Information processing apparatus, workflow generating system, and workflow generating method

• US 9,256,459 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sasaki, Tomohiko, Sueishi, Taijirou, Morikawa, Hiroshi, Bamba, Akiko, Takata, Sachiko, Inouchi, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Emerson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamran, Mehran
• Application Number:
  US13/909,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1282 High volume printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for generating a workflow including one or more steps each indicating a process to be executed, includes a workflow display unit configured to display, on a display, one or more graphical representations corresponding to one or more steps of the workflow; a step management unit configured to obtain attribute data associated with a step to be added in response to an instruction for adding the step to the workflow; and an auxiliary indication control unit configured to cause the display to display a graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added and a graphical representation that reflects the attribute data.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for generating a workflow including one or more steps each indicating a process to be executed, the apparatus comprising:

a workflow display unit configured to display, on a display, one or more graphical representations corresponding to one or more steps of the workflow;

a step management unit configured to obtain attribute data associated with a step to be added in response to an instruction for adding the step to the workflow; and

an auxiliary indication control unit configured to cause the display to display a graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added and a graphical representation that reflects the attribute data, wherein

the auxiliary indication control unit is further configured to;

determine whether the attribute data of the step to be added includes connectivity information indicating connectivity of the step to be added to a further step,

display the graphical representation that reflects the attribute data only when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is connectable to the further step,

determine whether the connectivity information of the attribute data of the step further indicates whether the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step,

display an extendible line indicating that the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step, and

display a point indicating that the step to be added can be connected to the further step when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added can be connected to the further step but is not required to be connected to the further step.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the one or more steps of the workflow are classified into a plurality of groups such that the one or more graphical representations corresponding to the one or more steps of the workflow are displayed in a plurality of areas on the display by group, the auxiliary indication control unit is further configured to:

determine whether the connectivity information further indicates that the step to be added is connectable to a further step belonging to the same group or that the step to be added is connectable only to a further step belonging to a different group; and

control extension of the extendible line based on the connectivity information such that,

when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is connectable to the further step belonging to the same group, the extendible line extends only within an area in which the graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added is displayed, and

when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is only connectable to the further step belonging to the different group, the extendible line extends over the area in which the graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added is displayed.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a connection processing unit configured to, in response to an instruction for connecting a first step to a second step in the workflow, the first step being associated with attribute data indicating that the first step is connectable to a further step;

obtain attribute data associated with the second step, the association data of the second step including connectivity information indicating connectivity of the second step to a further step and type information indicating a type of a preceding step that is connectable to the second step;

determine whether the second step is connectable to the first step based on the attribute data of the second step; and

display, on the display, a graphical representation that reflects connection between the first step and the second step, based on determination indicating that the second step is connectable to the first step.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a highlighting processing unit configured to, in response to an instruction for selecting a second step that is connectable to a first step in the workflow, the first step being associated with attribute data indicating that the first step is connectable to a further step;

obtain, for each one of the one or more steps in the workflow other than the first step, attribute data including type information indicating a type of a preceding step that is connectable to each step;

determine whether each one of the one or more steps in the workflow other than the first step is connectable to the first step based on the type information of the attribute data to identify at least one second step; and

change display of the graphical representation corresponding to the at least one second step that is determined to be connectable to the first step.

5. A workflow generating system for generating a workflow including one or more steps each indicating a process to be executed, the system comprising:

a server apparatus including a first processor, the first processor being one or more processors; and

a client apparatus including a second processor, the second processor being one or more processors,

wherein at least one of the first processor and the second processor is configured to;

display, on a display, one or more graphical representations corresponding to one or more steps of a workflow;

obtain attribute data associated with a step to be added in response to an instruction for adding the step to the workflow;

display, on the display, a graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added and a graphical representation that reflects the attribute data;

determine whether the attribute data of the step to be added includes connectivity information indicating connectivity of the step to be added to a further step;

display, on the display, the graphical representation that reflects the attribute data only when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is connectable to the further step;

determine whether the connectivity information of the attribute data of the step further indicates whether the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step;

display, on the display, an extendible line indicating that the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step; and

display, on the display, a point indicating that the step to be added can be connected to the further step when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added can be connected to the further step but is not required to be connected to the further step.

6. The workflow generating system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first processor and the second processor is configured to:

classify the one or more steps of the workflow into a plurality of groups such that the one or more graphical representations corresponding to the one or more steps of the workflow are displayed in a plurality of areas on the display by group;

determine whether the connectivity information further indicates that the step to be added is connectable to a further step belonging to the same group or that the step to be added is connectable only to a further step belonging to a different group; and

control extension of the extendible line based on the connectivity information, wherein

when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is connectable to the further step belonging to the same group, the extendible line extends only within an area in which the graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added is displayed, and

when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is only connectable to the further step belonging to the different group, the extendible line extends over the area in which the graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added is displayed.

7. The workflow generating system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first processor and the second processor is configured to:

receive an instruction for connecting a first step to a second step in the workflow, the first step being associated with attribute data indicating that the first step is connectable to a further step;

obtain attribute data associated with the second step, the association data of the second step including connectivity information indicating connectivity of the second step to a further step and type information indicating a type of a preceding step that is connectable to the second step;

determine whether the second step is connectable to the first step based on the attribute data of the second step; and

display, on the display, a graphical representation that reflects connection between the first step and the second step, based on determination indicating that the second step is connectable to the first step.

8. The workflow generating system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first processor and the second processor is configured to:

receive an instruction for selecting a second step that is connectable to a first step in the workflow, the first step being associated with attribute data indicating that the first step is connectable to a further step;

obtain, for each one of the one or more steps in the workflow other than the first step, attribute data including type information indicating a type of a preceding step that is connectable to each step;

determine whether each one of the one or more steps in the workflow other than the first step is connectable to the first step based on the type information of the attribute data to identify at least one second step; and

change display of the graphical representation corresponding to the at least one second step that is determined to be connectable to the first step.

9. The workflow generating system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first processor and the second processor is configured to:

execute the workflow to cause one or more information processing apparatuses to perform the one or more steps of the workflow.

10. A method of generating a workflow including one or more steps each indicating a process to be executed, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, one or more graphical representations corresponding to one or more steps of a workflow;

receiving an instruction for adding a step to the workflow;

displaying, on the display, a graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added and a graphical representation that reflects attribute data, the attribute data being associated with the step to be added;

determining whether the attribute data of the step to be added includes connectivity information indicating connectivity of the step to be added to a further step;

displaying, on the display, the graphical representation that reflects the attribute data only when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is connectable to the further step;

determining whether the connectivity information of the attribute data of the step further indicates whether the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step;

displaying, on the display, an extendible line indicating that the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added is required to be connected to the further step; and

displaying, on the display, a point indicating that the step to be added can be connected to the further step when the connectivity information indicates that the step to be added can be connected to the further step but is not required to be connected to the further step.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, when the one or more steps of the workflow are classified into a plurality of groups and displayed in a plurality of areas on the display by group and the connectivity information further indicates that the step to be added is connectable to a further step belonging to the same group or that the step to be added is connectable only to a further step belonging to a different group, displaying the extendible line includes extending the extendible line such that:

when the step to be added is connectable to the further step belonging to the same group, the extendible line extends only within an area in which the graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added is displayed, and

when the step to be added is only connectable to the further step belonging to the different group, the extendible line extends over the area in which the graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added is displayed.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an instruction for connecting a first step to a second step in the workflow, the first step being associated with attribute data indicating that the first step is connectable to a further step; and

displaying, on the display, a graphical representation that reflects connection between the first step and the second step, based on determination indicating that the second step is connectable to the first step, wherein the determination is based on attribute data of the second step including connectivity information indicating connectivity of the second step to a further step and type information indicating a type of a preceding step that is connectable to the second step.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an instruction for selecting a second step that is connectable to a first step in the workflow, the first step being associated with attribute data indicating that the first step is connectable to a further step; and

changing display of the graphical representation corresponding to at least one second step that is determined to be connectable to the first step,

wherein the determination is based on whether each one of the one or more steps in the workflow other than the first step is connectable to the first step based on attribute data associated with each step to identify at least one second step, the attribute data of each step including type information indicating a type of a preceding step that is connectable to each step.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining the attribute data associated with the step to be added in response to the instruction for adding the step to the workflow.