Automate Invention Submissions via Chorigen

Learn how to design an automated workflow for managing invention submissions in Chorigen Studio. This tutorial demonstrates how to create a streamlined process for collecting, evaluating, and routing invention disclosures using conditional logic and form-based data collection.

Intermediate ⏱️ 20 minutes

📋 Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have:

Created an organization (see tutorial)
Basic understanding of form creation in Chorigen (see tutorial)
Familiarity with BPMN 2.0 workflow concepts (optional but helpful)

On this page

Overview

In this tutorial, you'll build an "Invention Submission" workflow that automates the process of collecting and evaluating invention disclosures from engineers. The workflow demonstrates:

Form-based data collection — Capture invention details through structured forms
Conditional routing — Automatically evaluate submissions based on criteria
Message passing — Share data between workflow tasks using global message references
Expression-based logic — Use form field values to make routing decisions

This workflow showcases how Chorigen can streamline intellectual property management by automating the submission, evaluation, and routing of invention disclosures.

Interactive Tutorial

📹 Step-by-Step Interactive Guide

Follow this interactive tutorial with screenshots and guidance →

28 steps — This tutorial walks you through creating a new workflow in Chorigen Studio, configuring task properties, setting up form-based data entry, creating message references, defining conditional logic with expressions, testing expressions, and running a complete workflow test.

What You'll Build

📝 Engineer Submission Task

An Input/Data Entry task where engineers submit invention disclosure information through a structured form.

Task Type: Input/Data Entry
Form: Custom invention disclosure form
Message Reference: InventionSubmission

🔀 Conditional Routing Logic

Expression-based condition that evaluates submission data and routes the workflow accordingly.

Expression: $1.response.qVar2 > 10
Determines workflow path based on field value
Demonstrates data-driven automation

Workflow Structure

Step-by-Step Process

Create Workflow
Access the Chorigen Design Studio and create a new workflow with the name "Invention Submission".
Configure General Properties
Set up the workflow's basic properties including workflow name, description, and participants (Respondent and Inventor roles).
Add Engineer Submission Task
Create a user task called "Engineer Submission" and configure it as an Input/Data Entry task type.
Attach Form
Connect a form to the task for collecting invention disclosure details. This form will be displayed to engineers when they submit their inventions.
Create Message Reference
Define a global message reference called "InventionSubmission" to pass data between workflow tasks.
Define Conditional Logic
Add a condition that evaluates form data using expressions (e.g., $1.response.qVar2 > 10) to determine the next steps in the workflow.
Test Expression
Use the expression editor's test feature to verify your conditional logic works correctly with sample data.
Test Workflow
Generate a test application and walk through the complete workflow to ensure all tasks and conditions function as expected.

Key Concepts

Task Configuration

The workflow uses several configuration options:

Configuration	Purpose	Example
Task Type	Defines how users interact with the task	Input/Data Entry, View/Inspection, SubProcess
Form Assignment	Links a form to the task for data collection	"Invention Disclosure Form"
Message Reference	Named data container for passing information between tasks	"InventionSubmission"
Conditions	Expression-based routing logic	`$1.response.qVar2 > 10`

Expression Syntax

Use expressions to reference form data and create conditional logic:

$<task_number>.response.<field_id>

Examples from this workflow:

$1.response.qVar2 — Access the value of field qVar2 from the first task (Engineer Submission)
$1.response.qVar2 > 10 — Check if the value is greater than 10

💡 Pro Tip: Use the expression editor's test feature (Ctrl+T) to validate your expressions with sample data before deploying your workflow. This helps catch errors early and ensures your conditional logic works as intended.

Global Message References

Message references act as data containers that persist throughout the workflow execution. They allow different tasks to access and share the same data. In this tutorial, the "InventionSubmission" message reference stores the invention disclosure data collected in the Engineer Submission task.

Workflow Testing

Chorigen provides two levels of testing:

🧪 Expression Testing

Test individual expressions with sample values to verify logic correctness.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+T
Validates syntax and logic
Returns expected results

🎯 Workflow Testing

Generate a complete test application to walk through the entire workflow.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+T
Tests end-to-end flow
Validates task transitions

What's Next?

Now that you've created an automated invention submission workflow, you can:

📊 Extend the Workflow

Add more tasks to handle patent attorney review, prior art searches, and filing decisions.

🔀 Add More Conditions

Create complex routing logic based on multiple form fields and business rules.

🚀 Deploy to Production

Publish your workflow and make it available to your engineering team for real invention submissions.

Tutorial coming soon

📈 Monitor Submissions

Track invention disclosures, review submission data, and analyze trends over time.

Tutorial coming soon

Troubleshooting

Can't find the "Set Form" option?

Make sure you've selected "Input/Data Entry" as the task type in the Task Configuration panel. The form attachment option only appears for task types that support form-based interaction.

Expression test fails with "undefined" or error?

Verify that:

The field ID in your expression matches the actual field ID from your form (e.g., qVar2)
You're referencing the correct task number (e.g., $1 for the first task)
The syntax is correct: $taskNumber.response.fieldId

Message reference not available?

Global message references must be created before they can be selected in task configurations. Use the message reference creation interface to define new message types, and make sure to give them descriptive names that match your workflow's data model.

Workflow test doesn't launch?

Ensure that:

Your workflow has been saved (look for a success message)
All tasks are properly configured with required fields
Tasks are connected with sequence flows
Your browser allows popups from Chorigen Studio

Can't see task preview?

If the preview pane shows "No preview yet," make sure you've:

Attached a form to the task
Saved the workflow configuration
Selected the task on the canvas

The preview feature allows you to see how the form will appear to users during workflow execution.

Need more help?

Contact us at support@chorigen.com or check the documentation for more detailed information about workflow design, expressions, and testing.