Design tool and methodology for enterprise software applications

• US 7,644,390 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harold L. Reed, Payman Khodabandehloo
• Original Assignee: Harold L. Reed, Payman Khodabandehloo
• Inventors: Reed, Harold L., Khodabandehloo, Payman
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTTEN, JAMES D
• Application Number:
  US11/893,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 717/105
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for creating and viewing simulation models that are used for managing requirements and design specifications for complex systems. Users simultaneously collaborate on the description of a complex system such as an enterprise software project throughout its life cycle. User interfaces, designed to assist in the visualization of a particular form of knowledge, allow users to describe the complex system with simple interactive elements. Information in all perspectives is presented so that it is legible and discernable to a non-technical audience. Multi-dimensional data structures record all the resulting information, creating a simulation model of the complex system, and the tasks required for construction and maintenance. Tasks are driven from the specifications not as a separate activity, but as part of the same activity to facilitate project management by allowing decisions to be tracked virtually throughout the simulation model.

Claims

1. A server in communication with clients via a distributed computing network, the server comprises:

(a) a memory storing an instruction set and data related to the simulation model; and

(b) a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory running the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to facilitate creating a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution by performing the following steps;

(i) present a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that a plurality of non-technical editors are able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present a text canvas (ADT) that includes a table to represent individual end-users of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that the plurality of non-technical editors are able to modify text of the table; and

(iii) present a text canvas (FDT) that includes a table to represent individual functional features of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that the plurality of non-technical editors are able to modify text of the table;

(iv) present an interactive schematic canvas such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons;

(v) present a data canvas such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure; and

(vi) present a user interface canvas such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics and, thereby, the canvases enable coupling and decoupling the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled;

wherein the canvases are related to form, visualize, and manipulate the simulation model such that a modification initiated within one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas for display and the simulation model is updated with the modification so that the plurality of non-technical editors effectively communicate together while using the corresponding canvas by reviewing all modifications,

wherein a various combinations of the modifications represent different states of components of the simulation model, each different state having at least one discontinuity denoted by a graphical distinction in the canvases.

2. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a storyboard canvas that includes spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tools to represent the navigation and/or work-flow of the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of information architects, application designers, and interactivity experts are able to create, modify and directionally connect the graphical tools and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a wireframe canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent the individual user interface components, including buttons, data fields, windows, screens, and other user interface controls, of the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of information architects, application designers, and user interface experts are able to assemble unique user interfaces by combining the graphical tools and thereby define the solution;

(iii) present presentation canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent skinning decisions including fonts, colors, borders, images, and graphical presentation option, of The solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of graphic designers, producers and interface experts are able to define a look-and-feel and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of a user interface such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

3. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a data packaging canvas that includes branching structures to represent the structures and hierarchies of data within the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of information architects, application architects, database engineers, networking specialists, and technical experts are able to create, navigate, and modify the branching structures and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a data tables canvas that includes a table-builder to represent the database schemata of the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of information architects, application architects, database architects, database engineers, and technical experts are able to create and modify the tabular representation of the database schemata and thereby define the solution; and

(iii) present a data relations canvas that includes spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tools to represent the database schemata of the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of information architects, application architects, database architects, database engineers, and technical experts are able to create and modify the relational structures of the database schemata and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of database schemata such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

4. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a technical schematic canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent the organizations and computing systems comprising the solution such that editors selected from the consisting of application architects, database engineers, network engineers, system architects, UML experts, and technical experts are able to describe the computing environment and infrastructure, including hardware and software, and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a visualization of organizations that includes recursive container-based expandable interactive graphical tools represent the organizations and individuals comprising the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of application architects, project managers, UML experts, and domain experts are able to create and modify the organizational structure and thereby define the solution;

(iii) present a visualization of computing systems that includes layered interactive graphical tools to represent the physical computing systems comprising the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of application architects, network architects, network engineers, system architects, system engineers, UML experts, and technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of computing systems and thereby define the solution;

(iv) present a visualization of networks that includes connection-based interactive graphical tools to represent the networks comprising the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of application architects, network architects, network engineers, system architects, system engineers, and technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of networks and thereby define the solution;

(v) present a visualization of software components that includes recursive container-based expandable interactive graphical tools to represent the software components of the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of application architects, database architects, database engineers, software engineers, UML experts, and technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of software components and thereby define the solution; and

(vi) present a visualization of software component interaction that includes connection-based interactive graphical tools to represent the software procedural and API calls comprising the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of application architects, database architects, database engineers, software engineers, and technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of software components and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of computing hardware and software such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

5. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a task canvas that includes recursive container-based, pre-and-post-conditional expandable interactive graphical tools to represent the tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of project managers, team leaders, and professionals are able to describe the efforts required to construct portions of the solution (including dependencies between efforts, and resource requirements/availability/assignment), and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a time-line canvas that includes linear, sub-branching interactive graphical tools to represent the temporal relationships between tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of project managers, team leaders, and professionals are able to create and modify the coordinate the efforts required to construct portions of the solution and thereby define the solution; and

(iii) present tabulated task canvas that includes a set of tables to represent all attributes and aspects of tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors selected from the group consisting of project managers, team leaders, and professionals are able to frilly represent and manage the efforts required to construct portions of the solution and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of the project such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

6. A server that communicates with clients via a distributed computing network, and wherein the server comprises:

(a)a memory storing an instruction set and data related to the simulation model; and

(b)a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory and the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to create a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution by performing the following steps;

(i) present a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of individual words and phrases within the text to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navagation is enabled;

(ii) present an interactive schematic canvas that includes expandable icons and multi-dimensional heirarchical expandable groups of icons arranged on a circle to represent the navigational elements of a solution such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of individual icons, groups of icons, containing circles, and groups of containing circles to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled;

(iii) present a data canvas that includes a branching structure with a plurality of nodes to represent the solution such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of the plurality of nodes within the branching structure to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled; and

(iv) present a user interface canvas that uses graphics to represent the solution such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of the graphics to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled,

wherein the canvases are related to form a conceptual construct such that a modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas within the conceptual construct so that the editor, system architect, data analyst and user interface designer effectively communicate together while using the corresponding canvas,

wherein the editor, system architect, data analyst and user interface designer create notation that elements in the respective canvas are uncertain, and display that the uncertain elements are in conflict and require reconciliation selected from the group consisting of accepting at least one of the uncertain elements, correcting at least one of the uncertain elements, and annotating at least one of the uncertain elements as a known but unresolved discontinuity,

wherein the navigation is enabled across all of the canvases.

7. A server as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphics of the user interface canvas include storyboards.

8. A server as recited in claim 6, wherein the editor, the system architect, the data analyst and the interface designer are selected from the group of non-programmer professionals consisting of professionals contributing to a request for proposal, customer and vendor project managers, team leaders, graphic designers, user interface experts, information architects, business analysts, vendor sales and presales professionals, as well as technical and engineering editors selected from the group consisting of programmers, application architects, system administrators, and database administrators.

9. A computer readable medium for use in a computer network, the computer readable medium containing instructions that are able to prompt a server in the computer network to perform the steps of:

creating a virtual construct for a complex enterprise software by;

a) presenting a canvas designed for a first audience that enters data related to the complex enterprise software into the canvas, such that the data represents proposed components of the complex enterprise software; and

b) creating additional canvases based upon the complex enterprise software data, the additional canvases being designed for a second audience, such that the second audience can recognize the proposed components, accept proposal components, and reject proposed components, wherein

(i)a text canvas is presented that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of individual words and phrases within the text to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled;

(ii) an interactive schematic canvas is presented that includes expandable icons and multi-dimensional hierarchical expandable groups of icons arranged on a circle to represent the navigational elements of a solution such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of individual icons, groups of icons, containing circles, and groups of containing circles to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled;

(iii) at data canvas is presented that includes a branching structure with a plurality of nodes to represent the solution such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of the plurality of nodes within the branching structure to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled; and

(iv) a user interface canvas is presented that uses graphics to represent the solution such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics and, thereby, enable coupling and decoupling of the graphics to components of the simulation model through use of a graphical overlay such that navigation is enabled,

wherein the editor, system architect, data analyst and user interface designer create notation that elements in the respective canvas are uncertain, and display that the uncertain elements are in conflict and require reconciliation selected from the group consisting of accepting at least one of the uncertain elements, correcting at least one of the uncertain elements, and annotating at least one of the uncertain elements as a known but unresolved discontinuity.

10. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the canvases are selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present an interactive schematic canvas that includes expandable icons arranged on a circle to represent the solution such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons;

(iii) present a data canvas that includes a branching structure to represent the solution such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure; and

(iv) present a user interface canvas that uses graphics to represent the solution such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics.