Tool and methodology for enterprise software applications

• US 8,694,953 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harold Laurence Reed, Payman Khodabandehloo
• Original Assignee: Harold Laurence Reed, Payman Khodabandehloo
• Inventors: Khodabandehloo, Payman, Reed, Harold Laurence
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutten, James D
• Application Number:
  US12/635,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 717/105
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A system for creating and viewing simulation models that are used for managing requirements and design specifications for complex systems. Users simultaneously collaborate on the description of a complex system such as an enterprise software project throughout its life cycle. User interfaces, designed to assist in the visualization of a particular form of knowledge, allow users to describe the complex system with simple interactive elements. Information in all perspectives is presented so that it is legible and discernable to a non-technical audience. Multi-dimensional data structures record all the resulting information, creating a simulation model of the complex system, and the tasks required for construction and maintenance. Tasks are driven from the specifications not as a separate activity, but as part of the same activity to facilitate project management by allowing decisions to be tracked virtually throughout the simulation model.

Claims

1. A server in communication with clients via a distributed computing network comprising:

(a) a memory storing an instruction set and data related to the simulation model; and

(b) a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory and the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to facilitate creating a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution by performing the following steps;

(i) present a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that a plurality of non-technical audience and editors are able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present a text canvas (ADT) that includes a table to represent individual end-users of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that the plurality of non-technical audience and editors are able to modify text of the table;

(iii) present a text canvas (FDT) that includes a table to represent individual functional features of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that the plurality of non-technical audience and editors are able to modify text of the table;

wherein;

the canvases include uncertainty fields associated with elements of the solutions and the canvases are related such that a modification to one uncertainty field is promulgated to the other canvases so that the non-technical audience and editors effectively communicate together; and

the simulation model contains a plurality of alternate versions of simulation models for the complex enterprise software simultaneously and separately so that the plurality of non-technical audience and editors are able to review and modify each alternate simulation version;

(iv) present a task canvas that includes recursive container-based, pre-and-post-conditional expandable interactive graphical tools to represent tasks involved in creating the solutions such that editors such as project managers, team leaders, and other professionals are able to describe the elements required to construct portions of the solution including dependencies between elements, resource requirements, resource availability, and resource assignment, and thereby define the solutions;

(v) present a time-line canvas that includes linear, sub-branching interactive graphical tools to represent the temporal relationships between tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors such as project managers, team leaders, and other professionals are able to create and modify the elements to coordinate efforts required to construct portions of the solution and thereby define the solutions, wherein the dependencies between elements are visually represented and changes to dependencies between elements are automatically promulgated; and

(vi) present tabulated task canvas that includes a set of tables to represent all attributes and aspects of tasks involved in creating the solution such that editors such as project managers, team leaders, and other professionals are able to fully represent and manage the efforts required to construct portions of the solution and thereby define the solutions;

wherein the canvases are related to form a conceptual construct of the complex enterprise software solution such that modification to one canvas is automatically promulgated to at least one other canvas within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors effectively communicate together while using the canvases.

2. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to derive an uncertainty quotient based on the uncertainty fields.

3. A server as recited in claim 2, wherein the derivation of the uncertainty quotient is recursive.

4. A server as recited in claim 2, wherein the uncertainty quotient is a ratio of a number of uncertainty fields declared uncertain to a number of total values within the solution.

5. A server as recited in claim 2, wherein the uncertainty fields are presented in a plurality of different formats, wherein the uncertainty fields contain a value selected from the group consisting of certain and uncertain and the uncertainty quotient is a ratio of uncertain values for each respective element.

6. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to support a plurality of solutions and construct an index based on the corresponding uncertainty quotients for use in indicating a probability of success of any single solution in a non-automated, human-centric manner.

7. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the canvases are related to form a conceptual construct such that a modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas within the conceptual construct.

8. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a storyboard canvas that includes spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tools to represent the navigation and/or work-flow of the solution so that editors are able to create, modify and directionally connect the graphical tools and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a wireframe canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent the individual user interface components, including buttons, data fields, windows, screens, and other user interface controls, of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application designers, and user interface experts are able to assemble unique user interfaces by combining the graphical tools and thereby define the solution;

(iii) present a presentation canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent skinning decisions including fonts, colors, borders, images, and graphical presentation option, of the solution such that editors such as graphic designers, producers and interface experts are able to define a look-and-feel and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of a user interface such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

9. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a data packaging canvas that includes branching structures to represent the structures and hierarchies of data within the solution such that editors such as information architects, application architects, database engineers, networking specialists, or other technical experts are able to create, navigate, and modify the branching structures and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a data tables canvas that includes a table-builder to represent the database schemata of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application architects, database architects, database engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the tabular representation of the database schemata and thereby define the solution; and

(iii) present a data relations canvas that includes spatially-oriented, radially-structured interactive graphical tools to represent the database schemata of the solution such that editors such as information architects, application architects, database architects, database engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the relational structures of the database schemata and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of database schemata such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

10. A server as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to:

(i) present a technical schematic canvas that includes interactive graphical tools to represent the organizations and computing systems comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, database engineers, network engineers, system architects, UML experts, or other technical experts are able to describe the computing environment and infrastructure, including hardware and software, and thereby define the solution;

(ii) present a visualization of organizations that includes recursive container-based expandable interactive graphical tools represent the organizations and individuals comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, project managers, UML experts, or other domain experts are able to create and modify the organizational structure and thereby define the solution;

(iii) present a visualization of computing systems that includes layered interactive graphical tools to represent the physical computing systems comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, network architects, network engineers, system architects, system engineers, UML experts, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of computing systems and thereby define the solution;

(iv) present a visualization of networks that includes connection-based interactive graphical tools to represent the networks comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, network architects, network engineers, system architects, system engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of networks and thereby define the solution;

(v) present a visualization of software components that includes recursive container-based expandable interactive graphical tools to represent the software components of the solution such that editors such as application architects, database architects, database engineers, software engineers, UML experts, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of software components and thereby define the solution; and

(vi) present a visualization of software component interaction that includes connection-based interactive graphical tools to represent the software procedural and API calls comprising the solution such that editors such as application architects, database architects, database engineers, software engineers, or other technical experts are able to create and modify the graphical representations of software components and thereby define the solution;

wherein the canvases are related to form the conceptual construct of computing hardware and software such that modification to one canvas is promulgated to at least one other canvas, which may include the canvases described in preceding claims, within the larger conceptual construct so that all editors, including editors described in preceding claims, may effectively communicate together while using their individual canvases.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a computer network, the non-transitory computer readable medium being able to prompt a server in the computer network to perform the steps of:

a) creating a conceptual construct having elements representative of a complex enterprise software;

b) presenting a canvas designed for a first audience that enters data related to the complex enterprise software into the canvas;

c) creating additional canvases based upon the complex enterprise software data, the additional canvases being designed for a second audience; and

d) coupling a plurality of secondary visual representations to at least one element,

wherein the canvases display dependencies between first and second elements based on coupling the first and second elements such that the first and second audience can determine the couplings and selectively review the dependencies, wherein a visual geometric container for each element represents the element'"'"'s dependencies within the visual geometric container, and the canvases include uncertainty fields associated with elements, the canvases are related such that a modification by an editor to one dependency using a form of drag-and-drop which automatically populates a database table of element dependencies, is promulgated to the other canvases so that the audiences effectively communicate together about the dependencies, wherein promulgation includes the step of coupling and decoupling modifications to the conceptual construct without the editor making further selections or associations.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the computer readable medium is further operative to prompt the server to perform the step of coupling a plurality of primary visual representations to at least one of the elements, and

the canvases are related such that a modification to one uncertainty field is promulgated to the other canvas so that the audiences effectively communicate together.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the canvases are selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that an editor is able to modify text of the table;

(ii) present an interactive schematic canvas that includes expandable icons arranged on a circle to represent the solution such that a system architect is able to navigate and modify the expandable icons;

(iii) present a data canvas that includes a branching structure to represent the solution such that a data analyst is able to navigate and modify the branching structure; and

(iv) present a user interface canvas that uses graphics to represent the solution such that a user interface designer is able to modify the graphics.

14. A server in communication with clients via a distributed computing network comprising:

(a) a memory storing an instruction set and data related to the simulation model; and

(b) a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory and the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to facilitate creating a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution in an unbounded workspace by performing the following steps;

(i) present a text canvas that includes a table to represent a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that a plurality of editors are able to modify text of the table using the clients;

(ii) present a text canvas (ADT) that includes a table to represent individual end-users of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that the plurality of editors are able to modify text of the table;

(iii) present a text canvas (FDT) that includes a table to represent individual functional features of a solution to a request for software code that addresses a problem such that the plurality of editors are able to modify text of the table;

wherein modification of the canvases utilizes disconnected control such that as a user modifies the geometric boundaries of the elements of the simulation model in the canvas, elements are selectively related such that a modification to a first element is promulgated to other elements such that as new elements are added, the unbounded workspace expands, as elements are moved, stretched, or edited surrounding elements are moved to not cover each other without selection or association of said surrounding elements by the editor, and

the canvas includes uncertainty fields associated with elements, the uncertainty fields including a value of either certain and uncertain; and

(iv) present an uncertainty quotient that is a ratio of uncertain values for each respective element.

15. A server as recited in claim 14, wherein the elements move automatically to accommodate changes thereto and to adjacent elements in both position and size whether by addition to make room, or subtraction to remove empty space with selecting, grouping, or joining the other elements, the properties of the other elements, or the simulation model in anyway.

16. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein when moving a boundary of the first element the other elements move as if attached to the boundary to thereby make space above the other elements.

17. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein when moving the boundary, if a collision with a boundary of a second expanded element occurs, the second expanded element collapses to a minimized state.

18. A server as recited in claim 14, wherein disconnected control does not include scrolling and occurs when graphical elements on a canvas might collide with one another.

19. A server in communication with clients via a distributed computing network comprising:

(a) a memory storing an instruction set and data related to a simulation model; and

(b) a processor for running the instruction set, the processor being in communication with the memory and the distributed computing network, wherein the processor is operative to facilitate creating a simulation model for a complex enterprise software solution in an unbounded workspace by performing the following steps;

(i) create a conceptual construct having elements representative of a complex enterprise software;

(ii) present a first canvas designed for a first audience that enters data related to the complex enterprise software into the first canvas by manipulating graphical elements;

(iii) create additional canvases based upon the data related to the complex enterprise software, the additional canvases being designed for additional audiences which also enter data related to the complex enterprise software into the additional canvases by manipulating graphical elements therein;

wherein modification of the first and additional canvases utilizes disconnected control such that as an editor modifies geometric boundaries of the graphical elements in the respective canvas, whether those graphical elements are contained or not, the graphical elements are selectively related such that a modification to a first graphical element is promulgated to other graphical elements such that as new graphical elements are added, the unbounded workspace expands, as graphical elements move, grow, or are resized, surrounding graphical elements are moved to not cover each other;

wherein expansion of the unbounded workspace occurs automatically without requiring the editor to select or associate the graphical elements surrounding the modified geometric boundaries, and

the canvas includes uncertainty fields associated with the graphical elements, the uncertainty fields including a value of either certain and uncertain; and

(iv) present an uncertainty quotient that is a ratio of uncertain values for each respective graphical element.