Workflow system, workflow executing device, workflow executing method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with workflow executing program

• US 9,544,460 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Soejima, Hideaki, Iwai, Hidetaka, Hase, Junichi, Mishima, Nobuhiro, Kubota, Hirokazu, Nakano, Daisuke, Okamoto, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US14/798,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/468, 358/400, 358/401, 348/135
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00949 Combining applications, e.g. to create workflows allocation of computer machine resources considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks G06F9/5038

Abstract

A workflow executing device executes the steps of: specifying a workflow; executing processes defined by the specified workflow; specifying an external process to be processed by a first external device from among the processes; specifying a device that stores account information requested by the first external device as a second external device in order to allow the first external device to execute the external process; generating a sub-workflow that defines a login process of logging into the first external device, a request process of allowing the first external device to execute the external process, and an execution result output process of transmitting the execution result to the workflow executing device; and changing the external process in the workflow to a workflow transmitting process of transmitting the sub-workflow to the second external device and an execution result receiving process of receiving the execution result from the second external device.

Claims

1. A workflow system comprising a workflow executing device, a first external device, and a second external device,

the workflow executing device comprising

a communication unit to communicate with the first external device and the second external device, and

a controller, the controller of the workflow executing device executing:

a workflow specifying step of specifying a workflow that defines a plurality of processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of processes is an external process to be executed by the first external device;

a workflow executing step of executing the plurality of processes defined by the specified workflow;

an external process specifying step of specifying the external process to be processed by the first external device;

a device specifying step of, when the external process is specified, specifying the second external device that stores user account information requested by the first external device to allow the first external device to execute the external process;

a sub-workflow generating step of generating a sub-workflow that defines a login process of logging into the first external device using the user account information stored in the second external device, a request process of allowing the first external device to execute the external process, and an execution result output process of transmitting an execution result of the external process by the first external device to the workflow executing device; and

a workflow changing step of changing the external process in the workflow to a workflow transmitting process of transmitting the sub-workflow to the second external device through the communication unit and an execution result receiving process of receiving the execution result of the external process from the second external device through the communication unit, in order to allow the second external device to execute the generated sub-workflow,

the workflow executing step including a step of, when the external process is specified in the external process specifying step, executing the workflow changed in the workflow changing step in place of the specified workflow,

the first external device comprising

an account information storage unit to store user account information obtained from the second external device, and

a controller, the controller of the first external device executing;

an account information requesting step of requesting user account information from the second device; and

a service providing step of, on condition that account information received in response to the request in the account information requesting step is stored in the account information storage unit, providing a service of executing the external process and returning an execution result to a device that has transmitted the received account information,

the second external device comprising

a device-side storage unit that stores user account information, and

a controller,

the controller of the second external device executing a sub-workflow executing step of executing a process defined by the sub-workflow in response to reception of the sub-workflow from the workflow executing device.

2. A workflow executing device capable of executing a workflow,

the workflow executing device comprising

a communication unit to communicate with a first external device and a second external device, and

a controller, the controller executing:

a workflow specifying step of specifying a workflow that defines a plurality of processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of processes is an external process to be executed by the first external device;

a workflow executing step of executing the plurality of processes defined by the specified workflow;

an external process specifying step of specifying the external process to be processed by a first external device;

a device specifying step of, when the external process is specified, specifying the second external device that stores user account information requested by the first external device to allow the first external device to execute the external process;

a sub-workflow generating step of generating a sub-workflow that defines a login process of logging into the first external device using the user account information stored in the second external device, a request process of allowing the first external device to execute the external process, and an execution result output process of transmitting an execution result of the external process by the first external device to the workflow executing device; and

a workflow changing step of changing the external process in the workflow to a workflow transmitting process of transmitting the sub-workflow to the second external device through the communication unit and an execution result receiving process of receiving the execution result of the external process from the second external device through the communication unit, in order to allow the second external device to execute the generated sub-workflow,

the workflow executing step including a step of, when the external process is specified in the external process specifying step, executing the workflow changed in the workflow changing step in place of the specified workflow.

3. The workflow executing device according to claim 2, wherein

the controller further executes a remote control step of accepting a remote operation by a remote operating device that the communication unit is communicating with, and executing a process in accordance with the accepted remote operation, and

the device specifying step includes a step of, when a workflow is specified in the workflow specifying step in accordance with the remote operation accepted from the remote operating device in the remote control step, specifying the remote operating device as the second external device on condition that the remote operating device stores the user account information.

4. The workflow executing device according to claim 3, wherein

the remote control step includes

an authentication step of authenticating the remote operating device based on authentication information transmitted from the remote operating device, and

a step of executing a process in accordance with a remote operation accepted from the remote operating device on condition that authentication by the authentication step is successful.

5. The workflow executing device according to claim 3, wherein the remote control step includes a step of switching a state to a standby state to be ready for accepting another remote operation from the remote operating device, after a remote operation of giving an instruction to execute the specified workflow is accepted.

6. The workflow executing device according to claim 2, wherein the device specifying step includes a device search step of transmitting a search command through the communication unit to search for a device that holds user account information requested by the first external device and specifying a device that replies to the search command as the second external device in order to allow the first external device to execute the external process.

7. The workflow executing device according to claim 2, wherein

the controller further executes an account information accepting step of, when the second external device is not specified in the device specifying step, accepting user account information input by a user at a stage before the external process is executed, and

the workflow executing step includes a step of allowing the first external device to execute the external process using the user account information accepted in the account information accepting step.

8. The workflow executing device according to claim 2, wherein

the workflow executing device functions as an image processing apparatus further comprising an image processing unit that processes an image,

the first external device is a server connected to the Internet, and

the second external device is a portable information device carried by a user or a personal computer.

9. A workflow executing method performed in a workflow executing device including a communication unit to communicate with a first external device and a second external device, the method comprising:

a workflow specifying step of specifying a workflow that defines a plurality of processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of processes is an external process to be executed by the first external device;

a workflow executing step of executing the plurality of processes defined by the specified workflow;

an external process specifying step of specifying the external process to be processed by the first external device;

a device specifying step of, when the external process is specified, specifying the second external device that stores user account information requested by the first external device to allow the first external device to execute the external process;

a sub-workflow generating step of generating a sub-workflow that defines a login process of logging into the first external device using the user account information stored in the second external device, a request process of allowing the first external device to execute the external process, and an execution result output process of transmitting an execution result of the external process by the first external device to the workflow executing device; and

a workflow changing step of changing the external process in the workflow to a workflow transmitting process of transmitting the sub-workflow to the second external device through the communication unit and an execution result receiving process of receiving the execution result of the external process from the second external device through the communication unit, in order to allow the second external device to execute the generated sub-workflow,

the workflow executing step including a step of, when the external process is specified in the external process specifying step, executing the workflow changed in the workflow changing step in place of the specified workflow.

10. The workflow executing method according to claim 9, further comprising a remote control step of accepting a remote operation by a remote operating device that the communication unit is communicating with, and executing a process in accordance with the accepted remote operation,

wherein the device specifying step includes a step of, when a workflow is specified in the workflow specifying step in accordance with the remote operation accepted from the remote operating device in the remote control step, specifying the remote operating device as the second external device on condition that the remote operating device stores the user account information.

11. The workflow executing method according to claim 10, wherein

the remote control step includes

an authentication step of authenticating the remote operating device based on authentication information transmitted from the remote operating device, and

a step of executing a process in accordance with a remote operation accepted from the remote operating device on condition that authentication by the authentication step is successful.

12. The workflow executing method according to claim 10, wherein the remote control step includes a step of switching a state to a standby state to be ready for accepting another remote operation from the remote operating device, after a remote operation of giving an instruction to execute the specified workflow is accepted.

13. The workflow executing method according to claim 9, wherein the device specifying step includes a device search step of transmitting a search command through the communication unit to search for a device that holds user account information requested by the first external device and specifying a device that replies to the search command as the second external device in order to allow the first external device to execute the external process.

14. The workflow executing method according to claim 9, further comprising an account information accepting step of, when the second external device is not specified in the device specifying step, accepting user account information input by a user at a stage before the external process is executed,

wherein the workflow executing step includes a step of allowing the first external device to execute the external process using the user account information accepted in the account information accepting step.

15. The workflow executing method according to claim 9, wherein

the workflow executing device functions as an image processing apparatus further comprising an image processing unit that processes an image,

the first external device is a server connected to the Internet, and

the second external device is a portable information device carried by a user or a personal computer.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program executed in a computer that controls a workflow executing device including a communication unit to communicate with a first external device and a second external device, the program causing the computer to execute:

a workflow specifying step of specifying a workflow that defines a plurality of processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of processes is an external process to be executed by the first external device;

a workflow executing step of executing the plurality of processes defined by the specified workflow;

an external process specifying step of specifying the external process to be processed by a first external device;

a device specifying step of, when the external process is specified, specifying the second external device that stores user account information requested by the first external device to allow the first external device to execute the external process;

a sub-workflow generating step of generating a sub-workflow that defines a login process of logging into the first external device using the user account information stored in the second external device, a request process of allowing the first external device to execute the external process, and an execution result output process of transmitting an execution result of the external process by the first external device to the workflow executing device; and

a workflow changing step of changing the external process in the workflow to a workflow transmitting process of transmitting the sub-workflow to the second external device through the communication unit and an execution result receiving process of receiving the execution result of the external process from the second external device through the communication unit, in order to allow the second external device to execute the generated sub-workflow,

the workflow executing step including a step of, when the external process is specified in the external process specifying step, executing the workflow changed in the workflow changing step in place of the specified workflow.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program according to claim 16, wherein

the program further causes the computer to execute a remote control step of accepting a remote operation by a remote operating device that the communication unit is communicating with, and executing a process in accordance with the accepted remote operation, and

the device specifying step includes a step of, when a workflow is specified in the workflow specifying step in accordance with the remote operation accepted from the remote operating device in the remote control step, specifying the remote operating device as the second external device on condition that the remote operating device stores the user account information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program according to claim 17, wherein

the remote control step includes

an authentication step of authenticating the remote operating device based on authentication information transmitted from the remote operating device, and

a step of executing a process in accordance with a remote operation accepted from the remote operating device on condition that authentication by the authentication step is successful.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program according to claim 17, wherein the remote control step includes a step of switching a state to a standby state to be ready for accepting another remote operation from the remote operating device, after a remote operation of giving an instruction to execute the specified workflow is accepted.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program according to claim 16, wherein the device specifying step includes a device search step of transmitting a search command through the communication unit to search for a device that holds user account information requested by the first external device and specifying a device that replies to the search command as the second external device in order to allow the first external device to execute the external process.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program according to claim 16, wherein

the program further causes the computer to execute an account information accepting step of, when the second external device is not specified in the device specifying step, accepting user account information input by a user at a stage before the external process is executed, and

the workflow executing step includes a step of allowing the first external device to execute the external process using the user account information accepted in the account information accepting step.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a workflow executing program according to claim 16, wherein

the workflow executing device functions as an image processing apparatus further comprising an image processing unit that processes an image,

the first external device is a server connected to the Internet, and

the second external device is a portable information device carried by a user or a personal computer.