# US 2017/0255486 A1 · Information processing system, information processing apparatus, and information processing method

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- Number: US 2017/0255486 A1
- Document ID: US20170255486A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/439,290
- Filed: 2017-02-22
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-04
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Dongzhe ZHANG; Yuuichiroh HAYASHI; Ryutaro SAKANASHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255486A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/00204: {with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server (programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561)}
- G06F 9/4881: {Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues}
- G06Q 10/103: {Workflow collaboration or project management}
- H04N 1/00973: {from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal}
- H04N 1/21: Intermediate information storage (H04N1/387, H04N1/41 take precedence {; for control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32358; indexing, editing G11B27/00})
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- 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 system includes a memory and processors. The memory stores flow information and flow identification information for each process sequence performed by using electronic data. The flow information defines program identification information identifying programs for executing the process sequence, and an execution order of the programs. The processors execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to execute a process including receiving information relating to the electronic data and the flow identification information, from a device coupled to the system; acquiring the flow information stored in association with the received flow identification information; and executing the process sequence based on the information relating to the electronic data, by executing the programs identified by the program identification information defined in the acquired flow information, in the execution order. When the process sequence includes an iteration of processes, the processes are repeatedly executed according to a condition of the iteration.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing system including one or more information processing apparatuses configured to implement various functions of the information processing system, the information processing system comprising:
a memory configured to store
flow information and flow identification information identifying the flow information in association with each other for each sequence of processes performed by using electronic data, the flow information defining first program identification information identifying one or more programs for respectively executing the processes included in the sequence of processes, the flow information also defining a first execution order of executing the one or more programs, and
computer-executable instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the computer-executable instructions such that the one or more processors execute a process including:
receiving, over a communication channel, information relating to the electronic data used in the sequence of processes and the flow identification information, from one of one or more devices coupled to the information processing system;
acquiring the flow information stored in association with the received flow identification information, among the flow information stored in the memory; and
executing the sequence of processes using the electronic data based on the information relating to the electronic data, by respectively executing the one or more programs identified by the first program identification information defined in the acquired flow information, in the first execution order defined in the acquired flow information, wherein
when the sequence of processes includes an iteration of one or more processes, the executing includes repeatedly executing the one or more processes according to a condition of the iteration.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein
when the flow information defines second program identification information identifying the one or more programs for respectively executing the one or more processes to be iterated, a second execution order of executing the one or more programs for respectively executing the one or more processes to be to be iterated, and the condition of the iteration,
the executing includes repeatedly executing the one or more processes to be iterated, by respectively executing the one or more programs identified by the second program identification information defined in the flow information, in the second execution order, according to the condition of the iteration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the one or more programs include an iteration program for repeatedly executing the one or more processes to be iterated, and
when the flow information defines the first program identification information identifying the iteration program, the executing includes repeatedly executing the one or more processes by the iteration program, according to the condition of the iteration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the executing includes converting a data format of the electronic data into a predetermined data format, and
after the data format of the electronic data is converted into a data format that can be processed by the one or more programs, the one or more programs execute the processes included in the sequence of processes, to execute the sequence of processes using the electronic data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the one or more programs include a program for executing a process relating to an external service, and
the program for executing the process relating to the external service includes at least a program for executing a process of acquiring a storage destination address of the electronic data stored in the external service.

### Claim 6

An information processing apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store
flow information and flow identification information identifying the flow information in association with each other for each sequence of processes performed by using electronic data, the flow information defining program identification information identifying one or more programs for respectively executing the processes included in the sequence of processes, the flow information also defining an execution order of executing the one or more programs, and
computer-executable instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the computer-executable instructions such that the one or more processors execute a process including:
receiving, over a communication channel, information relating to the electronic data used in the sequence of processes and the flow identification information, from one of one or more devices coupled to the information processing apparatus;
acquiring the flow information stored in association with the received flow identification information, among the flow information stored in the memory; and
executing the sequence of processes using the electronic data based on the information relating to the electronic data, by respectively executing the one or more programs identified by the program identification information defined in the acquired flow information, in the execution order defined in the acquired flow information, wherein
when the sequence of processes includes an iteration of one or more processes, the executing includes repeatedly executing the one or more processes according to a condition of the iteration.

### Claim 7

An information processing method executed by a computer, the information processing method being implemented in an information processing system including
one or more information processing apparatuses configured to implement various functions of the information processing system, and
a memory configured to store flow information and flow identification information identifying the flow information in association with each other for each sequence of processes performed by using electronic data, the flow information defining program identification information identifying one or more programs for respectively executing the processes included in the sequence of processes, the flow information also defining an execution order of executing the one or more programs, the information processing method comprising:
receiving, over a communication channel, information relating to the electronic data used in the sequence of processes and the flow identification information, from one of one or more devices coupled to the information processing system;
acquiring the flow information stored in association with the received flow identification information, among the flow information stored in the memory; and
executing the sequence of processes using the electronic data based on the information relating to the electronic data, by respectively executing the one or more programs identified by the program identification information defined in the acquired flow information, in the execution order defined in the acquired flow information, wherein
when the sequence of processes includes an iteration of one or more processes, the executing includes repeatedly executing the one or more processes according to a condition of the iteration.