System and method for immersive process design collaboration on mobile devices
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present invention may provide a method for presenting a design model on a computing device. The method may comprise using a computer processor to identify relationships among a plurality of model entities of the design model, to present a model view area to display a selected view of the design model on a display area of the computing device; and to present a view switch containing a plurality of view options. The plurality of view options may include a shape flow view. In the shape flow view, the model view area may display a detailed view of a model entity currently in focus and symbol(s) representing neighboring model entities in horizontal and/or vertical directions.
1. A computer implemented method for presenting a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) design model on a computing device, the method comprising:
identifying, by a computer processor, a plurality of model entities, relationships among the model entities, and a distance proximity between the model entities, of the BPMN design model;
grouping the identified entities into distinct clusters based on the identified relationships and the distance proximity between the model entities grouped into a same cluster;
presenting, by the computer processor, a model view area to display a selected view of the design model on a display area of the computing device, the model view area including:
a predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area,
a plurality of stacks of entities representing model entities in a collapsed and folded way, and
each stack including grouped entities from a specific cluster arranged along a boundary edge of the predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area with at least one of the stacks containing grouped entities from a same cluster as the predetermined model entity and at least one of the stacks containing grouped entities from a different cluster as the predetermined model entity; and
replacing the predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area with a model entity in a stack arranged along a user selected boundary when the user navigates to the user selected boundary on the computing device.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device that includes one of a smart phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA).
3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the relationships are identified based on a spatial relationship among the model entities arranged on a two-dimensional design diagram pane.
4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the relationships are identified based on at least one of control flow and message flow among the model entities in a process model.
5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 , wherein neighboring model entities based on message flow are indicated in a vertical direction and neighboring model entities based on control flow are indicated in a horizontal direction.
6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a cursor entity associated with the predetermined model entity, wherein when a plurality of the model entities are displayed on a different computing device connected with the computing device, the cursor indicates the model entity currently in focus on the computing device.
7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the design model has a primary copy saved on a collaboration server and a local copy stored on the computing device.
8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
presenting a toolbar with a plurality of action buttons on the display area of the computing device, the action buttons including a button to add a model entity, a button to delete a model entity, a search field to search for a particular model entity, and a button indicating a plurality of second level model actions are provided in a secondary screen.
9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting a plurality of view options including a global view representing an overall view of the design model, and a grouped view representing a list view of the model entities based on group affiliations.
10. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the grouped view presents a button to choose a grouping criterion and a button to choose an order criterion.
11. A computing device, comprising:
a memory to store computer program instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the computer program instructions to:
identify a plurality of model entities, relationships among the model entities, and a distance proximity between the model entities, of a Business Process Modeling Notation design model;
group the identified entities into distinct clusters based on the identified relationships and the distance proximity between the model entities grouped into a same cluster;
present a model view area to display a selected view of the design model on a display area of the computing device, the model view area including:
a predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area,
a plurality of stacks of entities representing model entities in a collapsed and folded way, and
each stack including grouped entities from a specific cluster arranged along a boundary edge of the predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area with at least one of the stacks containing grouped entities from a same cluster as the predetermined model entity and at least one of the stacks containing grouped entities from a different cluster as the predetermined model entity; and
replace the predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area with a model entity in a stack arranged along a user selected boundary when the user navigates to the user selected boundary on the computing device.
12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device that includes one of a smart phone and a PDA.
13. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the relationships are identified based on a spatial relationship among the model entities arranged on a two-dimensional design diagram pane.
14. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the relationships are identified based on at least one of control flow and message flow among the model entities in a process model.
15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein neighboring model entities based on message flow are indicated in a vertical direction and neighboring model entities based on control flow are indicated in a horizontal direction.
16. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
provide a cursor entity associated with the predetermined model entity, wherein when a plurality of the model entities are displayed on a different computing device connected with the computing device, the cursor indicates the model entity currently in focus on the computing device.
17. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the design model has a primary copy saved on a collaboration server and a local copy stored on the computing device.
18. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
present a toolbar with a plurality of action buttons on the display area of the computing device, the action buttons including a button to add a model entity, a button to delete a model entity, a search field to search for a particular model entity, and a button indicating a plurality of second level model actions are provided in a secondary screen.
19. The computing device of claim 11 , further comprising presenting a plurality of view options including a global view representing an overall view of the design model, and a grouped view representing a list view of the model entities based on group affiliations.
20. The computing device of claim 19 , wherein the grouped view presents a button to choose a grouping criterion and a button to choose an order criterion.
21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodied with program instructions for causing a computing device to execute a method for presenting a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) design model, the method comprising:
identifying, by a computer processor, a plurality of model entities, relationships among the model entities, and a distance proximity between the model entities, of the BPMN design model;
grouping the identified entities into distinct clusters based on the identified relationships and the distance proximity between the model entities grouped into a same cluster;
presenting, by the computer processor, a model view area to display a selected view of the design model on a display area of the computing device, the model view are including:
a predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area,
a plurality of stacks of entities representing model entities in a collapsed and folded way, and
each stack including grouped entities from a specific cluster arranged along a boundary edge of the predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area with at least one of the stacks containing grouped entities from a same cluster as the predetermined model entity and at least one of the stacks containing grouped entities from a different cluster as the predetermined model entity; and
replacing the predetermined model entity displayed in the model view area with a model entity in a stack arranged along a user selected boundary when the user navigates to the user selected boundary on the computing device.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device that includes a smart phone or a PDA.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the relationships are identified based on a spatial relationship among the model entities arranged on a two-dimensional design diagram pane.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the relationships are identified based on control flow, message flow or both among the model entities in a process model.
25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 , wherein neighboring model entities based on message flow are indicated in a vertical direction and neighboring model entities based on control flow are indicated in a horizontal direction.
26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprising:
providing a cursor entity associated with the predetermined model entity, wherein when a plurality of the model entities are displayed on a different computing device connected with the computing device, the cursor indicates the model entity currently in focus on the computing device.
27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the design model has a primary copy saved on a collaboration server and a local copy stored on the computing device.
28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises:
presenting a toolbar with a plurality of action buttons on the display area of the computing device, the action buttons including a button to add a model entity, a button to delete a model entity, a search field to search for a particular model entity, and a button indicating a plurality of second level model actions are provided in a secondary screen.
29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises presenting a plurality of view options including a global view representing an overall view of the design model, and a grouped view representing a list view of the model entities based on group affiliations.
30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the grouped view presents a button to choose a grouping criterion and a button to choose an order criterion.
31. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the clusters are identified by a k-means clustering heuristics.
32. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the clusters are identified by a k-means clustering heuristics.
33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the clusters are identified by a k-means clustering heuristics.