User Interface with Fields for Entries to be Applied to Heterogeneous Processes

Abstract

A method and system for providing a user interface (320, 420, 520, 620) with input fields to be applied to a plurality of processes (301-304, 401-404, 501-504, 601-604). In one embodiment, the user interface is a search user interface (320, 420) and the processes are searchable applications (301-304, 401-404). In another embodiment, the user interface is a workflow form (520, 620) and the processes are workflow steps (501-504, 601-604). The method includes defining a set of basic fields (312, 465, 512, 635). Each process (301-304, 401-404, 501-504, 601-604) provides a set of process fields (331-334, 462, 531-534, 632) and each process field is either mapped (314, 467, 514, 637) to a basic field or defined as a process-specific field. A user interface (320, 420, 520, 620) is generated including a set of basic fields (322, 522) for input parameters which define the intersection of the common fields of the plurality of processes, and one or more sets (323, 324, 523, 524) of process-specific fields for input parameters.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.