Workflow development system with ease-of-use features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10817263-B2
Application number	US-201916524779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2019
Priority date	Nov 23, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A workflow development system is described herein that includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that is configured to selectively and dynamically allocate relatively more of a display area to a particular one of a plurality of different, simultaneously-displayed workflow step representations than is allocated to the other workflow step representation(s) to facilitate user interaction the particular workflow step representation. Such allocation may be carried out in response to user interaction with the particular workflow step representation or in response to a determination that a user is otherwise focused on the particular workflow step representation. In embodiments, the workflow step representations represent different workflow steps in a series of workflow steps. In further embodiments, the workflow step representations represent different workflow steps that may be performed depending upon the evaluation of a condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
presenting a workflow designer graphical user interface (GUI) within a display area;
presenting within the workflow designer GUI an expanded graphical representation of a first workflow step of a workflow under development;
determining that a user has added a second workflow step to the workflow under development; and
in response to at least determining that the user has added the second workflow step to the workflow under development, replacing the expanded graphical representation of the first workflow step with a collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step and simultaneously presenting with the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step an expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step, the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step occupying more of the display area than the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display area comprises all or a portion of a viewable area of a display of a computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the expanded graphical representation of the first workflow step includes one or more first data entry elements, each of the one or more first data entry elements being operable to receive a corresponding input parameter associated with the first workflow step;
the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step does not include the one or more first data entry elements; and
the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step includes one or more second data entry elements, each of the one or more second data entry elements being operable to receive a corresponding input parameter associated with the second workflow step.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the expanded graphical representation of the first workflow step includes an interactive control element that a user can interact with to change a connection associated with the first workflow step;
the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step does not include the interactive control element that the user can interact with to change the connection associated with the first workflow step; and
the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step includes an interactive control element that a user can interact with to change a connection associated with the second workflow step.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the user has added a third workflow step to the workflow under development; and
in response to at least determining that the user has added the third workflow step to the workflow under development, replacing the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step with a collapsed graphical representation of the second workflow step and simultaneously presenting with the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step and the collapsed graphical representation of the second workflow step an expanded graphical representation of the third workflow step, the expanded graphical representation of the third workflow step occupying more of the display area than either of the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step and the collapsed graphical representation of the second workflow step.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
presenting within each of the expanded and collapsed graphical representations of the first workflow step a first interactive control element that a user can interact with to switch between the expanded and collapsed graphical representations of the first workflow step; and
presenting within each of the expanded and collapsed graphical representations of the second workflow step a second interactive control element that the user can interact with to switch between the expanded and collapsed graphical representations of the second workflow step.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
presenting a first interactive control element within each of the expanded and collapsed graphical representations of the first workflow step;
in response to user interaction with the first interactive control element, enabling the user to selectively edit, rename or delete the first workflow step;
presenting a second interactive control element within each of the expanded and collapsed graphical representations of the second workflow step; and
in response to user interaction with the second interactive control element, enabling the user to selectively edit, rename or delete the second workflow step.

8. A system, comprising:
at least one processor circuit; and
at least one memory that stores program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor circuit, the program code comprising a user interface generator configured to:
present a workflow designer graphical user interface (GUI) within a display area;
present within the workflow designer GUI an expanded graphical representation of a first workflow step of a workflow under development;
determine that a user has added a second workflow step to the workflow under development; and
in response to at least determining that the user has added the second workflow step to the workflow under development, replace the expanded graphical representation of the first workflow step with a collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step and simultaneously present with the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step an expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step, the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step occupying more of the display area than the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a display;
wherein the display area comprises all or a portion of a viewable area of the display.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the expanded graphical representation of the first workflow step includes one or more first data entry elements, each of the one or more first data entry elements being operable to receive a corresponding input parameter associated with the first workflow step;
the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step does not include the one or more first data entry elements; and
the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step includes one or more second data entry elements, each of the one or more second data entry elements being operable to receive a corresponding input parameter associated with the second workflow step.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the expanded graphical representation of the first workflow step includes an interactive control element that a user can interact with to change a connection associated with the first workflow step;
the collapsed graphical representation of the first workflow step does not include the interactive control element that the user can interact with to change the connection associated with the first workflow step; and
the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step includes an interactive control element that a user can interact with to change a connection associated with the second workflow step.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user interface generator is further configured to:
determine that the user has added a third workflow step to the workflow under development; and
in response to at least determining that the user has added the third workflow step to the workflow under development, replace the expanded graphical representation of the second workflow step with a collapsed graphical representation of the se

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kumar Prashant
• Twist Jonjo
• Siciliano Stephen C
• Agrawal Himanshu
• Shrestha Prabir K
• Shyamsundar Balasubramanian

Classifications

• G06F8/10

  Requirements analysis; Specification techniques · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06Q10/0633

  Workflow analysis · CPC title

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title