Adaptive strategy-based system

• US 6,061,506 A
• Filed: 08/29/1995
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omega Software Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omega Software Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wollaston, Graham, Farmer, Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): TESKA, KEVIN J
• Application Number:
  US08/520,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/201-204, 395/207-211, 395/50, 395/60, 395/68, 395/76, 395/77, 364/578, 364/468.01-468.12
• US Class Current: 703/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A user definable closed computerized smart system to emulate the day-to-day continuous operation of business environments with minimal human intervention. A simple and efficient mechanism for defining and updating recurring business cyclical activities is provided. A system is provided for tracking all predefined pending activities and events, storing and retrieving appropriate information in a relational knowledge base. A delay-pending feature is taught that modifies pending activities and events, relative chronologically to other business activities and events. An expert feature for effectuating certain predictable logical and intuitive behavior based upon rules stored in a knowledge base is also provided. An update fields methodology is also provided for maintaining and changing data in individual knowledge base records on the basis of dynamically changing circumstances.

Claims

1. An adaptable user-defined strategy-based computerized system for emulating the continuous operation of a business scenario, said smart computer system comprising:

a relational knowledge base means for storing a plurality of strategies pertaining to said business scenario, said knowledge base including;

names database means for storing a plurality of entities characterizing said business scenario;

actions database means for storing a plurality of recurring activities and events characterizing said business scenario, and relating said plurality of entities;

employee database means for storing a plurality of employees who perform said plurality of recurring activities and events upon said plurality of entities, said employee database means related to said names database means and said actions database means;

pending database means for storing at least one sequence of select activities and events of said plurality of activities and events scheduled to be performed by corresponding select employees of said plurality of employees upon at least one select entity of said plurality of entities; and

history database means for storing said select activities and events stored in said pending database means, when each of said activities and events of at least one sequence of said select activities and events stored in said pending database means is completed;

input means for providing menus and screen dialogs for user specification of the contents of said knowledge base;

means for ascertaining which of said plurality of activities and events scheduled to be performed by said plurality of employees upon said plurality of entities stored in said pending database means should be processed concomitantly with appropriate related databases in said knowledge base, to emulate the operation of said business scenario over a user specified time period;

processing means for performing said processing of said pending database concomitantly with said appropriate related databases in said knowledge base over said user specified time period, and for maintaining synchronicity between completed actions contained in said pending database means and said history database means;

query means for accessing said knowledge base; and

output means for receiving results from said processing means and for providing said results to said plurality of employees.

2. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said relational knowledge base means further comprises update fields database means for automatic editing of records stored in said knowledge base means.

3. The computerized system recited in claim 2, wherein said update fields database means is configured to receive a plurality of fields with their concomitant data type and value, for automatic editing of said plurality of fields immediately after one of said plurality of activities and events contained in said pending database means is processed by said processing means.

4. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes employee reassignment means for dynamically replacing a plurality of employees from said employee database means assigned to perform a scheduled action upon a plurality of entities from said names database means contained in said pending database means with another plurality of employees from said employee database means.

5. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said names database means includes parent-child means for interrelating a plurality of entities contained therein responsive to a variable number of user-defined interdependencies between said plurality of entities and a plurality of employees from said employees database means.

6. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said processing means maintains said synchronicity between said pending database and history database means by simultaneously deleting a scheduled action from said pending database means and creating a corresponding completed action in said history database means.

7. The computerized system recited in claim 6, wherein said processing means includes a telephone processing means for only deleting a telephone-related action from said pending database means when said telephone-related action is completed.

8. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said processing means includes a delay pending means for selecting a plurality of said pending activities and events stored in said pending database means based upon user-defined selection criteria and then modifying the scheduled completion dates thereof based upon a user-defined date criterion, responsive to changes in said business scenario.

9. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said actions database means includes entry point means for limiting selection of subsequent activities and events to a predefined subset of activities and events depending from an initial activity or event.

10. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said actions database means includes options from means for limiting selection of subsequent activities and events to a predefined subset of activities and events depending from a preceding activity or event.

11. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said actions database means includes replacement means for deleting a plurality of subsequent activities and events contained in said pending database means based upon said plurality of subsequent activities and events being predefined in a preceding activity or event, and said deletion of said plurality of subsequent activities and events occurring during said operation of said processing means.

12. The computerized system recited in claim 1, wherein said means for ascertaining which of said plurality of scheduled activities and events contained in said pending database means should be processed further comprises expert means for conducting said ascertaining based upon user-defined rules involving an interrelated plurality of entities, employees, activities and events contained in said knowledge base.