# US 2013/0159904 A1 · Process flow designing based on connection compatibility between process components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0159904 A1 - Document ID: US20130159904A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/330,685 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: Business Objects Software Ltd. - Inventors: RAKESH KELAPPAN; Anil Babu Ankisettipalli; John Macregor; Sambit Panda; Sujit Ramesh A. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159904A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract In one embodiment, a selection of a process component associated with a process flow is received. Further, a check is made to determine whether a graphical editor includes process components associated with the process flow. If the graphical editor does not include process components, the selected process component is placed on the graphical editor. If the graphical editor includes the process components, then compatibility of the selected process component with at least one of the one or more process components is determined by identifying cardinality and type of the process component. Further, the selected process component is connected to the process flow on the graphical editor based on the determined compatibility. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article of manufacture including a tangible computer readable storage medium to physically store instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: receive a selection of a process component associated with a process flow; determine whether a graphical editor includes one or more process components associated with the process flow; determine compatibility of the selected process component with at least one of the one or more process components in the graphical editor by identifying cardinality and type of the selected process component, if the graphical editor includes the one or more process components; and connect the selected process component to the process flow on the graphical editor based on the determined compatibility. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article of manufacture of claim 1, further comprising: placing the selected process component on the graphical editor, if the graphical editor does not include the one or more process components. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more process components comprises a preferred process component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the preferred process component is identified based on the type of selection used to select the process component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein when the process component is selected by dragging and dropping onto the graphical editor, the at least one of the one or more process components is considered as the preferred process component based on the distance between the dragged process component and the one or more process components on the graphical editor, and the compatibility of the dragged process component and the preferred process component is displaced on the graphical editor based on the cardinality of the dragged process component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein the compatibility of the selected process component is determined with a previous process component connected to the process flow when the at least one of the one or more process components does not include the preferred process component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the cardinality comprises number of input ports and number of output ports of the selected process component. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein when the process component is dragged and dropped in-between two process components of the one or more process components on the graphical editor, the compatibility of the process component with the two process components is determined and the process component is connected to the process flow based on the determined compatibility. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the process component on the graphical editor comprises a context menu including at least one of a list of process components compatible to the process component, an option to delete the process component from the process flow, an option to execute the process flow and an option to view the process flow output. ### Claim 10 A computer implemented method to design process flow based on connection compatibility between process components using a computer, the method comprising: receiving a selection of a process component, from a computer generated user interface, associated with a process flow; determine whether a graphical editor of the computer generated user interface includes one or more process components associated with the process flow; determine, by the computer, compatibility of the selected process component with at least one of the one or more process components in the graphical editor by identifying cardinality and type of the selected process component, if the graphical editor includes the one or more process components; and connect the selected process component to the process flow on the graphical editor of the computer generated user interface based on the determined compatibility. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising: placing the process component on the graphical editor, if the graphical editor does not include the one or more process components. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the one or more process components comprises a preferred process component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the preferred process component is identified based on the type of selection used to select the process component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein when the process component is selected by dragging and dropping onto the graphical editor, the at least one of the one or more process components is considered as the preferred process component based on the distance between the dragged process component and the one or more process components on the graphical editor, and the compatibility of the dragged process component and the preferred process component is displaced on the graphical editor based on the cardinality of the dragged process component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the compatibility of the selected process component is determined with a previous process component connected to the process flow when at least one of the one or more process components does not include the preferred process component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the cardinality comprises number of input ports and number of output ports of the selected process component. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein when the process component is dragged and dropped in-between two process components of the one or more process components on the graphical editor, the compatibility of the process component with the two process components is determined and the process component is connected to the process flow based on the determined compatibility. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the process component on the graphical editor comprises a context menu including at least one of a list of process components compatible to the process component, an option to delete the process component from the process flow, an option to execute the process flow and an option to view the process flow output. ### Claim 19 A computer system to design process flow based on connection compatibility between process components, the computer system comprising a processor, the processor communicating with one or more memory devices storing instructions to: receive a selection of a process component associated with a process flow; determine whether a graphical editor includes one or more process components associated with the process flow; determine compatibility of the selected process component with at least one of the one or more process components in the graphical editor by identifying cardinality and type of the selected process component, if the graphical editor includes the one or more process components; and connect the selected process component to the process flow on the graphical editor based on the determined compatibility. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer system of claim 19, further comprising instructions to place the process component on the graphical editor, if the graphical editor does not include the one or more process components.