Patent ID: 9286307
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A document management apparatus comprising: a storage device configured to store files and folders, the files and the folders being accessible to users over a network; at least one memory comprising computer code; at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to execute the computer code to cause the apparatus to: receive an instruction for a collective deletion of the files and the folders from a system administrator, thereby starting a collective deletion process; create a deletion list based on information on the files and the folders to be deleted, the deletion list describing an order of deletion for each of the files and each of the folders to be deleted; change a display state of the files and the folders to be deleted from a first state that permits display of file names of the files to be deleted and of folder names of the folders to be deleted on a display device and manipulation of the files and the folders to be deleted by one of the users to a second state that inhibits display of the file names of the files to be deleted and of the folder names of the folders to be deleted such that the file names and the folder names are hidden from the one of the users while permitting manipulation of the files to be deleted and the folders to be deleted by the system administrator only; delete the files and the folders from the storage device in accordance with the order of deletion described in the deletion list; change the order of deletion described in the deletion list for at least one of the files to be deleted that is being accessed by one of the users when the instruction for collectively deleting the files is received; and change the order of deletion described in the deletion list for at least one of the folders to be deleted, the at least one folder having a file that is being accessed by one of the users when the instruction for collectively deleting the at least one folder is received, wherein when not-yet-deleted files are being accessed by users, said delete the files from the storage device includes deleting the not-yet-deleted files after the not-yet-deleted files return to a state where no user accesses thereto, wherein in a case where a folder to be deleted includes a first file whose deletion can be executed, a second file whose deletion cannot be executed, and a third file whose deletion can be executed, the first file and the third file are not deleted until deletion of the second file can be executed, and wherein the collective deletion process ends after each of the files and each of the folders included in the deletion list are deleted.