Process execution guide based on process model

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12340237-B2
Application number	US-202318341007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2023
Priority date	Jun 26, 2023
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

The example embodiments are directed to systems and methods which may provide a guided user interface session for user input to a software process based on annotations added to a process model of the software process. In one example, a method may include receiving runtime data of an instance of software process from a workflow engine that is executing the instance of the software process, determining a process activity that is excepted to happen next within the running instance of the software process, identifying GUI and a subset of input elements within the GUI which are mapped to the determined process activity based on annotations within a process model of the software process, highlighting the identified subset of input elements and disabling any remaining input elements within the GUI to generate a guided GUI, and displaying the guided GUI via a computing system of a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
a storage configured to store a process model of a software process; and
a processor configured to:
receive runtime data of an instance of the software process from a workflow engine that executes the instance of the software process;
determine a process activity that is expected to happen next within the instance of the software process based on the runtime data;
identify a graphical user interface (GUI) and a subset of input elements within the GUI which are mapped to the determined process activity based on annotations within the process model of the software process stored in the storage;
highlight the identified subset of input elements and disable any remaining input elements within the GUI to generate a guided GUI;
display the guided GUI via a computing system of a user;
display a diagram of the process model via a user interface; and
generate the annotations within the process model of the software process based on inputs received via the displayed diagram of the process model on the user interface.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to render a highlighted line around each input field among the subset of input fields, and overlay a darkened mask on the disabled remaining input elements within the guided GUI.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to identify the subset of input elements based on a mapping table of the process model that includes a mapping between the process activity, the GUI, and the subset of input elements.

4. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to receive an input which removes an activity from the process model, and in response, remove a mapping between the removed activity and one or more input elements from the mapping table of the process model.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate a notification for the user in response to the determination that the process activity is expected to happen next, and transmit the notification to an inbox of the user.

6. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to display the fully-guided GUI in response to detecting a selection of the notification within the inbox of the user.

7. A computing system comprising:
a storage configured to store a process model of a software process; and
a processor configured to:
receive runtime data of an instance of the software process from a workflow engine that executes the instance of the software process;
determine a process activity that is expected to happen next within the instance of the software process based on the runtime data;
identify a graphical user interface (GUI) and a subset of input elements within the GUI which are mapped to the determined process activity based on annotations within the process model of the software process stored in the storage;
highlight the identified subset of input elements and disable any remaining input elements within the GUI to generate a guided GUI; and
display the guided GUI via a computing system of a user;

wherein the processor is configured to receive updates of a status of the process instance from the workflow engine as the workflow engine executes the process instance in parallel.

8. A method comprising:
receiving runtime data of an instance of software process from a workflow engine that is executing the instance of the software process;
determining a process activity that is expected to happen next within the running instance of the software process based on the runtime data;
identifying a graphical user interface (GUI) and a subset of input elements within the GUI which are mapped to the determined process activity based on annotations within a process model of the software process;
highlighting the identified subset of input elements and disabling any remaining input elements within the GUI to generate a guided GUI;
displaying the guided GUI via a computing system of a user;
displaying a diagram of the process model via a user interface; and
generating the annotations within the process model of the software process based on inputs received via the displayed diagram of the process model on the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the highlighting comprises rendering a highlighted line around each input field among the subset of input fields, and the disabling comprises overlaying a darkened mask on the disabled remaining input elements within the guided GUI.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying the subset of input elements based on a mapping table of the process model that includes a mapping between the process activity, the GUI, and the subset of input elements.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises receiving an input which removes an activity from the process model, and in response, removing a mapping between the removed activity and one or more input elements from the mapping table of the process model.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises generating a notification for the user in response to the determination that the process activity is expected to happen next, and transmitting the notification to an inbox of the user.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method comprises displaying the fully-guided GUI in response to detecting a selection of the notification within the inbox of the user.

14. A method comprising:
receiving runtime data of an instance of software process from a workflow engine that is executing the instance of the software process, wherein the receiving comprises receiving updates of a status of the process instance from the workflow engine as the workflow engine executes the process instance in parallel;
determining a process activity that is expected to happen next within the running instance of the software process based on the runtime data;
identifying a graphical user interface (GUI) and a subset of input elements within the GUI which are mapped to the determined process activity based on annotations within a process model of the software process;
highlighting the identified subset of input elements and disabling any remaining input elements within the GUI to generate a guided GUI;
displaying the guided GUI via a computing system of a user.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a processor cause a computer to perform a method comprising:
receiving runtime data of an instance of software process from a workflow engine that is executing the instance of the software process;
determining a process activity that is expected to happen next within the running instance of the software process based on the runtime data;
identifying a graphical user interface (GUI) and a subset of input elements within the GUI which are mapped to the determined process activity based on annotations within a process model of the software process;
highlighting the identified subset of input elements and disabling any remaining input elements within the GUI to generate a guided GUI;
displaying the guided GUI via a computing system of a user;
displaying a diagram of the process model via a user interface; and
generating the annotations within the process model of the software process based on inputs received via the displayed diagram of the process model on the user interface.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the highlighting comprises rendering a highlighted line around each input field among the sub

Assignees

• Sap Se

Inventors

• Cramer Alexander
• Wenz Andre
• Herr Paul-Alexander
• Berg Gregor

Classifications

• G06F9/5027

  the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals · CPC title

• G06Q10/103

  Workflow collaboration or project management · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F9/451 Primary

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title