Mechanism to control delegation and revocation of tasks in workflow system

• US 8,620,713 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schaad, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US11/183,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,091 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742, 718100-108
• US Class Current: 705/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

A method to revoke a task includes receiving task data, the task data including information regarding a task to be performed. The method further includes receiving delegation data, the delegation data including information identifying a delegator of the task and a delegatee to perform the task. The method further includes receiving revocation task data, with the revocation task data having as its object at least aspects of the task.

Claims

1. A method to revoke a task in a workflow system, the method comprising:

receiving task data, the task data including information regarding a task having multiple portions to be performed;

receiving delegation data, the delegation data including information identifying a delegator of the task, the task, being subsequently delegated, further including information identifying a delegatee to perform the multiple portions of the task, and, additionally, a delegatee to perform reassigned ones of the multiple portions of the task based on a determination that portions of the task are to be reassigned;

receiving revocation task data, with the revocation task data being directed to revoking the reassigned ones of the multiple portions of the task;

subsequently reassigning the reassigned ones of the multiple portions of the task after receiving the revocation task data;

using at least one processor, verifying the revocation task data is associated with the delegator of the task; and

storing the revocation task data in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received delegation data is received from at least one of a group including a user input device and a delegation module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received revocation task data is received from at least one of a group including a user input device and a revocation module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the task data includes information regarding a general task including at least one specific task.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the task data includes information regarding a specific task instance of a general task.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising revoking the task data when the revocation task data is associated with the delegator of the task.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising aborting revocation of the task data when the revocation task data is not associated with the delegator of the task.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the task is completed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a task type, wherein the task type is selected from a group including a general task and a specific task instance of the general task.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the task type includes the general task, the method further comprising determining disposition of pending specific tasks of the general task, wherein the disposition is selected from a group including revocation and performance completion.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a principal type associated with the delegatee, wherein the principal type is selected from a:

group including a business role principal and a particular principal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing information in the subsequently delegated task to a set of rules, thereby to determine whether a subsequent delegation is allowable.

13. A machine-readable medium that is not a transitory, propagating signal storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving delegation data, the delegation data including information identifying a delegator of the task, the task, being subsequently delegated, further including information identifying a delegatee to perform the multiple portions of the task, and, additionally, a delegatee to perform reassigned ones of the multiple portions of the task based on a determination that portions of the task are to be reassigned;

receiving revocation task data, with the revocation task data being directed to revoking the reassigned ones of the multiple portions of the task;

subsequently reassigning the reassigned ones of the multiple portions of the task after receiving the revocation task data;

verifying the revocation task data is associated with the delegator of the task; and

storing the revocation task data in a database.