Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7131107?dq=6,600,481
Timestamp: 2016-06-27 07:49:15
Document Index: 647653287

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 09', 'Application No. 09', 'Application No. 09', 'Application No. 10']

Patent US7131107 - Method for mapping business processes using an emergent model on a computer ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsMapping business and engineering processes is accomplished by giving users access to a system for generating an emergent model and publishing inputs and/or outputs of models generated by the users. Published inputs and/or outputs of models generated are subscribed to by the users, thereby creating a...http://www.google.com/patents/US7131107?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7131107 - Method for mapping business processes using an emergent model on a computer networkAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7131107 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/898,527Publication dateOct 31, 2006Filing dateJul 3, 2001Priority dateJul 3, 2000Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP1297459A2, US7039920, US7043736, US7062771, US7080384, US20020065645, US20020065888, US20020069401, US20020087557, US20020091701, USRE43146, WO2002003198A2, WO2002003198A3Publication number09898527, 898527, US 7131107 B2, US 7131107B2, US-B2-7131107, US7131107 B2, US7131107B2InventorsMatthew B. Wall, Timothy R. WallOriginal AssigneeOculus Technologies CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (19), Non-Patent Citations (24), Referenced by (30), Classifications (16), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod for mapping business processes using an emergent model on a computer network
US 7131107 B2Abstract
Mapping business and engineering processes is accomplished by giving users access to a system for generating an emergent model and publishing inputs and/or outputs of models generated by the users. Published inputs and/or outputs of models generated are subscribed to by the users, thereby creating a network of linked inputs and/or outputs. The network of linked inputs and/or outputs are analyzed and displayed, resulting in a map of the business and engineering processes. The models generated are used in business and engineering processes.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/215,917 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/215,903, both filed on Jul. 3, 2000. The entire teachings of the above application(s) are incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to United States patent applications titled: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AN EMERGENT MODEL ON A COMPUTER NETWORK (Application No. 09/898/507); METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A DECENTRALIZED MODEL ON A COMPUTER NETWORK by Matthew B. Wall and Timothy R. Wall (Application No. 09/898,501); and METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SEARCH ENGINE FOR OPTIMIZING A DECENTRALIZED OR EMERGENT MODEL ON A COMPUTER NETWORK by Matthew B. Wall and Timothy R. Wall (Application No. 09/898,506), these related applications filed on even date herewith and commonly owned by the owner of this application. This application is also related to United States patent application titled: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ACCESS CONTROL FOR A DECENTRALIZED OR EMERGENT MODEL ON A COMPUTER NETWORK by Matthew B. Wall and Timothy R. Wall (Application No. 10/040,161) filed on Oct. 22, 2001, which claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) to International Application PCT/USO1/21171 filed on even date herewith and commonly owned by the owner of this application.
This invention relates generally to computer based methods of modeling processes, and more specifically to methods for mapping business processes using an emergent model on a computer network.
An example of Simulation Based Design (“SBD”) is a program sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (“DARPA”) in cooperation with Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space company. The goal of SBD software is to enable an enterprise to perform “faster, better, cheaper” by establishing flexible, efficient communications channels among human participants and software tools across heterogeneous resources. This work is directed to developing a collaborative distributed computing infrastructure. Their work can be used as a framework for providing interoperability for a range of software (e.g., design/modeling) tools based on a Common Object Request Broker Architecture (“CORBA”) backplane. The NetBuilder application from Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space company is a framework for integrating and linking design and modeling components. An object-oriented repository for storing model components and a dynamic object server for maintaining various aspects of product development and interactions between multiple development disciplines. Legacy components within the NetBuilder framework are “wrapped” to encapsulate their capabilities, allowing legacy components to be linked with non-legacy components within the framework. Agents are also used within the NetBuilder framework to encapsulate information management paradigms, publish/subscribe information and manage automation of distributed workflow processes. NetBuilder acts as middleware to coordinate the development process.
Legacy applications (352–374) are collections of computer instructions that present an interface existing prior to the use of a newer system. Legacy applications (352–374) require a change in process or technique, such as translating data files formats in order to interface with the new system being modeled. Often this translation is accomplished through the use of “wrappers” provided by the new system. These wrappers allow legacy applications (352–374) to interface with models (302–322) to generate an emergent model 300. Additionally, objects of the present system can interface with legacy applications through code libraries loaded by these applications, using the legacy application's API. Although the existence of legacy applications (352–374) is not required for the creation of an emergent model 300, their use often reduces the time required to generate an emergent model. Legacy applications (352–374) may also include enterprise-wide tools, such Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) systems (e.g., SAP R/3 from SAP America Inc. in Newtown Square, Pa.).
FIG. 4 illustrates an emergent model composed of interconnected computing device hosting models and legacy applications configured and stored on multiple computing devices in a computer network by an embodiment of the present invention. The computing devices (302–374) which host the models (302–322) and legacy applications (352–374) are typically organized into groups for effective management and control. Each computing device configuration (380–386) represents groupings of computing devices (302–374). Configuration 380 may be a department within a larger company, configurations 382 and 384 may be separate companies involved in a partnership. Configuration 386 may be a outside consulting group contracted to provide a model. These configurations (380-386) need not be symmetric and their organization places no restriction on the communications capabilities of the models (302–322) and legacy applications (352–374) running within them.
FIG. 5 illustrates an emergent model composed of the interconnected computing devices hosting models and legacy applications of FIG. 4, where the multiple configurations (380–386) share a common repository as used by an embodiment of the present invention. Models describing the behavior of a system often contain large amounts of data, this data can be managed by a central repository for effective access and control. For example, data used in the product design modeling process can be managed by conventional product data management (“PDM”) systems (e.g., Metaphase� Enterprise™ by Structural Dynamics Research Corporation of Milford, O.H). PDM systems can provide effective storage and version management capabilities useful in the development of a large product design model. These systems can assist in the management of emergent models. In FIG. 5 a PDM data repository 388 is used to store portions of the emergent model running on configurations 380 and 382 of FIG. 4, whereas configuration 384 is stored in repository 390 and configuration 386 is stored in repository 392.
FIG. 9 b illustrates an example model defined using the object-oriented design defined in FIG. 9 a. A simple model presenting an object that describes the square footage of an area (i.e., A=L * W) is generated using objects instantiated from object classes 500 and 501. Object 530, representing the length of the area is defined by the object named “L”, having a units attribute of “meters” and a value of “3.2”. An access policy attribute 508 is used to control user 460 a–f access to an object. A setting of public access signals that all users 460 a–f of the computer network are able to access this object, while a private access policy may indicate only users 460 a–f of a certain privilege level have access to this object. In a similar fashion to length object 530, width object 540 defines a value for the width of the area. Objects (e.g., area object 520) needing the values of these objects access the objects using methods provided on them (e.g., Object.getValue( ). Area function object 520 stores the equation “A=L * W” as its expression 504. Function object 520 then uses solver 510 which gets the values of length object 530 and width object 540 to determine the value of object 550.
FIG. 9 c illustrates an example model organization hierarchy. Generally a server contains a plurality of models and a model contains a plurality of objects. Servers are logical constructs used to organize models. In FIG. 9 c Server1 570 contains Model1 572 and Model1 572 contains Object1 574. Addressing these servers, models and objects is done using URL/URI addressing where the server, model and object hierarchy is represented by an address in the form “server/model/object” (e.g., “Schema://ServerA IP address:port/ModelA/ObjectB”). This addressing is used by the publish/subscribe steps to link objects.
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G06F17/3051, G06F8/10, G06F2217/06, G06F17/5009European ClassificationG06F17/30S8T, G06F17/30S4P4R1, G06F8/10, G06F17/50CLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionFeb 8, 2002ASAssignmentOwner name: OCULUS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WALL, MATTHEW B.;WALL, TIMOTHY R.;REEL/FRAME:012601/0667Effective date: 20020108Feb 9, 2007ASAssignmentOwner name: OCULUS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WALL, MATTHEW B.;WALL, TIMOTHY R.;REEL/FRAME:018891/0715Effective date: 20070117Mar 25, 2008ASAssignmentOwner name: OCLS APPLICATIONS, LLC, DELAWAREFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:OCULUS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:020690/0699Effective date: 20070117Mar 23, 2010FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Mar 26, 2014FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Oct 28, 2015ASAssignmentOwner name: S. AQUA SEMICONDUCTOR, LLC, DELAWAREFree format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:OCLS APPLICATIONS, LLC;REEL/FRAME:036903/0214Effective date: 20150812RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services