Workflow systems and methods

• US 6,442,594 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solectron Corporation (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Norman Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/417,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/239, 709/238, 370/351
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The invention relates to a form route manager in a computer network. In one embodiment, the form route manager includes a sequenced list of e-mail addresses, means for determining if an e-mail received in the e-mail system originates from the last e-mail address in the sequenced list, and if so, deleting the e-mail, and if not, sending the e-mail to the next e-mail address in the sequenced list. In another, the form route manager includes a sequenced list of e-mail addresses, means for receiving a web page, including the document and a step indicator, means for determining from the step indicator and the route, whether it is the first step, the next step, and the next e-mail address, means for updating the step indicator to the next step, the e-mail address(to the next e-mail address, and if it is the first step, assigning a second URL to the document and means for sending the e-mail with the second URL, the updated step indicator and the document to the next e-mail address. In still another, the form route manager includes a sequenced list of IP addresses, means for sending the document as a web page to a first IP address in the sequenced list, means for receiving the web page, including the document and a step indicator, after the document is processed at the first IP address in the sequenced list, means for determining from the route and the step indicator, whether it is the first step, the next step, and the next IP address in the sequenced list, and if it is the first step, assigning a URL to the document, means for updating the step indicator to the second step and the IP address to a second IP address in the sequenced list, means for sending the web page with the updated step indicator and the document to the second IP address in the sequenced list, and means for receiving the web page, including the document and the updated indicator, after the document is processed at the second IP address in the sequenced list.

Claims

1. A form route manager in a computer network with access to an e-mail system, the form route manager comprising:

a sequenced list of e-mail addresses corresponding to a plurality of e-mail addresses in the computer network; and

means for determining if an e-mail received in the e-mail system originates from the last e-mail address in the sequenced list, and if so, deleting the e-mail, and if not, sending the e-mail to the next e-mail address in the sequenced list.

2. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein the e-mail contains a step field that indicates a position in the sequenced list of e-mail addresses wherein the step field is updated to the next position in the sequenced list when the e-mail is to be sent to the next e-mail address.

3. The form route manager of claim 1, further comprising a second sequenced list of e-mail addresses, wherein each sequenced list of e-mail addresses has a unique list identifier, and the e-mail contains a route field containing the list identifier of one of the sequenced lists which the form route manager uses to determine the next e-mail address.

4. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein the e-mail contains a document identifier and the form route manager provides a location table with the current e-mail address of the e-mail with the document identifier and a move history table with the sequenced list of e-mail addresses in which the e-mail with the document identifier had been sent.

5. The form route manager of claim 4, wherein the form route manager receives an e-mail with a document identifier and a status request message from an e-mail address and the form route manager sends an e-mail containing information related to the e-mail with the document identifier from the location table and the move history table to the e-mail address.

6. The form route manager of claim 4, wherein a new sequenced list of e-mail addresses is derived from the sequenced list of e-mail addresses in the move history table for an e-mail with a document identifier.

7. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein an e-mail address in the sequenced list of e-mail addresses has two successor e-mail addresses each with a unique branch route identifier, the e-mail contains a branch indicator field containing a branch route identifier and the form route manager selects as the next e-mail address the e-mail address as with the branch route identifier that matches the contents of the branch indicator field.

8. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein the e-mail contains a route modifier field, which contains an e-mail address and the form route manager selects the e-mail address in the route modifier field as the next e-mail address.

9. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein an e-mail address in the sequenced list of e-mail addresses has two successor e-mail addresses and the form route manager selects the first of the two successor e-mail address as the next address of the e-mail and selects the second of the two successor e-mail address as the next address of a copy of the e-mail.

10. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein an e-mail address in the sequenced list of e-mail addresses has two predecessor e-mail addresses and the form route manager provides a unique receipt indicator for each predecessor e-mail address indicating that an e-mail was received from a corresponding e-mail address and a rules storage wherein a rule relating the states of the receipt indicators determines if the e-mail is to be sent to the next e-mail address in the sequenced list of e-mail addresses.

11. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein the form route manager provides a timer that is started when an e-mail is sent to an e-mail address and detects a fault if the e-mail address does not send back the e-mail before the timer exceeds a predetermined time period.

12. The form route manager of claim 1, wherein the sequenced list of e-mail addresses, is contained in a table of a database.

13. The form route manager of claim 12, wherein the table is a SQL table in a relational database.