System, apparatus and method for enhancing metadata registration workflow

• US 10,432,817 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Faust, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rayyan, Susan F
• Application Number:
  US14/164,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00517 involving favourite or frequently used settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to enhance metadata registration workflow, such as in a multi-functional apparatus. User selection of metadata items and entry of metadata are captured to form a customized workflow to minimize performance by the user of redundant tasks.

Claims

1. A multi-function output apparatus comprising an operational display, a document scanner to scan a document in a scanning session of an authenticated apparatus user, a processor and a non-transitory medium embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to configure said multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner to perform a method comprising:

(a) providing, on the operational display, of the multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner and via a metadata interface, a series of plural metadata entry screens, associated with a selected workflow, for user entry of metadata to be associated with a scanned document image, each of the plural metadata entry screens provided in the series depending on metadata entered in one or more previous metadata entry screens in the series;

(b) capturing the metadata entered through the metadata entry screens provided on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner;

(c) causing, upon user confirmation by the apparatus user on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus of the metadata entered through the metadata entry screens provided on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner, the metadata entry screens to be customized based on the captured metadata, which was user-entered via the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus, and causing the customized metadata entry screens to be registered as a customized workflow including plural sequential metadata entry screens for the authenticated apparatus user; and

(d) providing, in another scanning session of the authenticated apparatus user after the customized workflow has been registered, the customized workflow, including the plural sequential metadata entry screens capturing the metadata entered by the apparatus user, through the metadata interface, for user selection in connection with one or more additional documents scanned or to be scanned by the document scanner of the multi-function output apparatus.

2. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method performed by the multi-function output apparatus further comprises:

controlling the metadata interface to display a summary of the entered metadata on the operational display, for user confirmation, prior to registration of the entered metadata in association with the scanned document image.

3. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metadata interface provides one or more pre-scan metadata entry screens on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus, prior to scanning of the document, and the metadata interface displays a pre-scan summary of metadata entered via the one or more pre-scan metadata entry screens.

4. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 3, wherein metadata items individually displayed in the pre-scan summary are selected by default, and the metadata interface permits the authenticated apparatus user to de-select a metadata item, on an item-by-item basis.

5. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metadata interface provides one or more post-scan metadata entry screens on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus, and the metadata interface displays a post-scan summary of metadata entered via the one or more post-scan metadata entry screens, for user confirmation, prior to registration of the entered metadata in association with the scanned document image.

6. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 5, wherein metadata items individually displayed in the post-scan summary are selected by default, and the metadata interface permits the authenticated apparatus user to de-select a metadata item, on an item-by-item basis.

7. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon sign-on by the authenticated apparatus user to the multi-function output apparatus after the customized workflow has been registered, a workflow trigger part is provided on the operational display, for the authenticated user to trigger the customized workflow.

8. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the metadata entry screens in the customized workflow of the authenticated apparatus user includes a control part that is not present in the selected workflow.

9. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected workflow includes a default candidate data list, the metadata interface providing the default candidate data list for user selection of metadata to be associated with the scanned document image, and the customized workflow includes a customized candidate data list corresponding to the default candidate data list, the customized candidate data list includes one or more data that was entered by the authenticated apparatus user and that is not on the default candidate data list.

10. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metadata interface employs the captured metadata to populate the metadata entry screens for another document scanned by the authenticated apparatus user, and requests the authenticated apparatus user to confirm or replace the metadata automatically inserted in the metadata entry screens for said another document.

11. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a workflow edit interface to edit the customized workflow after the customized workflow has been registered,

wherein the workflow edit interface provides each of the captured metadata registered with the customized metadata entry screens, and selected by default, for unselection by the apparatus user, and unselected metadata is not retained in the customized workflow, and

wherein when the customized workflow is invoked for another document, the authenticated apparatus user is prompted to enter another metadata at a portion of the customized that was associated with the unselected metadata.

12. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the metadata interface provides a data selection interface part for user selection of data from a database accessible from the multi-function output apparatus, to be associated as metadata to the scanned document image.

13. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 12, wherein the metadata interface causes the data selected from the database to be displayed on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus, for user confirmation, prior to registration of the data as metadata in association with the scanned document image.

20. The multi-function output apparatus of claim 1, wherein in each subsequent metadata entry screen after a first metadata entry screen in the series of plural metadata entry screens providing plural metadata candidates to permit user selection of a metadata candidate amongst the plural metadata candidates, each of the plural metadata candidates provided in the subsequent metadata entry screen (i) depends on metadata entered in one or more previous metadata entry screens in the series and (ii) is provided upon determining, after receiving the metadata entered in the previous metadata entry screen, that the subsequent metadata entry screen is to be presented.

14. A method for controlling metadata registration workflow in a multi-function output apparatus comprising an operational display, a document scanner to scan a document in a scanning session of an authenticated apparatus user, and a processor and a non-transitory medium embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to configure said multi-function output apparatus to perform the method comprising:

(a) providing, on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner and via a metadata interface, a series of plural metadata entry screens, associated with a selected workflow, for user entry of metadata to be associated with a scanned document image, each of the plural metadata entry screens provided in the depending on metadata entered in one or more previous metadata entry screens in the series;

(b) capturing the metadata entered through the metadata entry screens provided on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner;

(c) generating a post-scan summary of the captured metadata and providing, via the metadata interface, the post-scan summary on one or more post-scan metadata entry screens on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus for user confirmation of the captured metadata and to permit user modification of the captured metadata, prior to registration of the entered metadata in association with the scanned document image;

(d) causing, upon confirmation by the apparatus user on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus by the authenticated apparatus user of the metadata entered through the metadata entry screens provided on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus having the document scanner, the metadata entry screens to be customized based on the captured metadata, which was user-entered via the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus, and the user modification of the captured metadata in the one or more post-scan metadata entry screens, and causing the customized metadata entry screens to be registered as a customized workflow including plural sequential metadata entry screens for the authenticated apparatus user; and

(e) providing, another scanning session of the authenticated apparatus user after the customized workflow has been registered, the customized workflow, including the plural sequential metadata entry screens, through the operational display, for user selection in connection with one or more additional documents scanned or to be scanned by the document scanner of the multi-function output apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a summary of the entered metadata on the operational display, for user confirmation, prior to registration of the entered metadata in association with the scanned document image.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing one or more pre-scan metadata entry screens on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus, prior to scanning of the document;

displaying a pre-scan summary of metadata entered via the one or more pre-scan metadata entry screens, wherein metadata items individually displayed in the pre-scan summary are selected by default; and

permitting the authenticated apparatus user to de-select a metadata item, on an item-by-item basis.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing one or more post-scan metadata entry screens on the operational display of the multi-function output apparatus; and

displaying a post-scan summary of metadata entered via the one or more post-scan metadata entry screens, for user confirmation, prior to registration of the entered metadata in association with the scanned document image, wherein metadata items individually displayed in the post-scan summary are selected by default; and

permitting the authenticated apparatus user to de-select a metadata item, on an item-by-item basis.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

employing the captured metadata to populate the metadata entry screens for another document scanned by the authenticated apparatus user; and

requesting the apparatus user to confirm or replace the metadata automatically inserted in the metadata entry screens for said another document.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a workflow edit interface to edit the customized workflow after the customized workflow has been registered, wherein the workflow edit interface provides each of the captured metadata registered with the customized metadata entry screens, and selected by default, for unselection by the apparatus user, and unselected metadata is not retained in the customized workflow; and

invoking the customized workflow for another document, and prompting the apparatus user to enter another metadata at a portion of the customized that was associated with the unselected metadata.