Information processing device and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processor and an information processing program that can more reduce the labor of a user when the user is grouping form data than when the user is correcting the group of forms manually, when the form data cannot be grouped correctly.SOLUTION: The information processor has a processor. The process receives change of the attribute of forms for form data not grouped when a plurality of pieces of form data with the attribute of forms is grouped on the basis of form definition information that defines the groups according to the attribute, and groups the form data again on the basis of the attribute having been changed and the form definition information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] There is a technique for grouping documents.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a received document job display method comprising a receiving step of receiving an electronic image, a recognition step of recognizing the type of document from the received electronic image, a determination step of judging whether the recognized electronic image is a pre-registered document or an unrecognized document, a setting step of pre-setting a display method for the unrecognized document, and a display step of displaying a list of the determined documents in accordance with the set display method. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-209261 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When managing forms, the form data obtained by reading the form may be grouped, for example, according to the form attributes identified from the form data based on the form definition.

[0006] However, the accuracy of the identification is not perfect, and the correct identification result may not be obtained. If the attributes of the form are identified incorrectly or cannot be identified at all, the form data cannot be grouped correctly. To group correctly, the user must manually correct the correct group of the form, which is a time-consuming task.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an information processing device and an information processing program that can reduce the user's effort when grouping report data when the report data cannot be grouped normally, compared to manually correcting the correct group of the report. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing device according to a first aspect includes a processor, which, when grouping a plurality of report data having report attributes based on report definition information that defines groups based on the attributes, accepts changes to the attributes of the report data that have not been grouped, and regroups the report data based on the attributes for which changes have been accepted and the report definition information.

[0009] In an information processing device according to a second aspect, in the information processing device according to the first aspect, the processor assigns a serial number, which is one of the attributes, in the order in which the report data is arranged, and groups the report data in the order of the serial numbers.

[0010] An information processing device according to a third aspect is the information processing device according to the second aspect, wherein the processor re-groups the ungrouped report data from the first ungrouped report data in the sorting order onwards.

[0011] An information processing device according to a fourth aspect is an information processing device according to the third aspect, in which the processor re-groups the first report data and subsequent data from the report data belonging to the group immediately preceding the first ungrouped report data.

[0012] An information processing device according to a fifth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the processor displays the report data in a list and accepts changes to the attributes of the report data that is not grouped in the list.

[0013] An information processing device according to a sixth aspect is the information processing device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the processor collectively displays the form data belonging to the same group.

[0014] An information processing device according to a seventh aspect is the information processing device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the processor does not display the form data belonging to a group adjacent to only the group.

[0015] An information processing device according to an eighth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the attribute includes information indicating that the report data is an attachment, and the processor groups the report data based on the report definition information that defines the presence or absence of the attachment for each group.

[0016] An information processing device according to a ninth aspect is the information processing device according to the eighth aspect, in which the processor regards form data whose form type, which is one of the attributes, is unknown as the attachment and groups it.

[0017] An information processing device according to a 10th aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the 1st to 9th aspects, in which the processor accepts a change to an exclusion flag, which is one of the attributes, and re-groups the report data for which the exclusion flag is OFF.

[0018] An information processing device according to an eleventh aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, in which the processor accepts attribute changes to grouped report data, and ungroups the group to which the report data that has accepted the changes belongs.

[0019] An information processing program relating to a twelfth aspect causes a computer to group multiple report data having report attributes based on report definition information that defines groups based on the attributes, and then accepts changes to the attributes of the report data that have not been grouped, and re-groups the report data based on the attributes for which changes have been accepted and the report definition information. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the first and twelfth aspects, the user's effort in grouping form data can be reduced, compared to the case where the correct group of the form is manually corrected.

[0021] According to the second aspect, the forms to be grouped can be identified by the serial numbers.

[0022] According to the third aspect, it is possible to limit the form data to be grouped again.

[0023] According to the fourth aspect, the form data whose order has been changed can be included in the grouping targets.

[0024] According to the fifth aspect, the attribute can be changed while referring to the grouping result.

[0025] According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to visually confirm the form data in group units.

[0026] According to the seventh aspect, it is possible to omit displaying the form data that has been confirmed to belong to a group.

[0027] According to the eighth aspect, the form data to be grouped can be specified depending on the presence or absence of an attached file.

[0028] According to the ninth aspect, the form data whose form type is unknown can be grouped as an attachment file.

[0029] According to the tenth aspect, the user can exclude any form data from the grouping targets.

[0030] According to the eleventh aspect, the attributes of grouped form data can be changed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing device. [Diagram 2] 1 is an example showing grouping of form data in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of grouping processing in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of grouping processing in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of grouping processing in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is an example showing form definition information of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is an example showing grouping without an attachment in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is an example showing grouping of information with an attachment in the information processing device according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] 4 is an example showing a list screen of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 4 is an example showing a list screen of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is an example showing a change in the serial number of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is an example showing a change operation of a serial number of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 14]10 is an example showing a start position of grouping of information processing devices according to the present embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is an example showing grouping of form data whose exclusion flag is ON in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is an example showing the behavior of a movement button of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is an example showing a method of collectively expressing a group of information processing devices according to the present embodiment. [Figure 18] 13 is an example of a display of a group of information processing devices according to the present embodiment. [Figure 19] 13 is an example showing a change screen of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] 11 is an example showing regrouping based on changed form definition information in the information processing device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the technology of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. In addition, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a form system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0034] 1, a form system 10 includes an information processing device 20, a client terminal 40, and an input device 60. These devices are connected to a network (not shown) and can communicate with each other via the network. As an example of this network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), etc. are applied.

[0035] The information processing device 20 performs OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing on image data of multiple documents including forms input through the input device 60, and manages a series of processing flows for outputting the results of the OCR processing to a predetermined output destination. The specific configuration and operation of the information processing device 20 will be described later.

[0036] The client terminal 40 transmits various instructions related to the OCR process to the information processing device 20. The various instructions include, for example, an instruction to start reading information of image data, an instruction to display the result of reading information of image data, and the like. The client terminal 40 also displays various information such as the result of the OCR process performed by the information processing device 20 in response to the various received instructions, and notifications related to the OCR process. For example, the client terminal 40 is a general-purpose computer device such as a server computer or a personal computer (PC). Although only one client terminal 40 is illustrated in FIG. 1, this is not limiting, and multiple client terminals 40 may be prepared and, for example, each client terminal 40 may be used for different processes.

[0037] The input device 60 inputs image data to be subjected to OCR processing to the information processing device 20. Examples of the input device 60 include a general-purpose computer device such as a server computer or a PC, and an image forming device having a scanning function, a printer function, a FAX function, etc. In addition to the input device 60, image data may also be input to the information processing device 20 from the client terminal 40.

[0038] Next, an overview of the form system 10 will be described.

[0039] The form system 10 is a system in which an information processing device 20 performs OCR processing on image data input via an input device 60, and outputs the results of the OCR processing to a predetermined output destination.

[0040] In the OCR process, the information processing device 20 manages various processes, including (1) business design and operation verification, (2) data input, (3) data reading, (4) form discrimination, confirmation and correction, (5) reading result confirmation and correction, (6) business check, (7) data output, and (8) return. In this embodiment, the OCR process refers not only to the process of simply reading characters and symbols from image data, but also to post-processing such as character correction.

[0041] As an example of the management of various processes, (1) business design and operation verification, (2) data input, (3) data reading, (6) business check, and (7) data output processes are each automatically executed by the information processing device 20. Also, as an example of the management of various processes, (4) document discrimination, confirmation, and correction, and (5) reading result confirmation and correction processes are each accepted by input by the user via the client terminal 40. Also, as an example of the management of various processes, (8) return process may be automatically executed by the information processing device 20 or may be accepted by input by the user via the client terminal 40.

[0042] In the (1) business design and operation verification process, job rules are created that include read definition settings, output settings, and business check settings. In the read definition settings, as an example, a read range is set, which is the range in which image data information is read in the process of "(3) data reading". More specifically, as an example, a definition may be set such that the item value, which is the value, is read from near the right of the item extracted as the key. In the output settings, as an example, a file format and output destination of the output data output in the process of "(7) data output". In the business check settings, as an example, a format, such as the required input items and the number of characters that can be entered, in the form to be detected in the process of "(6) business check" are set.

[0043] In the (2) data input process, image data is accepted as an input from the input device 60. The accepted image data is registered as a job, which is an execution unit of the "(3) data reading" process.

[0044] (3) In the data reading process, the information of the image data in the job is read using a job rule for the job to be executed, selected by the user from the job rules created in the process of "(1) Business Design and Operation Verification." As an example, in this process, the form included in the image data in the job is identified (hereinafter referred to as "form identification") and characters and symbols within the reading range are read.

[0045] In the (4) form discrimination, confirmation, and correction process, the image data in the job is grouped as forms included in the job based on the results of the form discrimination performed in the "(3) Data Reading" process. After that, in this process, the groups are displayed on the client terminal 40, and confirmation and correction of the form discrimination by the user is accepted from the client terminal 40.

[0046] In the process of (5) checking and correcting the read result, the read result of the characters and symbols within the read range obtained in the process of "(3) data reading" is displayed, and the user can check and correct the read result.

[0047] In the (6) task check process, errors in each preceding process are detected by the task check setting included in the job rule for the job selected by the user from among the job rules created in the process of "(1) Task design and operation verification." The detection results may be presented to the user.

[0048] (7) In the data output process, output data is created using the output settings included in the job rules for the job selected by the user from the job rules created in the process of "(1) Business design and operational verification," and the created output data is output to a predetermined output destination.

[0049] In the (8) return process, the process executed in the OCR process is returned to the process one or more steps before. As an example, the return is instructed by the user from the client terminal 40 during the execution of various processes such as "(4) Document discrimination, confirmation, and correction" and "(5) Read result confirmation and correction." Also, as an example, the return is instructed from the client terminal 40 of the administrator depending on the result of the check by the administrator performed between the processes of "(6) Business check" and "(7) Data output."

[0050] In the above OCR processing, the process of "(1) business design and operation verification" is executed before the processes after "(3) data reading" are performed, i.e., before the form system 10 is put into operation. Furthermore, the process of "(1) business design and operation verification" may be executed during the operation of the form system 10, when the processes after "(3) data reading" are being performed. As an example, the job rules created in the process of "(1) business design and operation verification" before the operation of the form system 10 can be appropriately modified according to the results of the process of "(5) checking and correcting the reading results" during the operation of the form system 10.

[0051] Next, the process of "(4) document discrimination, confirmation, and correction" in the information processing device 20 will be described in detail.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows an example of grouping of form data in the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment.

[0053] Here, the form data is data having attributes of a form, and corresponds to image data that has been identified as a form in the process of "(3) Data reading" in FIG.

[0054] Moreover, grouping refers to dividing form data into groups based on attributes and the form definition information 100.

[0055] The attributes include the form type, the attached file, the exclusion flag, and the serial number.

[0056] Moreover, the document type is a combination of the type of document and the page number of the document. The document type is, for example, a travel expense statement or a loan application. Moreover, the page number of the document is, for example, the page number of a document consisting of multiple pages. In this disclosure, a document type having a document type A and a page number of 1 is written as "A1". For example, "C2" is a document type having a document type C and a page number of 2. Moreover, in the following description, document data having a document type A1 is written as document data A1. Moreover, document data whose document type is unknown is written as unknown document. In the figures of this disclosure, it is written as "unknown".

[0057] An attachment is data attached to a form. When an attribute is an attachment, it indicates that the form data is an attachment. Grouping of attachments will be described later with reference to FIG. 9. In the figures of this disclosure, the term "attachment" is used.

[0058] The exclusion flag is a flag for determining whether or not to group the data. For example, the exclusion flag is set to 1 when the flag is ON, and 0 when the flag is OFF. Grouping of form data with the exclusion flag set to ON will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0059] A serial number is a numerical value that is assigned consecutively to form data. The assignment and modification of serial numbers will be described later with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. In the figures of this disclosure, serial numbers are represented by numbers in parentheses. For example, "(1)" for form data C1 in Fig. 12 indicates that the serial number of form data C1 is 1.

[0060] FIG. 2A shows ten form icons 2 arranged in a form display area 300. Here, the form display area 300 is an area that displays the form icons 2 and the group area 4. The form display area 300 is displayed on the display unit 16, which will be described later. Details of the form display area 300 will be described later in FIG. 11. The form icon 2 is an image that indicates form data. One form icon 2 corresponds to one form data. For example, the form icon 2 indicated as "C1" corresponds to the form data C1. In the following description, when the form icons are to be distinguished from one another, the symbols "A", "B", "C", "D", "E", "F", "G", "H", "I", "J" and "K" are used to distinguish the individual icons, and when the icons are not to be distinguished from one another, the symbols are omitted. The group area 4 is an area that indicates a group.

[0061] FIG. 2(B) shows a state where the form data described in FIG. 2(A) is grouped. The information processing device 20 groups the form data based on attributes and the form definition information 100. The form definition information 100 is information that defines a group. The form definition information 100 is one of job rules. A specific example of the form definition information 100 will be described later in FIG. 7. The flow of the grouping process will be described later in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The information processing device 20 displays a group area 4 corresponding to each group. That is, the form icon 2 arranged in the group area 4 indicates that the form data corresponding to the form icon 2 belongs to the same group. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, grouping the form data may be described as grouping the form icon 2. Similarly, ungrouping the form data may be described as ungrouping the form icon 2.

[0062] Fig. 2(C) shows a state where an attribute change has been accepted for the form data shown in Fig. 2(B). When grouping in Fig. 2(B), the information processing device 20 accepts attribute changes for ungrouped form data. In Fig. 2(C), a change to change the form type from unknown to C1 has been accepted for the form data at the top right. The attribute change operation by the user will be described later with reference to Fig. 11.

[0063] 2D shows how the form data shown in FIG. 2C is grouped again. The grouping is performed based on the attribute for which changes have been accepted and the form definition information 100.

[0064] 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device 20. The information processing device 20 has each of the following components: a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0065] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit, and executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 11 reads a program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and executes the program using the RAM 13 as a working area. The CPU 11 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing according to the program recorded in the ROM 12 or the storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores an information processing program for executing processing related to grouping. In addition, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores form definition information 100.

[0066] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs including an operating system and various data.

[0067] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various input operations. The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various types of information. The display unit 16 may function as the input unit 15 by adopting a touch panel system.

[0068] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as a database, and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0069] Next, the operation of the information processing device 20 will be described. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of grouping processing by the information processing device 20. The grouping processing is performed by the CPU 11 reading out an information processing program for grouping from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, expanding it in the RAM 13, and executing it.

[0070] In step S110, the CPU 11 acquires the form data, that is, the form data that is image data determined in the process of "(3) Data reading".

[0071] In step S120, the CPU 11 initializes the exclusion flag. Initializing the exclusion flag means setting the exclusion flag to OFF.

[0072] In step S130, the CPU 11 assigns serial numbers to the form data in the order in which they were arranged. For example, the CPU 11 assigns serial numbers to the form data in the order in which they were acquired in step S110.

[0073] In step S140, the CPU 11 performs a grouping process, the specific contents of which will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0074] In step S150, the CPU 11 accepts a change to an attribute. For example, the CPU 11 accepts an operation to change an attribute by a user via the input unit 15. The operation to change an attribute by a user will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0075] In step S160, the CPU 11 cancels the grouping of the group to which the form data, the attribute of which has been changed, belongs.

[0076] In step S170, the CPU 11 performs a grouping process. That is, the CPU 11 regroups the form data. The specific process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0077] In step S180, CPU 11 judges whether or not to end the process. If it is judged that the process should be ended (step S180: Yes), CPU 11 ends the process. If it is judged that the process should not be ended (step S180: No), CPU 11 proceeds to step S150. CPU 11 judges that the process should be ended when the user clicks OK button 208 shown in FIG. 10, for example.

[0078] 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the flow of the grouping process by the information processing device 20. FIG. In the following description, S, N, and P are used as variables. S is a variable for determining the starting position of the grouping process. N is a variable used as an index in the loop process. P is a variable used as the starting position of the grouping determination. In the following description, the terms form data [S] and form data [S-1] are used. Form data [S] is form data whose serial number is S. For example, if the value of S is 3, then form data [S] is form data whose serial number is 3. Form data [S-1] is form data whose serial number is S minus 1. For example, if the value of S is 3, then form data [S-1] is form data whose serial number is 2. The same applies to N and P.

[0079] First, the first form data to be grouped is set from among a plurality of form data by the processing in steps S210 to S270 in FIG.

[0080] In step S210, the CPU 11 assigns 1 to S.

[0081] In step S220, the CPU 11 judges whether the form data [S] exists. If it is judged that the form data [S] exists (step S220: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S230. If it is judged that the form data [S] does not exist (step S220: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S260.

[0082] In step S230, the CPU 11 determines whether the form data [S] is not grouped. If it is determined that the form data [S] is not grouped (step S230: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S240. If it is determined that the form data [S] is grouped (step S230: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S270.

[0083] In step S240, the CPU 11 judges whether or not there is a group to which the form data [S-1] belongs. If it is judged that there is a group to which the form data [S-1] belongs (step S240: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S250. If it is judged that there is no group to which the form data [S-1] belongs (step S240: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S260.

[0084] In step S250, the CPU 11 assigns the serial number of the first form data in the group to N. The group is the group to which the form data [S-1] belongs. That is, the CPU 11 assigns the serial number of the first form data in the group to which the form data [S-1] belongs to N. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0085] In step S260, the CPU 11 assigns 1 to N.

[0086] In step S270, the CPU 11 assigns S+1 to S.

[0087] Next, the form data that is the subject of grouping is grouped by the processing from steps S310 to S430 in FIG.

[0088] In step S305, the CPU 11 assigns N to P.

[0089] In step S310, the CPU 11 starts a repeat process of a grouping loop. The CPU 11 determines whether to repeat the process in step S430.

[0090] In step S320, the CPU 11 judges whether the exclusion flag of the form data [N] is OFF. If the CPU 11 judges that the exclusion flag of the form data [N] is OFF (step S320: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S340. If the CPU 11 judges that the exclusion flag of the form data [N] is ON (step S320: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S420.

[0091] In step S340, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the form data [N] satisfies the form definition information 100. If it is determined that the form data [N] satisfies the form definition information 100 (step S340: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S350. If it is determined that the form data [N] does not satisfy the form definition information 100 (step S340: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S420. Note that the case where the form data [N] does not satisfy the form definition information 100 is the same as the case where the form data [N] is an unknown form.

[0092] In step S350, the CPU 11 judges whether or not the form data [P] to [N] whose exclusion flag is OFF satisfy all the group definitions. If it is judged that the form data [P] to [N] whose exclusion flag is OFF do not satisfy the group definition (step S350: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S360. If it is judged that the form data [P] to [N] whose exclusion flag is OFF satisfy all the group definitions (step S350: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S390. Note that a specific example of satisfying all the group definitions will be described later, for example, in FIG. 8(A). Also, a specific example of not satisfying the group definition will be described later, for example, in FIG. 8(C).

[0093] In step S360, the CPU 11 judges whether the form data [N] overlaps with any of the form data [P] to [N-1]. Here, overlap means that the form type is the same. If it is judged that the form data [N] does not overlap with any of the form data [P] to [N-1] (step S360: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S370. If it is judged that the form data [N] overlaps with any of the form data [P] to [N-1] (step S360: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S380. Here, a specific example of overlap will be described later with reference to FIG. 8(D).

[0094] In step S370, the CPU 11 judges whether the form data [N] is in the same group as the form data [N-1]. If it is judged that the form data [N] is not in the same group as the form data [N-1] (step S370: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S380. If it is judged that the form data [N] is in the same group as the form data [N-1] (step S370: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S420.

[0095] In step S380, the CPU 11 assigns N to P. That is, if the CPU 11 determines that the form data [N] overlaps with any of the form data [P] to [N-1] (step S360: Yes) or determines that the form data [N] is not in the same group as the form data [N-1] (step S370: No), the CPU 11 sets the starting position of the grouping determination to the form data [N].

[0096] In step S390, the CPU 11 groups the report data [P] through [N] whose exclusion flags are OFF.

[0097] In step S400, the CPU 11 assigns N+1 to P.

[0098] In step S410, the CPU 11 judges whether or not P=N is satisfied. If it is judged that P=N is satisfied (step S410: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S400. If it is judged that P=N is not satisfied (step S410: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S420. Note that the case where P=N is satisfied is synonymous with the case where the starting position of the grouping judgment is an unknown form.

[0099] In step S420, the CPU 11 assigns N+1 to N.

[0100] In step S430, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the form data [N] exists. If it is determined that the form data [N] exists, the CPU 11 proceeds to step S310. If it is determined that the form data [N] does not exist, the CPU 11 ends the grouping loop.

[0101] FIG. 7 is an example showing the form definition information 100 of the information processing device 20 according to the present embodiment. The form definition information 100 defines the form type and the presence or absence of an attached file for each group. When an attached file is present, it is written as "attached file is present," and when no attached file is present, it is written as "not attached file is present." The form definition information 100A defines a group A. Similarly, the form definition information 100B, the form definition information 100C, and the form definition information 100D define groups B, C, and D, respectively. The group A is defined as having a form type A1 and having no attached file. The group B is defined as having form types B1 and B2 and having no attached file. The group C is defined as having form types C1, C2, and C3 and having no attached file. The group D is defined as having a form type D1 and D2 and having an attached file. In the following explanation, when it is necessary to distinguish between the individual report definition information, the distinguishing symbols "A," "B," "C," and "D" are used, and when it is not necessary to distinguish between the individual information, the symbols are omitted.

[0102] Fig. 8 is an example showing grouping of files without attachments in the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The left side of the arrow is before grouping, and the right side of the arrow is after grouping. Fig. 8 corresponds to the process of step S140 or step S170 described above.

[0103] In Fig. 8A, the form data C1, C2, and C3 are arranged in this order. Here, the condition for grouping is that all the group definitions are satisfied. Therefore, these form data satisfy all the definitions of group C, and are therefore grouped as group C.

[0104] In Fig. 8B, the form data C3, the form data C1, and the form data C2 are arranged in this order. Here, the form data can be grouped in any order. Therefore, since these form data all satisfy the definition of group C, they are grouped as group C.

[0105] 8C, the form data C1 and the form data C2 are arranged in this order. These form data are not grouped because the form data C3 is insufficient.

[0106] In Fig. 8(D), the form data are arranged in the order of C1, C1, C2, and C3. Here, the condition for grouping is that each form type can only have one. Therefore, the first form data C1 is not grouped.

[0107] In Fig. 8(E), the form data C1, form data C2, unknown form, and form data C3 are arranged in this order. Here, the condition for grouping is that the group does not include a form type that is not defined. Therefore, these form data are not grouped because group C does not include an unknown form.

[0108] Fig. 9 is an example showing grouping of files with attachments in the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The left side of the arrow is before grouping, and the right side of the arrow is after grouping. Fig. 9 corresponds to the process of step S140 or step S170 described above.

[0109] 9A, the form data D1, the form data D2, and the attached file are arranged in this order. These form data satisfy all of the definitions of group D, and are therefore grouped into group D.

[0110] 9B, the form data D1, the attached file, and the form data D2 are arranged in this order. These form data satisfy all of the definitions of group D, and are therefore grouped into group D.

[0111] In Fig. 9(C), the form data are arranged in the order of D1 and D2. Here, "with attachments" means that zero or more attachments are required for grouping. In other words, even if there are zero attachments, they may be grouped as group D. These form data satisfy all the definitions of group D, so they are grouped as group D.

[0112] In Fig. 9(D), the attached file is arranged in this order, followed by form data D1 and form data D2. The condition for grouping is that the attached file is arranged in a position other than the first. Since the attached file is arranged in the first position, it is not grouped. Furthermore, the information processing device 20 changes the attached file that is not grouped to an unknown form.

[0113] 9(E), the form data D1 and the attached file are arranged in that order. These form data are not grouped as group D because the form data D2 is missing.

[0114] 9(F), the form data B1, the form data B2, and the attached file are arranged in this order. The attached file is not included in group B, so it is not grouped.

[0115] 9(G), the form data B1, the attached file, and the form data B2 are arranged in this order. These form data are not grouped because group B has no attached file.

[0116] In FIG. 9(H), the data are arranged in the order of form data D1, form data D2, and the unknown form. Here, when grouping, the information processing device 20 considers the unknown form to be an attachment. Therefore, these form data satisfy all of the definitions of group D, and are therefore grouped as group D. Furthermore, when the information processing device 20 groups the unknown form as an attachment, it changes the attribute of the unknown form to an attachment. Note that, when the information processing device 20 does not group the unknown form as an attachment, it does not change the attribute of the unknown form to an attachment.

[0117] 9(I), the form data B1, the form data B2, and the unknown form are arranged in this order. The unknown form is not grouped because group B has no attached file.

[0118] 10 and 11 show an example of a list screen 200 on the display unit 16 of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The list screen 200 has various buttons and various display areas.

[0119] The list screen 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The various buttons are a reclassification button 202, a move previous button 204A, a move next button 204B, an operation button 206, and an OK button 208. The various display areas are an unknown form item count display area 210, an ungrouped form data item count display area 212, and a form display area 300. The various buttons correspond to click operations using a mouse serving as the input unit 15.

[0120] When the user clicks the reclassification button 202, the information processing device 20 groups the form data.

[0121] When the user clicks the move forward button 204A or the move next button 204B, the information processing device 20 sequentially focuses on ungrouped form icons 2. Clicking the move forward button 204A focuses on the ungrouped form icon 2 preceding the focused form icon 2. Clicking the move next button 204B focuses on the ungrouped form icon 2 following the focused form icon 2. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIG. 16.

[0122] When the user clicks the operation button 206, the information processing device 20 displays operation candidates including a reset operation and an operation to specify form definition information and re-execute the operation.

[0123] When the user selects the reset operation, the information processing device 20 returns the form data to the state before the attribute change was accepted. By performing the reset operation, the user can start over from the beginning.

[0124] When the user designates form definition information and selects the re-execution operation, the information processing device 20 displays a change screen 400. The re-execution operation by designating form definition information will be described later with reference to Fig. 20. The change screen 400 will be described later with reference to Fig. 19.

[0125] When the user clicks the OK button 208, the information processing device 20 ends the grouping process.

[0126] The unknown form number display area 210 is an area for displaying the number of unknown forms among the form data.

[0127] The ungrouped form data number display area 212 is an area for displaying the number of ungrouped form data items.

[0128] An example of the form display area 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The form display area 300 is an area that displays a form icon 2 and a group area 4. The form display area 300 displays a list of form icons 2. The form icon 2 may be, for example, an image or a thumbnail corresponding to form data. A specific example of expressing the group area 4 will be described later with reference to FIG. 17. The form display area 300 has an attribute display area 302, an attribute change button 304, an attribute candidate display area 306, and a scroll bar 308.

[0129] The attribute display area 302 is an area for displaying the attributes of the form data. For example, when the form icon 2 is displayed as a thumbnail of the form data, the attribute display area 302 displays the form type of the form data. Note that the word "unknown" for an unknown form may be displayed in red.

[0130] When the user clicks the attribute change button 304 , the information processing device 20 displays an attribute candidate display area 306 .

[0131] The attribute candidate display area 306 is an area for displaying changeable attributes. Changeable attributes are the form type, attached file, and exclusion flag used in the form definition information 100. When an attribute is selected, the attribute of the form data is changed to the selected attribute. Note that "unknown" may be displayed to indicate an unknown form.

[0132] When the user scrolls the scroll bar 308 , the information processing device 20 scrolls the display area of ​​the form display area 300 .

[0133] Fig. 12 is an example showing a change in the serial number of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. In Fig. 12, form data C1, form data C2, form data B1, form data C3, and form data B2 are arranged in this order. Fig. 12 corresponds to the process of step S150 described above.

[0134] The arrow Y4 indicates a process of assigning serial numbers to the form data in the order of the form data. The serial numbers of the form data are assigned in the order of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 by the numbering process. The process indicated by the arrow Y4 corresponds to the process of step S130 described above.

[0135] An arrow Y6 indicates a process of changing the serial number. The information processing device 20 changes the serial number of the form data B1 from 3 to 4, and changes the serial number of the form data C3 from 4 to 3. The information processing device 20 accepts a change operation by the user and performs a change process. A specific example of the change operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

[0136] An arrow Y8 indicates a process of rearranging the data in the order of the serial numbers. The information processing device 20 rearranges the data in the order of the form data C1, the form data C2, the form data C3, the form data B1, and the form data B2.

[0137] An arrow Y10 indicates a grouping process. The information processing device 20 groups the form data C1, C2, and C3 into a group C. Similarly, the information processing device 20 groups the form data B1 and B2 into a group B.

[0138] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a serial number changing operation of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a diagram corresponding to the process of step S150 described above. 13A shows a state in which form icon 2A, form icon 2B, form icon 2C, form icon 2D, form icon 2E, form icon 2F, form icon 2G, and form icon 2H are arranged in order. The form types of the form data corresponding to these form icons are B1, B2, B1, B2, B1, B2, B1, B2, in order. Form icon 2A and form icon 2B are grouped. Similarly, form icon 2C and form icon 2D, form icon 2E and form icon 2F, and form icon 2G and form icon 2H are each grouped.

[0139] Fig. 13(B) shows how the form icon 2F is moved between the form icon 2C and the form icon 2D in the form icon 2 shown in Fig. 13(A). The information processing device 20 moves the form icon 2F by a drag-and-drop operation as indicated by the arrow Y13 using, for example, a mouse as the input unit 15.

[0140] FIG. 13(C) shows the state of the form icon 2 shown in FIG. 13(B) after it has been moved. These form icons 2 are arranged in the following order: form icon 2A, form icon 2B, form icon 2C, form icon 2F, form icon 2D, form icon 2E, form icon 2G, and form icon 2H. The information processing device 20 releases the group to which the moved form icon 2 belongs. Release of the group means release of the grouping of all form data belonging to that group. In other words, the information processing device 20 releases the group to which the form icon 2D belongs and the group to which the form icon 2E and the form icon 2F belong.

[0141] Fig. 13(D) shows the form icons 2 shown in Fig. 13(C) regrouped in the order after they have been moved. The form icons 2A and 2B are grouped together. Similarly, the form icons 2C and 2F, the form icons 2D and 2E, and the form icons 2G and 2H are each grouped together.

[0142] Fig. 14 is an example showing the start position of regrouping by the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 20 sets the first form data among the form data that belongs to the group immediately before the first form data among the ungrouped form data as the start position. The information processing device 20 groups the form data at the start position and subsequent data. Fig. 14 is a diagram corresponding to the processes from step S210 to step S270 described above.

[0143] Figure 14(A) shows form data B1, form data B2, an unknown form, and form data C1 lined up. Form data B1 and form data B2 are grouped as group B. The head of the ungrouped form data is the unknown form. The group immediately before the unknown form is group B to which form data B2 belongs. The head form data of group B is form data B1. Therefore, in Figure 14(A), the starting position of grouping is form data B1.

[0144] Fig. 14(B) shows form data C2, form data C1, an unknown form, and form data C3 lined up. These form data are not grouped. The head of the ungrouped form data is form data C2. There is no group immediately preceding form data C2. Therefore, in Fig. 14(B), the starting position of grouping is form data C2.

[0145] Figure 14(C) shows form data A1, form data B2, form data B1, and form data D1 arranged in a row. Form data A1 is grouped as group A. Form data B2 and form data B1 are grouped as group B. The first of the ungrouped form data is form data D1. The group immediately before form data D1 is group B to which form data B1 belongs. The first form data in group B is form data B2. Therefore, in Figure 14(C), the starting position of grouping is form data B2.

[0146] Fig. 15 is an example showing grouping of form data whose exclusion flag is ON in the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. Fig. 15 shows how form data C1, form data C2, an unknown form, form data C3, and form data B1 are arranged in this order. Fig. 15 corresponds to the process of step S320 described above.

[0147] An arrow Y18 indicates a process of turning the exclusion flag ON. The information processing device 20 accepts an operation to change the exclusion flag of an unknown form and turns the exclusion flag ON. An operation to change the exclusion flag is, for example, an operation in which the user selects "Exclude" in the attribute candidate display area 306 in Fig. 11. Note that the information processing device 20 may display an x ​​mark on the form icon 2 of form data whose exclusion flag is ON, for example.

[0148] An arrow Y20 indicates a grouping process. The form data C1, C2, C3, and B1, whose exclusion flags are OFF, are the targets of grouping. The information processing device 20 groups the form data C1, C2, and C3 into group C.

[0149] 16 is an example showing the behavior of the move forward button and the move next button of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The non-grouped form icons 2 are sequentially focused on. For example, the information processing device 20 thickens the outline of the focused form icon 2.

[0150] Fig. 16(A) shows a line of multiple form icons 2. Of the lined up form icons 2, the form icons 2 that are not grouped are, in order, form icon 2I, form icon 2J, and form icon 2K. In Fig. 16(A), none of the form icons 2 are focused.

[0151] Fig. 16(B) shows how the next ungrouped form icon 2 is focused by clicking the move to next button 204B for the form icon 2 shown in Fig. 16(A). Since none of the form icons 2 are focused in Fig. 16(A), the first form icon 2I among the ungrouped form icons 2 is focused.

[0152] Fig. 16(C) shows how the next ungrouped form icon 2 is focused by clicking the move to next button 204B for the form icon 2 shown in Fig. 16(B). Since the form icon 2I is focused in Fig. 16(B), the next ungrouped form icon 2, that is, the form icon 2J, is focused.

[0153] Fig. 16(D) shows how the previous ungrouped form icon 2 is focused by clicking the move forward button 204A for the form icon 2 shown in Fig. 16(C). Since the form icon 2J is focused in Fig. 16(C), the previous ungrouped form icon 2, that is, the form icon 2I, is focused.

[0154] Fig. 17 is an example showing a method of collectively expressing a group of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. In Fig. 17, the form data B1, form data B2, and form data A1 are arranged in this order. The form data B1 and form data B2 are grouped. The form data A1 is also grouped. Fig. 17 shows how these form data and groups are displayed in the form display area 300 using the form icon 2 and group area 4.

[0155] 17A, the background of a continuous area is displayed for each group area 4. The information processing device 20 may color the group areas 4. Furthermore, the information processing device 20 may assign a color to each group area 4.

[0156] In FIG. 17(B), the form icons 2 are colored in different colors for each group.

[0157] In FIG. 17(C), a partition is placed between the groups.

[0158] In FIG. 17(D), the layout intervals of form icons 2 that belong to the same group are set shorter than the layout intervals of form icons 2 that do not belong to the same group.

[0159] In FIG. 17(E), form icons 2 are displayed overlapping each other for each group.

[0160] 18 is an example of a group display of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 20 does not display the form icon 2 that belongs to an adjacent group only to the group.

[0161] In Fig. 18(A), form data A1, form data C1, form data C2, form data C3, form data B1, form data B2, an attachment, form data D1, and form data D2 are arranged. Form data A1 is grouped as group A. Form data C1, form data C2, and form data C3 are grouped as group C. Form data B1 and form data B2 are grouped as group B. Fig. 18(A) shows how these form data and groups are displayed in the form display area 300 using form icons 2 and group area 4.

[0162] In Figure 18 (B), for the form icons 2 shown in Figure 18 (A), the form icons 2 belonging to group A or group C are not displayed. Here, group A is adjacent to group C only. Also, group C is adjacent to group A and group B. Group B is adjacent to group C and attachments. Therefore, groups A and C are groups adjacent to groups only. The information processing device 20 does not display form icons 2 belonging to group A or group C, namely form data A1, form data C1, form data C2, and form data C3.

[0163] 19 is an example showing a change screen 400 on the display unit 16 of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment. The change screen 400 has a form icon 2, various buttons, and various display areas.

[0164] The various buttons are a previous turn button 406A, a next turn button 406B, and a decision button 408. The various display areas are a form definition information selection area 402 and a form definition information display area 404. The various buttons correspond to click operations using a mouse serving as the input unit 15.

[0165] The form definition information selection area 402 is an area that displays the definitions of groups that have been registered in advance. The information processing device 20 accepts the selection of a group definition by the user and displays the contents in the form definition information display area 404. The form definition information selection area 402 displays, for example, groups A, B, C, and D as options. Fig. 19 shows the state in which the definition of group B has been selected.

[0166] The form definition information display area 404 is an area that displays the contents of the definition of the selected group. The contents of the group definition are, for example, images corresponding to the form types defined in the group. In Fig. 19, the state where the contents of the definition of group B are displayed is shown.

[0167] When the user clicks the previous page button 406A or the next page button 406B, the information processing device 20 sequentially switches and displays the form icon 2. In addition, in Fig. 19, the form icon 2 represents an image corresponding to the form data.

[0168] When the user clicks the decision button 408, the information processing device 20 makes a change to add the definition of the selected group to the form definition information 100. Then, the information processing device 20 regroups based on the changed form definition information 100. By changing the form definition information 100, it may become unnecessary to re-read the image data information.

[0169] Fig. 20 is an example showing regrouping based on the form definition information 100 after the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment has been changed. In Fig. 20, groups A and B are defined in the form definition information 100. In Fig. 20, form data C1 and form data C3 are arranged in order, but since group C is not defined in the form definition information 100, it is arranged as an unknown form.

[0170] An arrow Y22 indicates a grouping process. Since group C is not defined in the form definition information 100, it is listed as an unknown form.

[0171] Arrow Y24 indicates a process of regrouping by modifying the form definition information 100. The modification to the form definition information 100 is a modification to add a definition of group C to the form definition information 100. Since group C is defined in the modified form definition information 100, these unknown forms are arranged as form data C1 and form data C3.

[0172] [remarks] The signature request device 1 of the present embodiment has been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. Various improvements and modifications are possible.

[0173] The grouping algorithm is not limited to step S140 in Fig. 4. Similarly, the form definition information 100 is not limited to the description in Fig. 7. For example, the information processing device 20 may define a plurality of identical form types into a group, or may define a group by form type rather than by form type. Similarly, the grouping process is not limited to the description in Figs. 8 and 9.

[0174] The presence of attachments does not necessarily require zero or more attachments to be grouped. For example, the information processing device 20 may require one attachment to be grouped. In this case, in FIG. 9C, the form data D1 and the form data D2 are not grouped because they do not have enough attachments.

[0175] 11, the information processing device 20 may accept a change in the attributes of grouped form data. When the grouped form data is changed, the information processing device 20 may cancel the grouping of the group to which the form data belongs. When the grouping of the group is canceled, the information processing device 20 deletes the group area 4.

[0176] 13, the change operation is not limited to drag-and-drop. The information processing device 20 may accept, for example, an input of a numerical value as a serial number.

[0177] 14, the information processing device 20 may always set the start position of grouping to the first form data. Also, the information processing device 20 may set the start position to the first form data among the form data belonging to the group that is a predetermined number of minutes before the first form data.

[0178] The above-mentioned processing can also be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit. In this case, it may be executed by a single piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware.

[0179] In the above embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0180] In addition, the operations of the processor in the above embodiment may be performed not only by one processor but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. The order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in the above embodiment, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0181] The program for operating the information processing device 20 may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a flexible disk, or a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded in the computer-readable recording medium is usually transferred to and stored in a memory or storage. The program may be provided as a standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of each device of the information processing device 20 as one function of the information processing device 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0182] 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J, 2K Report Icons 4 Group Area 10 Reporting System 20 Information processing device 40 Client terminals 60 Input Devices 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D Report definition information 200 List screen 202 Reclassification button 204A Move forward button 204B Next button 206 Operation Button 208 OK button 210 Unknown document count display area 212 Ungrouped report data count display area 300 Report display area 302 Attribute display area 304 Attribute Change Button 306 Attribute candidate display area 308 Scrollbar 400 Change Screen 402 Form definition information selection area 404 Form definition information display area 406A Front flip button 406B Next page button 408 Decision button

Claims

1. A processor is provided. The processor, When a plurality of form data having form attributes are grouped based on form definition information that defines groups according to the attributes, Accepting a change in the attribute for the ungrouped form data; regrouping the form data based on the changed attributes and the form definition information; Information processing device.

2. The processor, The serial number, which is one of the attributes, is assigned in the order of arrangement of the form data; Grouping the form data in the order of the serial numbers. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The processor, regrouping the ungrouped form data subsequent to the first ungrouped form data in the sorting order among the ungrouped form data; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The processor, regrouping the first form data and subsequent forms among the form data belonging to the group immediately preceding the first ungrouped form data; The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The processor, Displaying the form data in a list, Accepting changes to the attributes of the ungrouped form data in the list; The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The processor, displaying the form data belonging to the same group together; The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The processor, The form data belonging to the adjacent group is not displayed only in the group.

7. The information processing device according to claim 5 or 6.

8. the attribute includes information indicating that the form data is an attachment; The processor, the form data is grouped based on the form definition information that defines the presence or absence of the attached file for each group; The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The processor, The form data, the type of which is one of the attributes, is unknown, is regarded as the attachment file and is grouped. The information processing device according to claim 8.

10. The processor, Accepting a change to an exclusion flag, which is one of the attributes; regrouping the form data whose exclusion flag is OFF; The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The processor, Accepts attribute changes to grouped report data, ungrouping the group to which the form data for which the change has been accepted belongs; The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. When a plurality of form data having form attributes are grouped based on form definition information that defines groups according to the attributes, Accepting a change in the attribute for the ungrouped form data; regrouping the form data based on the changed attributes and the form definition information; An information processing program for causing a computer to execute processing.

Images