Information processing apparatus for storing processing hysteresis data, and method therefor

• US 6,925,600 B2
• Filed: 03/12/1998
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Wakai, Masanori, Takayama, Masayuki, Jeyachandran, Suresh, Suda, Aruna Rohra
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Assistant Examiner(s): OPIE, GEORGE L
• Application Number:
  US09/038,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,700 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 707 1- 3, 707/10, 358/1.1, 718/100, 719/320, 709100-108, 709/300
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

When an information processing apparatus performs the process, it stores hysteresis data itemizing the process type, the apparatus in charge of processing, the person for instructing the process, the process object information and execution time. Then, necessary hysteresis data are searched for by designating the conditions in the items, desired hysteresis data is selected from the hysteresis data that are found, and the same process (re-printing of the same document) or a new process (saving a printed document with a new file name) is performed for the object in the selected hysteresis data. The hysteresis number is provided for the hysteresis data, and a correlation is provided for the process that caused the process represented by the hysteresis data, and the hysteresis number of the process that is caused by the process represented by the hysteresis data. When a specific hysteresis number is designated for the search for the hysteresis data, it is employed to acquire the hysteresis number for the associated process, and the hysteresis data that has the acquired hysteresis number is also added to be object for a search.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

input means for entering a document;

first output processing means for printing out on a paper the document entered by said input means as a first output processing operation;

storage means for storing print hysteresis data, containing a printed document which has been printed by said first output processing means, in correlation with an object in a process other than a process performed by said first output processing means;

data selection means for selecting one of the hysteresis data from said storage means;

output processing selection means for selecting one of a plurality of types of output processing which is different from the printing as a second output processing operation; and

second output processing means for performing the second output processing operation on the printed document contained in the hysteresis data selected by said data selection means.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means stores associated information, as well as an operation that was performed as hysteresis data.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising analyzation means for analyzing the contents of an operation performed at said input means or by said first processing means, and for acquiring said associated information for said operation.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said associated information includes information concerning a person relative to an operation.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said information concerning a person includes a person who has issued an instruction or has performed an operation.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said associated information includes information concerning time for execution.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said associated information includes information concerning a location for execution.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said associated information includes information concerning an apparatus for execution.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said associated information includes associated hysteresis information to correlate with hysteresis information for another associated operation.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said associated hysteresis information is used to store hysteresis data for a series of operations correlated with each other.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said associated hysteresis information includes information to correlate with hysteresis information for preceding and succeeding operations of said series of operations.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes operation entry means manipulated by a user.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes reception means for receiving an instruction or information from an external device.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said instruction includes an instruction from a user for an external device.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes detection means for detecting a status.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes reading means for reading and inputting image data.

17. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said object includes one of file data, schedule data, information that is pending to be processed, information managed by a database, information extracted from specific information, mail information, and device management information.

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising designation means for designating a condition with which said storage means stores said hysteresis data.

19. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said designation means determines for each operation whether or not said hysteresis data are to be stored.

20. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said designation means determines for each operation whether or not an object to be processed is to be stored.

21. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said designation means designates a person who is permitted to refer to said hysteresis data.

22. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling said process performed by said first processing means based on said hysteresis data stored in said storage means.

23. An information processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said control means controls performance or cancellation of said process performed by said first processing means.

24. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second output processing operation performed by said second output processing means is an output of an instruction to another apparatus to execute a predetermined process on the printed information.

25. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second output processing operation performed by said second processing means includes one of printing, displaying, transmitting, and saving.

26. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means stores hysteresis data in correlation with an object to be processed by said second processing means.

27. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection performed by said data selection means includes a search for hysteresis data.

28. An information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the selection performed by said data selection means includes display of a list of hysteresis data that are searched for and a selection of one of the hysteresis data in the list.

29. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection performed by said data selection means includes display of a list of hysteresis data that are stored in said storage means.

30. An information processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the selection performed by said data selection means includes a process for selecting specific hysteresis data from said list of hysteresis data.

31. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of function units, wherein hysteresis of an operation that is completed within a specific function unit is stored independently of hysteresis stored in said storage means.

32. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising acquisition means for acquiring hysteresis data for another apparatus, wherein said second processing means employs said hysteresis data obtained by said acquisition means and said hysteresis data stored in said storage means to perform a process.

33. An information processing apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said second processing means displays said hysteresis data for another apparatus, which are obtained by said acquisition means, and said hysteresis data of said information processing apparatus, which are stored in said storage means.

34. An information processing method comprising:

an input step of entering a document;

a first output processing step of printing out on a paper the document entered at said input step as a first output processing operation;

a storage step of storing print hysteresis data, containing a printed document which has been printed at said first output processing step, in correlation with an object in a process other than a process performed at said first output processing step;

a data selection step of selecting one of the hysteresis data stored at said storage step;

an output processing selection step of selecting one of a plurality of types of output processing which is different from the printing as a second output processing operation; and

a second output processing step of performing the second output processing operation on the printed document contained in the hysteresis data selected at said data selection step.

35. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein at said storage step associated information is stored as well as an operation that was performed as hysteresis data.

36. An information processing method according to claim 35, further comprising an analyzation step of analyzing the contents of an operation performed at said input step or at said first processing step, and of acquiring said associated information for said operation.

37. An information processing method according to claim 35, wherein said associated information includes information concerning time for execution.

38. An information processing method according to claim 35, wherein said associated information includes information concerning a location for execution.

39. An information processing method according to claim 35, wherein said associated information includes information concerning an apparatus for execution.

40. An information processing method according to claim 35, wherein said associated information includes associated hysteresis information to correlate with hysteresis information for another associated operation.

41. An information processing method according to claim 40, wherein said associated hysteresis information is used to store hysteresis data for a series of operations correlated with each other.

42. An information processing method according to claim 40, wherein said associated hysteresis information includes information to correlate with hysteresis information for preceding and succeeding operations of said series of operations.

43. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said input step includes an operation entry step manipulated by a user.

44. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said input step includes a reception step of receiving an instruction or information from an external device.

45. An information processing method according to claim 44, wherein said instruction includes an instruction from a user for an external device.

46. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said input step includes a detection step of detecting a status.

47. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said associated information includes information concerning a person relative to an operation.

48. An information processing method according to claim 47, wherein said information concerning a person includes a person who has issued an instruction or has performed an operation.

49. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said input step includes a reading step of reading and inputting image data.

50. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said object includes one of file data, schedule data, information that is pending to be processed, information managed by a database, information extracted from specific information, mail information, and device management information.

51. An information processing method according to claim 34, further comprising a designation step of designating a condition with which said hysteresis data are stored at said storage means.

52. An information processing method according to claim 51, wherein, at said designation step, whether said hysteresis data are to be stored is determined for each operation.

53. An information processing method according to claim 51, wherein at said designation step, whether a substance of an object to be processed is to be stored is determined for each operation.

54. An information processing method according to claim 51, wherein a person who is permitted to refer to said hysteresis data is designated at said designation step.

55. An information processing method according to claim 34, further comprising a control step of controlling said process performed at said first processing step based on said hysteresis data stored at said storage step.

56. An information processing method according to claim 55, wherein re-performance or cancellation of said process performed at said first processing step is controlled at said control step.

57. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said second output processing operation performed at said second processing step is an output of an instruction to another apparatus to execute a predetermined process on the printed information.

58. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein said second output processing operation performed at said second processing step includes one of printing, displaying, transmitting, and saving.

59. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein, at said storage step, hysteresis data is stored in correlation with an object to be processed at said second processing step.

60. An information processing apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the selection performed at said data selection step includes a search for hysteresis data.

61. An information processing method according to claim 60, wherein the selection performed at said data selection step includes display of a list of hysteresis data that are searched for and a selection of one of the hysteresis data in the list.

62. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein the selection performed at said data selection step includes display of a list of hysteresis data that are stored at said storage step.

63. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein the selection performed at said data selection step includes a process for selecting specific hysteresis data from said list of hysteresis data.

64. An information processing method according to claim 34, further comprising a plurality of function steps, wherein hysteresis of an operation that is completed only at a specific function step is stored independently of hysteresis stored at said storage step.

65. An information processing method according to claim 34, further comprising an acquisition step of acquiring hysteresis data for another apparatus, wherein a process at said second processing step is performed by employing said hysteresis data obtained at said acquisition step and said hysteresis data stored at said storage step.

66. An information processing method according to claim 34, wherein, at said second processing step, displayed are said hysteresis data for another apparatus, which are obtained by said acquisition means, and said hysteresis data of a subject information processing apparatus, which are stored at said storage step.

67. A computer-readable storage medium on which is stored an information processing program for permitting a computer to perform information processing, said program comprising codes for causing said computer to perform:

an input step of entering a document;

a first output processing step of printing out on a paper the document entered at said input step as a first output processing operation;

a storage step of storing the print hysteresis data, containing a printed document which has been printed at said first output processing step, in correlation with an object in a process other than a process performed at said first output processing step;

a data selection step of selecting one of the hysteresis data stored at said storage step;

an output processing selection step of selecting one of a plurality of types of output processing which is different from the printing as a second output processing operation; and

a second output processing step of performing the second output processing operation on the printed document contained in the hysteresis data selected at said data selection step.