Graphical user interface for use with open expert system

• US 7,428,520 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Page, John Thulin, Michels, Raymond John, Davis, Glen Richard, Armstrong, Robert Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US11/130,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 706/47, 707/100, 726/26
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data

Abstract

A rules system for creating rules to an expert system is provided, the rules system providing a user-friendly, guided process for creating such rules.

Claims

1. A rules editor system for use with an expert system, the rules system comprising:

a user interface;

a rule editor for creating, editing, or creating and editing at least one rule expression, where the rule expression is input by a user through the user interface;

a block manager for receiving the rule expression input by the user and for verifying the logic of the rule expression;

a rule manager for converting the rule expression into a rule interpretable by the expert system; and

a test scenario facility for executing the interpretable rule with sample data values wherein the interpretable rule is capable of being promoted to an enabled rule authorized by the rules editor to be used by an expert system to modify real data in a database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interpretable rule is capable of being set to a test mode in which the interpretable rule is not authorized to modify real data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein there is a plurality of interpretable rules and the order of the interpretable rules may be modified.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface comprising a display through which (a) the rule editor presents the display for creating, editing, or creating and editing the at least one rule expression, (b) the sample data is entered into a test scenario template and (c) the results of the executed interpretable rule are displayed.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a block editor for controlling the graphical presentation of the rule editor, wherein the block manager uses a block editor definition to define the proper combinations of condition inputs and action inputs for a logically correct rule expression.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the block editor definition further defines specifications for the output to the rule manager.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule expression input by the user comprises a set of condition inputs and action inputs, wherein the conditions pertain to real data features found in the database, and wherein the actions are performed when the conditions set in the rule expression are met.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the test scenario facility provides a template to the user interface into which sample data values may be entered manually by the user through the user interface or automatically by the rule editor from a clinical database.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the manually entered and automatically provided template sample data is modifiable by the user for further evaluation of the rule expression.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the automatically-provided sample data is selected from the clinical database based on the condition inputs in the rule expression.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the block manager comprises an indicator for indicating whether the at least one condition or action in a rule expression is verified.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator indicates whether the at least one condition or action have passed or have failed the verification.

13. The expert system of claim 11, wherein the indicator is a text message, an audible alert, a visual indicator or any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule editor responds to condition inputs by the user by providing only logical input choices for editing or creation of the rule expression.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a processor;

a display that responds to commands from the processor; and

the commands are based on user inputs from the user input device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the system further comprises a database;

the processor hosts the rule editor, the block manager, the rule manager, and the test scenario facility; and

the processor is adapted to access the database.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor, an output device, and a database.

18. A method for a user to create or edit a rule in a rules system, for use with an expert system, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting at least one condition or action in the form of a rule expression through a user interface, converting the rule expression to a rule interpretable by the expert system;

selecting at least one additional condition or action from a set of one or more logical condition or action choices presented by the rules system through the user interface, the selection contributing to the rule expression;

creating a test scenario for testing the more than one condition or action of the rule by populating a test scenario template with sample data;

initiating execution of the test scenario; and

promoting the rule to an enabled rule, wherein the enabled rule is authorized to modify real data stored in a clinical database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of repeating the inputting and selecting steps until the rules system presents a final choice for a logical condition or action for the rule expression.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one condition or action comprises a plurality of conditions and actions.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of setting the rule to a test rule, wherein the test rule is not authorized to modify real data.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the inputting and the repeating steps further comprise inputting the conditions and/or actions into a graphical user interface that uses an IF-THEN logical block format.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of setting the priority of a plurality of enabled rules.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of overwriting standard rules of the expert system.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions arranged for performing a method for creating and editing rules for an expert system comprising the steps of:

accepting input of at least one condition or action choices for a rule;

presenting to a user a set of one or more logical condition or action choices in response to the data input;

accepting the user'"'"'s selection of a condition or action from the presented logical condition or action choices;

repeating the steps of accepting input, presenting, and accepting the user'"'"'s selection;

verifying that the rule is logically correct;

converting the rule into a rule interpretable by the expert system;

creating a test scenario for the conditions and actions selected by the user for the rule, wherein a test scenario template is adapted to receive sample data from a the user;

presenting the user with the results of the test scenario through a user interface; and

allowing promotion of the rule to an enabled rule authorized to modify real data stored in a clinical database.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one action or condition comprises a plurality of conditions and actions.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of allowing the rule to be set to a test mode, wherein the rule is not authorized to modify real data.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the inputting and the repeating steps further comprise inputting the condition or action choices into a graphical user interface that receive the input in an IF-THEN logical block format.