Information processing system, system, information processing method, program and method

Abstract

The content of the processing that the second information processing device performs on the electronic data is controlled from the information processing device. [Solution] The information processing device is an information processing device that can communicate with a user terminal and a second information processing device via a network, and is equipped with a receiving unit that receives electronic data and user settings related to the electronic data from the user terminal, and a transmitting unit that transmits the processing content and electronic data according to the user settings to the second information processing device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Document management systems are used in companies and the like to electronically manage electronic data such as documents generated in the course of business. Electronic contract systems are also used to electronically conclude contracts using electronic data. An information processing device such as a document management system is linked to a second information processing device such as an electronic contract system, and the second information processing device manages contracts used to conclude the contracts using the information processing device.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a document processing device that can switch document processing operations based on metadata added to electronic document data. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is a problem in that the content of the processing that the second information processing device performs on the electronic data cannot be controlled from the information processing device. For example, the second information processing device performs processing such as transmitting electronic data, but conventionally, the second information processing device has not been able to automatically switch whether or not to perform the processing.

[0005] In view of the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention has an object to control, from an information processing device, processing that a second information processing device performs on electronic data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an information processing device that is one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device that can communicate with a user terminal and a second information processing device via a network, and is equipped with a receiving unit that receives electronic data and user settings related to the electronic data from the user terminal, and a transmitting unit that transmits the processing content and electronic data according to the user settings to the second information processing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the content of the processing that the second information processing device performs on the electronic data can be controlled from the information processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a document management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an electronic contract server in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a user terminal in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a customer terminal in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure (with automatic transmission) of an information processing system according to the prior art. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a browser according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a workflow setting screen according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of workflow information according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document registration screen according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata setting screen in the prior art. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a metadata table in the prior art. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a destination information table according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure (without automatic transmission) of an information processing system according to the prior art. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an optional function setting screen according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an option information table according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure of the information processing system in the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure of the information processing system in the first embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata setting screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a metadata table in the first embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a document management server according to a second embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a user terminal in the second embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a determination rule setting screen in the second embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of a judgment rule setting screen in the second embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a decision rule information table in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, components having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0010] [background] A document management system is an information processing system for electronically storing, managing, and utilizing documents generated in the course of business at a company, etc. An electronic contract system is an information processing system for electronically concluding contracts at a company, etc.

[0011] Document management systems are now being linked to electronic contract systems. When linking these systems, contracts uploaded to the document management system are sent to the electronic contract system, and the contract is concluded with the business partner using the electronic contract system. After that, the concluded contract is sent back to the document management system, where it is managed.

[0012] Electronic contract systems may be equipped with functions (hereinafter referred to as "optional functions") that perform various processes on contracts. Examples of optional functions include the ability to add comments to a contract, the ability to include an indication of approval (such as a seal or signature) and the ability to specify the location of that indication, etc.

[0013] In the linkage between a conventional document management system and an electronic contract system, one of the following two operations is performed depending on whether or not optional functions are used. In the first operation, after sending a document from the document management system to the electronic contract system, the user logs in to the electronic contract system, executes optional functions (e.g., specifying the signature position, etc.), and manually sends the document to the other party to the contract (hereinafter also referred to as the "business partner"). In the second operation, after sending a document from the document management system to the electronic contract system, the document is automatically sent to the business partner without executing optional functions.

[0014] However, in the past, the link between document management systems and electronic contract systems did not allow for automatic switching between the two operations. In other words, even if users did not use the optional function, after sending a document from the document management system to the electronic contract system, they had to log in to the electronic contract system and manually send the document to the business partner.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, control information indicating the content of a process is sent from a document management system to an electronic contract system along with a document. The electronic contract system determines whether to automatically or manually send the document to the trading partner according to the control information received along with the document. This allows a user to send a document to a trading partner by operating only the document management system without operating the electronic contract system if the user does not use optional features. Furthermore, if the user uses optional features, the user can manually send a document to the trading partner after operating the electronic contract system.

[0016] [First embodiment] In a first embodiment of the present invention, the metadata stored by the document management system in association with a document includes information (hereinafter also referred to as "control information") indicating whether or not an optional function is to be used in the electronic contract system (in other words, whether or not the document is to be automatically sent to the other party; hereinafter, this process is also referred to as "automatic sending"). The electronic contract system receives the metadata along with the document from the document management server, and controls the content of the processing of the contract in accordance with the control information included in the metadata.

[0017] The document in this embodiment is electronic data representing the contents of a document, etc. The electronic data is not limited to a document, and may be electronic data representing any information, such as text, an image, or a video.

[0018] <Overall configuration of information processing system 1> First, the configuration of an information processing system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system 1 in this embodiment.

[0019] 1, the information processing system 1 includes a document management server 10, an electronic contract server 20, a person in charge terminal 30-1, an approver terminal 30-2, and a trading partner terminal 40. The person in charge terminal 30-1 and the approver terminal 30-2 are distinguished by the type of user who uses them, but they have the same functions. Hereinafter, the person in charge terminal 30-1 and the approver terminal 30-2 will also be collectively referred to as user terminals 30.

[0020] The document management server 10, the electronic contract server 20, the user terminal 30, and the trading partner terminal 40 are each connected to a communication network 100. The communication network 100 is configured so that the connected devices can communicate with each other. The communication network 100 is constructed by a wired communication network such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The communication network 100 may include not only wired communication but also wireless communication networks such as wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication, or mobile communication networks such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or 5G (5th Generation).

[0021] The document management server 10 electronically manages documents generated in the course of business. The document management server 10 associates metadata with documents and stores them, enabling efficient document searches. The document management server 10 also has a function for executing workflows for carrying out business, enabling, for example, efficient implementation of document circulation flows.

[0022] The document management server 10 may be realized by one information processing device, or may be a system realized by a plurality of information processing devices.

[0023] The electronic contract server 20 performs processing to electronically conclude a contract. The electronic contract server 20 transmits a contract to the trading partner, and if the trading partner agrees, performs processing to affix an electronic signature or seal to the contract.

[0024] The electronic contract server 20 may be realized by one information processing device, or may be a system realized by a plurality of information processing devices.

[0025] The user terminal 30 is an electronic device used by a user. The user can use the user terminal 30 to perform operations on both the document management server 10 and the electronic contract server 20.

[0026] In this embodiment, the users include a person in charge of creating a contract and an approver who reviews and approves the contents of the contract. The person in charge terminal 30-1 is a user terminal 30 used by the person in charge. The approver terminal 30-2 is a user terminal 30 used by the approver.

[0027] The customer terminal 40 is an electronic device used by a customer user. The customer user can use the customer terminal 40 to perform operations on the electronic contract server 20.

[0028] An example of the document management server 10, the electronic contract server 20, the user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40 is an information processing device. Another example of the document management server 10, the electronic contract server 20, the user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40 is an image forming device (printer, FAX device, MFP (Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer: digital multifunction device), scanner device). Note that the document management server 10, the electronic contract server 20, the user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40 are not limited to information processing devices or image forming devices, as long as they are devices equipped with communication functions.

[0029] The document management server 10, electronic contract server 20, user terminal 30 and trading partner terminal 40 may be, for example, output devices such as PJ (Projector), IWB (Interactive White Board: an electronic white board with a blackboard function that allows intercommunication), digital signage, HUD (Head Up Display) device, industrial machinery, imaging device, sound collection device, medical equipment, network home appliance, automobile (Connected Car), notebook PC (Personal Computer), mobile phone, smartphone, tablet terminal, game console, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), digital camera, wearable PC or desktop PC, etc.

[0030] <Hardware configuration of each device included in information processing system 1> Next, the hardware configuration of each device included in the information processing system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0031] <Hardware configuration of information processing device> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration when the document management server 10, the electronic contract server 20, the user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40 are realized by an information processing device. As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing device includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, an HD 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0032] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire information processing device. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as an IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data, such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information, such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external devices are, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories or printers. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the communication network 100. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like, for electrically connecting the components, such as the CPU 501, shown in FIG. 2.

[0033] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that this is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0034] <Hardware configuration of image forming device> 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration when the document management server 10, the electronic contract server 20, the user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40 are realized by an image forming device. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming device includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950.

[0035] Of these, the controller 910 has a CPU 901, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907, which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0036] Of these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus. The NB 903 is a bridge that connects the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0037] The MEM-P 902 comprises a ROM 902a, which is memory for storing programs and data that realize the functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b, which is used for expanding the programs and data and as a drawing memory during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0038] The SB 904 is a bridge for connecting the NB 903 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The ASIC 906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and serves as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD 908, and MEM-C 907. The ASIC 906 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 907, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the scanner unit 931 and printer unit 932 via the PCI bus 922. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) interface may also be connected to the ASIC 906.

[0039] The MEM-C907 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD909 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD909 under the control of the CPU901. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing, and direct high-throughput access to the MEM-P902 enables the graphics accelerator card to operate at high speed.

[0040] Further, the short-distance communication circuit 920 includes a short-distance communication circuit 920a. The short-distance communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth.

[0041] Furthermore, the engine control unit 930 is made up of a scanner unit 931 and a printer unit 932. The operation panel 940 is equipped with a panel display unit 940a, such as a touch panel, that displays current setting values ​​and selection screens and receives inputs from the operator, and an operation panel 940b that includes a numeric keypad that receives setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density setting conditions and a start key that receives a copy start command. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and inputs from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 includes an image processing unit that performs error diffusion, gamma conversion, and the like.

[0042] The image forming apparatus can sequentially switch among the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. When the document box function is selected, the apparatus enters document box mode, when the copy function is selected, the apparatus enters copy mode, when the printer function is selected, the apparatus enters printer mode, and when the facsimile mode is selected, the apparatus enters facsimile mode.

[0043] The network I / F 950 is an interface for performing data communication using the communication network 100. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I / F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via a PCI bus 922.

[0044] <Functional configuration of each device included in information processing system 1> Next, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0045] <Functional configuration of document management server 10> 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the document management server 10 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the document management server 10 in this embodiment includes a screen information providing unit 11, a document management unit 12, a workflow control unit 13, a screen information storage unit 101, a document storage unit 102, a metadata storage unit 103, and a workflow information storage unit 104. The document management unit 12 includes a document receiving unit 121, a metadata setting unit 122, and a document sending unit 123. The workflow control unit 13 includes a workflow setting unit 131, a workflow acquisition unit 132, and a workflow execution unit 133.

[0046] The screen information providing unit 11, document management unit 12, and workflow control unit 13 provided in the document management server 10 are realized, for example, by processing that is executed by the CPU 501 of a program expanded from HD 504 to RAM 503 shown in Figure 2.

[0047] The screen information storage unit 101, document storage unit 102, metadata storage unit 103, and workflow information storage unit 104 included in the document management server 10 are realized, for example, using the HD 504 shown in Fig. 2. Reading or writing of data stored in the HD 504 is performed, for example, via the HDD controller 505.

[0048] In response to a request from the browser 31 included in the user terminal 30, the screen information providing unit 11 provides the browser 31 with screen information stored in the screen information storage unit 101. The screen information stored in the screen information storage unit 101 is information representing a screen for performing operations on the document management server 10.

[0049] The document management unit 12 stores documents and metadata received from the user terminal 30, and processes the documents and metadata in accordance with a workflow executed by the workflow control unit 13.

[0050] The document receiving unit 121 receives a document from the user terminal 30. Furthermore, the document receiving unit 121 stores the document received from the user terminal 30 in the document storage unit .

[0051] The metadata setting unit 122 receives metadata from the user terminal 30. Furthermore, the metadata setting unit 122 stores the metadata received from the user terminal 30 in the metadata storage unit 103 in association with the document stored in the document storage unit 102.

[0052] Metadata contains one or more pieces of attribute information that describe the contents of a document. Because metadata is managed separately from the document itself, adding or deleting metadata items or changing metadata values ​​does not affect the document itself.

[0053] In response to a request from the workflow control unit 13, the document sending unit 123 sends to the electronic contract server 20 the document related to the contract stored in the document storage unit 102 and the metadata associated with that document stored in the metadata storage unit 103.

[0054] The workflow control unit 13 sets, acquires, and executes a workflow that describes the content of processing for a document.

[0055] The workflow setting unit 131 receives workflow information from the user terminal 30. Furthermore, the workflow setting unit 131 stores the workflow information received from the user terminal 30 in the workflow information storage unit 104.

[0056] The workflow acquisition unit 132 acquires the workflow information stored in the workflow information storage unit 104 .

[0057] The workflow execution unit 133 executes a workflow in accordance with the workflow information acquired by the workflow acquisition unit 132. The workflow execution unit 133 identifies the next task to be performed on the document and assigns the task to a user who should process the task. The workflow execution unit 133 also executes processing on the document in response to a user's operation. The processing on the document includes processing performed in cooperation with an external system.

[0058] The screen information storage unit 101 stores screen information that the screen information providing unit 11 provides to the browser 31. Each piece of screen information stored in the screen information storage unit 101 is, for example, screen information written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) or the like, and may include an application written in JavaScript (registered trademark) or the like.

[0059] The document storage unit 102 stores documents managed by the document management unit 12. The documents stored in the document storage unit 102 are electronic file bodies that represent the contents of the documents. The documents are stored in the document storage unit 102 in a file format that corresponds to the file system of the document storage unit 102.

[0060] The metadata storage unit 103 stores metadata associated with documents managed by the document management unit 12. The metadata is stored in a metadata table stored in the metadata storage unit 103.

[0061] The workflow information storage unit 104 stores workflow information relating to a workflow executed by the workflow control unit 13. The workflow information may be written in an electronic file in text format, or may be stored in a table in a database.

[0062] <Functional configuration of the electronic contract server 20> Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the electronic contract server 20 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the electronic contract server 20 in this embodiment includes a screen information providing unit 21, a contract management unit 22, a screen information storage unit 201, a contract storage unit 202, a destination information storage unit 203, and an option information storage unit 204. The contract management unit 22 includes a contract receiving unit 221, a contract processing unit 222, and a contract transmission unit 223.

[0063] The screen information providing unit 21 and the contract management unit 22 provided in the electronic contract server 20 are realized, for example, by processing that is executed by the CPU 501 of a program expanded from the HD 504 shown in Figure 2 onto the RAM 503.

[0064] The screen information storage unit 201, contract storage unit 202, destination information storage unit 203, and option information storage unit 204 provided in the electronic contract server 20 are realized, for example, using the HD 504 shown in Fig. 2. Reading or writing of data stored in the HD 504 is performed, for example, via the HDD controller 505.

[0065] In response to a request from the browser 31 of the user terminal 30 or the browser 41 of the business partner terminal 40, the screen information providing unit 21 provides the screen information stored in the screen information storage unit 201 to the browser 31 or the browser 41. The screen information stored in the screen information storage unit 201 is information representing a screen for performing operations on the electronic contract server 20.

[0066] The contract management unit 22 stores documents relating to the contract received from the document management server 10, and processes the contract in response to a request from the user terminal 30 or the business partner terminal 40.

[0067] The contract receiving unit 221 receives documents and metadata related to the contract from the document management server 10. The contract receiving unit 221 also stores the documents related to the contract received from the document management server 10 in the contract storage unit 202. The contract receiving unit 221 also stores destination information set in the metadata received from the user terminal 30 in the destination information storage unit 203.

[0068] The contract processing unit 222 processes documents relating to contracts stored in the contract storage unit 202. The processing performed by the contract processing unit 222 includes processing for executing optional functions.

[0069] The contract sending unit 223 sends the document related to the contract stored in the contract storage unit 202 to the business partner terminal 40.

[0070] The screen information storage unit 201 stores the screen information that the screen information providing unit 21 provides to the browser 31 or 41 .

[0071] The contract storage unit 202 stores documents related to contracts managed by the contract management unit 22. The documents related to contracts stored in the contract storage unit 202 are electronic file bodies that represent the contents of the documents related to contracts. The documents related to contracts are stored in the contract storage unit 202 in a file format that corresponds to the file system of the contract storage unit 202.

[0072] The destination information storage unit 203 stores destination information indicating a destination to which a document related to a contract managed by the contract management unit 22 is to be transmitted. The destination information is stored in a destination information table stored in the destination information storage unit 203.

[0073] The option information storage unit 204 stores option information that indicates the setting contents of the optional function executed by the contract processing unit 222. The option information storage unit 204 stores the option information in an option information table.

[0074] <Functional configuration of user terminal 30> Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the user terminal 30 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the user terminal 30 in this embodiment includes a browser 31. The browser 31 includes a workflow registration unit 311, a document registration unit 312, and an optional function setting unit 313.

[0075] The browser 31 included in the user terminal 30 is realized by, for example, processing that is executed by the CPU 501 in response to a program loaded from the HD 504 onto the RAM 503 shown in FIG.

[0076] The browser 31 requests screen information from the screen information providing unit 11 included in the document management server 10, and displays a screen for performing operations on the document management server 10 based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 11. The browser 31 also requests screen information from the screen information providing unit 21 included in the electronic contract server 20, and displays a screen for performing operations on the electronic contract server 20 based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 21.

[0077] The browser 31 executes the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 11, thereby realizing a workflow registration unit 311 and a document registration unit 312. The browser 31 also executes the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 21, thereby realizing an optional function setting unit 313.

[0078] The workflow registration unit 311 transmits a workflow information setting request to the document management server 10 in response to a user's operation on the workflow setting screen. The workflow setting screen is a screen for inputting workflow information to be registered in the document management server 10. The workflow setting screen will be described in detail later.

[0079] In response to a user's operation on the document registration screen, the document registration unit 312 transmits a document registration request to the document management server 10. The document registration screen is a screen for inputting a document to be registered in the document management server 10. The document registration screen will be described in detail later.

[0080] Furthermore, the document registration unit 312 transmits a request for setting metadata for the document to the document management server 10 in response to a user's operation on the metadata setting screen. The metadata setting screen is a screen for inputting metadata to be set for the document. The details of the metadata setting screen will be described later.

[0081] The optional function setting unit 313 sends a setting request for optional functions for the contract to the electronic contract server 20 in response to a user's operation on the optional function setting screen. The optional function setting screen is a screen for inputting the setting contents of optional functions for the contract. The optional function setting screen will be described in detail later.

[0082] <Functional configuration of the customer terminal 40> 7 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the customer terminal 40 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG.

[0083] The browser 41 provided in the customer terminal 40 is realized by, for example, processing that is executed by the CPU 501 of a program loaded from the HD 504 onto the RAM 503 shown in FIG.

[0084] The browser 41 requests screen information from the screen information providing unit 21 provided in the electronic contract server 20, and displays a screen for performing operations on the electronic contract server 20 based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 21.

[0085] <Processing procedure for automatic transmission in the prior art> First, an example of the processing procedure of an information processing method executed by an information processing system 1 in the conventional technology will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure when automatic transmission is performed in the conventional technology.

[0086] In step S3001, in response to a user operation, the browser 31 included in the user terminal 30 requests a workflow setting screen from the screen information providing unit 11. The screen information providing unit 11 returns screen information representing the workflow setting screen stored in the screen information storage unit 101 to the browser 31. The browser 31 displays the workflow setting screen based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 11. This starts up the workflow registration unit 311.

[0087] Here, details of the browser 31 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the browser 31 in this embodiment.

[0088] 9, the browser 31 in this embodiment is started when the user executes a shortcut 32 arranged on the desktop of the user terminal 30, for example. The browser 31 in this embodiment includes a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) input field 301 and a screen display unit 302.

[0089] When the user inputs a URL indicating the location of the document management server 10 into the URL input field 301, the browser 31 requests screen information from the screen information providing unit 11 included in the document management server 10. Also, when the user inputs a URL indicating the location of the electronic contract server 20 into the URL input field 301, the browser 31 requests screen information from the screen information providing unit 21 included in the electronic contract server 20.

[0090] When the browser 31 receives screen information from the screen information providing unit 11 or the screen information providing unit 21, the browser 31 draws a screen on the screen display unit 302 based on the screen information. The drawn screen may include characters, figures, images, or videos.

[0091] Next, the workflow setting screen will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a workflow setting screen 1000.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 10, a workflow setting screen 1000 includes a start trigger input field 1001, a flow 1 input field 1002, a flow 2 input field 1003, and a confirm button 1004.

[0093] The start trigger input field 1001 accepts input of information representing a start trigger that indicates when the workflow will start. The flow 1 input field 1002 accepts input of information representing flow 1, which is executed first in the workflow. The flow 2 input field 1003 accepts input of information representing flow 2, which is executed after flow 1 is completed.

[0094] When the user presses the Confirm button 1004, the workflow registration unit 311 sends a request to the screen information providing unit 11 to set workflow information representing the contents entered in the start trigger input field 1001, flow 1 input field 1002, and flow 2 input field 1003.

[0095] The user can add, change, or delete any of the input fields provided on the workflow setting screen 1000 according to the content of the workflow to be set. The user can set any number of flows included in the workflow.

[0096] The configuration of the workflow setting screen is not limited to the workflow setting screen 1000 shown in Fig. 10. For example, an intuitive display format such as a flowchart may be adopted.

[0097] Returning to Fig. 8, in step S1101, the screen information providing unit 11 receives a request to set workflow information from the workflow registration unit 311. Then, in response to the request to set workflow information, the screen information providing unit 11 transmits a request to save the workflow information to the workflow control unit 13.

[0098] In step S1301, the workflow setting unit 131 included in the workflow control unit 13 receives a request to save the workflow information from the screen information providing unit 11. Then, the workflow setting unit 131 stores the workflow information in the workflow information storage unit 104 in response to the request to save the workflow information.

[0099] Here, details of the workflow information stored in the workflow information storage unit 104 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of workflow information 1040 in this embodiment.

[0100] 11, workflow information 1040 in this embodiment has data items of a start trigger, flow 1, and flow 2. The start trigger is set to the content entered in a start trigger input field 1001. The flow 1 is set to the content entered in a flow 1 input field 1002. The flow 2 is set to the content entered in a flow 2 input field 1003.

[0101] 8, in step S1302, the workflow acquisition unit 132 included in the workflow control unit 13 acquires the workflow information stored in the workflow information storage unit 104.

[0102] In step S3002, the browser 31 included in the person in charge terminal 30-1 requests a document registration screen from the screen information providing unit 11 in response to an operation by the person in charge. The screen information providing unit 11 returns screen information representing the document registration screen stored in the screen information storage unit 101 to the browser 31. The browser 31 displays the document registration screen based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 11. This starts up the document registration unit 312.

[0103] Details of the document registration screen will now be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the document registration screen 2000.

[0104] 12, a document registration screen 2000 includes a file input field 2001, a browse button 2002, and a save button 2003. The file input field 2001 accepts input of information indicating the location of an electronic file corresponding to a document to be registered. The information indicating the location of the electronic file may be an absolute path, a relative path, or information indicating a file on another device written in URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) ​​format.

[0105] A file selection dialog box is launched when the user presses the browse button 2002. The user can input data into the file input field 2001 by selecting a file using the file selection dialog box.

[0106] When the user presses the save button 2003 , the document registration unit 312 transmits a registration request for the document specified by the content entered in the file input field 2001 to the screen information providing unit 11 .

[0107] 8, in step S1102, the screen information providing unit 11 receives a document registration request from the document registration unit 312. Then, the screen information providing unit 11 transmits a document storage request to the document management unit 12 in response to the document registration request.

[0108] In step S1201, the document receiving unit 121 included in the document management unit 12 receives a document save request from the screen information providing unit 11. Then, in response to the document save request, the document receiving unit 121 stores the document in the document storage unit 102. At this time, the document storage unit 102 generates a document ID for identifying the document.

[0109] In step S1202, the document receiving unit 121 transmits a document storage notification notifying that the document storage has been completed to the workflow control unit 13. The document storage notification includes the document ID.

[0110] In step S3003, the document registration unit 312 selects one document from the documents stored in the document storage unit 102 in response to an operation by the person in charge, and requests a metadata setting screen for setting metadata for that document from the screen information providing unit 11. The screen information providing unit 11 returns screen information representing the metadata setting screen stored in the screen information storage unit 101 to the browser 31. The browser 31 displays the metadata setting screen based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 11.

[0111] Details of the metadata setting screen will now be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata setting screen 2100 in the prior art.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 13, the metadata setting screen 2100 includes a document type input field 2101 , a business partner input field 2102 , a contract type input field 2103 , a destination input field 2104 , and a confirm button 2105 .

[0113] The document type input field 2101 accepts input of attribute information that indicates the document type. The business partner company input field 2102 accepts input of attribute information that indicates the business partner company to which the document is sent. The contract type input field 2103 accepts input of attribute information that indicates the type of contract when the document type is a contract. The destination input field 2104 accepts input of attribute information that indicates the destination of the contract when the document type is a contract.

[0114] When the user presses the Confirm button 2105, the document registration unit 312 sends a request to the screen information providing unit 11 to set metadata representing the contents entered in the document type input field 2101, business partner company input field 2102, contract type input field 2103, and destination input field 2104.

[0115] The user can add, change, or delete any of the input fields provided on the metadata setting screen 2100 according to the content of the metadata to be set. Also, input fields corresponding to items not to be set in the metadata may be left blank.

[0116] Returning to Fig. 8, in step S1103, the screen information providing unit 11 receives a metadata setting request from the document registration unit 312. Then, in response to the metadata setting request, the screen information providing unit 11 transmits a metadata saving request to the document management unit 12. The metadata saving request includes a document ID.

[0117] In step S1203, the metadata setting unit 122 included in the document management unit 12 receives a metadata save request from the screen information providing unit 11. Then, the metadata setting unit 122 stores the metadata in the metadata storage unit 103 in response to the metadata save request.

[0118] Here, details of the metadata table stored in the metadata storage unit 103 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata table 1030 in the prior art.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 14, the metadata table 1030 has data items such as document ID, document type, business partner company, contract type, and destination.

[0120] The document ID is identification information that identifies a document in the document management server 10. That is, metadata is associated with a document by the document ID.

[0121] The document type is set to the content entered in the document type input field 2101. The trading company is set to the content entered in the trading company input field 2102. The contract type for sending the document is set to the content entered in the contract type input field 2103. The destination is set to the content entered in the destination input field 2104.

[0122] The items in the metadata table 1030 can be added or deleted as desired by the user depending on the document type, etc. Some items may not have values ​​set depending on the document type. For example, in the metadata illustrated in Fig. 14, the document with document ID "222" is not of the document type "contract," so no values ​​are set for the contract type and destination.

[0123] Returning to Fig. 8, in step S1204, the metadata setting unit 122 transmits a metadata storage notification notifying that storage of the metadata has been completed to the workflow control unit 13. The metadata storage notification includes a document ID.

[0124] In step S1303, the workflow execution unit 133 included in the workflow control unit 13 transmits an examination task for requesting the approver to examine the document to the approver terminal 30-2 in accordance with the workflow information acquired by the workflow acquisition unit 132. The examination task includes a document ID.

[0125] In step S3004, the browser 31 included in the approver terminal 30-2 receives the review task. The browser 31 displays the contents of the document identified by the document ID included in the review task. The approver reviews the contents of the document on the browser 31. When the review is complete, the approver performs an approval operation on the browser 31. The browser 31 sends a document approval request to the screen information providing unit 11 in response to the approver's operation.

[0126] In step S1104, the screen information providing unit 11 receives the document approval request from the approver terminal 30-2. Then, in response to the document approval request, the screen information providing unit 11 transmits an examination completion notification to the workflow control unit 13. The examination completion notification includes the document ID.

[0127] In step S1304, the workflow execution unit 133 included in the workflow control unit 13 receives the examination completion notification from the screen information providing unit 11. Then, the workflow execution unit 133 transmits a request to transmit the document identified by the document ID included in the examination completion notification to the document management unit 12. The document transmission request includes the document ID.

[0128] In step S1205, the document transmission unit 123 included in the document management unit 12 receives a document transmission request from the workflow execution unit 133. Then, the document transmission unit 123 obtains, from the document storage unit 102, a document identified by the document ID included in the document transmission request.

[0129] In step S1206, the document transmission unit 123 obtains, from the metadata storage unit 103, metadata associated with the document identified by the document ID included in the document transmission request.

[0130] In step S1207, the document transmission unit 123 transmits to the electronic contract server 20 the document acquired in step S1205 and the metadata acquired in step S1206 as a pair.

[0131] In step S2201, the contract receiving unit 221 included in the electronic contract server 20 receives the document and metadata related to the contract from the document sending unit 123. Then, the contract receiving unit 221 stores the document related to the contract in the contract storage unit 202.

[0132] In step S2202, the contract receiving unit 221 determines the destination included in the metadata received from the document sending unit 123 as the destination of the document related to the contract stored in the contract storage unit 202. Then, the contract receiving unit 221 stores, in the destination information storage unit 203, destination information indicating the destination of the document related to the contract.

[0133] Here, details of the destination information table stored in the destination information storage unit 203 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the destination information table 2030 in this embodiment.

[0134] 15, the destination information table 2030 in this embodiment has the document ID and destination as data items. The document ID and destination are set to the document ID and destination set in the metadata received from the document management server 10. The destination may include multiple destinations. When setting multiple destinations, a predetermined symbol such as a comma may be used as a delimiter.

[0135] 15 shows an example in which an email address is set as the destination, but the destination is not limited to an email address. For example, the destination may be a telephone number, a fax number, or an account on various social networking systems (SNS) or other communication means that can be used for electronic transmission.

[0136] Returning to Figure 8, the following explanation will be given. In step S2203, the contract sending unit 223 included in the contract management unit 22 sends a request for signing a contract to the trading partner terminal 40. The request for signing a contract includes identification information that indicates the location of a document related to the contract stored in the electronic contract server 20. The identification information that indicates the location is, for example, a URL that specifies the location of the document in electronic space.

[0137] The trading partner terminal 40 receives a request to conclude a contract from the electronic contract server 20. In response to an operation by the trading partner user, the trading partner terminal 40 displays a document relating to the contract on the browser 41 based on the contract identification information included in the request to conclude the contract.

[0138] In step S2204, the contract sending unit 223 sends a document reception notification to the document management unit 12 notifying that the document related to the contract has been received.

[0139] <Procedure for not automatically sending in the prior art> Next, an example of the processing procedure of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 in the conventional technology will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure in the case where automatic transmission is not performed in the conventional technology.

[0140] The processing from step S3001 to step S2202 is the same as the processing procedure when automatic transmission is performed as shown in FIG.

[0141] In step S2204, the contract sending unit 223 sends a document reception notification to the document management unit 12 notifying that the document related to the contract has been received.

[0142] 8, step S2204 is executed after the request for signing the contract is sent in step S2203, but if automatic sending is not performed, step S2204 is executed before step S2203. This is because if automatic sending is not performed, the request for signing the contract needs to be sent manually, and therefore it is necessary to notify the user that reception has been completed before that.

[0143] In step S2211, the contract processing unit 222 included in the contract management unit 22 sends a contract storage notification to the person in charge terminal 30-1 notifying that storage of the contract has been completed. The contract storage notification includes information that can identify the contract. The information that can identify the contract is, for example, a document ID that identifies a document related to the contract or a URL that indicates the location of the document related to the contract.

[0144] In step S3011, the browser 31 provided on the person in charge terminal 30-1 requests authentication from the electronic contract server 20. The authentication request includes authentication information related to the person in charge. An example of the authentication information is a user ID that identifies the user and a password entered by the user.

[0145] In step S2111, the screen information providing unit 21 receives an authentication request from the browser 31. The screen information providing unit 21 authenticates the person in charge based on the authentication information included in the authentication request.

[0146] In step S2112, based on the authentication result of the person in charge, the screen information providing unit 21 returns screen information representing a screen to be displayed after authentication to the browser 31. In the following, the explanation will be continued assuming that the screen information providing unit 21 has successfully authenticated the person in charge.

[0147] In step S3012, the browser 31 included in the staff member terminal 30-1 requests an optional function setting screen from the screen information providing unit 21 in response to an operation by the staff member. The screen information providing unit 21 returns screen information representing the optional function setting screen stored in the screen information storage unit 201 to the browser 31. The browser 31 displays the optional function setting screen based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 21. This starts up the optional function setting unit 313.

[0148] Details of the optional function setting screen will now be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an optional function setting screen 3000 for specifying the position where a signature or seal is to be written on a contract.

[0149] The configuration of the optional function setting screen varies depending on the content of the optional function. Here, an example is shown using the optional function to include comments and indications of approval in the contract. Comments are entered as text, and the position where they are written can be specified. Approval can be indicated by a seal or signature, and the position where they are written can be specified.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 17, the optional function setting screen 3000 includes a file preview field 3001 , a text selection button 3002 , a seal selection button 3003 , and a signature selection button 3004 .

[0151] The file preview field 3001 displays a preview of the contents of the document related to the contract for which the optional function is set. The text selection button 3002 is a button selected when adding text such as a comment to the document related to the contract. The seal selection button 3003 is a button selected when adding a seal field to the document related to the contract. The signature selection button 3004 is a button selected when adding a signature field to the document related to the contract.

[0152] After the user presses the text selection button 3002, the seal selection button 3003, or the signature selection button 3004, the user presses the position in the file preview field 3001 where the user wants to add the text, seal, or signature, and the optional function setting unit 313 sends a setting request for optional information corresponding to the content to the screen information providing unit 21.

[0153] Returning to Fig. 16, the explanation will be made. In step S2113, the screen information providing unit 21 receives a setting request for optional information from the optional function setting unit 313. Then, in response to the setting request for the optional function, the screen information providing unit 21 transmits a saving request for the optional information to the contract management unit 22. The setting request for the optional function includes a document ID and optional information.

[0154] In step S2113, the contract processing unit 222 included in the contract management unit 22 receives the save request for the optional function from the screen information providing unit 21. Then, the contract processing unit 222 stores the option information included in the save request for the optional function in the option information storage unit 204.

[0155] Here, details of the option information table stored in the option information storage unit 204 will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the option information table 2040 in this embodiment.

[0156] 18, the option information table 2040 in this embodiment has the following data items: document ID, function type, X coordinate, and Y coordinate. The function type is information that indicates the type of optional function to be used. The X coordinate and Y coordinate are information that indicates the position where the optional function is to be displayed.

[0157] The option information shown in FIG. 18 indicates that for a document with a document ID of "111", a seal is to be placed at the X coordinate position of 16 and the Y coordinate position of 65, and a signature is to be placed at the X coordinate position of 43 and the Y coordinate position of 109.

[0158] The user can decide whether or not to use the optional functions at will, so option information is not generated for documents that do not use the optional functions.

[0159] Returning to Fig. 16, in step S3013, the browser 31 provided on the person in charge terminal 30-1 transmits a request to send a request for signing a contract to the screen information providing unit 21 in response to an operation by the person in charge. The request to send a request for signing a contract includes a document ID that identifies a document related to the contract.

[0160] In step S2114, the screen information providing unit 21 receives a request to send a request to conclude a contract from the browser 31. Then, the screen information providing unit 21 transfers the request to send a request to conclude a contract to the contract management unit 22.

[0161] In step S2203, the contract sending unit 223 included in the contract management unit 22 receives a request to send a request for signing a contract from the screen information providing unit 21. The contract sending unit 223 generates identification information indicating the location of the document specified by the document ID included in the request to send a request for signing a contract. The contract sending unit 223 then sends the request for signing a contract to the business partner terminal 40, including the identification information indicating the location of the document.

[0162] As can be seen by comparing the processing procedures when automatic sending is not used and when automatic sending is used, if the optional function is not used, the contract can be sent to the business partner automatically, but if the optional function is used, it must be sent manually. In other words, there is a trade-off between using the optional function and automatic sending.

[0163] When documents that require optional features are mixed with documents that do not, the processing procedure for not automatically sending must be adopted. However, in that case, documents that do not require optional features must also be sent manually, which reduces convenience.

[0164] <Processing Procedure of Information Processing Method in First Embodiment> Next, an example of the processing procedure of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 19 and Fig. 20. Fig. 19 and Fig. 20 are sequence diagrams showing the processing procedure of the information processing method in this embodiment, and indicate that the processing procedure shown in Fig. 20 follows the processing procedure shown in Fig. 19.

[0165] The processing from step S3001 to step S1202 is the same as the processing procedure when automatic transmission is performed as shown in FIG.

[0166] In step S3023, the document registration unit 312 provided in the person in charge terminal 30-1 selects one document from the documents stored in the document storage unit 102 in response to the operation of the person in charge, and displays a metadata setting screen for setting metadata for that document.

[0167] Here, details of the metadata setting screen in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata setting screen 2110 in this embodiment.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 21, the metadata setting screen 2110 in this embodiment, like the metadata setting screen 2100 shown in FIG. 13, includes a document type input field 2101, a business partner company input field 2102, a contract type input field 2103, a destination input field 2104, and a confirm button 2105, and further includes an automatic transmission input field 2111.

[0169] The automatic transmission input field 2111 accepts input of control information indicating whether or not automatic transmission is to be performed in the electronic contract server 20. That is, the metadata setting screen 2110 in this embodiment differs from the metadata setting screen 2100 shown in Fig. 13 in that an input field for control information has been added.

[0170] When the user presses the Confirm button 2105, the document registration unit 312 sends a request to the screen information providing unit 11 to set metadata representing the contents entered in the document type input field 2101, business partner company input field 2102, contract type input field 2103, destination input field 2104, and automatic transmission input field 2111.

[0171] 19. In step S1223, the metadata setting unit 122 included in the document management unit 12 receives the metadata storage request from the screen information providing unit 11. Then, the metadata setting unit 122 stores the metadata in the metadata storage unit 103 in response to the metadata storage request.

[0172] Here, details of the metadata stored in the metadata storage unit 103 will be described with reference to Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the metadata table 1031 in this embodiment.

[0173] As shown in FIG. 22, the metadata table 1031 in this embodiment has, as data items, document ID, document type, trading company, contract type, destination, etc., similar to the metadata table 1030 shown in FIG. 21, and further has automatic transmission.

[0174] For automatic transmission, the content entered in the automatic transmission input field 2111 is set. That is, the metadata table 1031 in this embodiment is different from the metadata table 1030 shown in Fig. 14 in that control information indicating whether or not to perform automatic transmission is added.

[0175] Returning to Fig. 19, the processing from step S1204 to step S2204 is the same as the processing procedure when automatic transmission is performed as shown in Fig. 8.

[0176] In step S2221, the contract processing unit 222 included in the contract management unit 22 determines the content of processing for the contract based on the control information included in the metadata received from the document transmission unit 123.

[0177] 20 will be described. If the control information included in the metadata indicates no automatic transmission, the contract management unit 22 proceeds to step S2211. That is, the contract processing unit 222 included in the contract management unit 22 transmits a contract storage notification to the person in charge terminal 30-1 notifying that storage of the contract has been completed.

[0178] Thereafter, the processes from step S3011 to step S2203 are carried out in the same manner as the process procedure when automatic transmission is not performed as shown in FIG.

[0179] On the other hand, if the control information included in the metadata indicates that automatic transmission is enabled, the contract management unit 22 proceeds to step S2203. That is, the contract transmission unit 223 included in the contract management unit 22 transmits a request for signing the contract to the business partner terminal 40.

[0180] <Effects of the first embodiment> The information processing system 1 in this embodiment is configured so that the document management server 10 transmits metadata including control information indicating whether or not automatic transmission will be performed to the electronic contract server 20 along with the document, and the electronic contract server 20 determines whether or not automatic transmission will be performed and determines the content of the processing based on the control information contained in the metadata received along with the document.

[0181] As a result, when automatic transmission is performed, the user can transmit the document to the trading partner after completing processing on the document management server 10 without performing any operations on the electronic contract server 20.

[0182] In addition, if automatic sending is not performed, after the user has completed processing on the document management server 10, they can log in to the electronic contract server 20 as usual, and manually send the document to the business partner after using optional functions as needed.

[0183] That is, according to the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, the document management server 10 can control the content of the processing that the electronic contract server 20 performs on the contract.

[0184] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, the control information is set in the metadata by the user directly inputting whether or not to perform automatic transmission. In the second embodiment, rules for determining whether or not to perform automatic transmission are set in advance, and control information generated in accordance with the rules is set in the metadata.

[0185] <Functional configuration of each device included in information processing system 1> First, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0186] <Functional configuration of document management server 10> 23 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the document management server 10 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 23, the document management server 10 in this embodiment, like the first embodiment, includes a screen information providing unit 11, a document management unit 12, a workflow control unit 13, a screen information storage unit 101, a document storage unit 102, a metadata storage unit 103, and a workflow information storage unit 104, and further includes a judgment rule information storage unit 105. The workflow control unit 13 in this embodiment, like the first embodiment, includes a workflow setting unit 131, a workflow acquisition unit 132, and a workflow execution unit 133, and further includes a control information generation unit 134.

[0187] The control information generating unit 134 generates control information from metadata associated with a document in accordance with the decision rule information stored in the decision rule information storage unit 105 .

[0188] The decision rule information storage unit 105 stores the decision rule information received from the user terminal 30. The decision rule information storage unit 105 stores the decision rule information in a decision rule information table.

[0189] <Functional configuration of user terminal 30> Fig. 24 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a user terminal 30 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 24, the user terminal 30 in this embodiment, like the first embodiment, includes a browser 31. Like the first embodiment, the browser 31 includes a workflow registration unit 311, a document registration unit 312, and an optional function setting unit 313, and further includes a judgment rule registration unit 314.

[0190] The judgment rule registration unit 314 requests the document management server 10 to set judgment rule information in response to a user's operation on the judgment rule setting screen. The judgment rule setting screen is a screen for inputting judgment rules to be registered in the document management server 10. Details of the judgment rule setting screen will be described later.

[0191] <Processing Procedure of Information Processing Method in Second Embodiment> Next, an example of the processing procedure of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure of the information processing method in this embodiment.

[0192] In step S3031, in response to a user operation, the browser 31 included in the user terminal 30 requests a judgment rule setting screen from the screen information providing unit 11 included in the document management server 10. The screen information providing unit 11 returns screen information representing the judgment rule setting screen stored in the screen information storage unit 101 to the browser 31. The browser 31 displays the judgment rule setting screen based on the screen information received from the screen information providing unit 11. This starts the judgment rule registration unit 314.

[0193] Details of the decision rule setting screen will now be described with reference to Fig. 26 and Fig. 27. Fig. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a decision rule setting screen 4000 in this embodiment. Fig. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a decision rule setting screen 4001 in which specific decision rules have been input.

[0194] 26, a judgment rule setting screen 4000 in this embodiment includes a condition setting field 4010, an automatic transmission setting field 4020, and a confirm button 4030. The condition setting field 4010 includes a metadata selection field 4011, a condition selection field 4012, and a value input field 4013.

[0195] The condition setting field 4010 accepts input of conditions used by the judgment rules. The metadata selection field 4011 accepts input of metadata used for judgment. The condition selection field 4012 accepts input of conditions used for judgment (equal to, contains, empty). The value input field 4013 accepts input of values ​​used for judgment. The automatic transmission setting field 4020 accepts input of control information indicating whether automatic transmission will be performed when the conditions in the condition setting field 4010 are met.

[0196] A plurality of conditions can be input into the condition setting field 4010. When a plurality of conditions are input, information indicating a logical sum (OR) or a logical product (AND) can be set for each condition. For example, when a logical product is set for all of the conditions, control information representing the content input into the automatic transmission setting field 4020 is generated when all of the conditions are met. Also, for example, when a logical sum is set for all of the conditions, control information representing the content input into the automatic transmission setting field 4020 is generated when any one of the conditions is met.

[0197] When the user presses the confirm button 4030, the decision rule registration unit 314 transmits a setting request for decision rule information representing the contents entered in the condition selection field 4012 and the automatic transmission setting field 4020 to the screen information providing unit 11.

[0198] 27, on the judgment rule setting screen 4001 of this embodiment, "Customer Company" is entered in the metadata selection field 4011, "Equals" in the condition selection field 4012, "Company A" in the value input field 4013, and "Yes" in the automatic transmission setting field 4020. When the user presses the confirm button 4030 on the judgment rule setting screen 4001, a request to set judgment rule information is sent, which generates control information indicating that automatic transmission will be performed if the customer company included in the metadata is equal to Company A, and generates control information indicating that automatic transmission will not be performed if the customer company is not Company A.

[0199] 25, in step S1131, the screen information providing unit 11 receives a request to set the decision rule information from the decision rule registration unit 314. Then, in response to the request to set the decision rule information, the screen information providing unit 11 transmits a request to save the decision rule information to the workflow control unit 13.

[0200] In step S1301, the workflow setting unit 131 included in the workflow control unit 13 receives a request to save the decision rule information from the screen information providing unit 11. Then, in response to the request to save the decision rule information, the workflow setting unit 131 stores the decision rule information in the decision rule information storage unit 105.

[0201] Here, details of the decision rule information table stored in the decision rule information storage unit 105 will be described with reference to Fig. 28. Fig. 28 is a diagram showing an example of the decision rule information table 1050 in this embodiment.

[0202] As shown in FIG. 28, the decision rule information table 1050 in this embodiment has the following data items: metadata, condition, value, and automatic transmission.

[0203] The metadata is set to the content entered in the metadata selection field 4011. The condition is set to the content entered in the condition selection field 4012. The value is set to the content entered in the value input field 4013. The automatic transmission is set to the content entered in the automatic transmission setting field 4020.

[0204] The decision rule illustrated in Figure 28 indicates that if the trading company included in the metadata is equal to Company A, control information is generated indicating that automatic transmission will be performed, and if the trading company is not Company A, control information is generated indicating that automatic transmission will not be performed.

[0205] Thereafter, the processes from step S3001 to step S1303 in the process procedure of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 19 are performed.

[0206] In step S3004, the browser 31 included in the approver terminal 30-2 transmits an approval request for the document identified by the document ID included in the review task to the screen information providing unit 11 in response to an operation by the approver.

[0207] In step S1104, the screen information providing unit 11 transmits an examination completion notice to the workflow control unit 13 in response to the document approval request received from the approver terminal 30-2.

[0208] In step S1332, the control information generation unit 134 included in the workflow control unit 13 requests acquisition of metadata from the document management unit 12. The request to acquire metadata includes the document ID included in the examination completion notice.

[0209] In step S1231, the document transmission unit 123 included in the document management unit 12 acquires, from the metadata storage unit 103, metadata associated with the document identified by the document ID included in the metadata acquisition request.

[0210] In step S1232, the document transmission unit 123 returns the metadata to the control information generation unit .

[0211] In step S1333, the control information generating unit 134 receives the metadata from the document transmitting unit 123. Then, the control information generating unit 134 acquires the decision rule information stored in the decision rule information storage unit 105.

[0212] In step S1334, the control information generation unit 134 generates control information indicating whether or not to perform automatic transmission based on the metadata received from the document transmission unit 123, in accordance with the determination rule information acquired from the determination rule information storage unit 105. Then, the control information generation unit 134 sends the document ID and the control information to the workflow execution unit 133.

[0213] In step S1304, upon receiving the document ID and control information from the control information generation unit 134, the workflow execution unit 133 transmits a request to send the document identified by the document ID to the document management unit 12. The request to send the document includes the document ID and the control information.

[0214] In step S1205, the document transmission unit 123 included in the document management unit 12 receives a document transmission request from the workflow execution unit 133. Then, the document transmission unit 123 obtains, from the document storage unit 102, a document identified by the document ID included in the document transmission request.

[0215] In step S1206, the document transmission unit 123 obtains metadata associated with the document identified by the document ID included in the document transmission request from the metadata storage unit 103. Here, the document transmission unit 123 adds an item for automatic transmission to the metadata obtained from the metadata storage unit 103, and sets the control information included in the document transmission request.

[0216] In step S1207, the document transmission unit 123 transmits to the electronic contract server 20 the document acquired in step S1205 and the metadata acquired in step S1206 as a pair.

[0217] The processing from step S2201 to step S2221 is the same as the processing procedure of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0218] Thereafter, if the control information included in the metadata indicates no automatic transmission, the processes from step S2211 to step S2203 in the processing procedure of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 20 are performed. On the other hand, if the control information included in the metadata indicates yes automatic transmission, the process of step S2203 in the processing procedure of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 20 is performed.

[0219] <Effects of the second embodiment> The information processing system 1 in this embodiment is configured to generate control information indicating whether or not to perform automatic transmission based on information such as the document type set in the metadata, in accordance with decision rules preset by the user.

[0220] This eliminates the need for the user to determine whether to perform automatic transmission, and the decision on whether to perform automatic transmission can be made automatically and without omission. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations such as a user accidentally sending a contract to a business partner without specifying the signature position, etc., even though the user should have specified the signature position, etc., or a contract that does not require the user to specify the signature position, etc., and therefore not being sent because the user has forgotten to manually send it to the business partner.

[0221] [supplement] In each of the above embodiments, the document management server 10 is an example of an information processing device. The electronic contract server 20 is an example of a second information processing device. A document is an example of electronic data. Metadata is an example of user settings. The metadata setting unit 122 is an example of a receiving unit. The document sending unit 123 is an example of a sending unit. The control information generation unit 134 is an example of a generation unit. Step S1203 performed by the metadata setting unit 122 is an example of a receiving procedure. Step S1207 performed by the document sending unit 123 is an example of a sending procedure.

[0222] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to perform each of the above-described functions.

[0223] The devices described in the example are merely illustrative of one of several computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the document management server 10 and the electronic contract server 20 include multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster, configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and to perform the processes disclosed herein.

[0224] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0225] 1. Information Processing Systems 10 Document Management Server 11 Screen information provision department 12 Document Management Department 101 Screen information storage section 102 Document Storage Unit 103 Metadata storage unit 104 Workflow information storage unit 105 Judgment rule information storage unit 121 Document Receiving Department 122 Metadata setting section 123 Document Transmission Department 13 Workflow control section 131 Workflow Settings 132 Workflow Acquisition Unit 133 Workflow Execution Unit 134 Control information generation unit 20 Electronic Contract Server 21 Screen information provision department 22 Contract Management Department 201 Screen information storage section 202 Contract storage section 203 Destination information storage unit 204 Option information storage unit 221 Contract Receiving Department 222 Contract Processing Unit 223 Contract Transmission Department 30 User terminals 31 Browsers 311 Workflow Registration Department 312 Document Registration Department 313 Optional function setting section 314 Judgment Rules Registration Department 40 Customer terminal 41 Browser [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0226] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-259211

Claims

1. An information processing device capable of communicating with a user terminal and a second information processing device via a network, a receiving unit that receives electronic data and user settings related to the electronic data from the user terminal; a transmitting unit that transmits the content of the process according to the user setting and the electronic data to the second information processing device; An information processing device comprising:

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, a screen information providing unit that transmits screen information representing a screen for inputting control information representing the content of the processing to the user terminal; the transmission unit transmits the control information input at the user terminal to the second information processing device as the user setting; Information processing device.

3. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, a screen information providing unit that transmits screen information representing a screen for inputting attribute information of the electronic data to the user terminal; a generation unit that generates control information representing the content of a process by applying a predetermined rule to the attribute information inputted at the user terminal; Furthermore, the transmission unit transmits the control information to the second information processing device as the user setting; Information processing device.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 2, the electronic data is associated with metadata received from the user terminal; the transmission unit includes the control information in the metadata and transmits the metadata to the second information processing device; Information processing device.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4, the control information indicates whether the second information processing device automatically transmits the electronic data to a predetermined destination; Information processing device.

6. An information processing system in which a first information processing device, a second information processing device, and a user terminal can communicate with each other via a network, The first information processing device a receiving unit that receives electronic data and user settings related to the electronic data from the user terminal; a transmitting unit that transmits the content of the process according to the user setting and the electronic data to the second information processing device; Equipped with The second information processing device a receiving unit that receives the content of the process and the electronic data from the first information processing device; a processing unit that processes the electronic data in accordance with the content of the processing; Equipped with Information processing system.

7. a computer capable of communicating with a user terminal and a second information processing device via a network, a receiving step of receiving electronic data and user settings related to the electronic data from the user terminal; a transmission procedure for transmitting the content of the process according to the user setting and the electronic data to a second information processing device; An information processing method that performs the above.

8. a computer that can communicate with the user terminal and the second information processing device via a network; a receiving step of receiving electronic data and user settings related to the electronic data from the user terminal; a transmission step of transmitting the electronic data and the content of the process according to the user setting to the second information processing device; A program to execute.

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