DOCUMENT-BASED WORKFLOWS

• US 20100070464A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Tan, Garry, Simler, Kevin, Cicerone, Derek, Miyake, Nicholas, Burr, Brandon, Aymeloglu, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities

Abstract

A workflow application allows users to store, manage, and perform tasks related to workflows comprised of ordered sets of documents. The application provides an interface for creating and managing a workflow. Each document added to the workflow is assigned to a particular position in the workflow. Via the interface, the user saves data defining the workflow. In this manner, the workflow may be shared or preserved for subsequent re-use. The application allows a user to perform various tasks with respect to the workflow. Via an interface control presented by the application, the user instigates such tasks. In response, the application causes the task to be performed for each document in the workflow in an order corresponding to the arrangement of the documents within the workflow. For example, the application may render and print each document in the workflow. Or, the application may generate a combined workflow report.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing workflow data that represents a workflow, wherein the workflow data comprises data indicating (a) a plurality of documents and (b) an ordering for the plurality of documents;

wherein the ordering is neither alphabetical nor date-based;

based on the workflow data, displaying in a graphical user interface a representation of the workflow;

receiving, via the graphical user interface, input indicating an action to perform with respect to at least a particular document in plurality of documents; and

in response to the input, causing the action to be performed with respect to at least the particular document;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises opening the particular document in a document viewing application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performance of the action results in a change to the particular document, the method further comprising automatically updating at least one document in the plurality of documents, other than the particular document, to reflect the change.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the input indicating an action to perform further indicates that the action is to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents; and

the method further comprises causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents comprises iteratively causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents, according to the ordering.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein performance of the action produces results for a set of two or more documents in the plurality of documents, the method further comprising:

merging the results for the set of two or more documents, thereby producing a single result for the entire workflow.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the single result is a PDF document.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises printing.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises a find and replace operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow data is an XML file.

11. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

accessing workflow data that represents a workflow, wherein the workflow data comprises data indicating (a) a plurality of documents and (b) an ordering for the plurality of documents;

wherein the ordering is neither alphabetical nor date-based;

based on the workflow data, displaying in a graphical user interface a representation of the workflow;

receiving, via the graphical user interface, input indicating an action to perform with respect to at least a particular document in plurality of documents; and

in response to the input, causing the action to be performed with respect to at least the particular document.

12. The one or more storage media of claim 11, wherein the action comprises opening the

particular document in a document viewing application.

13. The one or more storage media of claim 11, wherein performance of the action results in a change to the particular document, the method further comprising automatically updating at least one document in the plurality of documents, other than the particular document, to reflect the change.

14. The one or more storage media of claim 11, wherein:

the input indicating an action to perform further indicates that the action is to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents; and

the method further comprises causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents.

15. The one or more storage media of claim 14, wherein causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents comprises iteratively causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents, according to the ordering.

16. The one or more storage media of claim 14, wherein performance of the action produces results for a set of two or more documents in the plurality of documents, the method further comprising:

merging the results for the set of two or more documents, thereby producing a single result for the entire workflow.

17. The one or more storage media of claim 16, wherein the single result is a PDF document.

18. The one or more storage media of claim 14, wherein the action comprises printing.

19. The one or more storage media of claim 14, wherein the action comprises a find and replace operation.

20. The one or more storage media of claim 11, wherein the workflow data is an XML file.