Workflow Traversal for Expert Systems Reducing Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional expert systems face challenges such as large tree sizes, computational expense, difficulty in obtaining correct rules, narrow knowledge domains, and the need for a large team of experts, which limits their effectiveness and efficiency, especially in complex medical diagnostics.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that traverse a workflow with interconnected question and answer nodes, where previously determined answers are stored and reused, allowing for efficient logic flow and reducing redundancy, enabling serial loops and eliminating the need for explicit tree branches, and allowing users to provide various types of answers, including free text.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional binary tree structures are used to represent expert system logic, then complete coverage of all possible symptom combinations is achieved, but the system size and computational complexity increase exponentially (2^k where k is the number of questions)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested workflows where sub-workflows can be embedded within parent workflows. This allows complex diagnostic logic to be organized hierarchically, with common symptom assessment patterns reused across multiple diagnostic contexts. The nesting structure enables the system to maintain comprehensive coverage without exponentially increasing overall complexity, as sub-workflows are shared resources rather than duplicated paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the expert system into modular workflow segments that can be independently constructed, stored, and reused. Each workflow represents a discrete diagnostic logic unit that can be combined with others through the workflow repository. This segmentation transforms the monolithic exponential complexity into manageable modular components, where the same segment can serve multiple diagnostic pathways without duplication.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive rule sets are created to cover all medical scenarios, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the time and expertise required to construct the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements pre-defined workflow templates and reusable diagnostic logic segments that have been previously validated by medical experts. These pre-construction artifacts contain established medical knowledge and diagnostic reasoning patterns that can be directly applied to new diagnostic scenarios without requiring experts to build rules from scratch. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces system construction time while maintaining diagnostic accuracy through proven methodologies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables copying and reuse of validated workflow segments across multiple diagnostic applications. Once a diagnostic logic pattern is established and validated for a particular condition, it can be copied and adapted for related conditions, eliminating the need to recreate the same diagnostic reasoning multiple times. This copying mechanism preserves diagnostic accuracy through proven logic while dramatically reducing the time and expertise required for system construction.
3Reliability
If traditional expert systems require large teams of domain experts and knowledge engineers, then system reliability is improved, but system construction cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service capabilities that allow domain experts to construct and validate their own diagnostic workflows using the provided template library and workflow construction interface. Experts can independently create, test, and deploy diagnostic logic without requiring separate knowledge engineering teams to translate their expertise into system rules. This self-service approach maintains expert quality control while eliminating the complex multi-role team structure, as experts directly author and validate their own diagnostic tools.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of traversing a workflow is described. The workflow comprises a plurality of interconnected question and answer nodes, each question node being linked to a respective stored pre-determined question and each answer node being linked to a respective stored answer. The method comprises: determining the type of the current node of the workflow and, if the current node is a question node, accessing a data store, ascertaining whether the data store contains a previously determined answer to the question linked to the current question node and, a) if the data store does contain such a previously determined answer, retrieving the answer from the data store and using the retrieved answer to determine the next node of the workflow to be traversed; and b) if the data store does not contain such a previously determined answer, presenting the question linked to the current question node to a user, and using answer data obtained from the user to determine the next node of the workflow to be traversed.