Dynamic organization model and management computing system and method therefor

• US 6,067,548 A
• Filed: 07/16/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eguanxi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E Guanxi Incorporated
• Inventors: Cheng, Edward C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/116,521
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104, 707/101, 707/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides a dynamic organizational database as an underlying information system to support collaborative computing in a global enterprise. This information system is built based on the Organizational Modeling and Management model (OMM) and provides a system architecture and a graphical user interface for easy manipulation of organizational objects. Contrary to traditional approaches, the present invention separates the organization model from the process model, the application model and the data model. Thus, independent and flexible enterprise modeling and design is allowed to reflect more realistically a rapidly changing business environment.

Claims

1. A utility for an organizational database to support collaborative computing between users within a computer system network by an enterprise having a plurality of objects, the utility comprising:

means for expressing information received from at least one of the users;

means for storing a plurality of classes of organizational objects, each class having any number of member objects;

means for mapping the member objects to the objects within the enterprise; and

means for virtually linking one or more of the member objects to at least one other member object with a relationship definition which can be dynamically evaluated and resolved at runtime of the utility, the expressing means determining which of the relationship definitions to be evaluated and resolved, the expressing means coupled to the storing means, mapping means, and virtually linking means.

2. The utility of claim 1 wherein the storing means includes vertically partitioning the member objects of the enterprise and horizontally partitioning an individual member object into sub-groups.

3. The utility of claim 1 wherein one of the classes includes a main member class having attributes and methods.

4. The utility of claim 3 wherein the attributes and methods are user-defined.

5. The utility of claim 1 wherein the utility includes a life-cycle means for representing the availability of one or more member objects to function in response to the expressing means, the life-cycle means having a plurality states to indicate its availability to function, the life-cycle means changing from one state to another by input from one of the users.

6. The utility of claim 5 wherein the plurality of states includes an active state which changes to an inactive state simulating the reality of the member object being available for its function, or a removal state wherein the information of the member object is retained in the storing means, or a forgotten state wherein the information of the member object is archived.

7. The utility of claim 1 wherein the virtual linking means includes at least one relational definition between two member objects is reversible.

8. The utility of claim 1 wherein expressing means includes a graphical user interface for users to explore the relationships between resources.

9. The utility of claim 1 wherein the utility assigns a unique identifier across the enterprise.

10. The utility of claim 1 wherein the expressing means includes means for querying the relationship definition to resolve an expression received from at least one of the users.

11. A method for supplying information through an organizational database to support collaborative computing between users within a computer system network by an enterprise having a plurality of objects, the method including the steps of:

expressing information received from at least one of the users;

storing a plurality of classes of organizational objects wherein each class includes any number of member objects;

mapping member objects to an actual entity within the enterprise;

virtually linking one or more of the member objects to at least one other member object with a relationship definition; and

dynamically evaluating and resolving a virtual link relationship definition at runtime of the utility, the expressing step determining which of the relationship definitions are to be evaluated and resolved.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the utility further includes vertically partitioning a plurality of resources of the enterprise and horizontally partitioning an individual resource into sub-groups.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein one of the classes includes a main member class having attributes and methods.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the method includes the user defining the attributes and methods.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the method includes the step of representing the life-cycle availability of one or more member objects to function in response to the expressing step, the representing step indicating the life-cycle availability of one or more member objects to function by having a plurality states which change from one state to another by input from one of the users.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the representing step includes the step of simulating the reality of the member object being available for its function with the plurality of states having an active state which changes to an inactive state, or a removal state wherein the information of the member object is retained in the storing step, or a forgotten state wherein the information of the member object is archived.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of virtual linking includes defining at least one relational definition between two member objects as reversible.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein expressing step includes the step of exploring the relationships between resources with a graphical interface.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the method includes the step of assigning a unique identifier across the enterprise.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the expressing step includes the step of querying the relationship definition to resolve an expression received from at least one of the users.

21. In a computer network utilizing an organizational database to support collaborative computing between users within a computer system network by an enterprise having a plurality of objects, the network configured to:

express information received from at least one of the users;

store a plurality of classes of organizational objects with each class having any number of member objects;

map member objects to an actual entity within the enterprise;

virtually link one or more of the member objects to at least one other member object with a relationship definition;

dynamically evaluate and resolve at runtime of the network the relationship definitions determined by the express information.

22. The network of claim 21 wherein the network is configured to vertically partition the member objects of the enterprise and horizontally partition an individual member object into sub-groups.

23. The network of claim 21 wherein one of the classes includes a main member class having attributes and methods.

24. The network of claim 23 wherein the attributes and methods are user-defined.

25. The network of claim 21 wherein the network is configured to represent the life-cycle availability of one or more member objects to function in response to the expression, the life-cycle availability having a plurality states to indicate its availability to function, the life-cycle availability changing from one state to another by input from one of the users.

26. The network of claim 25 wherein the plurality of states includes an active state which changes to an inactive state simulating the reality of the member object being available for its function, or a removal state wherein the information of the member object is retained in storage, or a forgotten state wherein the information of the member object is archived.

27. The network of claim 21 wherein the network is configured to virtual link at least one relational definition between two member objects which is reversible.

28. The network of claim 21 wherein the network is configured to explore the relationships between resources using a graphic interface.

29. The network of claim 21 wherein the network is configured to assign a unique identifier across the enterprise.

30. The network of claim 21 wherein the network is configured to query the relationship definition to resolve the information received from at least one of the users.