Method and system for managing workflow of electronic documents

• US 6,038,541 A
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuji, Hiroshi, Mase, Hisao, Tokuda, Tamayo
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Application Number:
  US09/260,553
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 709/206, 709/207, 709/238, 709/243, 709/245, 709/103, 379/93.01, 379/93.15, 379/93.24, 379/100.01, 379/100.08, 340/825.44, 455/412, 455/417
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A workflow managing system includes a workflow server for automatically extracting a next workflow entrance location from an electronic document for management of the next workflow entrance location. The workflow server analyzes the entered electronic document to extract a document type candidate from the electronic document, classifies the electronic document in accordance with the document type, refers to a table showing a relationship between the document types and in-charge departments or in-charge users associated therewith at the time of circulating the classified electronic document, automatically extracts next workflow entrance location candidate information for circulation of the sorted document type candidates, sends the sorted electronic document to the user terminal of the next workflow entrance location candidate, receives a signal indicative of acquisition or remand of the document circulated from the document-circulated user terminal, judges accuracy or inaccuracy of the next workflow entrance location candidate information, and confirms the accuracy or inaccuracy of the circulation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a forwarding destination in an input electronic document among a plurality of groups in an electronic document workflow system, each group having a pre-defined business process, said apparatus including a plurality of user terminals and a server for controlling the input electronic document forwarding destination, said server comprising:

document type classifying means which classifies an input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

means which decides the destination where said input electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said document type; and

means which forwards said input electronic document to the decided destination among said plurality of workflow groups.

2. A server for controlling an electronic document forwarding destination, in an electronic document workflow system having a plurality of workflow groups, each group having a pre-defined business process, said server comprising:

document type classifying means which classifies an input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

means which decides the destination of where said input electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said document type; and

means which forwards said input electronic document to the decided destination among said plurality of workflow groups.

3. In an electronic document workflow system having a plurality of workflow groups each having a pre-defined business process, an electronic document workflow method for controlling an electronic document forwarding destination, using a processor, comprising the steps of:

(a) classifying an input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

(b) deciding the destination among said plurality of workflow groups of where the electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said input document type; and

(c) forwarding said input electronic document to the destination decided in step (b).

4. An electronic document workflow method for controlling an electronic document forwarding destination among a plurality of workflow groups, each having a pre-defined business process, in an electronic document workflow system, using a processor and provided through a program stored in a computer-readable storage medium, comprising the steps of:

(a) classifying an input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

(b) deciding the destination among said plurality of workflow groups of where said input electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said input document type; and

(c) forwarding said input electronic document to the destination decided in step (b).

5. In an electronic document workflow system having a plurality of workflow groups each having a pre-defined business process, an electronic document workflow method for controlling an electronic document forwarding destination, using a processor, comprising the steps of:

(a) when the forwarding destination of an input electronic document is not determinable by a pre-defined business process, classifying the input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

(b) determining the destination among said plurality of workflow groups of where said input electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said document type; and

(c) forwarding said input electronic document to the destination determined in step (b).

6. In an electronic document workflow system having a plurality of workflow groups each having a pre-defined business process, an electronic document workflow method for controlling an electronic document forwarding destination, using a processor, comprising the steps of:

(a) classifying an input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

(b) deciding, by at least one candidate, the destination among said plurality of workflow groups of where said input electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said document type; and

(c) multicasting said input electronic document to candidates of destination thus decided on.

7. In an electronic document workflow system having a plurality of workflow groups each having a pre-defined business process, an electronic document workflow method for controlling an electronic document forwarding destination, using a processor, comprising the steps of:

(a) classifying an input electronic document into document types in accordance with contents of said input electronic document;

(b) deciding the destination among said plurality of workflow groups of where said input electronic document is to be forwarded on a basis of said document type; and

(c) forwarding said input electronic document to the destination thus decided,

wherein said input electronic document is forwarded according to step (c) on a basis of a business process definition in which a workflow process of said input electronic document in said destination is pre-defined.