Workflow Server Abstraction for Security System Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing multiple devices within a security ecosystem is time-consuming and requires in-depth knowledge of each system, leading to a burden on administrators due to the lack of continuity across systems.
Innovation Solution
A user-friendly interface tool that allows administrators to configure and automate workflows across integrated security systems, using a workflow server that abstracts system configurations, enabling triggers and actions to be defined independently and connected through a graphical interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If administrators configure workflows separately in each security system, then each system can be controlled independently, but the administrative burden increases and requires in-depth knowledge of multiple systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a workflow server as an intermediary component that sits between multiple security systems (access control, video surveillance, etc.) and provides a unified interface for workflow configuration. This mediator handles the complexity of inter-system communication and coordination, allowing administrators to configure workflows centrally without needing to understand the internal complexities of each individual system.
Solution Approach 2:
The workflow server provides a universal configuration interface that can manage multiple different security systems through a single platform. Instead of requiring separate configuration tools for each system, the universal interface abstracts the differences between systems and provides consistent workflow management capabilities across the entire security ecosystem.
2Reliability
If administrators have in-depth knowledge of all security systems, then workflows can be properly configured, but the time required for training and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The workflow server creates and maintains copies of workflow configurations that can be applied across multiple systems. Instead of requiring administrators to understand and configure each system individually, the system stores workflow definitions centrally and automatically translates them into system-specific configurations, reducing both training requirements and configuration time while maintaining accuracy.
3Productivity
If multiple systems are integrated into a unified workflow management system, then administrative burden is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security ecosystem into distinct components: multiple security systems (access control, video surveillance, etc.), a central workflow server, and a user interface layer. This segmentation allows each component to remain relatively simple while the integrated system provides unified workflow management. The workflow server handles the integration complexity internally, presenting a simplified interface to administrators.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques for adapting workflows based on commonality with others are provided. It is detected that a workflow server connected to a network is being configured via a user interface to create a workflow. The workflow includes detecting a trigger via a sensor in the network and causing an action to execute at a device in the network in response to the trigger. The workflow being created is compared to a previously created workflow to generate a score that indicates a degree of similarity between the workflow being created and the previously created workflow. Upon verifying that the score satisfies a predefined condition, at least one feature of the previously created workflow that is not currently included in the workflow being created is selected. The user interface is signaled to display an indication to propose that the feature be included in the workflow being created.