JP4852974B2 - Distributed network work history search method and system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of reusing user data from each terminal on a distributed network system when using the distributed network system. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for facilitating reuse of user data by referring to and searching for work contents using a portable electronic history book (ID card).

In client PCs used in offices and the like, an environment in which office processing and business operations are performed using a file connection or the like that is connected via a LAN is common.
Even for a small-scale company, it is not uncommon to build a network connecting bases via WAN or VPN, so that users or users Gr are not trapped in one base and use multiple terminals by walking. .
On the other hand, user data that is created / replicated / modified through business processing and work tends to be distributed to each client PC or server against the background of such usage.
When user data is created / saved in a distributed manner, the number of cases where user data is missing increases when the user forgets when and where the user data is saved.

  Here, when user data to be searched is specified, a known search function provided by an existing OS or an existing application is also an effective means when searching for user data desired by the user. However, the validity of search results when targeting personally managed (created, used, updated, etc.) data is the information (storage location) required for accurate search (file name ) (Data content) depends on whether the user himself or herself is memorized. In the current general method, the missing of user data is prevented by preparing a file sharing server and making operational arrangements such as “always store it”.

In addition, there has been an effort to invent a protocol that enables a search not only in a file name but also in a full-text search form in a peer-to-peer network (hereinafter referred to as P2P type), which has recently attracted attention.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-157826, it is impossible to search information in a full-text search form simply by searching for a file having a file name including a search character string in file sharing software of a peer-to-peer network (hereinafter referred to as P2P type). In order to solve the problem, the P2P type file sharing software uses a data set that is a combination of the actual file data to be shared and the metadata describing the actual file data for each predetermined item together with the actual file data to be shared. A means for enabling communication using a protocol is shown.
The means disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-157826 is effective only when it is assumed that user data that has been personally managed (created, used, updated, etc. in the past) is shared with others.
There is also a method that the user carries with each user data and the environment in which the paperwork and the business are performed by using a notebook PC by an approach different from the above.

JP 2004-157826 A

The background art described above has the following problems.
If the user accidentally forgets where to save the data or the file name of the data when creating the data using a different environment for business reasons such as business trips, find the data later Can't do it or it becomes very difficult.
If the user normally uses only one PC, even if the user accidentally forgets the specific data storage location or data file name, the file storage location is usually It is limited to the storage area of the PC used. Since the saved location can be limited as described above, the user may estimate the “date and time zone that seems to have been created” from a notebook etc. that notes his past actions, and make this a search target item. A full-scale search may be performed using a search program provided by the OS or the like, with the storage area of the PC normally used as a search target. The user can find it by looking at the file list of the search result and remembering the file name that was carelessly forgotten, or if it still does not remember, by checking the contents of the file sequentially in the file list.

  Furthermore, the situation becomes even more difficult for users who are not limited to a single PC. In the case of a user who is not normally limited to one PC, the specific storage destination is all the PCs used for “date and time zone that seems to have been created”. For this reason, if the PC to be searched is an individual different from the PC at hand, it is necessary to search from the PC in front through a network or the like. If the target file is saved in a shared folder on the network and can be searched over the network, search in the same way as when the number of PCs you normally use is limited to one. You can get a list of the resulting files. However, not only will the processing time be long because the search is performed via the network, but it cannot be found if it is not stored in a shared folder on the network. In such a situation, the user individually prepares an external HDD or the like to copy and carry the data, and as a result, there is a high risk of loss of data important to the company and leakage of personal information. ing.

On the other hand, in a method of making an operational arrangement such as “save it always” such as preparing a file sharing server, a file sharing server must be prepared, and expensive assets (HDD capacity) of each client PC are also required. Not available for effective use.
Moreover, it is necessary to carry a heavy notebook PC even when the user does not need to carry out the work in the method carried by the user for each environment where the user data and the paperwork or the work are performed, such as using a notebook PC. There is also a risk that user data cannot be reused due to the loss of the notebook PC.

  An object of the present invention is to provide means for referring / searching user data and creation / update history in an improved distributed network system that solves the above-mentioned problems, and based on work history in a group of personal computers used by users. The data used by the user can be found equally from any computer in the computer group used by the user, regardless of which computer in the computer group the user uses. It is to provide a system that eliminates the need for carrying around and can safely process data at multiple locations.

In order to solve the above problem, a user data utilization system at an arbitrary base in the distributed network in which the following components perform the following operations may be used.
A record of who is working when and on which PC terminal is stored in a portable history book (hereinafter referred to as an ID card). The user carries the ID card and reuses user data such as reference / search of work contents by using each PC terminal group on the distributed network system as shown in (1) to (3) below. Can be made quickly and easily. The PC terminals constituting such a distributed network system are:
(1) A group of PC terminals connected by a communication path capable of communicating data with each other, characterized by having a terminal name that can be used as a terminal ID for identifying the PC terminal. The terminal is characterized by performing the following steps:
(2) A reader / writer device that reads the ID of the ID card and reads / writes the R / W storage area in the PC terminal, and reads / writes the terminal usage history in the R / W storage area via the reader / writer device. When the user performs work on the PC terminal, the terminal usage history update procedure for additionally updating the key (for example, update time) for specifying the work content later and the name of the terminal being worked on as one record element In addition, a work history storage procedure for additionally updating the PC terminal with a key (for example, update time), ID, and terminal name that simultaneously specify work contents as elements of one record,
(3) a terminal usage history information extraction procedure for extracting a user's usage history at a specific terminal with the terminal name as a common term;
From the extraction result of the terminal usage history, a communication request is made to the corresponding PC terminal via the communication path with a command for extracting the work history using the key for identifying the work content and the ID read from the ID card as a common term. When a similar instruction is received from the PC terminal via the communication path, the corresponding work history is extracted from the work history in the own PC terminal using the key and ID for specifying the work contents as a common term, and sent to the requesting PC terminal A work history communication update procedure for transmitting the extraction result and additionally updating the work history when the extraction result is received from another PC terminal.

  Using this method, a PC terminal on a distributed network system is used as a work environment, and when creating / updating user data (ie, documents, tables, text data,... Etc), a specific file sharing server is not prepared. Even if the user can not remember the details of the user data that the user wants, it is possible to easily find the location of the desired user data from the currently used terminal and to quickly and easily reuse the user data Can do.

<Overview>
An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, it is assumed that there is a base A that is frequently used by the user 10 in FIG. 1, and there are other bases B, C, D, etc. that the user 10 can use.
The base A, the base B, the base C, the base D,... Include a PC terminal 1011a, a PC terminal 1011b, a PC terminal 1011c, a PC terminal 1011d,.
Here, it is assumed that the user 10 travels to the base B and performs work.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the user 10 has an ID card 1110 (hereinafter referred to as an ID card 1110) composed of an ID memory 1111 and an R / W storage area 1112.

For the external connection of the PC terminal, the application 1012b operating on the PC terminal 1011b uses the ID 1113 of the ID card 1110 and the terminal usage history 1114 held in the R / W storage area 1112 from the ID card 1110 of the user 10 The data is read via the reader / writer device 1014b connected by the interface.
In addition, the application 1012b stores the operation content of the PC terminal, that is, the operation content of the user for each ID of the read result in the storage area in the PC terminal 1011b on which the application 1012b operates (hereinafter, this operation unit is referred to as the operation unit). Can be recorded as a work history.
Here, the application 1012b has a card reading identification procedure 3021b, a terminal usage history update procedure 3022b, a work history communication procedure 3023b, and a work history storage procedure 3024b. The application 1012a, application 1012c, and application on other PC terminals 1012d has a similar procedure.

When the application 1012b operating on the PC terminal 1011b reads the terminal usage history of the user 10, the application 1012b uses the read terminal usage information to indicate a host name (terminal name: terminal name: PC terminal other than the PC terminal 1011b on which the application 1012b operates). For example, when the terminal 1011a) is read, a work history communication request is made to the application 1012a that operates on the terminal 1011a, and the application 1012b that operates on the PC terminal 1011b and the application 1012b that operates on the PC terminal 1011b The work history related to the user 10 is additionally updated.
As a result, the user 10 can easily refer to the work history equivalent to the PC terminal 1011a that is normally used via the application 1012b and the application 1012a on the PC terminal 1011b.

The same applies to the case where the user 10 uses the PC terminal 1011c at the site C or the PC terminal 1011d at the site D. The ID and the terminal usage stored in the ID card held by the user are also the same. The work history is automatically synchronized between the terminals used in the past based on the host name that can be read from the history, and the user can easily refer to the work history equivalent to that of the personal computer used normally.
The above is the basic form for carrying out the present invention. By making the work history usable by the index function of other applications and operating systems, standard operation can be performed without the individual consciousness of the terminal. User data can be used.

<Structure of the invention>
The basic components of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 shows the minimum unit configuration in order to facilitate understanding of the operation of the usage mode of the present invention, and each component until the worker 10 refers to the past work history when using the PC terminal 1013a. An example of the relationship is shown in the flowchart.
There are a user 10 and a base A frequently used by the user 10 and a PC terminal 1011a installed at the base A.

  There are a base D used by the user 10 during a business trip and a PC terminal 1011d installed at the base D. The PC terminal 1011a has an input / output device 14010a, which is, for example, a reader / writer device. Further, the user 10 has an input means and an input / output device 24020a used as an output means, which are generally well known examples such as a keyboard and a display, for example, a touch panel, a display, a microphone, and a speaker. It may be.

The base A and the base D are connected by a communication line 2010, and the communication devices 4050a and 4050d provided in the PC terminal 1011a and the PC terminal 1011d can communicate with each other. Here, for example, the communication line 2010 may be a LAN, a WAN, a VPN via the Internet, or the like.
A user 10 carries an ID card 1110, and the ID card 1110 includes an ID 1113 and an R / W storage area 1112.

  The PC terminal 1011a includes a terminal usage history update procedure 3022a, a work history communication procedure 3023a, and a work history storage procedure 3024a in an application 1012a operating on the built-in OS 4060a. The PC terminal 1011a has an OS 4060a and a storage device 4030a in which temporary data and user data of the application 1012a are stored, and the work history 1013a and work contents are also recorded in the storage device 4030a. As a well-known example, the storage device 4030a is a memory as a main storage device and an HDD as an auxiliary storage device. Naturally, a CPU or the like (not shown) that interprets instructions of the program, performs operations, and instructs each device is also provided.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the data structure (record) of the table of the terminal usage history 3010 that is updated and recorded by the terminal usage history update unit 3022 in the R / W storage area 1112.
The terminal usage history 3010 is a key for uniquely associating one record in the work history 2010 stored and accumulated in the PC terminal 1011a by the terminal name 3011 for identifying the PC terminal and the work history update means 3024 ( For example, it is configured with an update time).

FIG. 6 shows an example of components used by the card reading / identifying means 3021 when the user 10 uses the PC terminal 1011a as an example.
The reader / writer 1014 is a device that reads the ID 1113 of the ID card 1110 and reads / writes the R / W storage area 1112.
The reader / writer 1014 is connected to the PC terminal 1011a via the interface 1015 and can be controlled from the application 1012a in the PC terminal 1011.
When the user 10 carries the ID card 1110 and uses the PC terminal 1011a, the reader / writer 1014 can read the ID 1113 and read / write the R / W storage area 1112. You can work while getting.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a record structure of work histories (1013a and 1013d in FIG. 3 and 1013a to 1013d in the example of FIG. 1) used in the present invention. One record of the work history is composed of record elements that require ID 3150, update time 3151, event 3152, and terminal name 3153, and may include a path 3154, a file name 3155, and the like.

<Operation of the invention>
The mechanism of the operation principle of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 5, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG.
The basic operations of the present invention are as follows. Card reading identification procedure 3021a, terminal usage history update procedure 3022a, work history communication procedure 3023a, work history storage procedure of application (1012a, 1012d in FIG. Composed by the coordinated operation of 3024a.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the card reading identification procedure 3021a, that is, when the user 10 uses the PC terminal 1011a or the PC terminal 1011d, the ID 1113 of the ID card 1110 and the terminal usage history information of the R / W storage area 1112 are read and identified. . It is an operation | movement flowchart of the means to extract the terminal usage history information of PC terminals other than the PC terminal 1011a which self-operates based on the read and identified terminal usage history information.
Such a control operation can be created by software, for example, and easily provided in the PC terminal 1011a.

First, in step 3110, a terminal name for uniquely identifying the PC terminal 1011a on which it operates is read and held in a temporary storage area or the like.
In step 3111, the ID 1113 of the ID card 1110 carried by the user 10 is read via the reader / writer 1014.
In step 3112, the terminal usage history 3010 is read from the R / W storage area 1112 of the ID card 1110 carried by the user 10 via the reader / writer 1014.
Next, in step 3113, if there is terminal usage history information of a PC terminal other than the PC terminal 1011 a that operates on the basis of the terminal name read in step 3110, it is extracted from the terminal usage history 3010 read in step 3112. . If not, the terminal usage history extraction process is terminated.

  Next, in step 3114, the terminal usage history information extracted in step 3113 is stored in the common memory area on the PC memory so that it can be used in other procedures. Through the above procedure, the usage history of other PC terminals among the terminal usage history on the ID card 1110 can be used in other processing procedures of the application 1012a of the PC terminal 1011a.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the terminal usage history update procedure 3022a, that is, when the user 10 uses the PC terminal 1011a or the PC terminal 1011d, the terminal usage history information in the R / W storage area 1112 of the ID card 1110 is read and identified. It is an operation | movement flowchart of the means which makes it possible to update a usage history.
First, in step 3120, a terminal name for uniquely identifying the PC terminal 1011a on which it operates is read and held in the temporary storage area. This processing procedure is usually required only once for the first time.

Next, in step 3121, confirmation processing is performed to determine whether the ID card 1110 is in use. This can be easily determined by whether or not the ID 1113 of the ID card 1110 can be read via the reader / writer 1014. If the ID card 1110 is not in use, the process is returned to the start and looped.
If the ID card 1110 is in a use state, next, in step 3122, the update time at the last terminal use is temporarily read from the terminal use history 3010 via the reader / writer 1014 from the R / W storage area 1112 of the ID card 1110. Hold in the storage area.

In step 3123, the current time is acquired and stored in the memory of the PC. This can be easily performed by, for example, obtaining from a clock built in the PC terminal 1011.
Next, the difference between the current time acquired in step 3124 and the previous update time acquired in step 3122 is taken, and if it is less than the update unit, writing is not necessary and the process returns to the card presence check in step 3121. If it is larger than the update unit, the terminal usage history is newly written in the R / W storage area 1112 of the ID card 1110 in the next step 3125, and the process is looped back before step 3121.
Here, the update unit is a period set in advance. For example, the user 10 may change the update unit for convenience.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the work history communication procedure 3023a. The past work history of the user 10 is extracted from the work history in the PC terminal 1011d previously used by the user 10 from the PC terminal 1011a and can be used on the PC terminal 1011. Is an operation flowchart of the means.
First, in step 3133, based on the terminal name of the terminal usage history extracted in step 3113, communication processing is transmitted to the PC terminal 1011d which is the corresponding PC terminal. As shown in step 3134, the PC terminal 1011d waits for communication processing from another PC terminal, and returns a response when it receives a communication request from the PC terminal 1011a. Here, the response waiting process in step 3135 waits for a response to the request in step 3133 for a predetermined time, and displays an error in step 3136 if there is no response. If there is a response, the next step 3137 transmits the ID 1113 extracted in step 3113 and the update time 3022 which is a key for specifying the work history to the PC terminal 1011d. In step 3138, the PC terminal 1011d extracts the corresponding work history based on the request ID 1113 and the update time 3022 and transmits it to the requesting PC terminal 1011a. Next, in step 3139, the work history is received on the PC terminal 1011a side, added to the work history in the PC terminal 1011a, and stored.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the work history saving procedure 3024a, that is, when the user 10 uses the PC terminal 1011a, the work contents are set in advance as event units useful for the user, ID 1113 for identifying the user 10, and work. It is an operation | movement flowchart of the means to add and update a work history for the update time 3022 which is a key which specifies a history as a record unit.
First, in step 3140, the work contents performed by the worker 10 are captured. Next, in step 3141, the ID (which is the user ID of the user 10) is checked. Next, in step 3142, the update unit is checked. Next, in step 3143, event determination is performed. In step 3144, the work history is written.
By referring to the work history (1013a and 1013d in FIG. 3 and 1013a to 1013d in FIG. 1) stored by this operation flow, it becomes possible to refer to information attached to the recorded work contents.

  The present invention can be applied to work activities performed on a distributed network system.

Configuration diagram of the system of the present invention The situation of the user carrying the ID card and the configuration diagram of the ID card Configuration of the system of the present invention and related diagram of each means The figure which shows an example of the data structure of the table of terminal usage history 3010 Operation flow chart of terminal usage history information extraction means Configuration diagram of elements related to card reading identification means Operation flow chart of terminal usage history update means Operation history extraction and communication means operation flowchart The figure which shows an example of the data structure of the work history table Operation flow chart of work history update means

Explanation of symbols

10 ... User
1110 ... ID card
1111 ... ID memory
1112 ... R / W storage area
1113 ... ID
1114 ... Terminal usage history
2010 ... Communication line
3010 ... Terminal usage history table
1011a, 1011b, 1011c, 1011d ... PC terminal
1012a, 1012b, 1012c, 1012d… Application
10 ... User
1110 ... ID card
1111 ... ID memory
1112 ... R / W storage area
1113 ... ID
1114 ... Terminal usage history
3011 ... Terminal name
3022 ... Update time
10 ... User
1110 ... ID card
1111 ... ID memory
1012a, 1012d… Application
3021a, 3021d ... Card reading identification procedure
3022a, 3022d ... Procedure for updating terminal usage history
3023a, 3023d ... Work history communication procedure
3024a, 3024d… Work history saving procedure
4010a, 4010d ... I / O device 1
4020a, 4020d ... I / O device 2
4030a, 4030d ... Storage device
4050a, 4050d ... communication equipment
4060a, 4060d ... OS
1114 ... Terminal usage history
3011 ... Terminal name
3012 ... Update time
3110 ... Terminal name reading process
3111 ... Card ID reading process
3112 ... Terminal usage history reading process
3113 ... Checking whether there is a usage history on a terminal other than the terminal itself
3114 ... Usage history extraction processing at terminals other than own terminal
3115 ... Delivery processing to work history communication processing
10 ... User
1110 ... ID card
1012a… Application
3021a… Card reading identification procedure
3022a ... Terminal usage history update procedure
3023a ... Work history communication procedure
3024a ... Procedure for saving work history
4010a ... I / O device 1
4020a ... I / O device 2
4030a ... Storage device
4050a ... communication equipment
4060a ... OS
3120 ... Terminal name reading process
3121 ... ID card existence confirmation processing
3122 ... Processing to obtain the last update time from the terminal usage history of the user's ID card
3123 ... Processing to obtain current time from PC terminal
3124 ... Processing to check whether the update time is written or not written based on the difference between the previous update time and the current time
3125 ... Processing to write the update time along with the terminal name to the user's ID card
3133: Processing for sending a communication request to the corresponding PC terminal based on the terminal name in the terminal usage history
3134: Processing for sending a response in response to a communication request from another PC terminal
3135: Processing for waiting for a response from the PC terminal that has transmitted the communication request and checking whether there is a response within a specified time
3136: Processing to display an error when there is no response within a specified time after waiting for a response from the PC terminal that has transmitted the communication request
3137: Processing for requesting the work history of the corresponding ID and the corresponding update time from the extracted history to the corresponding other terminal
3138: Processing for extracting and responding to request ID and update time work history
3139 ... Processing to add and save received results to work history
3150 ... ID
3151… Update time
3152 ... Event
3153… Terminal name
3154 ... Pass
3155 ... File name
3140 ... Operation content capture processing
3141 ... ID check processing
3142 ... Update unit check processing
3143 ... Event judgment processing
3144 ... Work history writing process
3145 ... File name

Claims (1)

In a work history search system in a distributed network composed of a plurality of PC terminals, each having a terminal name specified individually and an ID card possessed by a user using the PC terminal ,
The ID card has terminal usage history information having, as elements of one record, a key (update time) for specifying the work content and a terminal name indicating the PC terminal that is working for the work performed on the PC terminal. Storage means for storing,
The PC terminal
Reads the terminal use history information stored in the ID card, also a reader-writer device for performing writing to the ID card,
Storage means for storing the work history information as a key (updated at time) specifying the upper SL work and end late name is added updated as components of one record,
When the terminal name of another PC terminal that is a PC terminal other than the PC terminal that has read the information is recorded in the record included in the terminal usage history information read from the ID card, the storage means of the other PC terminal A communication means for instructing the other PC terminal to obtain stored work history information ;
And wherein <br/> to chromatic and work history storage means for storing add update work history which the PC terminal holds with work history received from the other PC terminal as a response to the acquisition instruction Distributed network work history search system.

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