Generation of a three-dimensional virtual reality environment from a business process model

• US 9,886,682 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2012
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marin, Mike A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia-Guerra, Darlene
• Application Number:
  US13/350,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• Field of Search: 345633, 345418, 345419, 705348, 705 727, 705 737
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A method and computer program product for generating a three-dimensional virtual reality environment from a business process model in a computer system are provided. The method includes analyzing a business process model to identify a plurality of activities and at least one transition criterion between the plurality of activities, where the business process model is unbounded to a physical implementation. The method also includes transforming the business process model into a three-dimensional virtual reality environment with virtual physical constraints, including a plurality of virtual rooms representing the plurality of activities and one or more virtual access points to the virtual rooms representing the at least one transition criterion. The method further includes outputting the three-dimensional virtual reality environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a business process model including one or more nodes and one or more arcs to represent one or more activities and at least one transition criterion for the one or more activities within a business process;

analyzing the nodes and arcs of the business process model via a processor and mapping the one or more activities to one or more virtual rooms and the at least one transition criterion to one or more virtual access points of the one or more virtual rooms; and

generating, via a processor, a navigable virtual reality environment corresponding to the business process of the business process model, wherein the virtual reality environment includes the one or more virtual rooms representing the one or more activities and the one or more virtual access points to the one or more virtual rooms representing the at least one transition criterion.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual access points include one or more of:

a virtual corridor, a virtual door, and a virtual window.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the virtual corridor provides a virtual pathway to connect two or more of the virtual rooms, and the virtual door and the virtual window each provide a virtual access barrier for traversing one or more of the virtual rooms in response to the at least one transition criterion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes and one or more arcs represent a two-dimensional business process model, and the virtual reality environment includes a three-dimensional virtual reality environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business process includes loan application processing.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the one or more virtual rooms representing the one or more activities correspond to at least one of a review application for completeness activity, a check credit report activity, a management review activity, and an approval decision activity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality environment is configured to validate the business process, to simulate the business process, to execute the business process, and to monitor the business process.

8. A system comprising:

a computer system including at least one processor configured to;

receive a business process model including one or more nodes and one or more arcs to represent one or more activities and at least one transition criterion for the one or more activities within a business process;

analyze the nodes and arcs of the business process model and map the one or more activities to one or more virtual rooms and the at least one transition criterion to one or more virtual access points of the one or more virtual rooms; and

generate a navigable virtual reality environment corresponding to the business process of the business process model, wherein the virtual reality environment includes the one or more virtual rooms representing the one or more activities and the one or more virtual access points to the one or more virtual rooms representing the at least one transition criterion.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more virtual access points include one or more of:

a virtual corridor, a virtual door, and a virtual window.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the virtual corridor provides a virtual pathway to connect two or more of the virtual rooms, and the virtual door and the virtual window each provide a virtual access barrier for traversing one or more of the virtual rooms in response to the at least one transition criterion.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more nodes and one or more arcs represent a two-dimensional business process model, and the virtual reality environment includes a three-dimensional virtual reality environment.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the business process includes loan application processing.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more virtual rooms representing the one or more activities correspond to at least one of a review application for completeness activity, a check credit report activity, a management review activity, and an approval decision activity.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual reality environment is configured to validate the business process, to simulate the business process, to execute the business process, and to monitor the business process.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to;

receive a business process model including one or more nodes and one or more arcs to represent one or more activities and at least one transition criterion for the one or more activities within a business process;

analyze the nodes and arcs of the business process model and map the one or more activities to one or more virtual rooms and the at least one transition criterion to one or more virtual access points of the one or more virtual rooms; and

generate a navigable virtual reality environment corresponding to the business process of the business process model, wherein the virtual reality environment includes the one or more virtual rooms representing the one or more activities and the one or more virtual access points to the one or more virtual rooms representing the at least one transition criterion.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more virtual access points include one or more of:

a virtual corridor, a virtual door, and a virtual window.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the virtual corridor provides a virtual pathway to connect two or more of the virtual rooms, and the virtual door and the virtual window each provide a virtual access barrier for traversing one or more of the virtual rooms in response to the at least one transition criterion.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more nodes and one or more arcs represent a two-dimensional business process model, and the virtual reality environment includes a three-dimensional virtual reality environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the business process includes loan application processing.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the one or more virtual rooms representing the one or more activities correspond to at least one of a review application for completeness activity, a check credit report activity, a management review activity, and an approval decision activity.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the virtual reality environment is configured to validate the business process, to simulate the business process, to execute the business process, and to monitor the business process.