Document processing device and document processing method

Abstract

The challenge is to enable flexible layout settings when generating forms. [Solution] The system includes a request processing unit 110 that requests information necessary for creating a report 250 from the equipment management device 4 based on data acquisition conditions 220 in which the equipment management device 4 searches for and acquires the information necessary for creating the report 250, a ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 that acquires ledger data 230 which is a response to the request, and a report generation processing unit 130 that generates the report 250 based on layout information 240 which is information regarding the layout of the report 250 to be created and the ledger data 230. The data acquisition conditions 220 and layout information 240 are spreadsheet data 201 which is the data format of the spreadsheet software 10, and the request processing unit 110, ledger data acquisition processing unit 120, and report generation processing unit 130 are add-in programs 100 for the spreadsheet software 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of a document processing apparatus and a document processing method.

Background Art

[0002] In the current facility maintenance industry, the format of documents is often created using spreadsheet software. With the recent digitalization, the demand for document digitization and systemization in the facility maintenance industry has been increasing. However, when migrating from documents created using spreadsheet software to a general document system, there are many cases where the document system fails to meet the requirements of the documents, which has become a factor in giving up the introduction.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a plant data management apparatus and a plant data management method including "a plant data recording unit 014 that records plant data indicating the state of a plant, a document condition setting unit 015 that sets conditions for creating a document, a determination unit (plant state monitoring unit 017) that refers to the plant data recorded by the plant data recording unit 014 and determines whether it meets the conditions set by the document condition setting unit 015, a document creating unit 019 that automatically creates the document when it is determined that the conditions are met, and a document output unit 021 that outputs the created document" (see the abstract).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When migrating from spreadsheet software to a reporting system, the system's specifications may prevent the original report from having the same layout, and if layout changes are not permitted, systemization becomes impossible. Furthermore, when migrating to a reporting system, functions and macros used in the spreadsheet software often become unusable.

[0006] Conventional reporting systems, such as the technology described in Patent Document 1, have a limited number of supported report layouts, making it difficult to flexibly adjust control conditions (such as adding rows or pages according to the number of data points) according to the data.

[0007] In light of this background, the present invention was made, and its objective is to enable flexible layout settings in the generation of forms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention comprises: a request processing unit that requests information necessary for creating a report from an information management system based on data acquisition conditions in which the information management system stores information necessary for the information management system to search for and acquire the information necessary for creating the report; a ledger data acquisition processing unit that acquires ledger data which is a response to the request; and a report generation processing unit that generates the report based on layout information which is information relating to the layout of the report to be created and the ledger data, wherein the data acquisition conditions and the layout information are spreadsheet data which is the data format of a spreadsheet software, and the request processing unit, the ledger data acquisition processing unit and the report generation processing unit are add-in programs for the spreadsheet software. Other solutions will be described as appropriate in the embodiments. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, flexible layout settings become possible when generating forms. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing a configuration example of a facility management system used in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a spreadsheet device related to a form generation process. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the procedure of a form generation process. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of data acquisition conditions. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing an example of a data acquisition destination ledger. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing an example of ledger search conditions. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing an example in which the search value of ledger search conditions is registered using form generation conditions. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing an example of acquisition management item conditions. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of sort conditions. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing an example in which a plurality of data acquisition conditions are registered. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing an example of ledger data. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing an example in which a plurality of ledger data are output. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​It is a diagram showing an example of update information setting information. [Figure 22] It is a diagram related to an example of the actual storage format of ledger update information. [Figure 23] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the spreadsheet device according to the present embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings.

[0012] In addition, when an element in a certain drawing has been described in another drawing, the reference numeral of the element shall be the same as that in the other drawing, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0013] (Overall System) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the facility management system Z used in the present embodiment.

[0014] In the present embodiment, what is created by the spreadsheet device 1 is referred to as "generated", and what is created by the user is referred to as "created". Alternatively, what the user inputs into cells of the spreadsheet data 201 (see FIG. 2) or what the facility management device 4 inputs data into the ledger 44 described later is referred to as "registered". Also, in the present embodiment, the upper concept of data is referred to as information, and the information registered in the cells of the spreadsheet data 201 is referred to as "value".

[0015] The facility management system Z includes a facility management device 4 that manages the maintenance history of facilities, assets of facilities, etc., and a spreadsheet device 1 that is a form processing device. The assets of facilities are the price of facilities, the costs related to the maintenance of facilities, etc. The facility management device 4 is an information management system that holds a ledger 44.

[0016] The equipment management device 4 holds equipment information 42, which is information about the equipment, and maintenance information 43, which is information about the maintenance of the equipment. Furthermore, the equipment management device 4 executes an external API 41 (Application Programming Interface) for linking information and functions with external devices, which are separate devices from the equipment management device 4. The equipment information 42 and the maintenance information 43 are stored in the equipment management device 4 as a ledger 44.

[0017] In this embodiment, the ledger 44 is the data held by the equipment management device 4. The ledger data 230 shown in Figure 2 is the data stored in the ledger 44 that is necessary for generating the report 250 (see Figure 2). The report 250 is a formatted version of the ledger data 230 and is intended for screen display or printing.

[0018] Spreadsheet software 10 is running on spreadsheet device 1. The report generation definition file 200 and the ledger update definition file 300 are stored as spreadsheet data 201 by the spreadsheet software 10. Spreadsheet data 201 is the data format handled by the spreadsheet software 10. The report generation definition file 200 contains the information necessary for generating report 250 (see Figure 2). The ledger update definition file 300 contains information related to updating ledger 44.

[0019] Then, in the spreadsheet software 10, the add-in program 100 is executed. The add-in program 100 exchanges information with the equipment management device 4 based on the report generation definition file 200 and the ledger update definition file 300.

[0020] In this embodiment, information is exchanged with the equipment management device 4 during the generation of the report 250 by the spreadsheet device 1 and the updating of the ledger 44, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the device that exchanges information about the report 250 with the spreadsheet device 1 is not limited to the equipment management device 4.

[0021] <Report generation process> Next, the report generation process will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 14.

[0022] [Device configuration] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the spreadsheet device 1 related to the report generation process. As mentioned above, the external linkage API 41 is a program executed inside the equipment management device 4, but in Figure 2, for clarity, the external linkage API 41 is drawn outside the equipment management device 4. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the report generation process, which is the "report processing method". The report generation process will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The step numbers refer to the step numbers shown in Figure 3.

[0023] As described above, spreadsheet software 10 is running on spreadsheet device 1.

[0024] The report generation definition file 200 contains report generation conditions 210, data acquisition conditions 220, ledger data 230, layout information 240, and report 250. The report generation conditions 210, data acquisition conditions 220, ledger data 230, layout information 240, and report 250 are spreadsheet data 201, which is the data format of the spreadsheet software 10.

[0025] Furthermore, the spreadsheet software 10 is running an add-in program 100. The add-in program 100 consists of a request processing unit 110, a ledger data acquisition processing unit 120, and a report generation processing unit 130. In other words, the request processing unit 110, the ledger data acquisition processing unit 120, and the report generation processing unit 130 constitute the add-in program 100.

[0026] The data acquisition conditions 220 contain the information that the request processing unit 110 requests from the equipment management device 4 in order to generate the report 250. The report generation conditions 210 contain conditions that make it easier for the user to edit the data acquisition conditions 220. Note that the report generation conditions 210 are optional.

[0027] The request processing unit 110 performs a data request process (S101) to request the information necessary to generate the report 250 from the equipment management device 4 via the external linkage API 41, based on the data acquisition conditions 220. Specifically, the request processing unit 110 requests the information (data) necessary to generate the report 250 by sending the data acquisition conditions 220 to the equipment management device 4. The equipment management device 4 collects data from the ledger 44 based on the transmitted data acquisition conditions 220. In this way, the request processing unit 110 (add-in program 100) requests the information necessary to create the report 250 from the equipment management device 4 based on the data acquisition conditions 220, which contain the information that the equipment management device 4 will search for and acquire. Note that the data request processing is the "request processing step".

[0028] The ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 generates ledger data 230 based on information acquired from the equipment management device 4 via the external linkage API 41 and performs ledger data acquisition processing to output it (S102). In other words, the ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 acquires ledger data 230, which is the response to the request to the equipment management device 4 in step S101. The ledger data acquisition process is referred to as the "ledger data acquisition process step."

[0029] The ledger data 230 contains the data necessary for the generated report 250. In Figure 2, data generated by the add-in program 100 is indicated by dots. Data without dots is data entered or created by the user.

[0030] The report generation processing unit 130 performs a report generation process to generate the report 250 based on the layout information 240, which is information regarding the layout of the report 250 to be created, and the ledger data 230 (S103). The report generation process is the "report generation processing step".

[0031] [Data acquisition conditions 220] Next, the data acquisition conditions 220 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 10.

[0032] Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of the data acquisition conditions 220.

[0033] As described above, the data acquisition conditions 220 store the information that the request processing unit 110 requests from the equipment management device 4 in order to generate the report 250. Specifically, the data acquisition conditions 220 define the conditions under which data to be output to the report 250 will be acquired. The data acquisition conditions 220 mainly consist of the data acquisition destination ledger 221, ledger search conditions 222, acquisition management item conditions 223, and sort conditions 224. The data acquisition destination ledger 221 stores information on which ledger 44 data to request from among the ledgers 44 managed by the equipment management device 4. The ledger search conditions 222 are the conditions for searching the data held in the ledger 44. The acquisition management item conditions 223 hold conditions related to the items to be output as ledger data 230. The sort conditions 224 hold conditions related to sorting the searched and extracted ledger data 230. Note that the data acquisition ledger 221 to the sorting condition 224 are all created in the format of spreadsheet data 201 using spreadsheet software 10.

[0034] Incidentally, data acquisition conditions 220 to sorting conditions 224 are created by manual input by the user.

[0035] Next, referring to Figures 5 to 9, we will explain in detail the data acquisition destination ledger 221, ledger search conditions 222, acquisition management item conditions 223, and sort conditions 224 that constitute the data acquisition conditions 220. Note that the data acquisition destination ledger 221, ledger search conditions 222, acquisition management item conditions 223, and sort conditions 224 shown in Figures 5 to 9 are examples, and the data is not limited to the format shown in Figures 5 to 9.

[0036] (Data acquisition source ledger 221) Figure 5 shows an example of the data acquisition source ledger 221.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 5, as described above, the data acquisition ledger 221 stores data indicating which ledger 44 the data will be acquired from.

[0038] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 5, the data acquisition ledger 221 has the following items: number ("No."), ledger name, first join condition, joined ledger name, and second join condition.

[0039] The numbers are assigned to records 511-513 in the data acquisition ledger 221. These numbers can also be used as row numbers in the spreadsheet software 10. Note that the numbers are the same as in Figure 5 in Figures 6, 8, 9, and 11; therefore, explanations of the numbers are omitted in Figures 6, 8, 9, and 11.

[0040] The ledger name is the name of the ledger 44 to be retrieved. The combined ledger name is the ledger 44 to be combined with the ledger 44 specified in the ledger name. The ledger 44 specified in the ledger name is referred to as the first ledger (in the example shown in Figure 5, it is written as "facility#1"). The ledger 44 specified in the combined ledger name is referred to as the second ledger (in the example shown in Figure 5, it is written as "facility#2").

[0041] Additionally, in record 511, the first join condition contains "machine_number," and in record 512, the first join condition contains "facility#1_item#1."

[0042] Additionally, in record 511, the second join condition is "machine_number", and in record 512, the second join condition is "facility#2_item#4".

[0043] In other words, in the example shown in Figure 5, it is specified that only values ​​that meet the following two conditions will be output from the equipment management device 4.

[0044] (1) The machine_number in ledger 44 named "facility#1" (first ledger) and the machine_number in ledger 44 named "facility#2" (second ledger) must match. (2) Items whose values ​​match in ledger 44 (first ledger) named "facility#1" and ledger 44 (second ledger) named "facility#2".

[0045] These combination conditions allow data from multiple ledgers 44 to be combined and output from the equipment management device 4.

[0046] In this way, the spreadsheet device 1 can combine and retrieve data from multiple ledgers 44. Note that the ledgers 44 to be retrieved may be one, three, or more.

[0047] Furthermore, the "#END" stored in the ledger name of record 513 indicates that the data related to ledger 44 concerning the acquisition source has ended. Note that the same applies to "#END" in Figures 6 to 8 shown below, so the explanation of "#END" is omitted in Figures 6 to 8.

[0048] (Ledger search condition 222) Figure 6 shows an example of ledger search conditions 222.

[0049] The ledger search criteria 222 contains the search conditions for the data to be retrieved. The equipment management device 4 extracts data that matches the ledger search criteria 222 and passes it to the spreadsheet device 1.

[0050] The ledger search condition 222 has the following fields: number ("No."), ledger name, search item, data type, required, matching condition, first search value, and second search value.

[0051] The ledger name contains the name of the ledger 44 to be searched. The search item is the item in ledger 44 being searched. In the example shown in Figure 6, "machine_number" and "facility#1_item#1" are registered as search conditions. The data type contains the data type corresponding to the search item. The required item contains information on whether the search corresponding to records 521 and 522 is required. The matching condition contains the matching conditions for the items extracted by the search. In the example shown in Figure 6, data with an exact match for "machine_number" is extracted. Also, data with a prefix match for "facility#1_item#1" is extracted.

[0052] The first and second search values ​​store the data that is actually being searched. In the example in Figure 6, record 522 stores "equipment" as the first search value. In this case, the equipment management device 4 extracts data that matches "equipment" by prefix (see matching condition). In the example shown in Figure 6, the first search value (symbol 222a) of record 521 will be described later.

[0053] The second search value is used when a range search is performed. For example, if record 521 has "1" stored in the first search value and "10" stored in the second search value, the equipment management device 4 will extract data where "machine_number" is between "1" and "10". If no range search is performed, the second search value will be blank.

[0054] (Example using report generation condition 210) Figure 7 shows an example in which the search values ​​(first search value and second search value) of the ledger search condition 222 are registered using the report generation condition 210.

[0055] The symbol C1 shown in Figure 7 is stored, for example, in the cell indicated by symbol 222a in the ledger search condition 222 shown in Figure 6.

[0056] In the example in Figure 7, if the cell specified by "E3" in the report generation condition 210 contains a value or a conditional expression, that value or conditional expression will be stored in the cell indicated by the symbol 222a in the ledger search condition 222 shown in Figure 6.

[0057] In this way, the report generation conditions 210 can be used to register variable values ​​in the ledger search conditions 222, depending on the application. Furthermore, by pre-registering the data in the report generation conditions 210 in a user-friendly format, it becomes easier for users to edit the data acquisition conditions 220.

[0058] (Acquisition management item condition 223) Figure 8 shows an example of acquisition management item condition 223.

[0059] The acquisition management item condition 223 is data in which the correspondence between items extracted from the ledger 44 managed by the equipment management device 4 and the items in the generated ledger 44 is entered.

[0060] In the example shown in Figure 8, the acquisition management item condition 223 has the following items: number ("No."), report item name, method, ledger name, management item, data type, and condition.

[0061] The "Form Item Name" field is where the item name for Form 250 will be registered. The "Method" field specifies how the value will be entered into Form 250. If "Fixed Value" is entered in the "Method" field, pre-registered data will be entered into Form 250 as a fixed value. If "Ledger Reference" is entered, data based on Ledger 44 will be entered.

[0062] The ledger name will contain the name of the ledger 44 being referenced. The management item will contain the item name of the form 250 to be created. The data type will contain the data type entered into the item of the form 250. The conditions will contain the conditions for storing the acquired data in form 250.

[0063] In the example shown in Figure 8, since "Report Name" is registered as the report item name in record 531, data related to the report name of the generated report 250 is stored. Also, in record 531, the method is set to "Fixed Value". Therefore, the report name of report 250 is fixed as "Equipment List" (data type "String") which is registered in the management item.

[0064] Furthermore, since "Equipment Number" is registered as the report item name in record 532, data related to the "Equipment Number" item in the generated report 250 is stored there. In addition, "Ledger Reference" is registered as the method in record 532, and "facility#1" is registered as the ledger name and "machine_number" as the management item. Therefore, the equipment management device 4 extracts the "machine_number" item from ledger 44, which has the name "facility#1", as the "Equipment Number" (data type is numeric) in report 250.

[0065] The equipment management device 4 extracts data from report 250 for records 533 to 536 using the same method as for records 531 and 532.

[0066] (Sort condition 224) Figure 9 shows an example of sorting condition 224.

[0067] Sorting condition 224 contains conditions related to the sorting order of the extracted data.

[0068] Sort condition 224 includes fields for number ("No."), form item name, and sort order.

[0069] In sort condition 224, the items of report 250 corresponding to the report item name are sorted in the order in which they are registered. In the example shown in Figure 9, it is registered that "device number" should be sorted in "ascending order".

[0070] Note that sort condition 224 is optional.

[0071] (Multiple data acquisition conditions 220) Figure 10 shows an example where multiple data acquisition conditions 220 are registered.

[0072] As shown in the example in Figure 10, in the spreadsheet software 10, multiple data acquisition conditions 220 can be registered by registering each of the multiple sheets. In the example shown in Figure 10, three data acquisition conditions 220 are registered, but the number of data acquisition conditions 220 that can be registered is not limited to three.

[0073] The request processing unit 110 transmits the conditions stored in the data acquisition ledger 221 to sort condition 224 shown in Figures 5 to 9. In this way, the request processing unit 110 performs data request processing to send to the equipment management device 4 via the external linkage API 41 (S101 in Figure 3). The equipment management device 4 collects data from the ledger 44 based on the conditions stored in the transmitted data acquisition ledger 221 to sort condition 224. Subsequently, the equipment management device 4 transmits the collected data as response information to the ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 via the external linkage API 41.

[0074] (Ledger data 230) Figure 11 shows an example of ledger data 230.

[0075] The ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 stores the data acquired from the equipment management device 4 via the external linkage API 41 in the ledger data 230 in the format of spreadsheet data 201.

[0076] The ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 receives data from the equipment management device 4 via the external linkage API 41. Then, as shown in the example in Figure 11, the ledger data acquisition processing unit 120 outputs the data received from the equipment management device 4 as ledger data 230 by converting it into spreadsheet data 201 (S102 in Figure 3).

[0077] (Multiple ledger data 230) Figure 12 shows an example where multiple ledger data 230 have been output.

[0078] Multiple ledger data sets 230 can be output. In the example shown in Figure 12, three ledger data sets 230 are output to separate sheets of spreadsheet data 201, corresponding to the number of data acquisition conditions 220 shown in Figure 10.

[0079] (Layout Information 240) Figure 13 shows an example of layout information 240.

[0080] The layout information 240 defines the layout, data references, and layout control conditions for the output report 250. The layout information 240 is created by the user through manual input in the format of spreadsheet data 201 from the spreadsheet software 10.

[0081] In layout information 240, the layout of form 250 is defined by tags.

[0082] For example, sheet tags 241 ("$$sheet()", "$$sheet_end") are tags that declare the start and end of sheets in report 250. Although not shown in Figure 13, it is also possible to specify sheet change conditions using sheet tags 241. Furthermore, it is possible to specify the number of sheets or the equipment number by using "$$sheet(1, equipment number)", etc. In the example of "$$sheet(1, equipment number)", it is specified that report 250 will be generated on one sheet for the equipment specified by the equipment number. If it is "$$sheet(2, equipment number)", report 250 for the equipment specified by the equipment number will be output on two sheets. In this way, it is possible to output multiple copies of the single-page report 250. Note that the equipment, although not shown in this embodiment, is equipment managed by the equipment management device 4.

[0083] The control tag 242 ("$$control(ledger data(1)") specifies the source of data (i.e., ledger data 230) for generating the report 250.

[0084] Data tags 243 ("$$data_start()", "$$data(1,device number)", "$$data_end()") specify the conditions for line breaks in the main body of the layout. The main body of the layout is the range of columns enclosed by symbols 244 ("$$start()", "$$end()"). In the example shown in Figure 13, "$$data(1,device number)" specifies that rows should be generated according to the number of device number data. For example, "$$data(1,device number)" specifies that data will be output on one line for each device. Also, "$$data(2,device number)" would output data on two lines for each device. "$$data(2,device number)" is specified, for example, when you want to output a summary table or list table, and there are many items of data to be output for one device that cannot fit on one line.

[0085] Thus, the sheet tag 241 contains information about the number of pages in the form 250, and the data tag 243 contains information about the number of rows in the form 250. In this way, the layout information 240 stores information including the number of pages and the number of rows in the form 250. The form generation processing unit 130 controls the number of pages and the number of rows in the form 250 based on this information including the number of pages and the number of rows in the layout information 240. By using such layout information 240, it becomes easy to control the number of pages and the number of rows in the form 250.

[0086] As mentioned above, the range of columns enclosed by symbols 244 ("$$start()" and "$$end()") constitutes the main body of the layout. Within the main body of the layout, specific values ​​are specified by the val tag 245 and the sum tag 246.

[0087] The val tag 245 specifies which field in the ledger data 230, specified by the control tag 242, will be used to obtain the value. For example, the val tag 245a specifies that the value will be obtained from the "equipment number" field in the ledger data 230, as specified by the control tag 242.

[0088] The sum tag 246 specifies which item in the ledger data 230 specified by the control tag 242 should be used to calculate the sum. In the example shown in Figure 13, it is written as "$$sum(amount)", which specifies that the sum of the values ​​stored in the "amount" item in the ledger data 230 specified by the control tag 242 should be calculated.

[0089] The report generation processing unit 130 converts the ledger data 230 into a report 250 according to the sheet tags 241 to sum tags 246 entered in the layout information 240. The sheet tags 241 to sum tags 246 define the row structure, the number of sheets, etc.

[0090] (Form 250) Figure 14 shows an example of a report 250 output by the report generation processing unit 130.

[0091] As shown in the example in Figure 14, the report generation processing unit 130 generates the report 250 by outputting the data stored in the ledger data 230 according to the format of the layout information 240.

[0092] <Ledger update process> Next, the ledger update process will be explained with reference to Figures 15 to 2. The ledger update process involves updating the data in the ledger 44 held by the equipment management device 4 using the form 250.

[0093] [Device configuration] Figure 15 shows the configuration of the spreadsheet device 1 related to the ledger update process. As mentioned above, the external linkage API 41 is a program executed inside the equipment management device 4, but in Figure 15, for clarity, the external linkage API 41 is drawn outside the equipment management device 4. Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the ledger update process. The ledger update process will be explained with reference to Figures 15 and 16. In the following explanation, the step numbers refer to the step numbers shown in Figure 16.

[0094] As described above, the spreadsheet software 10 is running on the spreadsheet device 1. The spreadsheet device 1 also holds the ledger update definition file 300 as spreadsheet data 201 in the spreadsheet software 10.

[0095] The ledger update definition file 300 includes ledger update information 310, form 250a, and import result report 320.

[0096] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the add-in program 100 is running in the spreadsheet software 10. The add-in program 100 consists of a data update processing unit 140 and a result acquisition processing unit 150.

[0097] The ledger update information 310 contains information about the ledger 44 that is being updated. In other words, the ledger update information 310 is information about changes to the ledger 44 held by the equipment management device 4.

[0098] The data update processing unit 140 performs data update processing that instructs the equipment management device 4 to update the ledger 44 via the external linkage API 41, based on the ledger update information 310 and the form 250a (S201). In other words, the data update processing unit 140 transmits information (ledger update information 310) regarding changes to the ledger 44 held by the equipment management device 4 to the equipment management device 4. Specifically, the data update processing unit 140 transmits the ledger update information 310 and the form 250a to the equipment management device 4 and instructs the equipment management device 4 to update the ledger 44 according to the transmitted ledger update information 310.

[0099] When the result acquisition processing unit 150 receives the success or failure of the ledger update from the equipment management device 4 via the external linkage API 41, it performs result output processing to output the received success or failure of the ledger update as an import result report 320 (S202).

[0100] (Form 250a) Figure 17 shows an example of form 250a used in the ledger update process.

[0101] The form 250a shown in Figure 17 is a form 250a for the user to input values ​​to be updated when updating data to the equipment management device 4 (updating the ledger 44). The form 250a shown in Figure 17 is created by manual input by the user and is created in the format of spreadsheet data 201 of the spreadsheet software 10 (it is spreadsheet data 201).

[0102] The example shown in Figure 17 is a form 250a for adding new equipment information to the ledger 44. In the example shown in Figure 17, the layout is the same as the form 250 shown in Figure 14, but it is not necessary to match the layout of the form 250 shown in Figure 14. This is because the values ​​to be entered into the ledger 44 can be identified by the update processing definition information 311, ledger search conditions 312, and update information setting information 313, which will be described later.

[0103] Furthermore, although there is only one record 541 in the example shown in Figure 17, multiple records may be registered. In other words, while the example in Figure 17 shows the addition of information about one device, by registering multiple records, it becomes possible to add information about multiple devices to the ledger 44.

[0104] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 17, a separate form 250a for ledger update processing is created by the user, in addition to the form 250 shown in Figure 14. However, the form 250 shown in Figure 14 may also be used. In other words, the form 250 for ledger update processing may be created by updating data in the form 250 shown in Figure 14, or by adding a record 541 as shown in Figure 17 to the form 250 shown in Figure 14.

[0105] (Ledger update information 310) Figure 18 shows an example of the configuration of the ledger update information 310.

[0106] The ledger update information 310 defines the conditions under which the data of the equipment management device 4 will be updated.

[0107] In the example shown in Figure 18, the ledger update information 310 mainly consists of update processing definition information 311, ledger search conditions 312, and update information setting information 313. The update processing definition information 311, ledger search conditions 312, and update information setting information 313 are created by manual input by the user.

[0108] The update process definition information 311 contains information about the ledger 44 to be updated and the operation of the update process. The ledger search condition 312 searches and determines whether existing data exists in the ledger 44. The update information setting information 313 stores information about which values ​​to register (update) in which items of the ledger 44.

[0109] (Update process definition information 311) Figure 19 shows an example of update process definition information 311.

[0110] As described above, the update process definition information 311 contains information about the ledger 44 to be updated and the operation of the update process.

[0111] In the example shown in Figure 19, the update process definition information 311 includes the following items: update process name, ledger name, action when not existing, and action when existing.

[0112] The update process name stores the name of the process performed by the equipment management device 4. The ledger name is the name of the ledger 44 that is the target of the data update process. The action when the ledger does not exist registers what process will be performed if the ledger 44 stored in the ledger name field does not contain the data specified by the ledger search condition 312 and the update information setting information 313. The action when the ledger exists registers what process will be performed if the ledger 44 stored in the ledger name field contains the data specified by the ledger search condition 312 and the update information setting information 313.

[0113] In the example shown in Figure 19, the update process name is registered to indicate that a facility ledger registration / update process will be performed for ledger 44 (ledger name) named "facility#1". Furthermore, if the ledger 44 stored in the ledger name field does not contain data specified by the ledger search conditions 312 and update information setting information 313, the operation when data does not exist is registered (inserted). Additionally, if the ledger 44 stored in the ledger name field contains data specified by the ledger search conditions 312 and update information setting information 313, the operation when data exists is registered to update (overwrite) the data.

[0114] In the example shown in Figure 19, there is only one record 551, but by registering multiple records, it is possible to register operations related to multiple update processes. In this case, the equipment management device 4 executes the records of the update process definition information 311 from top to bottom.

[0115] (Ledger search condition 312) Figure 20 shows an example of ledger search conditions 312.

[0116] As described above, ledger search condition 312 searches and determines whether existing data exists in ledger 44.

[0117] In the example shown in Figure 20, the ledger search condition 312 has the following items: search item, data type, reference method, reference destination, and variable.

[0118] The search field contains the fields in ledger 44 that are being searched to determine if existing data exists in ledger 44. The data type field contains data indicating the type of data to be updated. The reference method field contains data about which part of the input form 250a (see Figure 17) is being referenced. The reference destination field stores data about which specific part is being referenced in the reference registered in the reference method field.

[0119] The variable field stores data indicating whether the referenced item is fixed or variable. "0" is stored if it is fixed, and "1" is stored if it is variable. In the form 250a shown in Figure 17, the data to be updated consists of one record 541, but multiple records may be stored in form 250a. In this case, the equipment management device 4 selects the records in form 250a from top to bottom and searches the ledger 44 according to the selected records. At this time, if the variable field in the ledger search condition 312 is "0" ("fixed"), the equipment management device 4 searches using the cell value registered in the referenced item, regardless of the records in form 250a.

[0120] For example, in record 561 of the example shown in Figure 20, the variable field is "0". Therefore, even if multiple records are stored in form 250a, the equipment management device 4 always refers to "B5" stored in the reference field for the "machine_number" field when performing a search. Also, if the variable field is "1", the equipment management device 4 changes the reference field according to the record in form 250a. In this case, only the column value, such as "B", is stored in the "reference field".

[0121] In the example shown in Figure 20, record 561 registers that the "machine_number" in ledger 44 (see ledger name in Figure 19) named "facility#1" is the target of the ledger search. The data type is registered in the data type field as this data is a number. The cell in form 250a shown in Figure 17 is referenced (reference method), and specifically, the cell "B5" in form 250a shown in Figure 17 is registered as a fixed reference in the reference destination and variable fields.

[0122] (Update Information Settings 313) Figure 21 shows an example of update information setting information 313.

[0123] As described above, the update information setting information 313 stores information regarding which values ​​should be registered (updated) in which items of the ledger 44 held by the equipment management device 4.

[0124] In the example shown in Figure 21, the update information setting information 313 includes the following items: management item, data type, reference method, and step.

[0125] The management items section contains data indicating which items in ledger 44 are subject to update processing. The data type section contains data indicating the type of data subject to update processing. The reference method section contains data regarding where to reference in the input form 250a (see Figure 17). The reference destination section contains data regarding where to specifically reference in the reference registered in the reference method. The variable section contains data regarding whether the reference destination is fixed or variable.

[0126] In the example shown in Figure 21, record 571 registers that the "machine_number" in ledger 44 (see ledger name in Figure 19) named "facility#1" is the target of ledger update (see management items). The data type is registered in the data type field as this data is a number. The cell in report 250a shown in Figure 17 is then referenced (reference method). Specifically, the reference target is registered in the reference field as "B5" in report 250a shown in Figure 17 being referenced.

[0127] As mentioned above, the variable field stores data indicating whether the referenced location is fixed or variable. "0" is stored if it is fixed, and "1" is stored if it is variable. In the form 250a shown in Figure 17, the data to be updated consists of one record 541, but multiple records may be stored in form 250a. In this case, the equipment management device 4 selects the records in form 250a from top to bottom and updates the ledger 44 according to the selected records. At this time, if the variable field in the ledger search condition 312 is "0" ("fixed"), the equipment management device 4 updates with the value of the cell registered in the referenced location, regardless of the record in form 250a.

[0128] For example, in record 571 of the example shown in Figure 21, the variable field is "0". Therefore, even if multiple records are stored in form 250a, the equipment management device 4 always refers to "B5" stored in the reference field and updates the ledger 44. If the variable field is "1", the equipment management device 4 changes the reference field according to the record in form 250a. In this case, only the column value, such as "B", is stored in the "reference field".

[0129] Records 572 and 573 are the same as record 571, so their explanation will be omitted. Incidentally, the "Selection" registered in the data type field of record 573 means that it follows the data type stored in form 250 shown in Figure 17.

[0130] (Actual implementation of ledger update information 310) Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of the actual storage format of the ledger update information 310.

[0131] As shown in Figure 22, the update process definition information 311, ledger search conditions 312, and update information setting information 313 may be stored together in a single sheet in the spreadsheet software 10. However, the update process definition information 311, ledger search conditions 312, and update information setting information 313 do not necessarily have to be stored together in a single sheet.

[0132] (Hardware configuration diagram) Figure 23 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the spreadsheet device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0133] Spreadsheet device 1 comprises memory D1, arithmetic unit D2, storage device D3, input device D4, output device D5, and communication device D6. Memory D1 is composed of a volatile storage medium such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Arithmetic unit D2 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), etc. Storage device D3 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), etc.

[0134] The input device D4 consists of a keyboard, mouse, etc. The output device D5 consists of a monitor, etc. The communication device D6 communicates with the equipment management device 4.

[0135] Then, the spreadsheet software 10 stored in memory device D3 is loaded into memory D1. Subsequently, the loaded spreadsheet software 10 is executed by the arithmetic unit D2. This brings into action the request processing unit 110 to the report generation processing unit 130 shown in Figure 2, the data update processing unit 140 shown in Figure 15, and the result acquisition processing unit 150.

[0136] In this embodiment, it becomes possible to link the spreadsheet software 10 with the equipment management device 4 without the need for a report system interposed between the equipment management device 4 and the spreadsheet device 1, as has been the case in the past.

[0137] In the past, when a reporting system was interposed between the equipment management device 4 and the spreadsheet device 1, changing the layout of report 250 required modifying the program running in the reporting system. Such work is burdensome for the user, has low cost-effectiveness, and requires advanced programming knowledge.

[0138] According to this embodiment, since the form 250 is generated according to the layout information 240, if the layout of the form 250 needs to be changed, the user only needs to rewrite the layout information 240 in the spreadsheet software 10. This reduces the amount of work required to change the layout and improves cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, since the layout information 240 can be changed if the user has knowledge of the format of the layout information 240, the layout of the form 250 can be changed without coding.

[0139] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the add-in program 100 generates the report 250 based on the layout information 240, which stores information regarding the layout of the report 250. Additionally, layout control tags such as sheet tags 241 to data tags 243, and data input tags such as val tag 245 and sum tag 246 enable the system to accommodate a wide range of report 250 requirements. Thus, the layout information 240 allows for the output of reports 250 in various formats (lists, summary tables, etc.) depending on the acquired data. In this way, this embodiment enables flexible layout settings in the generation of the report 250.

[0140] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when updating the ledger 44, the report 250 created with the spreadsheet software 10 can be reused, resulting in a low barrier to entry. Additionally, functions and macros of the spreadsheet software 10 can be used when creating or updating reports. In other words, in this embodiment, reports 250, 250a, data acquisition ledger 221 to sort conditions 224, ledger data 230, and layout information 240 are all created using spreadsheet data 201 from the spreadsheet software 10. Furthermore, update processing definition information 311 to update information setting information 313 are also all created using spreadsheet data 201 from the spreadsheet software 10. Therefore, it is possible to set functions and macros in this data. This allows the use of functions and macros of the spreadsheet software 10 when creating or updating reports.

[0141] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to illustrate the present invention clearly, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described.

[0142] Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, request processing unit 110 to result acquisition processing unit 150, storage device D3, etc., may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 23, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, etc., may be implemented in software by having a processor such as a CPU interpret and execute a program that implements each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory D1, a recording device such as an SSD, or a recording medium such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, an SD (Secure Digital) card, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), in addition to being stored in the HD.

[0143] Furthermore, in each embodiment, only those control lines and information lines deemed necessary for explanation are shown, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0144] 1. Spreadsheet (document processing device) 4. Equipment Management System (Information Management System) 10 Spreadsheet Software 44 Ledger 100 Add-in Programs 110 Request Processing Unit 120 Ledger data acquisition processing unit 130 Form Generation Processing Unit 140 Data Update Processing Unit 150 Result Acquisition Processing Unit 200 Definition files for generating reports (spreadsheet data) 201 Spreadsheet Data 230 Ledger data (spreadsheet data) 240 Layout Information (Spreadsheet Data) 250,250a Forms (spreadsheet data) 310 Ledger update information (information regarding spreadsheet data and ledger changes) S101 Data Request Processing (Request Processing Step) S102 Ledger data acquisition process (Ledger data acquisition process step) S103 Report generation process (Report generation process step)

Claims

1. A request processing unit requests the information management system to create the information necessary for the creation of the report, based on data acquisition conditions that store information for the information management system to search for and acquire the information necessary for the report to be created, A ledger data acquisition processing unit that acquires ledger data which is a response to the aforementioned request, A report generation processing unit generates the report based on layout information, which is information regarding the layout of the report to be created, and the ledger data, Equipped with, The aforementioned data acquisition conditions and layout information are spreadsheet data in the data format of spreadsheet software. The request processing unit, the ledger data acquisition processing unit, and the report generation processing unit are add-in programs for the spreadsheet software. Document processing device.

2. The layout information includes information such as the number of pages and the number of rows in the form. The aforementioned report generation processing unit, Based on the information including the number of pages and the number of rows in the layout information, the number of pages and the number of rows in the form are controlled. The document processing device according to feature 1.

3. The system includes a data update processing unit that transmits information regarding changes to a ledger held in the aforementioned information management system to the aforementioned information management system. Information regarding changes to the aforementioned ledger is, The aforementioned spreadsheet data The document processing device according to feature 1.

4. Based on data acquisition conditions, which store information necessary for the information management system to search for and obtain the information required for the report to be created, and layout information, which is information regarding the layout of the report to be created, an add-in program of spreadsheet software running on the report processing device that generates the report, A request processing step that requests the information management system to provide the information necessary for creating the report based on the data acquisition conditions, A ledger data acquisition process step that acquires ledger data which is a response to the aforementioned request, A report generation process step that generates the report based on layout information, which is information regarding the layout of the report to be created, and the ledger data, Execute, The aforementioned data acquisition conditions and layout information are spreadsheet data, which is the data format of spreadsheet software. Document processing method.

Images