System and method for the automatic creation of a graphical representation of navigation paths generated by intelligent planner

• US 8,452,714 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Celcorp Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Celcorp Incorporated
• Inventors: Matichuk, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dean T
• Application Number:
  US10/132,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,050 Days
• Field of Search: 705/348, 705/7.23, 705/7.25, 345/418
• US Class Current: 705/348
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for the automatic creation of a process model having a graphical representation. The system includes a planner to determine different plans for addressing a problem, and a graphics engine for displaying the process model for the different plans. Furthermore, the present invention includes a method for forming a process model having the steps of obtaining a planning data from a planning software; accessing a graphical editor; building the information needed to create a process model; and drawing a process model diagram with the graphical editor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining planning data using a computer system, wherein the planning data comprises a plurality of plans concerning first initial condition and a first goal, each of the plans describing at least one alternate path indicating how to achieve the first goal when starting from the first initial condition, wherein the first initial condition or the first goal comprises a first business rule;

using the planning data by the computer system for creating a process model;

generating a graphical representation of the process model using the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

depicting the graphical representation of the process model on a display.

3. A system comprising;

a planner configured to generate a plurality of plans concerning a first initial condition and a first goal, wherein each of the plans describe a first path indicating how to achieve the first goal when starting from the first initial condition, wherein each of the plans describe an alternate path indicating how to achieve the first goal when starting from the first initial condition, and wherein the first initial condition or the first goal comprises a first business rule;

a graphics engine configured to receive the plans from the planner;

to convert the plans into a process model; and

to generate a graphical representation of the process model; and

a data storage device configured to store data generated by at least one of the planner and graphics engine.

4. A method comprising:

obtaining planning data using a computer system, wherein the planning data further comprises a plurality of plans, each of the plans comprising at least one initial condition and at least one goal, wherein at least one of the initial conditions comprises a business rule expression, each of the plans further comprising at least one path describing how to achieve the at least one goal when starting from the at least one initial condition, wherein a first one of the plans comprises a first one of the initial conditions, a first one of the goals and a first one of the paths, and wherein a second one of the plans comprises the first initial condition, the first goal and a second one of the paths which is at least partially different from the first path;

using the planning data by the computer system for creating a graphical representation of a process model; and

drawing the graphical representation of the process model on a display using the computer system.

5. A system comprising:

a planning data producing means for producing planning data, wherein the planning data comprises a plurality of plans, each of the plans comprising at least one initial condition and at least one goal, wherein at least on of the initial conditions and at least one of the goals comprises a respective business rule expression, each of the plans further comprising at least one path describing how to achieve the at least one goal when starting from the at least one initial condition, wherein a first one of the plans comprises a first one of the initial conditions, a first one of the goals and a first one of the paths, and wherein a second of the plans comprises the first initial condition, the first goal and a second one of the paths which is at least partially different from the first path;

a graphics means for receiving the planning data;

for converting the planning data into a process model and for generating a graphical representation of the process model; and

a data storage means for storing data generated by at least one of the data producing means and the graphics means.

6. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory memory storing a computer readable program executable by processing apparatus, the computer program for automatically creating a graphical display of a process model, the computer readable program comprising:

computer readable program code configured to create planning data, wherein the planning data further comprises a plurality of plans, each of the plans comprising at least one initial condition and at least one goal, wherein the at least one initial condition comprises a business rule expression, each of the plans further comprising at least one path describing how to achieve the at least one goal when starting from the at least one initial condition, wherein a first one of the plans comprises a first one of the initial conditions, a first one of the goals and a first one of the paths, and wherein a second one of the plans comprises the first initial condition, the first goal and a second one of the paths which is at least partially different from the first path;

computer readable program code configured to use the planning data to create the process model; and

computer readable program code configured to create the graphical display of the process model.

7. A method comprising:

obtaining planning data from a planning system, wherein the planning data comprises a plurality of plans, each of the plans comprising at least one initial condition and at least one goal, wherein at least one of the goals comprises a business rule expression, each ,of the plans further comprising at least one path describing how to achieve the at least one goal when starting from the at least one initial condition, wherein a first one of the plans comprises a first one of the initial conditions, a first one of the goals and a first one of the paths, and wherein a second one of the plans comprises the first initial condition, the first goal and a second different one of the paths;

accessing a graphical editor on a computer system;

using the planning data by the computer system to create a graphical representation of a process model; and

drawing the graphical representation of the process model with the graphical editor using the computer system.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the planning data includes information identifying a node in a plan.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the process model includes data identifying a node in the process model.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying data identifies predecessor nodes.

8. A system comprising:

a planning data producing means for producing planning data, wherein the planning data comprises a plurality of plans, each of the plans comprising at least one initial condition and at least one goal, wherein at least one of the initial conditions and at least one of the goals comprises a respective business rule expression, each of the plans further comprising at least one path describing how to achieve the at least one goal when starting from the at least one initial condition, wherein a first one of the plans comprises a first one of the initial conditions, a first one of the goals and a first one of the paths, and wherein a second one of the plans comprises the first initial condition, the first goal and a second one of the paths which is at least partially different from the first path;

a graphics means for receiving the planning data;

for converting the planning data into a process model and for generating a graphical representation of the process model; and

a data storage means for storing data generated by at least one of the data producing means and the graphics means.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the at least one initial conditions includes a business rule expression.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the nodes has one or more initial conditions and one or more node effects, wherein each of the node initial conditions and the node effects includes a business rule expression.

14. A system comprising:

a planner configured to generate automatically a plurality of plans, each of the plans comprising at least one initial condition and at least one goal, each of the plans further comprising at least one path describing how to achieve the at least one goal when starting from the at least one initial condition, wherein each of the at least one initial conditions and each of the at least one goals includes a business rule expression, wherein a first one of the plans comprises a first one of the initial conditions, wherein a second one of the plans comprises the first initial condition, wherein the first plan comprises a first one of the goals, wherein the second plan comprises the first goal, wherein the first plan between the first initial condition and the first goal comprises a first one of the paths, and wherein the second plan comprises a second different one of the paths between the first initial condition and the first goal;

a graphics engine configured to receive the plans from the planner;

to convert the plans into a process model; and

to generate a graphical representation of the process model; and

a data storage device configured to store data generated by at least one of the planner and the graphics engine.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the business rule expression is a quantifiable first-order logic expression.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the quantifiable first-order logic expression is a Boolean expression.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said planner uses an intelligent agent.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the plans includes one or more tasks, wherein each of the tasks has one or more inputs and one or more outputs, and wherein each of the task'"'"'s inputs and outputs includes a business rule expression.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising an application that transfers data between the planner and the graphics engine.