Visual Information Builder for Business Rule Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Business rule management becomes complex and inefficient as businesses grow, especially when users lack familiarity with rule dictionaries and code-level details in integrated platforms, leading to suboptimal utilization of integrated platform deployments.
Innovation Solution
A Visual Information Builder (VIB) provides a user-friendly, context-sensitive interface for building and managing business rules, using role-based and context-driven interaction to abstract complexity, with metadata-driven templates that limit actions and conditions, enabling intuitive rule editing and automatic code generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users directly edit code or use traditional graphical rule editors, then business rules can be defined and managed, but the complexity and difficulty of operation increase significantly as the business grows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a visual rule builder as an intermediary layer between the user and the underlying code/rules engine. This visual interface allows users to construct business rules through drag-and-drop operations and visual notation without directly editing code, thereby simplifying the operation while managing the underlying complexity through an abstracted interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional text-based code editing mechanics with visual drag-and-drop mechanics. Users interact with rule elements through visual manipulation (dragging, dropping, connecting) rather than typing and parsing code syntax, fundamentally changing the interaction paradigm from mechanical text editing to visual spatial arrangement
2Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive browse and search functions are provided in the rule editor, then users can access more data sources and conditions, but the interface becomes overwhelming and harder to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the comprehensive rule editor interface into distinct functional areas and panels. Data sources, conditions, actions, and rule templates are organized into separate accessible regions, allowing users to focus on one aspect at a time while maintaining access to the full range of options through organized navigation rather than presenting all options simultaneously
3Adaptability or versatility
If the business application grows in complexity and scope, then more business rules and criteria can be defined, but the usability of the rule editor deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where complex business rules are built by nesting simpler rule components. Users can create hierarchical rule structures where parent rules contain child rules, and conditions can be nested within actions, allowing complex logic to be constructed from manageable nested units rather than monolithic rule definitions
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus, and system for an interface for expanding logical combinations based on relative placement are provided. Logical combinations are built using a consistent logical layout specifying logical operators and order of operations based on direction of expansion and relative positions. The interface allows the user to add or move objects at specific positions relative to existing objects to select the logical operators for integrating the objects into the logical combination. Based on the specific pathway that the direction follows, an associated logical operator is selected to connect an existing object to the new or moved object. The logical combinations that are built in Visual Information Builder (VIB) can be automatically translated into corresponding business rule code for evaluation and execution by a rules engine.