Information processing device and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processor and an information processing program that can easily avoid the competition that more than one person will make to seal a sealing region.SOLUTION: An information processor 10 includes: a reception unit 11A for receiving the specification of a sealing possible person who can seal a plurality of regions of a document; and a presentation unit 11B for presenting a printer a sealing region that the printer can seal as a sealing region in a different condition from those of the other sealing regions when a printer who prints a document to print is a sealing possible person for at least one of the plurality of sealing regions and the sealing region has not been sealed by other sealing possible persons.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a file management system including an image processing device and a management device that manages files, with the aim of providing a mechanism for making file updates by multiple people more efficient.

[0003] In this file management system, the image processing device includes a file selection means for selecting a first file to be edited and a user selection means for selecting multiple users to edit the first file. The image processing device also includes a designation means for designating a location in the first file to be edited by the selected user, and a check-out instruction means for accepting a check-out instruction to edit the first file with the selected user. Furthermore, the file management system includes a transmission control means for the image processing device to transmit a check-out request including file identification information of the first file, the multiple users, and location information in the first file.

[0004] The file management system also includes a reception control unit configured to receive a check-out request including file identification information of the first file, the plurality of users, and location information for the first file. The file management system also includes a generation unit configured to generate a plurality of second files from the first file corresponding to the file identification information according to the location information. The file management system also includes a check-out unit configured to check out the generated second files using the plurality of users.

[0005] On the other hand, there are currently electronic contract services available that allow electronic signatures, such as DocuSign (registered trademark) and CloudSign (registered trademark), making it possible for approval flows for electronic contracts and approval flows for paper contracts to coexist. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-164805 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is applied to the technology of an electronic contract service, although contracts can be edited efficiently, there is a problem in that multiple people may conflict with each other when stamping the same stamp area. Note that this problem is not limited to contracts, but can occur in all documents that require stamping for approval, such as instruction manuals, specifications, and design documents.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an information processing device and an information processing program that can prevent multiple people from competing to stamp a stamp area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing device of the first aspect is equipped with a processor that accepts designation of persons who are allowed to stamp multiple stamping areas in a document having multiple stamping areas, and when the document is printed, if the printer who performs the printing is a person who is allowed to stamp at least one of the multiple stamping areas and the corresponding stamping area has not yet been stamped by another person who is allowed to stamp, the processor presents the stamping area that the printer can stamp to the printer in a state different from the other stamping areas, and if the condition is not met, the processor does not present the stamping area.

[0010] In addition, the information processing device of the second aspect is an information processing device of the first aspect, in which the different state is a state in which the stamping area in which the printer can stamp is presented in an emphasized manner compared to the other stamping areas.

[0011] An information processing device according to a third aspect is the information processing device according to the second aspect, wherein the presentation is at least one of presentation by printing, presentation by display, and presentation by voice.

[0012] In addition, an information processing device according to a fourth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which, when the condition is not met, the processor presents to the printer at least one of information indicating the status regarding the condition and information indicating that processing for stamping is not required.

[0013] In addition, an information processing device according to a fifth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which, when the processor reads the document stamped by the printer and obtains stamped document information indicating the document, it cuts out an image focusing only on the stamped area stamped by the printer, and merges the cut-out image with the corresponding area of ​​the document information indicating the document.

[0014] In addition, the information processing device of the sixth aspect is an information processing device of the fifth aspect, in which the processor controls the information processing device to store information indicating that the stamping area that was the subject of the merging has already been stamped after performing the merging.

[0015] In addition, an information processing device according to a seventh aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, in which the processor notifies another person who is capable of stamping in the corresponding stamping area of ​​instruction information indicating that, when the stamping work by the printer is stopped or interrupted, the processor instructs the other person who is capable of stamping in the corresponding stamping area to perform the stamping work corresponding to the stamping area.

[0016] In addition, an information processing device according to an eighth aspect is an information processing device according to the seventh aspect, in which the processor notifies the instruction information after a predetermined period of time has elapsed if the printing person's stamping work is interrupted.

[0017] In addition, the information processing device of the 9th aspect is an information processing device of the 7th or 8th aspect, in which, when the printing person's stamping work is stopped or interrupted and there is no other person who is capable of stamping in the corresponding stamping area, the processor notifies the printing person of information indicating at least one of the following: that the printing work in the stamping area should be continued, and that the stamping work cannot be taken over by another person who is capable of stamping.

[0018] In addition, an information processing device according to a tenth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, in which the processor presents the printer with information indicating that the printing has already been completed when the printer attempts to print the document again and the document is currently being stamped by the printer.

[0019] In addition, an information processing device according to an 11th aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the 1st to 10th aspects, in which the processor notifies the accepted person who is permitted to stamp that they are permitted to stamp the corresponding stamp area.

[0020] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the information processing program of the 12th aspect accepts the designation of a person who is allowed to stamp multiple stamp areas in a document having multiple stamp areas, and when the document is printed, if the condition that the printer who performs the printing is a person who is allowed to stamp at least one of the multiple stamp areas and the corresponding stamp area has not yet been stamped by another person who is allowed to stamp is met, the stamp area that the printer can stamp is presented to the printer in a state different from the other stamp areas, and if the condition is not met, the presentation is not made. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the first and twelfth aspects, it is possible to avoid competition between a plurality of people to stamp the stamp area.

[0022] According to the second aspect, it is possible to more reliably avoid conflicts between stamping by a plurality of people compared to when the stamping area in which the printing person can stamp is not emphasized compared to the other stamping areas.

[0023] According to the third aspect, when presentation by printing is applied, presentation can be performed by the same image forming apparatus as the image forming apparatus that prints the document, so presentation can be performed more easily than when presentation by display or presentation by audio is applied. Also, according to the third aspect, when presentation by display or presentation by audio is applied, there is no need to use the image forming apparatus that prints the document for presentation, so an increase in the load due to presentation by the image forming apparatus can be avoided.

[0024] According to the fourth aspect, when the above conditions are not met, convenience can be improved compared to when the printer is not presented with at least one of information indicating the status regarding the conditions and information indicating that processing for stamping is not required.

[0025] According to the fifth aspect, an image of a seal can be merged with document information indicating a document.

[0026] According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to more easily determine whether the above condition is met compared to when information indicating that the stamping area to be merged has already been stamped is not stored.

[0027] According to the seventh aspect, when the printing person's stamping work is stopped or interrupted, other stamp-enabled persons who are able to stamp in the corresponding stamping area can be allowed to stamp more reliably than when they are not instructed to perform the stamping work corresponding to that stamping area.

[0028] According to the eighth aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent unnecessary work from occurring, compared to when the instruction information is immediately notified when the printing operator's stamping work is interrupted.

[0029] According to the ninth aspect, the printing person can more reliably stamp compared to when the printing person is not notified of information indicating at least one of the following: that the printing work in the stamping area must be continued, and that the stamping work cannot be taken over by another person who is permitted to stamp.

[0030] According to the tenth aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent unnecessary printing of a document compared to when information indicating that printing has already been completed is not presented to the person performing printing.

[0031] According to the eleventh aspect, the accepted person who is permitted to stamp can more reliably stamp compared to when the person is not notified that they are permitted to stamp in the corresponding stamp area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a document information database according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a document to be stamped according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a region information database according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an assignment process according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of an initial information input screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of an assignment information input screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of an assignment information input screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transition of a region information database according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print correspondence process according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating an example of a no-printing notification screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a no-sealing notification screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a print confirmation screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of guide information according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transition of a region information database according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a stamping interruption process according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a proxy seal request screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a continuation instruction screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a merging process according to the embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a document to be stamped after a stamp image according to an embodiment has been merged; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a contract is used as the document according to the present invention, and the present invention is applied to a case where the content of the contract is approved and a seal is placed in the seal area of ​​the contract, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, other documents that require a seal for approval, such as instruction manuals, specifications, and design documents, may also be used as the document according to the present invention.

[0034] In this invention, the "sealing work" includes not only the work of sealing itself, but also the work leading up to the sealing. For example, in this embodiment, since a contract is used as the document, the sealing work also includes the work of checking the contractual text written in the contract. Furthermore, for example, if an instruction manual or the like is used as the document, the sealing work also includes the work of editing the instruction manual or the like.

[0035] First, the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0036] 1, an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes an information processing device 10, a plurality of terminal devices 50A, 50B, etc., a server 80, and a plurality of image processing devices 90A, 90B, etc. In the following, when the terminal devices 50A, 50B, etc. are described without distinction, they will be collectively referred to simply as "terminal device 50." In the following, when the image processing devices 90A, 90B, etc. are described without distinction, they will be collectively referred to simply as "image processing device 90."

[0037] Examples of the information processing device 10, the terminal device 50, and the server 80 include various computers such as personal computers and server computers. In this embodiment, a digital multifunction peripheral having an image printing function, an image reading function, an image transmission function, etc. is applied as the image processing device 90. However, this is not limited to this, and other image processing devices, such as an image processing device having only an image printing function and an image reading function, may also be applied as the image processing device 90.

[0038] Furthermore, the image processing devices 90A, 90B, etc. are not necessarily all of the same specifications, and may differ in the services they can execute, the configurable items for those services, or the optional items they are equipped with.

[0039] The information processing device 10, the terminal device 50, the server 80, and the image processing device 90 are connected via a network N, and the information processing device 10 and the terminal device 50 can communicate with the server 80 and each image processing device 90 via the network N. In this embodiment, the network N is a public communication line such as the Internet or a telephone network, but is not limited to this. For example, the network N may be an in-company communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a combination of these in-company communication lines and public communication lines. In this embodiment, the network N is a wired communication line, but is not limited to this. A wireless communication line or a combination of wired and wireless communication lines may be used.

[0040] 1, a server 80 according to this embodiment includes a storage unit 82, which stores a document information database 82A and an area information database 82B. The storage unit 82 is realized by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like. The document information database 82A and the area information database 82B will be described in detail below.

[0041] In addition, the image processing device 90 of this embodiment is equipped with a display unit 92, an image forming unit 94, and an image reading unit 96, and can display various information using the display unit 92, print various documents using the image forming unit 94, and read images of various documents using the image reading unit 96.

[0042] As described above, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment is applied to the task of approving the contract contents in a contract and stamping the stamping area of ​​the contract. The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is used by a person (hereinafter referred to as a "decider") who decides who can stamp (hereinafter referred to as a "person authorized to stamp") for each stamping area provided on various contracts. The terminal device 50 according to this embodiment is used by a predetermined person authorized to stamp.

[0043] Next, the configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0044] 2, an information processing device 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 as a processor, a memory 12 as a temporary storage area, a non-volatile storage unit 13, an input unit 14 such as a keyboard, a display unit 15 such as a liquid crystal display, a medium read / write device (R / W) 16, and a communication interface (I / F) unit 18. The CPU 11, memory 12, storage unit 13, input unit 14, display unit 15, medium read / write device 16, and communication I / F unit 18 are connected to one another via a bus B. The medium read / write device 16 reads information written in a recording medium 17 and writes information to the recording medium 17.

[0045] The storage unit 13 according to this embodiment is realized by an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 13 as a storage medium stores an assignment processing program 13A, a print corresponding processing program 13B, a stamping interruption processing program 13C, and a merging processing program 13D.

[0046] These programs are stored (installed) in the storage unit 13 by connecting the recording medium 17, on which the programs are written, to the medium reading and writing device 16, and the medium reading and writing device 16 reading the programs from the recording medium 17. The CPU 11 reads these programs from the storage unit 13 as appropriate, expands them in the memory 12, and sequentially executes the processes contained in the programs.

[0047] Next, a functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 10 includes a reception unit 11A, a presentation unit 11B, a cutout unit 11C, a merging unit 11D, a control unit 11E, and a notification unit 11F. The CPU 11 of the information processing device 10 executes the above programs to function as the reception unit 11A, the presentation unit 11B, the cutout unit 11C, the merging unit 11D, the control unit 11E, and the notification unit 11F.

[0048] The reception unit 11A according to this embodiment accepts the designation of persons who are permitted to stamp multiple stamp areas in a document having multiple stamp areas (in this embodiment, a contract, hereinafter referred to as the "document to be stamped"). Furthermore, the presentation unit 11B according to this embodiment determines whether the following conditions are met when the document to be stamped is printed: the printer who prints the document is permitted to stamp at least one of the multiple stamp areas, and the corresponding stamp area has not yet been stamped by another person who is permitted to stamp (hereinafter referred to as the "sealing availability condition"). If the stamping availability condition is met, the presentation unit 11B according to this embodiment presents the stamp area that the printer is permitted to stamp to the printer in a state different from the other stamp areas; if the stamping availability condition is not met, the presentation unit 11B does not present the stamp area. In the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the document to be sealed is printed by using the image forming unit 94 of any one of the image processing devices 90 in response to an instruction from the terminal device 50.

[0049] In particular, in this embodiment, the different state is a state in which the printing area where the printer can stamp is highlighted compared to other printing areas, but this is not limited to this. For example, a form in which information indicating that the printing area is not available for the printer (for example, an X mark, a - (hyphen), etc.) may be provided in the printing area where the printer cannot stamp.

[0050] Furthermore, when the conditions for enabling stamping are not met, the presenting unit 11B according to this embodiment presents to the person printing both information indicating the status regarding the conditions for enabling stamping and information indicating that processing for stamping is not required. However, this is not limited to this form, and when the conditions for enabling stamping are not met, it is also possible to present to the person printing only either information indicating the status regarding the conditions for enabling stamping or information indicating that processing for stamping is not required.

[0051] In addition, when a document to be stamped that has been stamped by a printer is read and stamped document information indicating the document to be stamped is obtained, the cutting unit 11C according to this embodiment cuts out an image of only the stamped area stamped by the printer.The merging unit 11D according to this embodiment then merges the cut-out image with the corresponding area of ​​the document information indicating the document to be stamped.In addition, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the document to be stamped is read using the image reading unit 96 by any of the image processing devices 90.

[0052] Furthermore, after performing the merging, the control unit 11E according to this embodiment controls to store information indicating that the stamping area targeted for the merging has been stamped. Note that in this embodiment, a case will be described in which the control unit 11E stores the information indicating that the stamping area has been stamped in the memory unit 82 of the server 80, but this is not limiting. For example, the information indicating that the stamping has been completed may be stored in the memory unit 13 of the information processing device 10.

[0053] Furthermore, the notification unit 11F in this embodiment notifies other stamp-enabled persons who are able to stamp in the corresponding stamping area of ​​instruction information indicating that, when the stamping work by the print person is stopped or interrupted, they should be instructed to perform the stamping work corresponding to the stamping area.

[0054] However, when the stamping work is interrupted, it is often the case that the stamping work is interrupted temporarily, for example, to attend a meeting or to take a break, unlike when the stamping work is stopped. Therefore, the notification unit 11F according to this embodiment is configured to notify the above instruction information when a predetermined period of time (15 minutes in this embodiment) has elapsed when the printing person's stamping work is interrupted.

[0055] Furthermore, in the case where the printing person's stamping work is stopped or interrupted and there is no other person who can stamp in the corresponding stamping area, the notification unit 11F according to this embodiment notifies the printing person of information indicating both that the printing work in the stamping area should be continued and that the stamping work cannot be taken over by another person who can stamp. However, this is not limited to this form, and it is also possible to use a form that presents only either that the printing work in the stamping area should be continued or that the stamping work cannot be taken over by another person who can stamp.

[0056] On the other hand, the presentation unit 11B in this embodiment presents information to the printer indicating that the printing has already been completed when the printer attempts to print the document to be stamped again and the document is currently being stamped by the printer.

[0057] Furthermore, the notification unit 11F according to this embodiment notifies the person permitted to seal who has been accepted by the acceptance unit 11A that he or she is permitted to seal the corresponding seal area.

[0058] In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the notification unit 11F notifies various pieces of information via the network N, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a wireless communication unit may be provided in the information processing device 10, while wireless communication units capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication unit may also be provided in the terminal device 50, the server 80, and the image processing device 90, and the notification unit 11F may notify various pieces of information via the wireless communication.

[0059] In addition, in the present embodiment, the presenting unit 11B presents the sealable area by printing using the image processing device 90, but this is not limiting. For example, in addition to presenting by printing, the sealable area may be presented by at least one of presentation by display using the display unit of the terminal device 50 or the display unit 92 of the image processing device 90, or presentation by sound using a speaker or the like provided in the terminal device 50.

[0060] Next, the document information database 82A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the document information database 82A according to this embodiment.

[0061] The document information database 82A in this embodiment is a database in which information regarding the above-mentioned documents to be stamped is registered, and as an example, as shown in Figure 4, the document ID (Identification) and each piece of document information is stored in association with each other.

[0062] The document ID is information that is assigned in advance to each document to be stamped, and is unique to each document to be stamped, in order to individually identify the corresponding document to be stamped. The document ID is information that indicates the corresponding document to be stamped itself.

[0063] Here, the document to be sealed 60 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a front view showing an example of the document to be sealed 60 according to this embodiment.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 5, the document to be sealed 60 according to this embodiment has an area in which a contract sentence, which is a sentence expressing the contract contents, is written, and also has two seal areas 60A and 60B in a partial area.

[0065] In this embodiment, the position where the seal area is provided is the upper end and the right end of the document to be sealed, but this is not limited thereto, and the position where the seal area is provided may be any position within the document to be sealed. Also, in Figure 5, the document to be sealed is illustrated as a document to be sealed 60 with two seal areas, but this is not limited thereto, and the document to be sealed may be a document to be sealed with three or more seal areas.

[0066] In the document information database 82A according to this embodiment, information indicating the document itself, which is the contract document, is stored as information indicating the document. In the following, we will explain the case where the document to be sealed, which has been assigned the document ID "A001", is the document to be sealed 60 shown in Figure 5.

[0067] Next, the region information database 82B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the region information database 82B according to this embodiment.

[0068] The area information database 82B in this embodiment is a database in which information regarding the stamping area of ​​each document to be stamped that is the target of application in the information processing system 1 is registered, and as an example, as shown in Figure 6, each piece of information regarding the document ID, area, flag, stamper, and person permitted to stamp is stored in association with each other.

[0069] The document ID is the same information as the document ID in the document information database 82A, and the area is information indicating the position of the stamp area provided in the corresponding document to be stamped. In this embodiment, a two-dimensional coordinate position with a predetermined position (in this embodiment, the position of the upper left corner) of the corresponding document to be stamped as the origin is used as the information indicating the position of the stamp area, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this. Also, in this embodiment, the shape (in this embodiment, rectangular) and size of the stamp area are predetermined, and the center position of the corresponding stamp area is used as the two-dimensional coordinate position, but it goes without saying that this is not limited to this.

[0070] On the other hand, the flag is information indicating the status of the stamping work for the corresponding stamping area, and in this embodiment, any one of three types of information, "before stamping work," "in progress of stamping work," and "stamping work completed," is selectively stored. Note that in the example shown in Figure 6, "before stamping work" is registered as default information indicating the flag for all stamping areas in all documents to be stamped.

[0071] Furthermore, the above-mentioned stamper is information indicating a person who is currently stamping or has completed stamping in the corresponding stamping area, and the above-mentioned authorized stamper is information indicating a person who has the authority to stamp in the corresponding stamping area. Note that in the example shown in Figure 6, "-" is stored as default information indicating each of the above-mentioned stamper and authorized stamper for all stamping areas in all documents to be stamped.

[0072] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 22, the operation of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described, focusing on the operation of the information processing device 10 that plays a central role in the information processing system 1. FIG.

[0073] First, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11, the operation of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment when executing the assignment process will be described. As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the decision maker determines the authorized seal maker who has the authority to seal the seal area of ​​the document to be sealed. The assignment process is a process executed when the decision maker determines the authorized seal maker, and is executed by the CPU 11 of the information processing device 10 executing the assignment process program 13A when the decision maker inputs an instruction to start the assignment process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the assignment process according to this embodiment. Note that, in order to avoid confusion, the case will be described where the document information database 82A has already been constructed and the area information database 82B is constructed in a default state.

[0074] In step 100 of Fig. 7, CPU 11 controls display unit 15 to display an initial information input screen having a predetermined configuration. In step 102, CPU 11 waits until predetermined information is input. Fig. 8 shows an example of the initial information input screen according to this embodiment.

[0075] 8, the initial information input screen according to this embodiment displays a message prompting the user to select the document to be stamped for processing. Also, the initial information input screen according to this embodiment displays information representing the document to be stamped that is registered in the document information database 82A in a state that allows the user to select it.

[0076] 8 is displayed on the display unit 15, the decision maker specifies a display area for information representing the document to be stamped and to be processed via the input unit 14. When the display area is specified by the decision maker, the determination in step 102 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step 104.

[0077] In step 104, CPU 11 reads information (hereinafter referred to as "processing target document information") indicating the document to be stamped (hereinafter referred to as "processing target document") designated by the decision maker from document information database 82A. In step 106, CPU 11 reads information (hereinafter referred to as "processing target area information") indicating the area corresponding to the processing target document from area information database 82B.

[0078] In step 108, CPU 11 controls display unit 15 to display an assignment information input screen having a predetermined configuration using the read processing target document information and processing target area information. In step 110, CPU 11 waits until predetermined information is input. Figure 9 shows an example of an assignment information input screen according to this embodiment.

[0079] 9, the assignment information input screen according to this embodiment displays a message prompting the user to specify who is allowed to stamp each stamp area. Also, the assignment information input screen according to this embodiment displays the target document indicated by the read target document information in a state where each stamp area can be specified.

[0080] 9 is displayed on the display unit 15, the decision maker specifies the stamping area to be designated as the target of the person permitted to stamp via the input unit 14. In response to the designation of this stamping area, the CPU 11 displays, as shown in FIG. 10 as an example, a speech bubble 15A with the stamping area as the origin, in a state in which the person permitted to stamp for the stamping area can be input.

[0081] Therefore, the decision maker inputs the persons permitted to stamp into the displayed speech bubble 15A for all desired stamping areas via the input unit 14. Then, when the decision maker has finished inputting the persons permitted to stamp for all desired stamping areas, the decision maker selects the end button 15D via the input unit 14. When the end button 15D is selected by the decision maker, the processing of step 110 becomes positive, and the process proceeds to step 112. Note that FIG. 10 illustrates a state in which the decision maker has selected the stamping area on the left side, and three employees S1, S2, and S3 have been input as persons permitted to stamp into the speech bubble 15A corresponding to that stamping area.

[0082] In step 112, the CPU 11 stores (registers) the persons permitted to seal input by the decider on the assignment information input screen in the corresponding storage area of ​​the person permitted to seal in the area information database 82B. In step 114, the CPU 11 notifies all persons permitted to seal input by the decider that they are permitted to seal the corresponding seal areas, and then ends the assignment process. Note that in this embodiment, the notification is sent directly to the terminal device 50 used by the person permitted to seal by email via the network N, but this is not limited to this. For example, the notification may be sent indirectly via the server 80, or may be sent using a tool other than email, such as a messaging service such as +Message (registered trademark) or LINE (registered trademark).

[0083] 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the transition of the area information database 82B according to this embodiment. As an example, as shown in FIG. 11, by the above assignment process, information indicating the person authorized to stamp is registered in the memory area of ​​the area information database 82B for each stamp area provided in the document to be processed.

[0084] Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 to 17, the operation of the printing-ready process executed in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, when a document to be stamped is printed, various processes are executed depending on whether the stamping conditions are met. The printing-ready process is executed by the CPU 11 of the information processing device 10 executing the printing-ready process program 13B when an instruction to print a document to be stamped is issued from any terminal device 50 to any image processing device 90. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the printing-ready process according to this embodiment. Note that this description is given assuming that a document information database 82A has been constructed and the area information database 82B is in the state shown in FIG. 11, i.e., a state in which a person authorized to stamp is registered.

[0085] 12, the CPU 11 identifies the person who instructed the printing of the document to be sealed (hereinafter referred to as the "printer"). The printer can be identified by identifying the terminal device 50 that instructed the printing of the document to be sealed (hereinafter referred to as the "print instruction terminal device").

[0086] In step 202, the CPU 11 identifies the document to be stamped that has been instructed to be printed. The document to be stamped can be identified by identifying the document to be stamped that has been specified in the print instruction terminal device when instructing to print the document to be stamped.

[0087] In step 204, CPU 11 reads information (hereinafter referred to as "print target document information") indicating the identified document to be stamped (hereinafter referred to as "print target document") from document information database 82A. Also in step 204, CPU 11 reads information (hereinafter referred to as "print target area information") indicating the area, flag, sealer, and authorized sealer corresponding to the print target document from area information database 82B.

[0088] In step 206, the CPU 11 uses the read-out printing area information to determine whether or not there is a stamping area in the document to be printed where the identified printer is allowed to stamp, and if the determination is negative, proceeds to step 208.

[0089] In step 208, the CPU 11 controls the print instruction terminal device to display a print-not-necessary notification screen having a predetermined configuration, and then ends the print support process. Fig. 13 shows an example of the print-not-necessary notification screen according to this embodiment.

[0090] 13, the print-free notification screen according to this embodiment displays a message indicating that the document cannot be stamped and that printing is unnecessary. Therefore, by referring to the print-free notification screen, the user can understand that the document to be printed that the user is attempting to print does not require the user's stamp and does not need to be printed.

[0091] On the other hand, if the determination in step 206 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 210. In step 210, the CPU 11 uses the print target area information to determine whether or not there is a stamp area provided in the document to be printed in which the printer is designated as a person who is permitted to stamp and for which the flag "before stamping" is registered. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 212.

[0092] In step 212, the CPU 11 controls the print instruction terminal device to display a predetermined screen indicating that no seal is required, using the print target document information and the print target area information, and then ends the print support process. Figure 14 shows an example of the screen indicating that no seal is required according to this embodiment.

[0093] 14, the no-seal notification screen according to this embodiment displays a message indicating that the document to be printed has been stamped or is in the process of being stamped, and that no seal is required. Therefore, the user can understand that the document to be printed does not require the user's seal and the reason for this.

[0094] Furthermore, on the no-sealing presentation screen according to this embodiment, each stamping area in the document to be printed is displayed as an image, and information set as a flag ("Sealing completed" or "Sealing in progress") and the stamper are displayed in association with the image. Therefore, by referring to the no-sealing presentation screen, the person printing the document can grasp the stamper and the stamping status for each stamping area in the document to be printed.

[0095] On the other hand, if the determination in step 210 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 214. In step 214, the CPU 11 determines whether the printing of the current document to be printed is the first time for the printer, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 222, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the determination in step 214 is negative, the process proceeds to step 216.

[0096] In step 216, the CPU 11 controls the print instruction terminal device to display a print confirmation screen with a predetermined configuration. In step 218, the CPU 11 waits until predetermined information is input. Figure 15 shows an example of the print confirmation screen according to this embodiment.

[0097] As shown in Fig. 15, the print confirmation screen according to this embodiment displays a message indicating that the document to be printed has already been printed and prompting the user to input an instruction as to whether or not to print it again. Therefore, the user can understand that the document to be printed that the user is attempting to print has already been printed. The user then selects the Print button 52A if the user wishes to print the document again, or the Do Not Print button 52B if the user does not wish to print it. In response to this selection, step 218 is judged to be positive, and the process proceeds to step 220.

[0098] In step 220, CPU 11 determines whether the user has selected print button 52A, thereby determining whether to print the document to be printed. If the determination is negative, CPU 11 assumes that the user has selected non-print button 52B, and ends this print processing. On the other hand, if the determination is positive in step 220, CPU 11 proceeds to step 222.

[0099] In step 222, the CPU 11 controls the image processing device 90, which the user has instructed to print the document to be printed, so that the image processing device 90 prints the document to be printed and guide information with a predetermined configuration, using the read-out document information and print area information. In response to this control, the image processing device 90 prints the document to be printed and the guide information. Figure 16 shows an example of guide information 62 according to this embodiment.

[0100] As shown in Fig. 16, the guide information 62 according to this embodiment prints the same information as the document to be printed, but the seal areas in the document to be printed that the printer can seal are printed in a different state from the other seal areas. In particular, the guide information 62 according to this embodiment prints the seal areas that the printer can seal in emphasized compared to the other seal areas. Therefore, by referring to the printed guide information 62, the printer can easily understand the seal areas that he or she should seal.

[0101] In this case, there may be multiple seal areas where the printer can stamp, but in this embodiment, a contract is used as the document, and each of the multiple seal areas is intended to be stamped by a different person who can stamp. Therefore, in this embodiment, any one of the multiple seal areas is selectively applied. In this case, although it is possible to select any one seal area, in this embodiment, the seal areas are applied one by one from the left or right side in accordance with the conventional chronological order of seals for contracts.

[0102] 16, only the stamping area that the printer can stamp is surrounded by a thick line 64 to emphasize the stamping area, but this is not limited to this. For example, only the stamping area that the printer can stamp may be printed in a different color or size from the other stamping areas to emphasize the stamping area that the printer can stamp.

[0103] In step 224, the CPU 11 stores (registers) in the area information database 82B the information "stamping in progress" as a flag corresponding to the stamping area in the document to be printed where the printer can stamp, and also stores (registers) information indicating the printer as the stamper corresponding to the stamping area, and then terminates this printing response process.

[0104] 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the transition of the area information database 82B according to this embodiment. As an example, as shown in FIG. 17, by the above printing correspondence process, the area information database 82B registers flags corresponding to the stamping area in the stamping area provided in the document to be printed where the printing person will perform the stamping work, and information on the stamping person.

[0105] Next, with reference to Figs. 18 to 20, the operation of executing the stamping interruption process in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, when the printing person's stamping work is stopped or interrupted, another person who is permitted to stamp in the corresponding stamping area is instructed to perform the stamping work corresponding to that stamping area. The stamping interruption process is executed by the CPU 11 of the information processing device 10 executing the stamping interruption process program 13C when a request to stop or interrupt the stamping work is made from any of the terminal devices 50 used by the person permitted to stamp. Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the stamping interruption process according to this embodiment.

[0106] 18, the CPU 11 identifies the person authorized to affix a seal who has applied to stop or suspend the sealing work (hereinafter referred to as the "applicant"). The applicant can be identified by identifying the terminal device 50 used to make the application (hereinafter referred to as the "application terminal device").

[0107] In step 302, the CPU 11 identifies the document to be stamped that is the subject of the stamping work for which the request to stop or suspend has been made. The document to be stamped can be identified by identifying the document to be stamped that was instructed to be printed by the request terminal device from the person authorized to stamp who made the request immediately before the request was made.

[0108] In step 304, CPU 11 identifies the stamping area that is the target of the stamping work that the applicant has stopped or interrupted (hereinafter referred to as the "application target stamping area"). The application target stamping area can be identified by searching area information database 82B for information indicating the stamping area that corresponds to the stamping target document identified by the processing of step 302, has a flag set to "stamping work in progress," and is registered as the corresponding stamping person.

[0109] In step 306, the CPU 11 determines whether or not an interruption has been requested by the applicant. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 310, whereas if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step 308.

[0110] In step 308, CPU 11 waits until a predetermined period of time (15 minutes in this embodiment) has elapsed. In step 310, CPU 11 reads from area information database 82B all information indicating persons authorized to stamp that corresponds to the document to be stamped identified by the processing in step 302 and that corresponds to the applied-for stamping area (hereinafter referred to as "authorized stamping person information").

[0111] In step 312, the CPU 11 determines whether or not there are any persons who are permitted to seal other than the applicant (hereinafter referred to as "alternate persons") among the persons who are permitted to seal indicated by the read-out information on persons who are permitted to seal, and if the determination is positive, proceeds to step 314.

[0112] In step 314, the CPU 11 controls the terminal device 50 used by the substitute to display a proxy seal request screen (corresponding to the instruction information described above) with a predetermined configuration, and then terminates the seal suspension process. Figure 19 shows an example of the proxy seal request screen according to this embodiment.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 19, the proxy stamping request screen according to this embodiment displays a message indicating that the stamping work has been interrupted and that a substitute stamping work is being instructed. Furthermore, the proxy stamping request screen according to this embodiment displays information indicating the target document and information indicating the target stamping area. Therefore, a person who is permitted to stamp (substitute) who refers to the proxy stamping request screen can easily understand that a substitute stamping work needs to be performed and the target of the stamping work, and will take over the stamping work.

[0114] On the other hand, if the determination in step 312 is negative, the process proceeds to step 316, where the CPU 11 controls the application terminal device to display a continuation instruction screen having a predetermined configuration, and then ends the stamping interruption process. Figure 20 shows an example of the continuation instruction screen according to this embodiment.

[0115] As shown in Fig. 20, the continuation instruction screen according to this embodiment displays a message indicating that there is no one available to stamp the application target stamping area and instructing the continuation of the stamping work. Therefore, the applicant can understand that there is no one available to stamp the application target stamping area on his / her behalf and that the stamping work needs to be continued, thereby avoiding the occurrence of a situation where the stamping of the application target stamping area is not performed for a long time.

[0116] Next, with reference to Figs. 21 and 22, the operation of executing merging processing in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, when a document to be stamped that has been stamped by a printer is read and stamped document information is obtained, an image of the seal area stamped by the printer is merged with a corresponding area of ​​document information indicating the document to be stamped. The merging processing is performed by the CPU 11 of the information processing device 10 executing the merging processing program 13D when a document to be stamped is read using the image reading unit 96 of any image processing device 90. Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of merging processing according to this embodiment.

[0117] In step 400 of Fig. 21, the CPU 11 identifies the person authorized to seal (hereinafter referred to as "reader") who read the document to be sealed. The reader can be identified by identifying the person who is currently logged in to the image processing device 90 that read the document to be sealed.

[0118] In step 402, the CPU 11 identifies the document that has been read and is to be stamped (hereinafter referred to as the "document to be read"). The document to be read can be identified by searching the area information database 82B for a document in which the flag "sealing in progress" is registered and the reader is registered as the person who will stamp it.

[0119] In step 404, CPU 11 identifies the stamped area in the document to be read where the reader has stamped (hereinafter referred to as the "sealed stamped area"). The stamped stamped area can be identified by searching the area information database 82B for an area where the flag "sealing in progress" is registered and the reader is registered as the stamper.

[0120] In step 406, CPU 11 extracts image information (hereinafter referred to as "seal image") of an area corresponding to the identified stamped seal area from the image information (corresponding to the stamped document information described above) obtained by reading the document to be read. In step 408, CPU 11 merges the extracted stamp image into the corresponding position of information indicating the document stored in document information database 82A that corresponds to the identified document to be read (hereinafter referred to as "original document information"). In step 410, CPU 11 stores (registers) information indicating "sealed" as a flag corresponding to the stamped seal area in the document to be read in area information database 82B, and then terminates the merging process. Note that in this embodiment, overwriting storage is used as the merging process, but this is not limiting. For example, the merging process may be a process of storing the extracted stamp image in association with the original document information.

[0121] An example of a document (hereinafter referred to as "original document") 70 indicated by the original document information after the stamp image according to this embodiment has been merged is shown in Fig. 22. As shown in Fig. 22, the above-described merging process results in the original document 70 being superimposed with a stamp image 72, i.e., an image showing the seal impression.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the case where the document to be sealed is printed by instructing the image processing device 90 to print the document to be sealed from the terminal device 50 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the document to be sealed may be printed by instructing the image processing device 90 directly to print the document to be sealed without using the terminal device 50. In this case, the person who printed the document can be identified using information input by logging in to the image processing device 90.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the assignment process, the print response process, the stamping interruption process, and the merging process are performed by the information processing device 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image processing device 90 may perform each of the above processes, or the server 80 may perform each of the above processes.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the case where various databases are registered in the server 80 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, various databases may be registered in the information processing device 10, or in another device accessible from the information processing device 10, such as the image processing device 90.

[0125] Although the embodiments have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and such modifications and improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0126] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments do not limit the inventions described in the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. The above-described embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by combining the multiple disclosed constituent elements. Even if some constituent elements are deleted from all of the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, as long as the effect is still obtained, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0128] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the information processing is implemented by a software configuration using a computer by executing a program, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the information processing may be implemented by a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

[0129] Furthermore, the configuration of the information processing device 10 described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and it goes without saying that unnecessary parts may be deleted or new parts may be added within the scope of the present invention.

[0130] Furthermore, the flow of each process described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and it goes without saying that unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order of processes may be changed, within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1. Information Processing Systems 10. Information processing equipment 11 CPU 11A Reception 11B Presentation section 11C Cutout part 11D Merging Section 11E Control Unit 11F Notification Department 12 Memory 13 Storage section 13A Assignment Processing Program 13B Printing Processing Program 13C Stamping interruption processing program 13D Merging Processing Program 14 Input section 15 Display section 15A Speech bubble 16 Media reading and writing device 17 Recording Media 18 Communication I / F section 50 Terminal Equipment 60 Documents to be stamped 60A Printing area 60B Imprinting area 62 Guide Information 64 thick line 70 Original Documents 72 Stamp image 80 servers 82 Memory section 82A Document Information Database 82B Area Information Database 90 Image processing device 92 Display section 94 Image forming unit 96 Image reading unit

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: Accepting designation of persons permitted to affix seals to a plurality of seal areas in a document having the plurality of seal areas; When the document is printed, if the printer who prints the document is a person who is authorized to stamp at least one of the plurality of stamping areas and if the corresponding stamping area has not yet been stamped by another person who is authorized to stamp, the printer presents the stamping area that is available for the printer to print in a state different from the other stamping areas, and if the condition is not satisfied, the presentation is not made. Information processing device.

2. The different state is a state in which the printing area in which the printer can stamp is emphasized compared to other printing areas. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The presentation is at least one of a printed presentation, a visual presentation, and an audio presentation. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The processor: If the condition is not met, at least one of information indicating the status of the condition and information indicating that processing for stamping is not required is presented to the printing person.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1.

5. The processor: When the document stamped by the printer is read and stamped document information indicating the document is obtained, an image is cut out from only the stamped area stamped by the printer; Merging the extracted image with a corresponding region of document information representing the document; 5. The information processing device according to claim 1.

6. The processor: After the merging, control is performed to store information indicating that the stamping area that was the target of the merging has already been stamped. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The processor: When the printing work by the printing person is stopped or interrupted, instruction information indicating that another person who is capable of stamping in the corresponding stamping area should be instructed to perform the stamping work corresponding to the stamping area is notified.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1.

8. The processor: If the printing work by the printing person is interrupted, the instruction information is notified after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. The processor: If the printing work by the printing person is stopped or interrupted and there is no other person who is capable of stamping in the corresponding stamping area, the printing person is notified of information indicating at least one of the following: that the printing work in the stamping area should be continued, and that the stamping work cannot be taken over by another person who is capable of stamping.

9. The information processing device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The processor: When the printer attempts to print the document again and the document is currently being stamped by the printer, information indicating that the printing has already been completed is presented to the printer.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1.

11. The processor: notifying the accepted person who is permitted to stamp that he or she is permitted to stamp the corresponding stamp area; The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Accepting designation of persons permitted to affix seals to a plurality of seal areas in a document having the plurality of seal areas; When the document is printed, if the printer who prints the document is a person who is authorized to stamp at least one of the plurality of stamping areas and if the corresponding stamping area has not yet been stamped by another person who is authorized to stamp, the printer presents the stamping area that is available for the printer to print in a state different from the other stamping areas, and if the condition is not satisfied, the presentation is not made. An information processing program that causes a computer to execute a process.

Images