Workflow management server and method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKazutaka Matsueda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Even when an error has occurred in a device that is executing an activity, the workflow is continued as much as possible. When an error has occurred in an activity that is in progress in a device X, a server notifies the device X of an alternative device. The name of the alternative device (device Y) is displayed on the device X. The operator can send a job catalog request from the device Y to the server and select an aborted job from the provided job catalog. The server is notified of the selected job. When password authentication has succeeded, the device Y is permitted to continue the activity.
Claims11
A workflow management server for managing a workflow including a plurality of processing steps to be sequentially executed by connected devices, comprising:
- a message selector adapted to select a message corresponding to a termination type and a progress of a processing step, which are received from a device that is executing the processing step;
- and
- a first transmitter adapted to transmit the message selected by said message selector to the device,
- wherein if the termination type indicates abortion of the processing step by error of the device, said message selector selects the message to be transmitted from a first message representing advance to a next processing step and a second message to remove a cause of the abortion of the processing step in accordance with the progress, and
- wherein the first message and the second message are messages for the same error.
A workflow management server for managing a workflow including a plurality of processing steps to be sequentially executed by connected devices, comprising:
- an alternative device selector adapted to select an alternative device in accordance with a termination type and a progress of a processing step, which are received from a device that is executing the processing step;
- a second transmitter adapted to transmit a job corresponding to a workflow including a processing step executable by the alternative device selected by said alternative device selector, in response to a job request received from the alternative device;
- and
- a third transmitter adapted to transmit a job selection permission notification to the alternative device in response to a job selection notification representing a job which is selected by the alternative device from the jobs transmitted by said second transmitter.
A workflow management method of managing a workflow including a plurality of processing steps to be sequentially executed by connected devices, comprising:
- a message selection step of selecting a message corresponding to a termination type and a progress of a processing step, which are received from a device that is executing the processing step;
- and
- a first transmission step of transmitting the message selected in the message selection step to the device,
- wherein in the message selection step, if the termination type indicates abortion of the processing step by error of the device, the message to be transmitted is selected from a first message representing advance to a next processing step and a second message to remove a cause of the abortion of the processing step in accordance with the progress, and
- wherein the first message and the second message are messages for the same error.
A workflow management method of managing a workflow including a plurality of processing steps to be sequentially executed by connected devices, comprising:
- an alternative device selection step of selecting an alternative device in accordance with a termination type and a progress of a processing step, which are received from a device that is executing the processing step;
- a second transmission step of transmitting a job corresponding to a workflow including a processing step executable by the alternative device selected in the alternative device selection step, in response to a job request received from the alternative device;
- and
- a third transmission step of transmitting a job selection permission notification to the alternative device in response to a job selection notification representing a job which is selected by the alternative device from the jobs transmitted in the second transmission step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.