Process Instance State Management Across User Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current guided process-based applications do not allow users to seamlessly transition and complete processes across different user interface technologies, as progress is not preserved when switching from one technology-based interface to another, leading to the need to restart processes.
Innovation Solution
A framework that enables the creation, processing, and porting of process instances across multiple user interface technologies, allowing users to initiate a guided process on one technology and complete it on another, by using a process engine to manage and store the user's progress, enabling navigation between different user interface technologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guided process application uses a wizard-style flow with sequential pages, then the process can be completed in a structured manner, but the user cannot preserve progress and switch to a different user interface technology to continue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the guided process into discrete process instances that can be independently saved and restored. Each process instance represents a snapshot of user progress at a specific point in the wizard-style flow, allowing the process to be divided into manageable, portable units that can be accessed across different user interface technologies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces process instances as an intermediary layer between the user and the guided process application. These instances act as mediators that preserve process state and enable seamless transitions between different user interface technologies, decoupling the process logic from any specific interface implementation.
2Reliability
If each guided process is independently configured to save progress, then that specific process can preserve user progress, but other processes or applications cannot benefit from this capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal process instance mechanism that can be applied across multiple guided processes and user interface technologies. The process instance concept serves multiple functions: saving progress, enabling portability, supporting different interface technologies, and providing a common framework for progress preservation across the entire system rather than requiring individual configuration for each process.
3Ease of operation
If navigation logic is embedded in the user interface pages, then the interface can control the flow independently, but the process progress cannot be preserved when switching between different user interface technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the navigation logic and process state management from the user interface pages and embeds it in the process instance framework. This separation allows the navigation control to be maintained through process instances rather than being tied to specific interface implementations, enabling progress preservation when switching between different user interface technologies.
Data Source
AI summary
A guided process framework includes a process engine, one or more data stores, and one or more user interfaces configured to communicate with the process engine. A user can access a given process instance through any appropriately configured user interface, which contacts the process engine, and which in turn contacts/consults definitions for one or more guided processes at a data store. If the user finishes only part of a given process instance, the process engine can save state corresponding to the progress in the data store. A user can continue work on the process instance through a different user interface (or at a different computer system) by contacting the process engine through the different user interface, and receiving rendering information configured for the different user interface. Thus, the user can stop and start work on a process however desired, and with whatever tools are available at any given time.