JP2002109457A - Graphical user interface and document approval system and method which utilize graphical user interface - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify operation for approval. SOLUTION: When a button switch 50 for approval is operated, a graphic symbol 102 showing approval is colored in red.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a graphical user interface for a plurality of users to approve a created document using a communication network, and a document approval system and method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a document approval system in which a document is transferred between a plurality of clients via a server and a created document is approved.

In this type of conventional document approval system, when a person in charge creates a document on a client, the created document is sent to the supervisor of the person in charge by e-mail.
Upon receiving the e-mail, the boss modifies the document on the boss's client and signs the document. If necessary, the boss forwards the document to a further boss for approval.

Further, a system has been proposed in which the transfer order of documents is registered in a server in advance and the documents are distributed in the registered transfer order.

[0005]

In order to indicate on a created document that the document has been approved, an approver inputs a name from a keyboard, and the approval system side approves a character string representing the name. Insert into the upper predetermined area. In addition, an approval system has been proposed in which an approval system performs personal authentication of an approver who inputs a name from a keyboard, and then inserts a figure unique to the approver at a predetermined position in a document to be approved. I have.

However, the operation of inputting one's own name as a character string becomes a complicated task for the approver as the number of documents to be approved increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a graphical user interface that allows an approver to instruct approval by a simple operation, and a document approval system and method using the same.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a document transferred between clients of an approver for approval is displayed in an arbitrary client. A first button switch for instructing approval of the document, a second button switch for instructing rejection of the document while the document for approval is displayed, and the first button switch are operated. A means for writing first information indicating approval in the document;
If the button switch is operated, a second signal indicating rejection
And means for notifying the first information and / or second information previously described in the document.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the first aspect, the first information and the second information are notified based on a difference in display color of the same graphic.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the second aspect, the first information and the second information are notified based on a difference in the shape of a display graphic.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the second or third aspect, the name of the approver is notified in association with the notification of the graphic.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the graphical user interface according to the fourth aspect, wherein the graphical user interface has a notation mode of a plurality of languages, and at least the name of the approver is written in one of the notation modes of the plurality of languages. It is characterized by the notation

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the second or third aspect, the graphics are displayed in a specific direction in a predetermined approval order.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the sixth aspect, when a graphic to be displayed does not fit in a displayable range in one column, the graphic is displayed in a plurality of columns. It is characterized by.

The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that, in the graphical user interface according to claim 7, when the approver belongs to the same group, the approver further comprises means for notifying the fact.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the eighth aspect, when the arrangement of the figures of the approver of the same group starts in the middle of the one column and extends over a plurality of columns, the graphic group of the same group is displayed. The graphic arrangement is rearranged so that the head of the arrangement is arranged from the head of the one column.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the graphical user interface according to the first aspect further comprises means for setting an approval route of the document between the approver's clients.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the first aspect, the document is in the form of a markup language document.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the first aspect, the first user interface is provided.
And a tag for displaying the second button switch and the second button switch are described in the markup language document.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the graphical user interface according to the first aspect, the first user interface is provided.
And a tag for displaying the first information and the second information are described in the markup language document.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a graphical user interface according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, a plurality of clients according to the first aspect, and a server for transferring a document between the plurality of clients. It is characterized by having.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that each approver's client approves or rejects a document using the graphical user interface according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an entire computer system to which the present invention is applied. In FIG.
A server 10 and a plurality of clients 20 are connected to a communication network such as a LAN. The server 10 delivers the created document to the approver's client associated with the document. The server 10 has other new functions. In the present specification, the server 10 functions as the document approval system of the present invention. The client 20 is installed on the side of a document creator and a document approver.

The server 10 has the following software programs and other objects as shown in FIG.

The mail server delivers the document created by the document creator to the document approver in the form of an electronic mail (hereinafter abbreviated as mail). In this embodiment, for security, the client 20 cannot save the delivered document, and after delivery, saves the document in the server 10 and reads the document.

[0027] The web server communicates with a markup language document stored in the server 10, for example, an HTM.
This is a software program for providing a document such as an L document or an XML document (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as MLD) to the client 20. In the present embodiment,
An instruction from the client 20 having a function of rewriting the content of the markup language document and a function of a gateway program for executing information processing instructed by the client 20 is used.

The document (document) database stores a created document before approval, a document after approval, and a template document used for document creation.

The operating system (OS) executes the system operation of the server, and the above-mentioned software program can be executed on the OS.

The markup language document (MLD) is read by a browser installed on the client 20 side, and a tag command described in the MLD is executed by the browser. Some of the well-known tags are: Tag for displaying a character string described in the MLD Tag for reading and displaying an image or another MLD whose storage location is defined in the MLD from that storage location As described later, in the present embodiment, An MLD for displaying a screen for setting conditions of a document creation and approval procedure and an MLD of a document to be approved are prepared. The template document used for document creation is also MLD. A character string defined in the MLD or the server 10
A tag that displays the image stored on the display screen of the client 20 and, when the character string or the image is designated by a user's mouse operation, performs information processing according to the designation. Such a character string or image is generally called a button. The information processing executed by the browser on the client 20 side in response to the button operation includes four arithmetic operations,
Calling other MLDs, creating tables, etc. are well known. A tag for instructing the gateway program (the WEB server in the present embodiment) of the server 10 the information processing to be executed. Commonly known information processing is
There are password collation processing, database search processing, and processing for delivering input information to information processing defined on the gateway program side. A tag for instructing rewriting of the content of the own MLD or another MLD.

The client 20 has a browser. The browser analyzes the tag described in the ML and sends the ML
The information processing indicated by the tag of D is executed.

The document approval method executed in such a configuration will be described below.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a display screen on the client 20 side displayed for document creation and document approval.
The display screen of FIG. 3 is displayed by the browser of the client 20 based on MLD.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 50 denotes a button for instructing approval of a document, and reference numeral 51 denotes a button for instructing rejection and return of the document. Reference numeral 52 denotes a button for delegating approval or instructing transfer of a document for consultation on document creation.

Reference numeral 100 denotes a column for displaying approval procedure information indicating the presence or absence of approval by the approver, the name of the approver, the approval route, and the like. This column will be described later with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a button for calling a display screen for setting an approval procedure, and reference numeral 54 denotes a button for calling a display screen for setting other conditions, for example. In the present embodiment, the following approval procedure is set on an approval procedure setting screen (not shown).

(1) Name of one approver or group name to which a plurality of approvers belong In this embodiment, the approver can be designated by an individual name, and for example, a group name such as an accounting section Can be specified.

(2) Approval route, approval route is designated by the user by a number such as 0, 1, 2, etc., and 0 (first stage) is initialized by the document creator. Reference numeral 1 denotes a stage for first receiving approval. The user inputs an approver name or group name from the keyboard in correspondence with the number of 1.

Reference numeral 54 denotes a button for calling a condition setting screen other than the approval procedure. In response to the operation of this button, various condition setting screens relating to document approval appear.

As an example, it is possible to set the necessity of the jump of the stage and the jump condition. Here, skipping means a process of automatically distributing a document to be approved to the client 20 of the approver in the next stage if the approval process is not performed during a predetermined period in a certain stage. If the approver is no longer on a business trip or on vacation, the approval procedure setter can set the jumping requirement.

Reference numeral 55 denotes a document entry field. When a document creator inputs a name from a keyboard in a field of "Author", the input name is automatically set as a document creator in the first stage of the approval path.

FIG. 4 shows details of the signature display field 100 in FIG. The graphical user interface of FIG. 4 according to the present invention is displayed in the signature display section of FIG. In the present embodiment, two types, a Japanese mode and an English mode, are prepared, and the two modes differ in the display form of the signature (information indicating that the approval has been performed). The symbol (A) indicates a display mode in the Japanese mode. Reference numeral 101 denotes a stage number. Only the document creation stage uses the notation “Subbiter”. The stage number 101 also has a button switch function. When one stage number is designated by a mouse, a screen for performing detailed settings related to approval is displayed.

A stage having a plurality of identical numbers (in this case, "1") indicates that the stage is set in a group form. 103 indicates the name of the set approver. When the group name is set, the server 1
Since the name and the number of names corresponding to the set group names are obtained based on the correspondence table of the group names and the names belonging to the group names, which is mounted in the box 0, the signature display field corresponding to the number of names is automatically displayed. Is created and displayed. Creation and display of the signature display field are executed by the browser based on the tag described in the MLD.

Reference numeral 102 denotes a portion (circular figure) for displaying whether or not the approval has been made in color. Circular figure 102 before approval
The inside is gray, and when the Approve button 50 in FIG. 3 is operated, the outline and the name of the circular figure 102 are changed to red. Reference numeral 104 denotes a frame display for highlighting the column of the approver. In this embodiment, every time approval is performed,
By incrementing the counter (initial value 0), the stage at which approval is performed is represented by the value of the counter. The value of this counter is passed as a parameter to the document for approval.

The browser highlights the frame of the signature display field of the approver to be approved according to the counter value and the tag described in the document (MLD). This highlighting allows the approver to know whether he or she has approved this document. Further, the approver can know the name of the approver and the approval progress.

Further, in the same stage, in the example of FIG.
The background color portion 105 of Stage 1 is represented by the same color, and it is notified that “Tom” and “Bill” belong to the same group. Different stages use different background colors.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral (B) denotes a signature display field (graphical user interface) in English mode.
An example is shown below.

Reference numeral 201 denotes a stage number. 20
2 is an image corresponding to the stage number. In addition,
Instead of corresponding to the stage number, a photograph of the approver may be used as the image. Image is server 10
And is displayed on the client 20 side by the tag described in the MLD. Reference numeral 203 denotes a figure indicating approval or rejection, where a mark indicates approval and a cross indicates rejection. Instructions for approval and rejection are made by operating buttons 50 and 51 in FIG. 204 is the name of the approver.

Whether to use the Japanese mode or the English mode is set on a condition setting screen displayed after operating the button 54 in FIG. For this setting, the on / off of a button may be used.

In the present embodiment, a tag description column for displaying a document as shown in FIG.
It has a parameter storage area for storing parameters set in the document or input information. Also,
A plurality of MLDs related to one document, for example, MLDs for approval document display, condition setting, and approval route setting are collected in one data file and managed in the server 10. As for the template document, MLDs for approval documents, MLDs for setting conditions, and MLDs for setting approval routes are grouped together and stored in the server 10. When a new document is created from a template on the client 20 side, the parameters are automatically set to default values when the template is copied, and exactly the necessary minimum tag commands are issued when the template is copied. A document that has been described and that has a blank document content to be approved is registered in the document database.

Therefore, in this embodiment, it should be noted that a dedicated management table for managing created documents is almost unnecessary.

Since the above graphical user interface has an automatic arrangement function, the function will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the number of approvers, that is, the number of signature displays (circular figures) of the approver is not fixed but can be variably set by a specific user. In addition, since additional registration of a group is also possible, if there is an additional registration of an approver or a group, an approval frame is added rightward in the example of FIG. Normally, the document is A4 size, but there is a limit to the addition. Therefore, in the present embodiment, each time an approval frame is added, the approval frame is checked, and a tag command for performing rearrangement is described in the document. The check criteria are shown below. (A) With the addition, the width of the entire display frame displayed in a horizontal line is
When the display allowable width of the signature description column is exceeded, the display frame is displayed in a plurality of columns. (B) When the display frame of the first approver of the same group starts in the middle of the column and the display frame of the middle approver extends to the next column, the top of the approver of the same group is set to the top of the next column. To rearrange.

For example, in the example of FIG. 5, if a maximum of three display frames can be arranged in one horizontal row, the display frame of stage 1 is changed from the arrangement state of FIG.
The display frame of “m” is rearranged so as to be at the head of the second column.

The arrangement position is determined by using the number of additional display frames, the width of one table frame, and the value of the maximum allowable arrangement width in the horizontal direction.
The detailed description is omitted because it can be determined by a simple mathematical formula.

In this embodiment, when the additional registration of the approver is received from the user, the server 10 determines the number of display frames arranged in each column and the number of columns by the above formula. Server 1
0 is a tag command for displaying the table frame of the display frame and the number of display frames,
The parameters indicating the color of the display frame and the background color are written in the corresponding document in the document database on the server 10 side. Thereby, the display on the client 10 side is also displayed with the display frame added.

The above example is an example in which a display frame is added in the Japanese mode. In the English mode, the display frames are arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the number of additional display frames increases, a row of display frames is added in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 6 shows a graphical user interface for setting or adding an approver. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 301 denotes a button switch for designating a stage number. Reference numeral 302 denotes a notation indicating the stage number of the button switch 301.

Reference numeral 303 denotes a group name, which is the name of an approver included in the group when an approver name is designated. Reference numeral 304 denotes an input field for inputting a group name and an individual approver name, and is called a list box. The client user who sets the approval route inputs a personal name or a group name into the list box via the keyboard while specifying the stage number with the button 301. The input individual approver name or group name is sent from the client 10 to the server 10.

When a group name is input, the input group name is sent to the server 10, and a correspondence table between the group name and the approver name on the server 10 side is managed by the OS in this embodiment. Acquire the approver name corresponding to the group name from the correspondence table.

The acquired approver name and group name are written in the corresponding document in the document database. Further, as described above, the determined layout related information of the table frame is written in the corresponding document.

The method of using the above-described graphical user interface will be described with reference to FIG. 7 in connection with the document approval process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the entire system. It is assumed that a new document in a blank state is registered in the document database when the document creator creates the document.

The document creator uses his / her own client 20,
The display screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed to create a new document to be approved. For this purpose, the document creator designates a stage number on a graphical user interface display screen (not shown) in FIG. 6 and inputs an approver of the stage in the form of a personal name or a group name. When the input personal name or group name is sent to server 10, server 10 determines that an approver has been added (step S130), and determines the arrangement of the approval display frame (step S125). Tags and parameters for displaying the display frame in the determined arrangement are written in the corresponding document on the document database. In addition, for the tag parameter for displaying the graphic 102 and the approver name (including the creator name) 102 on the corresponding document, the approver name obtained from the individual name or the group name obtained from the client 20 Is set (step S
160).

Since the client 20 reads out the corresponding document from the document database at regular intervals, when the document creator performs the setting operation of the approval route at the client 20, the display frame shown by the symbol (A) in FIG. It is displayed in the signature display field 100 of FIG.

The document creator writes the contents to be approved in the description column 100. The contents described are also reflected in the corresponding document on the document database. Finally approved (Approv
e) Operate the button 50.

In response to this operation, an instruction for approval is sent from the client 10 to the server 10, and if the server 10 determines that the next stage for distributing the document is “1” according to the set approval route, Highlighting in the document on the database (the value of the color parameter indicated by reference numeral 104 in FIG. 4 is set to a color value indicating that approval is required (step S200 → S160).

Since the document creator has operated the button 50, the color parameter of the figure 102 and the name on the document in the document database is set to red indicating approval (step S100 → S105).

Next, a document to be approved is mailed to the “Bill” and “Tom” clients in stage 1. The mail address is obtained from a name and mail address management table managed by the OS or the mail server.

For example, when "Bill" opens a mail, the client 10 reads the corresponding document stored in the document database of the server 10 and displays it as shown in FIG. Here, the figure 102 of the document creator indicates approval, and the other figures indicate unapproved. Also, "Bi
The “n” display frame is highlighted and displayed. The approver “Bill” can accept the approval button 50 or the reject button 51.
Operate.

In response to this operation, the server 10 sets the color parameter value of the "Bill" graphic 102 of the document in the document database to a color value corresponding to the approval or rejection (step S100 → S105 or S110 → S
115). Thereafter, in the case of approval, the document is mailed to the approver in the next stage based on the approval route information on the document. In the case of a rejection, the document is sent back to the previous stage approver. 1) The concept of the document according to the present embodiment includes all printable documents such as tables, slips, memos, drawings, and illustrations.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. However, the technical scope is not limited to the scope of the present invention as long as the modification is the technical idea described in the claims. Within the range.

[0071]

As described above, according to the present invention, the approver can instruct the approval or rejection of the document by operating the button switch, so that the approver can operate the device much more than inputting the name using the conventional keyboard. Is improved. In addition, since the approval or rejection instruction result is automatically notified by a graphic, etc.,
The approver does not need to perform any operation for notification of approval or rejection.

Further, in the present embodiment, functions such as delegation of approval, consultation, and retrieving of documents are provided, so that the degree of freedom for use by the user is increased.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently carry out the work of the user by having the new functions defined in the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a software configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a client 20.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a signature display field in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a function of a graphical user interface according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an approval route setting operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the entire system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 server 20 client 30 communication network

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Shogo Endo 1-1-18 Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo Inside the Microsoft Chofu Technology Center (72) Koji Kato 1-18- Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 1 Inside the Microsoft Soft Chofu Technology Center (72) Ryogo Kanaya 1-18-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo Inside the Microsoft Chofu Technology Center (72) Ryosuke Matsuuchi 1-18 Chofugaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo -1 Inside the Microsoft Soft Chofu Technology Center (72) Inventor Yoshiko Miwa 1-1-18 Chofugaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo Metropolis (72) Inventor Hiromi Kobayashi 1-18, Chofugaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo -1 Microsoft Chofu Technology Center (72) Inventor Yasuhiko Mori 1-1-18-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo F-term in Microsoft Chofu Technology Center (reference) 5B049 AA01 BB00 CC00 DD01 EE07 FF03

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A first button switch for instructing approval of a document transferred between the approver's clients for approval while the document is displayed on an arbitrary client, and a document for approval. A second button switch for instructing the document rejection in a state where is displayed, and means for writing first information indicating approval in the document when the first button switch is operated, Means for writing, in the document, second information indicating rejection when the second button switch is operated; and first information and / or so far described in the document.
Or a means for reporting the second information. 2. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are notified based on a difference in display color of the same graphic. 3. The graphical user interface according to claim 2, wherein the first information and the second information are notified based on a difference in the shape of a display graphic. 4. The graphical user interface according to claim 2, wherein the name of the approver is notified in association with the notification of the graphic. 5. The graphical user interface according to claim 4, comprising a notation mode in a plurality of languages, wherein at least the name of the approver is written in one of the notation modes in the plurality of languages. Graphical user interface to feature. 6. The graphical user interface according to claim 2, wherein the graphics are displayed in a specific direction in a predetermined approval order. 7. The graphical user interface according to claim 6, wherein when a graphic to be displayed does not fit in a displayable range in one column, the graphic is displayed in a plurality of columns. User interface. 8. The graphical user interface according to claim 7, further comprising means for notifying that the approver belongs to the same group when the approver belongs to the same group. 9. The graphical user interface according to claim 8, wherein when the arrangement of the figures of the approver of the same group starts in the middle of the one column and extends over a plurality of columns, the top of the arrangement of the figures of the same group. A graphical user interface, wherein parts are rearranged so as to be arranged from the top of the one column. 10. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting a document approval path between approver clients. 11. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, wherein said document is in the form of a markup language document. 12. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, wherein a tag for displaying the first button switch and the second button switch is described in the markup language document. Graphical user interface. 13. The graphical user interface according to claim 1, wherein the first button switch and a tag for displaying the first information and the second information are described in the markup language document. A graphical user interface, characterized in that: 14. A graphical user interface according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a plurality of clients according to claim 1, and a server for transferring a document between the plurality of clients. Characteristic document approval system. 15. A document approval method, wherein a document of each approver approves or rejects a document using the graphical user interface according to any one of claims 1 to 13.