includes a trackball.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said inputting means includes a keyboard.

11. An apparatus for defining a rule in a workflow system comprising:

a display including a display window;

means for dragging a rule icon for a rule and dropping the rule icon in the display window;

means for connecting the rule icon to an object icon in the display area;

means for dragging a icon for a condition and dropping the condition icon in the display window, wherein said display displays condition leg icons for condition legs emanating from the conditions icon in the display window;

means for inputting condition parameters associated with each condition leg icon;

memory for storing the condition parameters, wherein the condition parameters are displayed adjacent to their corresponding condition leg icon; and

means for dragging one of an action object icon for an action object and a routing object icon for a routing object to each condition leg icon in the display window, wherein said one of an action object icon and a routing object icon are displayed on the condition leg icon, wherein the rule icon, condition icon, condition leg icons, and the one of an action object icon and a routing object icon form a dynamically modifiable and interchangeable graphical map of the rule on the display.