Service processing apparatus and service processing method

• US 7,496,233 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Brian Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLDEMARIAM, AKILILU K
• Application Number:
  US10/661,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20040194010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 382/229, 709/219, 709/201, 715/255, 715/500
• US Class Current: 382/229
• 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 document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and sets a processing order of the plurality of service processes, the plurality of services processes being executed serially, executed in parallel, or executed both serially and in parallel, on the basis of the processing order set by the setting unit;

a generating unit that generates, on the basis of settings made by the setting unit, instruction data instructing to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set by the setting unit, the settings including the location, the content of a plurality of service processes, and the processing order;

an interpreting unit that determines whether the instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial;

a rewriting unit that rewrites the instruction data to instruct to execute the plurality of parallel-executable processes in parallel under the condition that the interpreting unit determines that the instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute the plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial, and

a cooperative processing unit that controls, on the basis of the rewritten instruction data, a plurality of service processing apparatuses connected to a network to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in parallel.

8. The services processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of service processes include at least two of;

(i) copying of the document data;

(ii) printing of the document data;

(iii) scanning of the document data;

(iv) facsimile of the document data;

(v) mail delivery of the document data;

(vi) storage in a repository of the document data;

(vii) reading in a repository of the document data;

(viii) OCR processing to the document data; and

(ix) noise elimination to the document data.

9. The service processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of service processes corresponds to each of the plurality of service processing apparatuses on a one for one basis.

10. The service processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing unit that stores a list of parallel-executable processes, wherein;

the interpretation unit determines whether at least two of the plurality of service processes instructed in the instruction data correspond to the parallel-executable processes in the list.

11. The service processing according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooperative processing unit that sends the rewritten instruction data to the plurality of service processing apparatus to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data 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.

3. A service processing method performed by a processing apparatus, the method comprising:

at least one or more processors to implement the following steps;

setting at least a location of document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and setting a processing order of the plurality of service processes, the plurality of service processes being executed serially, executed in parallel, or executed both serially and in parallel, on the basis of the processing order;

generating, on the basis of settings made in the setting step, instruction data instructing to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set in the setting step, the settings including the location, the content of a plurality of service processes, and the processing order;

determining whether the instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial;

rewriting the instruction data to instruct to execute the plurality of parallel- executable processes in parallel under the condition that the instruction data is determined to include instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial; and

controlling, on the basis of the rewritten instruction data, a plurality of service processing apparatuses connected to a network execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in a cooperative manner.

4. The service processing method according to claim 3, 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.

13. The service processing method according to claim 3 being performed by at least one processor.

5. A service processing apparatus comprising:

a setting unit that sets at least a location of document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and sets a processing order of the plurality of service processes, the plurality of service processes being executed serially, executed in parallel, or executed both serially and in parallel, on the basis of the processing order set by the setting unit;

a generating unit that generates, on the basis of settings made by the setting unit, instruction data instructing to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set by the setting unit, the settings including the location, the content of the plurality of service processes, and the processing order;

an interpreting unit that determines whether the instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial;

a rewriting unit that rewrites the instruction data to instruct to execute the plurality of parallel-executable processes in parallel under the condition that the interpreting unit determines that instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel- executable processes in serial; and

a process executing unit that executes a service process on the document data on the basis of the rewritten instruction data; and

a sending unit that sends the rewritten 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.

6. The service processing apparatus according to claim 5, 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.

7. A service processing method comprising:

at least one or more processors to implement the following steps;

setting at least a location of document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and setting a processing order of the plurality of service processes, the plurality of service processes being executed serially, executed in parallel, or executed both serially and in parallel, on the basis of the processing order;

generating, on the basis of settings made in the setting step, instruction data instructing to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set in the setting step, the setting including the location, the content of a plurality of service processes, and the processing order;

determining whether the instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial;

rewriting the instruction data to instruct to execute the plurality of parallel-executable processes in parallel under the condition that the instruction data is determined to include instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial;

executing a service process on the document data on the basis of the rewritten instruction data; and

sending the rewritten 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.

12. A service processing apparatus which is used with a setting unit and a generating unit, wherein:

a setting unit sets at least a location of document data and a content of a plurality of service processes to be executed on the document data, and sets a processing order of the plurality of service processes, the plurality of services being executed serially, executed in parallel, or executed both serially and in parallel on the basis of the processing order set by the setting unit; and

a generating unit that generates, on the basis of settings made by the setting unit, instruction data instructing to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in the processing order set by the setting unit, the setting including the location, the content of a plurality of service processes, and the processing order;

the service processing apparatus comprising;

a controller that;

(i) determines whether the instruction data includes instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial;

(ii) rewrites the instruction data to instruct to execute the plurality of parallel-executable processes in parallel under the condition that the instruction data is determined to include instruction which instructs to execute a plurality of parallel-executable processes in serial; and

(iii) controls, on the basis of the rewritten instruction data, a plurality of service processing apparatuses connected to a network to execute the plurality of service processes on the document data in parallel.