METHOD, SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR WORKFLOW COMMUNICATION WHEREIN INSTRUCTIONS TO A WORKFLOW APPLICATION ARE WRITTEN BY THE WORKFLOW APPLICATION

• US 20120060155A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Keys, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US12/874,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20120060155A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable medium for communicating between an apparatus hosting a workflow application and a device, by generating a template including a placeholder. The instruction template is then sent to the device and a device output is received from the device, the device output including device data generated by the device and inserted into the placeholder of the template.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between an apparatus hosting a workflow application and a device, the system comprising:

a processor, at the apparatus, configured to generate a template including a placeholder; and

an interface, at the apparatus, configured to send the template to the device and configured to receive a device output from the device, the device output including device data generated by the device and inserted into the placeholder of the template.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the template is not in the machine-readable language of the device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the template is generated in the language of the workflow application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the template includes sets of placeholders, and

the device is configured to select only one set of placeholders from the sets of placeholders based on at least one of an input, output, and condition of the device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of a chemical sensor, a medical device, an electrical appliance, a tablet personal computer, and a smart phone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device contains a user interface which receives, as input, at least one of a text data, voice data, chemical data, and biometric data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the template is sent to the device as part of a message, the message including information instructing the device to generate the device data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein

the processor, at the apparatus, is configured to generate a second template including a second placeholder;

and

the interface, at the apparatus, is configured to send the second template to a second device and is configured to receive a second device output from the second device, the second device output including second device data generated by the second device and inserted into the second placeholder of the second template.

9. A method for communicating between an apparatus hosting a workflow application and a device, the method comprising:

generating, at the workflow application, an instruction template for an instruction;

sending, by the workflow application, the instruction template to the device;

receiving, by the device, the instruction template;

generating, by the device, an output;

integrating, by the device, the output into the instruction template thereby producing a completed output instruction message;

sending, by the device, the completed output instruction message;

receiving, by the workflow application, the completed output instruction message; and

processing, by the workflow application, the completed output instruction message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the instruction template is not in the machine-readable language of the device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the instruction template is generated in the language of the workflow application.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

second generating, at the workflow application, a second instruction template for a second instruction;

second sending, by the workflow application, the second instruction template to a second device;

second receiving, by the second device, the second instruction template;

second generating, by the second device, a second output;

second integrating, by the second device, the second output into the second instruction template thereby producing a second completed output instruction message;

second sending, by the second device, the second completed output instruction message;

second receiving, by the workflow application, the second completed output instruction message; and

second processing, by the workflow application, the second completed output instruction message.

13. A computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions for communicating between an apparatus hosting a workflow application and a device, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

generating a template including a placeholder;

sending the template to the device; and

receiving a device output from the device, the device output including device data generated by the device and inserted into the placeholder of the template.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the template is not in the machine-readable language of the device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the template is generated in the language of the workflow application.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

second generating a second template including a second placeholder;

second sending the second template to a second device; and

second receiving a second device output from the second device, the second device output including second device data generated by the second device and inserted into the second placeholder of the second template.