# US 8,751,282 B2 · Controls in collaborative workflow environment

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- Number: US 8,751,282 B2
- Document ID: US8751282B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/412,372
- Filed: 2006-04-27
- Published: 2007-11-01
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2006-04-27
- Assignees: Sap SE
- Applicants: Andreas Schaad
- Inventors: Andreas Schaad
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751282B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
- G06Q 10/06311: {Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group}
- G06Q 10/06316: {Sequencing of tasks or work}
- 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

## Abstract

A method to implement controls with respect to a collaborative workflow, the method including mapping a private task of a private workflow of a first entity to a public task of a public collaborative workflow, and defining a public control relating to the public task, the public task and the public control to be published to a second entity with which the first entity collaborates utilizing the public collaborative workflow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
mapping, using one or more processors, a private task of a private workflow of a first entity to a public task of a public collaborative workflow;
mapping private roles of the private workflow of the first entity to public roles of the public collaborative workflow;
identifying a first role of the public collaborative workflow as being exclusive; and
defining a public control relating to the public task, the public task and the public control to be published to a second entity with which the first entity collaborates utilizing the public collaborative workflow, the public control being defined in terms of a separation of duties with respect to the public task.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including mapping the public control to the private task of the private workflow of the first entity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the separation of duties comprises a rule pertaining to performance of the public task.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including identifying a process pattern, to represent the private task, utilizing the public task to which the private task corresponds.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, including defining the separation of duties in terms of the process pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including mapping the separation of duties, with respect to the process pattern, to a separation constraint in terms of the private workflow.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the process pattern is defined by an independent pattern publisher.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the independent pattern publisher is a trusted third party.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including mapping private business objects of the private workflow of the first entity to public business objects of the public collaborative workflow.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, including identifying a first business object of the public business objects as being critical.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including generating a unique token utilizing at least the mapping of the private task to the public task.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping a control of the private workflow to the public control of the published public task corresponding to the private task of the private workflow.

### Claim 13

A system comprising:
one or more processors;
a mapper module to map, using the one or more processors, a private task of a private workflow of a first entity to a public task of a public collaborative workflow, and to map private roles of the private workflow of the first entity to public roles of the public collaborative workflow, a first role of the public collaborative workflow being identified as being exclusive; and
an access module to access a public control relating to the public task, the public task and the public control to be published to a second entity with which the first entity collaborates utilizing the public collaborative workflow, the public control being defined in terms of a separation of duties with respect to the public task.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the mapper module is to map the public control to the private task of the private workflow of the first entity.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the separation of duties comprises a rule pertaining to performance of the public task.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the mapper module is to identify a process pattern, to represent the private task, utilizing the public task to which the private task corresponds.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the separation of duties is defined in terms of the process pattern.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the mapper module is to map the separation of duties, with respect to the process pattern, to a separation constraint in terms of the private workflow.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the process pattern is defined by an independent pattern publisher.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the independent pattern publisher is a trusted third party.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the mapper module is to map private business objects of the private workflow of the first entity to public business objects of the public collaborative workflow.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, including a token module to generate a unique token utilizing at least the mapping of the private task to the public task.

### Claim 23

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium in communication with at least one processor, the machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs operations comprising:
mapping a private task of a private workflow of a first entity to a public task of a public collaborative workflow;
mapping private roles of the private workflow of the first entity to public roles of the public collaborative workflow;
identifying a first role of the public collaborative workflow as being exclusive; and
accessing a public control relating to the public task, the public task and the public control to be published to a second entity with which the first entity collaborates utilizing the public collaborative workflow, the public control being defined in terms of a separation of duties with respect to the public task.