Document-based workflows

• US 8,429,194 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Aymeloglu, Andrew, Miyake, Nicholas, Burr, Brandon, Cicerone, Derek, Simler, Kevin, Tan, Garry
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US12/556,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities

Abstract

A workflow application allows users to store, manage, and perform tasks related to workflows comprised of ordered sets of documents. The application provides an interface for creating and managing a workflow. Each document added to the workflow is assigned to a particular position in the workflow. Via the interface, the user saves data defining the workflow. In this manner, the workflow may be shared or preserved for subsequent re-use. The application allows a user to perform various tasks with respect to the workflow. Via an interface control presented by the application, the user instigates such tasks. In response, the application causes the task to be performed for each document in the workflow in an order corresponding to the arrangement of the documents within the workflow. For example, the application may render and print each document in the workflow. Or, the application may generate a combined workflow report.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a data structure that defines an ordered plurality of documents, wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of items, wherein each particular item of the plurality of items indicates;

a location at which a different document in the plurality of documents is stored and an ordering for the different document within the plurality of documents;

wherein the data structure includes dependency data indicating dependencies between documents within the ordered plurality of documents;

based on the data structure, displaying in a graphical user interface a representation of the ordered plurality of documents;

receiving, via the graphical user interface, input indicating an action to perform with respect to at least a particular document in the ordered plurality of documents;

based on the dependency data in the data structure, determining that the particular document is dependent upon data stored in or output by at least a first document in the ordered plurality of documents that is ordered ahead of the particular document;

detecting a change in data stored in or output by the first document;

responsive to detecting the change, and further responsive to determining that the particular document is dependent upon data stored in or output by at least the first document, updating the particular document to reflect the change in the data stored in or output by the first document;

responsive to the input, causing the action to be performed with respect to at least the updated particular document; and

wherein the dependency data indicates the ordering;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises opening the updated particular document in a document viewing application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performance of the action results in a change to the updated particular document, the method further comprising, based on the dependency data, automatically updating at least a dependent document in the plurality of documents, ordered after the particular document, to reflect the change.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the input indicating an action to perform further indicates that the action is to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents; and

the method further comprises causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents comprises iteratively causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents, according to the ordering.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein performance of the action produces results for a set of two or more documents in the plurality of documents, the method further comprising:

merging the results for the set of two or more documents, thereby producing a single result for the entire plurality of documents.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the single result is a PDF document.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises printing.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the action comprises a find and replace operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure is an XML file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the change and updating the particular document occur responsive to the input.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular document is located external to the data structure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular document is a graph of data stored in or output by the first document.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the particular document comprises a workflow application in which the graphical user interface was presented instructing an external document application to update the particular document prior to performing the action.

15. One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

accessing a data structure that defines an ordered plurality of documents, wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of items, wherein each particular item of the plurality of items indicates;

a location at which a different document in the plurality of documents is stored and an ordering for the different document within the plurality of documents;

wherein the data structure includes dependency data indicating dependencies between documents within the ordered plurality of documents;

based on the data structure, displaying in a graphical user interface a representation of the ordered plurality of documents;

receiving, via the graphical user interface, input indicating an action to perform with respect to at least a particular document in the ordered plurality of documents;

based on the dependency data in the data structure, determining that the particular document is dependent upon data stored in or output by at least a first document in the ordered plurality of documents that is ordered ahead of the particular document;

detecting a change in data stored in or output by the first document;

responsive to detecting the change, and further responsive to determining that the particular document is dependent upon data stored in or output by at least the first document, updating the particular document to reflect the change in the data stored in or output by the first document;

responsive to the input, causing the action to be performed with respect to at least the updated particular document; and

wherein the dependency data indicates the ordering.

16. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein the action comprises opening the updated particular document in a document viewing application.

17. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein performance of the action results in a change to the updated particular document,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, based on the dependency data, automatically updating at least a dependent document in the plurality of documents, ordered after the particular document, to reflect the change.

18. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein:

the input indicating an action to perform further indicates that the action is to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents; and

the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause;

causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents.

19. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 18, wherein causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents comprises iteratively causing the action to be performed with respect to each document in the plurality of documents, according to the ordering.

20. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 18, wherein performance of the action produces results for a set of two or more documents in the plurality of documents, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

merging the results for the set of two or more documents, thereby producing a single result for the entire plurality of documents.

21. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 20, wherein the single result is a PDF document.

22. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 18, wherein the action comprises printing.

23. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 18, wherein the action comprises a find and replace operation.

24. The non-transitory one or more storage media of claim 15, wherein the data structure is an XML file.

25. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein detecting the change and updating the particular document occur responsive to the input.

26. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein the particular document is located external to the data structure.

27. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein the particular document is a graph of data stored in or output by the first document.

28. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 15, wherein updating the particular document comprises a workflow application in which the graphical user interface was presented instructing an external document application to update the particular document prior to performing the action.