Method and system for dynamic business process management using a partial order planner

Abstract

A dynamic business process management system and method is disclosed for providing using a least commitment planner to better handle the changes and uncertainties that inevitably occur in the real-world. An embodiment of the invention provides a dynamic business process management system using partial-order planning. An additional embodiment of the present invention includes an intent interpreter module that supports the implementation of intelligent decision support functionality in a corporate information management interface.

1 - 27 . (Canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A business process management system comprising: 
 at least one knowledge base operative to store and retrieve knowledge related to at least one business process domain, 
 wherein the knowledge comprises at least one possible plan in the business process domain;  
   a user interface operative to receive at least one goal within the business process domain    at least one inference engine, each inference engine: 
 in communication with the knowledge base and the user interface, and comprising: 
 a partial order planner, the partial order planner operative to at least one plan instance from among the possible plans to achieve a goal.  
 
   
   
   
       29 . The business process management system of  claim 28  wherein the partial order planner is a least commitment partial order planner.  
   
   
       30 . The business process management system of  claim 29  wherein the least commitment partial order planner manages the level of commitment to the plan instance by using a state transition method to set a life cycle state of at least one element of the plan instance.  
   
   
       31 . The business process management system of  claim 28  wherein: 
 the inference engine further comprises at least one situation assessor operative to: 
 activate at least one monitor in response to a request from the partial order planner, and  
 generate an event signal for each monitor upon satisfaction of a condition; and  
   the partial order planner is further operative to: 
 request activation of a monitor associated with at least one element of a plan instance upon the establishment and updating of the life cycle state of at least one element of the plan instance; and  
 perform a state transition of the corresponding plan instance upon receipt of an event signal.  
   
   
   
       32 . The business process management system of  claim 31  wherein: 
 the knowledge further comprises scripts and plan-goal graphs; and    the inference engine further comprises at least one intent interpreter operative to determine an intent of the user, wherein determining the intent of a user comprises attempting one of: 
 explaining event signals using scripts, and explaining event signals using plan-goal graphs.  
   
   
   
       33 . The business process management system of  claim 32  wherein: 
 the inference engine uses determined intent to choose and update information displayed to a user.    
   
   
       34 . The business process management system of  claim 32  wherein: 
 The inference engine uses the determined intent to create at least one plan instance corresponding to the determined intent.    
   
   
       35 . A computer program product for business process management comprising: 
 a computer readable medium;    at least one knowledge base module, stored on the medium and operative to store and retrieve knowledge related to at least one business process domain, 
 wherein the knowledge comprises at least one possible plan in the business process domain;  
   a user interface module, stored on the medium and operative to receive at least one goal within the business process domain    at least one inference engine, stored on the medium, each inference engine: 
 in communication with the knowledge base and the user interface, and comprising: 
 a partial order planner, the partial order planner operative to at least one plan instance from among the possible plans to achieve a goal.  
 
   
   
   
       36 . The computer program product of  claim 35  wherein the partial order planner is a least commitment partial order planner.  
   
   
       37 . The computer program product of  claim 36  wherein the least commitment partial order planner manages the level of commitment to at least one instantiated plan by using a state transition method to set a life cycle state of at least one plan element.  
   
   
       38 . The computer program product of  claim 35  wherein: 
 the inference engine further comprises at least one situation assessor operative to: 
 activate at least one monitor in response to a request from the partial order planner, and  
 generate an event signal for each monitor upon satisfaction of a condition; and  
   the partial order planner is further operative to: 
 request activation of a monitor associated with at least one element of a plan instance upon the establishment and updating of the life cycle state of at least one element of the plan instance; and  
 perform a state transition of the corresponding plan instance upon receipt of an event signal.  
   
   
   
       39 . The computer program product of  claim 38  wherein: 
 the knowledge further comprises scripts and plan-goal graphs; and    the inference engine further comprises at least one intent interpreter operative to determine an intent of the user, wherein determining the intent of a user comprises attempting one of: 
 explaining event signals using scripts, and explaining event signals using plan-goal graphs.  
   
   
   
       40 . The business process management system of  claim 39  wherein: 
 the inference engine uses determined intent to choose and update information displayed to a user.    
   
   
       41 . The business process management system of  claim 39  wherein: 
 The inference engine uses the determined intent to create at least one plan instance corresponding to the determined intent.    
   
   
       42 . A system of business process management systems comprising a plurality of business process management systems, each business process management system: 
 each business process management system in communication with each other business process management system;    each business process management system comprising: 
 at least one knowledge base operative to store and retrieve knowledge related to at least one business process domain, 
 wherein the knowledge comprises at least one possible plan in the business process domain;  
 
 a user interface operative to receive at least one goal within the business process domain  
 at least one inference engine, each inference engine: 
 in communication with the knowledge base and the user interface, and comprising: 
 a partial order planner, the partial order planner operative to at least one plan instance from among the possible plans to achieve a goal; and  
 
 
   each business process management system operative to communicate knowledge comprising at least one of plan instances with the other business process management systems of the plurality, and    notify users of conflicting plan instances.    
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein each partial order planner is a least commitment partial order planner.  
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 43  wherein each least commitment partial order planner manages the level of commitment to the plan instance by using a state transition method to set a life cycle state of at least one element of the plan instance.  
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 42  wherein: 
 each inference engine further comprises at least one situation assessor operative to: 
 activate at least one monitor in response to a request from the partial order planner, and  
 generate an event signal for each monitor upon satisfaction of a condition; and  
   each partial order planner is further operative to: 
 request activation of a monitor associated with at least one element of a plan instance upon the establishment and updating of the life cycle state of at least one element of the plan instance; and  
 perform a state transition of the corresponding plan instance upon receipt of an event signal.  
   
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 45  wherein: 
 the knowledge further comprises scripts and plan-goal graphs; and    each inference engine further comprises at least one intent interpreter operative to determine an intent of the user, wherein determining the intent of a user comprises attempting one of: 
 explaining event signals using scripts, and explaining event signals using plan-goal graphs.  
   
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 46  wherein: 
 each inference engine uses determined intent to choose and update information displayed to a user.    
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 46  wherein: 
 each inference engine uses the determined intent to create at least one plan instance corresponding to the determined intent.