JP2000172588A - Report communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To construct a report/contact system for the basic work that is not dependent on an input environment. SOLUTION: A mail server distributes every means to every client terminal as an execution file via a general-purpose electronic mail system. The modules necessary for the input work are checked at every client terminal and the transfer of files is executed by the server by means of an FTP(file transfer protocol), etc., to collect the modules if the modules are deficient or not updated yet. The modules are at least the input interface modules and the input data forms are unified by these modules among plural client terminals. Then a work management means is prepared to send the input data to the server in reply and accordingly the server can easily collect the data. Furthermore, the initial value data which are temporarily registered on a format are supplied in addition to an input format and the correctness of the data inputted from a user is checked at every client terminal. Thus, the correct data can be inputted via the client terminals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technology for integrally managing data input by a client using a mail system in a server.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the Internet and LAN (Loc
With the rapid spread of the Al Area Network, core business systems using personal computers are also shifting from stand-alone systems to client-server systems and intranet / extranet systems.

In such a core business system,
As the demand for analyzing a large amount of accumulated data immediately and using it for decision-making increases, management and aggregation of such a large amount of data has become an important factor in system construction.

[0004] On the other hand, with the spread of e-mail, simple reporting / communication business using e-mail in ordinary business is frequently used in companies. However, in such a report operation using an e-mail, an input form depends on an application program such as a word processor or a spreadsheet installed in a client terminal.

[0005] Therefore, in a core business system such as a company or a local government, a unified application program must be installed in all client terminals only for such a report / communication business, and the introduction cost is high. It was not realistic.

It is also conceivable that a report is created in a text file that does not require the use of an expensive application program, and the report is sent to a server by e-mail to perform a report / contact work. In the file, since the format of input items and input positions is not unified, there is a problem that it is difficult for the server side to manage and aggregate these data.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and it is an object of the present invention to construct a reporting / communication system in a core business that does not depend on an input environment.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a report communication system in which an answer is entered on a client side in a question form set on a server side and the answer is returned to a server. Module updating means provided to the client terminal as an executable file, and checking required modules in the client terminal to execute file transfer from the server; task management means for managing tasks in the client terminal; This is a report communication system which is activated by the management means and comprises an input means for providing an input interface module (corresponding to claim 1).

As described above, each means is distributed as an executable file from the server to the client terminal using the general-purpose electronic mail system. And at each client terminal,
Inspect the modules required for input work and if they are missing or not updated, FTP from the server
The module is collected by executing the file transfer by the above method. This module is a power interface module for prompting a user to input data based on at least a predetermined input format, and the input format unifies the data formats input by a plurality of client terminals. In addition, the provision of the task management means for returning the input data to the mail server as described above (corresponding to claim 2) facilitates data collection in the server.

Further, by providing the initial value data provisionally registered in the input format and checking the validity of the data input by the user on the client (corresponding to claim 3), an error on the client terminal is obtained. Data entry without the need.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a core business system of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a messenger server and 2 denotes a mail server. These servers are connected to a client 3 and a client 4 via a network 5. Here, the network 5 is an intranet or a dial-up connection type network constructed by a LAN or the like, and the protocol is TCP / I.
P, that is, a general-purpose Internet protocol is used.

The outline of the present embodiment will be briefly described as follows. First, the messenger server 1 generates a mail having a basic module (described later) in an attached format, and the mail is transmitted from the mail server 2 to the client 3 according to the schedule management of the messenger server 1.

In the client 3, the basic module is expanded using a general-purpose mail application, and it is checked whether a necessary module is already installed in the client 3. If not installed, FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
Start l) and download the required module from the messenger server 1.

Then, when the modules necessary for the client 3 have been prepared, the reception service management module is started. In the interface of the reception service management module, when an input is instructed by the user of the client 3, the data input module is activated and data is input.

Then, the input data is transmitted through the receiving operation management module, and is transmitted to the messenger server 1.
Collected by FIG. 3 shows an outline of a hardware configuration of the messenger server 1. In the figure,
Reference numeral 6 denotes a central processing unit (CPU), which has a function of controlling the entire messenger server 1. The central processing unit 6 (CPU)
The initial program stored in the OM 8 is loaded, and the system is started. Reference numeral 9 denotes a RAM used as a main memory, and programs are sequentially loaded from the external storage device 11. The external storage device 11 is configured by a hard disk device, and registers various programs, modules, data files, and the like for functioning as the messenger server 1. A communication interface 12 is connected to the mail server 2 and the client 3 through the communication interface 12.

Further, a CRT 10, a printer (PRT) 13, a keyboard (KBD) 14, and the like are connected to the messenger server 1 in the same manner as a normal computer system.

FIG. 2 is an overall functional block diagram of the present embodiment. The messenger server 1 includes a transmission schedule monitoring unit 22 and a mail reception monitoring unit 24 with an operation management module 23 at the center as active function units. Each of these functional units specifically stores a program read from the external storage device 11 by the CPU 6.
This is realized by being executed.

The business management module 23 includes a file group 2
The file group 21 checks a sheet information file 21a composed of an input form, an initial value data file 21b for providing an initial value to be given to the sheet information file 21a, and input contents. And a check script 21c. Normal,
These three files are transmitted to the client 3 as one set.

The file group 21 further has a business information file 21d, an automatic update module 21e, and a module information file 21f. In the above description, the business information file 21d is a file that comprehensively manages server types, sheet information, and the like. The automatic update module 21e compares each module stored in the client 3 with the messenger server 1, and activates the FTP program only when the version on the client 3 side is low to acquire a new version of the module. It is. Module information file 2
1f stores information on basic modules and information on modules necessary for the first execution on the client.

The business management module 23 further has a management file group such as a business management information file 25, a transmission address file 26 and a transmission log file 27. The business management information file 25 is a file for recording what file is distributed to which client, and the transmission address file 26 is a file for managing the address of the transmitting client.
The transmission log file 27 is a file for recording a transmission log of a mail.

The mail reception monitoring unit 24 provided in the messenger server 1 has a function of managing the reception information received from the mail server 2, and has an input data storage file 31 and a reception log file 32.

Further, the messenger server 1 has various client modules 33. The client modules 33 are stored in the external storage device 11, and the FTP (FTP) from the client 3 may be used if necessary.
The program is downloaded to the client 3 by starting an ile transfer protocol (ile transfer protocol) program.

A general-purpose mail application 34 is registered in the mail server 2 and has a function of transmitting mail format data received from the messenger server 1 to the client 3 or receiving a reply mail from the client 3. Have.

On the other hand, a general-purpose mail application 41 is also registered in the client 3, and this mail application identifies a mail text and an attached file.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the module file is received by the mail application. When a module is specified on the mail application, the module is started as the self-extracting module 42 and is automatically updated from the module information file 21f.
3 is generated in the client 3.

Here, when the automatic update module 43 is generated for the first time in the client 3, the address of the messenger server 1 is registered so that the client 3 can access the messenger server 1. Work to be performed. This operation is not required for the second or subsequent activation of the automatic update module 43.

Next, the module status in the client 3 is analyzed by the automatic update module 43. If there is a module to be added or a module that needs to be updated, the general-purpose F
Activate the TP program and execute the necessary client module 3 from the external storage device 11 of the messenger server 1.
Download 3.

For example, when the reception service management module 44 has not been updated to the latest one on the client 3, the automatic update module 43 sends the corresponding reception service management module 44 from the client module 33 of the messenger server 1. Download and replace with the latest one. The receiving operation management module 44
Are recorded in the reception work information file 46.

Here, the tasks managed in this embodiment are:
The messenger server 1 manages this data in a unified manner by inputting it into a predetermined form. When the receiving task management module 44 is started based on the task information file 21d, the “receiving task registration”, “ input",
A menu such as "Send" is displayed.

Here, first, the reception service management module 44
Is a group of files necessary for business management (sheet information file 21a, initial value data file 21b, check script file 21
Set c).

Next, when "input" is specified on the reception service management module 44, the data input module 45 is activated, and the form can be entered. FIG. 5 shows a screen display at this time.

As shown in the figure, the format of such a form is provided by the sheet information file 21a. The initial values (names and addresses already entered in FIG. 5) already entered in this form are provided from the initial value data file 21b.

Further, the content of the form is checked by a check script conforming to the data input module 45. This check is
Whether the input total numerical value is correct, whether there are any missing items, and the like. This check script is provided from the check script file 21c.

Thus, the data input module 45
The data input through is transmitted to the mail server 2 when “transmission” is designated by the reception service management module 44.

At this time, the data input as described above is so-called tagged data in which each data has an attribute, and since each data has such a tag, the aggregation processing for each attribute can be performed. It will be easier.

The data is sent to the mail application 34
The mail server 2 which has received the data through the server further transfers this data to a server for performing statistical processing (not shown).
Further, the data from the client 3 may be further transferred from the mail server 2 to another client 4.

In the above example, the function of the reception management module 44 has been described in connection with the case where transmission of input data is started after "transmission" is designated by the user. In the case of an academic examination for students (in this case, the form is a questionnaire / answer sheet), the answer (data) entered by the student (user) after a certain period of time has passed since the start of the examination ) May be forcibly transmitted to the mail server 2. In such an example of the academic achievement test, for example, the reception service management module 44 completes the transmission of the answer (data) after a certain period of time, The sheet information file 21a, which is a sheet / answer sheet, may be deleted from the storage device of the client 3.

In the above description of the embodiment, only those essential to the present invention have been described, but the following functions can be added. For example, it is determined whether the mail transmitted from the mail server 2 and various modules attached thereto have been opened by the user at the client terminal 3 or not.
May be monitored. When the mail transmitted from the mail server 3 and various modules are opened on the client terminal 3, the reception business management module 44 registers the mail and various modules in the reception business information file 46 and generates an opening notification mail. And sends it to the mail server 2.

The mail server 2 receiving the notice of opening the mail
Transfers the opening notification to the business management module 23. The work management module 23 can confirm the opening of the mail and the module in the client terminal 3 by receiving the opening notification.

When the business management module 23 does not receive the opening notification within a certain time (or the number of days), the business management module 23 determines that the necessary latest module is not installed on the client terminal 3 and The mail attached with the module may be transmitted again to the client terminal 3 through the mail server 2.

Furthermore, the mail from the mail server 2 is
If the mail has been transferred from the client terminal 3 to another client terminal 4, the reception service management module 44 of the client terminal 4 confirms the opening of the mail and the module in the same manner as described above. Then, when an open notice is generated, the open notice is transmitted to the mail server 1 and the client terminal 3 of the transfer source. By this operation,
The transfer source client terminal 3 and the mail server 2 (the business management module 23) can confirm that the mail has been opened at the transfer destination client terminal 4.

As described above, even when the mail is transferred between the client terminals 3 and 4, the transfer history of the mail can be grasped by the opening notification. In the reception service management module 44, it is also possible to add a processing restriction for each received mail. For example,
For specific mails (test questions and the like), attributes of download and copy prohibition can be set, and transfer of the mail described above can also be prohibited. More specifically, by setting the reception service management module 44, the pull-down menu such as “copy” or “transfer” of the mail reception program (not shown) operating on the client terminal 3 is disabled. it can.

[0044]

According to the present invention, it is possible to construct a reporting / communication system in a core business that does not depend on an input environment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a core business system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the messenger server according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a mail receiving state in a general-purpose mail application in a client terminal in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a form input screen according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Messenger server 2 Mail server 3 Client terminal A 4 Client terminal B 5 Network 6 Central processing unit (CPU) 7 Bus 8 ROM 9 Main memory (RAM) 10 CRT 11 External storage device 12 Communication interface 13 Printer (PRT) 14 Keyboard (KBD) 21 file group 21a sheet information file 21b initial value data file 21c check script 21d business information file 21e automatic update module 21f module information file 22 schedule monitoring unit 23 business management module 24 mail reception monitoring unit 25 business management information file 26 transmission Address file 27 Transmission log file 31 Input data storage file 32 Reception log file 33 Client module 42 Self Decompression module 43 Automatic update module 44 Reception service management module 45 Data input module 46 Reception service information file

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A report communication system in which an answer is entered on a client side in a question format set on a server side and the answer is returned to the server. In the report communication system, the server provides the client terminal as an executable file attached to a general-purpose e-mail. A module updating unit for inspecting a required module in the client terminal and executing a file transfer from the server; a business managing unit for managing business on the client terminal; and an input interface activated by the business managing unit and activated by the business managing unit. A report communication system comprising: input means for providing a module. 2. The report communication system according to claim 1, wherein said task management means includes transmission means for transmitting input data from the input means to said server or another mail server. 3. The input means includes, in addition to the input interface module, an initial value data provision means temporarily registered in the format, and an inspection means for inspecting the validity of data input by a user on a client. The report communication system according to claim 1, further comprising: