Method and apparatus for compiling transaction processing workflows

• US 6,286,129 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liu, Sophia Fang-Jung, Glavin, Rosemary, Ho, Roy S., Agarwal, Suresh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US08/984,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 707/10, 707/1, 345/334, 345/339, 705/8, 379/136, 717/1
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system, method, and article of manufacture is provided for compiling visual primitives of a transaction flow used by a transaction processing system. Visual primitives of the transaction flow are compiled into multiple routing instructions, which may be stored in a routing table. The routing instructions are then provided to the transaction processing system. The routing instructions are stored in a database contained in the transaction processing system. The routing table is converted into a native language of the transaction processing system. The system is also capable of accessing a series of routing instructions from a transaction processing system, compiling the routing instructions into visual primitives of the transaction flow, and displaying the visual primitives of the transaction flow on a visual display.

Claims

1. A method for compiling a plurality of visual primitives that represent a plurality of routing operations of a work flow used by an interaction system, wherein the method uses a digital computer, the method comprising:

displaying the plurality of visual primitives on a display device, each of the plurality of visual primitives representing a routing operation and being arranged by a user to represent the work flow;

facilitating edits by the user of the work flow by manipulating the plurality of visual primitives;

compiling the plurality of visual primitives that represent the plurality of routing operations of the work flow into a plurality of routing instructions, the plurality of routing instructions specifying the plurality of routing operations of the work flow with respect to an interaction to be performed within the interaction system; and

providing the plurality of routing instructions to the interaction system.

2. The method of claim 1 further including storing the plurality of routing instructions in a routing table.

3. The method of claim 1 further accessing the work flow from a storage device remotely coupled to the digital computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the plurality of routing instructions to the interaction system further includes saving the plurality of routing instructions to an interaction routing database contained in the interaction system.

5. The method of claim 1 further including converting the plurality of routing instructions into a native language of the interaction system.

6. The method of claim 5 further including saving the native language data to the interaction system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing of the plurality of routing instructions to the interaction system further includes verifying that errors did not occur during the compiling step.

8. A method for compiling a work flow used by an interaction system, wherein the method uses a digital computer having a visual display, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of routing instructions from the interaction system, the plurality of routing instructions specifying routing operations that comprise the work flow within the interaction system;

compiling the plurality of routing instructions into a plurality of visual primitives representing the routing operations that comprise the work flow within the interaction system;

automatically displaying the plurality of visual primitives, representing the routing operations that comprise the work flow, on the visual display; and

facilitating edits by a user to the work flow by manipulating the plurality of visual primitives.

9. The method of claim 8 further including compiling the plurality of visual primitives representing the routing operations that comprise the work flow into a routing table.

10. The method of claim 9 further including saving the routing table to the interaction system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the saving of the routing table to the interaction system overwrites an existing routing table on the interaction system.

12. An apparatus for compiling a plurality of visual primitives that represent routing operations of a work flow used by an interaction system, the apparatus comprising:

a display device to display the plurality of visual primitives, each of the plurality of visual primitives representing a routing operation and being arranged by a user to represent the work flow by manipulating the plurality of visual primitives;

a digital computer coupled to the display device;

a data storage device coupled to the digital computer to store the work flow;

a compiler operated by the digital computer and coupled to the data storage device, the compiler to access the work flow from the data storage device and compile the plurality of visual primitives that represent the routing operations of the work flow into a plurality of routing instructions, the plurality of routing instructions specifying the routing operations of the work flow with respect to an interaction within the interaction system; and

a data transfer mechanism coupled to the compiler to provide the plurality of routing instructions to the interaction system.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further including a visual display coupled to the digital computer to display the work flow.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the compiler further includes a verification mechanism to determine whether errors occurred during operation of the compiler.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the compiler is further to convert the plurality of routing instructions into a native language of the interaction system.

16. An apparatus for compiling a plurality of visual primitives that provide a visual representation of routing operations of a work flow used by an interaction system, the apparatus comprising:

displaying means for displaying the plurality of visual primitives, each of the plurality of visual primitives representing a routing operation and being arranged by a user to represent the work flow by manipulating the plurality of visual primitives;

computing means coupled to the displaying means;

data storage means coupled to the computing means for storing the work flow;

compiler means operated by the computing means and coupled to the data storage means, the compiler means for accessing the work flow from the data storage means and compiling the plurality of visual primitives that provide the visual representation of the routing operations of the work flow into a plurality of routing instructions, the plurality of routing instructions specifying the routing operations of the work flow with respect to an interaction within the interaction system; and

data transfer means coupled to the compiler means for providing the plurality of routing instructions to the interaction system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further including display means coupled to the computing means for displaying the work flow.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the compiler means further includes verification means for determining whether errors occurred during operation of the compiler means.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the compiler means converts the plurality of routing instructions into a native language of the interaction system.

20. A computer software product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

display a plurality of visual primitives on a display device, each of the plurality of visual primitives representing a routing operation and being arranged by a user to represent the work flow by manipulating the plurality of visual primitives;

compile the plurality of visual primitives representing routing operations of a work flow into a plurality of routing instructions, the plurality of routing instructions specifying the routing operations of the work flow with respect to an interaction within a interaction system; and

provide the plurality of routing instructions to the interaction system.

21. The computer software product of claim 20 further including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to convert the plurality of routing instructions into a native language of the interaction system.

22. The computer software product of claim 20 further including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to verify that errors did not occur during the compile instructions.