Abstract:
A data control system is disclosed, including a storage unit that stores multiple data items and a presentation unit that presents at least one of the multiple data items upon a request. An identification acquisition unit acquires upon the request identification for identifying one of multiple imaging units. The identification is registered and related to the data item to be presented. An image data acquisition unit acquires image data using the imaging unit the identification of which is acquired by the identification acquisition unit. An image presentation unit presents the at least one of the multiple data items and the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to data control, and more particularly, to a data control system that controls data such as documents with a database and presents the controlled data upon a user&#39;s request. The present invention further relates to a method of controlling data used in the data control system, a computer program that causes a computer to operate as the data control system, and a program product in which the computer program is stored.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-56712, for example, discloses a document processing apparatus having push-type copier function, to which a camera for automatically take a picture of an operator of the document processing apparatus. While the operator is operating the document processing apparatus for the creation of a document file, the camera automatically take a picture of the operator thereby to form image data. The image data can be sent to a desired destination with the document file. A receiver of the image data and the document file uses a document control program that indicates the image file as a thumbnail. The receiver can identify the sender before opening the document file.  
         [0005]     When displaying a list of documents or a document, a document control system such as an electronic bulletin board, a video conference system, and a workflow system generally indicates not only the title of the document, the text (body) of the document, and the data and time of the document, but also the name or any identification of the writer of the document, for example.  
         [0006]     When the receiver would like to contact the sender, the receiver may be able to make a phone call, send an e-mail, originate video conference, or visit the sender. However, the receiver may not know which way is the best to contact the sender.  
         [0007]     The conventional document processing apparatus described above allows the receiver to view the image of the sender before opening the document file, which results in preventing the receiver from opening a questionable document file that may be infected with computer virus.  
         [0008]     However, in the case of the conventional document processing apparatus described above, the receiver can view the past image of the sender acquired at the time the document file was created, not the current image of the sender. Thus, the receiver cannot know the current status of the sender, and cannot determine which the best way to contact the sender is, that is, making a phone call, sending an e-mail, or originating a video conference.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful data control system in which at least one of the above problems is eliminated.  
         [0010]     Another and more specific object of the present invention is to allow a user (viewer) who has viewed data such as a document registered in a database and wants to contact the writer (or author) of the data, to easily know the current status of the writer (author) and determine which the best way to contact the writer (author) is. Yet another object of the present invention is to allow the user (viewer) to understand the current status of the writer (author) through the viewing process of the data and feel familiar with the writer (author).  
         [0011]     To achieve at least one of the above objects, a data control system includes: 
        a storage unit configured to store a plurality of data items;     a presentation unit configured to present at least one of the plurality of data items upon a request;     an identification acquisition unit configured to acquire upon the request identification for identifying one of a plurality of imaging units, the identification being registered and related to the data item to be presented;     an image data acquisition unit configured to acquire image data using the imaging unit the identification of which is acquired by the identification acquisition unit; and     an image presentation unit configured to present the at least one of the plurality of data items and the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit.        
 
         [0017]     When a request for the viewing of a data item is made, the identification acquisition unit acquires identification for identifying one of the imaging units. The identification is registered and related to the data item that is requested for the presentation. The image data acquisition unit acquires image data using the imaging unit identified by the identification acquired by the identification acquisition unit. The image presentation unit presents the requested data item and the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit.  
         [0018]     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a document viewing system according to an embodiment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a computer included in the document viewing system, according to an embodiment;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the function of a document viewing system according to an embodiment;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example of screen according to an embodiment;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  illustrates another example of screen according to an embodiment;  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example of screen in the case in which video conference function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing the function of a document viewing system in the case in which e-mail function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  illustrates an example of screen in the case in which e-mail function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  illustrates another example of screen in the case in which e-mail function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing the function of a document viewing system in the case in which chat function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0029]      FIG. 11  illustrates an example of screen in the case in which chat function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0030]      FIG. 12  illustrates another example of screen in the case in which chat function is available, according to an embodiment;  
         [0031]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram showing the function of a document viewing system in the case in which a return document can be registered, according to an embodiment;  
         [0032]      FIG. 14  illustrates an example of screen in the case in which a return document can be registered, according to an embodiment;  
         [0033]      FIG. 15  illustrates another example of screen in the case in which a return document can be registered, according to an embodiment;  
         [0034]      FIG. 16  is a block diagram showing the function of a document viewing system in the case in which video conference function, e-mail function, and chat function are available and a return document can be registered, according to an embodiment; and  
         [0035]      FIG. 17  illustrates an example of screen in the case in which video conference function, e-mail function, and chat function are available and a return document can be registered, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0036]     The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.  
         [0037]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document viewing system  1  according to an embodiment. The document viewing system  1  includes a network such as a local area network that is operated by an organization such as a company and a local government. Server computers that function as a document management system  3 , a current image distribution system  4 , and a communication system are connected to the network  2 . The server computers operate as a data control system according to an embodiment. Multiple personal computers (PC)  6  are connected to the network  2  as client computers.  
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the hardware structure of the server computer  3 ,  4 , or  5 , and the client computer  6  included in the document viewing system  1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , these computers include CPU  12  that centrally control other components and memory  13  including various ROM and RAM connected to a bus  14 .  
         [0039]     The following components are further connected to the bus  14  via interface: a magnetic storage unit  15  such as a hard disk drive, an input unit  16  such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display unit  17 , a recording medium reading unit  19  that reads programs and data stored in a recording medium  18  such as an optical disk, and a communication control unit  20  that interfaces communication with the network  2 .  
         [0040]     The client computer PC  6  has an imaging unit  21  that acquires moving or still image connected to the bus  14 . This imaging unit  21  is installed such that it can acquire the image (at least a waist shot) of a user (writer) operating the PC  6  from the display unit side. In the case in which the communication system  5  supports video conference between the client computers PC  6 , the client computer PC  6  includes a microphone  22  connected to the bus  14 . This microphone  22  is used to collect the voice of the user (writer) of the client computer PC  6 .  
         [0041]     An example of the recording medium  18  may include an optical disk such as a CD and a DVD, a magneto-optical disk, and a flexible disk. The recording medium reading unit  19  may be an optical disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, and a flexible disk drive corresponding to the type of the recording medium  18 .  
         [0042]     Each of the server computers and the client computers reads a computer program  23  stored in the recording medium  18 , and installs the read computer program  23  in the magnetic storage unit  15  for realizing the specific function of each computer. The computer program  23  may be downloaded through a network such as the Internet, and installed in the magnetic storage unit  15 . The installed computer program  23  allows each of the server computers and the client computers to perform predetermined steps to be described below. The computer program  23  may be executed on an operating system (OS). The computer program according to an embodiment of the present invention corresponds to the computer program  23  installed in the document management system  3 .  
         [0043]     The operation of the document viewing system  1  is described below.  
         [0044]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the function of the document viewing system  1  according to an embodiment. The document management system  3  controls a document database (DB)  31  built in the magnetic storage unit  15 . A number of data items (document data, in this case) can be registered to the document database  31 . In response to a request from a client PC  6 , a document list display unit  32  presents the list of documents registered to the document database  31 , and a document display unit  33  presents the contents of at least one of the documents registered to the document data base.  
         [0045]     An example of the contents of the documents registered to the document database  31  includes the title of the document, the data and time of registration, the writer of the document as well as the text (body) of the documents. The identification information (writer ID) is also registered being related to each document to indicate who the writer of the document is.  
         [0046]     The identification of the client PC  6  (device ID) and the writer ID of a user (writer) who uses the client PC  6  are registered to the current image distribution system  4  being related to each other. In response to receipt of a writer ID from the document list display unit  32  and/or the document display unit  33  of the document management system  3 , the current image distribution system  4  identifies a device ID registered in connection with the writer ID. The current image distribution system  4  acquires the image data of a still picture or moving picture (current image) captured by the imaging unit  21  of the client PC  6  identified by the device ID, and transmits the image data to the document management system  3 . As described above, the writer ID and the device ID can be used as identification of the imaging unit  21  provided to each client PC  6 .  
         [0047]     When presenting the contents of a document registered to the document database  31 , the document display unit  33  acquires the writer ID of the document to be presented, and transmits the writer ID to the current image distribution system  4 . The image distribution system  4  acquires the image data of the current image from the client PC  6  corresponding to the writer ID, and transmits the acquired image data to the document display unit  33 . The document display unit  33  presents the current image with the contents of the registered document.  
         [0048]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary screen of the display unit  17  of the client PC  6 . The screen shown in  FIG. 4  includes the current image  105  as well as the title  101  of the document, the date  102  of the document, the writer  103  of the document, and the text (body)  104  of the document.  
         [0049]     When the document list display unit  32  presents the list of documents registered to the document database  31  to a requesting client PC  6 , the document list display unit  32  obtains the writer ID&#39;s of the documents to be listed, and transmits the writer ID&#39;s to the current image distribution system  4 . The image distribution system  4  acquires the image data of the current image from each client PC  6 , the device ID of which has been received, and transmits the acquired image data to the document list display unit  32 . The document list display unit  32  presents the current image with the contents of each registered document included in the list.  
         [0050]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary screen displayed by the display unit  17  of the client PC  6  in this case. The screen shown in  FIG. 5  includes the current image  105  of each registered document as well as the title  101 , date  102  of registration, writer  103  of each document.  
         [0051]     As described above, the document viewing system  1  allows the user (viewer) to view the current image  105  of the writer of the registered document or the list of registered documents when presenting the registered document or the list of registered documents. Therefore, if the user (viewer) wants to contact the writer, the user can determine how to appropriately contact the writer by checking the current image. For example, if the current image  105  shows that the writer is present at his/her desk, the user can select real time communication with the writer by telephone or video conference, for example. The user may visit the writer. If the current image  105  shows that the writer is not present at his/her desk, the user can send an e-mail message to the writer, for example. Alternatively, the user may wait for a while and check again the current image to determine that the writer has come back to his/her desk, and use telephone and/or video conference.  
         [0052]     The user may contact the writer of the document through the communication system  5  after checking the current image of the writer of the document with the current image  105 . The communication system  5  may be embodied as a video conference system, an e-mail system, and a chat system, for example. The user can contact the writer through video conference, e-mail, and/or chat.  
         [0053]     In the case shown in  FIG. 3 , since the communication system  5  is a video conference system, the clients PC 6  can communicate by video conference via the communication system  5 . In this case, when the user clicks a button “video conference”  106  in the screen shown in  FIG. 4  (see  FIG. 6  for the case in which the list of registered documents is presented), the document display unit  33  transmits the writer ID of the registered document to the communication system (video conference system)  5 . The writer ID is registered to the video conference system  5  being related to the device ID of the client PC  6 . The communication system  5  establishes video conference between the client PC  6  having the device ID corresponding to the received writer ID and the client PC  6  of the user who has viewed the registered document.  
         [0054]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing the document viewing system  1  in the case in which the communication system  5  is an e-mail system. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the document management system  3  includes a user management database (DB)  34 . The e-mail address of each user and the writer ID of the user are registered and related to each other. When the viewer of the registered document clicks a button “e-mail”  107  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ), an e-mail creation screen (not shown) is opened on the client PC  6 . The viewer of the registered document can write an e-mail message to the writer of the registered document using the e-mail creation screen. In response to receipt of the writer ID of the registered document, the document display unit  33  retrieves the e-mail address related to the writer ID. The e-mail message is sent to the retrieved e-mail address.  
         [0055]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing the document viewing system  1  in the case in which the communication system  5  is the chat system. When the viewer of the registered document clicks a button “chat”  108  in the screen displayed on the client PC  6  (see  FIGS. 11 and 12 ), the document display unit  33  activates the chat system  5 . The viewer of the registered document can contact the writer of the registered document through chat (or instant message).  
         [0056]     As shown in a block diagram of  FIG. 13 , the document management system  3  may not include the communication system  5 , but include a document registration unit  35  that allows the viewer of the registered document to create a return document as a response to the registered document. The viewer can create the return document by clicking a button “return”  109  shown in the screen of the client PC  6 . The document registration unit  35  acquires the document ID of the registered document viewed by the viewer from the document display unit  33 . The document registration unit  35  registers the return document to the document database  31 , the return document being related to the registered document viewed by the viewer. Specifically, the registered document and the return document to the registered document may be viewed using the client PC  6  in the similar manner as a document management system known as an electronic bulletin board.  
         [0057]     As shown in the block diagram of  FIG. 16 , multiple types of communication system  5  and the document registration unit  35  may be provided at the same time. That is, the viewer of the registered document may contact the writer of the registered document through video conference, e-mail, and/or chat using the multiple communication systems  5  that are the video conference system, the e-mail system, and/or the chat system described above. The viewer of the registered document can register the return document to the document database  31  as described above. In this case, all buttons  106 - 109  are displayed on the screen of the client PC  6  as shown in  FIG. 17 . A command selection unit  36  provided in the document management system  3  selectively activates one of the multiple communication systems  5  and the document registration unit  35  in dependence on the button  106 - 109  selected by the viewer of the registered document.  
         [0058]     In summary, if an imaging unit is provided to the client PC of each user of the document viewing system according to an embodiment, and enables image data of each user to be acquired, the document viewing system allows a user (viewer) who views a document written by another user (writer) to easily determine which (telephone, video conference, e-mail, or visiting, for example) the most appropriate way to contact the writer is by checking the image data of the writer acquired by the imaging unit.  
         [0059]     The document viewing system allows the viewer to understand the current status of the writer through the viewing process of the data and feel familiar with the writer.  
         [0060]     The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described above. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0061]     This patent application is based on Japanese priority patent application No. 2004-146574 filed on May 17, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.