PROCESS SUPPORT USING SYSTEM AND USER STATES

摘要

A method supporting processes involving activities such as generation, alteration and authentication of documents. In one aspect, the method involves at least one activity, the activity being performed by at least one user, and comprises: for the or each activity, assigning a user state from one of a plurality of user states, and assigning a system state from one of a plurality of system states, the system state and the user state being independent. The method may include the step of changing the system state of the activity in response to a change in the user state, and vice versa. Preferably, the method relates to at least a first and a second activity, and includes changing the user state and/or system state of the second activity when the user state and/or system state of the first activity satisfy a predetermined condition. Another aspect of the invention concerns a method using typed dependencies to describe relationships between activities and involving at least a first and a second activity, each activity being performed by at least one user. The method comprises: for each activity, defining the relationship between that activity and the or each other activity in terms of at least one dependency from a plurality of dependencies. Preferably, each activity has a plurality of associated states, for example three for the user states and three system states, and the method includes the step of decomposing the or each dependency into a set of activities and a set of constraints between states of the activities. Another aspect of the invention concerns a method providing resolution of conflicts between what a user wants to do and a predetermined model of the activities. The method involves at least a first and a second activity, each activity being performed by at least one user and having a plurality of possible states, comprising: for each activity, detecting a change of state requested by a user, detecting whether the change of state conflicts with a predetermined model, and using an interactor to determine how to resolve any conflict so detected. The method may include the step of associating each system state so assigned with a plurality of assigned user states. Each of the plurality of assigned user states may comprise an assigned user state for a respective user. Alternatively, each of the plurality of assigned user states may comprise a plurality of chronologically sequential user assigned user states, and may include the currently assigned user state.