Workflow management apparatus and workflow management method

• US 8,424,063 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uchida, Momoe
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/419,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20090260076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 726/17, 726/4, 718/1, 709/22, 711/6
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00432 using tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A server apparatus generates a folder for content to be transmitted from an image processing apparatus, and sets a path of the folder to the image processing apparatus as a destination of sending of the content. The user is allowed to select one destination of sending set in a display panel of the image processing apparatus, and the image processing apparatus sends the content to the selected destination of sending.

Claims

1. A workflow management apparatus which manages a workflow for executing processing in accordance with work items representing operations, the workflow management apparatus comprising:

a generator configured to generate a folder for a specific work item to be processed by an image processing apparatus;

a registration unit configured to register information on a location of the folder generated by the generator as a sending destination of the content generated by the image processing apparatus in accordance with the specific work item;

a storage unit configured to store the content supplied from the image processing apparatus in the folder serving as the sending destination of the content;

a log obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of job logs each of which corresponds to a job processed by the image forming apparatus and includes information on a user who operated the image processing apparatus and information on the user'"'"'s operation;

a selecting unit configured to select a job log corresponding to the content stored by the storage unit from among the plurality of job logs obtained by the log obtaining unit;

a specifying unit configured to specify a user who issues an instruction of the sending of the content in accordance with the job log selected by the selecting unit;

an authority determination unit configured to determine whether the user specified by the specifying unit has authority to access the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus in accordance with information on the specific work item; and

an association unit configured to associate the content stored in the folder by the storage unit with the specific work item corresponding to the folder when the determination unit determined that the user specified by the specifying unit has authority to access the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus,

wherein the image processing apparatus which includes a program used to execute the workflow acquires the specific work item from the workflow management apparatus and processes the specific work item by using the program without sending the content to the folder generated by the generator, while the image processing apparatus which does not include the program sends the content to the folder thereby the specific work item is processed on the content at the workflow management apparatus.

2. The workflow management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the content supplied from the image processing apparatus includes information on a time point when the content is generated,

the job log further includes information on a time point when the user'"'"'s operation is performed, and

the specifying unit specifies the user including the job log as the user who issued the instruction of the sending of the content when the time point included in the content is equal to the time point included in the job log.

3. The workflow management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a folder deleting unit configured to perform processing of deleting the folder after the association unit associates the content stored in the folder by the storage unit with the specific work item corresponding to the folder.

4. The workflow management apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a location information deleting unit configured to execute processing of deleting the information on the location of the folder after the folder is deleted by the folder deleting unit.

5. The workflow management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a list obtaining unit configured to obtain a list including image processing apparatuses managed by the workflow management apparatus;

a first determination unit configured to determine whether an image processing apparatus which does not include the specific program used to execute the workflow is included in the image processing apparatuses included in the list obtained by the list obtaining unit;

a second determination unit configured to determine whether the folder corresponding to the specific work item processed by an image processing apparatus which includes the specific program used to execute the workflow is generated by the generator when it is determined that the image processing apparatus which does not include the specific program is not included in the image processing apparatuses included in the list; and

a deleting unit configured to execute, after the second determination unit determines that the folder is generated, processing of deleting the folder, and thereafter, processing of deleting the information on the location of the folder,

wherein when the first determination unit determined that the image processing apparatus which does not include the specific program used to execute the workflow is included in the list, the generator generates the folder corresponding to the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus.

6. A method for managing a workflow for processing work items representing operations, the method comprising:

using a processor for generating a folder for a specific work item to be processed by an image processing apparatus;

registering information on a location of the generated folder as a sending destination of the content generated by the image processing apparatus in accordance with the specific work item;

storing the content supplied from the image processing apparatus in the folder serving as the sending destination of the content;

obtaining a plurality of job logs each of which corresponds to a job processed by the image processing apparatus and includes information on a user who operated the image processing apparatus and information on the user'"'"'s operation;

selecting a job log corresponding to the content stored from among the plurality of job logs obtained;

specifying a user who issues an instruction of the sending of the content in accordance with the job log selected;

determining whether the user specified has authority to access the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus in accordance with information on the specific work item; and

associating the content stored in the folder with the specific work item corresponding to the folder when determining that the user specified has authority to access the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus,

wherein the image processing apparatus which includes a program used to execute the workflow acquires the specific work item from the workflow and processes the specific work item by using the program without sending the content to the folder generated, while the image processing apparatus which does not include the program sends the content to the folder thereby the specific work item is processed on the content at the workflow.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores a program used to execute the method for managing a workflow for processing work items representing operations, the method comprising:

generating a folder for a specific work item to be processed by an image processing apparatus;

registering information on a location of the generated folder as a sending destination of the content generated by the image processing apparatus in accordance with the specific work item;

storing the content supplied from the image processing apparatus in the folder serving as the sending destination of the content;

obtaining a plurality of job logs each of which corresponds to a job processed by the image processing apparatus and includes information on a user who operated the image processing apparatus and information on the user'"'"'s operation;

selecting a job log corresponding to the content stored from among the plurality of job logs obtained;

specifying a user who issues an instruction of the sending of the content in accordance with the job log selected;

determining whether the user specified has authority to access the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus in accordance with information on the specific work item; and

associating the content stored in the folder with the specific work item corresponding to the folder when determining that the user specified has authority to access the specific work item to be processed by the image processing apparatus,

wherein the image processing apparatus which includes a program used to execute the workflow acquires the specific work item from the workflow and processes the specific work item by using the program without sending the content to the folder generated, while the image processing apparatus which does not include the program sends the content to the folder thereby the specific work item is processed on the content at the workflow.