Rapid access to data oriented workflows

• US 10,157,368 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schimpf, Brian C., Stern, Edith H., Weir, Robert C., Willner, Barry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feacher, Renae
• Application Number:
  US11/534,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,467 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711, 705 726, 705 727
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

One or more RFID tags may be read. An electronic document associated with the RFID tag may be identified. One or more attributes associated with the electronic document can be identified. One or more workflows can be determined according to the attribute(s).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an information processing system comprising a hardware processor, from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, information stored in at least one RFID tag and read from the at least one RFID tag by the RFID reader, the information comprising at least one attribute associated with an electronic document and metadata, the metadata comprising a plurality of instant messaging addresses;

processing, by the information processing system, the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document and, responsive to processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, selecting, by the information processing system, at least one workflow according to the attribute, wherein the workflow is predefined and documented;

identifying, by the information processing system, the plurality of instant messaging addresses and, responsive to identifying the plurality of instant messaging addresses, initiating, by the information processing system, the workflow, initiating the workflow comprising the information processing system initiating a multi-person chat session among the plurality of instant messaging addresses by interfacing with at least one instant messaging system using data synchronization and instructing the at least one instant messaging system to establish the multi-person chat session among the plurality of instant messaging addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the metadata further comprises a plurality of electronic mail addresses;

the method further comprising;

attaching the electronic document to an electronic mail as an attachment and initiating an electronic mail client executing on the information processing system to communicate the electronic mail, with the attachment, to each of the plurality of electronic mail addresses contained in the metadata.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading, by the RFID reader, the information stored in the at least one RFID tag.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, by an information processing system comprising a hardware processor, from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, information stored in at least one RFID tag and read from the at least one RFID tag by the RFID reader, the information comprising at least one attribute associated with an electronic document and metadata, the metadata listing at least one user;

processing, by the information processing system, the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document and, responsive to processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, selecting, by the information processing system, at least one workflow according to the attribute, wherein the workflow is predefined and documented; and

processing, by the information processing system, the metadata read from the at least one RFID tag and, responsive to the information processing system processing the metadata, initiating, by the information processing system, the workflow, initiating the workflow comprising the information processing system discontinuing operation or processing of the electronic document when a user is logged into the information processing system, via which the electronic document is being accessed, and the user is not listed in the metadata read from the RFID tag.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reading, by the RFID reader, the information stored in the at least one RFID tag.

6. An information processing system comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

receiving, from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, information stored in at least one RFID tag and read from the at least one RFID tag by the RFID reader, the information comprising at least one attribute associated with an electronic document and metadata, the metadata comprising a plurality of instant messaging addresses;

processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document and, responsive to processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, selecting at least one workflow according to the attribute, wherein the workflow is predefined and documented;

identifying the plurality of instant messaging addresses and, responsive to identifying the plurality of instant messaging addresses, initiating the workflow, initiating the workflow comprising the information processing system initiating a multi-person chat session among the plurality of instant messaging addresses by interfacing with at least one instant messaging system using data synchronization and instructing the at least one instant messaging system to establish the multi-person chat session among the plurality of instant messaging addresses.

7. The information processing system of claim 6, wherein:

the metadata further comprises a plurality of electronic mail addresses;

the executable operations further comprising;

attaching the electronic document to an electronic mail as an attachment and initiating an electronic mail client executing on the information processing system to communicate the electronic mail, with the attachment, to each of the plurality of electronic mail addresses contained in the metadata.

8. The information processing system of claim 6, further comprising:

the RFID reader;

the executable operations further comprising reading, by the RFID reader, the information stored in the at least one RFID tag.

9. An information processing system comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

receiving, from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, information stored in at least one RFID tag and read from the at least one RFID tag by the RFID reader, the information comprising at least one attribute associated with an electronic document and metadata, the metadata listing at least one user;

processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document and, responsive to processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, selecting at least one workflow according to the attribute, wherein the workflow is predefined and documented; and

processing the metadata read from the at least one RFID tag and, responsive to the information processing system processing the metadata, initiating, by the information processing system, the workflow, initiating the workflow comprising the information processing system discontinuing operation or processing of the electronic document when a user is logged into the information processing system, via which the electronic document is being accessed, and the user is not listed in the metadata read from the RFID tag.

10. The information processing system of claim 9, further comprising:

the RFID reader;

the executable operations further comprising reading, by the RFID reader, the information stored in the at least one RFID tag.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable device, wherein the computer-readable storage device is not a transitory, propagating signal per se, having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a hardware processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by an information processing system comprising the hardware processor, from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, information stored in at least one RFID tag and read from the at least one RFID tag by the RFID reader, the information comprising at least one attribute associated with an electronic document and metadata, the metadata comprising a plurality of instant messaging addresses;

processing, by the hardware processor, the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document and, responsive to processing the at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, selecting, by the hardware processor, at least one workflow according to the attribute, wherein the workflow is predefined and documented;

identifying, by the hardware processor, the plurality of participant electronic mail or instant messaging addresses and, responsive to identifying the plurality of participant electronic mail or instant messaging addresses, initiating, by the hardware processor, the workflow, initiating, by the information processing system, the workflow, initiating the workflow comprising the information processing system initiating a multi-person chat session among the plurality of instant messaging addresses by interfacing with at least one instant messaging system using data synchronization and instructing the at least one instant messaging system to establish the multi-person chat session among the plurality of instant messaging addresses.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the metadata further comprises a plurality of electronic mail addresses;

the method further comprising;

attaching, by the hardware processor, the electronic document to an electronic mail as an attachment and initiating an electronic mail client executing on the information processing system to communicate the electronic mail, with the attachment, to each of the plurality of electronic mail addresses contained in the metadata.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, the method further comprising:

reading, by the RFID reader, the information stored in the at least one RFID tag.