US 9,959,366 B2 · Managing and automatically linking data objects

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface is presented. The method includes using reusable logic to provide at least one displayed input element associated with a first data object stored in the data repository. In response to user input associated with the displayed input element, the method includes generating a second data object stored in the data repository, and linking the second data object with one or more related data objects in the data repository automatically based on the data object associated with the displayed element.

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Drawings

Claims66

Dependent claims

A method for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface, the method including:

receiving a rule specification that specifies a ruleset that includes a set of rules, each rule including a set of rule cases that compute values for the rule's output depending on the rule's input, each rule case including one or more input relationships in which a rule case is triggered by a given input record if one or more data values of the given input record meet the one or more input relationships;
displaying a first data object representing the ruleset;
associating the ruleset with a first stage of a plurality of stages;
displaying one or more input elements based on permitted transitions associated with the ruleset and the first stage, each input element representing a permitted transition of the ruleset from the first stage to a different stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the one or more displayed input elements, associating the ruleset with a second stage of the plurality of stages, in which the selected displayed input element represents the transition from the first stage to the second stage;
associating an application program with the ruleset;
and
executing the application program to process input records and produce outputs according to rules of the ruleset;
wherein the graphical user interface enables the displaying of the one or more input elements, the receiving of the user input, the associating of the application program with the ruleset, and the executing of the application program.

6 more elements

A method for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface, the method including:

receiving a rule specification that specifies a ruleset that includes a set of rules, each rule including a set of rule cases that compute values for the rule's output depending on the rule's input, each rule case including one or more input relationships in which a rule case is triggered by a given input record if one or more data values of the given input record meet the one or more input relationships;
displaying a data object representing a first version of the ruleset;
associating the first version of the ruleset with a first stage of a plurality of stages;
displaying a first set of one or more input elements representing one or more transitions of the first version of the ruleset from a current stage to another stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the first set of one or more displayed input elements, associating the first version of the ruleset with a second stage of the plurality of stages;
generating a second version of the ruleset;
displaying a second set of one or more input elements representing one or more transitions of the second version of the ruleset from a current stage to another stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the second set of one or more displayed input elements, associating the second version of the ruleset with a third stage of the plurality of stages, in which the third stage is different from the second stage;
enabling access to the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
associating an application program with the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
executing the application program to process input records and produce first outputs according to rules of the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
enabling access to the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
associating the application program with the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
and
executing the application program to process the input records and produce second outputs according to rules of the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
wherein the graphical user interface enables the displaying of the input elements, the receiving of the user inputs, the associating of the application program with the ruleset, and the executing of the application program.

13 more elements

One or more non-transitory machine readable media for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface, the one or more non-transitory machine readable media storing one or more instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a rule specification that specifies a ruleset that includes a set of rules, each rule including a set of rule cases that compute values for the rule's output depending on the rule's input, each rule case including one or more input relationships in which a rule case is triggered by a given input record if one or more data values of the given input record meet the one or more input relationships;
displaying a first data object representing the ruleset;
associating the ruleset with a first stage of a plurality of stages;
displaying one or more input elements based on permitted transitions associated with the ruleset and the first stage, each input element representing a permitted transition of the ruleset from the first stage to a different stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the one or more displayed input elements, associating the ruleset with a second stage of the plurality of stages, in which the selected displayed input element represents the transition from the first stage to the second stage;
associating an application program with the ruleset;
and
executing the application program to process input records and produce outputs according to rules of the ruleset;
wherein the graphical user interface enables the displaying of the one or more input elements, the receiving of the user input, the associating of the application program with the ruleset, and the executing of the application program.

6 more elements

A one or more non-transitory machine readable media for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface, the one or more non-transitory machine readable media storing one or more instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a rule specification that specifies a ruleset that includes a set of rules, each rule including a set of rule cases that compute values for the rule's output depending on the rule's input, each rule case including one or more input relationships in which a rule case is triggered by a given input record if one or more data values of the given input record meet the one or more input relationships;
displaying a data object representing a first version of the ruleset;
associating the first version of the ruleset with a first stage of a plurality of stages;
displaying a first set of one or more input elements representing one or more transitions of the first version of the ruleset from a current stage to another stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the first set of one or more displayed input elements, associating the first version of the ruleset with a second stage of the plurality of stages;
generating a second version of the ruleset;
displaying a second set of one or more input elements representing one or more transitions of the second version of the ruleset from a current stage to another stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the second set of one or more displayed input elements, associating the second version of the ruleset with a third stage of the plurality of stages, in which the third stage is different from the second stage;
enabling access to the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
associating an application program with the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
executing the application program to process input records and produce first outputs according to rules of the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
enabling access to the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
associating the application program with the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
and
executing the application program to process the input records and produce second outputs according to rules of the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
wherein the graphical user interface enables the displaying of the input elements, the receiving of the user inputs, the associating of the application program with the ruleset, and the executing of the application program.

13 more elements

A system for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface, the system including:

one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory machine readable media storing one or more instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving a rule specification that specifies a ruleset that includes a set of rules, each rule including a set of rule cases that compute values for the rule's output depending on the rule's input, each rule case including one or more input relationships in which a rule case is triggered by a given input record if one or more data values of the given input record meet the one or more input relationships;
displaying a first data object representing the ruleset;
associating the ruleset with a first stage of a plurality of stages;
displaying one or more input elements based on permitted transitions associated with the ruleset and the first stage, each input element representing a permitted transition of the ruleset from the first stage to a different stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the one or more displayed input elements, associating the ruleset with a second stage of the plurality of stages, in which the selected displayed input element represents the transition from the first stage to the second stage;
associating an application program with the ruleset;
and
executing the application program to process input records and produce outputs according to rules of the ruleset;
wherein the graphical user interface enables the displaying of the one or more input elements, the receiving of the user input, the associating of the application program with the ruleset, and the executing of the application program.

9 more elements

A system for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface, the system including:

one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory machine readable media storing one or more instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving a rule specification that specifies a ruleset that includes a set of rules, each rule including a set of rule cases that compute values for the rule's output depending on the rule's input, each rule case including one or more input relationships in which a rule case is triggered by a given input record if one or more data values of the given input record meet the one or more input relationships;
displaying a data object representing a first version of the ruleset;
associating the first version of the ruleset with a first stage of a plurality of stages;
displaying a first set of one or more input elements representing one or more transitions of the first version of the ruleset from a current stage to another stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the first set of one or more displayed input elements, associating the first version of the ruleset with a second stage of the plurality of stages;
generating a second version of the ruleset;
displaying a second set of one or more input elements representing one or more transitions of the second version of the ruleset from a current stage to another stage among the plurality of stages;
in response to user input selecting one of the second set of one or more displayed input elements, associating the second version of the ruleset with a third stage of the plurality of stages, in which the third stage is different from the second stage;
enabling access to the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
associating an application program with the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
executing the application program to process input records and produce first outputs according to rules of the first version of the ruleset in the second stage;
enabling access to the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
associating the application program with the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
and
executing the application program to process the input records and produce second outputs according to rules of the second version of the ruleset in the third stage;
wherein the graphical user interface enables the displaying of the input elements, the receiving of the user inputs, the associating of the application program with the ruleset, and the executing of the application program.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,075 words

Summary1,131 words

#The description relates to managing and automatically linking data objects in a scalable object oriented database system.

#Conventional data entry systems have been realized as Web applications, such that a user is allowed to generate new objects by clicking on a link. Such a link may direct the user to a web page listing the types of objects that could be generated. The user would then select a link for the type of object and be taken to an editor for a newly generated, empty object. The user would then fill in the necessary information about the new object, including links to existing objects. Setting these links to existing objects often required extensive navigation to find the link target or looking through a long list of existing objects.

#Custom applications built within Lotus Notes are similar at least in terms of defining a custom interface where new objects (“documents”) are generated, and sometimes linked to other documents. A discussion forum interface would be another example where a new object or a response is generated from and linked to a previously existing object, the previous message.

Brief description of the drawings9 figures

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for executing graph-based computations.

#FIG. 2 illustrates computation graphs.

#FIG. 3 is a screenshot.

Detailed description6,837 words

#1 System Overview

#FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the interrelationship of parts of a computing system 100 for developing, executing and managing graph-based computations. A graph-based computation is implemented using a “data flow graph” that is represented by a directed graph, with vertices in the graph representing components (e.g., data files, processes, etc.), and the directed links or “edges” in the graph representing flows of data between components. In some examples, a graphic development environment (GDE) 102 provides a user interface for specifying executable graphs and defining parameters for the graph components. The GDE 102 communicates with a repository 104 and a parallel operating environment 106. Also coupled to the repository 104 and the parallel operating environment 106 are a User Interface module 108 and an external data store 112.

#The repository 104 preferably is a scalable object-oriented database system designed to support the development and execution of graph-based applications and the interchange of metadata between the graph-based applications and other systems (e.g., other operating systems). In this arrangement, the repository 104 is referred to as Enterprise Meta Environment (EME) and is capable of storing one or more types of metadata, including documentation, record formats (e.g., fields and data types of records in a table), transform functions, graphs, jobs, monitoring information, etc. In particular, the EME 104 may store metadata associated with graph-based computations. In this context, each computer program can be considered as being implemented using a computational graph, also called a dataflow graph, or simply a graph. A graph contains one or more components (or vertices) that may be in communication (e.g., by a flow or edge) to allow data flow. In some arrangements, the graphs can execute in the parallel processing environment 106.

Facts

Application

15/099,204Filed 14 Apr 2016 · continuation

Priority

12 Nov 2008

Published

US 2016/0299993 A113 Oct 2016

Granted

1 May 2018

Term ends

12 Nov 2029

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification5 codes

G06F 16/9024
Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures: graphs; Linked lists
G06F 3/0482
Based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like…:…
G06F 3/04842
For the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a…:…
G06F 16/90
Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor: details of database functions independent of the retrieved…

Family

Application61/114,032Us provisional application · filed 12 Nov 2008

Application12/617,422Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Nov 2009

US 9,317,624 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Apr 2016

US 2016/0299993 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Oct 2016

US 2010/0121890 A1Published application

US 9,959,366 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

12 Nov 2008Priority claimedParent application 61/114,032
14 Apr 2016Application filedUS 15/099,204
29 Jun 2016Assigned to AB Initio Software LLCassignment of assignor's interest
29 Jun 2016Assigned to AB Initio Technology LLCassignment of assignor's interest
29 Jun 2016Assigned to AB Initio Original Works LLCassignment of assignor's interest
13 Oct 2016PublishedUS 2016/0299993 A1
1 May 2018GrantedUS 9,959,366 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
12 Nov 2029Term endsEstimated

Managing and automatically linking data objects

Life of this patent

Managing and automatically linking data objects

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims66

Description8,075 words

Drawings

Classification5 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,075 words