Distributed work flow management

• US 5,893,128 A
• Filed: 12/05/1995
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Van-Ka BV
• Original Assignee: Nauckhoff, Sven
• Inventors: Nauckhoff, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US08/530,270
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 395/331, 395/332, 395/329, 395/617, 395/619, 395/618, 395/477, 395/726, 395/772, 395/208, 395/209, 707/201, 707/203, 707/511, 707/530, 707/531
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Method for distributed work flow management in a distributed data processing system comprising node units (18,20,22) connected in a network (12), whereby data can be communicated between node units (18,20,22), each node unit (18,20,22) comprising data processing means, data storing means, data presentation means and data communication means, the system comprising coordinating means in which method a case is initiated, said case comprises case specific application data and case specific control data, said case is transferable between a first node unit (18) and a second node unit (20) and/or between a first and a second location defined in one node unit (10,14,18,20,22) or in different node units (10,14,18,20,22), and wherein said case is processed in a case handling process which is defined and controlled through said control data. In an arrangement for executing the method a node unit (18,20,22) comprises a user interface unit (24), an information presentation manager (26), a distributed work flow management unit (28), a database manager (40), an application/external component unit (30), an authorization manager (32), a data transport manager (34) and a data communications means (38).

Claims

1. Method for distributed work flow management in a distributed data processing system comprising node units (10) connected in a network (12,16), whereby data can be communicated between node units (10), each node unit (10) comprising data processing means, data storage means, data presentation means and data communication means, wherein a case associated with case specific application data including digititized documents is initiated, processed in a case handling process in a node unit (10) and possibly transferred between node units (10) according to case specific control data, the method being characterized in the steps of:

defining at least one location in at least one node unit (10) within a distributed work flow management arrangement, said location being a uniquely named entity where processing of a case is executed and being able to communicate with another location;

forming a case from a case envelope for containing the application data and a case profile for containing control data in the form of processing directives, that specify the processes and operations a case will go through and including a processing plan that specifies the sequence of said operations, said control data being able to generate control signals that affects a component of the distributed data processing system, said case in its entirety being transportable between node units;

specifying in the processing directives the user who should process the processing directive, the time at which it can be processed or must be processed and in what location or node unit the processing can be performed, the processing directives being independent or releated in terms of their processing; and

transporting said case to the correct user via the data communications means and prompting appropriate action in a timely fashion dependent on the processing directives of the control data, the control data, the application data and control data for said case thus being contained in and transported with the case.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in step of providing case handling functions that define an application architecture for developing operational application programs and a common standard for inter-application communication.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that application data and control data is stored within the case and transferred with the case in the data format of the data processing means that has been used to create and/or manipulate said application data.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the step of including in the application data of a case an original document that may be handled by only one user at a time, and possibly a set of identical or similar documents, defining each document copy for a specific use in the case handling process, whereby a case having such identical or similar documents is divisible into subcases.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the steps of:

dividing an original case into a first subcase and a second subcase, each subcase comprising a non-overlapping part of the application data and/or control data or a copy of all application data and/or control data of said case,

processing said first and second subcases in a sequence or in parallel, and possibly

merging the first and the second subcases into a single case.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in the steps of relating said subcases buy specifying in the processing plan of each subcase a coordination such that the subcases cooperate and remain parts of the original case and processing each subcase as a basic case unit.

7. Method according claim 1, characterized in the step of storing data needed to manage the flow of a case between users and locations in specifically named variables which are kept separated from application programs.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the steps of storing application data necessary to process a case in a variable pool comprising a set of named variables each having a specific value by means and associating the variable pool to a case envelope belonging to said case.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the step of storing information associated with a document, said associated information having for example the nature of a form, a note or a margin scribble.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the step of managing data consistency of a first case in the node unit in which said case is currently processed, and if said first case is a first subcase related to a second subcase, maintaining data consistency in each subcase independently of the other subcase, and if said first and second subcases are merged into a second case, achieving data consistency within said second case through collection and processing of application data from the first and the second subcases and by means of the control data comprised in each subcase is used to determine the validity of changes in application data.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in

structuring locations in a hierarchical manner so that a first location may be coordinating location for at least one second location,

storing, in a coordinating location, information about a case which is located in a coordinated location, whereby a case may be requested from coordinated locations by a coordinating location, found and transported from any first location to any second location in the hierarchy;

transferring regularly said information about a case being currently processed in a coordinated location to its coordinating location, thereby keeping track of said case.

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the steps of:

requisitioning a case;

if the case is not residing in a current first location, then initiating a case transport request including transmitting messages to other locations in order to attempt to transport the case to said first location;

evaluating a usage requirement of a case against the current usage for said case, thereby detecting a possible usage conflict;

marking a case which is present in said current first location and available as requisitioned, thereby reserving said case for use by the requester.

13. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the step of releasing a case no longer required for processing by marking it as released and thereby making said case available for processing by other users.

14. Method according to claim 1, characterized in the step of creating a new case by generating an un-committed copy an empty case variable pool and an envelope from a case type profile and envelope information.

15. Arrangement for distributed work flow management in a distributed data processing system comprising node units (18,20,22) connected in a network (12), whereby data is communicated between node units (18,20,22), each node unit (18,20,22) comprising data processing means, data storing means, data presentation means and data communication means, characterized in that the system comprises coordinating means and a node unit (18,20,22) having a user interface unit (24), an information presentation manager (26), a distributed work flow management unit (28), a database manager (40), an application/external component unit (30), an authorization manager (32), a data transport manager (34) and a data communications means 38, wherein

the user interface unit (24) comprising different user interfaces is functionally interconnected with the information presentation manager (26), the database manager (40), the distributed work flow management unit (28) and the application/external component unit (30) so that data and control signals are transferable between a user and the units interconnected with the user interface unit,

the information presentation manager (26) is functionally interconnected with the database manager (40) and with the distributed work flow management unit (28), whereby said information presentation manager (26) is arranged to present visual and/or audible and/or digitally represented data to a user,

the distributed work flow management unit (28) is functionally interconnected with the authorization manager (32), the data transport manager (34), the interprocess communication manager (36) and the application/external component unit (30), whereby said distributed work flow management unit (28) is arranged to initiate a case and to, in dependence of control data comprised in said case, control storage of case data, control processing of said case, control presentation of case data by means of the information presentation manager (26), control access to data by means of the authorization manager (32), control data transport by means of the data transport manager (34), control communication between processes operating on said case by means of the interprocess communication manager (36), and control the initiation and termination of application functions or other external functions comprised in the application/external component unit (30),

the data base manager (40) is interconnected with the data transported manager (34), and in that

the data communication means is interconnected with the data transport manager (34) and the interprocess communication manager.

16. Arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in request interface means included in a node unit for requesting services from different components of the arrangement during the execution of a procedure, said procedure comprising the performance of a processing directive or an external process.

17. Arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the request interface means comprises user command interface means for requesting services through entering commands from input means such as a terminal keyboard.

18. Arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the request interface means comprises processing directive interface means for specifying processing directives.

19. Arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the request interface means comprises application programming interface means for requesting services by application programs.

20. Arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in locking means for reservation of an exclusive set of data for a limited period and for ensuring the avoidance of dead-lock conditions.

21. A method for distributed work flow management in a distributed data processing system, said distributed data processing system comprising a plurality of node units connected to one another in a computer network, each node unit comprising data processing means, data storage means, data presentation means and data communication means whereby data is transferred between said node units, wherein a case associated with case-specific application data including a digitized document is initiated, processed in a case handling process within a node unit, and is transferable between node units according to case-specific control data, the method comprising the steps of:

defining at least one location in at least one node unit within a distributed work flow management arrangement, said at least one location being a uniquely named entity where processing of a case is executable, said at least one location arranged to communicate with another location;

forming said case from a case envelope for containing the application data and a case profile for containing control data in the form of processing directives, said processing directives specifying the processes and operations a case will go through and including a processing plan that specifies the sequence of said operations, said control data arranged to generate control signals that affect a component of the distributed data processing system, thus in every case comprising application data, control data and the whole processing plan for the case, said case in its entirety being transportable between node units;

specifying in the processing directives a destination that should process the processing directive, the time at which said processing directive is to be processed and in what location or node unit the destination is located, the processing directives being independent or related in terms of their processing; and

transporting said case to the correct location corresponding to said destination, via the data communication means and at that location prompting appropriate action to users who are responsible for said destination in a timely fashion dependent on the processing directives of the control data and on an authorization specification of the users at said destination, the application data and the control data thus being contained in and transported with the case.