Patent Publication Number: US-9892451-B2

Title: Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-076334 filed Apr. 2, 2014. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory computer readable medium. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including a determination unit, a conversion unit, and a transmission unit. The determination unit determines information not to be transmitted in a step, which is managed according to a flow definition and is related to design information, if the step is a predetermined step. The conversion unit converts the design information by deleting the information determined by the determination unit from the design information or by converting the information determined by the determination unit into other information. The transmission unit transmits the converted design information to an external destination. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary conceptual module configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary system configuration to which the present exemplary embodiment is applied; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary conceptual module configuration in another aspect of the information processing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary registration screen; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary data structure of a confidential information delivery matrix; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary flow definition screen; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary data structure of a procurement destination candidate table; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary estimate request screen; 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating part of the exemplary process according to the present exemplary embodiment in detail; and 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of a computer realizing the present exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will herein be described with reference to the attached drawings. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary conceptual module configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     The modules generally mean parts including software (computer program) and hardware, which are capable of being logically separated. Accordingly, the modules in the exemplary embodiments mean not only the modules in the computer program but also the modules in the hardware configuration. The computer program causing the computer to function as the modules (a program causing the computer to execute the respective procedures, a program causing the computer to function as the respective units, or a program causing the computer to realize the respective functions), a system, and a method are described in the exemplary embodiments. Although “store”, “causing the computer to store”, and similar phrases are used for convenience, these phrases mean storing the computer program in a memory or causing the computer to store the computer program in the memory when the computer program is embodied. Although the module may have one-to-one correspondence with the function, one module may be composed of one program, multiple modules may be composed of one program, or one module may be composed of multiple programs in installation. The multiple modules may be executed by one computer or one module may be executed by multiple computers in distributed or parallel environment. Other modules may be included in one module. “Connection” is hereinafter used not only for physical connection but also for logical connection (exchange of data, instruction, reference relationship between pieces of data, etc.). “Predetermined” means that something is determined before a target process and includes, in addition to determination before the process according to an exemplary embodiment is started, determination based on the current status or state or the past status or state before the target process even if the process according to the exemplary embodiment is started. When multiple “predetermined values” exist, the predetermined values may be different from each other or two or more (including all) of the multiple predetermined values may be equal to each other. A description meaning that “B is performed if A” is used to mean that “it is determined whether A and, if it is determined that A, B is performed.” However, cases in which the determination of whether A is not necessary are excluded. 
     A system or an apparatus may be realized by one computer, one piece of hardware, one unit, or the like, in addition to a configuration in which multiple computers, multiple pieces of hardware, multiple units, and the likes are connected to each other via a communication unit, such as a network (including one-to-one correspondence communication connection). The “apparatus” and the “system” are used as synonyms. The “system” does not include a social “mechanism” (social system), which is artificial agreement. 
     When multiple processes are performed for every process in each module or in the module, target information is read out from the memory for each process, the process is performed, and the result of the process is written out onto the memory. Accordingly, a description of the reading from the memory before the process and writing out onto the memory after the process may be omitted. The memory may be a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), an external storage medium, a memory via a communication line, a register in a central processing unit (CPU), or the like. 
     An information processing apparatus  100  according to the present exemplary embodiment manages steps according to a flow definition. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the information processing apparatus  100  includes a design data memory module  105 , a data management module  110 , a data conversion processing module  120 , a data conversion instruction module  130 , a procurement process processing module  140 , a data delivery module  150 , a data communication module  160 , a data delivery control module  170 , a procurement data management module  180 , a procurement data memory module  185 , and a procurement process management module  190 . The information processing apparatus  100  transmits drawing information which is three-dimensional data, for example, when the information processing apparatus  100  requests an estimate from the outside or places an order with the outside in accordance with a workflow process. In particular, the information processing apparatus  100  is applicable to an ordering system embodying an ordering process. The ordering process generally includes a series of steps including rough estimate, detailed estimate, and formal order, and it is necessary to transmit design information (hereinafter also referred to as design data) including confidential information corresponding to each step to an order destination in the step. For example, only shape data is required in the rough estimate, annotation information concerning product processing is required in the detailed estimate, and boundary information is required in the formal order. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent leakage of highly-confidential know-how. The “confidential information” means information concerning design know-how in the information included in the design data and the information other than the shape data may correspond to the confidential information. Typically, parameters, arithmetic expressions of the parameters, logics (macros), feature histories (work procedures), and so on are included in the confidential information. In the workflow process, the flow of an operation (an operation at least including a process of transmitting the design information to the outside here) concerning the design information is reproduced on an electronic system to allow the flow of the business to be executed with an electronic unit (using a program). 
     An exemplary process performed by the information processing apparatus  100  will now be roughly described. The description here is intended to make the understanding of the present exemplary embodiment easy. 
     In order to conceal the confidential information corresponding to each step to reduce the risk of the leakage of the information, the confidential information to be transmitted is defined for each step in the ordering process and, in the transmission of the design data, only the confidential information defined for each step is included in the design data (that is, unnecessary confidential information is deleted from the original design data or is modified) for delivery. 
     In each of the steps including the rough estimate, the detailed estimate, and the formal order in the ordering process, a list of the pieces of confidential information to be transmitted is defined in advance. In the transmission in each step of the ordering process, the list of the pieces of confidential information defined for each step is compared with the confidential information included in the design data that is input as data to be delivered. If the confidential information that should not be transmitted exists in the design data, the design data resulting from deletion or modification of the confidential information that should not be transmitted is created and the created design data is transmitted. 
     The data management module  110 , the data conversion processing module  120 , the data conversion instruction module  130 , the procurement process processing module  140 , the data delivery module  150 , the data communication module  160 , the data delivery control module  170 , the procurement data management module  180 , and the procurement process management module  190  are connected to each other. 
     The design data memory module  105  is connected to the data management module  110 . The design data memory module  105  stores the design data. For example, the design data memory module  105  stores data about a three-dimensional (3D) model or the like created in response to an operation by a designer using a three-dimensional computer aided design (3DCAD). 
     The data management module  110  registers and stores the design data about the created 3D model or the like to provide a search and reference function. 
     The data conversion processing module  120  reads and converts the design data in response to a conversion instruction from the data conversion instruction module  130  and returns the result of the processing to the data conversion instruction module  130 . Specifically, the data conversion processing module  120  deletes information determined by the procurement process processing module  140  from the design data to convert the design data. The data conversion processing module  120  may convert the information determined by the procurement process processing module  140  into other information, instead of the deletion of the information. The “other information” may be, for example, inaccurate information as long as the information is not included in the original design data. The inaccurate information may be, for example, a random number or a value resulting from multiplication or the like of the original information by a random number. Processing in which the “deletion of the information” is combined with the “conversion into the other information” may be performed. Specifically, the data conversion processing module  120  may delete part of the information determined by the procurement process processing module  140  to convert the information in the remaining portion. 
     The data conversion instruction module  130  acquires the design data stored in the design data memory module  105  and instructs the data conversion processing module  120  to convert the acquired design data and the design data to be converted to manage the conversion processing. 
     The procurement process processing module  140  performs the processing in each step according to the flow definition related to the design data. When the step according to the flow definition is a predetermined step, the procurement process processing module  140  determines information that should not be transmitted in the step. Specifically, the procurement process processing module  140  may extract the information that corresponds to the target step and that should not be transmitted from a confidential information distribution matrix  500  in which each step is associated with the information that should not be transmitted to determine the information that should not be transmitted. More specifically, the procurement process processing module  140  may identify the confidential information to be deleted or modified from step information according to the confidential information delivery matrix  500  and instructs the data conversion instruction module  130  to convert the confidential information and the information about the data to be delivered. After the conversion, the procurement process processing module  140  instructs the data delivery module  150  to deliver the data. 
     The data delivery module  150  delivers the data to a delivery destination in response to a data delivery instruction from the data delivery control module  170 . The data delivery process has a transmission function with an electronic mail and an upload function to an online storage (file server). 
     The data communication module  160  controls data communication with an external apparatus. The data communication module  160  transmits the design data, which is the result of the conversion in the data conversion processing module  120 , to an external destination. Multiple external destinations may exist to which the data communication module  160  transmits the design data and the same information may be transmitted for every external destination. The external destination to which the design data is transmitted may be a memory accessible by a person who receives the design data. For example, the design data may be transmitted to the external destination with the electronic mail or may be stored in, for example, the online storage provided through a cloud service. 
     The data delivery control module  170  identifies a data deliver destination to control the delivery process. The data delivery control module  170  instructs the data delivery module  150  to deliver the data. 
     The procurement data management module  180  manages the confidential information delivery matrix  500  in which procurement destination (delivery destination) information and the confidential information to be deleted or modified are defined for each step. 
     The procurement data memory module  185  is connected to the procurement data management module  180 . The procurement data memory module  185  stores the confidential information delivery matrix  500 . In the confidential information delivery matrix  500 , the shape data (facet data), which is used to represent the appearance of a 3D model, processing information about the product, product information indicating the component structure or the like, the annotation information in which dimensions and so on are described, the boundary information (also referred to as b-rep information), which is one technique to represent the shape of the 3D model, and so on are capable of being selectively defined as the information that should not be transmitted. Specifically, the annotation information is, for example, product and manufacturing information (PMI) or geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&amp;T). The confidential information delivery matrix  500  is a matrix to manage the information that is defined for each step in the flow definition and that is capable of being delivered.  FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary data structure of the confidential information delivery matrix  500 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the confidential information delivery matrix  500  includes an action field  510 , a shape data field  520 , a processing information field  530 , a product information field  540 , and a boundary information field  550 . The action field  510  stores actions (steps) in the flow definition. The shape data field  520  stores information (a flag) indicating whether the shape data is data that should be transmitted in each action. In the shape data field  520 , a circle indicates that the information may be transmitted and a cross indicates that the information should not be transmitted. The processing information field  530  stores information indicating whether the processing information is data that should be transmitted in the action. The product information field  540  stores information indicating whether the product information is data that should be transmitted in the action. The boundary information field  550  stores information indicating whether the boundary information is data that should be transmitted in the action. The amount of the information that should not be transmitted in the “action: Estimate” is more than that in the “action: Order” in order to reduce the risk of the leakage of the information and only the information necessary for the estimate is specified in the “action: Estimate.” The number of destinations to which information is transmitted in the “action: Oder” is generally smaller than that in the “action: Estimate.” 
     The procurement process management module  190  manages the process (steps) and the state of the process (steps) in a procurement operation. The procurement process management module  190  performs the so-called workflow process. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary system configuration to which the present exemplary embodiment is applied. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each of a communication line  228 , a communication line  278 , and a communication line  290  is a wireless communication line, a wired communication line, or a combination of them. For example, in a company A, the information processing apparatus  100 , a CAD apparatus  210 A, a CAD apparatus  210 B, and a communication processing apparatus  230  are connected to each other via the communication line  228 . In a company B, a CAD apparatus  260 , a procurement processing apparatus  270 , and a communication processing apparatus  280  are connected to each other via the communication line  278 . The communication line  228  and the communication line  278  are, for example, intranets serving as communication infrastructures provided in the companies A and B, respectively. The communication processing apparatus  230  and the communication processing apparatus  280  each communicate with an external communication line and each have a firewall function or the like. It is assumed here that the estimate and the order are placed from the company A to the company B. The communication processing apparatus  230 , a data delivery server  250 , and the communication processing apparatus  280  are connected to each other via the communication line  290 . The communication line  290  is, for example, the Internet serving as the communication infrastructure. For example, multiple CAD apparatuses  210  (the CAD apparatus  210 A and the CAD apparatus  210 B are collectively referred to as a CAD apparatus  210 ) may be provided in the company A and multiple CAD apparatuses  260  may be provided in the company B. Multiple companies that receive the orders may exist. The data delivery server  250  is an online storage provided through the cloud service and may be managed by the company A or another company. 
     The design data about, for example, the 3D model created with the CAD apparatus  210 A or the like is converted in accordance with the step in the workflow by the information processing apparatus  100  and is stored in the data delivery server  250 . The procurement processing apparatus  270  in the company B extracts the design data from the data delivery server  250  to perform, for example, the estimate. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary conceptual module configuration in another aspect of the information processing apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the information processing apparatus  100  includes a translator module  310 , a data management module  320 , a workflow processing module  330 , a data conversion module  340 , and a delivery control module  350 . The information processing apparatus  100  receives the design data from the CAD apparatus  210  and transmits the design data for each step to the procurement processing apparatus  270  via the data delivery server  250 . 
     The CAD apparatus  210  creates the design data including the shape data, the processing information, the product information, and so on about the 3D model in response to an operation by the designer. 
     The translator module  310  performs standardization and leveling of the data based on the 3D model and extraction of attributes. The translator module  310  performs registration in the data management module  320  described below. 
     The data management module  320  includes the data management module  110  and the design data memory module  105  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The data management module  320  provides a registration function, an update function, a reference function, and a deletion function of the 3D model data and the attribute information to manage the data. 
     The workflow processing module  330  includes the data conversion instruction module  130 , the procurement process processing module  140 , the procurement data management module  180 , the procurement data memory module  185 , and the procurement process management module  190  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The workflow processing module  330  controls a procurement process. For example, the workflow processing module  330  manages the steps of estimate request, order, design change, cost reduction request, and so on. The workflow processing module  330  may provide, for example, the registration function, the update function, the reference function, and the deletion function of information about the procurement destination. 
     The data conversion module  340  includes the data conversion processing module  120  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The data conversion module  340  converts the design data in the delivery of the data. Specifically, for example, the data conversion module  340  may perform format conversion, in addition to the data deletion and the data conversion. 
     The delivery control module  350  includes the data delivery module  150 , the data communication module  160 , and the data delivery control module  170  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The delivery control module  350  transmits the design data converted by the data conversion module  340  to the procurement processing apparatus  270 , which is a client, via the data delivery server  250 . 
     The data delivery server  250  provides the online storage function to deliver the data to the outside (for example, the procurement processing apparatus  270 , which is a client). 
     The procurement processing apparatus  270 , which is the delivery destination (client), accesses the data delivery server  250  to acquire delivery data that is registered (the design data). 
     Upon reception of an instruction to design the product, the designer performs the creation of the design information with the CAD apparatus  210 . The design data including the confidential information, such as the shape data about the 3D model and the processing information, which includes design know-how is created with a 3D-CAD system or the like here. The 3D CAD system in the CAD apparatus  210  may not be a specific CAD product. 
     The created design data is temporarily stored in a product data management (PDM) system configured as a local disk or a CAD system. 
     The created design data is registered in the data management module  320  via the translator module  310  on the basis of an instruction on a registration menu displayed by the data management module  320 .  FIG. 4  illustrates an example of a registration screen  400 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the registration screen  400  includes a drawing file field  410 , a configuration information file field  420 , and a registered attribute field  430 . The registered attribute field  430  includes a part name field  440 , a material information field  450 , a center of gravity information field  460 , and a volume information field  470 . On the registration screen  400 , a drawing file, which is the design data, is specified with the drawing file field  410 , a reference path to the configuration information file is specified with the configuration information file field  420 , and each attribute to be registered as a search attribute in the data management module  320  is specified with the registered attribute field  430 . In the registered attribute field  430 , for example, specification with the part name field  440  (may be a part number), the material information field  450 , the center of gravity information field  460 , and the volume information field  470  is available. 
     In the registration of the design data, the translator module  310  converts arbitrary CAD data into a standard format (for example, a JT-Open format standardized in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or a STEP format) and registers the CAD data resulting from the conversion in the data management module  320  as registration CAD data. The translator module  310  extracts the attribute specified on the registration screen  400  from the CAD data to set the extracted attribute as the attribute used to search for the CAD data that is registered in advance. If the specified attribute does not exist in the CAD data, the translator module  310  registers NULL (=no value). 
     Other group members in the design group to which the designer belongs perform design review (DR) using the search and acquisition function of the data management module  320 . If the design data is improper, the other group members revise the data using the deletion and update function of the data management module  320  for consolidated management of the design data. 
     In the workflow processing module  330 , the confidential information delivery matrix  500  defining the confidential information (confidential information items) the transmission of which to the outside is permitted is defined in advance and is stored in the procurement data memory module  185 . As described above, an example of the confidential information delivery matrix  500  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . In the example in  FIG. 5 , a circle and a cross indicate permission of the transmission of the confidential information item and non-permission of the transmission of the confidential information item, respectively. 
     The workflow processing module  330  defines a procurement flow process on the basis of an operation by an operator (the definition using a flow definition screen  600  described below), defines programs to execute an “estimate action” and an “order action” described below for an “estimate request  620 ” and an “order request  650 ”, respectively, which are the steps in the procurement flow process, and stores the defined programs in the procurement data memory module  185 . These execution programs are arranged in the information processing apparatus  100  so as to be started from the workflow processing module  330 .  FIG. 6  illustrates an example of the flow definition screen  600 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , a flow name field  610  is displayed on the flow definition screen  600 . Start  615 , estimate request  620 , approval  625 , determination of order destination  630 , approval  640 , order request  650 , delivery confirmation  660 , and completion  665  are sequentially displayed as the steps defined in the flow in the flow name field  610 . A process of transmitting the design data to the outside is defined for the estimate request  620  and the order request  650  in the above steps. 
     Multiple procurement destination candidates are stored in advance in the procurement data memory module  185 , along with access password information defined for each procurement destination name, each person in charge, each contact name, and each client. The procurement destination candidates may be registered each time an increase or decrease in the procurement destination candidates occurs.  FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary data structure of a procurement destination candidate table  700 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , the procurement destination candidate table  700  includes a client name field  710 , a person in charge field  720 , a mail address field  730 , a telephone number field  740 , a location field  750 , a number of transactions field  760 , an evaluation field  770 , and an access password field  780 . The client name field  710  stores client names. The person in charge field  720  stores the person in charge in each client. The mail address field  730  stores the electronic mail address of the person in charge. The telephone number field  740  stores the telephone number of the person in charge. The location field  750  stores the location of the client. The number of transactions field  760  stores the number of transactions with the client. The evaluation field  770  stores the evaluation value of the client. The access password field  780  stores an access password used by the client to access the design data. 
     The procurement operation is started upon start of an “estimate and order flow” registered on the flow definition screen  600 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an example of an estimate request screen  800  in the estimate step. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the estimate request screen  800  includes a drawing number field  810 , a desired delivery time field  820 , and an estimate destination field  830 . In the example of the estimate request screen  800  in  FIG. 8 , a drawing number is specified in the drawing number field  810 , a desired delivery time is specified in the desired delivery time field  820 , and one or multiple “estimate destinations” are specified in the estimate destination field  830  to perform “one company limited quote” or “competitive quotes.” 
     In the program to execute the “estimate action”, 
     a) the design data to be estimated, which is specified with the drawing number from the data management module  320 , 
     b) the estimate destination information specified as the procurement destination from the procurement destination candidate table  700  stored in the procurement data memory module  185 , and 
     c) a list of the pieces of confidential information that is capable of being delivered in the “estimate” step from the confidential information delivery matrix  500  stored in the procurement data memory module  185   
     are acquired and the list of the pieces of confidential information in c) and the design data in a) are transmitted to the data conversion module  340 . 
     The data conversion module  340  reads the design data and deletes (or converts) information defined as the information that should be transmitted in the confidential information delivery matrix  500  to recreate the design data. 
     The recreated design data is uploaded to the data delivery server  250  for each procurement destination. A reference access right (the access password field  780  in the procurement destination candidate table  700 ) allowing only the person in charge in one or multiple procurement destinations to refer to the stored data is added to the stored data here. 
     Upon completion of the storage of the data, the electronic mail (the mail address field  730  in the procurement destination candidate table  700 ) that includes an access Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to the stored data and that indicates that the estimate request is to be performed is transmitted to the person in charge in the procurement destination. In response to an operation by the person in charge in the procurement destination who receives the electronic mail, the procurement processing apparatus  270  accesses the data delivery server  250  and acquires the design data after authentication with the access password that is registered in advance (the access password field  780  in the procurement destination candidate table  700 ) to start the estimate operation. 
     In the estimate operation by the procurement processing apparatus  270  in the procurement destination, for example, if only the shape data is included, the process using detailed design information, for example, the estimate through simulation is not performed in order to reduce the leakage of the design information and the know-how. 
     Upon completion of the estimate operation in the procurement destination, a quotation is transmitted to the order destination using the electronic mail or a facsimile along with the estimated amount. 
     Upon acquisition of the quotation, in the case of the competitive quotes, the order destination is determined and, then, the estimate action is terminated. 
     Upon termination of the estimate action, the access right to the design data stored in the data delivery server  250  is deleted to suppress subsequent unnecessary access. The design data itself may be deleted from the data delivery server  250 . 
     In a subsequent “order” flow, the procurement destination determined in the “estimate and order” flow, a part number to be ordered, and delivery time information are input to instruct start of the program to execute the “order action.” 
     In the program to execute the “order action”, a), b), and c) in the “estimate action” described above are performed using the confidential information in the “order” action in the confidential information delivery matrix  500  to submit the order request to the order destination. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in Step S 902 , information about the procurement flow process is acquired. It is assumed here that type information indicates the step “estimate request” or the step “order request.” 
     In Step S 904 , distribution destination information is acquired. 
     In Step S 906 , the CAD data, which is the design data, is acquired. 
     In Step S 908 , it is determined whether the CAD data exists. If it is determined that the CAD data does not exist (NO in Step S 908 ), the process goes to Step S 934 . If it is determined that the CAD data exists (YES in Step S 908 ), the process goes to Step S 910 . 
     In Step S 910 , the confidential information delivery matrix  500  is acquired. 
     In Step S 912 , it is determined whether the current action (step) exists in the action field  510  in the confidential information delivery matrix  500 . If it is determined that the current action (step) exists in the action field  510  in the confidential information delivery matrix  500  (YES in Step S 912 ), the process goes to Step S 914 . If it is determined that the current action (step) does not exist in the action field  510  in the confidential information delivery matrix  500  (NO in Step S 912 ), the process goes to Step S 916 . 
     In Step S 914 , the confidential information the transmission of which is not permitted is read out from the confidential information delivery matrix  500 . 
     In Step S 916 , default (predetermined) confidential information the transmission of which is not permitted is applied. For example, as the default confidential information the transmission of which is not permitted, the confidential information in the action having the largest amount of confidential information, among the actions in the confidential information delivery matrix  500 , may be applied or the confidential information to be applied may be arbitrarily defined. 
     In Step S 918 , the data conversion is performed (the confidential information is deleted or converted). The data conversion will be described in detail below with reference to a flowchart in  FIG. 10 . 
     In Step S 920 , it is determined whether any conversion error occurs in Step S 918 . If it is determined that any conversion error occurs (YES in Step S 920 ), the process goes to Step S 934 . If it is determined that no conversion error occurs (NO in Step S 920 ), the process goes to Step S 922 . 
     In Step S 922 , the design data after the conversion is uploaded. 
     In Step S 924 , a distribution destination loop is started. A variable user is set as the distribution destination user in the procurement destination candidate table  700 . 
     In Step S 926 , the access right of the variable user (the distribution destination user) is added. 
     In Step S 928 , notification to the variable user (the distribution destination user) using the electronic mail is performed. 
     In Step S 930 , if the processing of all the distribution destinations is completed, the distribution destination loop is terminated. 
     In Step S 932 , notification of completion of the reception is performed. 
     In Step S 934 , notification of an occurrence of the error in Step S 908  or Step S 920  is performed. After Step S 923  and Step S 334 , in Step S 999 , the process in  FIG. 9  is terminated. 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process in Step S 918  in  FIG. 9  according to the present exemplary embodiment in detail. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , in Step S 1002 , the confidential information items the transmission of which is not permitted in the action (step) are acquired from the confidential information delivery matrix  500 . 
     In Step S 1004 , the CAD data, which is the design information, is read and the attribute information (the processing information, the product information, the boundary information, etc.) included in the CAD data is analyzed. 
     In Step S 1006 , it is determined whether any analysis error occurs. If it is determined that any analysis error occurs (YES in Step S 1006 ), the process goes to Step S 1022 . If it is determined that no analysis error occurs (NO in Step S 1006 ), the process goes to Step S 1008 . 
     In Step S 1008 , a list of the pieces of confidential information in the attribute information included in the CAD data is created. 
     In Step S 1010 , the confidential information list loop created in Step S 1008  is started. A variable Item is repeated with the list of the confidential information items. 
     In Step S 1012 , it is determined whether the transmission of the variable Item is not permitted in the confidential information delivery matrix  500 . If it is determined that the transmission of the variable Item is not permitted (NO in Step S 1012 ), the process goes to Step S 1014 . If it is determined that the transmission of the variable Item is permitted (YES in Step S 1012 ), the process goes back to Step S 1010  to process the next variable Item. In other words, if the item acquired in Step S 1002  coincides with the attribute information analyzed in Step S 1004 , the process goes to Step S 1014 . 
     In Step S 1014 , the confidential information for the variable Item is deleted from the CAD data or is modified. 
     In Step S 1016 , if the processing of all the confidential information items is completed, the confidential information list loop is terminated. 
     In Step S 1018 , the design data that is converted is stored. 
     In Step S 1020 , it is determined whether the storage of the converted design data failed. If it is determined that the storage of the converted design data failed (YES in Step S 1020 ), the process goes to Step S 1022 . The process otherwise (NO in Step S 1020 ) goes to Step S 1099 . In Step S 1099 , the process in  FIG. 10  is terminated. 
     In Step S 1022 , notification of an occurrence of the error and termination is performed. In Step S 1099 , the process in  FIG. 10  is terminated. In this case, the process goes to Step S 934  in the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
     A computer in which the programs according to the exemplary embodiment are executed has the hardware configuration of a general computer, as illustrated in FIG.  11 . Specifically, the computer is, for example, a personal computer or a server. More specifically, the computer uses a CPU  1101  as a processor (an arithmetic unit) and uses a RAM  1102 , a read only memory (ROM)  1103 , and a hard disk (HD)  1104  as memories. The computer includes the CPU  1101  that executes the programs of, for example, the data management module  110 , the data conversion processing module  120 , the data conversion instruction module  130 , the procurement process processing module  140 , the data delivery module  150 , the data communication module  160 , the data delivery control module  170 , the procurement data management module  180 , the procurement process management module  190 , the translator module  310 , the data management module  320 , the workflow processing module  330 , the data conversion module  340 , and the delivery control module  350 ; the RAM  1102  that stores the programs and data; the ROM  1103  that stores a program to boot the computer and so on; the HD  1104  that serves as an auxiliary memory (may be a flash memory); an output unit  1105 , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display; a reception unit  1106  that receives data on the basis of an operation by the user with, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel; a communication line interface  1107  to connect to a communication network, such as a network interface card; and a bus  1108  via which the above components are connected to each other to exchange data. Multiple such computers may be connected to each other via a network. 
     In the exemplary embodiment embodied by the computer program, among the above exemplary embodiments, the system having the above hardware configuration reads the computer program, which is software, to realize the exemplary embodiment through cooperation of the software and the hardware resources. 
     The hardware configuration illustrated in  FIG. 11  is only an example and the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 11  as long as the modules described in the above exemplary embodiments are capable of being executed. For example, part of the modules may be configured by dedicated hardware (for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), part of the modules may exist in an external system and the external modules may be connected to the system via the communication line, or multiple systems illustrated in  FIG. 11  may be connected to each other via the communication line for collaboration. The system illustrated in  FIG. 11  may be incorporated in a home information appliance, a copier, a facsimile, a scanner, a printer, or a multi-function peripheral (an image processing apparatus having two or more of the functions of the scanner, the printer, the copier, the facsimile, and so on), instead of the personal computer. 
     The programs described above may be stored in a recording medium for provision or the programs may be provided using a communication unit. In this case, the programs described above may be understood as an exemplary embodiment of a “computer-readable recording medium on which the programs are recorded.” 
     The “computer-readable recording medium on which the programs are recorded” means a computer-readable recording medium on which the programs are recorded and which is used for installation, execution, and distribution of the programs. 
     The recording medium may be a digital versatile disk (DVD), such as a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, or a DVD-RAM conforming to a standard developed in a DVD forum or a DVD+R or a DVD+RW conforming to a standard developed with DVD+RW; a compact disc (CD), such as a CD-ROM, a CD-recordable (CD-R), or a CD-rewritable (CD-RW); a Blue-ray disc (registered trademark); a magneto-optical (MO) disk; a flexible disk (FD); a magnetic tape; a hard disk; a ROM; an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM (registered trademark)); a flash memory; a RAM; or a secure digital (SD) memory card. 
     The programs described above or part of the programs may be recorded on the recording medium for storage or distribution. Alternatively, the programs described above or part of the programs may be transmitted through communication, for example, using a transmission medium composed of a wired network used for a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet; a wireless communication network; or a combination of them. The programs described above or part of the programs may be carried on carrier waves. 
     Each program described above may be part of another program or may be recorded on the recording medium along with another program. The program described above may be divided to be recorded on multiple recording media. The program described above may be recorded in any recoverable mode, such as in a compressed mode or an encoded mode. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.