Service processing apparatus and service processing method

• US 20040194010A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Tajima, Yukio, Enomoto, Akihiro, Kirihara, Kazuko, Ozawa, Hidekazu, Hikawa, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• 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 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/149 Adaptation of the text data for streaming purposes, e.g. Efficient XML Interchange [EXI] format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• 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 user defines a job flow of desired service cooperation according to a GUI screen displayed on a client terminal where parallel processing of plural parallel-executable jobs can be set. According to the thus-defined job flow, an instruction data generation server generates instruction data defining the content of processes, a storage location of a document as a subject, and other items. When the user selects desired one of the instruction data, the selected instruction data is sent to a cooperative processing server. The cooperative processing server interprets the instruction data and makes a service processing apparatus execute plural processes in cooperation by sending the respective service processing apparatuses processing requests that are formed so that a document will be processed according to the content of processes and processing order that are described in the instruction data

Claims

1. A service processing apparatus comprising:

a setting unit that sets at least a location of processing document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and sets processing order of the plurality of service processes so that they will be executed serially and/or in parallel;

a generating unit that generates, on the basis of a content of settings made by the setting unit, instruction data to be used for executing the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set by the setting unit;

an interpreting unit that interprets a content of the instruction data; and

a cooperative processing unit that makes, on the basis of interpretation results of the interpreting unit, a plurality of service processing apparatuses connected to a network execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in a cooperative manner.

3. The service processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rewriting unit that rewrites the instruction data so that service processes that are currently defined as being executed serially will be executed in parallel when the service processes that are to be executed serially in the processing order can be executed in parallel.

2. The service processing apparatus according to clam 1, further comprising:

a judging unit that judges whether each of the plurality of service processes is executable; and

a processing unit that makes, if a service process is judged unexecutable by the judging unit, a service processing apparatus in charge of the unexecutable service process execute a predetermined executable service process.

4. A service processing method comprising:

setting at least a location of processing document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and setting processing order of the plurality of service processes so that they will be executed serially and/or in parallel;

generating, on the basis of a content of settings made in the setting step, instruction data to be used for executing the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set in the setting step;

interpreting a content of the instruction data; and

making, on the basis of interpretation results in the interpreting step, a plurality of service processing apparatuses connected to a network execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in a cooperative manner.

5. The service processing method according to claim 4, further comprising:

judging whether each of the plurality of service processes is executable; and

making if a service process is judged unexecutable, a service processing apparatus in charge of the unexecutable service process execute a predetermined executable service process.

6. The service processing method according to claim 4, further comprising rewriting the instruction data so that service processes that are currently defined as being executed serially will be executed in parallel when the service processes that are to be executed serially in the processing order can be executed in parallel.

7. A service processing apparatus comprising:

a setting unit that sets at least a location of processing document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and sets processing order of the plurality of service processes so that they will be executed serially and/or in parallel;

a generating unit that generates, on the basis of a content of settings made by the setting unit, instruction data to be used for executing the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set by the setting unit;

an interpreting unit that interprets a content of the instruction data;

a process executing unit that executes a service process on the document data on the basis of interpretation results of the interpreting unit; and

a sending unit that sends the instruction data to a service processing apparatus for executing a next service process after the process executing unit has finished execution of the service process.

8. The service processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a judging unit that judges whether the service process is executable; and

a processing unit that executes a predetermined executable service process if the service process is judged unexecutable by the judging unit.

9. A service processing method comprising:

setting at least a location of processing document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and setting processing order of the plurality of service processes so that they will be executed serially and/or in parallel;

generating, on the basis of a content of settings made in the setting step, instruction data to be used for executing the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set in the setting step;

interpreting a content of the instruction data;

executing a service process on the document data on the basis of interpretation results in the interpreting step; and

sending the instruction data to a service processing apparatus for executing a next service process after the process executing step has finished execution of the service process.