Patent ID: 7912857
Filing Date: 2011-03-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A document management apparatus for storing, as a shared document in a storage unit, an electronic file accessible by a plurality of users via a network and managing the electronic file, comprising: a check-out start date reservation unit adapted to reserve, as a check-out start date, a start date of check-out processing of setting a shared document into an exclusive state based on an instruction by a user of the plurality of users, wherein in the exclusive state, the shared document can be updated by the user but cannot be updated by other users; a check-out unit adapted to set the shared document for which the check-out start date had been reserved into the exclusive state when current date has reached the check-out start date; a check-in unit adapted to release the shared document from the exclusive state in response to an instruction of the user checking-out the shared document; and a check-out start date change unit adapted to, when the shared document set into the exclusive state has been released from the exclusive state, automatically change a succeeding reserved check-out start date closest to the expected check-in date in all check-out start dates reserved for the shared document to a date immediately after the date on which the shared document has been released from the exclusive state.