Patent Publication Number: US-2020293610-A1

Title: Document editing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-044646 filed Mar. 12, 2019. 
     BACKGROUND 
     (i) Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a document editing apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium. 
     (ii) Related Art 
     In the related art, a method of automatically sharing information between group members is known (see, for example, JP-T-2016-511476). 
     The method includes the steps of updating information in a member&#39;s device and determining whether the information is displayed for sharing with the group members. The updated information, which is displayed for sharing, is automatically compared to a copy of the information at a server in the network. When the updated information is newer than the copy at the server, the updated information is uploaded to the server via a cloud service. When the device is turned on or connected to the network, the device automatically checks with the server whether there is sharable information in the server that is newer than the corresponding copy on the device or whether there is a push message displayed to be sent to the device. The device then synchronizes the copy on the device with the newer information on the server. 
     Also, a file management system is known (see, for example, JP-A-2004-199401). 
     The file management system edits and uploads the shared document that a client downloads from the server. At this time, an editing content classification unit classifies the editing content performed on the shared document into the editing content for sharing to be reflected in the shared document uploaded based on an editing level and the local editing content not to be reflected. A difference extraction unit extracts the editing content added by another client for the same shared document downloaded by the client and sends the extracted editing content to the client. A shared document generation processor reflects the already shared editing content and the editing content for sharing in the shared document to generate the uploaded shared document. 
     Further, a document management apparatus is known as a system of recording a document derivation relationship (see, for example, JP-A-2009-251987). 
     In the document management apparatus, when an ID-added document including a management ID is operated, the client generates an ID-added document including a newly generated management ID, an original management ID, an operation type, and a document content after the operation, and sends the generated ID-added document to the server. When the operation type of the sent document is an editing, a document registering unit of the server specifies a document of which the operation type is an editing or a registration among the documents corresponding to the ancestors of the document, and checks whether the descendants of the specified document include a document of which the operation type is an editing. Then, when such a document is found, the ID-added document sent from the client is not registered in a document DB and a derivation relationship DB, but the client is warned that the editing is performed ignoring the editing result of another person. 
     SUMMARY 
     Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a document editing apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium capable of obtaining a document in which an editing result is reflected even when plural documents including a document being edited are bundled. 
     Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the above advantages and/or other advantages not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the advantages described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address advantages described above. 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a document editing apparatus including: a receiver configured to receive an operation of bundling plural documents; a processor configured to, when the receiver receives the operation of bundling during editing of a part of the plural documents, perform a process for bundling the plural documents; and a bundling unit configured to, when the editing of the part of the plural documents is completed, bring the plural documents into a state in which an editing result of the part of the plural documents is reflected and the plural documents are bundled, using a process result by the processor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are block diagrams illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a document editing system according to a first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the document editing system according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a specific information database according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an example of a document editing process according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pre-process according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are a flowchart illustrating an example of a bundling process according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating an example of a thumbnail display process according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of a thumbnail display screen before bundling documents according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of editable pages in an editing screen of the bundled documents according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of non-editable pages in the editing screen of the bundled documents according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of the editing screen of the bundled documents according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of a reflection receiving screen according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of a non-reflection presenting screen according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of a deletion receiving screen according to the first exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a front view illustrating an example of the configuration of a thumbnail display screen after bundling documents according to the first exemplary embodiment; and 
         FIG. 16  is a flowchart illustrating an example of a document editing process according to a second exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Exemplary Embodiment 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further, in a first exemplary embodiment, descriptions will be made on a case where the present disclosure is applied to a document editing system  90  that includes a document editing apparatus  10  implemented by a server computer or the like, a terminal  20  individually used by each user, and a server  30  implemented by a server computer. 
     First, the configuration of a document editing system  90  according to the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the document editing system  90  according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a document editing apparatus  10 , plural terminals  20 , and a server  30 , each connected to a network  80  so as to be mutually accessible. 
     Further, examples of the document editing apparatus  10  include information processing apparatuses such as a personal computer and a server computer. In addition, examples of the terminal  20  include a portable terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal digital assistant (PDA, a portable information terminal) and a personal computer. 
     (Terminal) 
     The terminal  20  according to the present exemplary embodiment is a terminal owned by each of plural target persons who use the document editing system  90 . The terminal  20  includes a central processor (CPU)  21 , a memory  22  as a temporary storage area, a non-volatile storage unit  23 , an input unit  24  such as a touch panel, a display unit  25  such as a liquid crystal display, a medium read and write device (R/W)  26 , and a communication interface (UF) unit  27 . Other terminals  20  also have the same configuration. 
     The CPU  21 , the memory  22 , the storage unit  23 , the input unit  24 , the display unit  25 , the medium read and write device  26 , and the communication I/F unit  27  are connected to each another via a bus B  1 . The medium read and write device  26  reads information written to a recording medium  96  and writes information to the recording medium  96 . 
     The storage unit  23  is implemented by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like. The storage unit  23  as a storage medium stores an editing program  23 A that edits or bundles a document stored in the server  30  (to be described later), and executes other instructions. 
     The editing program  23 A is stored in the storage unit  23  by setting the recording medium  96  in which the editing program  23 A is written to the medium read and write device  26 , and by the medium read and write device  26  reading the editing program  23 A from the recording medium  96 . The CPU  21  reads the editing program  23 A from the storage unit  23  to develop the editing program  23 A in the memory  22 , and sequentially performs the respective processes that the editing program  23 A has. The editing program  23 A may be downloaded via the network  80 . 
     As a result, a CPU  31  operates according to the editing program  23 A, thereby making it possible to perform an operation of editing a document stored in the server  30  (which will be described later) and an operation of bundling plural documents, using the terminal  20 . 
     (Document Editing Apparatus) 
     The document editing apparatus  10  is an apparatus that integrally manages various information handled by the document editing system  90 . 
     The document editing apparatus  10  includes a CPU  11 , a memory  12  as a temporary storage area, a non-volatile storage unit  13 , an input unit  14  such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display unit  15  such as a liquid crystal display, a medium read and write device  16 , and a communication interface (UF) unit  18 . 
     The CPU  11 , the memory  12 , the storage unit  13 , the input unit  14 , the display unit  15 , the medium read and write device  16 , and the communication I/F unit  18  are connected to each another via a bus B 2 . The medium read and write device  16  reads information written to a recording medium  17  and writes information to the recording medium  17 . 
     The storage unit  13  is implemented by an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, or the like. The storage unit  13  serving as a storage medium stores a document editing program  13 A. 
     The document editing program  13 A is stored in the storage unit  13  by setting the recording medium  17  in which the document editing program  13 A is written to the medium read and write device  16  and by the medium read and write device  16  reading the document editing program  13 A from the recording medium  17 . The document editing program  13 A may be downloaded via the network  80 . The CPU  11  reads the document editing program  13 A from the storage unit  13  to develop the document editing program  13 A in the memory  12 , and sequentially performs the respective processes that the document editing program  13 A has. 
     (Server) 
     The server  30  is an apparatus that integrally manages the documents handled by the document editing system  90  and the state of each of the documents. 
     The server  30  includes a CPU  31 , a memory  32  as a temporary storage area, a non-volatile storage unit  33 , an input unit  34  such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display unit  35  such as a liquid crystal display, a medium read and write device  36 , and a communication interface (I/F) unit  38 . 
     The CPU  31 , the memory  32 , the storage unit  33 , the input unit  34 , the display unit  35 , the medium read and write device  36 , and the communication I/F unit  38  are connected to each another via a bus B 3 . The medium read and write device  36  reads information written to a recording medium  37  and writes information to the recording medium  37 . 
     The storage unit  33  is implemented by an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, or the like. A document information database  33 A, a specific information database  33 B, and a data supply program  33 C are stored in the storage unit  33  as a storage medium. Plural documents are stored in the document information database  33 A, and information of each of the document is stored in the specific information database  33 B. The data supply program  33 C may be downloaded or uploaded via a network  90 . 
     The data supply program  33 C is stored in the storage unit  33  by setting the recording medium  37  in which the data supply program  33 C is written to the medium read and write device  36 , and by the medium read and write device  36  reading the data supply program  33 C from the recording medium  37 . 
     The CPU  31  reads the data supply program  33 C from the storage unit  33  to develop the data supply program  33 C in the memory  32 , and sequentially performs the respective processes that the data supply program  33 C has. 
     As a result, the CPU  31  operates according to the data supply program  33 C, thereby transmitting data of the document information database  33 A and the specific information database  33 B to the requested terminal or the document editing apparatus  10 . 
     Next, with reference to  FIG. 2 , descriptions will be made on the functional configurations of the document editing apparatus  10  and the terminal  20  according to the present exemplary embodiment. 
     [Document Editing Apparatus] 
     The document editing apparatus  10  includes a receiver  40 , a processor  42 , a bundling unit  44 , an in-editing presenting unit  46 , a prohibition unit  48 , a prohibition presenting unit  50 , a bundling notification unit  52 , a reflection receiver  54 , a deletion receiver  56 , a non-reflection presenting unit  58 , a midway reflection receiver  60 , a pre-reflection presenting unit  62 , and a reception presenting unit  64 . 
     The CPU  11  of the document editing apparatus  10  executes the document editing program  13 A to function as the receiver  40 , the processor  42 , the bundling unit  44 , the in-editing presenting unit  46 , the prohibition unit  48 , and the prohibition presenting unit  50 . In addition, the CPU  11  of the document editing apparatus  10  executes the document editing program  13 A to function as the bundling notification unit  52 , the reflection receiver  54 , the deletion receiver  56 , the non-reflection presenting unit  58 , the midway reflection receiver  60 , the pre-reflection presenting unit  62 , and the reception presenting unit  64 . 
     (Receiver) 
     The receiver  40  according to the present exemplary embodiment receives an operation of bundling plural documents in the document information database  33 A. 
     Here, the phrase “bundling plural documents” refers to combining plural documents into a single document. As for a combining method, the page order of the original document may be reflected to be combined for each document, or pages of plural documents may be mixed and combined. 
     In addition, the phrase “operation of bundling” (bundling operation) will be described by taking, as an example, a case of performing an operation of bundling a document A and a document B. In this case, the phrase “operation of bundling” (bundling operation) refers to an operation of forming a single document in which a document A and a document B are combined. 
     In the following, a case where plural documents of a document A and a document B are bundled into a single document will be described as an example. 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, descriptions will be made on, as an example, a case of performing an operation of directly integrating and bundling shared documents stored in the document information database  33 A of the server  30 , but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, after the operator performs the operation of downloading documents stored in the document information database  33 A of the server  30  to the terminal  20  and the operation of bundling the documents, the bundled single document may be uploaded to the server  30 . 
     (Processor) 
     The processor  42  performs a process for bundling plural documents when a bundling operation is received during editing of a part of the plural documents. 
     Examples of a process performed by the processor  42  may include a process of generating specific information capable of specifying the document being edited, and a process of generating a provisional document of the document being edited and bundling the provisional document and other documents except the document being edited. In the present exemplary embodiment, a process using a provisional document will be described as an example. 
     (Bundling Unit) 
     When the editing of the document being edited is completed, the bundling unit  44  uses the process result by the processor  42  to form a single document in a state in which the editing result of the document being edited is reflected and bundled. 
     Examples of the process of the bundling unit  44  include a process of bundling plural documents including a document which is specified by the specific information generated by the processor  42  and which has been edited, into a single document. Further, examples of the process of the bundling unit  44  may include a process of reflecting the editing result in the documents that are bundled into a single document by the processor  42 , specifically, the provisional document temporarily bundled. In the present exemplary embodiment, descriptions will be made on, as an example, a process of reflecting the editing result in the provisional documents bundled by the processor  42 . 
     When the process of generating specific information is performed, plural documents are bundled into a single document after the editing of the document being edited is completed. In addition, when the process of generating a provisional document is performed, plural documents including the provisional document are bundled into a single document, and then the editing result is reflected in the bundled document. 
     Here, the phrase “reflecting the editing result in the provisional document bundled” refers to “replacing the bundled provisional document with the edited document” or “overwriting the edited document on the bundled provisional document”. 
     (In-Editing Presenting Unit) 
     The in-editing presenting unit  46  presents, to the operator who performs a bundling operation, information indicating that the provisional document is being edited. 
     Here, the term “present” has a concept that includes at least one of display on the display unit  25 , presentation by voice output, or presentation by printing. 
     (Prohibition Unit and Prohibition Presenting Unit) 
     The prohibition unit  48  prohibits editing of the provisional document, and the prohibition presenting unit  50  presents information indicating that editing of the provisional document is prohibited when displaying the bundled documents. As a result, the information indicating that the provisional document cannot be edited is presented to the operator who performs the bundling operation, and the editing of the provisional document is prohibited. 
     (Bundling Notification Unit) 
     When the bundled document is formed, the bundling notification unit  52  notifies the editor who edits the document being edited that the document being edited is bundled. 
     (Reflection Receiver) 
     When the editing of the document being edited is completed, the reflection receiver  54  receives an instruction input to the editor as to whether a process of reflecting the editing result in the provisional document is performed. When the reflection receiver  54  receives an instruction input as to performing a process of reflecting the editing result in the provisional document, the bundling unit  44  performs a process of reflecting the editing result in the provisional document. 
     (Deletion Receiver) 
     The deletion receiver  56  receives an instruction input as to whether to delete the edited document when the process of reflecting the editing result in the bundled documents is performed. When an instruction input as to deleting the edited document is received by the deletion receiver, the bundling unit  44  performs a process of deleting the edited document. 
     (Non-Reflection Presenting Unit) 
     When a process of reflecting the editing result in the bundled document cannot be performed, the non-reflection presenting unit  58  presents to the operator who performs the bundling operation, information indicating that the process of reflecting the editing result may not be performed. 
     (Midway Reflection Receiver) 
     The midway reflection receiver  60  receives an instruction input to reflect the editing result which has been ended so far in the bundled document, in a middle of the editing of the document being edited. When the midway reflection receiver  60  receives an instruction input as to reflecting the editing result ended so far in the bundled document, the bundling unit  44  performs a process of reflecting the editing result ended so far in the bundled document. 
     (Pre-Reflection Presenting Unit and Reception Presenting Unit) 
     The pre-reflection presenting unit  62  presents information indicating that the editing result has not yet been reflected. The reception presenting unit  64  presents information indicating that an operation of bundling plural documents is received. 
     [Terminal] 
     The terminal  20  according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a transmitter  70  and a display controller  72 . The CPU  21  of the terminal  20  executes the editing program  23 A to function as a transmitter  70  and a display controller  72 . 
     The transmitter  70  according to the present exemplary embodiment transmits a bundling operation, a document editing operation, each instruction, a request, or the like according to an input from the input unit  74 . Further, the display controller  72  performs a control to display the data sent from the document editing apparatus  10  or the like on a display unit  76 . 
     (Document Information Database) 
     Plural documents are stored in the document information database  33 A according to the present exemplary embodiment. These documents are shared documents, and the stored documents may be edited by using the terminal  20 . Further, by passing through the document editing apparatus  10 , for example, an operation of browsing a thumbnail display of reducing and displaying the image of a first page of each document and bundling plural documents may be performed. 
     (Specific Information Database) 
     The specific information database  33 B stores information such as the editing status of each document. The information such as the editing status is sequentially updated by the CPU  31  of the server  30 . 
     Specifically, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , each information of a document name, a document to be bundled, a bundling destination document, and an editing state is stored in the specific information database  33 B according to the present exemplary embodiment. The document to be bundled, the bundling destination document, and the editing state indicating the state of each document are stored in association with each sentence name. 
     (Document Name) 
     The document name is information indicating the document name stored in the document information database  33 A, and as for the document name, a file name of the document is stored as an example. In the present exemplary embodiment, it is assumed that a document A, a document B, and the like is stored as the file name of the document in a document name field. 
     (Document to Be Bundled) 
     The document to be bundled is information showing a name of a bundled document toward the bundling destination document, and a file name of a document is, for example, stored in the document to be bundled. In the field of the document to be bundled, a name of a bundled document in the document stored in the document name field in the same row is stored, and  FIG. 3  represents that the document B is bundled in the document A. 
     Further, when there is no bundled document in the document stored in the document name field in the same row, the field of the document to be bundled stores no information, and the field becomes blank. 
     (Bundling Destination Document) 
     The bundling destination document is information indicating the document name of the bundling destination document, and the bundling destination document stores, for example, the file name of the document. In the bundling destination document field, a document name of the bundling destination document in which the document stored in the document name field in the same row is bundled is stored, and  FIG. 3  represents that the document B is bundled in the document A. 
     Further, when the documents stored in the document name field in the same row are not bundled into another document, no information is stored in the bundling destination document field, and the field becomes blank. 
     (Editing State) 
     The editing state is information indicating whether the document is being edited, and a mark (“o”) indicating that the document is being edited is stored as an example of the editing state. The character being edited may be displayed in the editing state. 
     Whether the document stored in the document name field in the same row is being edited is stored in the editing state field, and  FIG. 3  represents that the document B is being edited. Further, when the editing of the document B is completed, a mark indicating that the document B is being edited is deleted. Also, when the document B is not edited, the editing state field becomes blank. 
     (Operation Explanation) 
     Next, the operation of the document editing system  90  according to the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 15 . 
     First, the operation of the document editing apparatus  10  will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . The CPU  11  of the document editing apparatus  10  executes the document editing program  13 A to perform the document editing process illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The document editing process is a process when an operator using the terminal  20  performs an operation of bundling documents stored in the server  30 , and a document editing process routine is periodically performed. 
     In the following, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , descriptions will be made on, as an example, a case in which the document B being edited is bundled in the document A as a bundling operation. In this figure, diagonal lines on the document B displayed with thumbnail indicate that the document B is being edited. Further, a person who performs the bundling operation using the terminal  20  is described as an operator, and a person who edits the document B using the terminal  20  is described as an editor. 
     In step  200  of the document editing process, the CPU  11  determines whether it has been received that an operation of bundling plural documents is performed, and when not received, the process returns to the main routine. 
     Here, when the operator using the terminal  20  drags the document B displayed with thumbnail on the display unit  25  and drops the document B on the document A as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a request to perform an operation of bundling the document B into the document A is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10  via the communication I/F unit  27 . 
     When the CPU  11  receives the request to perform the bundling operation, the CPU  11  determines in step  200  that the bundling operation has been received, and determines in step  202  whether the document being edited exists in the documents to be bundled. The data stored in the specific information database  33 B of the server  30  is used for this determination. 
     In step  202 , when it is determined that the document being edited does not exist in the documents to be bundled by the CPU, the process returns to the main routine and a normal bundling process is performed. Meanwhile, in step  202 , when it is determined that the document being edited exists, the CPU  11  performs a pre-process in step  204  and then performs a bundling process in step  206 . 
     The pre-process of step  204  will be described. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , in step  300 , the CPU  11  generates a copy of the document B being edited at the present time and acquires the copy as a provisional document, and in step  302 , the CPU  11  bundles the provisional document of the document B into the document A by overlapping the acquired provisional document as the next page of the document A. Thus, a process for bundling plural documents is performed. 
     Further, generally, when bundling plural documents, a copy of the document being edited may be acquired as a provisional document, and the process of bundling may be performed such that the provisional document is positioned at a position corresponding to a page where the document being edited is bundled after editing. The provisional document may also use a copy of the document before editing. 
     In addition, in step  304 , the CPU  11  transmits and presents to the operator&#39;s terminal  20  information indicating that the provisional document is being edited. Also, in step  306 , the CPU  11  prohibits editing of the provisional document portion in the bundled documents, and in step  308 , the CPU  11  transmits and presents to the operator&#39;s terminal  20  information indicating that editing of the provisional document portion in the bundled documents is prohibited. 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  are diagrams illustrating an editing screen  100  displayed on the display unit  25  of the operator&#39;s terminal  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , an editable mark  102  indicating that editing is possible is displayed at the lower right of the editing screen  100  representing the page of the editable document A among the bundled documents. Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , an editing prohibition mark  104  indicating that editing is prohibited is displayed at the lower right of the editing screen  100  representing the page of the provisional document for which editing is prohibited among the bundled documents. Also, the editing prohibition mark  104  indicates that the provisional document is being edited. 
     Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the CPU  11  in step  310  transmits and presents to the terminal  20  of the editor who is editing the document B information indicating that the document being edited is bundled, and the bundling process is performed in step  206  of the document editing process illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating the editing screen  110  displayed on the display unit  25  of the terminal  20  of the editor who edits document B, and a bundling mark  112  indicating that the documents being edited are bundled is displayed at the lower right of the editing screen  110 . 
     Next, the bundling process of step  206  will be described. As illustrated in  FIG. 6A , in step  400 , the CPU  11  determines whether an instruction to reflect the editing result which has been ended so far in the bundled document has been received from the editor&#39;s terminal  20  in a middle of the editing of the document B. 
     When it is determined that the instruction to reflect has not been received, step  404  is executed, whereas, when it is determined that the instruction to reflect has been received, step  402  is executed. In step  402 , the CPU  11  receives the current editing result from the server  30 , and reflects the received editing result in the bundled provisional documents. 
     In step  404 , the CPU  11  determines whether the editing of the document B which is a copy source is completed, from the change in the editing state of the specific information database  33 B. 
     The timing at which the editing of the document B is ended may be reworded as the timing at which the content of the document B is stored or the timing at which the document B is closed. 
     In step  404 , when the CPU  11  determines that the editing of the document B is not completed, the process returns to step  400 , and the determination of step  400  and the process of step  402  are repeated. 
     Meanwhile, in step  404 , when the CPU  11  determines that the editing of the document B is completed, the CPU  11  in step  405  transmits data that inquires whether to reflect the editing result, to the editor&#39;s terminal  20 . Then, in step  406 , the CPU  11  determines whether an instruction to perform a process of reflecting the editing result of the document B in the provisional document has been received from the editor&#39;s terminal  20 . 
       FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating a reflection receiving screen  120  displayed on the editor&#39;s terminal  20 , and the reflection receiving screen  120  displays a “Yes button”  122  selected when a reflection is made and a “No button”  124  selected when no reflection is made. When the editor selects the “Yes button”  122 , an instruction to reflect is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 , and when the “No button”  124  is selected, an instruction not to reflect is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 . 
     Further, only the document name of the bundled document may be displayed on “OO” in the reflection receiving screen, and information correctly indicating the location of the document such as a path or a URL indicating the storage location of the file may be displayed thereon. 
     In step  406  of  FIG. 6B , when it is determined that an instruction not to reflect the editing result of the document B in the provisional document has been received, the CPU  11  executes step  413 , and when it is determined that an instruction to reflect the editing result of the document B in the provisional document has been received, the CPU  11  executes step  408 . In step  408 , the CPU  11  receives the editing result of the document B from the server  30 , and reflects the editing result in the bundled provisional documents. 
     Here, as an example in which the editor of the document B does not reflect the editing result in the provisional document, there may be a separate approver of the edited content of document B, and it is necessary to obtain a confirmation or an approval before generating the bundled document in the document A. 
     In step  410 , the CPU  11  determines whether the process of reflecting the editing result of the document B in the bundled provisional documents can be performed. In step  410 , when it is determined that the editing result can be reflected in the provisional documents, the CPU  11  executes step  413 , and when it is determined that the editing result cannot be reflected in the provisional documents, the CPU  11  executes step  412 . 
     In step  412 , the CPU  11  transmits to the operator&#39;s terminal  20  that the process of reflecting the editing result cannot be performed. The reason why the process of reflecting the editing result cannot be performed includes a case where the document A cannot be referred to for reasons such as deletion or movement. 
       FIG. 13  is a diagram illustrating a non-reflection presenting screen  130  displayed on the operator&#39;s terminal  20 , and information indicating that the process of reflecting the editing result cannot be performed is presented to the operator. 
     The non-reflection presenting screen  130  displays a “Yes button”  132  selected when contacting the editor who is editing document B, and a “No button”  134  selected when not contacting the editor. When the operator selects the “Yes button”  132 , information indicating contact with the editor is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 , and when the “No button”  134  is selected, information indicating no contact with the editor is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 . 
     For example, when information indicating contact with the editor is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 , the document editing apparatus  10  presents to the editor information indicating that the process of reflecting the editing result cannot be performed by sending an e-mail or the like. In addition, when information indicating no contact with the editor is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 , the document editing apparatus  10  proceeds to step  414  illustrated in  FIG. 6B . The process of sending an e-mail to the editor is an example, and the editor may be contacted by another method. 
     In addition, when information on who did what and when for which document is sequentially stored in the server  30 , it is possible to send a notification using an e-mail or the like to the person who last handles the document A from the stored information. 
     In step  413 , the CPU  11  transmits the data editor&#39;s terminal  20  to inquire about whether the document B needs to be deleted. Then, in step  414 , the CPU  11  determines whether it has been received from the editor&#39;s terminal  20  that the process of deleting the edited document B is performed. 
       FIG. 14  is a diagram illustrating a deletion receiving screen  140  displayed on the editor&#39;s terminal  20 , and the deletion receiving screen  140  displays a “Yes button”  142  selected when deleting a document B and a “No button”  144  selected when not deleting document B. When the editor selects the “Yes button”  142 , an instruction to delete the document B is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 , and when the “No button”  144  is selected, an instruction not to delete the document B is transmitted to the document editing apparatus  10 . 
     In step  414  illustrated in  FIG. 6B , when the CPU  11  determines that information indicating that the edited document B is not deleted has been received, the process returns to the document editing process illustrated in  FIG. 4 , and when the CPU  11  determines that information indicating that the edited document B is deleted has been received, step  416  is executed. 
     In step  416 , the CPU  11  performs a process of deleting the document B stored in the server  30 , and returns to the document editing process. 
     Next, a thumbnail display process will be described with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
     The thumbnail display process is an interrupt process that is performed when the CPU  11  of the document editing apparatus  10  receives a thumbnail display request from any of the terminals  20  during the document editing process illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The thumbnail display request may be made from the terminals  20  of all users who may browse the document stored in the server  30 . 
     In step  500 , the CPU  11  acquires document information of a document stored in the specific information database  33 B of the server  30 , and in step  502 , the CPU  11  generates image data for thumbnail display of the document. 
     In step  504 , the CPU  11  determines whether the document is a bundling destination of a document in which the document is bundled, and whether the bundled documents include a document in which the editing result has not yet been reflected, based on the document information from the specific information database  33 B. In step  504 , when the CPU  11  determines that a document in which the editing result has not yet been reflected is not included, the process proceeds to step  508 . When the CPU  11  determines that a document in which the editing result has not yet been reflected is included, step  506  is executed. 
     In step  506 , the CPU  11  adds data for adding a mark indicating that the bundled documents include a document in which the editing result has not yet been reflected, to the above-described image data. 
     In step S 508 , the CPU  11  determines whether the document is a document to be bundled for which a bundling operation is received based on the document information of the specific information database  33 B. In step  508 , when it is determined that the document is not a document to be bundled, the CPU  11  executes step  512 , and when it is determined that the document is a document to be bundled, the CPU  11  executes step  510 . 
     In step  510 , the CPU  11  adds data for adding a mark indicating that the document is bundled in another document to the above-described image data. 
     In step  512 , the CPU  11  transmits the image data to the terminal  20  which has made a thumbnail display request, and returns to the called routine. 
       FIG. 15  is a diagram illustrating a thumbnail display screen  150  displayed on the display unit  25  of the terminal  20  to which the image data has been transmitted, and a mark  154  indicating that a document in which the editing result has not yet been reflected is included is attached on a thumbnail display  152  of the document A which is the bundling destination document. Here, the editing result may be configured to be reflected in the provisional document by selecting the mark  154 . 
     Further, a mark  158  indicating that the bundling operation is received and the document B is bundled in another document is attached on a thumbnail display  156  of the document B which is a document to be bundled. 
     (Operation and Effects) 
     As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, even when plural documents including a document being edited are bundled, a document in which the editing result is reflected may be obtained. 
     In addition, by performing a process for bundling using a provisional document, it becomes possible to reduce the effort for generating specific information as compared to a case where specific information capable of specifying a part of the documents is temporarily generated. 
     Furthermore, since the information indicating that the provisional document in the bundled documents is being edited is presented to the operator who performs the bundling operation, it becomes possible to make the operator know that the provisional document is being edited. 
     Further, since the editing of the provisional documents in the bundled documents is prohibited, it becomes possible to prevent that a part of the documents are edited into different contents. 
     Furthermore, since presented is the information indicating that the editing of the provisional documents is prohibited, it becomes possible to make the operator know the editing prohibition state. 
     Further, since the editor who edits the document is notified that the document being edited is bundled, it becomes possible to make the editor know that the document being edited is bundled. 
     Furthermore, when an instruction to reflect the editing result in the provisional document is received, the process of reflecting the editing result is performed, so that it becomes possible to specify whether the editing result is to be reflected. 
     Further, when an instruction to delete the edited document is received, the process of deleting the document is performed, so that it becomes possible to specify whether the document for which editing has been completed is to be deleted. 
     Furthermore, when it is not possible to reflect the editing result in the bundled documents, information indicating that a process of reflecting the editing result cannot be performed is presented to the operator who performs the bundling operation. Thus, it becomes possible to make the operator know that the editing result cannot be reflected. 
     In addition, when an instruction to reflect the editing result ended so far in the bundled documents has been received during editing of a document, the editing result ended so far is reflected in the bundled documents. Therefore, it becomes possible to reflect the edited content in the middle of editing, in the bundled documents. 
     Furthermore, since it is possible to present the information indicating that the editing result has not yet been reflected, it becomes possible to know that the editing result has not yet been reflected. 
     Further, since the information indicating that an operation of bundling plural documents has been received can be presented, it becomes possible to know that an operation to bundle plural documents has been received. 
     Second Exemplary Embodiment 
       FIG. 16  is a flowchart illustrating a document editing process that is periodically performed according to a second exemplary embodiment, and represents a modification of the first exemplary embodiment. 
     That is, in step  600  of the document editing process, the CPU  11  determines whether it has been received that the operation of bundling plural documents is performed, and when not received, the process returns. 
     In step  600 , when it has been received that the bundling operation is performed, the CPU  11  determines in step  602  whether the document being edited exists in the documents to be bundled. In step  602 , when it is determined that the document being edited does not exist in the documents to be bundled, the CPU  11  returns to the called routine and performs a normal bundling process, and when it is determined that the document being edited exists, step  604  is executed. 
     In step  604 , the CPU  11  generates specific information capable of specifying the bundled documents. As an example of such information, there is a method of associating the file name of document B, which is a document to be bundled, with the document A of a bundling destination and storing the file name in the storage unit  33  of the server  30 . 
     In step  606 , the CPU  11  transmits and presents to the terminal  20  of the editor who is editing the document B information indicating that a document being edited is bundled. In step  608 , the CPU  11  monitors the change in the editing state of the specific information database  33 B of the server  30 , and waits for the end of editing of the document B being edited. 
     Then, when the editing of the document B being edited is completed, in step  610 , the CPU  11  bundles the document B for which editing is completed into the document A, and returns to the main routine in a state in which the editing result of the document being edited is reflected and plural documents are bundled. 
     (Operation and Effects) 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, even when plural documents including the document being edited are bundled, it is possible to obtain a document in which the editing result is reflected. 
     Further, specific information capable of specifying the document being edited is generated, and when editing of the document specified by the generated specific information is completed, plural documents are bound. For this reason, it becomes possible to reduce the effort for reflecting the editing result, as compared with the case of reflecting the editing result after bundling the provisional documents of the document being edited. 
     In addition, when an operation of bundling documents is received, the editor who edits the document being edited is notified that the document being edited is bundled. Therefore, it becomes possible to make the editor know that the document being edited is bundled. 
     Further, in the respective exemplary embodiments, various processors described below may be used as a hardware structure of a processor that performs each process of the respective units described above. 
     The various processors include a dedicated electric circuit or the like which is a processor having a circuit configuration specially designed to perform a specific process of a programmable logic device (PLD), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like, which is a processor capable of changing the circuit configuration after manufacturing a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or the like, in addition to a CPU which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as a processor as described above. 
     The processor may be implemented by one of these various types of processors, or a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of plural FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, the processor may be implemented by a single processor. 
     As an example in which the processor is implemented by a single processor, first, as represented by computers such as clients and servers, there is a form in which one processor is implemented by a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and the processor functions as a processor. Second, as represented by a system on chip (SoC) or the like, there is a form using a processor that implements the functions of the entire system including a processor with one integrated circuit (IC) chip. Thus, the processor is implemented by one or more of the above-described various processors as a hardware structure. 
     Furthermore, as for a hardware structure of these various processors, more specifically, an electrical circuit in which circuit elements such as semiconductor elements are combined (circuitry) may be used. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.