Policy-driven mobile forms applications

• US 7,774,504 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Truecontext
• Original Assignee: TrueContext Mobile Solutions Corporation
• Inventors: McGuire, Kevin, Peyton, Liam, Chene, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miah; Razu A
• Application Number:
  US11/335,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709227-229, 709217-219, 709245-246, 705 26- 51, 715500-513, 715/223, 715/234, 715/239, 717101-103
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

A system for capturing data via an extensible markup language form is disclosed comprising a policy-based mobile content engine, a mobile-forms application client, and a transport engine. The policy-based mobile content engine is adapted to process a plurality of definitions from one or more mobile-forms application definition files. The policy-based mobile content engine translates the mobile-forms application definitions into policies and actions enforced by the policy-based mobile content engine. The mobile-forms application client has a plurality of rendering engines targeted for a mobile user device to render form controls and to process the forms-based application. The mobile-forms application client is operable on a mobile user device and is adapted to capture the data as an extensible-markup-language document. The transport engine is adapted to transport the mobile-forms application definition files and captured data through a transport layer between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client.

Claims

1. A system for capturing data via an extensible markup language form, comprising:

a data input device for receiving one or more mobile-form application definition files;

a memory storage device storing the one or more mobile-form application definition files;

a policy-based mobile content engine operated on a controller adapted to process a plurality of mobile-forms application definitions from one or more mobile-forms application definition files, the policy-based mobile content engine being adapted to translate the plurality of mobile-forms application definitions into policies and actions, the policy-based mobile content engine being adapted to enforce the policies and actions that have been translated;

a mobile-forms application client having a plurality of rendering engines each targeted for a different type of mobile user device, the rendering engines utilizing a forms application definition markup language to render form controls and to process the forms-based application based on the different type of mobile user device, the mobile-forms application client being operable on the different types of mobile user devices and being adapted to capture the data, as one or more form data instances, both online or offline as an extensible-markup-language document, the mobile-forms application client residing on a first mobile user device; and

a transport engine adapted to transmit mobile-forms applications, and definition files through a transport layer over an intermittent network during periods of intermittent network connections between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client, wherein the first mobile user device creates a mobile-form data instance with captured data and the transport engine sends the mobile-form data instance to a second device in a routing sequence in accordance with the policies and actions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile-forms application client is further adapted to capture and attach a wide variety of multi-media content to the captured data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rendering engines of the mobile-forms application client is adapted to encode the captured data as an extensible-markup-language form data instance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rendering engines of the mobile-forms application client is adapted to reference the inputted data to an opaque object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the management and distribution of the captured data is controlled by one or more policies translated from the plurality of mobile-forms application definitions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendered form controls are linked to and interact with one or more input devices provided on the mobile user device, the one or more input devices allowing for data capture and assisting with navigation of the forms-based application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy-based mobile content engine sends notifications as one or more data fields within the mobile-forms application definition files is updated.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy-based mobile content engine supports multiple security domains in a hosted environment enabling mobile forms applications, folder structures, user groups, user authentication, policies, and form data instances, to be partitioned and kept wholly separate by security domain.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport engine utilizes data compression to transmit the mobile-forms application definition files and the captured data through the transport layer between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport engine utilizes byte-level differencing when retransmitting or updating large files that are part of the mobile-forms application through the transport layer between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport engine utilizes check-point restarting when transmit the mobile-forms application definition files and the captured data through the transport layer between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport engine uses caching and queuing of requests for transmitting the mobile-forms application definition files and the captured data through the transport layer between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport engine supports communication between the mobile-forms application client and the policy-based mobile content engine both inside and outside of a corporate firewall.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport engine maintains a secure and robust user session between the mobile-forms application client and the policy-based mobile content engine over the intermittently connected network, via file caching, partial file transmission support, and a robust synchronization protocol.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendered form controls are linked to and interact with one or more enterprise content sources in real-time, a request to the one or more enterprise content sources being communicated either directly or via the policy-based mobile content engine.

16. A method for defining and enforcing automatic routing rules to define a business process workflow for enterprise mobile applications, the workflow including routing and integrating form data across multiple client devices across an enterprise including the multiple client devices and an enterprise content source, comprising:

defining, via a mobile-forms application designer, a mobile-forms application-definition file that defines a mobile forms application by providing, (i) a mobile forms application definition markup language, (ii) an extensible-markup-language-based policy model that applies to one or more data instances created by a first client device that are to be automatically managed via access and routing states and specifies the business process workflow including state attributes for devices and events triggered by a change in state resulting in the routing of the data instance to a second client device, (iii) role information specifying one or more targeted user groups to deploy the mobile-forms application-definition file and the associated data instances based on access and routing states, and (iv) a transport engine to distribute of the forms-based application to the targeted user groups;

determining the automatic routing rules for the business process workflow by reading, via a business process engine proxy, the mobile-forms application-definition file for the specified routing information and associated extensible-markup-language-based policy model; and

enforcing, via a policy-based content management engine, the routing rules determined based on the mobile-forms application-definition file, wherein the deployment, form interaction, routing, and management of the mobile forms application is automatically performed by the policy-based content management engine based on the policy model defined by the mobile-forms application-definition file; and

wherein the routing includes using the transport engine to transmit mobile-forms applications and definition files through a transport layer over an intermittent network during periods of intermittent network connections between the first client device and the second client device in accordance with the policy model.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the business process workflow includes (i) definition of the state attributes in terms of information contained in a mobile-forms application instance or information available at run time in the policy-based mobile content engine, (ii) conditional evaluation and responses to events, and (iii) actions that can be processed either directly or via the policy-based mobile content engine, the actions including changing the state of the mobile-forms application client.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising, allowing a manager to track the progress of a work request relative to the business process workflow by utilizing a mobile application manager client, the business process engine proxy, and the policy-based content management engine.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising, sending dynamic alerts and notifications associated with a tracked business process workflow and other events.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile forms application designer is adapted to modify the mobile-forms application-definition file.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile forms application designer is adapted to modify the extensible-markup-language-based policy model.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile forms application designer is adapted to test and package a mobile-forms application-definition file and the mobile-forms application-definition file'"'"'s dependencies.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile-forms application-definition file is a self-extractable packaged file.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising, updating the mobile-forms application-definition file and providing the updated mobile-forms application-definition file to the mobile user device, via the policy-based content management engine and the associated transport engine.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the updated mobile-forms application-definition file is provided to the mobile user device utilizing wireless network connectivity.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein a form instance data definition modification can trigger data migration of existing form data instances persistent on the policy-based content management engine and the mobile user devices to validate against a new forms instance data definition via the business process workflow.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising, mapping, via one or more translators, the mobile forms application from the extensible forms language into a format preferred by a user.

28. The method of claim 16 further comprising, mapping, via one or more translators, the mobile forms application from the extensible forms language into a format appropriate for the mobile user device the mobile forms application is deployed on.

29. A method for recognizing data superimposed on a paper form comprising:

scanning a paper based form to create a paper-based form template;

capturing the location of a form data instance element overlaid on the paper-based form template;

capturing the size of a form data instance element overlaid on the paper-based form template;

creating an input field based on the location and size of the form data instance element;

linking the paper-based form template to an application data model;

populating the paper-based form template with mobile-forms application data for a specific data instance in the input field;

associating policies and actions to the paper-based form template to define workflow information; and

automatically routing the paper-based form template to multiple devices in an enterprise in accordance with the policies and actions defined by the workflow information, the routing including using a transport engine to transmit the form template through a transport layer over an intermittent network during periods of intermittent network connections between the multiple devices in accordance with the policies and actions.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the input field can be changed from a generic input field to a form controlled field.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the form controlled field is a date picker.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the form controlled field is a signature control.

33. A system for capturing data via an extensible markup language form, comprising:

a data input device for receiving one or more mobile-form application definition files;

a memory storage device storing the one or more mobile-form application definition files;

a policy-based mobile content engine operated on a controller adapted to process a plurality of mobile-forms application definitions from one or more mobile-forms application definition files, the policy-based mobile content engine being adapted to translate the plurality of mobile-forms application definitions into policies and actions, the policy-based mobile content engine being adapted to enforce the policies and actions that have been translated;

a mobile-forms application client residing on a first mobile user device having a plurality of rendering engines each targeted for a different type of mobile user device, the rendering engines utilizing a forms application definition markup language to render form controls and to process the forms-based application based on multi-media hardware of the different types of mobile user device, the mobile-forms application client being operable on the different types of mobile user devices and being adapted to capture the data in multi-media formats using the multi-media hardware on the mobile user devices, as one or more form data instances, both online or offline as an extensible-markup-language document; and

a transport engine adapted to transport mobile-forms applications, and definition files through a transport layer over an intermittent network during periods of intermittent network connections between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client, wherein the first mobile user device creates a mobile-form data instance with captured data and the transport engine sends the mobile-form data instance to a second device in a routing sequence in accordance with the policies and actions.