Workflow automation at a multifunction printer via a composite document

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016110320-A1
Application number	US-201314787079-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A composite document comprises a publicly posted composite document including a plurality of parts, a map-file for each participant in a workflow associated with the composite document, and a set of encryption keys. The encryption keys are associated with at least one of the plurality of parts and distributed via the map file to the participants. At least one of the parts of the composite document, associated with the encryption keys, includes workflow processing instructions. The workflow processing instructions are enactable by the multifunction printer independent of a server and automate at east some steps of the workflow for participant at the multifunction printer via resident functions of the multifunction printer.

First claim

1 . A composite document comprising:
a publicly-posted composite document (PP CD) including a plurality of parts, a map-tile for each participant in a workflow associated with the composite document, and a set of encryption keys associated with at least one of the plurality of parts and distributed via the map file to the participants, the set including at least one of an encryption key, a decryption key, a signature key, and a verification key, wherein at least one of the parts, associated with the set of encryption keys, includes workflow processing instructions, enactable by the multifunction printer, to automate at least some steps of the workflow for participant at the multifunction printer via resident functions of the multifunction printer.

2 . The composite document of claim 1 , wherein at least one part comprises a workflow print eligible part and at least one part comprises a workflow print non-eligible part.

3 . The composite document of claim 2 , wherein the workflow print eligible part includes at least one of a word processor part, a spreadsheet part, a slide presentation part, an image part, a hypertext markup language part, an AUTOCAD part, a portable document format part, a video part, or a portable audio file part.

4 . The composite document of claim 3 , wherein the workflow processing instructions comprise a text identifier including an action component and a properties component.

5 . The composite document of claim 4 , Wherein the string includes a type component, which is further specified by the action component and the properties component, wherein the type component comprises at least one of an event-based parameter or a temporal parameter.

6 . The composite document of claim 5 , wherein the temporal parameter of the type component comprises triggering execution of at least some of the workflow processing instructions based on temporal factors.

7 . The composite document of claim 6 , wherein the event-based parameter of the type component comprises triggering execution of at least some of the workflow processing instructions upon an event associated with the publicly-posted composite document (PPCD) at the multifunction printer.

8 . The composite document of claim 3 , wherein the action component comprises a keyword reference to at least one application programming interface (API) of a plurality of application programming interfaces of the multifunction printer, and wherein at least some of the resident functions of the multifunction printer comprise at least some of the respective application programming interfaces.

9 . The composite document of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of application programming interfaces includes at least one of a transmit/receive API, a storage API, a user interface API or a job processing function.

10 . The composite document of claim 3 , wherein the properties component further specifies an aspect of the action component according to at least one of a destination parameter, a location parameter, a temporal parameter, a display data selection parameter, or a scan settings parameter.

11 . The composite document wherein the workflow processing instructions are non-executable by a processor and, via their association with the encryption keys, are inseparable from the composite document.

12 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, when executed on a processor of a multifunction printer, to implement a method of automating participant workflow at the multifunction printer, the method comprising:
providing a publicly posted composite document that includes a plurality of parts, a map-file for each participant in a workflow associated with the publicly posted composite document, and a set of encryption keys associated with at least one of the plurality of parts and distributed via the map file to the participants, the set including at least one of an encryption key, a decryption key, a signature key, and a verification key, wherein at least one of the parts includes printer processing instructions; and upon receiving the publicly posted composite document (PPCD) at the multifunction printer, enacting the printer processing instructions via at least one application programming interface of the multifunction printer to automate at least some steps of the workflow at the multifunction printer.

13 . The computer readable medium of claim 12 , comprising:
providing the publicly posted composite document to include, for each publicly posted composite document, a job identifier and a signature to ensure that execution is limited to authorized print jobs.

14 . A document management system, comprising:
a composite document generation apparatus that generates a publicly posted composite document (PPCD) including:
a plurality of parts comprising at least a first part including printer processing instructions enactable via a multifunction printer, wherein the printer processing instructions at least partially automate a workflow associated with the publicly posted composite document;
at least one map-file for each participant in the workflow; and
a set of encryption keys associated with at least the first part and distributed via the map file to the participants, the set including at least one of an encryption key, a decryption key, a signature key, and a verification key: and a communication module to communicate the publicly posted composite document externally of the document management system for enactment of the printer processing instructions at the multifunction printer.

15 . The document management system of claim 14 , wherein the workflow processing instructions comprise a metadata structure defining at least a string including at least an action component that comprises a keyword reference to invoke at least one application programming interface (API) of a plurality of application programming interfaces of the multifunction printer to execute at least a portion of the workflow.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Balinsky Helen
• Spencer Andrew M
• Mohammad Nassir

Classifications

• G06F21/6227

  where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries · CPC title

• G06F2221/2107

  File encryption · CPC title

• G06F21/608

  Secure printing · CPC title

• G06F40/131 Primary

  Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces · CPC title

• G06F21/60

  Protecting data · CPC title