Patent Publication Number: US-2005120289-A1

Title: Apparatus, system, method, and computer program product for document management

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This patent document is based on and claims priority to Japanese patent applications No. 2003-397624 filed on Nov. 27, 2003, and No. 2004-231129 filed on Aug. 6, 2004, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention generally relates to a document management apparatus, a system, a method, and a computer program product for managing an electronic document of one or plural pages, and more particularly to a document management apparatus for managing document output operations such as a printing, save, etc. appropriately based on setting a management level for a document.  
      2. Description of the Background Art  
      In the background art, for example Japanese Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2003-316774 (the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference) a document management system is described that manages a life cycle of a document by using a security level. However, the management of a document output (for example, printing a hard copy of the document) from the system is not considered. Thus, it is difficult to manage document data appropriately with such a background art.  
      Further, Japanese Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2003-323457 (the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference) describes a system that arranges a desired classification by analyzing the contents of document data. Japanese Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2001-324898 (the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference) describes a system that can add a security ground tint to a printed document that is capable of being visible when a document is copied, to thereby provide a visible indication that a document is a copy. This provides a security level as it provides an indication that a document has been copied.  
      Furthermore, for example, it is known that when an electronic document is made, putting various management information in a document attribute (i.e., property) is done for managing the made document. Putting such management information in the document attribute requires extra operations by a document creator, and thus it is difficult to practice putting management information in an attribute of the document. In addition, even if such putting management information in the attribute of the document is performed, without management of a document output (for example, printing a hard copy of the document and document save operations), document management cannot be appropriately and fully executed.  
      However, in the above-mentioned background art, managing a document output and save operations appropriately is not described.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An object of the present invention is to provide a document management apparatus configured to determine an output form of a document based on a management level of the document. The present invention also provides a method and a computer program product to perform such document management.  
      According to an aspect of the present invention, a document management apparatus includes a document output unit configured to control outputting of a document, a management level setting unit configured to set a management level of a document to be output by the document output unit, and a document management unit configured to control the document output unit and the document management level setting unit. The document management unit determines an output form of the document output from the document output unit based on the set management level when output of the document is instructed.  
      According to another aspect of the present invention, a document management system includes a document output unit configured to control outputting of a document, a document management level setting unit configured to set a management level of a document to be output by the document output unit, and a document management unit configured to control the document output unit and the document management level setting unit. The document management unit determines an output form in the document output unit based on the management level when output of the document is instructed.  
      Using the above-described document management apparatus or system, it is possible to determine an output form of a document based on a management level of the document, to thereby manage the document appropriately. Furthermore, other aspects of the present invention provide a method of using the document management apparatus or system and a computer program product for controlling a computer to execute the method.  
      These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an in-house LAN system as a document management system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.  
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  are a flowchart sequence illustrating a process of managing a document in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3A  is an explanatory view of a pop-up window in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3B  is an explanatory view of an attribute (property) window in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.  
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are an explanatory view of transcribing prescribed information of a file compendium in the attribute of  FIG. 3B  to a cover of a document.  
       FIGS. 5A-5C  are an explanatory view of transcribing prescribed information of a user option and prescribed information of a file compendium in the attribute of  FIG. 3B  to a header of a document.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a schematic view of a document management system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7A  is a flowchart sequence illustrating a process of managing a document based on the print management server  61  of  FIG. 6 .  
      FIGS.  7 B 1  and  7 B 2  are an explanatory view of a table stored in the print management server  61  of  FIG. 6 .  
       FIG. 8  is a functional block diagram of the in-house LAN (local area network) system of  FIG. 1 .  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are described. In describing preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of an in-house LAN (local area network) system  100  as a document management system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The in-house LAN system  100  includes plural client PCs (personal computers)  11  and  12  having a document processing support tool built-in for supporting processing of document data including a prescribed attribute (i.e., property), and an on-demand color printer  21  adapted for printing a security ground tint capable of emerging when a document is copied (such as a print control apparatus described in Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2001-324898), as a part of a security feature.  
      In addition, the document processing support tool built in the above-mentioned client PCs  11  and  12  can be a support tool for transcribing various management information to an attribute (i.e., property) of a document processed by word-processing software when word-processing software is used in an electric computer (for example a personal computer). For example, the process of transcribing the attribute of a document is executed by a macro program built-in word-processing software that causes a CPU of the PCs  11  or  12  to transcribe various management information into the attribute.  
      Further, the in-house LAN system  100  includes a document management server  31 , a security management server  41 , an existing printer  51 , an existing printer  52 , and a print management server  61  adapted for managing the existing printers  51  and  52 .  
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  are a flowchart sequence illustrating a process of managing a document in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.  FIG. 2A  is a flowchart sequence in accordance with an aspect of an embodiment.  FIG. 2B  is a flowchart sequence in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment with certain alternative operations relative to the embodiment of  FIG. 2A  that may be useful in certain practical aspects. In addition, the same numerals indicated corresponding common flows in the following description.  
      In step S 1  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a document creation is started in any client PC  11 ,  12  that includes the above-mentioned document processing support tool. In  FIG. 2A , a process of step S 2  is executed by a trigger. The trigger is an implementation instruction of a macro program that runs a process of transcribing various information to the attribute, in the document processing support tool. In step S 2 , detection of a document content and setting of a security rank (i.e., management level) are performed. For example, detection of a document content and setting of a security rank (i.e., management level) may be performed based on the security management server  41  by using the document analysis system as described in Japanese Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2003-323457.  
      On the other hand, in  FIG. 2B , a process of step S 10  is executed based on a user indicating an instruction such as print or save. After step S 2  or step S 10 , in step S 3  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a macro program in the document processing support tool for the transcription process to the attribute runs to cause a pop-up window to pop-up on a display. In a display of the client PCs  11  or  12  creating a document, a pop-up window as shown in  FIG. 3A  is displayed in step S 3 . For example, a name of a document creator and a department, etc. may be described in the pop-up window. This description may be done by default when a user of the client PCs  11  or  12  is specified. In addition, an information class as a management level, a document title, a subtitle, etc. may be described in the pop-up window. In step S 4  of  FIG. 2A , the contents in the pop-up window are confirmed. In step S 11  of  FIG. 2B , setting of a security rank and the contents in the pop-up window are confirmed.  
      Therefore, in step S 5  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the contents of the pop-up window are transcribed to the attribute (i.e., property) of a document as shown in the  FIG. 3B . Further, a cover for the document and a header are automatically generated. Referring to the file compendium in the attribute (i.e., property) as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a document administrator, a document creator, a deadline for destruction, prescribed information corresponding to a management level (such as for internal use only), a category, etc. are transcribed in the cover of the document.  
      Further, referring to the file compendium and the user option in the attribute (i.e., property) as shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C , the header is generated. Thus, the documents with prescribed document information (such as, the above-mentioned cover, the header) are completed (step S 6  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). A process of step S 7  of  FIG. 2B  is executed by a drag and drop of an icon on the desktop of the PCs  11  or  12  for running a program that causes a CPU of the PCs  11  or  12  to transfer various data to the document management server  31 . On the other hand, a process of step S 7  of  FIG. 2A  is executed automatically. In step S 7  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the documents completed by the process of step S 6  are automatically registered in the document management server  31 .  
      In step S 8  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the documents are saved based on the set security rank (i.e., management level). This save may be executed with the choice of a prescribed file format according to the security rank (i.e., management level). The file format includes, for example, a changeable format, an irrevocable format, and an encryption format. That is, in automatic registration of step S 7  and the save of step S 8 , selection of a document save cabinet in the document management server  31  is executed according to the department of a creator and the document class. Further, according to the security level (i.e., management level), for example, (1) the document data is saved as it is when the security level is at a low level and the document can be later changed (the changeable format), (2) the document data is saved as a PDF (portable document file) including an ID for specifying a document creator when the security level is at a middle level and as the document is saved as a PDF it cannot be changed or modified (the irrevocable format) or (3) the document data is saved in an encryption format when the security level is at a high level (the encryption format).  
      In step S 9  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , printing format control as an example of an output format according to the use authority is performed. This printing format control may, e.g., set permissible printing options according to a post in a company of the person requesting the output or printing of the document. For example, there may be no printing restriction of the encrypted document in step S 8  to a person in a high position. In such an example, a person in a middle position may be able to print the documents with a prescribed security ground tint capable of being visible when a document is copied as described in Japanese Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2001-324898. In such an example, a person in a low position may only be able to refer to the documents on a display, but however may not be able to print out the documents. A temporary staff, etc. in this example may not be able to print out or even refer to the documents on a display. In addition, the correspondence between the above-mentioned management level and the printing format may be registered in the security management server  41 . Therefore, it is possible to determine an output form of a document based on a management level of the document and manage the document appropriately.  
      The mechanisms and processes set forth in the present description may be implemented using a conventional general purpose microprocessor programmed according to the teachings in the present specification, as well be appreciated to those skilled in the relevant arts. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will also be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a schematic view of a document management system  200  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As the procedure ( 1 ), a security policy is registered in the document management system  200 . For example, a security policy may be registered in the security management server  41 . In addition, the security policy may be determined as a document management provision by an information administrative provision. For example, level A as a security policy corresponds to a document available for inspection to a person higher than a department manager, and adding a security ground tint to a document when the document is printed. Level B corresponds to a document available for inspection to a person higher than an assistant general manager in charge, and adding a security ground tint to a document when the document is printed. Level C corresponds to a document available for inspection by anyone. In addition, the security management server  41  and the document management server  31  can be separate servers; however, some or all functions of the security management server  41  may be included in the document management server  31 .  
      Next, as the procedure ( 2 ), a user authentication for login is executed based on an employee ID card at the client PCs  11  and  12 . As the procedure ( 3 ), document creation and setting of a security level are executed. As the procedure ( 4 ), save and registration of document data are executed. As the procedure ( 5 ), the document data is automatically transferred to the document management server  31 . As the procedure ( 6 ), PDF (including ID for specifying a document creator) conversion or encryption is executed according to the set security level. In addition, one client PC may execute processes of both of the client PCs  11  and  12 .  
      As the procedure ( 7 ), access control based on the security policy is executed at the client PCs  11  and  12 . As the procedure ( 8 ), access control for a process at the time of file opening, document printing, and editing is executed according to the security level. Further, as the procedure ( 9 ), for example, an output control for adding a security ground tint (for example, authority information) to a printout paper in the printer  21  is executed according to the security policy. At this output control according to the security policy, a judgment of the necessity for adding a security ground tint, a security ground tint type, and a security ground tint color, etc. are determined by making comparisons between user information and the security policy.  
      Further, as the procedure ( 10 ), a print control is executed according to the security policy in the existing printer  21 . In addition, a print control for such an existing printer  21  is executed, for example, based on the print management server  61  as described in  FIG. 1 . The image data of the printed document may be saved in the print management server  61 .  
      Next, a process of the print management server  61  is described in FIGS.  7 A and  7 B 1 ,  7 B 2 .  FIG. 7A  is a flowchart sequence illustrating a process of managing a document based on the print management server  61  of  FIG. 6 . FIGS.  7 B 1 ,  7 B 2  are an explanatory view of a table stored in the print management server  61 . In step S 701  of  FIG. 7A , a security level for a document type is referenced. For example, as shown in FIGS.  7 B 1 ,  7 B 2 , a document whose type is a proposal and whose security level is ordinary (level C) may be printed freely. In step S 702 , the document is printed out from a default printer, such as the existing printer  51  or  52  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      On the other hand, for a document whose type is a proposal and whose security level is high (level A) or for internal use only (level B), a printer adapted for adding the security ground tint, such as the on-demand color printer  21  of  FIG. 1 , is automatically selected (step S 3 ). Further, various settings such as a paper size, print condition, etc. are set. In step S 4 , the API (application programming interface) of a driver for adding the security ground tint is called, and the security ground tint contents are set (step S 5 ). Next, the driver starts up (step S 6 ), and the document with the added security ground tint is printed out from the on-demand color printer  21  of  FIG. 1  (step S 7 ).  
      Therefore, for example, when a security level is high (level A), a printer adapted for adding a security ground tint is automatically selected. Further, the term “Top Secret” can, as an example, be set as the security ground tint contents. A print date and a login name of a print user can also be displayed and printed in a footer. When a security level is for internal use only (level B), a printer adapted for adding a security ground tint is automatically selected. Further, the term “For Internal Use Only” can be set as the security ground tint contents. A print date and a login name of a print user can also be displayed and printed in a footer. In addition, according to a document type and a security level, various types of security ground tint and footers can be printed based on the table shown in FIGS.  7 B 1 ,  7 B 2 . Therefore, it is possible to determine an output form of a document based on a management level of the document and to thereby manage the document appropriately.  
      In addition, the functions of the above-mentioned document management server  31 , the security management server  41 , and the print management server  61  may be provided by a computer program adapted for executing the same functions or a computer readable medium storing the program. The present embodiment may be implemented by a program including the functional blocks shown in following  FIG. 8 .  
       FIG. 8  is a functional block diagram of the in-house LAN (local area network) system of  FIG. 1 . A document management program in accordance with an aspect of the present invention includes a management level setting block (unit) B 1  for setting a management level of a created document and an output form determining block (unit) B 2  for determining an output form of a document based on a management level when output of a document is instructed. Further, the document management program includes a document saving block (unit) B 3  for saving document data, a saving form determining block (unit) B 4  for determining a saving form of the document data based on a management level when saving of a document is instructed, a personal information inputting block (unit) B 5  for inputting personal information for specifying a user associated with document creation, and a display block (unit) B 6  for displaying various information including personal information.  
      Furthermore, the document management program includes an attribute transcribing block (unit) B 7  for transcribing displayed information and a management level to an attribute added in the created document, an output form determining unit B 2 , and an encrypting block (unit) B 8  for encrypting document data, etc.  
      In the block B 2  for determining an output form, the output form of a document is determined based on a management level in the attribute. The output form may be determined based on a management level and personal information about a user requesting an output.  
      Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.