Data item evaluation based on the combination of multiple factors

• US 6,499,023 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dong, Guozhu, Zhou, Gang, Su, Jianwen, Simon, Eric, Llirbat, Francois, Kumar, Bharat, Hull, Richard Baxter
• Primary Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/253,274
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46, 707/517, 345/335, 709/206
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

An object-focused workflow system for processing a received object in accordance with a declarative workflow specification. The specification includes modules and attributes, where module execution results in the evaluation of attributes, and may include the initiation of a side-effect action performed by an external component. Whether modules are to be executed for a particular received object is determined by associated enabling conditions. Attributes may be evaluated in accordance with computation rules and a combining policy, where the computation rules specify how values are to be contributed to an attribute, and the combining policy indicates how those contributed values are combined in order to assign a value to the attribute. Tasks in the workflow system may be executed eagerly in order to improve the performance of the workflow system. The eager evaluation of tasks includes the determination of whether such tasks are eligible for eager evaluation, and whether the tasks are unneeded or necessary for the processing of the received event. Workflows which satisfy described design properties allow for improved algorithms for the determination of the whether tasks are eligible, eager, and/or necessary. A graphical user interface is provided for displaying a representation of the evaluation status of the modules and attributes during workflow execution.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium storing a program specification defining steps to be performed by a programmed computer, said program specification defining:

at least one data item;

a plurality of computation rules associated with said at least one data item defining values to be contributed to said data item;

at least one combining policy associated with said at least one data item defining a manner in which said contributed values are combined in order to assign a final value to said at least one data item; and

a step to assign said final value to said at least one data item based on said at least one combining policy.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said program specification further defines:

a condition and a term associated with each of said computation rules wherein said term defines a value to be contributed if said condition is satisfied; and

a step to evaluate said computation rules associated with said at least one data item by performing the following for each computation rule associated with said at least one data item;

a step to evaluate said condition; and

a step to contribute said term to said at least one data item when said condition is satisfied, wherein said term is not contributed to said at least one data item when said condition is not satisfied.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said at least one combining policy is further defined by a combining policy language program.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said at least one combining policy is further defined by a combining policy language function which represents a combining policy language program.

5. A computer system comprising:

a memory storing a program specification, said program specification defining;

at least one data item;

a plurality of computation rules associated with said at least one data item defining values to be contributed to said data item;

at least one combining policy associated with said at least one data item defining a manner in which said contributed values are combined in order to assign a final value to said at least one data item; and

a step to assign said final value to said at least one data item based on said at least one combining policy; and

a processor for evaluating data items based on said program specification.

6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein said program specification further defines:

a condition and a term associated with each of said computation rules wherein said term defines a value to be contributed if said condition is satisfied; and

a step to evaluate said computation rules associated with said at least one data item by performing the following for each computation rule associated with said at least one data item;

a step to evaluate said condition; and

a step to contribute said term to said at least one data item when said condition is satisfied, wherein said term is not contributed to said at least one data item when said condition is not satisfied.

7. The computer system of claim 5 wherein said program specification further defines a combining policy language program.

8. The computer system of claim 5 wherein said program specification further defines a combining policy language function which represents a combining policy language program.

9. A method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one data item;

providing a plurality of computation rules associated with said at least one data item defining values to be contributed to said data item;

providing at least one combining policy associated with said at least one data item defining a manner in which said contributed values are combined in order to assign a final value to said at least one data item; and

assigning said final value to said at least one data item based on said at least one combining policy.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the step of providing at least one combining policy further comprises the step of providing a combining policy comprising the steps of;

determining which value of the contributed values is highest; and

assigning the highest contributed value to said at least one data item.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the step of providing at least one combining policy further comprises the step of providing a combining policy comprising the steps of;

summing values for the contributed values; and

assigning the sum to the at least one data item.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

providing a condition and a term associated with each of said computation rules wherein said term defines a value to be contributed if said condition is satisfied;

evaluating said computation rules associated with said at least one data item by performing the following steps for each computation rule associated with said at least one data item;

evaluating said condition; and

contributing said term to said at least one data item when said condition is satisfied, wherein said term is not contributed to said at least one data item when said condition is not satisfied.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one combining policy is further defined by a combining policy language program.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one combining policy is further defined by a combining policy language function which represents a combining policy language program.