Integrated deployment of software projects

• US 8,225,215 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobileFrame LLC
• Original Assignee: MobileFrame LLC
• Inventors: Oswalt, Lonny Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/502,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 715/735, 715/736, 715/740, 715/762, 715/765, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A single integrated software project deployment platform is provided that allows administrators to easily and effectively deploy software projects to remote computers. This allows business users with no Information Technology background or capabilities to develop and deploy sophisticated applications for execution on remote systems, such as mobile computers. Mobile workers can connect to backend enterprise systems in real-time to capture rich data types such as digital signatures, photos, speech recognition, bar code scans, etc. while in the field.

Claims

1. A method for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, each of the tasks having one or more steps, the method comprising:

creating a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming;

deploying said project to one or more client computing devices, said one or more client computing devices selected based on said project information;

providing, to the one or more client computing devices, access to a central database such that the server provides data from the central database to the one or more client computing devices while the one or more computing devices are executing one or more tasks of said project;

receiving results from execution of one or more tasks of said project from said one or more client computing devices; and

displaying a portion of said results to a business administrator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said projects include one or more workflows to be fired upon validation of a step or after a value has been accepted into a step.

3. A method for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the method comprising:

creating a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming;

determining project information about the project;

deploying said project to one or more client computing devices for execution, said one or more client computing devices selected based on said project information;

receiving a modification to said project information from a business administrator;

automatically updating said one or more client computing devices having been deployed said project with said modification, said modification to be implemented at said one or more client computing devices while one or more tasks of said project are executing;

receiving results from execution of said one or more tasks of said project from said one or more client computing devices; and

displaying a portion of said results to said business administrator.

4. A method for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the method comprising:

creating a project by;

presenting said business administrator with a screen allowing said business administrator to add a step to a task of said project;

receiving a request to add a step from said business administrator, wherein the step is specified without using computer programming;

presenting said business administrator with a screen allowing said business administrator to add a prompt for said step, a data type expected for data, and an input mechanism for said data; and

receiving a prompt for said step, a data type expected for data, and an input mechanism for said data from said business administrator, wherein the prompt for said step, a data type expected for data, and an input mechanism are specified without using computer programming;

receiving workflow from the user, wherein the workflow is specified without using computer programming and describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project;

determining project information about the project;

deploying said project to one or more client computing devices, said one or more client computing devices selected based on said project information;

receiving results from execution of one or more tasks of said project from said one or more client computing devices; and

displaying a portion of said results to said business administrator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said creating further includes:

presenting said business administrator with a screen allowing said business administrator to add workflow to said step; and

receiving workflow to be added to said step from said business administrator.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said creating further includes:

presenting said business administrator with a screen allowing said business administrator to set options for said step, said options selected from the set comprising;

name, default value, range of numeric values or string lengths allowed, lists, and format; and

receiving options for said step from said business administrator.

7. An apparatus for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the apparatus comprising:

a project creator designed to create a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming;

a project information determiner;

a project client computing device deployer coupled to said business administrator project information receiver;

a client computing device task execution results receiver; and

a results portion business administrator displayer coupled to said client computing device task execution results receiver.

8. An apparatus for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the apparatus comprising:

a project creator designed to create a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming;

a project information determiner;

a project client computing device deployer coupled to said business administrator project information receiver;

a business administrator project information modification receiver;

a project modification client computing device automatic updater coupled to said business administrator project information modification receiver;

a client computing device task execution results receiver; and

a results portion business administrator displayer coupled to said client computing device task execution results receiver.

9. An apparatus for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the apparatus comprising:

a project creator designed to create a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming wherein said project creator includes;

a business administrator add step screen presenter;

a business administrator add step request receiver coupled to said business administrator add step screen presenter;

a business administrator add prompt, data type, and input mechanism screen presenter coupled to said business administrator add step request receiver;

a business administrator prompt, data type, and input mechanism receiver coupled to said business administrator add prompt, data type, and input mechanism screen presenter;

a project information determiner;

a project client computing device deployer coupled to said business administrator project information receiver;

a client computing device task execution results receiver; and

a results portion business administrator displayer coupled to said client computing device task execution results receiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said project creator further includes:

a business administrator add workflow screen presenter coupled to said business administrator prompt, data type, and input mechanism receiver; and

a business administrator workflow receiver coupled to said business administrator add workflow screen presenter.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said project creator further includes:

a business administrator step options screen presenter coupled to said business administrator prompt, data type, and input mechanism receiver; and

a business administrator step options receiver coupled to said business administrator step options screen presenter.

12. An apparatus for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, each of the tasks having one or more steps, the method comprising:

means for creating a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming;

means for determining project information about the project;

means for deploying said project to one or more client computing devices, said one or more client computing devices selected based on said project information;

means for providing, to the one or more client computing devices, access to a central database such that the server provides data from the central database to the one or more client computing devices while the one or more computing devices are executing one or more tasks of said project;

means for receiving results from execution of one or more tasks of said project from said one or more client computing devices; and

means for displaying a portion of said results to a business administrator.

13. A method for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the method comprising:

means for creating a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming;

means for determining project information about the project;

means for deploying said project to one or more client computing devices for execution, said one or more client computing devices selected based on said project information;

means for receiving a modification to said project information from a business administrator;

means for automatically updating said one or more client computing devices having been deployed said project with said modification, said modification to be implemented at said one or more client computing devices while one or more tasks of said project are executing;

means for receiving results from execution of said one or more tasks of said project from said one or more client computing devices; and

means for displaying a portion of said results to said business administrator.

14. A method for deploying projects to one or more client computing devices from a server, each of said projects including one or more tasks, the method comprising:

means for creating a project based on user input, wherein the project contains applications and workflow, wherein each application includes a series of data gathering steps, each data gathering step specified by an onscreen prompt for data, a type of data expected, and a type of input mechanism used to capture data, and wherein the workflow describes elements that will fire when one or more corresponding steps are validating input or after the corresponding steps have accepted a value determining project information about the project, wherein the user input does not include computer programming by;

presenting said business administrator with a screen allowing said business administrator to add a step to a task of said project;

receiving a request to add a step from said business administrator;

presenting said business administrator with a screen allowing said business administrator to add a prompt for said step, a data type expected for data, and an input mechanism for said data; and

receiving a prompt for said step, a data type expected for data, and an input mechanism for said data from said business administrator;

means for determining project information about the project;

means for deploying said project to one or more client computing devices, said one or more client computing devices selected based on said project information;

means for receiving results from execution of one or more tasks of said project from said one or more client computing devices; and

means for displaying a portion of said results to said business administrator.