Method and apparatus for information processing

• US 5,937,166 A
• Filed: 03/28/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukasawa, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Application Number:
  US08/623,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.34, 395/200.35, 395/200.59, 345/330, 345/331
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for information processing which is capable of achieving a flexible floor control which can be shared by different applications, and which can respond to floor models of separate applications. An information processing apparatus is provided which controls floors of applications operated in a work environment formed by one or more computers. A FloorUnit representing an application which is an object of a floor control is controlled in association with each application. In addition, a FloorSpace representing a collection to which the FloorUnit belongs is controlled. When the application makes a request for acquiring the floor, the floor of the application in the FloorSpace to which the corresponding FloorUnit belongs is acquired by a FloorPolicy defined by the floor data in accordance with predetermined procedures.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for controlling floors of applications operated in a work environment formed by one or more computers, comprising:

first control means for controlling unit data representing an application which is an object of floor control;

second control means for controlling floor data representing a collection to which said unit data belongs;

acquisition means for acquiring a floor of the application in a floor data to which corresponding unit data belongs by a procedure specified in said floor data in compliance with a request from said application; and

modification means for modifying arbirarily a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second control means control a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data as hierarchical structures of data.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second control means represent a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data by use of a table representing relations of data.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specified procedure in said acquisition means can be shared among a plurality of applications.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specified procedure in said acquisition means is controlled as an independent server program.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising modification means for modifying arbitrarily the specified procedure in said acquisition means.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising third control means for controlling a correspondence of said application and said unit data.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising start means for starting the floor control in said application based on said correspondence.

9. An information processing method for controlling floors of applications operated in a work environment formed by one or more computers, comprising:

a first control step of controlling unit data representing an application which is an object of floor control;

a second control step of controlling floor data representing a collection to which said unit data belongs;

an acquisition step of acquiring a floor of the application in a floor data to which corresponding unit data belongs by a procedure specified in said floor data in compliance with a request from said application; and

a modification step of modifying arbirarily a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data.

10. An information processing method according to claim 9, wherein said first and second control steps control a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data as hierarchical structures of data.

11. An information processing method according to claim 9, wherein said first and second control steps represent a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data by use of a table representing relations of data.

12. An information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the specified procedure in said acquisition step can be shared among a plurality of applications.

13. An information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the specified procedure in said acquisition step is controlled as an independent server program.

14. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising a modification step of modifying arbitrarily the specified procedure in said acquisition step.

15. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising a third control step of controlling a correspondence of said application and said unit data.

16. An information processing method according to claim 15, further comprising a start step of starting the floor control in said application based on said correspondence.

17. A computer readable storage medium sotring a program for implementing an information processing method for controlling floors of applications operated in a work environment formed by one or more computers, said method comprising:

a first control step of controlling unit data representing an application which is an object of floor control;

a second control step of controlling floor data representing a collection to which said unit data belongs;

an acquisition step of acquiring a floor of the application in a floor data to which corresponding unit data belongs by a procedure specified in said floor data in compliance with a request from said application; and

a modification step of modifying arbirarily a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data.

18. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein said first and second control steps control a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data as hierarchical structures of data.

19. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein said first and second control steps represent a configuration of said unit data and a structure of said floor data by use of a table representing relations of data.

20. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the specified procedure in said acquisition step can be shared among a plurality of applications.

21. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the specified procedure in said acquisition step is controlled as an independent server program.

22. A storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a modification step of modifying arbitrarily the specified procedure in said acquisition step.

23. A storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a third control step of controlling a correspondence of said application and said unit data.

24. A storage medium according to claim 23, further comprising a start step of starting the floor control in said application based on said correspondence.