Process management system wherein process descriptions provide indices to document histories

• US 6,505,219 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Realm Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Jones, Rachel, Dourish, Paul, MacLean, Allan, Bentley, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US09/239,042
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 707/530, 707/513, 707/522, 707/911, 707/102, 707/511, 707/500, 707/501.1, 345/761, 345/762
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Process descriptions are formulated in a process management system to describe the flow of work and organizational responsibility in the performance of organizational processes. The process descriptions, which are formulated, are defined by a plurality of tasks that are interrelated by process dependencies. The tasks are executed and completed in an order specified by the process dependencies. A task is completed when the person responsible for completing the task prepares a task document. To record context to aid others in interpreting the completed task documents resources used to complete the task are recorded either manually or automatically. The recorded resources are identified with links in the metadata of the task document. Using the metadata of the task document, the process description provides an index into the history of the task document. Using process descriptions, the process management system is able to organize task documents created for each completed task in a manner that is convenient for retrieval by others who have yet executed a task in the process description.

Claims

1. A method for operating a process management system, comprising the steps of:

specifying a process description;

the process description being defined by a plurality of tasks that are interrelated by process dependencies;

completing at least one of the plurality of tasks in an order defined by the process dependencies; and

automatically recording metadata that specifies resources referenced while completing at least one of the plurality of tasks;

the resources specified in the metadata providing context to aid in interpretation of completed tasks in the specified process description;

wherein said completing step includes the step of preparing a task document for each of the completed tasks; and

wherein said recording step includes the step of specifying at least one property in the metadata relating the resources specified in the metadata to the task document.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said recording step includes the step of specifying in the metadata at least one property of the task document and at least one property of the resources related to the task document.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of indexing the metadata of a task document by accessing a task of the specified process description.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said indexing step is performed after at least one of the plurality of tasks is completed thereby more effectively performing said completing step.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of associating links in the task documents that identify storage locations of the metadata.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to view a completed task of the specified process description;

responsive to said receiving step, identifying the task document having content that describes the completed task; and

referencing the embedded links in the identified task documents to locate the metadata that specifies the resources used to prepare the content of the task document.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying the content of the identified task document and the resources in the identified metadata on a user interface of a computer system.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of preparing a task document further comprises the steps of:

specifying properties of the task document in a properties object; and

embedding a link in the task document to the properties object.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of specifying a process description includes the step of specifying resource identifiers in the resource object of a task document;

the resource identifiers specifying types of resources that are to be used to complete a task of the process description.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein said recording step records part of the metadata in the completed task documents and part of the metadata in a document identified by a global reference stored in the completed task documents.

11. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of prompting a user to define a relationship between the task document and the resources specified in the metadata.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

arranging on a user interface each operating instance of the specified process description; and

providing on the user interface the resources associated all completed tasks of a selected instance of the specified process description.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of providing the resources associated with all completed tasks of a selected instance of the specified process description further comprises the step of indexing the resources of a completed task using the recorded metadata.

14. An apparatus for operating a process management system, comprising:

means for specifying a process description;

the process description being defined by a plurality of tasks that are interrelated by process dependencies;

means for completing at least one of the plurality of tasks in an order defined by the process dependencies; and

means for automatically recording metadata that specifies resources referenced while completing at least one of the plurality of tasks;

the resources specified in the metadata providing context to aid in interpretation of completed tasks in the specified process description;

wherein said completing means includes means for preparing a task document for each of the completed tasks; and

wherein said recording means includes means for specifying at least one property in the metadata relating the resources specified in the metadata to the task document.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for indexing the metadata of a task by accessing a task of the specified process description.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a user interface for displaying all instances of the process description operating in the process management system.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for selecting one of the instances of the process description specified in the process management system; and

means, responsive to said selecting means, displaying resources for each task of the selected instance of the process description.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a user interface for displaying a single instance of the process description specified in the process management system.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means displaying resources for the tasks of the instance of the process description displayed on said user interface.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for prompting a user to define a relationship between the task document and the resources specified in the metadata;

and

means for simultaneously displaying the content of the identified task document and the resources in the identified metadata on a user interface of a computer system;

wherein the metadata specifies at least one property of the task document and at least one property of the resources related to the task document.