FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a computer and telecommunications arrangement, method and a computer program for implementing non-real time communication relating to workflow.

PRIOR ART

Workflow manages cases composed of tasks linked sequentially to each other. Thus, a workflow case is a group of operations to be executed in sequence, assigned to a worker or a group. A workflow system can be, for example, a computer program, with which the state of these cases and the execution of the operations relating to the case can be guided among the workers.

A workflow system of prior art typically allows the input of only alphanumeric data into the information fields relating to the case. The use of multimedia data is known to increase the efficiency of communication in some situations. For example, an applicant for a job may provide a different impression of himself in a written application than in a videotaped application. Touch screens and cameras producing video picture are becoming more common in personal computers and in mobile terminals. Means for inputting information and managing a user interface have thus diversified significantly. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

One object of this invention is a computer and telecommunications arrangement functioning in an information network as an efficient communications solution for a non-real time communication situation, for example, for an interview situation.

A second object of the invention can be the efficient, task-specific production, management and distribution of combined alphanumerical and multimedia data. A third object of the invention can be a method, arrangement and/or computer program for efficient workflow in an information network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention is an arrangement used for workflow, comprising a telecommunications network, a server computer and a group of terminals communicatively connected to the network, which terminals comprise means for producing and playing back video and/or audio data. The arrangement is characterized in that it comprises means in the server computer for dividing the workflow case into task objects to be linked to the case, which task objects comprise at least one information field for inputting alphanumeric data and at least one information field for inputting video and/or audio data and which objects comprise a link to at least one other task object as well as alphanumeric data and video and/or audio data to be input using the terminal of the executor of the task, means in the terminal for selecting from a group of input fields the active input field of alphanumeric data shown on its display device and for associating with the selected active input field the video and/or audio data to be recorded, means in the terminal for receiving the task object formed in the server computer and presenting it in a user interface, means in the terminal for producing in the task object video and/or audio data as well as alphanumeric data, means in the terminal for sending to the server computer the data input into the task object.

In the server computer, there may be in some embodiments of the invention means for forming and sending another task object to another terminal, for example, according to the application logic of workflow software to be executed in a server computer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the arrangement comprises means in the terminal for selecting from a group of input fields the active input field of alphanumeric data shown on its display device and, for example, for associating with the selected active input field the video and/or audio data to be recorded simultaneously, earlier or later. Means for selecting the input field can comprise, for example, a keyboard, pointing device, for example, a mouse or touch pad, or using a touch screen.

In one embodiment of the invention, the terminal is a personal computer, for example, a desktop or a laptop computer. The terminal can also be a mobile terminal to be wirelessly connected to a telecommunications network, for example, a mobile telephone. Preferably, the terminal includes at least one camera and/or microphone for inputting video and/or audio data. In one embodiment of the invention, one task of the case is optimised for execution in a personal computer and another task is optimised for execution in a mobile terminal.

In one embodiment of the invention, the workflow case can be, for example, a non-real time employment interview process occurring over an information network. In that case, the invention can be implemented as a service, in which an employer sends to suitable candidates a video question or questions. The applicant uses the same service to answer at a time suitable for him. As a result of this, the employer has for his use a video to complement a written application, on the basis of which combination the employer can efficiently decide, which applicants will be invited on-site for an interview.

Due to the invention, the recruiting process is noticeably faster than the normal employment process, in which technology is not made use of. In a normal employment process, arranging an interview is achieved in three weeks at the earliest, if there are approx. 100 applications. The final employee selection may easily take an additional three weeks.

In the invention, the entire process is handled in half of this time as the first interviews are conducted by the exchange of video messages, in which the conversation comprises a group of comments sent as task objects from the employer to the applicant and, as the communication means related to the task object, both alphanumeric data and associated video and/or audio data are used.

An aspect of the invention essentially speeding up the recruitment is also that the other personnel of the employing company also participating in the recruitment process can use the service to familiarize themselves with the same conversation on their own time and attach their comments to the conversation. Thus, in the invention, time need not be used to arrange many separate interviews, nor do different persons need to be present at the interviews at the same time, because it is possible to familiarize oneself with the interview at desired times.

In another embodiment, the workflow case can be a conversation over a network connection occurring between two or more persons, in which the conversation comprises a group of comments sent as task objects from one user to another or several users and, as the communication means related to the task object, both alphanumeric data and associated video and/or audio data are used. A second aspect of the invention is a workflow system server computer, characterized in that it comprises means for dividing the workflow case into task objects to be linked to the case, which objects comprise a link to at least one other task object and alphanumeric data as well as video and/or audio data to be input by the terminal of the executor of the task, sending the formed task object to the terminal, receiving from the terminal the video and/or audio data as well as alphanumeric data relating to the task object, forming and sending of another task object to another terminal, for example, according to the application logic of workflow software.

A third aspect of the invention is a workflow method to be executed in a system comprising a telecommunications network, a server computer and a group of terminals communicatively connected to the network, which terminals comprise means for producing and playing back video and/or audio data. The method, in which the workflow case is divided into task objects, is characterized in that a task object is formed in the server computer, which task object is sent to the terminal, the task object formed in the server computer is received and presented in the user interface of the terminal. The terminal produces in the task object, video and/or audio data as well as alphanumeric data, and sends the task object to the server computer. The server computer forms one or more other task objects, which comprise a link to at least one other task object, and sends to one of the terminals.

A fourth aspect of the invention is workflow software saved on a memory medium and to be executed in the server computer, which workflow software is characterized in that the software comprises commands to be executed in the processor of the computer for dividing the workflow case into task objects to be linked to the case, which objects comprise a link to at least one other task object and the alphanumeric data as well as video and/or audio data to be input in the terminal of the executor of the task, sending the formed task object to the terminal, receiving from the terminal the video and/or audio data as well as alphanumeric data related to the task object, and forming and sending another task object to another terminal, for example, according to the application logic of the workflow software. One preferred embodiment of the method and system is presented in the following detailed description of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following, the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the exemplified preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures, in which figure 1 shows an arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention, and figure 2 shows an illustration of a method according to one embodiment of the invention from the user interface displayed on the terminal.

Figure 1 shows a system 100, comprising a server computer 101 with memory means 112 for storing data relating to cases composed of the groups of tasks managed by the system. The server computer is connected to an information network 102, for example, to the Internet network. The server computer communicates with the terminals connected to the network using communication means and formats well known to a person skilled in the art, for example, HTML, XML, HTTP and TCP/IP. In one embodiment, the server computer can communicate in particular with a mobile terminal using SMS and/or MMS messages.

The server computer 101 comprises software-implemented means for creating the task objects related to the workflow case as a whole and for sending these objects from the server computer over the information network 102 to the terminal 103, 104, 105. The terminal comprises, in addition to ordinary information input devices such as a keyboard or touch screen, preferably a camera 106, 107, 108 also producing a video picture as well as a microphone 109, 1 10, 1 1 1. In one preferred embodiment, the terminal 103 receives from the server computer a task object to be presented, for example, using a web browser, which task object comprises at least one information field for inputting alphanumeric data and at least one information field for inputting video and/or audio data. The user of the terminal opens the task object using the browser and fills in the alphanumeric and video and/or audio data fields required by the task object. One example of presentation of a task object on the screen of a terminal is shown in figure 2.

When the user has input the data of the task object, into which data belongs, i.e. both the alphanumeric and the video and/or audio data, the completed task object is sent back to the server computer 101 , which, using the workflow software it is executing, stores the object in an information warehouse 1 12 and decides the next step to be executed according to the application logic of the workflow software. The next step can be, for example, the sending of a new task object to the same user or to some other user. In an employment interview process, that first user can be, for example, the interviewer and the other user can be the applicant. The applicant can, for example, initially fill in a group of task objects (example in figure 2) and send the objects back to the server, which then sends them to the interviewer. Using the system, the interviewer can efficiently go through the task objects, reading the alphanumeric text and at the same time watch/listen to the video/audio data related to the task object. After this, the interviewer can create a new task object, in which he asks, using text and video recording, for example, additional information regarding the education of the applicant. If the workflow case is a conversation conducted between several persons, the interviewer can also, after the applicant has sent the objects back to the server, send them to other persons participating in the employment interview process, who can also create new task objects and thus participate in the conversation.

To answer a question presented by the interviewer, the applicant can, using the system, create a new task object linked to the object related to the question and containing the videotaped and alphanumeric answer of the applicant to the question.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the user may have one or more terminals, for example, a laptop 104 and a mobile terminal 105 and the workflow software can select as the executor of the task object that terminal which is better suited for the purpose. For example, applications typically consist of a general CV and an employment position-specific application. In the workflow system, there can be defined an own case composed of tasks for the creation of both parts of the whole. Tasks relating to creating and updating of the CV can be assigned for execution primarily by the computer 104, because using the computer it is easier to input large amounts of alphanumeric data than with a mobile terminal 105 and video picture quality produced by it can also be better than with a mobile terminal. Tasks related to the application can, on the other hand, be assigned primarily to the mobile terminal, because then it is often important to get, for example, a quick answer to a question presented by the interviewer. Terminal-specific optimising can, for example, be a part of optimising the user interface used to present the task object, for example, for a touch screen or keyboard.

Figure 2 shows an exemplary user interface window for presenting and inputting the attribute information of the task object relating to the case. The window comprises a user interface control 201 for presenting the video picture, a button 202a for guiding the functions of the camera (for example, 106 in Fig. 1 ) of the terminal, for example, for starting and stopping, as well as a button 202b for playing back the video. The window also comprises a group of user interface controls 203a-e for inputting alphanumeric data as the attributes of the task object. Moving from one task object to another can be done using buttons 204a and 204b. For example, pressing button 204b sends to the server (101 in Fig. 1 ) the information input to the window and the server sends back the next task object of the workflow case. User interface controls 205a-e indicate which task object is being processed in the window 200 right now.

In one embodiment of the invention, the video/audio data is associated with the entire task object. In another embodiment of the invention, the video/audio data can be associated with one or more alphanumeric data fields. The user can associate video/audio data with a given field, for example, by pointing that field using a pointing device or a touch screen (or by activating the field in some other known manner), to which it is desired to associate the video/audio recording to be begun, being in progress or that has begun or that has already stopped. Recorded video/audio data can later be easily found using the task object and possibly the identifier of the alphanumeric data field and/or the content of the object.

In one embodiment, summaries can be formed from the task objects, which summaries comprise alphanumeric data and video/audio data from several task objects. The task objects to be summarized can relate to the same case or to different cases. For example, a recruitment expert can - when searching for a suitable employee - retrieve from the database 1 12 of the server 101 all welders from a given geographical area, their alphanumeric educational information and work experience information as well as all video recordings relating to work experience information. Because the alphanumeric fields of the task objects are to be associated with video/audio recordings, finding these recordings is easy using simple alphanumeric data search methods. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the exemplified embodiments presented above are for the purpose of illustrative clarity relatively simple both in structure and function. Following the model presented in this patent application, it is possible to construct solutions, which are different and quite complicated and which utilize the inventive idea presented in this patent application.