Hybrid contextual floor plans for object instances

• US 7,836,457 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hatscher, Michael, Nieves, Sandra, Beringer, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seye; Abdou K
• Application Number:
  US11/184,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for hybrid contextual floor plans for object instances. A method for providing a user interface for running business entities wherein data related to a process instance and data related to an object instance are managed in a uniform way, includes enabling a generalized meta model to unify process data and object data where there is a direct relationship between process and object instance, enabling an interface generator for directly generating a user interface from the generalized meta model, that allows the user to manipulate data either directly by manipulating the object data or indirectly by performing a process step, and enabling the user interface by the interface generator, the user interface providing a hybrid view of a process view representing phase data of an instantiated process instance and an object view representing object data of an instantiated object instance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a user interface for running business entities wherein data related to a process instance and data related to an object instance are managed in a uniform way, the computer-implemented method comprising:

enabling a generalized meta model to unify process data and object data, the generalized meta model communicating that there is a direct relationship between the process instance and the object instance and modeling an ad-hoc activity space focused on a business problem;

enabling an interface generator for directly generating a user interface from the generalized meta model, the user interface including one or more features that allows for manipulation of data either directly by manipulating the object data or indirectly by performing a process step; and

enabling the user interface by the interface generator, the user interface providing a hybrid view of a process view representing phase data of an instantiated process instance and an object view representing object data of an instantiated object instance;

Wherein the user interface interfaces with a plurality of context archetypes that reflect, a work context, an activity-centric context driven by a role, topic, task and event that triggered an activity, an object-centric context determined by the object instance and including related object operations and views on all facets on the instantiated object instance, a process-centric context that is the a work flow instance, and a work instance oriented context including views and perspectives showing a particular aspect on the business problem and a particular instance on the instantiated process instance related to the business problem.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the interface generator further is arranged to provide a toggling option in the user interface for toggling between the process view and the object view in the hybrid view of the interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the interface generator further is arranged to provide the process view and the object view simultaneously in the hybrid view of the interface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the hybrid view in the interface provides functionality and information related to the instantiated process instance or the particular phase of the instantiated process instance in one dedicated screen area of the interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the hybrid view in the interface provides functionality and information related to the instantiated process instance or the particular phase of the instantiated process instance in one dedicated screen area of the interface.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein identification of the instantiated object and the instantiated process is pre-modeled.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein identification of the instantiated object and the instantiated process is performed upon instantiating an object and instantiating a process.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the object data is employee data and the process is performing a salary increase.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the object instance relates to an employee and the process instances relates to a promotion process of the employee.