Method and apparatus for using distributed spreadsheets in a client/server architecture for workflow automation

Claim 1

An apparatus for workflow automation comprising a server computer, a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers, said server and client computers being configured to have a main spreadsheet on said server computer and client spreadsheets on said client computers, links from at least one of the cells in said main spreadsheet to predetermined cells in said client spreadsheets, and directional instructions for specifying the direction of sequentially routing data from the cells in the client and server spreadsheets.

Claim 2

An apparatus for workflow automation comprising a server computer, a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers, said server and client computers being configured to have a main spreadsheet on said server computer and client spreadsheets on said client computers, links from at least one of the cells in said main spreadsheet to predetermined cells in said client spreadsheets, and directional instructions for specifying the direction of sequentially routing data from the cells in the client and server spreadsheets.

Claim 14

An apparatus for workflow automation comprising a server computer, a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers and having data entry elements and form interfaces for a user to fill out using said data entry elements, said server and client computers being configured to have a main spreadsheet on said server computer and client spreadsheets on said client computers with data entered in said form interfaces also appearing in said client spreadsheets, links from at least one of the cells in said main spreadsheet to predetermined cells in said client spreadsheets, and directional instructions for specifying the direction of sequentially routing data from the cells in the client and server spreadsheets, said server computer being configured to permit creation or revision of said directional instructions and to permit a user to graphically establish linking of cells to determine a flow of information without having to write lines of programming code, resulting in directional instructions to cause the server computer to perform only the calculations and other operations for the workflow which are best performed at a central location and said multiple, client spreadsheets at client computers to display and manipulate only the parts of the workflow data which are relevant to the client user who participates in the workflow process at that client computer.

Claim 15

An apparatus for workflow automation comprising a server computer, a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers and having data entry elements and form interfaces for a user to fill out using said data entry elements, said server and client computers being configured to have a main spreadsheet on said server computer and client spreadsheets on said client computers with data entered in said form interfaces also appearing in said client spreadsheets, links from at least one of the cells in said main spreadsheet to predetermined cells in said client spreadsheets, and directional instructions for specifying the direction of sequentially routing data from the cells in the client and server spreadsheets, said server computer being configured to permit creation or revision of said directional instructions and to permit a user to graphically establish linking of cells to determine a flow of information without having to write lines of programming code, resulting in directional instructions to cause the server computer to perform only the calculations and other operations for the workflow which are best performed at a central location and said multiple, client spreadsheets at client computers to display and manipulate only the parts of the workflow data which are relevant to the client user who participates in the workflow process at that client computer.

Claim 20

A method of workflow automation comprising the steps of: providing a server computer and a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers, entering data into a first client spreadsheet on a first client computer, transmitting the entered data from at least one linked cell from the first client spreadsheet to a predetermined cell in a main spreadsheet on the server computer according to directions stored on the first client computer, processing the data currently stored on the main spreadsheet with the entered data from the client spreadsheet creating updated data in the main spreadsheet, and transmitting the updated data from the main spreadsheet or a derivative of such data to a predetermined cell in a second spreadsheet on a second client computer for further processing.

Claim 21

A method of workflow automation comprising the steps of: providing a server computer and a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers, entering data into a first client spreadsheet on a first client computer, transmitting the entered data from at least one linked cell from the first client spreadsheet to a predetermined cell in a main spreadsheet on the server computer according to directions stored on the first client computer, processing the data currently stored on the main spreadsheet with the entered data from the client spreadsheet creating updated data in the main spreadsheet, and transmitting the updated data from the main spreadsheet or a derivative of such data to a predetermined cell in a second spreadsheet on a second client computer for further processing.

Claim 34

A method of workflow automation comprising the steps of: providing a server computer and a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers, graphically creating a workflow plan establishing spreadsheets and directional instructions for determining data flows between the server computer and the client computers, establishing links of cells to determine a flow of information without writing lines of programming code and specifying actions and operations which are performed when data is transferred, entering data into a form interface on a first client computer and directing data entered in the form interface to a first client spreadsheet on the first client computer, displaying and manipulating data in the first client computer the data being that which is relevant to the client user who participates in the workflow process at the first client computer, transmitting the entered data from the first client spreadsheet to a predetermined cell in a main spreadsheet on the server computer according to directions stored on the first client computer, performing calculations and operations in the server computer, the calculations and operations being those which are best performed at a central location, transmitting the data or a derivative of such data from the main spreadsheet to a predetermined cell in a second spreadsheet on a second client computer for farther processing, and displaying and manipulating data in the second client computer, the data being that which is relevant to the client user who participates in the workflow process at the second client computer.

Claim 35

A method of workflow automation comprising the steps of: providing a server computer and a plurality of client computers each having an electronic coupling to said server computer for transmission of information between said server computer and each of said client computers, graphically creating a workflow plan establishing spreadsheets and directional instructions for determining data flows between the server computer and the client computers, establishing links of cells to determine a flow of information without writing lines of programming code and specifying actions and operations which are performed when data is transferred, entering data into a form interface on a first client computer and directing data entered in the form interface to a first client spreadsheet on the first client computer, displaying and manipulating data in the first client computer the data being that which is relevant to the client user who participates in the workflow process at the first client computer, transmitting the entered data from the first client spreadsheet to a predetermined cell in a main spreadsheet on the server computer according to directions stored on the first client computer, performing calculations and operations in the server computer, the calculations and operations being those which are best performed at a central location, transmitting the data or a derivative of such data from the main spreadsheet to a predetermined cell in a second spreadsheet on a second client computer for farther processing, and displaying and manipulating data in the second client computer, the data being that which is relevant to the client user who participates in the workflow process at the second client computer.