MANAGING METADATA AMONG PLURAL SYSTEMS

• US 20100095202A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: ISHIZUKA, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

System, apparatus and method for managing documents and metadata generated by a plurality of software application systems are provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing metadata for a plurality of systems having respective different metadata formats, said apparatus comprising:

a conversion part configured to convert first metadata generated by a first system in a first format in connection with a first document, to a second format of a second system; and

a metadata passing part configured to pass the converted first metadata in the second format to the second system.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conversion part converts the first metadata in the first format to the second format in response to a request from the second system for the metadata.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conversion part receives the first metadata from the first system and converts the received first metadata in the first format to the second format, and the metadata passing part automatically passes the converted first metadata in the second format to the second system.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a data store part configured to store the first metadata from the first system,

wherein the conversion part retrieves the first metadata from the data store part and converts the retrieved first metadata in the first format to the second format of the second system, and the metadata passing part automatically passes the converted metadata in the second format to the second system.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the data store part stores one or more documents in association with the first metadata.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a data store part configured to store the first document and the first metadata from the first system; and

a notification part configured to send a notification message indicated that the first document has been generated and stored in the data store part, when the first document and the metadata generated by the first system is stored in the data store part.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein when a second document associated with the first metadata has been finalized and stored in the data store part in association with the first metadata, the notification part sends a notification message indicating finalization of the first document.

8. A management system including a plurality of application systems for generating documents in an enterprise, each of the application systems generating a corresponding type of documents and associated metadata of a corresponding format, said management system comprising:

a conversion part configured to convert first metadata generated by a first application system in a first format in connection with a first document, to a second format of a second application system; and

a metadata passing part configured to pass to the second application system the converted first metadata in the second format of the second application system.

9. The management system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

wherein the second application system utilizes the converted first metadata in connection with generation of a second document, associated with the first document, and second metadata generated in connection with the second document, and

wherein the conversion part converts the second metadata into a third format of a third application system.

10. The management system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a user interface part configured to present the second document for finalization, and

wherein when the second document is finalized through the user interface part, the conversion part converts the second metadata to indicate that the second document has been finalized.

11. The management system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a notification part configured to send a notification message indicating finalization of the second document.

12. The management system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a data store part configured to store the first document and first metadata generated by the first application system; and

a notification part configured to send, when the first document and first metadata generated by the first application system are stored in said data store part, a notification message indicating that the first document has been generated and stored.

13. The management system as claimed in claim 8, wherein in response to a request from the second application system for the first metadata, the conversion part converts the stored first metadata in the first format to the second format, and the metadata passing part passes the converted first metadata in the second format to the second application system.

14. A method for managing metadata for a plurality of application systems for generating documents in an enterprise, each of the application systems generating a corresponding type of documents and associated metadata of a corresponding format, said method comprising:

converting first metadata generated by a first application system in a first format in connection with a first document, to a second format of a second application system; and

passing to the second application system the converted metadata in the second format of the second application system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

storing in a data store the first document and the metadata generated by the first application system and sending a notification message indicating that the first document has been generated and stored in the data store.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

utilizing the converted metadata in the second application system in connection with generation of a second document, associated with the first document, and generating second metadata in connection with the second document; and

converting the second metadata into a third format of a third application system.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

presenting the second document in a user interface for finalization, and

when the second document is finalized through the user interface, converting the second metadata to indicate that the second document has been finalized.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

sending a notification message indicating finalization of the second document.