System and method for the composition, generation, integration and execution of business processes over a network

• US 7,610,575 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avolin LLC
• Original Assignee: Consona CRM Incorporated (Aptean Superior Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sproule, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/453,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,339 Days
• Field of Search: 717/109, 705/32
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and method providing an environment for the composition, generation, integration and execution of business processes and/or transactions over a distributed computing-based network. In a preferred embodiment, a business process expert develops a business model by using a network browser to access the composition environment via the network. The preferred embodiment includes a Composer and a Player. The Composer allows a business process engineer to model the processes, process rules and data structures of an entity upon the basis of a plurality of software resources. The Player executes the modeled processes and access relevant data in real-time, according to rules and resources as related within a software structure generated by the business process engineer. The preferred embodiment dynamically constructs web pages based on the process, rule and data definitions prepared by a business process engineer/expert and does so through a Process Interpreter and Grammar Engine so as to encapsulate all the software resources necessary to complete the desired business process without the need of people programming, scripting or coding. Pages are constructed only when required, ensuring that the solutions are flexible, error free and based upon the most current business practices, providing agile, integrated, error free and real-time software solutions capabilities.

Claims

1. A software method of composing, generating, integrating and executing business processes via a computer network, the method comprising:

a. providing a plurality of software resources, the software resources being available over the computer network;

b. providing a network browser, the network browser for accessing the software resources both at design time and at run time;

c. providing a networked based, graphical user interface (GUI) business process model builder;

the GUI business process model builder for directing the network browser to access and interweave at least two of the plurality of software resources;

d. using the GUI business process model to generate a business process model by incorporating at least two software resources into the business process model;

e. providing a networked based, runtime environment, the networked based, runtime environment encapsulating a process interpreter and a grammar engine allowing the business process model to be dynamically created in real-time, and the networked based, runtime environment operable to integrate data sources and processes from remote sources based on the business process model; and

f. using the networked based, runtime environment to initiate business process activities for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative business processes and transactions;

wherein the process interpreter and the grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete a business process;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which business process activities are undertaken; and

wherein business process activities forming the internal and external collaborative business processes are linked together according to the workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein no programming, coding or scripting is required to create the business process model or execute the resultant software applications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a. a user definition GUI to define users within an organization who are authorized to view, modify, or define a plurality of data attributes, activities, transactions and events of the business process model; and

b. an administration GUI to define security or access control of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein programming is not required to modify the data attributes, the activities, the processes or the business process model.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the data attributes include remote data attributes available in at least one external system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the data attributes include attribute relationship information of each of the data attributes with one or more other data attributes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an implicit attribute relationship is established among data attributes referenced by a common activity.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein related data attributes are grouped to form a package.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an implicit attribute relationship is established among data attributes in the package.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a package relationship is established between one package and at least one other package.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the Package relationship exists among packages when these packages are referenced by a common activity.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a set of business rules comprise attributes business rules to apply to the plurality of data attributes, activity business rules to apply to the activities, package business rules to apply to the packages, and application business rules to apply to the business process model.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of business rules are defined with at least one associated exception condition.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of business rules are applied at multiple stages of development of the business process model.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein business rules conflict resolution is applied to the business process model after the development of the business process is completed and prior to execution of the business process model.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein each of a plurality of activities is associated with data attributes information, activity business rules information, and link information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the link information provides information about preceding and succeeding activities to a current activity.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one software resource is selected from the group including a database, a grammar rule, a software object, a data structure, a datum, a universal resource locator, a network address, a data type definition, and a data pointer.

19. A method, comprising:

a. using a network browser interface to provide an application specification for an application, the application specification including data attributes, activities that reference the data attributes, processes formed using the activities, and business rules applied to the data attributes, the activities and the processes; and

b. dynamically generating the application using the application specification without requiring programming code generation;

c. using a networked based, runtime environment to initiate the activities for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative processes and transactions;

wherein a process interpreter and a grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete the processes, the networked based, runtime environment allowing the application to be dynamically generated;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which the activities are undertaken; and

wherein the activities forming the internal and external collaborative processes and transactions are linked together according to the workflow.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises providing a grammar engine and using the grammar engine to structuring the logical flow of the application.

21. The method of claim 19 using the network browser interface to establish an organization identification and to provide an organization calendar associated with the organization, the organization calendar to be applied with the business rules in providing the application specification.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein an attribute dialog box is used to define details about the data attributes.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the details about the data attributes include attributes relationship information associated with at least one other data attribute.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one activity is associated with link information concerning at least one other activity.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one activity is represented graphically to the user.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one activity is represented graphically as an icon.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein dragging and dropping, point and click or voice activating forms the processes the icons associated with at least one activity.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the business rules consist of attributes business rules to apply to the data attributes, activity business rules to apply to the activities, package business rules to apply to the packages, and application business rules to apply to the application.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the business rules are defined with at least one associated exception condition.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one business rule is applied while providing the application specification.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein ambiguous rules are resolved after the application specification is completed.

32. A computer-readable medium storing a sequence of instructions thereon, the medium comprising:

a. means for defining an organization calendar for an organization, the organization calendar including time zones, working hours, holidays, and events applicable to the organization;

b. means for defining business rules and processes followed by the organization and consistent with the organization calendar;

c. means for defining a data attribute library used by the organization;

d. means for defining activities performed for the organization using data attributes in the data attribute library, the activities constrained by the business rules and represented graphically as activity icons; and

e. means for using a networked based, runtime environment to initiate the activities for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative processes and transactions;

wherein a process interpreter and a grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete the processes;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which the defined activities are undertaken; and

wherein the activities forming the internal and external collaborative processes and transactions are linked together according to the workflow.

33. A method of integrating a first business process software program with a second business process software program, the first business process software program and the second business process software program communicating via a computer network, the method comprising:

a. interrogating the second business process software program via the computer network to determine how a message containing data may be structured in order to enable the second business process software program to accept the data;

b. detecting a set of data that the first business process software program may provide to the second business process software program;

c. structuring a message for transmission to and acceptance by the second business process software program, the message containing the set of data;

d. transmitting the message to the second business process software program via the computer network; and

e. using a networked based, runtime environment to initiate activities for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative processes and transactions;

wherein a process interpreter and a grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete a process;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which the activities are undertaken; and

wherein the activities forming the internal and external collaborative processes and transactions are linked together according to the workflow.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the computer network comprises a network selected from the group including the Internet, an Extranet, or an Intranet.

35. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which are executable by a system, and which, when executed by the system, cause the system to perform a method, comprising:

a. using a network browser interface to provide an application specification for an application, the application specification including data attributes, activities that reference the data attributes processes formed using the activities, and business rules applied to the data attributes, the activities and the processes;

b. dynamically generating the application using the application specification without requiring programming, coding or scripting; and

c. using the networked based, runtime environment to initiate the activities for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative processes and transactions;

wherein a process interpreter and a grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete the processes;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which the activities are undertaken; and

wherein the activities forming the internal and external collaborative processes and transactions are linked together according to the workflow.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, further comprising using the network browser interface to establish an organization identification and to provide an organization calendar associated with an organization, the organization calendar to be applied with the business rules in providing the application specification.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein an attribute dialog box is used to define details about the data attributes.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein at least one detail about at least one data attribute includes attributes relationship information concerning at least one other data attribute.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein at least one activity includes link information concerning at least one other activity.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein at least one activity is represented graphically as an icon.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, wherein at least one business rule comprises attributes business rules that optionally to apply to the data attributes, activity business rules to apply to the activities, package business rules to apply to the packages, and application business rules to apply to the application.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein at least one business rule is defined with at least one associated exception condition.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the browser interface enables dropping and dragging of at least two icons, and dragging and dropping the icons form at least one process associated with at least one activity.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the business rules are applied and ambiguities resolved while providing the application specification.

45. A system comprising:

a network;

at least one remote processor in bidirectional communication with the network, each of the at least one remote processors having at least one software application residing thereon to result in at least two software applications residing on the at least one remote processors; and

a system processor in bidirectional communication with the network, the system processor capable of receiving and sending data to each of the at least one software applications residing on each of the at least one remote processors, and the system processor operable to generate an executable business process model, the executable business process model comprising at least one activity between at least two of the at least one software applications residing on the at least one remote processors;

the system processor using a networked based, runtime environment to initiate the at least one activity for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative processes and transactions;

wherein a process interpreter and a grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete a process;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which the at least one activity are undertaken; and

wherein the at least one activity forming the internal and external collaborative processes and transactions are linked together according to the workflow.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the at least one remote processor comprises a single remote processor, and wherein the at least one software application comprises a first software application residing on the single processor and a second software application residing on the single remote processor.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the at least one remote processor comprises a first remote processor and a second remote processor, and wherein the at least one software application comprises a first software application residing on the first remote processor and a second software application residing on the second remote processor.

48. A system comprising:

a network;

at least one remote processor in bidirectional communication with the network, each of the at least one remote processor having at least one software application residing thereon to result in at least two software applications residing on the at least one remote processors; and

a system processor in bidirectional communication with the network, the system processor capable of receiving and sending data to each of the at least one software applications residing on each of the at least one remote processors, the system processor operable to generate an executable business process model, the executable business process model comprising at least one activity between at least two of the at least one software applications residing on the at least one remote processors, and the system processor further operable to execute the generated executable business process model;

the system processor using a networked based, runtime environment to initiate the at least one activity for purposes of completing internal and external collaborative processes and transactions;

wherein a process interpreter and a grammar engine encapsulated within the networked based, runtime environment encapsulates software resources necessary to complete a process;

wherein a workflow determines the order in which the at least one activity are undertaken; and

wherein the at least one activity forming the internal and external collaborative processes and transactions are linked together according to the workflow.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the at least one remote processor comprises a single remote processor, and wherein the at least one software application comprises a first software application residing on the single remote processor and a second software application residing on the single remote processor.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the at least one remote processor comprises a first remote processor and a second remote processor, and wherein the at least one software application comprises a first software application residing on the first remote processor and a second software application residing on the second remote processor.