Method and apparatus for process design

• US 7,254,594 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MetaPower, Inc. (MetaPower International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metapower, LLC
• Inventors: Wheeler, David E., Prouty, John, Allen, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US10/861,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/203
• US Class Current: 707/695
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A process is managed by creating a future revision of a base. Data are input into the future revision of the base. The future revision of the base is made current, revising the base. A control tracks the authorization of the base revision, storing the authorization of the future revision of the base.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing process design in a computer, the apparatus comprising:

a computer, including a memory;

a base stored in the memory, the base including information about an object in the process design; and

a control stored in the memory, including information about a process in the process design, the control operable on the base.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base includes a revision of the base, the revision indicating a change in the information about the object in the base.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control includes a revision of the control, the revision indicating a change in the information about the process in the control.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second base including information about a second object in the process design;

an intersection stored in the memory, designed to correlate the information in the base with the information in the second base; and

a second control stored in the memory, including information about a process in the process design, the control operable on the intersection.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the intersection includes a revision of the intersection, the revision indicating a change in the correlation of the information in the base with the information in the second base.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second base including information about a second object in the process design;

a transaction stored in the memory, designed to transfer a resource from the base to the second base; and

a second control stored in the memory, including information about a process in the process design, the control operable on the transaction.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second base including information about a second object in the process design;

an observation stored in the memory, designed to observe the base from the perspective of the second instance of the base; and

a second control stored in the memory, including information about a process in the process design, the control operable on the observation.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base can only be revised using the control.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the information in the control includes a field for a value, without which the control cannot operate; and

the apparatus further comprises a second control stored in the memory, including information about a process in the process design, the second control operable on the control to supply the value for the field.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control is designed so that it cannot provide the value for the field.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base includes a future revision of the base, the future revision indicating a future change in the information about the object in the process design.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the base further includes a second future revision of the base, the second future revision including a second future change in the information about the object in the process design.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the future revision of the base includes a third future change in the information about the object in the process design;

the second future revision of the instance of the base includes a fourth future change in the information about the object in the process design; and

the third future change in the future revision and the fourth future change in the second future revision are the same change.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base includes an ID of the control.

15. A computer-implemented method for managing process design, the method comprising:

creating a future revision of a base;

inputting data into the future revision; and

making the future revision current.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein making the future revision current includes retaining a prior revision of the base.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein retaining a prior revision of the base includes changing a current revision to a historic revision.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein inputting data includes inputting data relating to a changing field of the base into the future revision.

19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising validating the future revision.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein validating the future revision includes checking that a necessary field has data.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein validating the future revision includes making sure that a field in the future includes valid data.

22. A method according to claim 15, further comprising linking the future revision with a control.

23. A method according to claim 15, further comprising inputting data to a control of the base.

24. A computer-implemented method for correlating information between a first base and a second base, the method comprising:

creating a future revision of an intersection;

inputting data into the intersection, thereby correlating the first base and the second base; and

making the future revision current.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising retaining a prior revision of the intersection.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein retaining a prior revision of the intersection includes changing a current revision to a historic revision.

27. A method according to claim 24, further comprising lining the future revision with a control.

28. A method according to claim 24, further comprising inputting data to a control of the intersection.

29. A computer-implemented method for observing information about a first base from a second base, the method comprising:

creating an observation;

taking a measurement of information in the first base, from information in the second base; and

storing the measurement in the observation.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein taking a measurement includes determining the accuracy of the observation.

31. A method according to claim 29, wherein taking a measurement includes assigning a tolerance to the observation.

32. A method according to claim 29, wherein taking a measurement includes observing a condition surrounding the measurement.

33. A method according to claim 29, wherein storing the measurement includes keeping a prior measurement in the observation.

34. A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction between a first base and a second base, the method comprising:

identifying a resource in the first base;

move the resource from the first base to the second base; and

paying the first base for the resource by the second base.

35. A computer-implemented method for generating a control, the method comprising:

evaluating a criterion using a generator;

generating starting data from the criterion;

producing a control using a template and the starting data; and

invoking the control.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein evaluating a criterion includes evaluating a criterion from an observation using a generator.

37. A method according to claim 35, wherein evaluating a criterion includes evaluating a criterion from a transaction using a generator.

38. A computer-implemented method for correlating information between a first control and a second control, the method comprising:

creating an intersection;

inputting data to a control of the intersection; and

inserting at least some of the data into the intersection, thereby correlating the first control and the second control.