Patent ID: 9544460
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: H04N

Claim:
1. A workflow system comprising a workflow executing device, a first external device, and a second external device, the workflow executing device comprising a workflow specifying step of specifying a workflow that defines a plurality of processes, wherein at least one of the plurality of processes is an external process to be executed by the first external device; a workflow executing step of executing the plurality of processes defined by the specified workflow; an external process specifying step of specifying the external process to be processed by the first external device; a device specifying step of, when the external process is specified, specifying the second external device that stores user account information requested by the first external device to allow the first external device to execute the external process; a sub-workflow generating step of generating a sub-workflow that defines a login process of logging into the first external device using the user account information stored in the second external device, a request process of allowing the first external device to execute the external process, and an execution result output process of transmitting an execution result of the external process by the first external device to the workflow executing device; and a workflow changing step of changing the external process in the workflow to a workflow transmitting process of transmitting the sub-workflow to the second external device through the communication unit and an execution result receiving process of receiving the execution result of the external process from the second external device through the communication unit, in order to allow the second external device to execute the generated sub-workflow, the workflow executing step including a step of, when the external process is specified in the external process specifying step, executing the workflow changed in the workflow changing step in place of the specified workflow, the first external device comprising the second external device comprising