# US 2018/0321833 A1 · User interface for automated flows within a cloud based developmental platform > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0321833 A1 - Document ID: US20180321833A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/815,476 - Filed: 2017-11-16 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-05 - Assignees: ServiceNow, Inc. - Applicants: ServiceNow, Inc. - Inventors: Harry Thomas Nelson; Rebecca Dias; Mark Brennan; Qian Zhang; Christen Mitchell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321833A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 9/5038: {considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration (scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups)} - G06F 9/54: Interprogram communication - G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor - G06Q 10/0631: Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Creating, executing, and managing flow plans by performing at least the following: presenting on a display an action instance associated with a flow plan within an action designer user interface, wherein the action designer user interface comprises: an action outline component that includes an input graphical element, one or more step instance graphical element, and an action graphical element, wherein one of the graphical elements is highlighted within the action outline component; and an action window adjacent to the action outline component, wherein the action window comprises one or more input fields that dynamically change based on a user selection of one of the graphical elements within the action outline component, and present a window to select from a list of pre-existing step instance types for a step instance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a non-transitory memory; and one or more hardware processors configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to the one or more hardware processors to: present on a display an action instance associated with a flow plan within an action designer user interface, wherein the action designer user interface comprises: an action outline component that includes an input graphical element, one or more step instance graphical element, and an action graphical element, wherein one of the graphical elements is highlighted within the action outline component; and an action window adjacent to the action outline component, wherein the action window comprises one or more input fields that dynamically change based on a user selection of one of the graphical elements within the action outline component; and present a window to select from a list of pre-existing step instance types for a step instance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more step instance graphical element includes a graphical element for an approval step instance indicative of one or more approval conditions that the flow plan satisfies prior to executing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the action window comprises an approval rule builder graphical element configured to build one or more rules for creating the one or more approval conditions, and wherein the approval rule builder graphical element includes one or more fields to define the rules for the one or more approval conditions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more rules are combined with a logical operation to form a rule set. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more hardware processors to present a remove rule set option that deletes rule sets for the approval rule builder graphical element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the step instance is added within the action instance without creating a custom script. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors present the window when a user provides an input into the action designer user interface indicative of modifying the step instance within the action instance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more hardware processors to present an action property window within the action designer user interface, wherein the action property window is configured to setup properties or policies for the action instance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more hardware processors to presenting a menu component includes a publish option indicative of creating a snapshot version of the action instance. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: presenting on a display an action instance associated with a flow plan within an action designer user interface, wherein the action designer user interface comprises: an action outline component that includes an input graphical element, one or more step instance graphical element, and an action graphical element, wherein one of the graphical elements is highlighted within the action outline component; and an action window adjacent to the action outline component, wherein the action window comprises one or more input fields that dynamically change based on a user selection of one of the graphical elements within the action outline component; and presenting window to select from a list of pre-existing step instance types for a step instance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more step instance graphical element includes a graphical element for an approval step instance indicative of one or more approval conditions that the flow plan satisfies prior to executing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the action window comprises an approval rule builder graphical element configured to build one or more rules for creating the one or more approval conditions, and wherein the approval rule builder graphical element includes one or more fields to define the rules for the one or more approval conditions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more rules are combined with a logical operation to form a rule set. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising presenting a remove rule set option that deletes rule sets for the approval rule builder graphical element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the step instance is added within the action instance without creating a custom script. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting a menu component includes a publish option indicative of creating a snapshot version of the action instance. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a non-transitory memory; and one or more hardware processors configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to the one or more hardware processors to: present on a display an approval step instance graphical element within an action designer user interface, wherein the approval step instance graphical element is located within an action outline component within the action designer user interface and is associated with an action instance of a flow plan; receive a user input that selects the approval step instance graphical element; and update an action window adjacent to the action outline component, wherein the action window comprises an approval rule builder graphical element configured to set one or more rules for creating an approval condition, and wherein the approval rule builder graphical element includes one or more fields that define when a flow plan satisfies the approval condition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more rules are combined with a logical operation to form a rule set. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more hardware processors to present a remove rule set option that deletes rule sets for the approval rule builder graphical element. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more rules are added within the approval step instance graphical element without creating a custom script.