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

Abstract

To correct time information on a service with time zone information.SOLUTION: An information processing system comprises a terminal device, and an information processing device for providing a service to the terminal device connected via a network. The information processing system comprises: an information management unit which associates the time zone information to account information capable of using the service and manages them; and a time correction unit which when the terminal device uses the service by using the account information, corrects time information on the service acquired at a reference time, on the basis of the time zone information corresponding to the account information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as an image forming apparatus records a log (history) in which a job execution start date and time are associated with a job ID. The recorded log is transferred to a server and is referred to from various terminal devices including the electronic device, a PC (Personal Computer), and a mobile terminal. The log is generally recorded in a reference time such as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and is corrected and presented according to the time zone. A "time zone" is a country or region that uses the same standard time.

[0003] Conventionally, in order to refer to a log generated in an electronic device from an external device (log server), a technique has been proposed to transmit the log together with time zone information held in the electronic device when transferring the log to the external device (log server) (for example, Patent Document 1).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the time zone in the electronic device is not correctly held or when a job operating on the server is executed from a terminal device other than the electronic device, the job execution start date and time cannot be corrected in an appropriate time zone.

[0005] In view of the above points, it is required to correct time information related to a service with appropriate time zone information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing system including a terminal device and an information processing device that provides services to the terminal device connected via a network, the system comprising an information management unit that manages time zone information in association with account information that can use the service, An application development unit that accepts registration of combinations of one or more components that execute processing for each functional unit or processing unit constituting the workflow application that provides the said service, and the settings of the parameters of said components, When the terminal device uses the service using the account information, a time correction unit corrects the time information related to the service, which was acquired at the reference time, based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. When executing the workflow application in which a variable storing the time information related to the service is set as a parameter, an application execution unit uses the time information corrected by the time correction unit, We provide an information processing system that includes [this]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, time information relating to a service can be corrected with appropriate time zone information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the system configuration of an information processing system in one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the first terminal device in one embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a second terminal device in one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device in one embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of an information processing system in one embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of time zone information associated with account information in one embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of application information in one embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of component information in one embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows the relationship between a component and an application in one embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of an application development UI (user interface) in one embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows the authentication sequence for Example 1. [Figure 12] This figure shows the application execution sequence for Example 1. [Figure 13] This figure shows the job execution sequence for Example 1. [Figure 14] This figure shows the application development sequence for Example 1. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing the application development UI for Example 1. [Figure 16] This figure shows the job log storage sequence for modified example 1. [Figure 17] This figure shows the time display sequence for modified example 2. [Figure 18] This figure shows the application execution sequence for Example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <System Configuration> Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the information processing system 100. The information processing system 100 comprises terminal devices 20 or 30 and information processing devices 11 to 13 that provide services S to the terminal devices 20 or 30 connected via a network N. The terminal devices 20 or 30 and the information processing devices 11 to 13 are devices equipped with wired or wireless communication capabilities.

[0011] The network N is a network that connects across different time zones Z1 to Z3. For example, the network N includes various networks such as a WAN (Wide Area Network) or the Internet. The first terminal device 20 is managed, for example, in the JP (Japan) time zone Z1, the second terminal device 30 is managed, for example, in the FR (France) time zone Z2, and the information processing devices 11 to 13 are managed, for example, in the US (USA) time zone Z3. However, the first terminal device 20 or the second terminal device 30 may move to a different country or region, etc. and be managed in a different time zone. Note that a "time zone" is a country or region, etc. that uses the same standard time.

[0012] The service S is various information processing services such as an authentication service, a printing service, a distribution service, a data processing service, or a workflow (WF) service. The "authentication service" is a service that authenticates the availability of the service S. The "printing service" is a service that registers a job of print data and prints it by sending the print data to an image forming device or the like. The "distribution service" is a service that sends various data to a storage server, a mail server, or a facsimile server, etc.

[0013] The "data processing service" is a service that executes various processes such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition / Reader) or PDF (Portable Document Format) conversion on document data, etc. The "WF service" is a service that develops, executes, and registers, etc. an application that customizes the flow of various processes such as authentication, printing, distribution, or data processing. Note that an "application" is software that operates on an OS (Operating System) and is an application that provides various services. The application includes not only existing applications but also WF applications developed by users.

[0014] The first terminal device 20 can be any device capable of running communication software such as a browser. For example, the first terminal device 20 is an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer) that incorporates scanning, copying, printing, and facsimile functions in a single housing. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the first terminal device 20 may be another image forming apparatus such as an IWB (Interactive White Board) or a video conferencing terminal. Furthermore, the first terminal device 20 is not limited to an image forming apparatus and may be other electronic devices such as networked home appliances, automobiles (Connected Car), game consoles, industrial machinery, or medical equipment.

[0015] The second terminal device 30 can be any device capable of running communication software such as a browser. For example, the second terminal device 30 may be an information processing terminal such as a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), wearable device, notebook PC, or desktop PC. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the second terminal device 30 may be an image forming apparatus such as an MFP, IWB, or video conferencing terminal, just like the first terminal device 20. Furthermore, the second terminal device 30 may be an electronic device other than an image forming apparatus, such as a network home appliance, automobile, game console, industrial machinery, or medical equipment.

[0016] The first information processing device 11, the second information processing device 12, and the third information processing device 13 are interconnected via a network N and cooperate to provide service S. For example, the first information processing device 11, the second information processing device 12, and the third information processing device 13 constitute a cloud system 10 that provides cloud services. In other words, the cloud system 10 consists of three cloud servers to distribute the load of various processes, but it may also consist of one cloud server, and the number of servers is not limited.

[0017] The first information processing device 11 is, for example, an information management server that manages account information for which service S is available. For example, the first information processing device 11 is an authentication information management server that manages account information as authentication information for authenticating whether or not service S is available. Note that "account" refers to an ID or right to use service S. Furthermore, the first information management device 11 manages time zone information for each account by associating time zone information with account information.

[0018] The second information processing device 12 is, for example, an application management server that manages applications and application information related to those applications. For example, the applications include various applications such as printing applications, distribution applications, data processing applications, or WF applications.

[0019] The third information processing device 13 is, for example, a component management server that manages the components that make up an application and component information related to those components. A "component" is a program prepared for each functional unit or processing unit that makes up an application. For example, a component is a program that causes a processor to execute various processes such as printing, distribution, OCR processing, PDF page merging, PDF page splitting, and PDF conversion.

[0020] Furthermore, the information processing devices 11-13 may also cooperate with an external service device 40 located outside the information processing system 100 to provide service S. The external service device 40 is a device equipped with wired or wireless communication capabilities. The external service device 40 connects to the information processing devices 11-13 via a network N. For example, the external service device 40 may be an external storage server equipped with a storage function for saving data to external storage, an external mail server equipped with a mail function for sending emails, or an external facsimile server equipped with a facsimile function for sending faxes. The cloud system 10 may also incorporate various functions of the external service device 40.

[0021] <Hardware Configuration> The following describes an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing system 100, starting with the terminal device 20 or 30 and then the information processing devices 11 to 13 (cloud system).

[0022] <<First Terminal Device>> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the first terminal device 20. Below, the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus will be described as an example of the hardware configuration of the first terminal device 20. However, the hardware configuration of the first terminal device 20 is not limited and may include the hardware configuration of other devices.

[0023] The first terminal device 20 includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network interface 950.

[0024] Controller 910 includes the main components of the computer: CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, MEM-P (System Memory) 902, NB (Northbridge) 903, and SB (Southbridge) 904. Controller 910 also includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, MEM-C (Local Memory) 907, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 908, and HD (Hard Disk) 909. Controller 910 connects NB 903 and ASIC 906 via an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0025] The CPU901 controls the entire image forming apparatus. The NB903 is a bridge connecting the CPU901 to the MEM-P902, SB904, and AGP bus 921. The NB903 includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P902, as well as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master and an AGP target.

[0026] The MEM-P902 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902a, which is a memory for storing programs or data that realize various functions of the controller 910. The MEM-P902 also includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 902b, which is used for program or data deployment and drawing during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided as installable or executable files recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0027] The SB904 is a bridge for connecting the NB903 to PCI devices, peripheral devices, etc. The ASIC906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing.

[0028] The ASIC906 acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD controller 908, and MEM-C907. The ASIC906 includes a PCI target, an AGP master, a core ARB (arbiter), and a memory controller that controls the MEM-C907, etc. The ASIC906 also includes multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform image data rotation and other operations using hardware logic.

[0029] Furthermore, the ASIC906 includes a PCI unit that transfers data to the scanner 931, printer 932, and facsimile 933 via the PCI bus 922. The ASIC906 may also be connected to a USB interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface.

[0030] MEM-C907 is local memory used as a copy image buffer and code buffer. HD909 is storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HDD controller 908 controls the reading or writing of data to HD909 according to the control of the CPU 901.

[0031] The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for graphics accelerator cards proposed to accelerate graphics processing. The AGP bus 921 can accelerate graphics accelerator cards by providing high-throughput direct access to the MEM-P902.

[0032] The near-field communication circuit 920 is equipped with a near-field communication antenna 920a. The near-field communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0033] The engine control unit 930 includes a scanner unit 931, a printer unit 932, and a facsimile unit 933, among others.

[0034] The control panel 940 includes a panel display unit 940a, such as a touch panel, which displays the current settings, selection screens, etc., and accepts user input. The control panel 940 also includes an operation unit 940b, which includes a numeric keypad for receiving setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density settings, and a start key for receiving a copy start command.

[0035] The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus, for example, drawing, communication, or input from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 is a reading device that reads original documents, etc. The printer unit 932 is a printing device that prints print data onto a printing medium. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 is equipped with image processing functions such as error diffusion and gamma conversion. The facsimile unit 933 is a facsimile device that transmits the data read by the scanner unit 931 via facsimile.

[0036] The image forming apparatus allows the user to sequentially switch between document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the control panel 940. When the document box function is selected, the device switches to document box mode; when the copy function is selected, it switches to copy mode; when the printer function is selected, it switches to printer mode; and when the facsimile mode is selected, it switches to facsimile mode.

[0037] Furthermore, the network interface 950 is an interface for performing data communication using network N. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network interface 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via the PCI bus 922.

[0038] <<Second terminal device>> Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the second terminal device 30. Below, the hardware configuration of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet will be described as an example of the hardware configuration of the second terminal device 30. However, the hardware configuration of the second terminal device 30 is not limited and may include the hardware configuration of other devices.

[0039] The second terminal device 30 includes a CPU 401, ROM 402, RAM 403, EEPROM 404, CMOS sensor 405, image sensor I / F 406, accelerometer / directional sensor 407, media I / F 409, and GPS receiver 411.

[0040] The CPU 401 controls the overall operation of the second terminal device 30. The ROM 402 stores programs used to drive the CPU 401, such as the IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 403 is used as the work area for the CPU 401. The EEPROM 404 reads or writes various data, such as programs, according to the control of the CPU 401.

[0041] The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 405 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject (mainly a self-portrait) and obtains image data according to the control of the CPU 401. Note that it may also be an imaging means other than a CMOS sensor, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor. The image sensor I / F 406 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 405.

[0042] The acceleration and direction sensor 407 is one of various sensors, such as an electronic magnetic compass, gyrocompass, or acceleration sensor that detects the Earth's magnetic field. The media interface 409 controls the reading or writing of data to the recording medium 408, such as flash memory. The GPS receiver 411 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

[0043] The second terminal device 30 also includes a long-range communication circuit 412, a CMOS sensor 413, an image sensor interface 414, a microphone 415, a speaker 416, and an audio input / output interface 417. The second terminal device 30 further includes a display 418, an external device connection interface 419, a short-range communication circuit 420, a short-range communication antenna 420a, and a touch panel 421.

[0044] The long-distance communication circuit 412 is a circuit that communicates data with other devices via the network N.

[0045] The CMOS sensor 413 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data according to the control of the CPU 401. The image sensor interface 414 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 413.

[0046] Microphone 415 is a built-in circuit that converts sound into electrical signals. Speaker 416 is a built-in circuit that converts electrical signals into physical vibrations to produce sound such as music or speech. Audio input / output interface 417 is a circuit that processes the input and output of audio signals between microphone 415 and speaker 416 according to the control of CPU 401.

[0047] The display 418 is a type of display means such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) that displays an image of the subject or various icons. The external device connection I / F 419 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 420 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The touch panel 421 is a type of input means that allows the user to operate the second terminal device 30 by touching the display 418.

[0048] Furthermore, the second terminal device 30 is equipped with a bus line 410. The bus line 410 is an address bus or data bus, etc., for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 401.

[0049] Furthermore, if the second terminal device 30 is a notebook PC or a desktop PC, it may have the computer hardware configuration described later.

[0050] <<Information Processing Device>> Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing devices 11-13. Below, the hardware configuration of a computer will be described as an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing devices 11-13. However, the hardware configuration of the information processing devices 11-13 is not limited and may include the hardware configuration of other devices.

[0051] The information processing units 11-13 each include a CPU 501, ROM 502, RAM 503, HD 504, and HDD controller 505. Furthermore, the information processing units 11-13 each include a display 506, an external device connection interface 508, a network interface 509, and a data bus 510. Additionally, the information processing units 11-13 each include a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, an optical drive 514, and a media interface 516.

[0052] The CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire information processing unit 11-13. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as IPLs. The RAM 503 is used as the work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data, such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data to the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501.

[0053] The display 506 displays various information such as cursors, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection interface 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. External devices include, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and printers. The network interface 509 is an interface for data communication using network N. The data bus 510 includes an address bus, data bus, etc., for electrically connecting various components such as the CPU 501.

[0054] The keyboard 511 is an example of an input unit equipped with multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is an example of an input means for selecting or executing various instructions, selecting processing targets, moving a cursor, etc. The optical drive 514 controls the reading or writing of various data to the removable recording medium 513. The recording medium 513 includes CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, or DVD-RW, etc. The media interface 516 controls the reading or writing of data to the recording medium 515, such as flash memory.

[0055] <Functional Configuration> The following describes an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 100, starting with the terminal device 20 or 30 and then the cloud system 10. Figure 5 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 100.

[0056] <<First Terminal Device>> The first terminal device 20 includes a UI unit 21 and a time correction unit 22. The UI unit 21 and the time correction unit 22 are realized by processing that one or more programs installed on the first terminal device 20 cause a processor such as a CPU 901 to execute.

[0057] The UI unit 21 displays a user interface (UI) on a display device such as the operation panel 940, which allows for the presentation, selection, input, or execution of information related to the service S. For example, the UI unit 21 is software such as a browser that can view web pages. The UI, such as a web page, is generated on the information processing devices 11-13 (cloud system 10), but may also be generated on the first terminal device 20.

[0058] The time correction unit 22 obtains a reference time from an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server or the like. The "reference time" is Universal Time (UTC), such as UTC, UT0, UT1, or UT2. The time correction unit 22 then corrects the time information related to service S obtained at the reference time based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. For example, the time correction unit 22 is software such as JavaScript® that runs on a browser.

[0059] "Time information related to the service" includes various time information such as the application creation date and time, login date and time (authentication date and time), application execution start date and time (job execution start date and time), or the current date and time when service S is being used.

[0060] <<Second terminal device>> The second terminal device 30 includes a UI unit 31. The UI unit 31 is realized by processing that one or more programs installed on the second terminal device 30 cause a processor such as a CPU 401 to execute.

[0061] The UI unit 31 displays a user interface (UI) on a display device such as the display 418, which allows for the presentation, selection, input, or execution of information related to the service S. For example, the UI unit 31 is software such as a browser that can view web pages. The UI, such as a web page, is generated on the information processing devices 11-13 (cloud system 10), but it may also be generated on the second terminal device 30.

[0062] <<Cloud System>> The cloud system 10 (information processing devices 11-13) includes an information management unit 51, an application management unit 52, a component management unit 53, a first processing unit 54, and a second processing unit 55. The cloud system 10 may also further include a time correction unit 56. These various functional units are realized by processing that one or more programs installed in any of the information processing devices 11-13 cause a processor such as a CPU 501 to execute.

[0063] Furthermore, the cloud system 10 includes an information storage unit 61, an application storage unit 62, a component storage unit 63, and a job log storage unit 64. These storage units are implemented using memory such as RAM 503 and HD 504.

[0064] The information management unit 51 manages account information, time zone information, and application information in an associated manner. The information management unit 51 manages the time zone for each account and manages the applications available for each account. The information management unit 51 writes account information, time zone information, and application information to the information storage unit 61, or reads account information, time zone information, and application information from the information storage unit 61.

[0065] Account information includes, for example, a tenant ID, or a tenant ID and password. A "tenant" is a contract unit for service S, such as an organization like a company, department, or training class that has contracted for service S. For example, account information might include the tenant ID and password for JP tenant T1, or the tenant ID and password for FR tenant T2.

[0066] Alternatively, account information may include a user ID associated with the tenant ID, or a user ID and password associated with the tenant ID. "User" refers to an individual such as a user or administrator belonging to the tenant. For example, account information may include the user ID and password of a user belonging to JP tenant T1, or the user ID and password of a user belonging to FR tenant T2, etc.

[0067] The information management unit 51 provides an authentication service by comparing the account information entered on the terminal device 20 or 30 with the account information it manages. The information management unit 51 performs user authentication using a user ID and password in response to an authentication request from the first processing unit 54 or the second processing unit 55. Alternatively, the information management unit 51 may perform tenant authentication using a tenant ID and password. Note that the password is just one example of authentication information; authentication information may also be information read from an IC card or biometric information (e.g., fingerprint or iris scan).

[0068] Furthermore, the Information Management Unit 51 manages time zone information for each account by associating it with account information. Time zone information includes a time zone (a country or region that uses the same standard time), the time difference from a reference time in that time zone, or the time zone and the time difference from a reference time in that time zone. For example, time zone information may be JP (+9 hours), FR (+1 hour), or US (-5 hours). For example, the Information Management Unit 51 manages time zone information for each tenant by associating JP time zone Z1 with JP tenant T1 and FR time zone Z2 with FR tenant T2.

[0069] Furthermore, the Information Management Unit 51 manages the applications available to each account by associating application information with account information. Application information can be the application name, etc. For example, the Information Management Unit 51 manages the applications available to JP tenant T1 by associating two application names, "App A1" and "App A2," with the tenant ID of JP tenant T1.

[0070] The application management unit 52 manages applications and application information. Application information includes, as described later, the application ID, application name, creation date and time, creator name, component combination information, parameter information, etc. In response to an application registration request from the first processing unit 54, the application management unit 52 associates the application and application information and writes it to the application storage unit 62. The application management unit 52 also reads the application and its corresponding application information from the application storage unit 62 in response to an application editing request from the first processing unit 54. Furthermore, the application management unit 52 reads the application and its corresponding application information from the application storage unit 62 in response to an application execution request from the second processing unit 55.

[0071] The component management unit 53 manages components and component information. Component information includes, as described later, the component ID, component name, creation date and time, creator name, etc. In response to a component registration request from the first processing unit 54, the component management unit 53 associates components and component information and writes them to the component storage unit 63. The component management unit 53 also reads components and their corresponding component information from the component storage unit 63 in response to a component editing request from the first processing unit 54.

[0072] The first processing unit 54 comprises an application development unit 54a and a display control unit 54b. The application development unit 54a provides application development services. The display control unit 54b generates an application development UI for user or tenant authentication, and for application development, execution, registration, or presentation, and provides it to the terminal device 20 or 30.

[0073] For example, an application development UI is a web page viewable in a browser, etc. An application development UI includes screen information defined in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), XHTML (Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), JavaScript (registered trademark), etc., and application information defined in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), etc.

[0074] The application development unit 54a receives a component registration request via the application development UI and sends the component and component information to the component management unit 53 for registration. The application development unit 54a also receives a component editing request via the application development UI and retrieves the component and component information from the component management unit 53. The application development unit 54a receives an application registration request via the application development UI and sends the application and application information to the application management unit 52 for registration. The application development unit 54a also receives an application editing request via the application development UI and retrieves the application and application information from the application management unit 52.

[0075] The second processing unit 55 comprises an application execution unit 55a and a display control unit 55b. The application execution unit 55a provides an application execution service. The display control unit 55b generates an application execution UI that authenticates the user or tenant and presents or executes applications available to each tenant, and provides it to the terminal device 20 or 30.

[0076] For example, an application execution UI is a web page viewable in a browser, etc. An application execution UI includes, for example, screen information defined in HTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript (registered trademark), etc., and application information defined in JSON, etc.

[0077] The application execution unit 55a receives an application execution start command via the application execution UI, retrieves the application from the application management unit 52, and executes it. The application execution unit 55a also writes the execution log of the application executed via the application execution UI to the job log storage unit 64.

[0078] The time correction unit 56 obtains a reference time such as UTC from an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server or the like. The time correction unit 56 also corrects the time information related to service S obtained at the reference time based on time zone information corresponding to the account information. The time correction unit 56 corrects the time information related to service S in response to a time correction command from the second processing unit 55. For example, the time correction unit 56 is software such as Java® that runs on the server side.

[0079] The information storage unit 61 stores account information, time zone information, and application information in association with each other. The application storage unit 62 stores applications and application information in association with each other. The component storage unit 63 stores components and component information in association with each other. The job log storage unit 64 stores the execution log of applications. The execution log includes the application ID, job ID, and job execution start date and time, etc.

[0080] Each of the aforementioned functional units may be provided by the cloud system 10. Similarly, each of the aforementioned storage units may be provided by a storage server or the like located outside the cloud system 10. For example, the information management unit 51 and the information storage unit 61 are provided by the first information processing device 11, while the application management unit 52, the second processing unit 55, the time correction unit 56, and the application storage unit 62 are provided by the second information processing device 12. Furthermore, the component management unit 53, the first processing unit 54, and the component storage unit 63 are provided by the third information processing device 13. However, the distributed configuration of each functional unit is not restricted.

[0081] The external service device 40 is equipped with various functional units such as storage, email, and facsimile functions.

[0082] <Data Table Structure> The following describes an example of the data table configuration for the information processing system 100.

[0083] Figure 6 shows an example of time zone information I2 associated with account information I1. The information management unit 51 manages the time zone information I2 by associating it with account information I1. The information management unit 51 also manages the available application information I3 by associating it with account information I1.

[0084] Account information I1 includes a tenant ID (e.g., G_001), or a tenant ID and password (e.g., 123456). Alternatively, account information I1 may include a user ID (e.g., U_001) associated with a tenant ID (e.g., G_001), or a user ID (e.g., U_001) associated with a tenant ID (e.g., G_001) and a password (e.g., 456789).

[0085] The second processing unit 55 performs user authentication using a user ID and password, then obtains a tenant ID associated with the user ID, and then obtains time zone information I2 corresponding to the tenant ID. Alternatively, the second processing unit 55 may perform tenant authentication using a tenant ID and password, and then obtain time zone information I2 corresponding to the tenant ID.

[0086] Time zone information I2 corresponds to account information I1. Time zone information I2 includes the time zone (e.g., JP) corresponding to the tenant ID (G_001), or the time difference (e.g., +9 hours) from the reference time in the time zone corresponding to the tenant ID (G_001), or the time zone (e.g., JP) corresponding to the tenant ID (G_001) and the time difference (e.g., +9 hours) from the reference time in that time zone.

[0087] Alternatively, the time zone information I2 may include a time zone (such as JP) corresponding to a user ID (such as U_001), or a time difference (such as +9 hours) from a reference time in the time zone corresponding to a user ID (such as U_001), or a time zone (such as JP) corresponding to a user ID (such as U_001) and a time difference (such as +9 hours) from a reference time in that time zone.

[0088] Application information I3 corresponds to account information I1. In other words, application information I3 includes application names (e.g., App A1, App A2) that are available for use with a tenant ID (e.g., G_001). Alternatively, application information I3 may also include application names (e.g., App A1, App A2) that are available for use with a user ID (e.g., U_001).

[0089] The second processing unit 55 performs user authentication using a user ID and password, then obtains a tenant ID associated with the user ID, and then obtains application information I3 corresponding to the tenant ID. Alternatively, the second processing unit 55 may perform tenant authentication using a tenant ID and password, and then obtain application information I3 corresponding to the tenant ID.

[0090] Figure 7 shows an example of application information I3. The application management unit 52 manages application information I3 related to various applications.

[0091] Application information I3 includes the application ID (e.g., 1), application name (e.g., App A1), creation date and time (e.g., 2021 / 07 / 07), and creator name (e.g., XXX). Application information I3 also includes component combination information (e.g., fax transmission -> email transmission) and parameter information (e.g., fax recipient: 12345678, email recipient: xxx@aaa.com).

[0092] The first processing unit 54 performs user authentication or tenant authentication and then creates application information I3, which includes the application ID, application name, creation date and time, and creator name (user name) of the created application. The first processing unit 54 sends an application registration request to the application management unit 52 and registers the application and application information in association.

[0093] Figure 8 shows an example of component information I4. The component management unit 53 manages component information I4 for various components.

[0094] Component information I4 includes the component ID (e.g., 1), component name (e.g., OCR processing), creation date and time (e.g., 2021 / 11 / 07), and creator name (e.g., XXX).

[0095] The first processing unit 54 performs user authentication or tenant authentication and then creates component information I4, which includes the component ID, component name, creation date and time, and creator name (user name) of the created component. The first processing unit 54 sends a component registration request to the component management unit 53 and registers the component and component information in association.

[0096] Figure 9 shows the relationship between components C1-C8 and applications A4-A6. Applications A4-A6 are composed of one or more combinations of components C1-C8.

[0097] The first to fourth components C1 to C4 are components that are executed by the cloud system 10 (information processing devices 11 to 13) to perform various processing tasks. For example, the first component C1 is a component that performs OCR processing, and the second component C2 is a component that performs image stamping processing. Furthermore, the third component C3 is a component that performs PDF page merging, and the fourth component C4 is a component that performs PDF page splitting.

[0098] Components C5 to C8, the fifth to eighth components, are components that are executed by the cloud system 10 and the external service device 40 to perform various processing tasks. For example, component C5, the fifth component, is a component that uploads to the first storage S1, and component C6, the sixth component, is a component that downloads from the first storage S1. Also, component C7, the seventh component, is a component that uploads to the second storage S2, and component C8, the eighth component, is a component that downloads from the second storage S2.

[0099] For example, the fourth application A4 is an application that combines the third component C3, the first component C1, and the fifth component C5. The fourth application A4 merges PDF pages, performs OCR processing, and uploads them to the first storage S1. The fifth application A5 is an application that combines the fourth component C4, the second component, and the seventh component. The fifth application A5 splits PDF pages, performs image stamping processing, and uploads them to the second storage S2.

[0100] The sixth application, A6, is an application that combines the eighth component, C8, the first component, C1, and the seventh component, C7. The sixth application, A6, downloads from the second storage, S2, performs OCR processing, and uploads back to the second storage, S2.

[0101] <Application development, execution, and registration> The following describes various processes such as the development, execution, and registration of WF applications.

[0102] Figure 10 shows an example of an application development UI 70. The application development UI 70 is, for example, a UI used to develop a WiF application. For example, the application development UI 70 can be a web page viewable in a browser.

[0103] The first processing unit 54 authenticates whether or not service S is available based on account information I1, and then generates an application development UI 70 for each tenant. Alternatively, the first processing unit 54 may generate an application development UI 70 for each user.

[0104] The UI unit 31 displays the application development UI 70 on a display device such as the display 418 of the second terminal device 30. Alternatively, the UI unit 21 displays the application development UI 70 on a display device such as the operation panel 940 of the first terminal device 20.

[0105] The application development UI 70 includes an application name specification box 71, an output format specification list 72, a component display window 73, a programming window 74, a job execution button 75, an advanced settings button 76, and an application registration button 77, among others.

[0106] The application name specification box 71 is a box for specifying the application name (for example, "App A1"). The output format specification list 72 is a dropdown list for specifying the output format from the cloud system 10. The component display window 73 displays various components such as the print component, OCR component, external storage transmission component, PDF manipulation component, PDF conversion component, and authentication component.

[0107] The programming window 74 is a window for developing WF applications by arranging the component icons 84-85 displayed in the component display window 73 in series or in parallel.

[0108] For example, the first icon 84 represents the facsimile transmission component, and the second icon 85 represents the email transmission component. In other words, application A1 is a WF application that performs facsimile transmission and sends an error email if transmission fails.

[0109] The job execution button 75 is used to run the developed WF application (App A1) on the cloud system 10. The job execution button 75 allows you to test run the developed application on the cloud system 10.

[0110] The Advanced Settings button 76 displays an advanced settings window for configuring component parameter information. The Advanced Settings button 76 displays a window for configuring parameter information such as the recipient for fax transmission, or a window for configuring parameters such as the recipient, subject, email body, presence or absence of attachments, and attachment file names for email transmission.

[0111] The app registration button 77 is used to register the developed WF application (app A1) to the cloud system 10. When the developed app A1 is registered to the cloud system 10, the app management unit 52 stores the developed app A1 and the application information I3 of app A1 in the application storage unit 62 (see Figure 5).

[0112] Furthermore, the information management unit 51 stores "App A1" as application information I3 available to tenants in the information storage unit 61, associating it with account information I1 (see Figure 5).

[0113] The following describes an example of correcting time information related to service S. <Example 1> The following describes Example 1. In this example, the first terminal device 20 corrects the job execution start date and time of application A1, which was acquired at the reference time, using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1.

[0114] Application A1 is a WF application that uses an external service device 40 (external facsimile server 40a) to send facsimile messages and, in the event of a transmission failure, uses the external service device 40 (external mail server 40b) to send an error email to the user's email address.

[0115] The cloud system 10 (information processing devices 11-13) embeds the job execution start date and time, corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, into the error email body. In this embodiment, the job execution start date and time is the facsimile transmission date and time, but in other embodiments, it may be the print date and time, or the email transmission date and time, etc.

[0116] Figure 11 shows the authentication sequence of this embodiment, Figure 12 shows the application execution sequence of this embodiment, and Figure 13 shows the job execution sequence of this embodiment.

[0117] As shown in Figure 11, the UI unit 21 logs into the cloud system 10 in response to the user's input of account information I1 (user ID and password for JP tenant T1) (step S31). The second processing unit 55 receives the account information I1 from the UI unit 21 and requests the information management unit 51 to verify (authenticate) the account information I1 (step S32).

[0118] If the authentication of account information I1 is successful, the information management unit 51 obtains time zone information I2 and application information I3 corresponding to account information I1 (step S33) and sends them to the second processing unit 55 (step S34).

[0119] The second processing unit 55 generates an application execution UI including time zone information I2 and application information I3, and sends the application execution UI to the UI unit 21 (step S35). The UI unit 21 displays the application execution UI, which includes a list of applications available to JP tenant T1 (such as app A1 and app A2), for example on a browser (step S36). The UI unit 21 also stores and retains the time zone information I2 in memory such as RAM 902b or RAM 403 (step S37).

[0120] As shown in Figure 12, the UI unit 21 receives a command from the user to start executing application A1 from an input device such as the operation panel 940 (step S40). In response to the user's command to start executing application A1, the UI unit 21 sends a command to the time correction unit 22 to acquire the job execution start date and time of application A1 (step S41).

[0121] The time correction unit 22 acquires the job execution start date and time in a reference time such as UTC in response to a command to acquire the job execution start date and time (step S42). The time correction unit 22 also reads the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1 from memory (step S43). In other words, the time correction unit 22 acquires the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1 when authentication of a user belonging to JP tenant T1 is successful. The time correction unit 22 corrects the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 10:00) acquired in the reference time based on the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1 (JP time zone Z1 (+9 hours)) (step S44).

[0122] The time correction unit 22 sends the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, to the UI unit 21 (step S45). The UI unit 21 embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, into the job registration request and sends the job registration request to the second processing unit 55 (step S46).

[0123] A job registration request is, for example, an HTTP (Hyper Text Markup Language) request. The UI unit 21 embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected by the time zone information I2 of the JP tenant T1, into the header information of the HTTP request.

[0124] The second processing unit 55 receives a job registration request with the job execution start date and time embedded in it, and stores the job registration request in memory such as RAM 503 (step S47).

[0125] As shown in Figure 13, the second processing unit 55 executes the job of application A1. The second processing unit 55 sends a facsimile transmission command to the external facsimile server 40a (step S50). The external facsimile server 40a is an example of an external service device 40. The external facsimile server 40a performs facsimile transmission in response to the facsimile transmission command (step S51).

[0126] If the external facsimile server 40a encounters an error during facsimile transmission and the transmission fails, the external facsimile server 40a sends transmission failure information to the second processing unit 55 (step S52).

[0127] The second processing unit 55 retrieves the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, from the memory storing the job registration request (step S53). The second processing unit 55 embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, into the body of the error email to notify the user of the transmission failure (step S54). The second processing unit 55 sends the error email to the external mail server 40b (step S55). The external mail server 40b is an example of an external service device 40.

[0128] The application development sequence and application development UI 70 of this embodiment are as follows. Figure 14 shows the application development UI 70 of this embodiment, and Figure 15 shows the application development sequence of this embodiment.

[0129] As shown in Figure 14, the application development UI 70 further includes an advanced settings window 90 for the email sending component. The UI unit 31 displays the advanced settings window 90 in response to a user's command to press the advanced settings button 74. The advanced settings window 90 includes a subject specification box 91, a body specification box 92, an attachment presence / absence specification box 93, and an attachment file name specification box 94, etc.

[0130] As shown in Figure 15, the first processing unit 54 adds a facsimile transmission component in the application development UI 70 in response to a command from the user to add a facsimile transmission component (step S60). The first processing unit 54 also adds an email transmission component in response to a command from the user to add an email transmission component (step S61).

[0131] Furthermore, the first processing unit 54 configures the system to start the email sending component in the event of an error, in response to a command to start the email sending component in the event of an error (step S62). Next, the first processing unit 54 configures the system to embed the job execution start time into the email body, in response to a command to embed the job execution start time into the email body (step S63). The first processing unit 54 requests the application management unit 52 to register the developed WF application (app A1), in response to a command to register the WF application (app A1) (step S64).

[0132] In step S64, the user specifies a variable (${http.headers.x_job_createdat}) that stores the job execution start date and time from the HTTP request header information in the body specification box 92 shown in Figure 14. The first processing unit 54 configures the email body to embed the job execution start time based on the variable that stores the job execution start date and time.

[0133] The second processing unit 55, when executing a job in application A1, retrieves the job execution start date and time from memory that stores the HTTP request header information, based on a variable that stores the job execution start date and time. The second processing unit 55 then embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, into the body of the error email.

[0134] Furthermore, when the second processing unit 55 sends various data to an external storage server using the HTTP protocol, it can also embed the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00) in the HTTP request header information.

[0135] <<Effects and Effects of Example 1>> According to this embodiment, the first terminal device 20 acquires time zone information I3 corresponding to JP tenant T1 when authenticating a user using a user ID and password (or when authenticating a tenant using a tenant ID and password). Therefore, even if the first terminal device 20 is managed in an FR time zone Z2 different from JP time zone Z1, the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00) of application A1 can be managed in JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1.

[0136] Furthermore, even when a second terminal device 30 located in FR time zone Z2, which is different from JP time zone Z1, runs application A1, the job execution start date and time of application A1 does not depend on the US time zone Z3 of the cloud system 10. In other words, the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00) can be managed in JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1.

[0137] Furthermore, the application development UI includes a specification box (for example, body specification box 92) for specifying a variable (${http.headers.x_job_createdat}) that stores the job execution start date and time for application A1. Therefore, users can use the job execution start date and time, corrected for JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1, in the WF application (application A1) simply by specifying the variable without having to worry about the time zone.

[0138] <Example 1 Modification 1> The following describes a modification 1 of Example 1. In this modification, the cloud system 10 stores the job execution start date and time, corrected using the time zone information I2 of the JP tenant T1, in the job log.

[0139] Figure 16 shows the job log storage sequence of this modified example. The UI unit 21 receives a command from the user to start executing application A1 from an input device such as the operation panel 940 (step S40). In response to the user's command to start executing application A1, the UI unit 21 sends a command to the time correction unit 22 to acquire the job execution start date and time, but the time information correction process is the same as described above and is therefore omitted. The UI unit 21 embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected in the JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1, into the job registration request and sends the job registration request to the second processing unit 55 (step S46).

[0140] The second processing unit 55 executes the job of application A1. The processing of application A1 is the same as described above and is therefore omitted. The second processing unit 55 obtains the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected for JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1, from the memory that stores the job registration request (step S53). The second processing unit 55 writes the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected for JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1, to the job log (step S56) and stores it in the job log storage unit 64.

[0141] <<Effects and Effects of Modification Example 1>> According to this modified example, the second terminal device 30 acquires time zone information I3 corresponding to JP tenant T1 when authenticating a user using a user ID and password (or when authenticating a tenant using a tenant ID and password). Therefore, even when the second terminal device 30, which is located in FR time zone Z2, different from JP time zone Z1, accesses the job log of JP tenant T1, it can access the job execution start date and time in JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1.

[0142] <Modification 2 of Example 1> The following describes a modified example 2 of Embodiment 1. In this modified example, the first terminal device 20 corrects the current date and time obtained at the reference time using the JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1 and displays it. Note that "current date and time" refers to the current date and time when service S is being used.

[0143] Figure 17 shows the time display sequence of this modified example. The UI unit 21 sends a command to acquire the current date and time to the time correction unit 22 (step S80).

[0144] The time correction unit 22 acquires the current date and time in a reference time such as UTC in response to a command to acquire the current date and time (step S81). The time correction unit 22 reads the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1 acquired during authentication from memory (step S82). The time correction unit 22 corrects the current date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 10:00) acquired in the reference time based on the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1 (JP time zone Z1 (+9 hours)) (step S83).

[0145] The time correction unit 22 sends the current date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I2 of JP tenant T1, to the UI unit 21 (step S84). The UI unit 21 displays the current date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the JP time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1, on a display such as the operation panel 940 (step S85).

[0146] <<Effects and Effects of Modification Example 2>> According to this modified example, even if the first terminal device 20 holds an FR time zone Z2 different from the JP time zone Z1, it can display the current date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00) when the service S is being used in the JP time zone Z1 of the JP tenant T1. The same effect can be obtained with the second terminal device 30.

[0147] <Modification 3 of Example 1> The following describes a modification 3 of Example 1. In this modification, the job execution start date and time acquired at the reference time is corrected on the cloud system 10 side (information processing devices 11-13 side) instead of the first terminal device 20 side.

[0148] Figure 18 shows the application execution sequence of this modified example. The UI unit 21 receives a command from the user to start executing application A1 from an input device such as the operation panel 940 (step S40). In response to the command to start executing application A1, the UI unit 21 embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 10:00) obtained at the reference time into the job registration request and sends the job registration request to the second processing unit 55 (step S70).

[0149] The second processing unit 55 receives a job registration request with the job execution start date and time embedded in it, and stores the job registration request in memory such as RAM 503 (step S47).

[0150] The second processing unit 55 executes the job of application A1. The processing of application A1 is the same as described above and will be omitted here. The second processing unit 55 sends a command to the time correction unit 56 to correct the job execution start date and time in response to the transmission failure information from the external facsimile server 40a (step S71).

[0151] The time correction unit 56, in response to the command to correct the job execution start date and time, obtains the time zone information I1 of JP tenant T1 based on the account information I1 obtained during authentication (see step S32 in Figure 11) (step S72). The time correction unit 56 obtains the job execution start date and time from the memory that stores the job registration request and corrects the job execution start date and time obtained at the reference time (2021 / 07 / 22 10:00) based on the time zone information I1 of JP tenant T1. The time information correction process is the same as described above and is therefore omitted.

[0152] The time correction unit 56 sends the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00), corrected using the time zone information I1 of JP tenant T1, to the second processing unit 55 (step S73). The second processing unit 55 embeds the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00) into the body of the error email, writes the job execution start date and time (2021 / 07 / 22 19:00) to the job log, etc. The use of the job execution start date and time is the same as described above, so it is omitted here.

[0153] <<Effects and Effects of Modification Example 3>> According to this modified version, since time zone information T2 is not transmitted to the terminal device 20 during authentication, network communication traffic can be reduced.

[0154] In this modified example, since time zone information T2 is not transmitted to the terminal device 20, the current date and time when using service S depends on the time zone held by the first terminal device 20 (for example, FR time zone Z2).

[0155] <Modification 4 of Example 1> Terminal devices 20 or 30 may correct not only the job execution start date and time or the current date and time of using service S, but also the application creation date and time, or the login date and time (authentication date and time), etc., based on the time zone information T2 of JP tenant T1. In addition, the cloud system 10 (information processing devices 11 to 13) may correct the application creation date and time, or the login date and time (authentication date and time), etc., based on the time zone information T2 of JP tenant T1.

[0156] <<Effects and Effects of Modification Example 4>> According to this modified version, the application creation date and time or login date and time (authentication date and time), etc., can be displayed in the time zone Z1 of JP tenant T1.

[0157] <Example 2> The information management unit 51 may manage time zone information I2 for each user by associating it with a user ID. The information management unit 51 may also manage application information I3 available to the user by associating it with the user ID. The UI unit 21 or 31 may display applications available to each user belonging to JP tenant T1. The time correction unit 22 or 56 may correct the time information related to service S based on the time zone information I2 corresponding to the user ID belonging to JP tenant T1.

[0158] <<Effects of Example 2>> According to this modified version, time information for service S can be presented in the time zone (e.g., FR time zone Z2) of a specific user belonging to JP tenant T1. Modified version 5 is suitable, for example, when a user travels to a country or region different from the tenant's time zone and wants to refer to time information for the service in the time zone of their destination.

[0159] The various functions of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, "processing circuit" as used herein includes a processor programmed to execute each function in software, such as a processor implemented in an electronic circuit. Alternatively, "processing circuit" includes devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or conventional circuit module designed to execute each function.

[0160] The aspects of this disclosure are, for example, as follows: <1> An information processing system including a terminal device and an information processing device that provides services to the terminal device via a network, An information management unit manages account information that can use the aforementioned service by associating it with time zone information, When the terminal device uses the service using the account information, a time correction unit corrects the time information related to the service, which was acquired at the reference time, based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. It is an information processing system that includes [this]. <2> The account information includes identification information of the tenant who has contracted for the service, and the time correction unit corrects the time information relating to the service based on the time zone information corresponding to the tenant's identification information. <1> This is the information processing system described in [the relevant document]. <3> The time correction unit, upon successful authentication of the account information, obtains the time zone information corresponding to the account information. <1> or <2> The information processing system described above. <4> The time correction unit corrects the job execution start date and time of the application providing the service based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. <1> ~ <3> It is an information processing system described in any of the following. <5> The system further includes an application execution unit that executes an application that provides the aforementioned service, the application execution unit writes the job execution start date and time of the application to the job log based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information, <1> ~ <4> An information processing system as described in any of the following. <6> The application development user interface further includes an application development user interface, the application development user interface comprising a specification box on which a variable for storing the time information relating to the service can be specified, <1> ~ <5> It is an information processing system described in any of the following. <7> The system further includes a user interface unit that displays the current date and time of use of the service on a display device, wherein the user interface unit displays the current date and time on the display device with the time zone information corresponding to the account information. <1> ~ <6> It is an information processing system described in any of the following. <8> An information processing device that provides services to terminal devices connected via a network, An information management unit manages account information that can use the aforementioned service by associating it with time zone information, When the terminal device uses the service using the account information, a display control unit provides the terminal device with a user interface that includes a time correction function that corrects the time information related to the service acquired at a reference time based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information, It is an information processing device that includes [a specific component / function]. <9> An information processing method performed by an information processing device that provides services to terminal devices connected via a network, The steps involve associating time zone information with account information that allows access to the service and managing it accordingly. The steps include providing the terminal device with a user interface that includes a time correction function that corrects the time information related to the service acquired at a reference time based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information when the terminal device uses the service using the account information, This is an information processing method that includes [the following]. <10> The aforementioned <9> This is a program that causes a computer to perform the actions described in [the relevant section]. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 100 Information Processing Systems 10 Cloud Systems 11-13 Information Processing Equipment 20 Terminal devices 21 UI section 22 Time correction section 30 Terminal devices 31 UI section 40 External service device 40a External facsimile server 40b External mail server 51 Information Management Department 52 App Management Department 53 Component Management Department 54 Processing Unit 54a App Development Department 54b Display Control Unit 55 Processing Unit 55a Application Execution Unit 55b Display Control Unit 56 Time correction section 61 Information storage section 62 Application Storage Unit 63 Component Storage Unit 64 Job log storage unit 70 Application Development UI 71 Application Name Specification Box 72 Output format specification box 73 Component Display Window 74 Program Windows 75 Job Execution Button 76 Advanced Settings Button 77 App registration button 84-85 Icons 90 Advanced Settings Window 91 Subject Selection Box 92 Text Selection Box 93 Attachment / Notification Box 94 Attachment file name specification box N Network T1-T2 Tenants Z1-Z3 Time Zone I1 Account Information I2 Time Zone Information I3 Application Information I4 Component Information [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0162] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-278092

Claims

1. An information processing system including a terminal device and an information processing device that provides services to the terminal device connected via a network, An information management unit manages account information that can use the aforementioned service by associating it with time zone information, An application development unit that accepts registration of combinations of one or more components that execute processing for each functional unit or processing unit constituting the workflow application that provides the said service, and the settings of the parameters of said components, When the terminal device uses the service using the account information, a time correction unit corrects the time information related to the service, which was acquired at the reference time, based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. When executing the workflow application in which a variable storing the time information related to the service is set as a parameter, an application execution unit uses the time information corrected by the time correction unit, Information processing systems, including those mentioned above.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the account information includes identification information of a tenant who has contracted for the service, and the time correction unit corrects the time information relating to the service based on the time zone information corresponding to the tenant's identification information.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the time correction unit acquires the time zone information corresponding to the account information when the authentication of the account information is successful.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the time correction unit corrects the job execution start date and time of the workflow application providing the service based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the application execution unit writes the job execution start date and time of the workflow application to the job log based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a workflow application development user interface, the workflow application development user interface comprising a designation box on which the variable for storing the time information relating to the service can be specified.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a user interface unit that displays the current date and time of use of the service on a display device, wherein the user interface unit displays the current date and time on the display device with time zone information corresponding to the account information.

8. An information processing device that provides services to terminal devices connected via a network, An information management unit manages account information that can use the aforementioned service by associating it with time zone information, An application development unit that accepts registration of combinations of one or more components that execute processing for each functional unit or processing unit constituting the workflow application that provides the said service, and the settings of the parameters of said components, When executing the workflow application in which a variable storing time information related to the service is set as the parameter, an application execution unit that uses the corrected time information, Includes, The corrected time information is the time information obtained when the terminal device uses the service using the account information, by correcting the time information related to the service acquired at the reference time based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. Information processing device.

9. An information processing method performed by an information processing device that provides services to terminal devices connected via a network, The steps include: managing time zone information in association with account information that can use the aforementioned service; A step of accepting registration of a combination of one or more components that execute processing for each functional unit or processing unit constituting the workflow application that provides the said service, and the settings of the parameters of said components, When executing the workflow application in which a variable storing time information related to the service is set as the parameter, the steps include using the corrected time information, Includes, The corrected time information is the time information obtained when the terminal device uses the service using the account information, by correcting the time information related to the service acquired at the reference time based on the time zone information corresponding to the account information. Information processing methods.

10. A program that causes a computer to perform the method described in claim 9.

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