System and method for synchronized workflow management

• US 8,656,352 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Szpak, Peter, Pacheco, Paulo, Robl, Christian, Orehek, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US13/603,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system may identify a workflow associated with a graphical model and execute the workflow in a number of stages. The system may display a number of components of the graphical model and identify which of the displayed components are associated with or affected by execution of a current one of the stages of the workflow.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to:

interact with a graphical model in a graphical modeling environment, the graphical model representing a process or a system, where;

the graphical model comprises a plurality of components, and

the plurality of components includes a first component and a second component;

display a step of a workflow, the step associated with the first component of the graphical model;

receive an instruction, the received instruction identifying the step of the workflow;

execute the step of the workflow based on the received instruction;

synchronize the graphical modeling environment with the executing the step of the workflow, the synchronizing comprising;

reconfiguring the graphical modeling environment to synchronously display;

the first component with the executing of the step of the workflow, and

the second component with the executing of the step of the workflow;

indicate, based on the synchronously displaying, that the first component is associated with the executing the step of the workflow; and

indicate, based on the synchronously displaying, that the second component is not associated with the executing the step of the workflow.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the workflow is defined via an application programming interface.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to:

register one or more tasks of the workflow;

identify a relative order of the one or more tasks; and

identify one or more dependencies of the one or more tasks.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to:

create a snapshot of a current state of execution of the workflow, the snapshot containing data for recreating the current state.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to:

store information associated with the workflow.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, where:

the workflow includes a plurality of tasks, and

the computer-readable medium further stores instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to;

provide status information associated with the plurality of tasks.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to:

specify connectivity between the workflow and another workflow; and

specify identities associated with users conducting the workflow.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to:

receive the workflow via a graphical editing environment.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, where:

the workflow includes a plurality of tasks, and

the computer-readable medium further stores instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to;

permit specification of which tasks of the plurality of tasks need to be validated against acceptance criteria.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to:

link and concurrently display a block diagram view and a hierarchical view of the plurality of components of the graphical model.

11. A computing device, comprising:

a processor executing instructions to;

interact with a graphical model in a graphical modeling environment, the graphical model representing a process or a system, where;

the graphical model comprises a plurality of components, and

the plurality of components includes a first component and a second component;

display a step of a workflow, the step associated with the first component of the graphical model;

receive an instruction, the received instruction identifying the step of the workflow;

execute the step of the workflow based on the received instruction;

synchronize the graphical modeling environment with the executing the step of the workflow, the synchronizing comprising;

reconfiguring the graphical modeling environment to synchronously display;

the first component with the executing of the step of the workflow, and

the second component with the executing of the step of the workflow;

indicate, based on the synchronously displaying, that the first component is associated with the executing the step of the workflow; and

indicate, based on the synchronously displaying, that the second component is not associated with the executing the step of the workflow.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

interacting with a graphical model in a graphical modeling environment, the graphical model representing a process or a system, where;

the graphical model comprises a plurality of components,

the plurality of components includes a first component and a second component, and

the interacting is performed using a computing device;

displaying a step of a workflow, the step associated with the first component of the graphical model;

receiving an instruction, the received instruction identifying the step of the workflow;

executing the step of the workflow based on the received instructions;

synchronizing the graphical modeling environment with the executing the step of the workflow, the synchronizing comprising;

reconfiguring the graphical modeling environment to synchronously display;

the first component with the executing of the step of the workflow, and

the second component with the executing of the step of the workflow;

indicating, based on the synchronously displaying, that the first component is associated with the executing the step of the workflow; and

indicating, based on the synchronously displaying, that the second component is not associated with the executing the step of the workflow.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

permitting a user to define the workflow via an application programming interface.

14. The method of claim 13, where the permitting the user to define the workflow includes:

permitting the user to register a plurality of tasks of the workflow, identify a relative order of the plurality of tasks, and identify dependencies of the plurality of tasks.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

creating a snapshot of a current state of execution of the workflow, the snapshot containing data for recreating the current state.

16. The method of claim 12, where:

the workflow includes a plurality of tasks, and

the method further comprises;

providing information regarding a status of a task in the plurality of tasks.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

specifying connectivity between the workflow and another workflow, or

specifying identities associated with users conducting the workflow.

18. The method of claim 12, where:

the workflow includes a plurality of tasks, and

the method further comprises;

permitting a user to specify which of the plurality of tasks need to be validated against acceptance criteria.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

linking and concurrently displaying a block diagram view and a hierarchical view of the plurality of components.