EP0592072A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computerized process control system
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1993-07-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-07-07
Abstract
Abstract A primitive process building block is utilized in representing each state of a process and implemented as a computerized class object from which all process states are derived. The building block has a generic set of actions whereby control may be transferred between states. Such generic transitions for each state thereby describe relative flow of a Work Item in the process either forward or backward in the process such as to a next or previous state, respectively, or looping within the same state. By defining each state with a uniform model across the system whereby the same set of actions enter and exit a given state, an improved, simplified user interface is provided. Generic actions further facilitate automated reporting functions and creation of a process quality matrix.
Inventors
- 👤 David Lynn Campbell
- 👤 Geoffrey Martin Hambrick
- 👤 Jerrold Martin Heyman
- 👤 Tracy Wells Porter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 05:08
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A computerized process control system comprising a user interface means (14) adapted to define a set of actions requiring user interaction with said system; a storage means (16) for storing information relating to said actions defining actors, groups, objects, and life-cycles of said objects; said storage means (16) including means for storing transitions generated from a generic process building block; and a control means (10) interconnected to said user interface means (14) and said storage means (16) for executing said process control in response to said information and said user interaction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of Claim 1 wherein said building block from which each of said transitions is generated includes a preselected set of generic actions common to each of said transitions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 2 wherein said generic actions include at least a return (18), complete (24), and schedule (22) action.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of Claim 3 wherein said generic actions further include a do and assign action.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of Claim 4 wherein said storage means (16) includes a user repository means (26) for storing information defining said actors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of Claim 5 wherein said user repository means (26) includes means for indicating teams and roles of which said user is a member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of Claim 5 wherein said user repository means (26) further includes means for indicating objects currently owned by said user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of Claim 4 wherein said storage means (16) includes a team-role repository means (36) for maintaining information defining said groups and subgroups in said system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of Claim 8 wherein said team-role repository means (36) includes means for indicating teams and roles of which said role is a member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 9 wherein said team-role repository means (36) includes means for indicating members of said teams and roles.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of Claim 8 wherein said team-role repository means (36) includes means for indicating said objects of which any member of a team or role is an authorized owner.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of Claim 4 wherein said storage means (16) includes an object repository means (28) for maintaining information of differing kinds of said objects in said system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of Claim 12 wherein said object repository means (28) includes means for indicating said owner.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of Claim 13 wherein said owner is selected from the group comprising a team, role, or individual.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of Claim 12 wherein said object repository means (28) includes means for indicating a process governing said life-cycles of said object.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of Claim 12 wherein said object repository means (28) includes means for indicating current state within said process.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of Claim 12 wherein said object repository means (28) further includes means for indicating history of said life-cycles.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of Claim 4 wherein said storage means (16) includes a process repository means (30) for maintaining said information about said life-cycles of said differing kinds of said objects in said system.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of Claim 18 wherein said process repository means (30) includes a means for listing valid states (32) within said process.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of Claim 19 wherein said means for listing valid states (32) includes means for storing an action to be taken when one of said owners assigns said object to a new owner.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of Claim 19 wherein said means for listing valid states (32) includes means for storing an action to be taken when said owner schedules a next state change of said object.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of Claim 19 wherein said means for listing said valid states (32) includes means for storing an action to be taken when said owner completes work of a current said state for a corresponding said object.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of Claim 18 wherein said process repository means (30) further includes means for listing valid initial said states.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of Claim 18 wherein said process repository means (30) includes means for storing a list of terminal said states.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
75 words
The system of Claim 18 wherein said process repository means (30) further includes means for storing a list of transitions (34) selected from a group including a from state, a to state, an action to be taken when moving said object forward in said life-cycles from said from state to said to state, and an action to be taken when moving said object backward in said life-cycles from said to state to said from state.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of Claim 4 wherein said storage means (16) further includes a control subsystem means for enabling said user through said user interface means (14) to select said objects and a corresponding one said action of Claims 20, 21, 22 or 25.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of Claim 26 wherein said control subsystem means includes means for validating said user against a current owner of said object.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of Claim 27 wherein said control subsystem means further includes means for invoking said corresponding one of said actions if said user is valid.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of Claim 28 wherein said control subsystem means further includes means for updating state of data corresponding to said user, teams, roles, and said object according to said corresponding one of said actions taken.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of Claim 29 wherein said means for updating said state includes means for maintaining an activity log of said object.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of Claim 4 further including a reporting means (12) interconnected to said control means (10) for automatically generating a matrix (132) correlating last and next actions (136, 134) from said activity log.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of Claim 31 wherein said reporting subsystem means (12) further includes means for automatically generating object status reports by team, role, said user, type of said objects, or individual said objects, including a summary of said objects by state.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of Claim 31 wherein said reporting subsystem means (12) further includes means for automatically generating object activity reports including a summary of said life-cycles activity.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for operating a computerized process control system having a user interface for indicating quality of management of said process by said system, comprising storing in said system a model of said process, wherein each of a plurality of states of a state transition diagram of said model is represented by a generic process building block; logging transactions associated with each of said plurality of states during operation of said system; and generating in response to said logging a matrix (132) relating generic transaction actions of a last action (136) and a next action (134) in said process.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of Claim 34 wherein said generic building block includes a plurality of said generic actions used in said model to represent each of said plurality of states.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 35 wherein said actions are selected from the group comprising return, schedule, and complete.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of Claim 35 wherein said actions are selected from the group comprising return, assign, schedule, do, and complete actions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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