Patent Application
20230401118
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-095632 filed Jun. 14, 2022.
The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and an information processing method.
Workflow systems that perform progress management in accordance with a digital workflow of business procedures including multiple processes are currently available. In such a workflow system, a business process and progress of the business process are visualized. A variety of techniques to make the digital workflow are disclosed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-157400 discloses a system that helps recognize easily an entire picture of a flow using a region that allows the entire flow to be represented by icons and a region that allows detailed setting of each job to be displayed. Also, according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-157400, if there is a defect in the detailed settings of each job, an icon of the job with the defect is displayed in association with an error mark.
A process forming a workflow typically includes multiple items that are to be set. If an error is included in the setting contents of any process, related art techniques have difficulty in, without switching one screen to another, displaying on the same screen the process including a defect together with a setting field of setting contents including the error in the process.
Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to providing a user interface that may identify without switching screens a setting field of setting contents including an error if the setting contents in a workflow and each process forming the workflow displayed on the same screen include the error.
Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the above advantages and/or other advantages not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the advantages described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address advantages described above.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing apparatus including a processor configured to: display on the same screen a first region displaying a workflow of processes and a second region displaying setting contents in each process forming the workflow; if an error is included in the setting contents of one of the processes, display specific information on the process displayed in the first region and having the setting contents including the error, in a manner such that the specific information is associated with an error symbol indicating an inclusion of the error; and if the error symbol is selected by a user, display at a specific location of the second region a setting field of the setting contents including the error in the process corresponding to the selected error symbol.
Exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
Embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the drawings.
The word “workflow” in the exemplary embodiment refers to the flow of a business process that involves multiple users. The workflow server 10 may be used by multiple users and an application used to perform a process described below is installed onto the information terminals 20 respectively used by the users. For convenience of explanation, only a single information terminal 20 is illustrated in
The information terminal 20 may be implemented by a commercially available general-purpose computer, such as a personal computer (PC). The information terminal 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a memory including a read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM) and/or hard disk, network interface, and user interface including an input unit, such as a mouse or a keyboard, and a display.
The workflow server 10 manages an exchange process of digital documents in the workflow and the progress of the exchange process. The workflow server 10 of the exemplary embodiment is an example of an information processing apparatus of the exemplary embodiment. A single workflow server 10 is employed herein, but multiple workflow servers 10 may also be employed.
The workflow server 10 of the exemplary embodiment includes a workflow (WF) information manager 11, user interface (UI) controller 12, WF configuration memory 13, WF setting information memory 14, error indication information memory 15, layout information memory 16, and the superior-subordinate relationship information memory 17. Elements that are not described in the description of the disclosure are not illustrated in the drawings. The block diagram in
The WF information manager 11 manages a variety of information related to the workflow, for example, sets the workflow itself, sets each item included in each process forming the workflow, and performs a true-false determination on setting contents in each item. The UI controller 12 controls information input to and output from the information terminal 20, for example, controls displaying of information related to the workflow on a display screen of the information terminal 20 and receives information input to the display screen of the information terminal 20.
The WF configuration memory 13 defines and stores information related to the whole workflow. Specifically, information on the flow of processes of the whole workflow and information on each items set in each process are registered. The WF setting information memory 14 stores the setting contents (also referred to as “item values”) at setting items included in each process. The setting contents are acquired when a user enters the setting contents or when a setting region is automatically read from each item on a predetermined paper sheet. The error indication information memory 15 stores error indication information including an error message and an error symbol displayed on the information terminal 20 when the setting contents include an error. The layout information memory 16 stores layout information on a variety of screens that are used to display information related to the workflow on the information terminal 20. Structures of the variety of information to be stored on the memories 13 through 16 may be identical the structures of information in the related art. Superior-subordinate relationship information stored on the superior-subordinate relationship information memory 17 is described below together with operations of the system.
The WF information manager 11 and UI controller 12 in the workflow server 10 may be implemented by a computer forming the workflow server 10 that operates in concert with a program running on the CPU in the computer. The WF configuration memory 13 through the superior-subordinate relationship information memory 17 in the workflow server 10 may be implemented by a hard disk drive (HDD) mounted in the workflow server 10. Alternatively, the WF configuration memory 13 through the superior-subordinate relationship information memory 17 may be implemented using the RAM or an external memory connected to the workflow server 10 via a network.
The program in the exemplary embodiment may be delivered via a communication system or by storing the program on a computer-readable recording medium, such as a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) or universal serial bus (USB) memory. The program delivered via the communication system or the recording medium is installed onto the computer and a variety of processes are performed by the CPU in the computer that successively executes the programs.
The operation of the exemplary embodiment is described with reference to screen examples. In the following discussion, the information related to the workflow is pre-stored on the memories 13 through 17. The flow of the processes of the workflow and the items to be set in each process are defined correctly but item values to be set in items, specifically, setting contents may include an error. There are cases in which in each figure, the setting contents may be omitted, in other words, may not necessarily be illustrated. The exemplary embodiment has a feature in an operation performed when the setting contents includes an error or a feature in a user interface. Unless otherwise particularly noted, related art techniques may be employed in a display method of the setting contents and in the correction method of the setting contents.
A right-hand side of the screen 30 is a second region 32 that displays the setting contents in each process forming the workflow. If the second region 32 is unable to accommodate all the setting contents, desired setting content may be displayable by scrolling. According to the exemplary embodiment, since the whole workflow includes on the same screen the first region 31 displaying the whole workflow and the second region 32 presenting the setting contents in each process, the user may verify, on the same screen without switching screens, the flow of the processes of the whole workflow and the setting contents in each process.
The process names in the first region 31 are displayed in a manner such that a user may select one of the process names. If the user performs a specific first selection operation, for example, a single click operation, on one of the processes displayed in the first region 31, the setting contents responsive to the process selected by the user are displayed in alignment with a specific location of the second region 32. According to the exemplary embodiment, the specific location is the top portion of the second region 32, specifically, the leading portion of the screen. The specific location is not limited to the top portion of the second region 32 and, for example, may be the center of the screen of the second region 32.
The workflow server 10 operates in connection with the displaying of the screen 30 as described below. When the user selects a process by a single click operation on the information terminal 20, the UI controller 12 receives the selection operation as an instruction. The UI controller 12 moves, to the top portion of the second region 32, a display area of the setting contents responsive to the selected process, namely, the setting contents responsive to the registering document process 33 as described above, and then displays the setting contents.
Referring to
The workflow server 10 operates to display the sub-processes as described below. When the user selects a process by performing a double click operation on the information terminal 20, the UI controller 12 receives the selection operation as an instruction from the user. The WF information manager 11 searches the WF configuration memory 13 in response to the instruction and acquires the sub-processes forming the corresponding process, namely in the above-described example, the input operation setting sub-process, DW conversion setting sub-process, and registration destination setting sub-process forming the registering document process 33. The UI controller 12 displays in the first region 31 the sub-processes acquired by the WF information manager 11.
Referring to
According to the exemplary embodiment, the setting contents responsive to the process selected in response to the selection operation of the user performed on the process displayed in the first region 31 may be moved to the specific location of the second region 32 and then displayed. The user is thus free from scrolling and searching for the setting contents displayed in the second region 32. The setting contents on the workflow server 10 have been described and the discussion thereof is omitted herein.
The screen 30 characteristic of the exemplary embodiment performed with an error included in the setting contents are displayed and processed as described below.
As previously described, the WF setting information memory 14 stores the setting contents in each item. The WF information manager 11 references a setting condition for each item, and performs a true-false determination on the setting contents, namely, item values set on the WF setting information memory 14 to detect an error. If an error is included in the setting contents, the WF information manager 11 manages the setting contents by associating information indicating the presence of the error with the setting contents. Specifically, the WF information manager 11 stores and manages an indication indicating that an item of the setting contents includes the error and the contents of the error included in the setting contents. The handling of the error of the WF information manager 11 may be based on related art technique.
When the screen 30 is displayed, the WF information manager 11 references information related to error. If there are setting contents including an error, the UI controller 12 displays the error mark 35 in association with the process and sub-process identified by the WF information manager 11. Technically, the UI controller 12 displays the screen 30 on the information terminal 20 by sending information used to display a web page, such as the screen 30, in response to a request from the information terminal 20 to the information terminal 20. In the following discussion, this operation is simply referred as follows: the UI controller 12 displays the screen 30.
As
In succession, a second single click operation may be performed on the error mark 35 corresponding to the registering document process 33. The setting contents in a second item out of the setting contents including the errors in the registering document process 33, specifically, the setting field of the remarks item 39 is displayed in the top portion of the second region 32. In this way, the display area in the second region 32 is scrolled such that the setting field of the remarks item 39 as the second item is displayed in the top portion of the second region 32.
When the error mark 40 indicative of a number is selected in
If the error mark 40 indicative of a number is selected in
As previously described, since the setting field of the setting contents including errors is displayed at the specific location in the second region 32, namely, in the top portion of the second region 32 in the exemplary embodiment, the setting contents including the errors may be corrected in the top portion of the second region 32. Since the correction is to be performed, the setting contents including the errors may be collectively displayed on the screen.
The manner of displaying the error mark 35 with the setting items in the superior-subordinate relationship is described below. For convenience of explanation, a superior item and a subordinate item are on a one-to-one correspondence basis unless otherwise noted.
The superior-subordinate relationship in the exemplary embodiment signifies that if the setting contents of one item are determined, the setting contents of the other item are automatically determined. The same value is not necessarily set to each item. In the following discussion, one item serving as being superior is referred to as a superior item and the other item serving as being subordinate is referred to as a subordinate item. If the setting contents of the superior item include an error, the setting contents of the subordinate item also include an error. If the error in the superior item is removed, the error in the subordinate item is automatically removed.
The UI controller 12 may display the error symbol in association with the setting field of the setting contents including the error described above. If there is an item in the superior-subordinate relationship, the UI controller 12 controls the displaying of the error symbol in association with the superior-subordinate relationship as described below. For example, the delivery date items 41 and 38 may be in the superior-subordinate relationship and include errors. If the user corrects the setting contents of the delivery date item 41 serving as a superior item, the correction may be automatically reflected in the setting contents of the delivery date item 38 serving as a subordinate item such that the error in the delivery date item 38 is automatically corrected. Specifically, the error in the delivery date item 38 may be removed without the user taking any action on the delivery date item 38 serving as the subordinate item. As illustrated in
The user may possibly want to recognize that the setting contents of the subordinate item includes an error and that the correction of the error in the superior item removes an error included in the setting contents of the subordinate item. An arrangement may be made to let the user recognize this operation.
As
Referring to
As described above, the superior-subordinate relationship is based on a one-to-one correspondence basis. Alternatively, a one-to-multiple relationship or a multiple-to-one relationship may also be possible. In the one-to-multiple relationship, if a date of registration is set as the superior item, item values for multiple subordinate items, namely, the delivery of the review 1 of document and the delivery of the review 2 of document, may be automatically set. In the multiple-to-one relationship, if item values for multiple superior items, such as the date of registration of document and period, are set, the delivery of review 1 of document (date of registration of document and period) may be automatically set as the subordinate item.
In the embodiments above, the term “processor” refers to hardware in a broad sense. Examples of the processor include general processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, and programmable logic device).
In the embodiments above, the term “processor” is broad enough to encompass one processor or plural processors in collaboration which are located physically apart from each other but may work cooperatively. The order of operations of the processor is not limited to one described in the embodiments above, and may be changed.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-095632 | Jun 2022 | JP | national |
