Method and apparatus for user personalized and adaptive business processing modeling and integration

• US 20030069943A1
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bahrs, Peter C., Lillie, Brian Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/971,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for an application server. A presentation services module uses a set of screens to receive input and presents received results. An application services module executes a set of tasks for a process using the input to obtain output data, formats the output data into a form useable by the presentation services module to form the results, and sends the results for presentation in response to the state transition.

Claims

1. An application service framework comprising:

a presentation service, wherein the presentation service presents a set of screens and generates input data from input obtained using the set of screens and presents output data using the set of screens;

an application service, wherein the application service receives the input data from the presentation service, generates a request to obtain the output data using the input data, and returns the output data to the presentation service; and

a backend service, wherein the backend service receives the requests from the application service and returns output data to the application service.

2. The application service framework of claim 1, wherein the application service formats the output data into a form useable by the presentation service prior to sending the output data to the presentation service.

3. The application service framework of claim 1, wheren the application service executes a set of tasks to generate the request.

4. An application server comprising:

a presentation services module, wherein the presentation services module uses a set of screens to receive input and presents received results;

an application services module, wherein the application services module executes a set of tasks for a process using the input to obtain output data, formats the output data into a form useable by the presentation services module to form the results, and sends the results for presentation in response to the state transition.

5. The application server of claim 4, wherein each task within the set of tasks comprises a portion of logic for a process.

6. The application server of claim 4, wherein a selected transition from one task to another task in the set of tasks results in a state in which the presentation services module obtains additional input using the set of screens.

7. The application server of claim 4, wherein only a portion of the set of screens is used to receive the input.

8. The application server of claim 6, wherein the input is a user identification and wherein screens within the set of screens used to obtain additional input are selected based on the user identification.

9. The application server of claim 4, wherein the at least one task makes a request to a connectivity services module to obtain the output data and further comprising:

the connectivity services module, wherein the connectivity module processes the request to generate the output data.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein a task within the set of tasks calls a backend service to generate the output data in response to the input.

11. The application server of claim 9, wherein the connectivity services module includes at least one of a database and a server.

12. The application server of claim 9, wherein the set of tasks form a state machine.

13. The application server of claim 12, wherein the state machine further includes states, actions, rules, and transitions.

14. The application server of claim 12, wherein the state machine is a business process state machine.

15. A method in a data processing system for providing a service, the method comprising:

receiving input data generated from input to at least one screen in a presentation services module;

executing a task from a plurality of tasks in response to receiving the input data, wherein the tasks use the input data to send a request for output data to a backend service;

obtaining output data from the backend service; and

formatting the output data into a form for presentation by the presentation services module.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of tasks form a state machine.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

repeating the executing step until all of the plurality of tasks have been executed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a transition from some of the plurality of tasks to others of the plurality of tasks includes returning state information to the presentation services module to obtain additional input data.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of tasks form a business process.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the business process is one of purchasing an automobile, accessing a checking account, or obtaining a loan.

21. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive input data generated from input to at least one screen in a presentation services module, execute a task from a plurality of tasks in response to receiving the input data in which the tasks use the input data to send a request for output data to a backend service, obtain output data from the backend service, and format the output data into a form for presentation by the presentation services module.

22. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing a service, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving input data generated from input to at least one screen in a presentation services module;

second instructions for executing a task from a plurality of tasks in response to receiving the input data, wherein the tasks use the input data to send a request for output data to a backend service;

third instructions for obtaining output data from the backend service; and

fourth instructions for formatting the output data into a form for presentation by the presentation services module.

23. A data processing system for providing a service, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving input data generated from input to at least one screen in a presentation services module;

executing means for executing a task from a plurality of tasks in response to receiving the input data, wherein the tasks use the input data to send a request for output data to a backend service;

obtaining means for obtaining output data from the backend service; and

formatting means for formatting the output data into a form for presentation by the presentation services module.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of tasks form a state machine.

25. The data processing system of claim 23 further comprising:

repeating means for repeating the executing step until all of the plurality of tasks have been executed.

26. The data processing system of claim 25, wherein a transition from some of the plurality of tasks to others of the plurality of tasks includes returning state information to the presentation services module to obtain additional input data.

27. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of tasks form a business process.

28. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the business process is one of purchasing an automobile, accessing a checking account, or obtaining a loan.