US 2003/0210269 A1 · Generic management software application for all industries and method thereof

Abstract

Visual Flow Interface (VFI) is a generic management software tool for any user in different industries which is similar to implementing a.Graphical User Interface (GUI) on Database Applications for the front end. VFI revolutionizes the principle of Management Information System (MIS) design and will launch a new generation of MIS. VFI's innovative contribution to MIS includes two key points: (1) A user's specific managerial and technological process is independent from the program of the MIS. Users can design their managerial and technologic process themselves or make any change freely without redesigning the program of the MIS; and (2) VFI focuses on the unique functional common character of different flows in all different industries and designs a visual image “Sandwich” to represent the functional common character. The Sandwich is a very simple idea but solves a very complicated problem for designing a generic MIS.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A database application for computer-based generic and visual management software comprising:

a) a data source capable of connecting to a plurality of databases, said data source made up of a plurality of fields, wherein each field is a managed object;
b) a visual flow interface representing a plurality of units of actual flow, each unit of said plurality of units of actual flow having:
i. a unit body representing the managed object for processing an input data and recording information about said unit of actual flow in one of the plurality of databases,
ii. an input display module for displaying input data, and
iii. an output display module for displaying output data, whereby a visual image of said unit of actual flow is loaded from said data source for displaying a plurality of information stored in said unit body, for displaying said input data and displaying said output data;
c) a plurality of dialog boxes for indicating a plurality of fields for said data source, for displaying a plurality of current messages and for setting a plurality of flow items;
d) a graphical user interface tool for designing said plurality of units of actual flow using said input data and said output data;
e) a process database for storing said input data and said output data;
whereby said database application can be used with any existing database structure by mapping the structure of the existing database to the visual flow interface.

6 more elements

A method of management on a computer system using a visual flow interface for the purpose of implementing a generic and visual management software, said method comprising:

a) opening an existing applied database structure through a data source, said data source having a plurality of fields;
b) indicating a managed object in one of said plurality of fields by opening a dialog box to input a field data;
c) inserting input data into a unit body through an input displayer;
d) inserting output data into a unit body through an output displayer;
e) storing input data and output data in a process database;
f) indicating a plurality of relational flows among a plurality of units of actual flow by using a dialog box;
g) loading a visual flow from said data source to display said units of actual flow on a visual flow interface;
h) designing a placement and an order of said plurality of units of actual flow using a graphical user interface;
i) storing said visual flow and designed placement and order of said plurality of units of actual flow,
wherein said method provides for an easily modifiable visual database management of the applied existing database structure without requiring defining or redeveloping a database management system to manage the applied existing database structure or other existing database structures.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Generic management software application for all industries and method thereof

Life of this patent

Generic management software application for all industries and method thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16