Launch of target user interface features based on specific business process instances

• US 9,355,375 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Knospe, Holger, Fessler, Joachim, Brosche, Marianne, Mayerle, Jochen, Keil, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US13/326,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A current use context can be extracted based on concrete data related to a currently displayed user interface feature in a business software architecture user interface environment. Relevant related business objects and transactional data for concrete instances of a process or scenario relevant to the current use context can be identified and a specific business object instance can be determined from a plurality of business object instances related to a specific current instance of the process or scenario relevant to the current use context. At least one target user interface feature associated with the process or scenario can be pre-populated with at least one parameter specific to a current data entry state of the specific current instance of the process or scenario and displayed via a user interface.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

extracting a current use context based on concrete data related to a business process feature that is currently indicated in a user interface environment of a business software architecture;

identifying relevant related business objects and transactional data for concrete instances of a business process or scenario that is relevant to the current use context;

determining a specific business object instance from a plurality of business object instances related to a specific current instance of the business process or scenario relevant to the current use context; and

displaying at least one target user interface feature associated with the business process or scenario, the at least one target user interface feature being pre-populated with at least one parameter specific to a current data entry state of the specific current instance of the business process or scenario.

2. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise performing the extracting in response to a user selecting at least one first user interface feature in a navigation pane displayed in the business software architecture user interface environment, the at least one first user interface feature representing a business process feature of the business process or scenario.

3. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises enacting a object selection model that comprises a set of object selection rules, the object selection model consulting a plurality of business process or business scenario models defining business process features of a plurality of business processes or business scenarios in an organization-specific business configuration of an organization using the business software architecture.

4. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise calculating a status of at least one of the relevant related business objects, the calculating being based on current transactional data in data objects associated with the at least one of the relevant related business objects for the specific instance of the business process or scenario.

5. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining how to present the target user interface features by applying a set of user interface feature display rules that are defined at design time.

6. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the use context comprises at least one of a current user interface environment being used or that has recently been used by a user, a role of the user, and a permission level of the user.

7. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the at least one target user interface feature associated with the business process or scenario is displayed in a work pane concurrently with the business process feature, which is displayed in a navigation pane.

8. A system comprising:

at least one programmable processor; and

a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising;

extracting a current use context based on concrete data related to a business process feature that is currently indicated in a user interface environment of a business software architecture;

identifying relevant related business objects and transactional data for concrete instances of a business process or scenario that is relevant to the current use context;

determining a specific business object instance from a plurality of business object instances related to a specific current instance of the business process or scenario relevant to the current use context; and

displaying at least one target user interface feature associated with the business process or scenario, the at least one target user interface feature being pre-populated with at least one parameter specific to a current data entry state of the specific current instance of the business process or scenario.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise performing the extracting in response to a user selecting at least one first user interface feature in a navigation pane displayed in the business software architecture user interface environment, the at least one first user interface feature representing a business process feature of the business process or scenario.

10. A system as in claim 8, wherein the identifying further comprises enacting a object selection model that comprises a set of object selection rules, the object selection model consulting a plurality of business process or business scenario models defining business process features of a plurality of business processes or business scenarios in an organization-specific business configuration of an organization using the business software architecture.

11. A system as in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise calculating a status of at least one of the relevant related business objects, the calculating being based on current transactional data in data objects associated with the at least one of the relevant related business objects for the specific instance of the business process or scenario.

12. A system as in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining how to present the target user interface features by applying a set of user interface feature display rules that are defined at design time.

13. A system as in claim 8, wherein the use context comprises at least one of a current user interface environment being used or that has recently been used by a user, a role of the user, and a permission level of the user.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

extracting a current use context based on concrete data related to a business process feature that is currently indicated in a user interface environment of a business software architecture;

identifying relevant related business objects and transactional data for concrete instances of a business process or scenario that is relevant to the current use context;

determining a specific business object instance from a plurality of business object instances related to a specific current instance of the business process or scenario relevant to the current use context; and

displaying at least one target user interface feature associated with the business process or scenario, the at least one target user interface feature being pre-populated with at least one parameter specific to a current data entry state of the specific current instance of the business process or scenario.

15. A computer-implemented method as in claim 14, further comprising performing the extracting in response to a user selecting at least one first user interface feature in a navigation pane displayed in the business software architecture user interface environment, the at least one first user interface feature representing a business process feature of the business process or scenario.

16. A computer-implemented method as in claim 14, wherein the identifying further comprises enacting a object selection model that comprises a set of object selection rules, the object selection model consulting a plurality of business process or business scenario models defining business process features of a plurality of business processes or business scenarios in an organization-specific business configuration of an organization using the business software architecture.

17. A computer-implemented method as in claim 14, further comprising calculating a status of at least one of the relevant related business objects, the calculating being based on current transactional data in data objects associated with the at least one of the relevant related business objects for the specific instance of the business process or scenario.

18. A computer-implemented method as in claim 14, further comprising determining how to present the target user interface features by applying a set of user interface feature display rules that are defined at design time.

19. A computer-implemented method as in claim 14, wherein the use context comprises at least one of a current user interface environment being used or that has recently been used by a user, a role of the user, and a permission level of the user.

20. A computer-implemented method as in claim 14, wherein at least one of the extracting, the identifying, the determining, and the displaying is performed by at least one programmable processor.