System and method for building multi-modal and multi-channel applications

• US 20020184610A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Chong, Kelvin, Kuo, Cynthia, Mandyam, Srinivas, Vedati, Krishna, Wang, Winston, Reddy, Vikranth Katpally
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for visually building multi-channel and multi-modal applications. The system 100 includes a process design module 12 for designing application workflow, an integration design module 14 for integrating data sources into the application; a presentation design module 16 for designing application views; a media library 18; and a componentization module 20, for packaging designed workflow into reusable components. The system 100 further includes an interactive development/design environment (IDE) 500. The IDE 500 provides a graphical user interface for allowing a developer to visually interact with and operate modules 12-20. The system 100 allows a developer to design a single application that can operate across multiple network standards, devices, browsers and languages, and that operate in one or more modes, such as real-time, off-line and asynchronous modes.

Claims

1. A system for visually building applications, said system comprising:

a first module adapted to allow a developer to visually design workflow for an application;

a second module adapted to allow a developer to design views for said application; and

a third module adapted to allow a developer to integrate data sources within said application.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interactive development environment for allowing a developer to interact with said first, second and third modules to design said application.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said interactive development environment comprises a graphical user interface for allowing a developer to visually interact with said first, second and third module.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is adapted to allow a developer to design multi-modal applications.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is adapted to allow a developer to design multi-channel applications.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said system is adapted to allow a developer to design multi-channel applications including at least one channel selected from the group comprising voice channels, web channels, and wireless web channels.

7. A system for visually building multi-channel applications, comprising:

an interactive development environment for visually designing workflow for a multi-channel application, said environment being adapted to allow a developer to independently design said workflow in a plurality of layers, each of said layers corresponding to at least one channel of said application.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said interactive development environment provides a graphical interface for independently displaying and designing said plurality of layers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said interface is adapted to independently display a root layer including states common to each of said channels of said application, and to allow a developer to visually design said root layer.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said graphical interface is further adapted to independently display a voice layer including states common to a voice channel of said application, and to allow a developer to visually design said voice layer.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said graphical interface is further adapted to independently display a visual layer including states common to a visual channel of said application, and to allow a developer to visually design said visual layer.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said graphical interface is further adapted to display combinations of said root, voice and visual layers.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said markup language comprises an XML-based language.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said graphical user interface is adapted to allow a user to visually build a single workflow for an application capable of operating over a plurality of channels.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said graphical user interface is adapted to allow a user to visually build a single workflow for an application capable of operating in a plurality of modes.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a second graphical user interface adapted to allow a developer to build views of an application; and

a second module adapted to convert said built views into a markup language.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said markup language comprises an XML-based language.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

designing a presentation of said application within said visual development environment.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

internationalizing said presentation of said application within said visual development environment.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

integrating data sources into said application by use of said visual development environment.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said application workflow describes a multi-channel application.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said application workflow is designed in a plurality of layers, each layer including states and transitions common to at least one channel of said application.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

componentizing a plurality of said states and transitions into a reusable sub-model within said visual development environment.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

packaging said application workflow into a reusable component within said visual development environment.

13. A system for visually building applications, comprising:

a graphical user interface adapted to allow a user to visually build a workflow for an application; and

a module for converting said visually built workflow into a markup language.

19. A method of building an application, comprising the steps of:

providing a visual development environment;

designing an application workflow within said visual development environment, said application workflow describing certain business logic and comprising a plurality of states and a plurality of transitions, linking said states; and

converting said application workflow into an application descriptor.