Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Constantin Mihai

Nikhil Kothari

Israel Hilerio

Michael James Harder

Andres Sanabria

Paul Maybee

Marcelo R Uemura

Ray Patch

Gabriel Gottlieb

Pravin R Indurkar

David Rothenberg

Systems and methods that implement interactivity as part of a workflow itself. Data is passed in and out of the workflow to form an interactive workflow, via employing an interactive activity component. Such interactive activity component models suspension points within a workflow definition, wherein user input and associated interaction can be supplied to the workflow during various interactivity breaks that request user input. Such an arrangement enables a controlled/synchronous data exchange between the workflow and a host application associated therewith.

Modeling user input and interaction in workflow based applications

Systems and methods that dynamically reset a workflow state by employing a dynamic state manager that is external to the workflow, and enables interaction of a host with a workflow instance. An event driven workflow or state machine workflow can be supplied, wherein ad hoc events are employed to reset and manipulate the workflow to states that have not been modeled as part of the workflow itself, to dynamically create relation ships at runtime.

Dynamically repositioning workflow by end users

A mechanism is provided to a user which allows 'ubiquitous' searching&#x2014;searching of possibly heterogeneous search repositories. In one embodiment, this search mechanism is provided by means of a search framework underlying a web-based user interface. When a search request is made, the underlying search framework detects the search request and its associated parameters, associates the search request with the required search provider or providers while still exposing (through the search context) the full search functionality for all search providers currently configured with the search framework, dispatches the search requests, and handles the return of search results in a unified format. The search providers follow the search framework's interfaces through which the search framework can detect the search method offered by the search provider, and results format and option information.

Ubiquitous search framework

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Constantin Mihai