Rapid Access to Data Oriented Workflows

• US 20080077465A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E., Weir, Robert C., Schimpf, Brian C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,157,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

One or more RFID tags may be read. An electronic document associated with the RFID tag may be identified. One or more attributes associated with the electronic document can be identified. One or more workflows can be determined according to the attribute(s).

Claims

1. A method of accessing workflows comprising:

reading at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;

identifying an electronic document associated with the RFID tag;

identifying at least one attribute associated with the electronic document; and

determining at least one workflow according to the attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving at least one parameter for the workflow from the attribute.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating the workflow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow implements a security policy relating to at least one of the electronic document or a physical asset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow establishes a communication session between a plurality of participant addresses.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the at least one workflow further comprises determining at least one of a type of communication session to be established or at least one of the plurality of participant addresses from the metadata.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow causes an electronic message to be sent to a recipient address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining at least one workflow further comprises determining at least one of a type of electronic message to be sent or at least one recipient address to which the electronic message is to be sent from the metadata.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow presents at least one item of the metadata.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow identifies at least one calendar event associated with the electronic document and presents the calendar event.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one workflow further comprises:

identifying a plurality of workflows;

presenting the plurality of workflows; and

receiving a user input selecting at least one of the plurality of workflows.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one workflow further comprises filtering a plurality of workflows from which the at least one workflow is determined according to at least one further attribute selected from the group consisting of a current date, a current time, and a parameter of a user profile.

13. A method of accessing workflows comprising:

detecting a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;

identifying a plurality of electronic documents associated with the plurality of RFID tags;

obtaining attributes associated with the plurality of electronic documents; and

selecting at least one workflow to be initiated according to the attributes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting at least one workflow further comprises:

identifying a plurality of workflows;

presenting the plurality of workflows; and

receiving a user input selecting at least one of the plurality of workflows.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising deriving at least one parameter of the selected workflow from the attributes.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising initiating the selected workflow.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected workflow establishes a communication session between a plurality of participants.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected workflow causes an electronic message to be sent to at least one recipient.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected workflow prioritizes the plurality of electronic documents according to the attributes and indicates priority information for at least one of the plurality of electronic documents.

20. A computer program product for accessing workflows comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to read at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;

computer usable program code configured to identify an electronic document associated with the RFID tag;

computer usable program code configured to identify at least one attribute associated with the electronic document; and

computer usable program code configured to determine at least one workflow according to the attribute.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising computer usable program code configured to derive at least one parameter for the workflow from the attribute.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the workflow establishes a communication session between a plurality of participant addresses.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine at least one workflow further comprises computer usable program code configured to determine at least one of a type of communication session to be established or at least one of the plurality of participant addresses from the attribute.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the workflow causes an electronic message to be sent to a recipient address.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine at least one workflow further comprises computer usable program code configured to determine at least one of a type of electronic message to be sent or at least one recipient address to which the electronic message is to be sent from the metadata.

26. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine at least one workflow further comprises:

computer usable program code configured to identify a plurality of workflows;

computer usable program code configured to present the plurality of workflows; and

computer usable program code configured to receive a user input selecting at least one of the plurality of workflows.

27. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine at least one workflow further comprises computer usable program code configured to filter a plurality of workflows from which the at least one workflow is determined according to at least one further attribute selected from the group consisting of a current date, a current time, and a parameter of a user profile.

28. A computer program product for accessing workflows comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to detect a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;

computer usable program code configured to identify a plurality of electronic documents associated with the plurality of RFID tags;

computer usable program code configured to obtain attributes associated with the plurality of electronic documents; and

computer usable program code configured to select at least one workflow to be initiated according to the attributes.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer usable program code configured to select at least one workflow further comprises:

computer usable program code configured to identify a plurality of workflows;

computer usable program code configured to present the plurality of workflows; and

computer usable program code configured to receive a user input selecting at least one of the plurality of workflows.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising computer usable program code configured to derive at least one parameter of the selected at least one workflow from the attributes.

31. The computer usable program product of claim 28, wherein the selected workflow prioritizes the plurality of electronic documents according to the attributes and indicates priority information for at least one of the plurality of electronic documents.

32. A system for accessing workflows comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to detect RFID tags;

at least one data store comprising a plurality of electronic documents, attributes relating to the plurality of electronic documents, and a plurality of workflows;

an information processing system coupled to the RFID reader, wherein the information processing system determines identifying information from detected RFID tags; and

a workflow server coupled to the information processing system configured to initiate a selected workflow from the plurality of workflows;

wherein the information processing system and the workflow server operate cooperatively to identify an electronic document from the identifying information from the RFID tag, identify at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, and select a workflow from the plurality of workflows according to the attribute.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the workflow server derives at least one parameter of the selected workflow from the attribute.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the workflow server, in cooperation with the information processing system, identifies a plurality of workflows, presents the plurality of workflows, and receives a user input selecting at least one of the plurality of workflows.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the selected workflow implements a process selected from the group consisting of establishing a communication session, sending an electronic message, presenting at least one attribute associated with the electronic document, and presenting at least one calendar event associated with the electronic document.