Workflow-enabled client

US8713144B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• RICOH COMPANY, LTD. · JP

Inventors

• Bradley Rhodes · Alameda, US
• Sergey Chemishkian · Cupertino, US
• Edward L. Schwartz · Sunnyvale, US
• Daja Phillips · Palo Alto, US
• Max McFarland · Sunnyvale, US
• Andrea Mariotti · Redwood City, US
• Haixia Yu · San Jose, US
• Michael Griffin · Redwood City, US
• Stephen R. Savitzky · San Jose, US
• Gregory J. Wolff · Redwood City, US
• Patty Case · Saratoga, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 9, 2008
• Grant date: Apr 29, 2014
• Expiry date: Sep 1, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/06
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A workflow-enabled client comprises a client and a workflow manager interface unit. The workflow manager interface unit couples the client to a workflow manager to provide the automatic discovering, distributed processing and dynamic user interface generating functionality of the present invention. A communication manager of the workflow-enabled client has a registration unit that registers, and unregisters, the client with the workflow manager such as by providing a name, a data and other commands. A polling module uses a received location from the workflow manager to retrieve data. The process control module performs a plurality of processing functions such a processing polled data, storing it or providing it to other clients. The process control module can also initiate other clients. The present invention also includes a number of novel methods including a method for registering a client, a method for polling data, and a method for initiating other clients.