JP2001076056A - Application management system and processing method for application information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To structure in a tree a set of applications having specific relation, such as divisional applications. SOLUTION: An application management system has a parent-child relation table generated in an application management database. The parent-child relation table is stored with two applications, which are connected having specific relation while information for discriminating between only an upper and a lower hierarchy, i.e., a 'parent number' and a 'child number' items are given, thereby obtaining a tree structure without having to save position information in the whole tree structure of applications (hierarchy, and the order within the same hierarchy).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an application management system for managing information on patent applications, utility model registration applications, trademarks, and designs filed in a company. The present invention relates to an application management system capable of printing / displaying application information hierarchically associated with division, change, domestic priority, etc. in a tree structure, and a processing method for forming the application information in a tree structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An application management database storing data on patent applications and utility model registration applications has conventionally been constructed using a computer. In the database,
Bibliographic items such as application date, application number, publication date, publication number, registration date, registration number, and the history of procedures such as the progress of examinations and trials are managed for each application, and are used for information management and administrative management. ing.

[0003] By managing application information related to the industrial property law, such as patents, in a database, it is possible to manage a large amount of application information without confusion and to search in a short time. However, when the number of patent applications by our company becomes enormous,
It may be very difficult to understand the relationship between each application.

[0004] For example, in the case of a specification in which an important invention is described, the number of divisional applications is often increased in order to ensure that the technology relating to the invention is not omitted and to ensure that the right is obtained. When a new divisional application is filed, it is necessary to consider the contents of the specification of the basic application, which serves as a reference for the retrospective date, the claims of other divisional applications, and the progress of examination / trial.

[0005] However, since divisional applications have a hierarchical connection, even if the divisional application is simply displayed as a list of application numbers, a vertical connection (relationship between the divisional application and the original application) and a horizontal connection (connection with other divisional applications). Relationship) is very difficult to grasp.

[0006]

An object of the present invention is to print an application having a hierarchical relationship such as division or change in a tree structure,
An object of the present invention is to provide an application management system which is displayed so that the relationship between applications can be easily grasped, and a processing method for forming a tree structure of application information.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is an application management system for presenting a relationship diagram showing a relationship between a plurality of applications in a tree structure. Application information storage means for storing each application, parent-child relationship storage means for storing parent-child relationship information indicating that two applications are related in a predetermined relationship for each relationship, and application and relationship shown in the relationship diagram. Means for designating, means for selecting an application shown in the relationship diagram based on the designated application and the parent-child relationship information, and hierarchy in the relationship diagram of the selected application based on the parent-child relationship information Means for determining the order in said hierarchy, said hierarchy,
An application management system, comprising: means for determining presentation information shown in the relationship diagram based on the order, the parent-child relationship information, and the application information; and means for presenting the presentation information.

The present invention also provides an application information table in which application information on an application is stored for each application, and parent-child relationship information indicating that two applications are related in a predetermined relationship.
A parent-child relationship table stored for each relationship, wherein the application information is presented in a relationship diagram having a tree structure of M layers (M is an integer of 2 or more), the application information processing method comprising: To determine the hierarchy of the application shown in the relationship diagram in the tree and the order in the hierarchy, and according to the determined hierarchy and order, the information stored in the application information table is applied for each application. In presenting the application information on a line-by-line basis, if there is an application of one lower hierarchy connected to the presented application, information of the application of the lower hierarchy is presented on the next line. Processing method.

According to the present invention, it is possible to present information of an application having a hierarchical relationship such as division, domestic priority, and change in a tree structure. The presentation means printing on paper or displaying on a display device such as a CRT.

In the present invention, a parent-child relationship table storing parent-child relationship information indicating that two applications are related in a predetermined relationship is created in order to form a tree structure of the applications.

The parent-child relationship information is, for example, a divisional application,
This is information that relates the two applications, the original application, in a specific relationship called “division”.
An item (for example, management number, application number, etc.) that specifies each application (parent application) on the hierarchy and a record that has a relation associating the two applications as items, and a collection of these records is a parent-child relationship table.

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the hierarchy in the tree and the order (order) in the hierarchy from the parent-child relationship information indicating the relationship between the two hierarchies.

[0013] By determining the hierarchy (for example, the x-th layer) of a certain application, the child application of the application is located at the next lower hierarchy (the x + 1-th layer), and the parent application is located at the next higher hierarchy (the x-th layer). (X-1 layer) is inevitably led.

The order within the same hierarchy can be determined from application information such as the date of filing of an application and the application number. If data for determining this order is included in the parent-child relationship information, the order of the hierarchy can be determined. This is preferable because the table referred to for determining the rank in the hierarchy can be unified into the parent-child relationship table.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of hardware of an application management system. The application management system according to the present embodiment includes a large-capacity external storage device 1 for storing an application management database, a server terminal 2 for managing the application management database, inputting data to the application management database, and querying the database. This is a client / server type system in which a client terminal 3 for performing a search and a printer 4 for printing an inquiry and a search result are connected by a LAN 5 (Local Area Network).

As the mass storage device 1, a disk array system using a rewritable magnetic disk or a magneto-optical disk is preferable. It is preferable to use a workstation for the server terminal 2 so that a large number of data can be searched by a plurality of persons at the same time. A personal computer is preferably used as the client terminal 3, and a plurality of client terminals 3 are connected to the LAN 5 so that a plurality of users can simultaneously perform a search operation and a database update operation. A plurality of printers 4 can be connected to the LAN 5. A scanner 6 for inputting data is connected to the client terminal 3, and a reading device for an FD (floppy (registered trademark) disk) or a CD-ROM is built in or connectable to the client terminal 3.

The main configuration of the server terminal 2 and the client terminal 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The server terminal 2 is connected to a CPU 22, a ROM and a RAM via a bus 21.
Internal memory 23, a large-capacity internal storage device 24 storing programs and databases for managing the application management database, a keyboard 25 for inputting characters, a CRT and a liquid crystal display for displaying images, etc. Display device 27. Bus 21 is L
It is connected to AN5.

Further, the external storage device 1 is connected to the bus 21 of the server terminal 2, and various processes executed by the CPU 22 perform processes such as reading and updating of data stored in the external storage device 1. Is managed.

The client terminal 3 includes a CPU 32 connected by a bus 31, an internal memory 33 such as a ROM or a RAM, a large-capacity internal storage device 34, a keyboard 35 for inputting characters, a pointing device 36, a CRT.
And a display device 37 such as a liquid crystal display. The bus 31 is connected to the LAN 5 and can communicate with the server terminal 2, other client terminals 3, and the printer 4.

The internal storage device 34 stores a program for searching / inquiring the application management database 11 and inputting data. The internal storage device 34 stores data fetched from the application database 11 and data input for updating the database. It is also for temporary storage. The pointing device 36 is a device for assisting a keyboard input, and a mouse, a trackball, or the like is used.

Next, the application management database 11 will be described. The application management database includes an application information table 11a for mainly storing bibliographic items, and a progress information table 1 for storing information on progress since the application.
1b, an inventor table 11c for storing information on the inventor, a claims table 11d for storing claims of patents and utility models, a drawing table 11e for storing data of drawing documents, A parent-child relationship table 11f for storing information relating two applications in a specific relationship.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the application information table 11a. Records are "control number", "four methods", "type",
It consists of items such as "status", "submission date", and "application number", and one record is created for each application. For this reason, the server terminal 2 manages the application information table 11a so that the "management number" does not overlap.

In the present embodiment, the "management number" is a letter and a numeral indicating the country of application. “J0800” indicates that the application is the 800th domestic application registered in the database. The size of the numbers makes it easier to identify the earlier or later application. For applications to the United States, the initials may be "U", and for applications to Korea, "K". “U0800” is a management number indicating that the database is the 800th US application registered in the database.

The “status” item is the application information table 1
The CPU 22 automatically updates the information based on the data input to the progress information table 11c described later or 1a, and prevents the client terminal 3 from updating the “status” item.

For example, if a record has data entered in the “public number” and “public date” fields and no data entered in the “request date” field, the “status”
Will be "unclaimed after publication". Then, if data is entered in the item of "Request for Examination" in that record, it is updated to "Request After Disclosure".

The application information table 11a stores bibliographic items related to the application, and is referred to in most database searches by the client terminal 3. If the number of items increases, it takes time to search. Therefore, the items that are not frequently used include the application information table 11a.
It may be a table different from. Such items include, for example, a “summary” item that stores the contents of an abstract,
The item "other company management number" is included.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of the progress information table 11b. The record has items such as "management number", "procedure" indicating the type of procedure, "history", "category" indicating the person performing the procedure, "submission date" of the procedure, and "delivery date / delivery date".

"History" is an item for distinguishing between records having the same "management number". Since a plurality of “procedures” are usually performed for one application (FIG. 4 shows an example of J0800), numerical data is input to “history” and a different number is assigned to each “procedure”. In the present embodiment, the "history" data at the time of filing is set to zero, and the server #terminal 2 performs a process of increasing the "history" by one each time "procedure" is input to the progress information table 11b. I have.

FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of the inventor table 11c. The inventor table 11c has a "management number", an "order" indicating the order of application, and an "inventor" for storing the inventor's name.
It is a record whose item is. Here, only the item "Inventor" is stored as information on the inventor,
The number of items may be appropriately increased so that information such as affiliation and post at the time of application can be stored.

Since the claims and the drawing data are changed by correction and correction, a plurality of data are generated for one "management number". For this reason, the claim table 11d and the drawing table 11e have a table structure capable of storing data of all progress from the time of filing.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of the claim table 11d. The complaint table 11d is a record having "management number", "history", and "claim" in which the contents of the claim are stored. "History" item is progress information table 1
This is linked to the “history” item 1b.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the management number J0800. The record at the time of filing is stored in the record with the history “0”, and the record with the submission date “1989.03.
The claims that have been amended with the “procedure amendment” (see FIG. 4) of “09” are stored.

FIG. 7 shows the structure of the drawing table 11e.
The drawing table 11e has the same structure as the complaint table 11d, and includes "management number", "history" linked to the "history" item of the progress information table 11b, and "drawing" in which the contents of the drawing are stored. Consists of records.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of the parent-child relationship table 11f. The parent number is the parent number of the earlier application, the parent date is the date of submission of the application, the child number is the child number of the application, and the child number is the child number. It is a record with "relation date" as an item, which stores the relationship between the earlier application and the later application.

The "Relation" item is linked to the "Type" item in the application information table 11a, and "Division", "Domestic priority", "
Data such as “change.” That is, the parent-child relationship table 1
1f is for special applications (child numbers) such as divisions and changes.
The type of the application, the original application and the base application (parent number)
It is a table for associating and managing.

In this embodiment, the application information table 11a
When a record having a "type" other than "normal" is created, a new record is added to the parent-child relationship table 11f.

An update process of the application management database 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. In order to update the database, when data is input to the client terminal 3 using a storage medium such as an FD or the like via the keyboard 35, the CPU 32 receives the data according to the program or data file stored in the internal storage device 34. It processes the received data and transmits the data to the server terminal 2 via the LAN 5. The CPU 22 of the server terminal 2 has an internal storage device 24
In accordance with the programs and data files stored in the application management database 11, data is written to the application management database stored in the external storage device 1, and the application management database 11 is updated.

When the process of inputting the bibliographic items of the application is executed, the CPU 32 of the client terminal 3 displays the application information input screen shown in FIG. To be displayed.

FIG. 9 is a screen for inputting the application information of the management number "J2214". By inputting data in the white rectangular area, the application information table 11 relating to “J2214” is obtained.
The data can be stored in the predetermined item a. The buttons 41 to 45 on the right side of the screen correspond to the inventor table 11.
e, parent-child relationship table 11f, application information table 11a
Summary, claim table 11d, drawing table 1
This is for shifting to processing for updating 1e.
When these buttons 41 to 45 are clicked with the cursor, CPU 32 switches the screen of display device 37 to a corresponding data input screen.

The operator operates the keyboard 35 and the pointing device 36 of the client terminal 3 to input data to necessary items on the screen of the display device 37. The input data is not immediately transmitted to the server terminal 2, but is checked by the CPU 32 as to whether the data is appropriate, and is temporarily stored in the internal storage device 34.

When the input of necessary data is completed, the user operates the keyboard 35 and the pointing device 36 to click the OK button 46 at the right corner of the screen. Then, CPU
The data stored in the internal storage device 34 is transmitted to the server terminal 2 under the control of the server 32. Under the control of the CPU 22 of the server terminal 2, data is written to the external storage device 1, and the application management database 11 is updated.

If the application management database 11 is not to be updated, the cancel button 47 is clicked. Then, CPU3
2 deletes the input data stored in the internal storage device 34 so far, and ends the update processing of the database 11.

When data other than “normal” is entered in the “application type” item, click the related patent button 42 to
Enter parent-child relationship information. In this case, when the OK button 46 is pressed without inputting the parent-child relationship information, in order not to end the update process without inputting the parent-child relationship information,
The CPU 32 causes the display device 27 to display a warning. Hereinafter, the data input processing of the parent-child relationship table 11f when “division” is input for “application type” will be described with reference to FIG.

When the related patent button 42 is clicked, C
The PU 32 displays the screen of the display device 37 as shown in FIG.
Change the screen to "Enter parent number of divisional application" in 4 ". The operator operates the input area 51 using the keyboard 35.
The control number corresponding to the original application described in the application for J2214,
Here, J0570 is input.

When the input is confirmed (for example, by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard), the management number J0570 is transmitted from the client terminal 3.
Is sent to the server terminal 2. The CPU 22 of the server terminal 2 searches the application information table 11a of the application management database 11 according to the instruction,
The search result is transmitted to the client terminal 3.

The control number J0570 of the transmitted parent application and its submission date May 18, 1984 are associated with the control number J2214 of the child application, its submission date May 24, 1991, and the relationship of "division". Is stored in the internal storage device 34 of the client terminal 3 as data input to the parent-child relationship table 11f. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the transmitted data is displayed in the parent-child relationship display area 52 together with the data of the child application J2214. At this time, it is stored in the internal storage device 34,
The displayed data of the child application J2214 is data input on the screen of FIG. 9 stored in the internal storage device 34.

To correct the parent application, the data displayed in the parent-child relationship display area 52 is selected (for example, clicked), and the delete button 53 is clicked. Then, the data to be input to the parent-child relationship table stored in the internal storage device 34 is deleted, and the display of the selected data is also deleted. Once again, the correct management number is input to the input section 51, and the input is confirmed.

When the input of the management number of the parent application for division is completed, the input end button 53 is clicked. Then, FIG. 9
The display returns to the input screen shown in FIG.

Here, as for the input of the parent-child relationship table, the case where the “relation” is “divided” is described, but the same applies to the case of the type such as change, domestic priority, etc. Is a screen for inputting a parent number corresponding to the "type", and the "relation" input in the parent-child relationship table is also changed in accordance with the "type".

The input processing to the inventor table, the claim table and the like is almost the same as the input processing of data to the parent-child relation table. By clicking the buttons 41, 42 to 45 on the input screen shown in FIG. 9, the corresponding data input processing is executed. In the input processing, data input by a keyboard or the like is stored in the internal storage device 34. When the input processing ends, the display returns to the screen of FIG.

When the user clicks the OK button 46 after inputting necessary data, the data is transmitted from the client terminal 3 to the server terminal 2 and the application management database 11 is updated by the server terminal 2 as described above.

A process of presenting a set of applications having a specific relationship from the data of the parent-child relationship table 11f in a hierarchical manner will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a description will be given of a printing process of a relation diagram including a six-layer tree.

FIGS. 11 to 16 show C of the client terminal 3.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process of a relation diagram, which is executed by a PU. In the present embodiment, since the application management system has a client-server structure, when data stored in the application management database and search results are to be loaded into the client terminal 3, the CPU 2 of the client terminal 3 is connected to the CPU 22 of the server terminal 2. Data extraction,
Instructing the search, the server terminal 2 searches the application management database 11 according to the instruction of the client terminal 3 and transmits the search result to the client terminal 3.

When the printing process is started as shown in FIG. 11, a state is entered for inputting a "management number" and a "relation" for which a relation diagram is to be created. The operator inputs a desired “management number” and “relation” using the keyboard 35 and the pointing device 36 of the client terminal 3 (step S10).
1). In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, a printing process of a related diagram of a divisional application of "management number" J2622 will be described as a specific example. FIG. 18 shows the relationship of the J2622 divisional application.

In step S102, the CPU 32 sets the input management number to "parent number" or "child number", and issues an instruction to search the parent-child relation table 11f for a record whose "relationship" is "split" in the server terminal 2. To instruct. The server terminal 2 searches the application management database 11 and transmits a search result to the client terminal 3.

If there is no corresponding record, the CPU 32 of the client terminal 3 executes step S103, displays a warning that the relation diagram cannot be printed on the display device 37, and ends the printing process (see FIG. 16).

If there is a corresponding record, step S
104 is executed, and the “relation” is “divided”
With the condition that the oldest management number nmbA of the entered management number
To search for. In the case of division, nmbA is an application whose filing date is retroactive.

The server terminal 2 searches the parent-child relationship table 11f, and goes up the hierarchy such as the parent number of the input management number, the parent number of the parent number, and finally the record having the management number as the child number. If there is no, the parent number is determined to be the oldest management number nmbA. For example, in the parent-child relationship table 11f shown in FIG. 8, the parent number of J2622 is J0570.
(Refer to the record indicated by the arrow.) Since J0570 is not included in the “child number” item, J0570 is input to nmbA.

In step S105, the records of all the parent-child relationship tables 11f linked to the management number nmbA are read from the parent-child relationship table 11f via the server terminal 2, and stored in the internal storage device 34.
Stored as

The selection of the record stored in the local parent-child relationship table 38 is executed by the server terminal 2. The CPU 22 of the server terminal 2 searches the parent-child relationship table 11f to find a record including the nmbA as the parent number, a record having the child number of the record as the parent number, a record having the child number as the parent number, and so on. Extract records.
The extraction ends when there are no more records with the management number as the parent number. Of course, the condition is that the “relation” item of the extracted record is the same as the relationship specified in step S101.

The extracted record is transmitted to the client terminal 3 and, under the control of the CPU 32, the internal storage device 34
Is stored as a local parent-child relationship table 38. Under the condition of management number = J2622 and relationship = division, a local parent-child relationship table 38 shown in FIG. 17 is created from the parent-child relationship table 11f shown in FIG.

Step S106 is a step for loading data to be printed from the application management database. The management number is stored in the application information table 11a on the server terminal 2.
The “application number” and “status” of nmbA are searched, and the search results are loaded into the internal storage device 34.

Step S107 is a step for determining print data. Control number kannoA, application number stgnoA,
The information on the application having the status stsA and the ruled line data lineB for forming the tree are determined. n for kannoA
mbA data is input, and stgnoA and stsA have step S
The data captured at 106 is input. If nmbA is the management number input in step S101, kann
oA is indicated by nmbA and a code indicating this (here, "
* "Asterisk" is input.

The ruled line lineB is a ruled line for connecting the application of the first layer and the application of the second layer of the tree, and a ruled line for connecting the applications of the second layer. Since nmbA is the oldest application number and the control number of the next hierarchy is inevitably present, data “┓” is input to lineB to connect the first and second layers of the tree. You.

In step S108, the CPU 23 controls the printer 4 according to predetermined layout data and prints the print data determined in step S107. FIG.
In the case of the relation diagram, data relating to J0570 is printed.

In FIG. 18, the dotted matrix, nmb, line, line number, and column number are provided to help understanding of the layout, and are not actually printed data. deep.

The print data determined in step S107 is laid out on the first line of the relationship diagram. Next, when printing is executed by the printer, the data is printed on the next line. Kann which is information about nmbA
A, stgnoA, stsA are laid out in the first column of the tree,
Ruled line lineB is laid out at the beginning of the second line.

Next, in step S109 (see FIG. 12), the child number of nmbA is read from the local parent-child relationship table.
nmbB is searched, and an array B [nmbB {cntB}] which is a set of the searched management numbers nmbB is created. The counter B (described as cntB) is a value indicating the order in which the loop 1 is executed, and
This is a value indicating the printing order of the application information of bB. That is, the data indicates the order (order) of nmbBs in the second layer of the tree.

Based on the local parentage table shown in FIG. 17, the child numbers nmbB of J0570 are J2214, J2622, and J2897. In the present embodiment, since cntB is assigned in the order of the management number, array B has [nmbB {1} = J2214, nmbB {2} = J26
22, nmbB {3} = J2897]. cntB may be ordered by date of child submission date of child number nmbB.

Next, the nested loops 1 to 5 are executed. Loops 1 to 5 are the second to sixth layers of the tree, respectively.
This is a process for printing a layer. As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, in each loop, processing data is different, but the same processing is executed.

As shown in FIG. 12, steps S111 to S114 of loop 1 are the same processing as steps S106 to S109, and correspond to a process in which nmbA is changed to nmbB {cntB}. In step S111, via the server terminal 2,
The application number and status of nmbB {cntB} are searched and loaded into the client terminal 3.

In step S112, print data is determined, and the control number kannoB, application number stgnoB, and status sts
B, data of ruled lines lineB and lineC for forming a tree structure are determined. In step S113, the CPU 32 of the client terminal controls the printer 4 and executes step S1.
The print data determined in step 12 is printed on one line of the tree.

In step S112, if nmbB {cntB} is the management number input in step S101, kannB {cntB}
“*” and nmbB {cntB} are input to oB. stgnoB, stsB
, Input the application number and status searched in step S111.

Since the applications in the second layer are connected by lineB, when cntB is equal to the number of elements in array B (nmbB
If {cntB} is the last element of the array B), “┗” is input; otherwise, “┣” is input.

In order to connect the second-layer application nmbB and the third-layer application nmbC by lineC, there is a case where nmbB {cntB} is present in the “parent number” item of the local parent-child relationship table 38 (in nmbB {cntB}, If there is a third layer of nmbC to be connected), enter "@" in lineC, otherwise, enter ""
(Blank) is entered.

In the print processing of the relation diagram of J2622, first, nmb
Steps S111 to S113 are executed for B {1} = J2214, and data is printed in a layout as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the print data is ruled line lineB,
The application information (control number kannoB, application number stgnoB, status stsB) and the ruled line C are laid out in one line in this order.
Also, kannoB, stgnoB, and stsB are laid out in the second column of the tree, and lineC is laid out at the beginning of the third column.

Next, in step S114, the local parent-child relationship table 38 is searched, and the child number of nmbB {cntB} is retrieved.
nmbC is searched, and the sequence C [nmbC
{cntC}]. cntC is the order in which the loop 2 is executed, and is data indicating the order (order) of nmbC in the third layer of the tree.

In step S115, loops 2-5
To determine the data of the ruled line lineB to be printed. In the second and subsequent loops, the print data of the third and subsequent layers of the tree (the third and subsequent columns of the matrix) are determined. The data of the ruled line lineB to be printed on the second layer (second column) is determined.

In lineB, if "nmbB {cntB}" is the last element of array B, "" blank is input, otherwise, "@" is input to connect data of the second layer. . The data of lineB determined in step S115 is not changed until the next execution of loop 1.

After execution of step S115, if there is an element in the array C (set) formed in step S114, loop 2 is executed. If there is no element in array C, the process returns to step S111, and loop 1 is executed again for the next element in array B. When loop 1 is executed for all elements of array B (when cntB becomes equal to the number of elements of array B),
The process exits from the loop 1 and ends the printing process of the relationship diagram (FIG.
reference).

The processing in loop 2 shown in FIG. 13 is the same as the processing in loop 1, and the data to be processed is different. Loop 1
Is the process of printing the second layer of the tree.
Is a process for printing the third layer shifted one layer lower, so the processing data of loop 2 is nmbB {cntB} of loop 1
Is replaced with nmbC {cntC}.

In loop 2, first, from the application number table
The application number and status of nmbC {cntC} are searched (step S116), and print data is determined (step S11).
7) Print the data (step S118).

In step S117, the data (kannoC, stgnoC, stsC) relating to nmbC {cntC}, the ruled line lineC for connecting nmbC {cntC} to each other, and nmbC {cntC} and its child number (nmbD) are linked. Is determined.

In step S118, step S115
The ruled line lineB determined in step S117 and the print data determined in step S117 are printed on one line. KannoC, stgnoC, and stsC are laid out in the third column of the tree, and lineD is laid out at the beginning of the fourth column.

Next, in the local parent-child relationship table, nmbC
The child number nmbD of {cntC} is searched, an array D [nmbD {cntD}] is created (step S119), and data of the ruled line lineC to be printed in loops 3 to 5 is determined (step S12).
0). The conditions for determining the ruled line lineC are the same as in step S115.

After executing step S120, if there is an element in array D, loop 3 is executed, and if there is no element in array D, the flow returns to step S116 to execute loop 2 for the next element of array C. . When the loop 2 is executed for all the elements of the array C (when cntC becomes equal to the number of elements of the array C), the process exits the loop 2 and returns to the loop 1 (see FIG. 16).

Loop 3 (step S121) shown in FIG.
To S125), loop 4 shown in FIG. 15 (step S12).
6 to S130), the same processing as in loop 1 is executed, and the data to be processed is different. Loop 3 is a process for printing the application of the fourth layer of the tree.
Of nmbB {cntB} is replaced with nmbD {cntD}. Loop 4 is processing for printing the fifth layer of the tree, and the processing target data is obtained by replacing nmbB {cntB} of loop 1 with nmbE {cntE}.

The loops 3 and 4 will not be described because they will be described in the same manner. However, it can be understood from FIGS. 12 to 15 and the contents of the loops 1 and 2. The print layout is kannoD, stgnoD, stsD,
lineD is laid out on the fourth layer (4th column) of the tree, ka
nnoE, stgnoE, stsE, and lineE are laid out in the fifth layer (fifth column) of the tree.

The loop 5 is a process for printing the sixth layer of the tree, and is a process for printing the lowermost layer of the tree, so the process is slightly different from the other loops. Hereinafter, the loop 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

As in the loop 1, the application number and status of nmbF {cntF} are searched from the application number table (step S131), and the print data (kannoF, stgnoF, stsF,
A ruled line lineF for connecting the nmbFs of the sixth layer is determined (step S132).

Next, nmbF {c
ntF} is searched for a record having a parent number (step S133). If there is a record, step S13
4 is executed, and if not, step S135 is executed.

If there is a record, there is a seventh layer application linked to nmbF {cntF}, but in the present embodiment, the seventh and subsequent layers of the tree are not printed. Therefore, step S134
In, to indicate the existence of the lower-layer application linked to nmbF {cntF}, the character data of “continuation” is added to kannoF. Then, by executing step S135, the ruled lines lineB-F, nmbF
Print application information for {cntF} on one line.

When the loop 5 is executed for all the elements of the array F, the process exits the loop 5 and returns to the loop 4. When the process finally exits the loop 1, the printing process of the relationship diagram ends.

The flow chart of the printing process of the relation diagrams shown in FIGS. 11 to 16 has been described above.
The continuation of the process of printing the relationship diagram of the division of J2622 will be described.

In step S109 of FIG. 12, nmbA
= Array B [nmbB {1} = J2214, nmb, which is a set of child numbers of J0570
B {2} = J2622, nmbB {3} = J2897] and execute loop 1.

By executing steps S111 and S112,
The print data relating to nmbB {1} = J2214 is determined, and the second line is printed as shown in FIG. 18 (step S113). nm
Since bB {1} = J2214 is an application belonging to the second layer, the application information is printed in the second column of the tree.

Next, an array C consisting of a set of child applications of nmbB {1} = J2214 is created (step S114), and "
┃ ”is input (step S115). In the local parentage table of FIG. 17, the array C is [nmbC {1} = J2742].

Since array C has elements, nmbB {2} = J2622
Before executing the printing of the application, first, the printing process of the application of the next hierarchy linked to nmbB {1} = J2214 is executed first. That is, in the present embodiment, if there is an application of the next hierarchy connected to the printed application, even if there is an application that is not printed in the same hierarchy, the printing process of the application of the corresponding next hierarchy is executed.

The loop 2 is executed for nmbC {1} = J2742. Steps S115 to S118 are executed, and as shown in FIG. 18, the application information on nmbC {1} = J2742 is printed on the third line. nmbC {1} = J2742 is the third layer application,
The information is printed in the third column.

Step S119 is executed, and the array D [nmbC {cn
tC}]. NmbC {1} = J274 for local parent-child table
Since there is no record having the parent number 2, the process returns to the loop 1 and executes the print processing of nmbB {2} = J2622.

Steps S111 to S113 are executed to print the fourth line. Since nmbB {2} = J2622 is the application for the second layer, the application information is printed in the second column. Also, nmbB
Since {2} = J2622 is the management number input in step S101, “*” is added before the management number.

Step S114 is executed, and the array C [nmbC {cn
tC}]. NmbB {2} = J262 for local parent-child table
There is no record with “2” as the “parent number” (step S11)
4) Therefore, the process returns to loop 1 and print processing of nmbB {3} = J2897 is executed. Steps S111 to S113 are executed, and 5
Print the data on the line. Since nmbB {3} = J2897 is an application for the second layer, the application information is printed in the second column.

Step S114 is executed again, and the array C [n
mbC {cntC}]. A local parent-child table is searched, and array C [nmbC {1} = nmbB {3} = J2897 as a “parent number”
J3498] is created (step S114), and "" is added to lineB.
Is input (step S115). Since there is an element in the array C, the print processing of nmbC {1} = J3498 is executed in the loop 2.

Steps S116 to S118 are executed, and 6
Print the line. Since nmbC {1} = J3498 becomes the third layer application, the application information is printed in the third column. The local parent-child table is searched to create an array D [nmbD {1} = J3709] having nmbC {1} = J3498 as a parent (step S119).
"" is input to ineC (step S120).

The process enters a loop 3 and executes print processing of nmbD {1} = J3709. Perform steps S121 to S123,
The print data is printed on the seventh line. nmbD {1} = J3709 is 4th
The application information is printed in the fourth column because the application is for the layer. Since there is no record in the local parent-child table with nmbD {1} = J3709 as the “parent number” (step S124)
Return to loop 2.

In loop 2, cntC is the number of elements in array C.
1 ", the process returns to loop 1. In loop 1, cn
Since tB is equal to the number of elements "3" of the array B, the process exits the loop 1 and ends the printing process.

As shown in FIG. 18, by presenting the application information in the form of a tree structure, it is possible to easily grasp the entire image of the connection of applications. Also, since the status information is printed, it can be greatly useful for intermediate processing and new applications. Furthermore, in the application management system of the present invention, the management table stored in the parent-child relationship table 38 of FIG.
, It is possible to search the claims and print a list of the claims with these management numbers. By using this list of claims and the relational diagram, it is possible to more strategically apply intermediate processing and new applications.

In the present embodiment, as specifically described with reference to FIG. 18, the printing position in the column direction of the tree-structured application information is determined by the hierarchy in the relationship diagram (the generation is understood from the term parent-child relationship). Easy to do). The printing position in the line direction (order in the same hierarchy) is determined by the printing order.

The hierarchy and the printing order correspond to the oldest management number nmbA and the arrays B to
F, and nmbA and sequences BF are determined by data in the parent-child relationship table 11f of the application database 11. That is, the hierarchy and the order within the hierarchy are determined from the parent-child relationship table.

As described above, in the application management database 11 according to the present embodiment, two applications having a specific relationship of “parent number” and “child number” in the parent-child relationship table are distinguished only in the upper and lower levels of the hierarchy. By storing the information with the information, it is possible to form the tree structure without storing the position information (the hierarchy and the order in the same hierarchy) in the entire tree structure.

In this embodiment, since position information for layering information is not required, even if a new application is added to any layer of the tree, new parent-child relationship information is not updated and a new application is added. It is possible to create a tree structure.

Although the tree hierarchy is set to 6 in this embodiment, the hierarchy may be determined in consideration of the size of the paper and the size of the font. The number of nested loops may be set to 6 to make the hierarchy 7 and the number of loops may be set to 4 to make it 5.

[Embodiment 2] This embodiment is a modification of the printing process of the relational diagram of Embodiment 1. In the printing process of the first embodiment, applications with seven or more layers cannot be printed. However, in the present embodiment, even if there are applications with seven or more layers, all applications can be printed on the relational diagram.

However, it is difficult to print a tree having a hierarchy of 10 or 20 due to the limitation of the width of the paper. Therefore, in this embodiment, a relation diagram showing the hierarchical structure of an application divided into a plurality of trees is shown. create.

In this embodiment, a relational diagram of an application having a hierarchical structure is created by dividing the tree into six layers. To distinguish the tree hierarchy from the actual hierarchy of the application,
The hierarchy of the application is called generation.

That is, in this embodiment, applications of the first to sixth generations are presented in one tree, and applications belonging to the seventh and subsequent generations are presented in another tree. A tree for presentation, a tree for presenting applications belonging to the 11th to 16th generations, and every six generations (because the first hierarchy of a new tree is the generation indicated by the last hierarchy of the previous tree, , Practically every five generations).

FIGS. 19 to 24 show C of the client terminal 3.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process of a relation diagram, which is executed by a PU. Also, in the present embodiment, a case will be described as an example in which a related diagram of a divisional application of “management number” J0323 is printed. The printing result is shown in FIG.

The flow of this embodiment is almost the same as the flow of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, when the printing process is started, the process enters a standby state for inputting “management number” and “relation” shown in the relationship diagram. "Management number" and "Relationship" to be searched by keyboard 35 or pointing device 36
Is input (step S201). Here, J0323 is input for the management number and division is input for the relation.

At the step S202, the CPU 32
Is the "parent number" or "child number"
And sends an instruction to the server terminal 2 to search for a record whose “relation” is “split” in the parent-child relationship table 11f. The server terminal 2 searches the application management database and sends the search result to the client terminal 3.

If there is no corresponding record, the CPU 32 of the client terminal 3 executes step S203, displays a warning that the relation diagram cannot be printed on the display device 37, and ends the printing process (see FIG. 21).

If there is a corresponding record, step S
204 is executed, and the “relation” is “divided” to the server terminal 2.
With the condition that the oldest management number nmbA of the entered management number
To search for. In the parent-child relationship table 11f shown in FIG. 8, the oldest management number nmbA is J0036.

In step S205, the oldest management number nm
bA is added to sequence A [nmbA {cntA}]. The array A has a management number printed on the top layer of the tree as an element. In this embodiment, the management numbers belonging to the first generation, the sixth generation, the eleventh generation,... Are elements. CntA is a counter that determines the printing order of nmbA. In the case of a specific example, the array A [nmbA
{1} = J0036].

In step S206, nmbA {cntA} to be printed is determined from array A [nmbA {cntA}] in order from cntA = 1. First, nmbA {1} = J0036 is selected.

In step S207, similarly to step S105, the parent-child relationship table 11 is transmitted via the server terminal 2.
From f, all records linked to the management number nmbA {cntA} are read and stored in the internal storage device 34 as the local parent-child relationship table 38.

When nmbA {1} = J0036, the local parent-child relationship table 38 shown in FIG. 22 is created from the parent-child relationship table 11f shown in FIG.

In step S208, “application number” and “status” of nmbA {cntA} are obtained from application information table 11a.
And print data is determined in step S209 shown in FIG. The value of nmbA is input to the control number kannoA, the data fetched in step S208 is input to stgnoA and stsA, and “┓” for connecting the first and second layers of the tree is input to lineB. Is entered.

In step S210, the CPU 32 determines the layout of the print data determined in step S209 according to the predetermined layout data, controls the printer 4, and prints the data. As in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the application data of nmbA {cntA} is printed in the first column of the tree. The positions in the line direction are congested in the printing order. In the case of a specific example, data relating to nmbA {1} = J0036 is printed in the first column and first row of the tree.

In step S211, the child number nmbB of nmbA {cntA} is searched from the local parent-child relationship table 38.
Create array B [nmbB {cntB}]. Array B [nmbB {cntB}] has a management number printed on the second layer of the tree as an element. In the case of the present embodiment, nmbB {cntB} has two generations, seven generations,
It is a management number belonging to two generations,.

According to the local parent-child relationship table of FIG. 22, the child number nmbB of nmbA {1} = J0036 is one of J0323, and the array B is [nmbB {1} = J0323].

Next, the nested loops 1 to 5 are executed. The processing of loops 1 to 4 is loop 1 of the first embodiment.
Same as ~ 4. In step S212, step S1
Steps S11 to S115 (see FIG. 12) are executed, and
In step 213, steps S116 to S120 (see FIG. 13)
Is executed, and in step S214, steps S121 to S121 are executed.
Step S125 (see FIG. 14) is executed, and step S215 is performed.
Then, steps S126 to S130 (see FIG. 15) are executed.

In the case of the specific example, in loop 1, nmbB {1} =
J0323 print data is determined, and the second line of the tree is printed. (See FIG. 24), Sequence C [nmbC {1} = J1189, nmbC {2} = J
1190, nmbC {3} = J1908] and enter "" space in lineB. "" Corresponds to the ruled line printed in the second column of the 3rd to 9th rows of the tree in FIG.

The sequence C [nmbC {cntC}] is in the third layer (3
The management number printed in the (column) is an element. In the present embodiment, nmbC {cntC} is a management number belonging to 3 generations, 8 generations, 13 generations,.

Since there is an element in array C, step S213 of loop 2 is executed. The print data is determined for nmbC {1} = J1189, and the third line of the tree is printed. (FIG. 24
reference). Since there is no record having the parent number of nmbC {1} = J1189 in the local parent-child table (there is no element in array D), the process returns to loop 2 and executes step S213 for nmbC {2} = J1190.

The print data is determined for nmbC {2} = J1190, the fourth line of the tree is printed (see FIG. 24), and the array D [n
mbD {1} = J2302] and input “┃” to lineC. This "@" corresponds to the ruled line printed in the third column of the fifth to eighth rows of the tree in FIG.

The element of array D [nmbD [cntD]] is the fourth element in the tree.
This is a management number printed on the layer (the fourth column). In the case of the present embodiment, nmbD {cntD} is 4th generation, 9th generation, 14th generation,
Are management numbers belonging to...

Since there is an element in array D, step S214 of loop 3 is executed, print data is determined for nmbD {1} = J2302, the fifth line of the tree is printed (see FIG. 24), and array E [ nmbE {1} = J2453] and create “
“Enter a blank.” “” Corresponds to the ruled line printed in the fourth column of the sixth to eighth rows of the tree.

The sequence E [nmbE {cntE}] corresponds to the fifth layer (5
The management number printed in the (column) is an element, and nmbE {cntE} is a management number belonging to 5 generations, 10 generations, 15 generations,.

Since there is an element in array E, step c 215 of loop 4 is executed for cntE = 1. Print data is determined for J2453 {1}, the sixth line of the tree is printed (see FIG. 24), and array F, nmbF {1} = J4079, nmbF {2} = J409
1], and enter "" space in lineE. "" Corresponds to a ruled line printed in the fifth column of the seventh and eighth rows of the tree.

The sequence F [nmbF {cntF}] corresponds to the sixth layer (6
The management number printed in the (column) is an element, and nmbF {cntF} is a management number belonging to 6 generations, 11 generations, 16 generations,.

Since there are elements in array F, nmbF {1} = J4079
Execute loop 5 for. Loop 5 is slightly different from loop 5 of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, each step of the loop 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

The application number and status of nmbF {cntF} are searched from the application number table (step S216), and nmbF {c
ntF} print data related to application information and 6th layer nmbF
A ruled line lineF for connecting the two is determined (step S217). And nmbF in the local parent-child relationship table
It is searched whether there is a record having the parent number {cntF} (step S218). If there is a record, step S2
Step 19 is executed, and if not, Step S221 is executed.

In step S219, nmbF {cntF} is added to sequence A to print the application linked to nmbF {cntF}. Each time nmbF is added to sequence A, cntA is increased by one. Since the array A [nmbA {cntA}] has the management number at the top of the tree as an element, a new tree is created with the added element at the top.

In step S220, character data of “sequence” is added to kannoF to indicate the existence of data in the lower layer connected to nmbF {cntF}. In Step S221, Step S221
The print data determined in 217 or the like is printed on one line, and the loop 5 ends.

Sequence F [nmbF {1} = J4079, nmbF {2} = J4091]
In the case of, loop 5 is executed for nmbF {1} = J4079,
The application number and status of F {1} = J4079] are searched (step S216), and print data is determined (step S21).
7). In the local parent-child table of FIG. 22, nmbF {1} =
It is determined whether there is a record having J4079 as a parent number (step S218).

In the local parent-child table of FIG. 22, since nmbF {1} = J4079 exists in the “parent number” item, step S219 is executed. In step S219, nmbF
{1} = J4079 is added to sequence A, which is [nmbA {1} = J003
6, nmbA {2} = J4079].

In step S220, the continuation of J4079 is input to kannoF, and in step S221, the seventh line of the tree is printed as shown in FIG. Next, loop 5 is executed for nmbF {2} = J4091. nmbF {2} = J4091 application number,
The status is searched (step S216), print data is determined (step S217), and it is determined whether or not there is a record having a parent number of nmbF {2} = J4091 in the local parent-child table of FIG. 22 (step S218).

Since there is no corresponding record, step S2
21 is executed, and the eighth line of the tree is printed. cntF =
Since 2 is equal to the number of elements in the array F, the process exits the loop 5 and returns to the loop 4.

Since cntE = 1 is equal to the number of elements of the array E [J2453 {1}], the loop 4 ends, and the process returns to the loop 3. Loop 3
Then, since cntD = 1 is equal to the number of elements of the array D [nmbD {1} = J2302], the loop ends, and the process returns to loop 2. In loop 2, cntC = 2 is an array C [nmbC {1} = J1189, nmbC {2} = J1190, n
mbC {3} = J1908], the number of elements is smaller than 3. Therefore, cntC = 3
Is performed in loop 2.

Print data is determined for nmbC {3} = J1908, and the ninth line of the tree is printed. (See FIG. 24). Since there is no record having the parent number of nmbC {3} = J1908 in the local parent-child table, the process returns to loop 1. cntB = 1 is array B
Since it is equal to the number of elements of [nmbB {1} = J0323], the loop 1 ends, and step S223 is executed.

In step S223, cntA at the end of loop 1 is compared with the number of elements in array A.
At 219, it is determined whether or not an element has been added to the array A.
If cntA is equal to the number of elements, there are no elements to print, so
The printing process ends. If cntA is smaller than the number of elements, there is additional data, so that step S206 in FIG.
Then, a process for printing the data of the added nmbA and its child number is executed.

In the specific example, when loop 1 is completed, cn
tA = 1 and the sequence A is [nmbA {1} = J0036, nmbA {2} = J407
9]. Since cntA is smaller than the number of elements, step S2
06 is executed. In step S206, cntA is incremented by one, and nmbA {2} = J4079 is selected.

In step 207, the parent-child relationship table 11f of the application management database 11 is searched, and nmbA {2} = J4
In step 079, all the records of the “split” relation including the lower layer application are read, and the local parent-child relation table 38 is created. By the step S207, the local parent-child relationship table is updated from the table of FIG. 22 to the table of FIG.

By executing step S207 again, the record relating to the management number higher than nmbA {2} = J4079 is deleted, and nmbA {2} = J4 necessary for creating a tree.
It is updated from 079 to a local parent-child relationship table consisting of only records of the parent-child relationship information in the lower layer. As a result, the number of records in the local parent-child relationship table is reduced, and the time required for searching the local parent-child relationship table can be reduced.

The application number and status of nmbA {2} = J4079 are searched (step S208), and print data is determined (step S209). If cntA ≠ 1, kannoA
Enter the following data and nmbA {2} = J4079 to indicate that there is a higher-ranking application connected to this control number.

As shown in FIG. 24, the tenth line of the tree is printed (step S210), the local parent-child relationship table 38 of FIG. 23 is searched, and an array B [nmbB {of child numbers of nmbA {2} = J4079. 1} = J4288, nmbB {2} = J4298] is created (step S211).

In loop 1, nmbB {1} = J4288, nmbB
The print process is executed for {2} = J4298, and 1 in FIG.
The first and twelfth lines are printed, the loop 1 ends, and step S223 is executed. In step S223, cntA = 2
Is equal to the number of elements of the array A [nmbA {1} = J0036, nmbA {2} = J4079], and the printing process ends.

As shown in FIG. 24, in the present embodiment, the relationship between applications having a hierarchical structure is divided into a plurality of six-layered trees, so that there is no limit on the number of layers (the number of generations) and all applications can be printed. Is possible.

Although the maximum hierarchy of the tree is six in this embodiment, the number of hierarchies may be determined as appropriate by the practitioner. In general, when the maximum hierarchy of the tree is M (M is an integer of 2 or more), if there is a child application in an application belonging to the kM- (k-1) th layer (or generation), the child application is The tree which makes the application of each kM- (k-1) th layer the top layer is added. Here, k is an integer of 1 or more.

In this embodiment, the case where M = 6 is satisfied.
1) generation, 11 generations (k = 2), 15 generations (k = 3),
If there is an application that is linked to an application belonging to..., A tree is created with the sixth, eleventh, fifteenth,.

That is, in the present embodiment, the applications belonging to the first to sixth generations are shown in one tree, and if the applications of the sixth generation have child applications (applications at one lower hierarchy to be connected), the child applications , And the tree of the maximum hierarchy 6 is added. In this tree, applications of the 6th to 11th generations are printed. Further, when the 11th generation application has child applications, a tree of the maximum hierarchy 6 in which each 11th generation application having the child application is the highest level is added. This tree contains 11-1
Applications belonging to five generations are printed.

In the embodiment, since the relationship diagram is composed of a plurality of trees, the connection between the trees is indicated by “continuation”. If there are about two trees, it is easy to understand the connection between the trees only by "continuation", but if the number of trees increases, it becomes difficult to grasp the connection relationship. To solve this problem, for example, in order for cntA to indicate the order of the highest management number nmbA, use the value of cntA and add a sign such as May be different.

In the first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which a related drawing of a divisional application is printed. However, the same applies to other relationships such as domestic priority and change. Also, the relationship to be printed is not limited to one type, and it is easy for those skilled in the art to specify a plurality of relationships. For example, a patent map having a tree structure can be created by designating all relationships such as domestic priority, division, and change.

In the first and second embodiments, printing is used as a presentation method, but it is also possible to display on the display device 37 of the client terminal 3 instead of printing.

[0165]

According to the application management system of the present invention, information for distinguishing only the upper and lower levels of the hierarchy, such as "parent number" and "child number", is added to the parent-child relationship table for two applications linked in a specific relationship. By storing the information, the tree structure can be formed without storing the position information (the hierarchy and the order in the same hierarchy) in the entire tree structure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of hardware of a client / server type application management system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server terminal and a client terminal.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a structure of an application information table.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a structure of a progress information table.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a structure of an inventor table.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a structure of a claim table.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the structure of a drawing table.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of a parent-child relationship table.

FIG. 9 is an input screen for an application information table.

FIG. 10 is an input screen for a parent-child relationship table.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a printing process of a relational diagram of a divisional application.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a printing process of a divisional application relation diagram.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a printing process of a relational diagram of a divisional application.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing printing processing of a relational diagram of a divisional application.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a printing process of a divisional application relation diagram.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a printing process of a divisional application relation diagram.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the structure of a local parent-child relationship table.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the relationship between divisional applications created by printing processing.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing printing processing of a relational diagram of a divisional application.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a printing process of a relational diagram of a divisional application.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing printing processing of a relational diagram of a divisional application.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the structure of a local parent-child relationship table.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the structure of a local parent-child relationship table.

FIG. 24 is a view showing the relationship between divisional applications created by a printing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 external storage device 2 server terminal 3 client terminal 4 printer 5 LAN

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An application management system for presenting a relational diagram showing a relationship between a plurality of applications in a tree structure, an application information storage means for storing application information related to an application for each application, and two applications having a predetermined relationship. A parent-child relationship storage unit that stores parent-child relationship information indicating that the relationship is established for each relationship, a unit that specifies an application and a relationship shown in the relationship diagram, and based on the specified application and the parent-child relationship information hand,
Means for selecting an application shown in the relationship diagram; means for determining a hierarchy in the relationship diagram of the selected application based on the parent-child relationship information, an order in the hierarchy; and the hierarchy, the order, An application management system comprising: means for determining presentation information shown in the relationship diagram based on parent-child relationship information and the application information; and means for presenting the presentation information. 2. The application management system according to claim 1, wherein the parent-child relationship information is information indicating a relationship between an application and an application one level above the application. 3. An application management system for presenting a relationship diagram showing a relationship between a plurality of applications in a tree structure, wherein an application information table storing application information on applications for each application and two applications in a predetermined relationship. A database having a parent-child relationship table storing, for each relationship, parent-child relationship information indicating that they are related; a means for designating an application and a relationship for creating the relationship diagram; Means for selecting an application shown in the relationship diagram from the parent-child relationship table, based on the parent-child relationship information, means for determining a hierarchy of the selected application, and an order within the hierarchy, and the hierarchy Means for creating information to be presented in each row of the relationship diagram based on the order, the parent-child relationship information, and the application information; and means for presenting the created information. An application management system characterized by: 4. An application management system for presenting a relationship diagram showing a relationship between a plurality of applications in a tree structure, wherein an application information table storing application information on applications for each application, and two applications in a predetermined relationship. A database having a parent-child relationship table storing, for each relationship, parent-child relationship information indicating that they are related; a means for designating an application and a relationship for creating the relationship diagram; Means for extracting parent-child relationship information including the application shown in the relationship diagram from the parent-child relationship table, and creating a partial parent-child relationship table, based on the parent-child relationship information in the partial parent-child relationship table, Means for determining the hierarchy of the stored application, the order within the hierarchy, the hierarchy, the order, parentage information of the partial parentage table, Application management system which is characterized by having means for creating information to be presented to each row of the relationship diagram, and means for presenting said created information, the basis of the. 5. The application management system according to claim 3, wherein the parent-child relationship information is information indicating a relationship between an application and an application one level above the application. 6. An application information table in which application information on an application is stored for each application, a parent-child relationship table in which parent-child relationship information indicating that two applications are related in a predetermined relationship is stored for each relationship, A method of processing application information that presents a search result of a database having a relational diagram having a tree structure of M layers (M is an integer of 2 or more), wherein the parent-child relationship table is searched and shown in the relationship diagram. Determining the hierarchy of the application to be applied in the tree and the order within the hierarchy, and presenting the information stored in the application information table line by line for each application in accordance with the determined hierarchy and order. A method of processing application information, characterized in that, when there is an application of one lower hierarchy connected to the filed application, information of the application of the lower hierarchy is presented on the next line. 7. An application information table in which application information on an application is stored for each application, a parent-child relationship table in which parent-child relationship information indicating that two applications are related in a predetermined relationship is stored for each relationship, A method of processing application information presented in a relation diagram having a tree structure of M layers (M is an integer of 2 or more) by hierarchizing search results of a database having The parent-child relationship information including the application shown in the relationship diagram is extracted to create a partial parent-child relationship table. Based on the partial parent-child relationship table, the hierarchy in the tree of the application shown in the relationship diagram, the hierarchy , The application information table is searched, and the application information to be presented is selected, and presented in a tree based on the determined hierarchy and presentation order, and the selected application information. Creating presentation information, and presenting the presentation information on one line of the tree, if there is an application of the next hierarchy connected to the presented application, presenting the presentation information of the application of the next hierarchy on the next line A method of processing application information. 8. In any one of claims 6 and 7, when there is an application belonging to the M + 1 layer connected to the M layer application, the M + 1 layer application exists in the presentation information of the M layer application. A method for processing application information, characterized by including information indicating that the application information is to be processed. 9. The application according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein an application is connected to an application belonging to the kM- (k-1) th layer (k is an integer of 1 or more) and is one or more lower layers. In this case, the relationship diagram includes a tree having the first layer application as the top layer and a tree having the kM- (k-1) layer application as the top layer. .