# US 12,182,190 B2 · Information processing apparatus, information processing system, data processing method, and non-transitory recording medium

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- Number: US 12,182,190 B2
- Document ID: US12182190B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/901,875
- Filed: 2022-09-02
- Published: 2023-03-30
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-29
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Daigo Taguchi
- Inventors: Daigo Taguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182190B2

## CPC

- G06F 16/353: into predefined classes
- G06F 16/93: Document management systems
- G06F 16/38: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
- G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
- G06Q 10/06316: {Sequencing of tasks or work}
- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- G06Q 50/18: Legal services
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes circuitry to receive electronic data from a terminal; request, via a network, another information processing apparatus to perform processing on the electronic data; and transmit, to the another information processing apparatus, a request of change to the requested processing based on an input received from the terminal. The circuitry executes processing related to the electronic data in accordance with a response from the another information processing apparatus to the request of change.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing apparatus comprising circuitry configured to:
receive electronic data from a terminal, the electronic data related to an electronic contract;
assign a first identifier to the electronic data;
receive a second identifier assigned to the electronic data from another information processing apparatus that is separate from the information processing apparatus, the second identifier being assigned by the another information processing apparatus;
store the first identifier in association with the second identifier;
transmit to, via a network, the another information processing apparatus a processing request to perform processing on the electronic data;
in a case that a withdrawal request to withdraw processing of the electronic data is received from the terminal, acquire the second identifier associated with the first identifier corresponding to the electronic data;
transmit, to the another information processing apparatus, the withdrawal request regarding the electronic data specified by the second identifier, the processing executed by the another information processing apparatus includes processing corresponding to the electronic contract;
receive, via the network, a response from the another information processing apparatus in response to the withdrawal request;
execute processing related to the electronic data, the processing being different depending on a content of the response; and
receive the processed electronic data on which the another information processing apparatus performs the processing from the another information processing apparatus after the processing executed by the another information processing apparatus is complete,
wherein the content of the response indicates a status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus, and
the circuitry changes a status of the electronic data stored in the information processing apparatus or deletes the electronic data stored in the information processing apparatus depending on the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus indicated by the content of the response.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the circuitry changes the status of the electronic data set by the information processing apparatus to a same status as the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, in a case where the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus indicates that the requested processing has ended, the circuitry sets the status of the electronic data set by the information processing apparatus to valid, indicating that the requested processing is ongoing by the another information processing apparatus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, in a case where the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus indicates that the requested processing has not started, the circuitry deletes the electronic data stored by the information processing apparatus.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein, in a case where the response indicates deletion of the electronic data, the circuitry deletes the electronic data stored by the information processing apparatus.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, in a case where the first status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus indicates that the requested processing has started and not yet ended, the circuitry sets the status of the electronic data set by the information processing apparatus to rejected indicating that the requested processing has been withdrawn.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein, in a case where the response indicates that the requested processing on the electronic data has been withdrawn, the circuitry sets the status of the electronic data set by the information processing apparatus to rejected indicating that the requested processing has been withdrawn.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, in a case where the response indicates that the withdrawal of the requested processing is not feasible, the circuitry sets the status of the electronic data set by the information processing apparatus to valid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry:
receives a plurality of electronic data including the electronic data from the terminal;
in response to a request for a list of the plurality of electronic data from the terminal, generates screen information for displaying the plurality of electronic data in a manner distinguished according to a status of the electronic data set by the information processing apparatus; and
transmits the screen information to the terminal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry:
executes a workflow of a series of processing to be executed sequentially;
determines whether a condition for starting the workflow is satisfied;
determines to execute the workflow in a case where a request of change is received from the terminal;
transmits the request of change to the another information processing apparatus in the workflow; and
executes the processing related to the electronic data in response to the response from the another information processing apparatus.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus forms part of an information processing system that further includes the another information processing apparatus, and
wherein the another information processing apparatus executes another processing related to the electronic data in accordance with the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to store the first identifier in association with the second identifier as metadata.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to transmit the electronic data to the another information processing apparatus via the network.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a document management system and the another information processing apparatus is a contracts management system.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

### Claim 16

A data processing method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving electronic data from a terminal, the electronic data related to an electronic contract;
assigning a first identifier to the electronic data;
receiving a second identifier assigned to the electronic data from another information processing apparatus that is separate from the information processing apparatus, the second identifier being assigned by the another information processing apparatus;
transmitting to, via a network, another information processing apparatus a processing request to perform processing on the electronic data, the processing executed by the another information processing apparatus includes processing corresponding to an electronic contract;
in a case that a withdrawal request to withdraw processing of the electronic data is received from the terminal, acquiring the second identifier associated with the first identifier corresponding to the electronic data;
transmitting, to the another information processing apparatus, the withdrawal request regarding the electronic data specified by the second identifier;
receiving, via the network, a response from the another information processing apparatus in response to the withdrawal request;
executing processing related to the electronic data, the processing being different depending on a content of the response; and
receiving, by the information processing apparatus, the processed electronic data on which the another information processing apparatus performs the processing from the another information processing apparatus after the processing executed by the another information processing apparatus is complete,
wherein the content of the response indicates a status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus, and
a status of the electronic data stored in the information processing apparatus is changed or the electronic data stored in the information processing apparatus is deleted depending on the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus indicated by the content of the response.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of program codes which, when executed by one or more processors of an information processing apparatus, causes the one or more processors to perform a method, comprising:
receiving electronic data from a terminal, the electronic data related to an electronic contract;
assigning a first identifier to the electronic data;
receiving a second identifier assigned to the electronic data from another information processing apparatus that is separate from the information processing apparatus, the second identifier being assigned by the another information processing apparatus:
transmitting to, via a network, another information processing apparatus a processing request to perform processing on the electronic data, the processing executed by the another information processing apparatus includes processing corresponding to an electronic contract;
in a case that a withdrawal request to withdraw processing of the electronic data is received from the terminal, acquiring the second identifier associated with the first identifier corresponding to the electronic data;
transmitting, to the another information processing apparatus, the withdrawal request regarding the electronic data specified by the second identifier;
receiving, via the network, a response form the another information processing apparatus in response to the withdrawal request;
executing processing related to the electronic data, the processing being different depending on a content of the response; and
receiving, by the information processing apparatus, the processed electronic data on which the another information processing apparatus performs the processing from the another information processing apparatus after the processing executed by the another information processing apparatus is complete,
wherein the content of the response indicates a status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus, and
a status of the electronic data stored in the information processing apparatus is changed or the electronic data stored in the information processing apparatus is deleted depending on the status of the electronic data set by the another information processing apparatus indicated by the content of the response.