Information processing device, program, and information processing method

Abstract

To reduce operational load on a user, as compared to when an operation related to processing is set to files.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes a processor, the processor being configured to: display a reception image 61 for receiving instructions of a user to [Document 1] to be stored in a tray icon 51 of Tray A; and, upon receiving the instructions of the user to the reception image 61, provide guidance (symbol 62a) for processing which is predetermined for the tray icon 51, and is for the [Document 1] corresponding to the reception image 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a program, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which when a pointer points to an icon of a file, a tooltip including file information such as the update date and time and size of the target file, and a preview representing the content of the target file is displayed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an information processing apparatus having specific processing means capable of executing specific processing on a file and display means, wherein after the specific processing means executes specific processing on a certain file selected by the user, means for causing the display means to display the identification information of the one file and the identification information of the specific processing means, means for causing the display means to display the identification information of a process related to the specific processing when the identification information of the one file displayed on the display means is selected, means for executing a process corresponding to the selected identification information when the identification information of a process related to the specific processing displayed on the display means is selected by the user, and means for causing the display means to display a list including the identification information of a plurality of files on which specific processing has been executed in the past by the specific processing means when the identification information of the specific processing means displayed on the display means is selected by the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, if a user has to perform the same processing operation on each file stored in the storage unit, it becomes difficult to improve the efficiency of the processing operations. On the other hand, if a user has to set processing operations on a file, they have to perform the setting operation on each newly added file, making it difficult to reduce the user's operational burden. The objective of this invention is to reduce the user's operational burden compared to setting processing operations on a file. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is a processor and the display unit and The processor is equipped with, The file is stored in the display unit. Storage Unit A storage unit where file processing based on a workflow involving multiple operations is pre-configured. Display and When the first file is stored in the storage unit, a notification image indicating that the first file has been stored in the storage unit is displayed on the display unit. Display and the above notification When user instructions regarding an image are received, The aforementioned workflow Processing and said notification The above corresponding to the image First File uploading process The first guide image, which shows the operation content or sequence of the first process, is displayed on the display unit. When user instructions are received for the first guide image, a second guide image, which shows the operation content or sequence of the second process, which is a process following the first process in the workflow, is displayed on the display unit. When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the processing for the storage unit in which the other file is stored is displayed on the display unit as processing for that other file. This is an information processing device characterized by the following: 。 Claim 2 The invention described above Workflow The processing is characterized in that the settings for each storage unit can be configured, as described in claim 1. Claim 3 The invention described herein is characterized in that the settings for each storage unit are made based on the operation history of the files stored in that storage unit. 2 This is the information processing device described above. Claim 4 The invention described herein is characterized in that the settings for each storage unit are performed by the user extracting them from the operation history of the files stored in the storage unit. 3 This is the information processing device described above. Claim 5The invention described in claim 2 is an information processing apparatus according to claim claim 6 The invention described in claim 2 is an information processing apparatus according to claim claim 7 The invention described in claim First guidance image and the second guide image is displayed together with the notification attached image, and is an information processing apparatus according to claim 1. claim 8 The invention described in claim First guidance image and the second guide image is displayed so as not to overlap with the notification image, and is an information processing apparatus according to claim 7 claim 9 The invention described in claim The first guide image and the second guide image is such that when the The aforementioned operation content and The aforementioned operation order for a plurality of operations are predetermined, the First guidance Image and the second guide image shows the First progress of the processing on the The icon shown is added to the notification image. file, and is an information processing apparatus according to claim 1. claim 1 0 The invention described in claim is The aforementioned icons come in multiple types, and the icon attached to the notification image corresponds to the progress level among the multiple types. characterized in that it is 9 an information processing apparatus according to claim claim 1 1 The invention described in claim Equipped with a display unit is an information processing apparatus having a function of displaying a The file is stored in the display unit. storage unit A storage unit where file processing based on a workflow involving multiple operations is pre-configured. and, when receiving a user instruction for the When a first file is stored in the storage unit, a notification image indicating that the first file has been stored in the storage unit is displayed on the display unit; image, performing a notification process on the The aforementioned workflow file corresponding to the notification image First ​ The first guide image, which indicates the operation content or operation sequence of the first process, is displayed on the display unit. A function and When a user gives instructions regarding the first guidance image, the system has a function to display a second guidance image on the display unit that shows the operation content or sequence of the second process, which is a process that follows the first process in the workflow; and when a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the system has a function to display on the display unit the process for the storage unit in which the other file is stored, as a process for that other file. is a program for realizing it. According to claim 1 2 The invention described in The file is stored in the display unit. a step of displaying a storage unit A storage unit where file processing based on a workflow involving multiple operations is pre-configured. and, When a first file is stored in the storage unit, the step of displaying a notification image on the display unit indicating that the first file has been stored in the storage unit, when receiving a user's instruction for the notification image, The aforementioned workflow a process that corresponds to the notification image and First performs a process on the file The first guide image, which indicates the operation content or operation sequence of the first process, is displayed on the display unit. and When a user gives instructions regarding the first guidance image, the display unit displays a second guidance image indicating the operation content or sequence of the second process, which is a process that follows the first process in the workflow; when a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the display unit displays the process for the storage unit in which the other file is stored as the process for that other file. is an information processing method characterized by including the above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to claim 1, When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the system does not employ a configuration that displays the processing performed on the storage unit where the other file is stored in the display unit. compared to the case where, it is possible to reduce the user's operation burden 。 According to claim 2 compared to the case where the process is not set for each storage unit, it is possible to provide guidance according to the location of the file. Workflow According to claim compared to the case where the setting for each storage unit is not based on the operation history, it is possible to improve the user's operability. 3 According to claim compared to the case where the setting for each storage unit is not performed by the user extracting from the operation history, it is possible to improve the user's operability. 4 According to claim compared to the case where the setting for each storage unit is not performed by the user with respect to the operation content and order, it is possible to improve the user's operability. 5 According to claim compared to the case where the setting for each storage unit is not a plurality of selectable settings by the user, it is possible to improve the user's usability. 6 According to claim compared to the case where the setting for each storage unit is not a plurality of selectable settings by the user, it is possible to improve the user's usability. 7 According to claim First a guidance image and the second guide image is notificationCompared to cases where images are not displayed, this reduces the burden on the user. Claim 8 According to First Guide image And the second guidance image is the same as the notification This approach reduces the burden on the user compared to displays that do not overlap with images. Claim 9 According to First guidance Image and second information image by First Processing progress for files The icon shown is added to the notification image. Compared to cases where it is not included, it can improve user experience. Claim 1 0 According to The notification image will be accompanied by a configuration in which one of several icons corresponds to the progress level. Compared to not having it, it can improve the user experience. Claim 1 1 According to When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the system does not employ a configuration that displays the processing performed on the storage unit where the other file is stored in the display unit. Compared to other cases, this can reduce the burden on the user. Claim 1 2 According to When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the system does not employ a configuration that displays the processing performed on the storage unit where the other file is stored in the display unit. Compared to other cases, this can reduce the burden on the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of the CPU. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart for pre-configuring workflows corresponding to tray icons. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the actual processing in the display unit. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the display on the display unit. [Figure 8]This figure shows an example of the first processing settings screen displayed in the workspace. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the second processing settings screen displayed in the workspace. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the workflow settings screen displayed in the workspace. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates an example of information stored in a database. [Figure 12] This is a diagram illustrating the situation in which the notification was given. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the scenario in which workflow process 1 is executed after notification. [Figure 14] This diagram illustrates the scenario in which workflow process 2 is executed. [Figure 15] This diagram illustrates the scenario in which workflow process 3 is executed. [Figure 16] This is a diagram illustrating the scene where a document list was created. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 1 to which this embodiment is applied. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that a server device 10 for managing files, terminal devices 20 (20a, 20b, ...) used by users to view files, and a database 30 are connected via a communication line 80. The communication line 80 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, and is used for information communication between the server device 10 and the terminal device 20, and between the server device 10 and the database 30. However, the network may also be a hybrid configuration of LAN and the Internet. In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 allows users to view and edit files uploaded to the server device 10 and stored in the database 30 using the terminal device 20.

[0009] In this embodiment, "file" refers to an electronic file stored in the server device 10, terminal device 20, database 30, etc. This file may contain images in addition to text, or it may consist only of images without any text. Furthermore, the file may contain not only document data and image data, but also information used when converting document data to images, as well as attribute information such as the file's modification date and time, paper size, number of pages, and keywords within the file.

[0010] The server device 10 is a device for managing files uploaded from the terminal device 20. Files managed by the server device 10 are stored in the database 30, shared by multiple users, and can be edited by one or more users. The server device 10 is implemented, for example, by a computer device. The server device 10 may be configured by a single computer, or it may be implemented by distributed processing using multiple computers.

[0011] Terminal device 20 is a device used to view and edit files managed by server device 10. The terminal device 20 has a display unit that displays images corresponding to files. The terminal device 20 is equipped with a computer. Examples of the form of the terminal device 20 include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, and game consoles.

[0012] The hardware configuration of server device 10 will be described below. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 10 according to this embodiment. The server device 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit 11 that performs digital arithmetic processing according to a program that enables file management, a secondary storage unit 12 where files and the like are recorded, and a communication unit 13 that sends and receives information via a communication line 80 (see Figure 1). The secondary storage unit 12 is implemented using existing information storage devices such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), semiconductor memory, or magnetic tape.

[0013] The arithmetic processing unit 11 is equipped with a CPU 11a, which is an example of a processor. This CPU 11a controls the entire server device 10. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 11 includes RAM 11b, which is used as working memory for the CPU 11a, and ROM 11c, which stores programs executed by the CPU 11a. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 11 includes a non-volatile memory 11d that is rewritable and can retain data even if the power supply is interrupted, and an interface unit 11e that controls various parts such as the communication unit 13 connected to the arithmetic processing unit 11.

[0014] The non-volatile memory 11d is composed of, for example, SRAM or flash memory backed up by a battery, and stores file information and correspondence information that associates files with each other. In addition, the secondary storage unit 12 stores files and other data, as well as programs executed by the arithmetic processing unit 11. In this embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 11 reads the program stored in the secondary storage unit 12, thereby executing each process of the server device 10. The arithmetic processing unit 11, the secondary storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13 are connected via a bus or signal lines.

[0015] The server device 10 performs processes such as acquiring new files, extracting files, mapping files together, reflecting file updates, and accessing the database 30 in response to requests from the terminal device 20. Furthermore, the server device 10 provides various types of information to the terminal device 20, such as files, search results, and update information, in response to requests from the terminal device 20. In this embodiment, the secondary storage unit 12 stores files and the like. The communication unit 13 receives requests from the terminal device 20 and transmits the requested files and the like.

[0016] The program executed by the CPU 11a on the server device 10 can be provided to the server device 10 while stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the program executed by the CPU 11a may be provided to the server device 10 using communication means such as the internet.

[0017] Next, the hardware configuration of the terminal device 20 will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of terminal device 20. Terminal device 20 is an example of an information processing device. Each terminal device 20 according to this embodiment includes an arithmetic processing unit 21 that performs image display processing according to a program, a secondary storage unit 22 that records files and the like, and a communication unit 23 that sends and receives information via a communication line 80 (see Figure 1).

[0018] Furthermore, each terminal device 20 has an input unit 24 that receives input operations from the user and a display unit 25 that displays images, text information, etc. to the user. This display unit 25 is made up of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel. The secondary storage unit 22 is implemented using existing information storage devices such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), semiconductor memory, or magnetic tape.

[0019] The arithmetic processing unit 21 includes a CPU 21a, which is an example of a processor. This CPU 21a controls the entire terminal device 20. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 21 includes RAM 21b, which is used as working memory for the CPU 21a, and ROM 21c, which stores programs executed by the CPU 21a. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 21 includes a rewritable non-volatile memory 21d that can retain data even if the power supply is interrupted, and an interface unit 21e that controls various parts such as the communication unit 23 connected to the arithmetic processing unit 21.

[0020] The non-volatile memory 21d consists of, for example, SRAM or flash memory backed up by a battery, and stores files, update information, etc. In addition, the secondary storage unit 22 stores files and other data, as well as programs executed by the arithmetic processing unit 21. The arithmetic processing unit 21 reads the programs stored in this secondary storage unit 22, thereby executing each process of the terminal device 20. The arithmetic processing unit 21, the secondary storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 are connected via buses and signal lines.

[0021] The input unit 24 is a pointing device or the like that the user operates when inputting information. For example, if the input unit 24 is a mouse, the user can specify a position on the display screen shown on the display unit 25, specify an image displayed on the display unit 25, or move a specified image by moving or clicking the cursor 501 (see, for example, Figure 7). Furthermore, if the input unit 24 is a touch panel, the user can perform operations such as touching the touch panel with their finger or moving the finger that is touching the touch panel. This allows the user to specify a position on the display screen shown on the display unit 25, specify an image displayed on the display unit 25, or move the specified image.

[0022] In addition, the terminal device 20 may be equipped with a touch panel, in which case the input unit 24 and the display unit 25 will be provided as a single unit. Furthermore, the input unit 24 may be a keyboard that performs input operations using keys, in addition to the pointing device and the like described above.

[0023] The program executed by the CPU 21a in the terminal device 20 can be provided to the terminal device 20 while stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the program executed by the CPU 21a may be provided to the terminal device 20 using communication means such as the Internet.

[0024] In this specification, "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and specialized processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.). Furthermore, the operation of the processor may not be performed solely by a single processor, but may also be performed collaboratively by multiple processors located in physically separate locations. Additionally, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in this embodiment and may be changed.

[0025] Next, we will describe the functional block diagram of the CPU 21a of the terminal device 20. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of CPU 21a. Although this functional block diagram is for the CPU 21a of terminal device 20, it may also be for the CPU 11a of server device 10. As shown in Figure 4, the CPU 21a is configured to include a display control unit 41, a processing unit 42, and a guidance unit 43.

[0026] The display control unit 41 controls the display of the workspace 500 (see, for example, Figure 7) when the display unit 25 is performing settings corresponding to the tray (see Figure 5). For example, it controls the display when settings for the tray are performed in the workspace 500 (see Figures 8 to 10). Furthermore, the workspace 500 controls the display of notification images 61 (see, for example, Figure 12), document previews in the quick view area 62 (see, for example, Figure 13), and the display of the document list area 71 (see Figure 16).

[0027] The processing unit 42 performs the actual internal processing for the tray settings. That is, the processing unit 42 processes the documents stored in the tray icons 51-53 (see Figure 7). For example, this includes processes such as applying an electronic seal to documents displayed in the quick view area 62 of the workspace 500 (see Figure 14, for example).

[0028] The guidance unit 43 guides the user through the process of processing the document according to the workflow when performing the actual processing based on the settings (see Figure 6). This guidance is provided, for example, by displaying guidance areas 62a to 62c (see Figures 13 to 15) and guidance area 72a (see Figure 16) within the quick view area 62. Further details will be described later.

[0029] Next, we will explain how to configure the trays that hold documents and other files, and the actual processing of these settings, using Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the pre-configuration of the workflow corresponding to tray icon 51. Note that there may be cases where the workflow is skipped and no pre-configuration is performed. In the flowchart shown in the figure, when the terminal device 20's display unit 25 (see Figure 3) receives an operation to specify a tray for pre-configuration, it accepts the operation (step 101) and displays the first processing settings screen for the specified tray on the display unit 25 (step 102). The first processing settings screen is used to configure, for example, the processing that is displayed in a quick view that allows the user to enlarge the document that the cursor 501 (see Figure 7) is hovering over and turn pages to check the contents.

[0030] Once the first processing settings are complete, the second processing settings screen for the specified tray is displayed (step 103). The second processing settings screen is used to configure, for example, the processing that will be restricted in the Quick View.

[0031] Once the second processing setup is complete, the workflow corresponding to the specified tray is configured (step 104), and this configuration is saved in database 30 (see Figure 1) (step 105). This associates the specified tray with the workflow configuration, making the saved workflow applicable to the files contained in the specified tray.

[0032] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the actual processing in the display unit 25. As shown in the figure, once a document selection is accepted (step 201), the document in the corresponding location of the accepted document is previewed (step 202). The document selection process described here involves the display control unit 41 displaying a reception image for user instructions regarding documents stored in one of the tray icons 51-53 (see Figure 7), as described later. The system then acknowledges that the user has performed an action on the reception image. This reception image may be used to select a document from a tray, or to select a newly received document. Note that the trays referred to here may also be called folders.

[0033] Step 203 checks whether there is a workflow for the corresponding location or document, indicated by tray icons 51-53 (see Figure 7). The existence of such a workflow is determined by whether it is stored in database 30 (see Figure 1).

[0034] If a pre-configured workflow exists (see Figure 5) (Yes in step 203), the execution of that workflow will begin (step 204). In other words, it will guide you through the predetermined process for the document corresponding to the received image. Thus, if a workflow exists in the tray, you can perform the operation directly from the preview. In response to such instructions, the display unit 25 of the terminal device 20 displays the first operation according to the workflow (step 205). When the user performs an operation corresponding to this first operation display, the operation is accepted (step 206).

[0035] Then, it checks whether the workflow includes the following process (step 207). If it does (Yes in step 207), it returns to step 205 and the next operation is displayed. If the workflow does not include the following operation, i.e., if all operations for the operation displays included in the workflow have been accepted (No in step 207), the history of the operations is saved (step 208). This history information is stored in database 30 (see Figure 1).

[0036] If there is no pre-configured workflow (see Figure 5) (No in step 203), the operation history is displayed (step 209), the operation is accepted (step 210), and the process proceeds to step 208. The operation history information used is the location-specific operation history stored in table 35 of database 30 (see Figure 11).

[0037] <Display in display unit 25> Next, we will explain the display on the display unit 25 of the terminal device 20. In this embodiment, a CPU 11a (see Figure 2), which is an example of a processor, provided in the server device 10, generates information used to control the display on the display unit 25 provided in the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 then performs display control according to this information. As a result, the display unit 25 of the terminal device 20 displays various screens, which will be described below. Furthermore, the information used to control the display on the display unit 25 of the terminal device 20 may be generated by the terminal device 20, not the server device 10. Also, some of the information used for this control may be generated by the server device 10, and other parts may be generated by the terminal device 20.

[0038] Figure 7 shows an example of the display on the display unit 25. As shown in the figure, the display unit 25, which is provided on the terminal device 20, displays the workspace 500 on the so-called file handling software. This file handling software is designed to manage digitized files and has features that facilitate the unified management of both paper and electronic files. The display unit 25 also displays a cursor 501 indicating the user's operating position. The cursor 501 moves in response to the user's mouse operation. The user moves the cursor 501 to their desired position within the display unit 25 and selects an element displayed on the display unit 25.

[0039] In the example shown in Figure 7, workspace W is displayed as workspace 500 on the display unit 25, and tray icons 51, 52, and 53 are displayed on workspace W. Tray icons 51 to 53 are images displayed on the display unit 25, corresponding to each of the user-selectable elements. Tray icons 51-53 display images, symbols, text information, and more. Each of these tray icons can be considered a thumbnail image.

[0040] Tray icons 51-53 are labeled with the tray names "TrayA," "TrayB," and "TrayC," respectively. Users can place files in each of the tray icons 51-53, and files received will be automatically added to the designated location among the tray icons 51-53. In this embodiment, as described above, processing for the files contained in each of the tray icons 51 to 53 can be set in advance. Tray icons 51-53 in Workspace W are examples of storage areas.

[0041] To explain further, the workspace W displays settings screens, guidance screens, and other information in response to user actions, as well as notifications in response to file reception, etc. Additionally, the workspace W displays file icons indicating the files contained in tray icons 51-53, as well as a quick view for processing files without opening them. More details will be provided later. Furthermore, an enlarged image will be displayed on workspace W when the user requests it.

[0042] Next, the screens for the first processing settings (see step 102 in Figure 5), the second processing settings (see step 103 in the same figure), and the workflow settings (see step 104 in the same figure) displayed in the workspace W of the display unit 25 will be explained using Figures 8, 9, and 10. These settings are performed by the administrator, but may also be performed by the user. Figure 8 shows an example of the first processing settings screen displayed in workspace W. As shown in the figure, when the tray icon 51 with the tray name "TrayA" is selected and an instruction operation for processing settings is performed, the setting screen 511 for "Processing settings for TrayA (1 / 2)" as an example of the first processing settings is displayed on the display unit 25.

[0043] In other words, the display unit 25 shown in the figure indicates that the tray icon 51 for tray name "TrayA" has been selected by the cursor 501 (see Figure 7) and a setting has been instructed, and as a result, the setting screen 511 is first displayed in workspace W.

[0044] The settings screen 511 has the text "TrayA Processing Settings (1 / 2)", an area 512 for displaying and selecting items for "Processing to display in Quick View", and an area 513 for specifying "Page to display first in Quick View". The settings screen 511 also has an OK button for instructing the user to proceed to the next screen and a back button for instructing the user to return to the previous screen.

[0045] Area 512 displays items and radio buttons that are checked when an item is selected. When a radio button is checked, the corresponding item is selected; when it is not checked, it is not selected. In the example in Figure 8, six items and their corresponding six radio buttons are arranged. The items are arranged in two columns: on the left, from top to bottom, "Apply Electronic Seal," "Download," and "Send Document," while the items on the right are "Copy Document," "Bundle / Unbundle Documents," and "Add Version."

[0046] The item "Apply Electronic Seal" here refers to the process of applying an electronic seal to the target document, which is a document contained in "TrayA". "Copy Document" is the process of copying the target document, and "Download" is the process of downloading the target document to the device itself, i.e., the terminal device 20 (see Figure 1). Furthermore, "Bundle / Unbundle Document" is the process of editing the target document by bundling or unbundling it page by page, "Send Document" is the process of electronically sending the target document, and "Add Version" is the process of adding a version to the target document.

[0047] The user then checks the radio buttons for the processes they want to display in the Quick View, and leaves the radio buttons for the processes they don't want to display unchecked. In the state shown in Figure 8, the radio buttons corresponding to the two items, "Apply Electronic Seal" and "Send Document," are checked, while the radio buttons corresponding to the other items are left unchecked.

[0048] Furthermore, area 513 contains an input field for specifying the number of pages, followed by the word "Page". If the processing of a file contained in tray icon 51 is to be performed on a predetermined number of pages, entering the number of pages in the input field will cause those pages to be displayed in workspace W and processing to be performed on those pages.

[0049] Figure 9 shows an example of the second processing settings screen displayed in workspace W. It shows the settings screen 514 for "TrayA" that appears after an operation is performed on the OK button (see Figure 8) on the first processing settings screen.

[0050] Here, the "Show / Hide" setting in the first processing setting is used to select the items that are displayed first in the quick view. Items that are set to "Hide" in the first processing setting will be displayed when, for example, the "All Processing Button" (not shown) is pressed, and can be used as shortcut icons, etc. In contrast, the "Restricted / Unrestricted" setting in the second processing setting determines whether or not a feature is available to the user in the quick view. Restricted items will not be displayed even if the aforementioned "All Processing Button" (not shown) is pressed.

[0051] The settings screen 514 shown in Figure 9 has the text "TrayA Processing Settings (2 / 2)" and an area 515 for displaying and selecting items labeled "Processing to restrict in Quick View". The settings screen 514 also has an OK button and a back button, similar to the settings screen 511 (see Figure 8).

[0052] Area 515 displays the same items and radio buttons as Area 512 described above. The user checks the radio buttons for processes they want to restrict and not allow execution of in the Quick View, and leaves the radio buttons for processes they do not want to restrict unchecked. Note that in area 515 shown in Figure 9, none of the radio buttons are checked.

[0053] Figure 10 shows an example of the workflow settings screen displayed in workspace W. After clicking the OK button (see Figure 9) on the second processing settings screen, the settings screen 516 for "TrayA" is displayed. The settings screen 516 shown in Figure 10 has the label "TrayA Workflow Settings," an area 517 for "Process 1: Document Confirmation," an area 518 for "Process 2: Electronic Seal Application," and an area 519 for "Process 3: Document Sending." In addition, the settings screen 516 has an OK button and a back button, just like the settings screen 511 (see Figure 8), etc.

[0054] Area 517 contains a field for entering the text to be displayed for process 1 when the workflow is executed. In Figure 10, the text "Please check the approver, draft date, and draft number" is entered.

[0055] Area 518 contains an area for entering text to be displayed for process 2. The text "Please affix your electronic seal." is entered in this area. Area 519 contains an area for entering the document to be displayed for process 3, and the document "TrayXX" is entered in this area. Although area 519 currently has only one recipient, multiple recipients may be entered, allowing the user to select one of them when the workflow is executed.

[0056] As shown in Figure 10, the workflow settings are configured to perform a series of processes: the target documents for the workflow are reviewed, an electronic seal is applied to the reviewed documents, and the documents with the electronic seal are sent to "TrayXX". The settings made using the first and second processing settings screens (see Figures 8 and 9) and the workflow settings (see Figure 10) are stored in the database 30 (see, for example, Figure 1).

[0057] Here, we have explained the settings for tray icon 51, which is labeled "TrayA," using Figures 8, 9, and 10. However, similar settings can be applied to tray icons 52 and 53. In other words, the settings for each of tray icons 51 to 53 can be different from each other. To elaborate further, in the examples shown in Figures 8 and 9, the processes are extracted from those set to be displayed / restricted in Quick View. However, this is not limited to this. In addition to the automatic setting of processes to be displayed / restricted in Quick View based on the operation history of documents stored in tray icons 51-53 (the operation history shown in Table 35 of Figure 11), the user may also set these processes manually. Furthermore, the settings for each tray icon 51-53 may be configured by the user regarding the workflow, that is, the content and order of operations for multiple operations.

[0058] Furthermore, while each of the tray icons 51-53 can have only one setting applied, this is not limited to one setting per tray icon; multiple settings may be applied to a single tray icon. In such cases, it is conceivable to allow the user to select which setting to apply when the Quick View area 62 (see Figure 13) is displayed.

[0059] Next, an example of information stored in database 30 will be explained using Figure 11. Figure 11 illustrates an example of information stored in database 30. As shown in the figure, the database 30 stores a table 31 showing operation settings for each location, a table 32 showing workflow settings for each location, a table 33 showing detailed explanations, a table 34 showing the progress of the workflow, and a table 35 showing the operation history for each location.

[0060] Tables 31-35 will be explained in more detail below. Table 31 stores information on operation settings for each location. Specifically, Table 31 stores information on operation settings for "TrayA" corresponding to tray icon 51 (see, for example, Figure 7), "TrayB" corresponding to tray icon 52 (see, for example, the same figure), and "TrayC" corresponding to tray icon 53 (see, for example, the same figure).

[0061] More specifically, "TrayA" stores information about the operation settings for "Send electronic signature (coordinates XXX, YYY)" and the setting for "Display". "TrayB" stores information about the settings for "Add version (to UserZZZ)" and "Display", and "TrayC" stores information about the settings for "Download" and "Do not display".

[0062] Table 32 stores information about workflow settings for each location. Specifically, Table 32 shows that a workflow called "WF1" is set for "TrayA," and its processing content is "1. Electronic signature (coordinates XXX, YYY)" and "2. Send (TrayXX)." Also, a workflow called "WF2" is set for "TrayB," and its processing content is "1. Download," "2. Add version," and "3. Send (to UserYYY)."

[0063] Table 33 stores detailed information. For example, "WF1-1," a setting for "1. Electronic Signature (Coordinates XXX, YYY)" in the workflow "WF1," stores the information "Please affix the electronic seal." Similarly, "WF2-2," a setting for "2. Add Version" in the workflow "WF2," stores the information "Please add the version that has been processed by XX."

[0064] Table 34 stores information indicating the progress of the workflow. For example, for the workflow "WF1", it stores information indicating that the "2. Send" process for "DocA" was performed by "UserX". Similarly, for the workflow "WF2", it stores information indicating that the "2. Add Version" process for "DocB" was performed by "UserY", and information indicating that the "3. Send" process for "DocC" was performed by "UserX".

[0065] Thus, in Table 34, if the processing of a document is defined in the workflow, the progress of the processing of the document by the guidance is saved. The progress information saved in this way can be reflected in the icon display that notifies the user of the progress when previewing the document stored in the location (see Figure 16).

[0066] Table 35 stores information indicating the operation history for each location. In "Tray A," information indicating that an "electronic signature" was performed on "20XX / 01 / 12 08:54:12" is stored, and information indicating that a "transmission" was performed on "20XX / 01 / 12 15:22:55" is stored. In "Tray B," information indicating that a "version addition" was performed on "20XX / 01 / 12 12:13:54" is stored.

[0067] This operation history information is used, for example, to present to the user when a workflow is not set up for a document location (see S209 in Figure 6). Furthermore, it may be used when setting up a workflow to present the process to the user as a candidate (see S102 and S103 in Figure 5). In other words, the file operation history is used for screen displays that allow the administrator or user to select a process for each document location. This file operation history may be displayed on the screen in a manner predetermined by the display control unit 41, or it may be displayed on the screen as a selection candidate for the administrator or user to choose from.

[0068] Next, we will explain the case where a workflow is executed in response to a notification in workspace W, using Figures 12 to 15. The workflow is executed by the user. Figure 12 illustrates the scene in which a notification is issued, while Figures 13 to 15 illustrate the scenes in which the workflow is executed after the notification. Specifically, Figure 13 shows the scene in which process 1 is executed, Figure 14 shows the scene in which process 2 is executed, and Figure 15 shows the scene in which process 3 is executed. In the scene shown in Figure 12, for example, terminal device 20a (see Figure 1) is notified that a document has been added to TrayA. Specifically, a notification image 61 is displayed in the workspace 500 of the display unit 25. This notification image 61 is an image that is displayed when there is a change in the location of tray icons 51-53, etc. In the example shown in Figure 12, it includes a thumbnail of the added document 61a with reduced size, and the text "Document [Document1] has been added to TrayA." Document [Document1] refers to document 61a.

[0069] Notification image 61 is displayed when terminal device 20a (see Figure 1) receives document [Document1] and adds it to the designated tray. Notification image 61 is not displayed as a result of any action taken by the user.

[0070] Figure 13, which shows the next scene from Figure 12, shows the user's cursor 501 positioned over the notification image 61, indicating a mouseover state. By detecting the position of this cursor 501, the quick view area 62 is displayed. In this way, when the user places the cursor 501 over the notification image 61, the quick view area 62 is displayed. Furthermore, as will be described later, if a workflow exists for TrayA, guidance for the configured process will be started.

[0071] The Quick View area 62 shown in Figure 13 displays the contents (not shown) of the document [Document1] added to TrayA, as well as the contents of the workflow corresponding to TrayA. The Quick View area 62 shown in Figure 13 contains notation corresponding to workflow process 1. Specifically, Figure 13 shows a guidance area 62a that displays the explanation, "Please check the approver, draft date, and draft number," as well as the "Next" button used to proceed to the next screen and the "Exit" button used to exit the Quick View. Note that this explanation is the text entered in process 1 of the "TrayA Workflow Settings" described above (see Figure 10).

[0072] After the "Approver, Draft Date, and Draft Number" are confirmed and the "Next" button shown in Figure 13 is pressed, the Quick View area 62 will display the information corresponding to Workflow Process 2, as shown in Figure 14. Specifically, Figure 14 shows the guidance area 62b, which displays the explanation "Please affix your electronic seal" and the "End" button used to exit the Quick View. This explanation is the text entered in Process 2 of the "Workflow Settings for TrayA" described above (see Figure 10). In the quick view area 62 shown in Figure 14, an electronic seal impression 63 has been added to the document [Document1] by operating the cursor 501. The seal impression 63 includes the date (xx / xx / xx) and the name (...). This completes process 2, and the process proceeds to the next process 3.

[0073] The quick view area 62 shown in Figure 15 contains notation corresponding to workflow process 3. Specifically, Figure 15 shows the notation "Tray destination," notation 64 indicating destination candidates, and a guidance area 62c which displays the "Send" button used when sending a document and the "Cancel" button used when not sending a document.

[0074] The entry 64 contains the recipient candidate "TrayXX" and the corresponding checkbox. The recipient candidate is the text entered in process 3 of the "Workflow Settings for TrayA" described above (see Figure 10).

[0075] When the "Send" button in Figure 15 is pressed, the document [Document1] from TrayA, which has been electronically stamped, is sent to "TrayXX". In this way, when a notification image 61 that says "Document [Document1] has been added to TrayA" is displayed, the user's operational burden is reduced because the process for Document [Document1] will be executed according to the workflow of TrayA when the cursor 501 is moused over the notification image 61.

[0076] Here, notification image 61 (see, for example, Figure 12) is an image used to receive a user mouseover command for document 61a stored in tray icon 51, and is an example of a reception image. Document 61a is an example of a file. Furthermore, the guidance areas 62a (see Figure 13), 62b (see Figure 14), and 62c (see Figure 15) displayed in the Quick View area 62 are images used to guide users through the processing of a predetermined workflow for the tray icon 51 (see any of Figures 12 to 15) and for the processing of document 61a of document [Document1] corresponding to the notification image 61. These are examples of guidance images.

[0077] To further explain, guidance area 62a is displayed together with the notification image 61 (see Figure 13). Guidance area 62b is also displayed together with the notification image 61 (see Figure 14), and guidance area 62c is also displayed together with the notification image 61 (see Figure 15). Furthermore, guidance areas 62a to 62c are displayed so as not to overlap with the notification image 61 (see Figures 13 to 15). However, guidance areas 62a to 62c may be displayed so that they partially overlap with the notification image 61.

[0078] The processes guided in guidance areas 62a to 62c are process 1, which is "document verification," process 2, which is "applying an electronic seal," and process 3, which is "sending the document" (see, for example, Figure 10), and are part of the processes predetermined as "process to display in Quick View" (see Figure 8) for the tray icon 51. To explain further, the processes checked under "Processes to restrict in Quick View" (see Figure 9) for the tray icon 51 are processes whose execution is restricted, not processes that are guided to them. Therefore, some of the predetermined processes mentioned above do not include processes whose execution is restricted for documents. In other words, some of these processes include executable processes or processes that should be executed but are not checked.

[0079] Next, Figure 16 will explain the case where a workflow is executed triggered by a quick view from the document list in "TrayA". Figure 16 illustrates the scene in which a document list was created. In the scene shown in Figure 16, hovering the cursor 501 over the tray icon 51 in workspace 500 displays the document list area 71, which shows the list of documents in the tray icon 51.

[0080] Thus, guidance is provided not only when following a workflow that starts with the display of notification image 61, but also when a quick view is accessed from the document list in the tray. Furthermore, in the case shown in Figure 16, the document list area 71 is displayed due to an action performed by the user. In this respect, the document list area 71 shown in Figure 16 differs from the case of notification image 61 shown in Figures 13 to 15.

[0081] To further explain, the document list area 71 shows reduced versions of documents 71a to 71f, representing the files contained in "TrayA".

[0082] Furthermore, among documents 71a to 71f, documents 71c and 71d have a check mark icon attached to them to indicate the progress or degree of processing. The other documents 71a to 71b and 71e to 71f do not have a check mark icon. In this way, information indicating the progress of each of documents 71a to 71f is stored in table 34 of database 30 (see Figure 11), so the progress can be notified to the user. When a workflow has progressed partway through, with the operation content and order of multiple operations predetermined, focusing on these check marks allows for a smooth resumption of the workflow from that point. Note that while Figure 16 shows only one type of checkmark icon, multiple types of checkmarks could be used to indicate the stage of the workflow.

[0083] As shown in Figure 16, the cursor 501 is over document 71f in the document list area 71, which causes the quick view area 72 to be displayed in the workspace 500. The quick view area 72 shows a guide area 72a for document 71f. Since this guide area 72a is the same as the guide area 62a (see Figure 13) described above, its explanation is omitted. Furthermore, when moving from the scene in Figure 16 to the next scene, the same guidance as in the guidance areas 62b and 62c (see Figures 14 and 15) is provided, so their explanation and illustration are omitted.

[0084] Here, the document list area 71 shown in Figure 16 is an image for receiving a user mouseover command for document 71f among the documents 71a to 71f stored in the tray icon 51, and is an example of a reception image. Documents 71a to 71f are examples of files. Furthermore, the guidance area 72a of the Quick View area 72 shown in the figure is an image used to guide users through a predetermined workflow process for the tray icon 51, specifically for the document 71f corresponding to the document list area 71, and is an example of a guidance image. To further explain, the guidance area 72a is displayed together with the document list area 71 (see Figure 16). Also, the guidance area 72a is displayed so as not to overlap with the document list area 71 (see Figure 16).

[0085] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes 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.). Furthermore, the operation of the processor in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 20, 20a, 20b…Terminal device, 21a…CPU, 51, 52, 53…Tray icon, 61…Notification image, 61a, 71a~71f…Document, 62a~62c, 72a…Guidance area, 71…Document list area

Claims

1. Processor and Display unit and Equipped with, The aforementioned processor, The display unit shows a storage unit for storing files, in which file processing based on a workflow involving multiple operations is pre-configured. When the first file is stored in the storage unit, a notification image indicating that the first file has been stored in the storage unit is displayed on the display unit. When a user instruction is received regarding the notification image, a first guidance image indicating the operation content or sequence of the first process, which is the processing of the workflow and the processing of the first file corresponding to the notification image, is displayed on the display unit. When a user instruction is received regarding the first guidance image, a second guidance image indicating the operation content or sequence of the second process, which is a process that follows the first process in the workflow, is displayed on the display unit. When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the processing for that other file is performed by displaying the processing for the storage unit in which the other file is stored on the display unit. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The processing of the aforementioned workflow can be configured for each storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The settings for each storage unit are determined based on the operation history of the files stored in that storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to feature 2.

4. The settings for each storage unit are determined by the user extracting the settings from the operation history of the files stored in that storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The settings for each storage unit are performed by the user regarding the content and order of operations for multiple operations. The information processing apparatus according to feature 2.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the settings for each storage unit are a plurality of settings that the user can select for the storage unit.

7. The first guidance image and the second guidance image are displayed together with the notification image. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

8. The first guidance image and the second guidance image are displayed so as not to overlap with the notification image. The information processing apparatus according to feature 7.

9. If the first guidance image and the second guidance image pre-determine the content and order of operations for multiple operations, Icons indicating the progress of processing the first file based on the first guidance image and the second guidance image are added to the notification image. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

10. The icon may be of multiple types, The icon attached to the notification image corresponds to the progress level from among the multiple types. The information processing apparatus according to feature 9.

11. An information processing device equipped with a display unit, The display unit has a function to display a storage unit for storing files, in which file processing based on a workflow including multiple operations is pre-configured. When a first file is stored in the storage unit, a notification image indicating that the first file has been stored in the storage unit is displayed on the display unit; When a user gives instructions regarding the notification image, the display unit has a function to display a first guidance image on the display unit that indicates the operation content or sequence of the first process, which is a process of the workflow and is a process of the first file corresponding to the notification image. When a user gives instructions regarding the first guidance image, the system has a function to display a second guidance image on the display unit that shows the operation content or sequence of the second process, which is a process that follows the first process in the workflow. When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the processing for that other file includes a function to display the processing for the storage unit in which the other file is stored on the display unit. A program that makes this possible.

12. A step of displaying a storage unit for storing files, wherein the storage unit has a pre-configured file processing based on a workflow that includes multiple operations, When a first file is stored in the storage unit, the step of displaying a notification image on the display unit indicating that the first file has been stored in the storage unit, When a user instruction is received regarding the notification image, the display unit is shown a first guidance image indicating the operation content or sequence of the first process, which is a process of the workflow and is a process of the first file corresponding to the notification image. When a user instruction is received regarding the first guidance image, the display unit is shown a second guidance image indicating the operation content or sequence of the second process, which is a process that follows the first process in the workflow. When a file other than the first file is stored in the storage unit, the processing for that other file includes the step of displaying the processing for the storage unit in which the other file is stored on the display unit. An information processing method characterized by including

Images