Document processing system, document workflow application and document processing method, configured for flexible workflow

A document workflow application including one or more programs of instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor of a terminal apparatus to generate a document workflow for scan document delivery, wherein the document workflow application executable by the processor comprises:

• a workflow creation interface, for an administrator, to create and register one or more workflow profiles via the workflow application, the workflow creation interface including a processing location selector to receive selection by the administrator of (i) a processing location amongst plural processing locations or (ii) automatic determination, wherein
• when a processing location is selected via the workflow creation interface, the workflow creation interface displays selectable workflow connectors that can be processed by the selected processing location, and
• when the automatic determination is selected via the workflow creation interface, the workflow creation interface displays all candidate workflow connectors, and the workflow creation interface permits selection, to be associated with the automatic determination, one or more workflow connectors amongst said all candidate workflow connectors, and
• when an associated workflow connector amongst the workflow connectors associated with the automatic determination is being processed by a document processing device and the document processing device determines that another processing location other than the document processing device is a suitable processing location for the associated workflow connector, the document processing device distributes the associated workflow connector to said another processing location that is a suitable processing location for the associated workflow connector, and
• wherein the workflow creation interface permits the administrator to select two or more workflow connectors amongst the displayed workflow connectors and to connect sequentially (a) one workflow connector with a first document processing device as a processing location associated with the one workflow connector to (b) another workflow connector in which the processing location thereof is a second document processing device that is connected to the first document processing device through a network, and to register a workflow profile including the one workflow connector connected to said another workflow connector, and
• in the workflow profile registered via the workflow application, the processing location associated with a first workflow connector is either of (i) the first document processing device or (ii) the second document processing device, the processing location associated with a next workflow connector is the other of (i) or (ii), and the processing location of another workflow connector subsequent to said next workflow connector in the workflow profile is the processing location of the first workflow connector.

A method performed by a document processing system configured with provisions to execute a document workflow for scan document processing, the document processing system including (i) a multi-function document input device including a document scanner to scan a hardcopy document and generate a scanned document image, and (ii) a remote document processing device coupled to the multi-function document input device via a network, the remote document processing device having greater workflow processing capacity than that of the multi-function document input device, the method comprising:

• (a) registering a workflow profile constituted by a specified combination of plural workflow connectors connected sequentially, wherein a processing location of at least one workflow connector of the registered workflow profile is the multi-function document input device, the processing location of another workflow connector of the registered workflow profile is the remote document processing device, and the processing location of an additional workflow connector of the registered workflow profile is associated with an automatic determination;
• (b) scanning a hardcopy document, by the document scanner of the multi-function document input device, and generating a scanned document image set, by the multi-function document input device;
• (c) receiving an instruction to process the scanned document image set according to the registered workflow profile, and processing the scanned document image set, according to the sequentially connected workflow connectors;
• and
• (d) transmitting from the multi-function document input device to the remote document processing device the processed scanned document image set processed in (c) and remaining unprocessed workflow connectors of the registered workflow profile, when the processing location of a next workflow connector, not yet processed, is the remote document processing device;
• (e) further processing according to one or more of the remaining workflow connectors the processed scanned document image set received by the remote document processing device in (d) and transmitting from the remote document processing device back to the multi-function document input device the further processed scanned document image set;
• and
• (f) performing the automatic determination, when the additional workflow connector associated with the automatic determination is being processed and without any user or administrator specifying any processing location for the additional workflow connector, to determine that another processing location amongst the plural processing locations for executing the additional workflow connector is a suitable processing location, and distributing the processed document image set to said another processing location for processing.