System and method for defining and dynamically invoking polymorphic call flows

• US 7,827,567 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Krishna, Vikas, Cheng, Isaac Kam-Chak, Bethea, Timothy Joel, Boyette, Neil Harold Arthur, Fritz, Dawn Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US12/124,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 719/331, 719/332, 719/313, 719/318, 719/330
• US Class Current: 719/331
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method for defining and dynamically invoking polymorphic call flows in a call flow system. Call flows are defined that include a publisher call flow and subscriber call flows. A first trigger point in a publisher call flow is defined. Triggers specifying late-binding references to trigger points are defined in the subscriber call flows. Subsequent to the call flows being published in a repository, the publisher call flow is executed, the first trigger point is located, and the publisher call flow is executed. Without changing any other call flow and without terminating and restarting the publisher call flow, a call flow is added to the call flow system and invoked or a call flow is removed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of defining and dynamically invoking call flows in a call flow system, comprising:

defining, by a computing system, a plurality of call flows including a publisher call flow and a set of one or more subscriber call flows, said plurality of call flows facilitating a routing and a servicing of a request from a user of a call flow system;

defining, by said computing system, one or more trigger points, wherein a first trigger point of said one or more trigger points is included in said publisher call flow, and wherein a second trigger point of said one or more trigger points is capable of being included in any subscriber call flow of said set;

defining, by said computing system, one or more triggers included in said one or more subscriber call flows in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein at least one trigger of said one or more triggers specifies a late-binding reference to said first trigger point;

publishing, by said computing system, said plurality of call flows to a repository;

executing, by said computing system, said publisher call flow, said executing including determining an execution time;

dynamically modifying, by said computing system and at said execution time, said plurality of call flows without requiring a termination and a restart of said executing said publisher call flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said dynamically modifying comprises at least one of:

adding a first call flow to said plurality of call flows, said first call flow including a trigger that specifies a late-binding reference to a trigger point of said one or more trigger points, said adding performed without requiring a change to any call flow defined by said defining said plurality of call flows, and

removing a second call flow from said set, said removing performed without requiring a change to any other call flow of said plurality of call flows.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

defining, by said computing system, said trigger included in said first call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said first trigger point; and

invoking, by said computing system, said first call flow at said execution time without requiring a termination of said executing said publisher call flow,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said adding said first call flow.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

defining, by said computing system, said second trigger point in a first subscriber call flow of said set; and

defining, by said computing system, said trigger included in said first call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said second trigger point,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said adding said first call flow, and

wherein said adding said first call flow, said defining said second trigger point, and said defining said trigger do not require a termination of an execution of said publisher call flow and do not require a termination of an execution of said first subscriber call flow.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

defining, by said computing system, said second trigger point in a first subscriber call flow of said set; and

defining, by said computing system, said trigger included in said second call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said second trigger point,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said removing said second call flow, and

wherein said removing said second call flow, said defining said second trigger point, and said defining said trigger do not require a termination of an execution of said publisher call flow and do not require a termination of an execution of said first subscriber call flow.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing said publisher call flow comprises locating, in said repository and by said computing system, at least one subscriber call flow of said set that includes any trigger of said at least one trigger.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said publishing comprises:

storing a representation of a subscriber call flow of said at least one subscriber call flow in said repository, said representation being in a general-purpose markup language, and said representation including a representation of a first trigger of said at least one trigger.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said locating comprises:

locating, in said representation of said first trigger, a first identifier of said publisher call flow; and

locating, in said representation of said first trigger, a second identifier of said first trigger point.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said general-purpose markup language is eXtensible Markup Language.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said executing said publisher call flow comprises:

executing, by said computing system, said at least one subscriber call flow,

wherein no pre-defined condition is included in said at least one subscriber call flow.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said executing said publisher call flow comprises:

executing, by said computing system, a subset of said at least one subscriber call flow based on an evaluation of at least one pre-defined condition,

wherein said at least one pre-defined condition is included in a first subscriber call flow of said at least one subscriber call flow.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said defining said one or more triggers comprises:

defining a Boolean condition included in a first trigger of said one or more triggers, said Boolean condition being said at least one pre-defined condition, and said first trigger included in said first subscriber call flow.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying, by said computing system, that said Boolean condition is included in said first trigger; and

evaluating, by said computing system, said Boolean condition in response to said identifying,

wherein said executing said subset includes executing said first subscriber call flow if said evaluating determines that said Boolean condition is true, and

wherein said executing said subset does not include executing said first subscriber call flow if said evaluating determines that said Boolean condition is false.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said evaluating comprises:

evaluating said Boolean condition without loading a set of logic of said first subscriber call flow into a memory of said computing system and without executing said first subscriber call flow.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said call flow system is a help center, said help center including said computing system and one or more human representatives, and said help center capable of receiving said request from said user, routing said request to a human representative of said one or more human representatives, and providing a service associated with said request.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium including computer-usable program code for defining and dynamically invoking call flows in a call flow system, said computer program product including:

computer-usable program code for defining a plurality of call flows including a publisher call flow and a set of one or more subscriber call flows, said plurality of call flows facilitating a routing and a servicing of a request from a user of a call flow system;

computer-usable program code for defining one or more trigger points, wherein a first trigger point of said one or more trigger points is included in said publisher call flow, and wherein a second trigger point of said one or more trigger points is capable of being included in any subscriber call flow of said set;

computer-usable program code for defining one or more triggers included in said one or more subscriber call flows in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein at least one trigger of said one or more triggers specifies a late-binding reference to said first trigger point;

computer-usable program code for publishing said plurality of call flows to a repository;

computer-usable program code for executing said publisher call flow, said executing including determining an execution time;

computer-usable program code for dynamically modifying, at said execution time, said plurality of call flows without requiring a termination and a restart of said executing said publisher call flow.

17. The program product of claim 16, wherein said computer-usable program code for dynamically modifying comprises at least one of:

computer-usable program code for adding a first call flow to said plurality of call flows, said first call flow including a trigger that specifies a late-binding reference to a trigger point of said one or more trigger points, said adding performed without requiring a change to any call flow defined by said defining said plurality of call flows, and

computer-usable program code for removing a second call flow from said set, said removing performed without requiring a change to any other call flow of said plurality of call flows.

18. The program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for defining said trigger included in said first call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said first trigger point; and

computer-usable program code for invoking said first call flow at said execution time without requiring a termination of said executing said publisher call flow,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said adding said first call flow.

19. The program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for defining said second trigger point in a first subscriber call flow of said set; and

computer-usable program code for defining said trigger included in said first call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said second trigger point,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said adding said first call flow, and

wherein said adding said first call flow, said defining said second trigger point, and said defining said trigger do not require a termination of an execution of said publisher call flow and do not require a termination of an execution of said first subscriber call flow.

20. The program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for defining said second trigger point in a first subscriber call flow of said set; and

computer-usable program code for defining said trigger included in said second call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said second trigger point,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said removing said second call flow, and

wherein said removing said second call flow, said defining said second trigger point, and said defining said trigger do not require a termination of an execution of said publisher call flow and do not require a termination of an execution of said first subscriber call flow.

21. The program product of claim 16, wherein said computer-usable program code for executing said publisher call flow comprises computer-usable program code for locating in said repository at least one subscriber call flow of said set that includes any trigger of said at least one trigger.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein said computer-usable program code for publishing comprises:

computer-usable program code for storing a representation of a subscriber call flow of said at least one subscriber call flow in said repository, said representation being in a general-purpose markup language, and said representation including a representation of a first trigger of said at least one trigger.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein said computer-usable program code for locating comprises:

computer-usable program code for locating, in said representation of said first trigger, a first identifier of said publisher call flow; and

computer-usable program code for locating, in said representation of said first trigger, a second identifier of said first trigger point.

24. The program product of claim 22, wherein said general-purpose markup language is eXtensible Markup Language.

25. The program product of claim 21, wherein said computer-usable program code for executing said publisher call flow comprises:

computer-usable program code for executing said at least one subscriber call flow,

wherein no pre-defined condition is included in said at least one subscriber call flow.

26. The program product of claim 21, wherein said computer-usable program code for executing said publisher call flow comprises:

computer-usable program code for executing a subset of said at least one subscriber call flow based on an evaluation of at least one pre-defined condition,

wherein said at least one pre-defined condition is included in a first subscriber call flow of said at least one subscriber call flow.

27. The program product of claim 26, wherein said computer-usable program code for defining said one or more triggers comprises:

computer-usable program code for defining a Boolean condition included in a first trigger of said one or more triggers, said Boolean condition being said at least one pre-defined condition, and said first trigger included in said first subscriber call flow.

28. The program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for identifying that said Boolean condition is included in said first trigger; and

computer-usable program code for evaluating said Boolean condition in response to said identifying,

wherein said executing said subset includes executing said first subscriber call flow if said evaluating determines that said Boolean condition is true, and

wherein said executing said subset does not include executing said first subscriber call flow if said evaluating determines that said Boolean condition is false.

29. The program product of claim 28, wherein said computer-usable program code for evaluating comprises:

computer-usable program code for evaluating said Boolean condition without loading a set of logic of said first subscriber call flow into a memory of a computing system and without executing said first subscriber call flow.

30. The program product of claim 16, wherein said call flow system is a help center, said help center including a computing system and one or more human representatives, and said help center capable of receiving said request from said user, routing said request to a human representative of said one or more human representatives, and providing a service associated with said request.

31. A system for defining and dynamically invoking call flows in a call flow system, comprising:

means for defining, by a computing system, a plurality of call flows including a publisher call flow and a set of one or more subscriber call flows, said plurality of call flows facilitating a routing and a servicing of a request from a user of a call flow system;

means for defining, by said computing system, one or more trigger points, wherein a first trigger point of said one or more trigger points is included in said publisher call flow, and wherein a second trigger point of said one or more trigger points is capable of being included in any subscriber call flow of said set;

means for defining, by said computing system, one or more triggers included in said one or more subscriber call flows in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein at least one trigger of said one or more triggers specifies a late-binding reference to said first trigger point;

means for publishing, by said computing system, said plurality of call flows to a repository;

means for executing, by said computing system, said publisher call flow, said executing including determining an execution time;

means for dynamically modifying, by said computing system and at said execution time, said plurality of call flows without requiring a termination and a restart of said executing said publisher call flow.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said means for dynamically modifying comprises at least one of:

means for adding a first call flow to said plurality of call flows, said first call flow including a trigger that specifies a late-binding reference to a trigger point of said one or more trigger points, said adding performed without requiring a change to any call flow defined by said defining said plurality of call flows, and

means for removing a second call flow from said set, said removing performed without requiring a change to any other call flow of said plurality of call flows.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for defining, by said computing system, said trigger included in said first call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said first trigger point; and

means for invoking, by said computing system, said first call flow at said execution time without requiring a termination of said executing said publisher call flow,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said adding said first call flow.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for defining, by said computing system, said second trigger point in a first subscriber call flow of said set; and

means for defining, by said computing system, said trigger included in said first call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said second trigger point,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said adding said first call flow, and

wherein said adding said first call flow, said defining said second trigger point, and said defining said trigger do not require a termination of an execution of said publisher call flow and do not require a termination of an execution of said first subscriber call flow.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for defining, by said computing system, said second trigger point in a first subscriber call flow of said set; and

means for defining, by said computing system, said trigger included in said second call flow to specify a late-binding reference to said second trigger point,

wherein said dynamically modifying includes said removing said second call flow, and

wherein said removing said second call flow, said defining said second trigger point, and said defining said trigger do not require a termination of an execution of said publisher call flow and do not require a termination of an execution of said first subscriber call flow.