Abstract:
Systems, methods and apparatuses provide list of operations to be performed on a document based upon its type. A method includes receiving a document electronically at a multifunction device, and identifying the document type. Thereafter, at least two operations of the multifunction device are provided based on the document type. The document and a chosen operation may be stored as a workflow object that may be later accessed and selected by a user to execute the same function for the document.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to multi-function devices, and more particularly, to systems and methods that provide custom user interfaces for performing one or more device operation based on a non-format specific object.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Conventional multi-function devices typically provide scan, copy, print, and fax operations based on the type of job received by the device. Jobs, such as print jobs, fax jobs, scan jobs, and the like, are also typically stored based on their type, and are ordered by the time they are received. Thus, separate jobs are required based on the function of the device, even where a single document is the subject of an operation. For instance, the printing and faxing of the same document typically requires two separate and distinct operations of a multi-function device resulting from the creation of two separate jobs.  
         [0003]     One of the reasons for the execution of independent operations on a multi-function device, even where the same document is involved, is that each job type typically includes its own format. Thus, multi-function devices operate specific to the format of the job type they receive; they are unable to handle a document that is non-format specific. Unfortunately, this limits the ability of a user to simultaneously or efficiently execute multiple operations using the same document, as the user and multifunction device must serially perform each desired operation.  
         [0004]     Additionally, conventional multi-function devices are unable to associate information with format-specific jobs, such that the information may be stored and used at a later time by a user to minimize the time required to operate the device. For instance, user, passwords, other jobs, and the like, are not associated with format-specific jobs. Because jobs are limited to their discrete function, conventional devices are also unable to make one or more operations of the device available based on selection of a document by a user. As an illustrative example, a user cannot associate a document with a fax operation and a fax telephone number, where the document may be stored and later accessed by the user to implement one or more available functions, such as copying the document, or faxing it to the same stored number at a later date.  
         [0005]     What is therefore needed is a system, method and apparatus to permit the management of multiple functions within a multi-function device while simplifying the manner by which a user may utilize the device.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Systems, methods and apparatuses of the present invention enable customized user interfaces based on a non-format specific object. Based on the type of the object, the user may be presented with multiple ways of using the object, including multiple possible operations of a multifunction device. Objects may also be stored with associated information that may be later used to execute one or more functions of a multifunction device.  
         [0007]     According to an embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method of processing a document. The method includes receiving an item electronically at a multifunction device, identifying the type of the item, and providing, via a graphical user interface, at least two operations of the multifunction device that may be performed on the item. The method also includes storing a workflow object associated with the item and an operation, selected from the at least two operations by a user.  
         [0008]     According to an aspect of the invention, the item is a document. According to another aspect of the invention, the at least two operations are selected from the group of operations consisting of a copy operation, a print operation, a fax operation, a delete operation, and a save operation. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the method includes associating metadata with the workflow object. The workflow object may also be associated with the user, and/or may include a shortcut name.  
         [0009]     According to another aspect of the invention, the method includes receiving an instruction, from the user, to execute the operation associated with the workflow object. The method may further include associating, with the workflow object, operation characteristics provided by the user. The operation characteristics may be selected from the group of characteristics consisting of a number of copies, a fax number, and an email address.  
         [0010]     According to another embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method of device operation. The method includes generating at least one workflow object associated with a document having a document type, where the at least one workflow object is associated with at least one function of a multifunction device. The method also includes storing the at least one workflow object, and, based upon the document type, displaying one or more graphical user icons on a display, where the one or more graphical user icons represent at least one operation of the multifunction device. The method further includes executing the at least one operation corresponding to the selected at least one of the one or more graphical user icons upon selection of at least one of the one or more graphical user icons.  
         [0011]     According to an aspect of the invention, the method further includes associating the at least one executed operation with the at least one workflow object. Additionally, the at least one operation may be selected from the group of operations consisting of a copy operation, a print operation, a fax operation, a delete operation, and a save operation. Furthermore, the method may include associating metadata with the at least one workflow object. The at least one workflow object may be associated with the user. According to another aspect of the invention, storing the at least one workflow object further includes storing a shortcut name associated with the at least one workflow object. According to yet another aspect of the invention, executing the at least one operation includes executing at least two operations upon the selection of at least one of the one or more graphical user icons.  
         [0012]     According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method of presenting user interfaces. The method includes storing a document at a multifunction device, identifying the type of document stored at the multifunction device, and based on the type of document, presenting a user with at least two operations that can be performed on the document by the multifunction device. The method further includes associating the stored document with one of the at least two operations.  
         [0013]     According to an aspect of the invention, the method further includes retrieving the stored document upon a user request for the document. According to another aspect of the invention, the method includes associating the stored document with metadata. According to yet another aspect of the invention, storing the document includes storing the document as a workflow object, where the workflow object is associated with a shortcut name. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)  
       [0014]     Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a multi-function product (MFP), according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows containers, workflow objects, sub-containers, and their respective contents, according to an illustrative example of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a held jobs container, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a user container within the held jobs container of  FIG. 2 , according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a home screen GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  shows a held jobs GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  shows a search GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  shows a search results GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  shows a PIN GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  shows a bookmark GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  shows a print/delete GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  shows a user-container GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  shows a print all GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  shows a user-specific confidential jobs GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 15  shows a workflow object print GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 16  shows a USB Drive GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 17  shows a USB drive subdirectory GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0032]      FIG. 18  shows a file deletion GUI, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0033]      FIG. 19  shows a block diagram flow chart showing MFP operation, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]     The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.  
       I. Illustrative Multi-Function Module  
       [0035]      FIG. 1  shows a multi-function product (MFP)  110 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. The MFP  110  may represent a multi-function device, such as a printer/scanner/fax/copier, or the control logic and/or control components within a multi-function device. The MFP  110  generally includes a controller  116 , object store  132 , memory  118 , input/output  121 , display/graphical user interface (GUI) module  122 , network interface  124 , print module  126 , scan module  128 , and fax module  130 , each of which may communicate with each other via a bus  115 .  
         [0036]     The print module  126 , scan module  128 , and fax module  130  may implement the printing, scanning and fax functions, respectively, of the MFP  110 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the print module  126  includes, for example, the necessary hardware and/or software that allow the MFP  110  to print documents, including those submitted to the MFP  110  via a network  114  and the network interface  124 , and those stored local to MFP  110 . Similarly, the scan module  128  may include, for example, the necessary hardware and/or software for scanning tangible documents on the MFP  110  and storing the scanned electronic documents in the memory  118 , in a local attached memory device such as a flash drive, or in a remote memory on or in communication with the MFP  110  on the network  114 . Likewise, the fax module  130  may include, for example, the necessary hardware and/or code for faxing electronic documents over a telephone line (not illustrated) or the like. The fax module  130  may also have an internal scanning device for scanning tangible documents or may work with the scan module  128  for scanning tangible documents and faxing documents over a telephone line.  
         [0037]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the print module  126 , scan module  128 , and fax module  130  may operate in conjunction with the controller  116 , which may handle at least a portion of the processing required to effect the printing, scanning and faxing functions of the MFP  110 . For instance, according to an embodiment of the invention, the scan module  128  may include a scan manager and the print module  126  may include a print engine, where the scan manager and print engine operate in conjunction with the controller  116  to handle printing and scanning processing, respectively, or the MFP  110 . Similarly, the fax module  130  may include a fax engine and/or additional software and hardware for implementing fax functions, as known in the art, or may also utilize processing implemented by the controller  116  to effect fax functions.  
         [0038]     It should be appreciated that the components described herein with respect to  FIG. 1  may include computer-executable software running in conjunction with computer hardware. For instance, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and as described in detail below, the print module  126 , scan module  128 , fax module  130 , and display/GUI module  131  may include computer executable programs (i.e., software) stored within one or more memories of the MFP  110  that are executed by the controller  116  to effect the functions described in detail herein. It will also be appreciated that the print module  126 , scan module  128 , and fax module  130  can include any suitable electronic and mechanical elements that together effect printing, scanning, and faxing functions, respectively, of the type that conventionally occur in commercially available multifunction machines. Such elements are well-understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Therefore, details of the print module  126 , scan module  128 , and fax module  130 , including the mechanical and other details of the manner in which they are constructed and communicate with one another and other elements to perform conventional printing, scanning, and faxing functions are not described in further detail herein.  
         [0039]     The controller  116  may be a processor that executes computer executable programs with the aid of an operating system (not illustrated). According to other embodiments, one or more of the components illustrated in  FIG. 1  may comprise hardware, such that the functions described herein are performed by hardware components. For instance, the controller  116 , print module  126 , scan module  128 , fax module  130 , and/or display/GUI module  122  may be implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), firmware, dedicated components, or the like, as are known in the art. Thus, it will be appreciated that the MFP  110  may be implemented in an entirely hardware embodiment, an embodiment combining software and hardware, or an embodiment comprised entirely of hardware. Additionally, one or more of the components illustrated in the MFP  110  of  FIG. 1  may be combined to implement the methods and functions described in detail herein.  
         [0040]     The MFP  110  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  as being operatively coupled to (i.e., in communication with) the network  114 , such as a LAN, WAN, or the like, via the network interface  124 . The connection of the MFP  110  to the network  114  enables the MFP  110  to communicate with remote computing devices, such as one or more computers. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the MFP  110  may communicate with a server  112  via the network  114 . The server  112  may be, for instance, a document server that works in concert with the MFP  110  for performing special functions on electronic documents that may be handled by the MFP  110 . For example, the MFP  110  may work in concert with the server  112  for emailing electronic documents scanned by the MFP  110  to a desired electronic address accessible via the network  14 . As another illustrative example, the MFP  110  may receive print requests from the server  112 . Thus, the network  114  may represent a LAN that is in communication with a WAN, such as the Internet. The server  112  may also include specialized functions for setting up and controlling the operations of the MFP  110 . It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill that it is within the scope of the invention that the server  112  and MFP  110  may be combined into a single unit operatively coupled to the network  114 .  
         [0041]     The MFP  110  includes at least one memory  118  operable to store data created or received by the MFP via the network  114  and the network interface  124 . The memory  118  may include ROM, RAM, optical media, or other storage, as are well known in the art. According to an embodiment of the invention, the memory  118  is operable to store containers, work flow objects, and metadata, as described in detail below. Additionally, although illustrated as separate from the object store  132 , at least a portion of the memory  118 , or the entire memory, may be located within the object store  132 . Thus, according to an illustrative embodiment, the object store  132  may store containers, work flow objects, metadata, and other data, local to and within the object store  132 . According to one aspect of the invention, the memory  118  may also store data, such as work flow objects, uploaded to the memory  118  from a portable memory device via a portable memory interface (not illustrated) of the input/output  121 . The portable memory interface may permit the MFP  110  to read/write (R/W) from a disk drive, R/W CD drive, flash media, USB device, or the like that is in communication with the MFP  110 . For instance, the MFP  110  may receive a PDF type document from a flash media inserted into the portable memory interface. According to one aspect of the invention, such a portable memory R/W device may also be a read-only device, such as read-only CD drive.  
         [0042]     As is also shown in  FIG. 1 , the MFP  110  includes a display/GUI module  122  that controls the display of information on a display or GUI, which may be an input/output device of the MFP  110 . The display/GUI module  122  includes numerous features described in detail herein to enable users to access, store and organize work flow objects, as is described in detail below. More specifically, the display/GUI module  122  works in conjunction with the object store  132  to enable users of the MFP  110  to retrieve, store and organize work flow objects that may be created, stored and/or transmitted to or from the MFP  110 . The manipulation of such work flow objects is enabled by GUIs presented to the user via a display or GUI, and the storage and organization of such objects is handled by the object store  132  in conjunction with the controller  116 . Additionally, as described in detail below, the display/GUI module  122  may operate in conjunction with the object store  132  to provide users with customized user interfaces based on the identity of a user.  
         [0043]     According to an embodiment of the invention, a display or GUI of the MFP  110  may include an icon-based touch-screen (or similar) interface. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the display or GUI may include any type of moveable-cursor-based interface, which would typically necessitate the use of a cursor-control device such as a mouse, a roller ball, or any similar cursor-control devices known by those of ordinary skill. According to one aspect of the invention, the GUI module  122  includes GUI software that operates in accordance with conventional windowing GUI paradigms.  
         [0044]     It should be appreciated that the MFP  110  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, one or more of the MFP  110  components described herein may be combined and/or placed external to the MFP  110 , including remote from the MFP  110 . Additionally, although described herein as a multi-function module, one or more of the components may be optional or unnecessary. For instance, the MFP  110  may represent a device that does not include a fax function, so that the MFP  110  may not include a fax module. Furthermore, although described herein as a MFP  110 , according to an embodiment of the invention, the MFP  110  may alternatively have only a single or dedicated function, such as a scanning function requiring only the scan module  128 . Other embodiments of the MFP  110  are possible. For instance, although the print module  126 , scan module  128 , fax module  130 , and GUI module  131  are illustrated as independent components, each may be stored within one or more memories of the multi-function device  110 , such as memory  118 , and each may be stored in whole or part external to the MFP  110  and fetched into memory  118  on an as-needed basis. Other software elements of the types conventionally included in personal computers, such as an operating system and communications software, are also included but not shown for purposes of clarity.  
       II. Work Flow Objects and Containers  
       [0045]     According to an embodiment of the invention, the MFP  110  described with respect to  FIG. 1  is operable to store and execute work flow objects and to organize workflow objects using containers. The identity of both workflow objects and containers are indexed by the object store  132  so that the object store  132  can identify and retrieve workflow objects and containers, and execute workflow objects. Both workflow objects and containers may be displayed to a user of the multi-function  110  module via icons, which may be selected by users to access the contents of containers and to execute workflow objects.  
         [0046]     According to one aspect of the invention, work flow objects can include print jobs, confidential jobs, scan jobs, fax destinations, and other functions that may be executed by the MFP  110 . It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that workflow objects may replace traditional items, such as jobs, stored and executed by a multi-function product such as a printer/scanner/fax machine. In addition to items for execution, work flow objects may also include user profiles, settings and data associated with functions of the MFP  110 . As an illustrative example, a work flow object may include a print job requested by a user via a computer communicating the print job to the MFP  110  via the network  114 . As another illustrative example, a workflow object may be a stored fax number. In yet another illustrative example, a workflow object may be a user profile stored by the MFP  110 .  
         [0047]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, each work flow object shares a common format or data structure regardless of its function or use, and each contains the necessary information for its execution by the MFP  110 . Thus, each workflow object includes all of the information necessary to display or identify the content, type or purpose of the workflow object, to execute the workflow object, and to manage its display and access. As will be explained in greater detail below, this allows a user to select a workflow object via the GUI, after which the workflow object is executed. For instance, each workflow object may include an icon displayable to a user via the GUI, which may be selected by the user. Upon selecting the workflow object, the appropriate function or functions for the MFP  110  may be automatically identified, as described in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 19 . As an illustrative example, where the workflow object corresponds to a document to be printed, similar to a conventional print job, the document would be printed upon selection of the workflow object. According to another illustrative example, a workflow object may correspond to a user profile, and the user may select the workflow object to alter his or her profile.  
         [0048]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, each workflow object may be associated with metadata that identifies characteristics of the workflow objects. As an illustrative example, the metadata may include a user associated with the workflow object, which may be used to automatically identify the workflow object after a user of the MFP  110  is authenticated. The metadata may also identify a module function to be performed, a PEN required for viewing or accessing it, an image (e.g., an icon) representing the workflow object, and the like. Metadata is associated with each workflow object, and may be stored and accessed by the object store  132 , which is operable to index objects and to identify metadata associated therewith. Workflow objects may be generically stored by the MFP  110  without the need to organize workflow objects by their function, which provides the MFP  110  with flexibility in organizing, storing and providing access to such objects. Thus, multiple workflow objects corresponding to a particular user may be organized and/or presented together even though the workflow objects pertain to disparate functions of the multifunction MFP  110 .  
         [0049]     Workflow objects are organized by containers that may include one or more workflow objects. Containers, like workflow objects, may be represented by icons viewable by users of the MFP  110  via the GUI. Containers may be automatically generated upon the creation of a workflow object, or may be expressly generated by users. As an example, a container may be automatically created by the MFP  110  upon receipt of a document print request from a computer communicating with the MFP  110  via the network  114 , where the container is based on the identity of the user&#39;s computer, or a user or other profile associated with the user&#39;s computer. For instance, the container may be automatically created and titled “JDoe” after a computer associated with user John Doe transmitted a print request to the MFP  110 .  
         [0050]     Containers, like workflow objects, may be associated with metadata that identifies characteristics (i.e., attributes) of each container. As an illustrative example, the metadata may include a user associated with the container, which may be used to automatically identify the container after a user of the MFP  110  is authenticated. Metadata associated with each container may be accessed by the object store  132 , which is operable to index objects and to identify metadata associated therewith. Thus, referring again to the preceding example in which a container is automatically created, titled “JDoe”, and a print job (i.e., workflow object) is stored therein, a user may access that folder by walking up the MFP  110  and authenticating via the input of an ID, PIN, or the like. Upon identifying the user, the object store  132  may compare the user name to containers and workflow object, and identify that the “JDoe” container is associated with the user. As a result, the user may be presented with a GUI on which the “JDoe” container is prominently displayed. In this manner, one a user is authenticated the MFP  110  will automatically provide the user with simple access to the containers and workflow objects the user will likely access, obviating the need for the user to search for such information.  
         [0051]     Containers may also be locally or remotely created by a user. For instance, a user may generate a container to store numerous workflow objects the user wishes to manage as a group. This may occur via a GUI of the MFP  110  or via a computer in communication with the MFP  110  via the LAN  114 . According to another embodiment the invention, containers may be automatically generated in part by software and/or hardware in communication with the MFP  110 , such as the Lexmark Document Solutions Suite (LDSS), a product of the assignee of the present application.  
         [0052]     As described in detail below, one or more default containers may exist for each workflow object. For instance, when a workflow object is created at the request of a particular user, that workflow object may be automatically associated with a container corresponding to the user, which is the default container for the workflow object. However, workflow objects may also be associated with one or more containers. Thus, the same workflow object may be accessed from a plurality of containers. As an illustrative example, if a workflow object is a fax document created by a particular user, the workflow object may be included in a container associated with the user as well as a separate container that may contain all recent fax documents stored by the MFP  110 . Because each workflow object is unique, each may include a unique shortcut, which may be a unique number associated with the workflow object. This permits a user to quickly identify the workflow object. According to an embodiment of the invention, the object store may index and/or store workflow objects by their unique shortcut. This also permits the object store to quickly retrieve workflow objects.  
         [0053]     Referring once again to  FIG. 1 , the memory  118  is operable to store containers, work flow objects, and metadata, as instructed by the object store  132 . Although illustrated as separate from the object store  132 , at least a portion of the memory  118 , or the entire memory, may be located within the object store  132 . Thus, according to an illustrative embodiment, the object store  132  may store containers, work flow objects, metadata, and other data, local to and within the object store  132 . Additionally, it will be appreciated that the display/GUI module  122  works in conjunction with the object store  132  to enable users of the MFP to create, retrieve, store and organize work flow objects and containers. Illustrative GUIs for performing such functions are described in detail with respect to  FIGS. 3-18 .  
         [0054]     Next,  FIG. 2  shows containers, workflow objects, sub-containers, and their respective characteristics or attributes, according to an illustrative example of the present invention. As described above, the object store  132  is operable to index and manage containers (including sub-containers) and workflow objects to implement the functions described herein. As such, the object store  132  is operable to search the attributes associated with each container and workflow object, and to store and manage the relationship between each. These attributes may be identified or defined by metadata corresponding to each container or workflow object and accessed by the object store  132 . These functions will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art with reference to  FIGS. 2-18 .  
         [0055]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a container  1   250  may include a number of attributes, including a shortcut, name, PIN, deletion permissions, default location, icon and icon placement, and one or more workflow objects and/or one or more sub-containers. The container  1   250  may also have metadata (not illustrated) associated with it for defining and/or associating each of these attributes with the container  1   250 .  
         [0056]     More specifically, the shortcut may be a unique number that identifies the particular container  1   250 , and may be used by a user to identify the container  1   250 .  
         [0057]     Additionally, the object store  132  may use the shortcut to index the container  1   250 , and/or to associate attributes with the container  1   250 . The container  1   250  may also include a name associated with the container  1   250 . As described above, the name may be automatically generated, or alternatively may be created by a user. The container  1   250  may also include a PIN association to enable access to the container  1   250 , if the container  1   250  is confidential and permits access to its contents only by authorized users. According to another aspect of the invention, the PIN association may also represent a user association, such that the container  1   250  may be accessed by those users associated with it that have rights to access the container  1   250 . Similarly, a container may have deletion permissions that indicate those users that have rights to delete the container and/or change its attributes. The container  1   250  also includes an icon, illustrative examples of which are illustrated below. The icon attribute may also include placement attribute to indicate where the icon should be positioned on a GUI.  
         [0058]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , workflow objects  255 ,  260 ,  265  within the container  1   250  also each include several attributes. Like the container attributes, these include a shortcut, a name, a PIN (or user association), an icon (and its location or placement), and deletion permissions. Workflow objects also include an attribute noting the one or more containers and/or sub-containers a workflow object is associated with. For instance, in the illustrative example of  FIG. 2 , workflow object  1   255 , workflow object  2   260 , and workflow object N  265  are each associated with container  1   250 . However, workflow object  2   260  is also associated with container  2   275 , and workflow object N is associated with sub-container  1   270 . This illustrates that workflow objects may be associated with more than one container and/or sub-containers. Workflow objects also include multiple function composites, which indicate and provide the data and function of a workflow object. For instance, where a workflow object is a print job, the multiple function composites may include a copy and a fax composite, such that an icon may be provided to the user for selection that will permit the copying or faxing of the workflow objects.  
         [0059]     Workflow objects may have one or more function composites to instruct the object store  132  and MFP  110  how a workflow object may be executed. Additionally, although the workflow objects are described above as including the data to implement a function, such as document data for printing or faxing, this data may be associated with the workflow object by metadata. Like containers, workflow attributes may be defined and/or associated with a workflow object by metadata (not illustrated), such that the object store  132  may index and identify the workflow attributes corresponding to a particular workflow object. The object store  132  may also search the container and workflow attributes. As is also shown in the illustrative example of  FIG. 2 , there may be one or more sub-containers associated with a container, where each includes the same attributes as a container. For instance, sub-container  1   270  includes a shortcut, name, PIN (or user association), an icon, deletion permissions, and one or more workflow objects. Although not illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a sub-container may also include additional sub-containers. The relationship of containers, sub-containers, and workflow objects will be further described below with reference to  FIGS. 3-18 .  
         [0060]     It will be appreciated that the object store  132  may use container and workflow object attributes and metadata to associate user profiles with documents generated by each user. For instance, upon the creation of a workflow object by an authenticated or known network user, the object store may tag or otherwise associate that workflow object with the user. According to another embodiment, the object store  132  may create a user profile workflow object and associate it with other workflow objects and containers. This permits containers and/or workflow objects to be associated with a user, such that the MFP  110  can query the user profile to identify those containers and/or workflow objects associated with a user, rather than querying each workflow object and/or container to determine those associated with a user. This may permit accelerated search times when the MFP  110  or a user attempts to identify those containers or workflow objects associated with the user.  
         [0061]     Next,  FIG. 3  shows an illustrative held jobs container  300 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the illustrative held jobs container  300  of  FIG. 3  is intended only to illustrate the relationship between containers and workflow objects, and is not intended to represent a GUI displayed to a user of the MFP  110 . As described above, the object store  132  of the MFP  110  may store containers and workflow objects in one or more memories local to or external to the object store  132 . In  FIG. 3 , the held jobs container  300  represents the top level container stored by the object store  132 , within which all other containers and all workflow objects are stored. Specifically, within the held jobs container  300  are nine (9) illustrative sub-containers  310 ,  312 ,  314 ,  316   a - 316   f .  FIG. 3  represents an illustrative container  300 , so it will be appreciated that the sub-containers are intended to be illustrative only, and that a greater or fewer number of sub-containers may be located in the container  300 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the held jobs container  300  includes a bookmarks container  310 , profiles container  312 , a USB device container  314 , and individual user containers  316   a - 316   f . The user containers  316   a - 316   f  may be automatically named after users that have submitted workflow objects to the MFP  110 . As described above, containers may include one or more sub-containers, and those one or more sub-containers may, in turn, include additional containers, etc., organized in a tree-type structure.  
         [0062]      FIG. 4  shows a detailed view of a container for an illustrative user, BFlowers, which is the BFlowers container  316   a  of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the BFlowers container  316   a  includes an additional container, confidential jobs  410 , and five workflow objects  412   a - 412   e . The confidential jobs container may include additional containers and/or workflow objects that only user BFlowers is permitted to access. As will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , access to the confidential jobs container  410  may require a password, PIN, or the like, known only by user BFlowers. The five workflow objects shown in  FIG. 4  represent documents in a variety of formats, which may be selected by a user for implementing a function of the multi-function module, such as printing copies of the objects  412   a - 412   e . The workflow objects may have been stored within the BFlowers container  316   a  automatically, such as where they are received from a networked computer corresponding to user BFlowers, or input locally to the machine after user BFlowers logs into or otherwise identifies himself to the MFP  110 . Alternatively, the workflow objects may be placed in the BFlowers container  316   a  only after an express instruction by a user.  
         [0063]      FIG. 5  shows a home screen GUI  500  that may be presented to users by the MFP  110 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The home screen GUI  500  includes icons allowing a user to activate several basic functions of the MFP  110 . According to one aspect of the invention, the icons may be selected by touch, where the display/GUI  122  is a touch screen display. Alternatively, the options may require the use of a cursor, one or more softkeys, or the like, as are known in the art. As shown in  FIG. 5 , these basic functions may include, for example, a faxing function represented by a fax icon  510 , a copying function represented by a copy icon  505 , a scan-to-email function represented by the email icon  515 , and an FTP function represented by the FTP icon  520 . Upon selecting the fax icon  510 , the GUI will then provide a GUI that includes icons and associated fields for allowing the user to fax an electronic document stored by or scanned into the MFP  110  or over the network  114 . Upon activating the copy icon  505 , the GUI will advance to a graphical interface providing icons and fields for controlling the copying functions of the MFP  110 . Similarly, upon activating the email icon  515 , the GUI will provide an interface for allowing the user to type in an email message and attach electronic documents (either stored by the MFP  110 , scanned by the MFP  110 , stored on the server  112 , or available over the network  114 ) to the email message, and send that email over to an electronic address over the network  114 .  
         [0064]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the home screen GUI  500  also includes a search held jobs icon  530  and a held jobs icon  525 . According to the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 5 , the held jobs icon  525  represents a held jobs container, under which all workflow objects and containers are accessible. Thus, the home screen GUI  500  permits a user to access all of the containers and workflow objects managed by the object store of the MFP  110 . According to an embodiment, the held jobs container may be the default container for all other containers, and the selection of the held jobs icon  525  will open a GUI showing the workflow objects and containers within it, as described below with respect to  FIG. 6 . According to one aspect of the invention, whenever the held jobs container includes any items, such as one or more workflow objects or containers, the search held jobs icon  530  will also be presented on the home screen GUI  500 . The selection of the search held jobs icon  530  will open up a search GUI, as will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 7 .  
         [0065]      FIG. 6  shows a held jobs GUI  600 , according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The held jobs GUI  600  is presented to a user via the display/GUI of the MFP  110  after the user selects the held jobs icon  525  of the home screen GUI  500 . The held Jobs GUI  600  includes one or more containers and/or workflow objects stored within the held jobs container. According to one aspect of the invention, for default containers and/or containers corresponding to external applications  605 ,  610  may be listed first, followed by icons for user-specific containers  615   a - 615   d . As described above, the user-specific containers  615   a - 615   d  may be generated automatically based on the identity of a user&#39;s computer submitting a job to the MFP  110 . According to one aspect of the invention, user-specific containers  615   a - 615   d  may be listed in alphabetical order. The user-specific containers  615   a - 615   d  may also be followed by workflow objects (not illustrated).  
         [0066]     According to another aspect of the invention described in detail below, it will be appreciated that a user may only be presented with that user&#39;s container, as well as default containers, if the user authenticates (e.g., by entering a password, PIN, user ID, or the like) prior to viewing the held jobs GUI  600 . According to one aspect of the invention, if a user has to authenticate to view the held jobs GUI  600 , any workflow objects associated with the user may be placed within a container associated with the user, which may have a name matching the user&#39;s name, or matching a short form thereof. Additionally, the user&#39;s container may be placed in alphabetical order in a list of containers associated with users, where each is in alphabetical order based on a user&#39;s name. Alternatively, upon authenticating and accessing the held jobs GUI  600 , a container matching the user may be listed just under the default and/or external application containers  605 ,  610 .  
         [0067]     More specifically, according to an illustrative example, a user may initially identify themselves to the MFP  110  via the entry of a username and password. After authentication, the MFP  110  may execute a comparison between the user&#39;s identity, such as using a unique number associated with the user, to object and/or container names used to store objects. This may be executed by examining a table of containers and/or workflow objects indexed by user, or may be accomplished by an examination of all containers and/or workflow objects to determine if they include an association with the user. If a match is made, the objects and/or containers may be prominently presented on a GUI, such as directly underneath the default containers, while the remaining items on the GUI are presented in a default or normal order. For instance, if a user submits a print job to a multi-function device, after approaching and authenticating at the device, the user may be presented with a list of held jobs, with a container for User 1  listed at the top of an otherwise alphabetical list.  
         [0068]     Referring again to  FIG. 6 , a user may select a container within the held jobs GUI  600  by selecting it, as may be accomplished via a touch screen, a mouse, or keys, as is known in the art. Selecting a container will in turn open up another GUI for that particular container, as will be illustrated below with respect to  FIGS. 10 and 12 . Though not illustrated in  FIG. 6 , according to another aspect of the invention, a user may also execute workflow objects presented by the held jobs GUI  600  by selecting the workflow object. Additionally, a user may select a search held jobs icon  620 , which will direct the user to the same location as the search held jobs icon  530  of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0069]     Next,  FIG. 7  shows a search GUI  700 , according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The search GUI  700  permits a user to search through any containers and/or workflow objects within the held jobs container or sub-containers therein. To execute a search a user may enter a search term or terms in a search field  705  using a keyboard  710 , which as illustrated in  FIG. 7  may be similar to a conventional computer keyboard in layout to facilitate its use. Search terms may include usernames, job names, bookmark names, containers, profile names, shortcut names, and the like. The search term(s) may include any alphanumeric characters or symbols included within the illustrative keyboard  710 . After inputting search term(s) by depressing or selecting a ‘search’ button, the object store  132  will retrieve containers and workflow objects matching the search term(s). The search results will be displayed to a user in a separate search results GUI  800 , as shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0070]      FIG. 8  shows a search results GUI  800 , according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The search results GUI  800  illustrates one or more workflow objects or containers the object store  132  identifies as matching the search term(s) input by a user via the search GUI  700 . In the illustrative example shown in  FIG. 8 , the search term(s) are “flow”, and the search results  805  for “flow” are presented in the search results GUI  800  in alphabetical order. The search results may include containers or workflow objects, including usernames, job names, bookmark names, containers, profile names, shortcut names, and the like. In the illustrative example of  FIG. 8 , the search results  805  include a scan for a user having the name “Bflower&#39;s Job”, a bookmark stored within a “Flowers” container, a profile titled “Marketing_Cognitive_Test_Flow”, a document titled “Massive Analysis 2004-09-30” created by bflowers, a document on a local USB drive titled “Matriculation_flow.pdf”, and a container of held jobs for user “BFlowers”.  
         [0071]     A user may execute any of the workflow objects presented by the search results GUI  800  by selecting the workflow object, as will be described in further detail below. Additionally, because a large number of search results may match the search term(s), the search results GUI  800  may include up and down arrows that operate in a page up/page down fashion until the last entry in the direction of travel is shown. For instance, where the search results GUI  800  may show six search results at once, if there are 16 search results to be displayed, the first screen may show the first six search results, 1-6, with a grayed-out up arrow. Pressing the down arrow may display results 6-11 (i.e., the last search result in the previous screen is repeated), while pressing the down arrow again displays results 11-16. The search results GUI  800  may also include at least button permitting a user to execute a new search, such that the selection of the button will return the user with the search GUI  700  shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0072]     It will be appreciated that although certain containers and/or workflow objects may match the search term(s) input by a user, one or more of the containers and/or workflow objects may be confidential. According to an embodiment of the invention, confidential containers and/or workflow objects will not be displayed to users whose rights do not include the rights to access those confidential items. Thus, the display of search results on the search results GUI  800  may only be effected after the matching search results are compared against the rights of the user to view such results. According to one aspect of the invention, this comparison may be implemented by the object store  132 . For instance, a user may not be able to view a confidential workflow object for a print job that was created by another user and saved as confidential, such that the creator of the work flow object may be the only person to view and execute it other than an administrator having rights to access any and all jobs and containers.  
         [0073]     According to another embodiment of the invention, confidential containers and/or workflow objects may be displayed to all users be default regardless of the user&#39;s identity. However, to access those search results a user may be required to enter a personal identification number (PIN). Therefore, each workflow object and/or container may be associated with a permission list that includes PIN numbers against which user-input PINs may be compared to determine whether access to a workflow object or container should be granted.  FIG. 9  shows an illustrative PIN GUI  900  via which a user may enter a PIN number. The PIN number may be used to identify the user and authorize the user to view a particular workflow object or container. PIN entry may be useful to identify walk-up users of the device. However, where the containers and/or workflow objects are remotely accessible by authenticated users, e.g., users on the network  114 , a PIN may not be required. Referring again to  FIG. 9 , a user may enter a PIN using a keypad  910 . The PIN may be displayed in a PIN entry window  905  as it is entered. Alternatively, the PIN entry window  905  may display asterisks in place of the PIN numbers entered by a user so as to hide the entered PIN number from onlookers. It will be appreciated to those of ordinary skill in the art that the PIN may comprise any number of numbers, and may also include letters, such that the keypad  910  may be similar to the illustrative keyboard  710  of the search GUI  700 .  
         [0074]     Referring again to the held jobs GUI  600 , the held jobs container may include a bookmark container  605 . According to an aspect of the invention, the bookmark container  605  may include popular, commonly accessed containers and workflow objects. Upon selecting the bookmark container  605 , a bookmark GUI  1000  is provided to the user. As with any container, the bookmark container  605  can include sub-containers as well as workflow objects that, when selected, initiate an action, such as printing a page. The workflow objects within the bookmark container may be referred to as bookmarks. In the illustrative example of  FIG. 10 , the bookmark GUI  1000  includes three containers  1005 ,  1010 ,  1015  and at least three workflow objects (or bookmarks)  1020   a ,  1020   b ,  1020   c . The bookmark GUI  1000  may also include at least button permitting a user to execute a search of the bookmarks  1025 , which may direct the user to the search GUI  700  shown in  FIG. 7 , which may then be used to search only containers and workflow objects within the bookmark container  605 .  
         [0075]     As with any screen listing containers and workflow objects, containers may be displayed first, followed by workflow objects. As also illustrated in the bookmark GUI  1000 , confidential items, such as the confidential container “Taxes”  1005 , may be illustrated with an icon representing a folder and a lock. Containers  1010 ,  1015  that are not confidential may be illustrated with an icon representing a folder. Both containers and workflow objects may be represented based on their type. For instance, where workflow objects represent documents that may be printed, they may be represented by an icon representing a piece of paper. As another example, where a container is associated with a particular user profile, it may be represented by an icon representing a person, such as the icons for user-specific containers  615   a - 615   d  in the held jobs GUI  600  described above.  
         [0076]     When a user selects a container or workflow object from the bookmark GUI  1000 , the MFP  110  may display the contents of the container or execute the bookmark. As an illustrative example, a “Results” workflow object may represent a document. The “Results” workflow object may have been accessed via a selection of the “Tests” container  1010 , within which it was presented as a workflow object. According to an embodiment of the invention, bookmarks may be printed or deleted. Thus, upon its selection by the user, the MFP  110  will execute the workflow object and the user may be presented with the print/delete GUI  1100  shown in  FIG. 11 . The print/delete GUI  1100  includes a print icon  1110  and a delete icon  1115 , which allows the user to print or delete the workflow object. As illustrated, each of the icons  1110 ,  1115  may include the name of the workflow object “results”. A user is also presented with a copy count  1120  that may be increased or decreased using one or more keys, such as the “+” and “−” icons shown in  FIG. 11 . When the user wishes to print the desired number of copies, the user will select the print icon  1110  and the MFP  110  will print the number of copies indicated by the copy count. Alternatively, selecting the delete icon  1115  will result in the complete deletion of the “results” workflow object. Thus it may no longer be accessed from any containers, including the bookmark container  605 , and the “tests” container  1010 .  
         [0077]     Next,  FIG. 12  shows an illustrative user-container GUI  1200 , according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The user-container GUI  1200  may have been accessed, e.g., via a selection of a user container from the GUI  600  shown in  FIG. 6 . According to another embodiment of the present invention, upon authenticating at the MFP  110 , a user may be automatically presented with their user-container via the user-container GUI  1200 . In particular, the user-container GUI  1200  illustrated in  FIG. 12  is the user-specific container  615   c  corresponding to user “Bflowers”. The user-specific container GUI  1200  is similar in layout to other GUIs illustrating containers and/or workflow objects. As shown in  FIG. 12 , a user may use the user-specific GUI  1200  to access a sub-container  1205  or one or more workflow objects  1210   a - 1210   e . The user-container GUI  1200  may also include at least one button permitting a user to execute a search of the user-specific container  615   c , which may direct the user to the search GUI  700  shown in  FIG. 7 , which may then be used to search only containers and workflow objects within the user-specific container  615   c.    
         [0078]     As shown in  FIG. 12 , whenever two or more non-confidential workflow objects, e.g. print jobs, are present at the level of a container displayed via a GUI, that GUI may provide a “Print all” icon and a “Delete all” icon. Thus, as shown in the user-specific container GUI  1200 , a “Print all” icon  1220  and a “Delete all” icon  1225  are provided to permit the printing and/or deletion of all of the workflow objects within the user-specific container  615   c . According to another aspect of the invention, the “Print all” icon  1220  and “Delete all” icon  1225  also permit the printing and/or deletion of all of workflow objects within sub-containers of the user-specific container  615   c . However, the print all and delete all functions may not include any confidential workflow objects stored within a confidential folder within the container. According to one aspect of the invention, whenever one or more workflow objects within a container, such as the user-specific container  615   c  represented by the user-container GUI  1200 , are confidential, a “confidential jobs” icon  1205  representing a confidential folder within the container becomes the first selection in the container and workflow object list. Non-confidential jobs are listed as the next selections. Thus, to print or delete confidential workflow objects requires a user to first select the confidential jobs icon  1205 , and may require the input of a PIN or similar password, as described above with respect to  FIG. 9 .  
         [0079]     If a user selects the print all icon  1220 , a Print All GUI  1300  is presented to the user, as is shown in the GUI  1300  of  FIG. 13 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. The Print All GUI is similar to the print/delete GUI  1100  for a single work flow object, except that a print all button  1310  includes the container name instead of a workflow object name, and the number of copies  1320  adjustable by a user is applied to all of the workflow objects printed from the container. Additionally, because a delete all button exists at the higher level, it does not appear in the print all GUI  1300 .  
         [0080]     Continuing with the illustrative user-container GUI  1200  shown in  FIG. 12 , if the confidential jobs container  1205  is selected, a user-specific confidential jobs GUI  1400  will be presented to the user after the user enters a PIN or similar password, as described with respect to  FIG. 9 . The user-specific confidential jobs GUI  1400  may display each of the workflow objects and/or confidential folders of the user, including workflow objects  1410   a - 1410   f  in illustrative example of  FIG. 14 . Those workflow objects  1410   a - 1410   f  in the user&#39;s confidential container can be selected for individual printing. For instance, as shown in the Workflow Object Print GUI  1500  shown in  FIG. 15 , upon the selection of a workflow object from the user-specific confidential jobs GUI  1400 , the user can delete the workflow object via selection of the delete icon  1515 , or print the workflow object via the print icon  1510 . The user is also presented with a copy count  1520  that may be increased or decreased using one or more keys, such as the “+” and “−” icons shown in  FIG. 11 . When the user wishes to print the desired number of copies, the user will select the print icon  1510  and the MFP  110  will print the number of copies indicated by the copy count.  
         [0081]     Navigating through each of the above-described GUIs may be achieved using ‘back’ buttons on the GUIs, and/or using the directory links at the top of each GUI. Thus, each of the underlined directory links  699 ,  1099 ,  1199 ,  1299 ,  1499 ,  1599  will permit a user to navigate to the GUI representing the location identified by the directory link, similar to an HTML link on a web page. Further, each of the GUIs of the present invention may include such directory links. As an illustrative example, selecting on the ‘Held Jobs’ portion of the directory link  1199  in the print/delete GUI  1100  will navigate the user to the held jobs GUI  600 , while selecting the ‘Bookmarks’ portion of the directory link  1199  in the in the print/delete GUI  1100  will navigate the user to the bookmark GUI  1000 .  
         [0082]     The MFP  110  of the present invention may also present the user with GUIs for illustrating those containers and/or workflow objects stored external to the MFP  110 . For instance, as shown in  FIG. 16 , the MFP  110  may display a USB Drive GUI  1600  for displaying the containers and workflow objects stored within a storage device, such as a flash drive, connected to the MFP  110  via a USB. Thus, upon attaching a USB device to the MFP  110 , the controller  116  may identify the device. Upon requesting the USB Drive GUI  1600  the object store will read the contents of the USB device and display the contents via the USB Drive GUI  1600 . In the illustrative example of  FIG. 16 , the USB Drive GUI  1600  includes three containers  1605   a - 1605   c  and at least three workflow objects  1610   a - 1610   c . Similar to the bookmark GUI  1000 , the USB Drive GUI  1600  may also include at least one search button  1615  permitting a user to execute a search of the USB Drive containers and workflow objects, which may direct the user to the search GUI  700  shown in  FIG. 7 , which may then be used to search only containers and workflow objects within the USB drive.  
         [0083]     The USB Drive GUI  1600  also includes a delete icon  1620  permitting a user to delete all contents of the USB device. Although not illustrated, upon selecting a delete function via the selection of the delete icon  1620 , a user may be requested to confirm deletion. As shown in  FIG. 16 , a user may also create a new directory via the selection of the create directory icon  1625 . This may permit the creation of a container stored local to the MFP  110  and managed by the object store to which the USB contents may be copied. According to another aspect of the present invention, this may include the creation of a directory, or container, local to the USB drive. As shown in  FIG. 16 , the user may also scan to the USB drive via selection of the scan icon  1630 . This permits, for instance, the storage on the USB device of a scanned image of a document scanned by the MFP  110 .  
         [0084]     Selecting a “Scan to [×]” button will scan and image and store it in the [×] directory. Default values for the settings may be factory default values for scan parameters, and the default file name for a scan may be “Scanned-image”. However, if an image with the same name exists in the directory, a dash followed by a number may be appended to the end of the name. Thus Scanned-image.pdf may be the default for the first scan. If tried again, it would become Scanned-image-1.pdf, and then the third try it would be Scanned-image-2.pdf.  
         [0085]     As shown in the illustrative USB Drive Subdirectory GUI  1700  of  FIG. 17 , a file  1712  within the USB device may have an extension that is not recognized by the MFP  110 . According to one aspect of the invention, the file is illustrated in the GUI  1700  but may not be selected by a user. According to an alternative aspect of the invention, the file may not be displayed by the GUI  1700 . According to yet another aspect of the invention, the file may be displayed and selected, wherein the selection of the file permits the deletion of the file via the selection of a deletion icon  1810  on a file deletion GUI  1800 , as shown in  FIG. 18 .  
         [0086]     As described above, work flow objects can include print jobs, confidential jobs, scan jobs, fax destinations, and other functions that may be executed by the MFP  110 . Work flow objects may also include user profiles, settings and data associated with functions of the MFP  110 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, each work flow object shares a common format or data structure regardless of its function or use, and each contains the necessary information for its execution by the MFP  110 . This allows a user to select a workflow object via the GUI, after which the appropriate function or functions for the MFP  110  may be automatically identified.  
         [0087]     According to an aspect of the invention, users generate workflow objects by submitting documents and/or data to the MFP  110 . For instance, as shown in  FIG. 19 , a workflow object generated by the MFP  110  (block  1910 ) may correspond to documents generated by the MFP  110  (e.g., scan data from a copy job), data sent from a computer workstation (e.g., a held print job), data accessed via the network (e.g., stored on a forms server), data entered via the MFP  110  GUI (items on a Fax Cover Sheet), or data on a portable storage container that is connected to the MFP  110  (e.g., a USB flashdrive or thumbdrive with PDFs on it). As described above, metadata can be associated with the workflow object, which permits the MFP  110  to customize user-interfaces, not only based on the identity of a user, but also on the type of workflow object a user selects.  
         [0088]     After the MFP  110  receives the documents and/or data, they are made available to the user for selection, for instance, via a GUI (block  1920 ). After their selection by a user, the MFP  110 , and more specifically, the object store  132 , will determine the type of document and/or data that has been selected (block  1930 ). This may be achieved via a lookup table of document types and available operations for each, and the available operations may be stored as metadata associated with the documents and/or data, which are stored as workflow objects. Storing the available operations for each workflow object makes them independent such that additional queries as to its operations are not required.  
         [0089]     The user is then presented with one or more GUIs permitting the user to execute their desired function (block  1940 ). Based on the functions of each workflow object, additional metadata may be associated, such as an email address, fax number, or the like. These may be operation characteristics input by a user during execution of a workflow object. As an illustrative example, if a user inserts a flashdrive into the MFP  110 , where the flashdrive contains PDFs documents, the MFP will permit the user to select items in the drive&#39;s directory, for instance, using the USB Drive GUI  1600  described above with respect to  FIG. 16 . Upon the section of a PDF document, the MFP  110  can display options to the user based on its workflow object type. For instance, in this example, a PDF document may be used for printing and network transmissions (e.g., emailing the document over a network). Thus, upon selection of the workflow object, the MFP  110  can present a user with an interface permitting the user to print, email or delete the PDF document. As described above, these features may be selected by users via user-selectable icons on MFP  110  GUIs.  
         [0090]     It will also be appreciated that each available action has a specific user interface work flow that secures additional information to associate with the job. For instance, a print request will query the user for the number of copies, as shown in the GUI of  FIG. 15 . As other examples, an email request will query the user to input an email address, and a fax request will query the user to input a fax number. Based on the functions of each workflow object, additional metadata may be associated, such as an email address, fax number, or the like. As described above, this information may be stored as associated with a workflow object as operation characteristics.  
         [0091]     According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a user may also select multiple functions to be executed simultaneously. For instance, a user may select more than one operation via selection of an icon, after which the user has to select a ‘finish’, ‘execute’ or equivalent instruction to instruct the MFP  110  to perform multiple tasks. This would permit a user, for instance, to print copies of a document while emailing it. Queries for the number of copies and fax destination could be made on the same or separate screens in serial.  
         [0092]     According to an embodiment of the invention, documents scanned using the MFP  110  may be archived and stored to a local drive, to the MFP  110 , or to a networked document server or computer in communication with the MFP  110 . Upon scanning, a document may be stored and associated with a shortcut name. The document may also be associated with additional information pertaining to an operation performed using the document, such as a fax number or an email address. Subsequently, a user may access such information by inputting the shortcut name (e.g., a shortcut number) into the MFP  110 . As an illustrative example, a company may fax the same blank document over and over again to various numbers. Using an MFP according to an embodiment the present invention, the document could be scanned once, after which a user could approach the MFP  110 , enter the assigned shortcut name, enter a new fax number, and send the fax without scanning the document again.  
         [0093]     Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.