Modeling tool for electronic services and associated methods and businesses

• US 7,222,334 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sayal, Mehmet, Casati, Fabio, Shan, Ming-Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood; William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/911,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 717/136, 717/140, 717162-164, 717120-121, 717104-105, 705/1, 705 5- 7, 705/26, 719/318, 719/319
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An electronic services modeling tool for composite e-services and functionality, where a composite e-service is an e-service defined by composing other basic or composite e-services. Implementation of an e-service for composing e-services into a composite e-service. Characteristics of composite e-services and of their differences with respect to traditional workflow-like composition. Definition of a composition model suitable for e-services. Description of a prototype implementation, showing an approach that can be reused for implementing composition on top of any E-Services Platform. Providing composition functionality as an e-service, to be used not only by the owner of the ESP, but also by any designer-user. A specific type of e-service, meta-service, called Composition E-Service, allows the definition, execution, management, and monitoring of composite e-services. A language used for specifying the composition. Architecture and implementation of the CES to deliver the service on top of an ESP.

Claims

1. An electronic meta service methodology comprising:

receiving a process definition;

transforming the process definition into a composite process specification in a format supported by an electronic services platform, said composite process specification having a plurality of electronic services;

registering the composite process specification with the electronic services platform; and

associating each of a plurality of service nodes with a sequential set of method nodes, wherein each sequential set of method nodes includes invocations of inherent operations associated with an associated one of said electronic services.

2. The methodology as set forth in claim 1, said transforming further comprising:

determining which elements of the process definition constitute specific electronic services and designating said elements as linked said service nodes of a continuous flow defining said composite process specification.

3. The methodology as set forth in claim 2 wherein said designating comprises:

configuring each of said service nodes with service invocation setup requirements for an associated one of said electronic services.

4. The methodology as set forth in claim 1, said registering further comprising:

establishing a repository of defined composite electronic services.

5. The methodology as set forth in claim 4, said transforming further comprising:

using said defined composite electronic services in said repository for configuring other composite electronic services.

6. The methodology as set forth in claim 1 said receiving further comprising:

receiving said process definition as a process flow language for composing e-services.

7. The methodology as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

providing ancillary functions selected from a group including;

changing the process, managing individual electronic service definitions, monitoring run-time executions, and obtaining analytical-statistical reports regarding said process.

8. The methodology as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

allowing service providers to invoke a composite process defined by said composite process specification as an individual electronic service via said electronic services platform.

9. The methodology as set forth in claim 1 in an internet environment.

10. The methodology as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one electronic service is an electronic services platform.

11. The methodology as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one electronic service is an electronic service directory.

12. A computerized system for creating composite electronic services for an electronic service platform comprising:

a computer processor;

a memory;

computer code for receiving a process definition;

computer code for transforming the process definition into a composite process specification in a format supported by an electronic services platform, said composite process specification having a plurality of electronic services;

computer code for registering the composite process specification with the electronic services platform; and

computer code for associating each of a plurality of service nodes with a sequential set of method nodes, wherein each sequential set of method nodes includes invocations of inherent operations associated with an associated one of said electronic services.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, said computer code for transforming further comprising:

computer code for determining which elements of the composite process constitute specific electronic services, and

computer code for designating said elements as linked service nodes of a continuous flow defining said composite process.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said computer code for designating comprises:

computer code for configuring each of said service nodes with service invocation setup requirements for an associated one of said electronic services.

15. The system as set forth in claim 12, said computer code for registering further comprising:

computer code for establishing a repository of defined composite electronic services with said electronic services platform.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, said computer code for transforming further comprising:

computer code for using said defined composite electronic services in said repository for configuring other composite electronic services.

17. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein system designers of said composite electronic services are provided with a Composite Service Definition Language format specification and said computer code for receiving said process definition is pre-structured for said a Composite Service Definition Language format.

18. The system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

computer code for providing ancillary functions selected from a group including;

changing the process, managing individual electronic service definitions, monitoring run-time executions, and obtaining analytical-statistical reports regarding said process.

19. The system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

computer interface code for allowing service providers to invoke said composite process as an individual electronic service via said existing electronic services platform.

20. An electronic business system for an electronic services platform environment, the electronic business system comprising:

means for receiving a specification of a first electronic service;

means for compiling other existing secondary electronic services into the first electronic service;

means for structuring said first electronic service to be compatible with a given electronic services platform; and

means for registering said first electronic service in the electronic services platform environment

means for associating each of a plurality of service nodes with a sequential set of method nodes, wherein each sequential set of method nodes includes invocations of inherent operations associated with an associated one of said electronic services.

21. The system as set forth in claim 20 further comprising:

means for defining said specification.

22. The system as set forth in claim 20 further comprising:

means for forming a repository of a plurality of electronic services of a type of said first electronic service.

23. The system as set forth in claim 20 further comprising:

means for providing a work flow representative of said first composite electronic service such that said work flow is compatible with said electronic services platform structure.

24. The system as set forth in claim 23 further comprising:

means for providing an interaction gateway between said means for providing a work flow and said electronic services platform.

25. The system as set forth in claim 20 further comprising:

means for monitoring said first electronic service.

26. The system as set forth in claim 20 further comprising:

means for maintaining said first electronic service.

27. The system as set forth in claim 26, said means for maintaining further comprising:

means for updating said first electronic service after registration with said electronic services platform.

28. The system as set forth in claim 26, said means for maintaining further comprising:

means for deleting said first electronic service from registration with said electronic services platform.