Abstract:
A file management device manages a file on an online storage in a folder. The device includes a shared folder receiving unit to receive, form an information device used by a user having completed membership registration, designation of a shared folder to be shared with other users; a shared folder management information storage unit to generate shared folder management information in response to receipt of the designation of the shared folder and to store therein the shared folder management information so as to be associated with the designation of the shared folder; a folder share URL generation unit to generate a folder share uniform resource locator (URL) which includes the shared folder management information and is a URL of a Web site serving as an entry when accessing the shared folder; and a folder share URL notification unit to notify the information device of the folder share URL.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-205674 filed in Japan on Sep. 14, 2010. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a file management device that manages files on an online storage. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    With the spread of networks, an online storage service for managing files (computerized documents, images, and the like) acquired by an information device such as a personal computer (PC), a digital camera, or a mobile phone on a networked server has been widely used. In this service, a user having completed membership registration can operate an information device to access a networked server to thereby store files in an online storage area allocated to the user on an internal or external storage device of the server. 
         [0006]    Moreover, a system is known in which when a user having completed membership registration to use an online service operates an information device to input e-mail addresses of users which are not members, human relationship, and the like to set an invitation, a server sends an invitation mail to the set e-mail addresses so that a user (invited person) which is not a member can share a file on an online storage (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-197839). 
         [0007]    However, in this system, since the user which has completed membership registration and has created an invitation needs to input e-mail addresses or the like of those who are invited and are not members, setting a number of invited persons takes a lot of time. Moreover, the user cannot invite persons whose e-mail addresses are unknown or who do not have an e-mail address. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems in the conventional technology. 
         [0009]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a file management device that manages a file on an online storage in a folder. The device includes a shared folder receiving unit configured to receive, form an information device used by a user having completed membership registration, designation of a shared folder to be shared with other users; a shared folder management information storage unit configured to generate shared folder management information in response to receipt of the designation of the shared folder and to store therein the shared folder management information so as to be associated with the designation of the shared folder; a folder share URL generation unit configured to generate a folder share uniform resource locator (URL) which includes the shared folder management information and is a URL of a Web site serving as an entry when accessing the shared folder; and a folder share URL notification unit configured to notify the information device of the folder share URL. 
         [0010]    The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a file management system including a file management device of an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the structure of a place management table stored in a database server in the file management system of the embodiment of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating the content of a simple share information table stored in the database server in the file management system of the embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a process performed by an application server in the file management system of the embodiment of the invention when a user having completed membership registration executes a procedure of sharing a place with a user which is not a member; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a place setting screen displayed on an information device used by the user having completed membership registration during the process illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a place setting complete screen displayed on the information device used by the user having completed membership registration during the process illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a process performed by the application server in the file management system of the embodiment of the invention when other user performs a procedure of accessing a sharing file designated by the user having completed membership registration; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating a simple share entry screen displayed on an information device used by other user during the process illustrated in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating a file list screen displayed on the information device used by other user during the process illustrated in  FIG. 7 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating a file view screen displayed in response to a file select operation on the file list screen illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
         [0022]    Configuration and Overall Operation of File Management System 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a file management system  2  according to an embodiment of the invention is connected to information devices  6  and  7  such as a PC through the Internet  1 . In this embodiment, it is assumed that the information device  6  is used by a user (hereinafter referred to as a “member user”) who has completed membership registration to use an online storage service provided by an application server of the file management system  2  and that the information device  7  is an information device used by other user. The information device  6  is used by the member user to share his/her own files on an online storage with other member users or users (hereinafter referred to as “non-member users”) which are not members. 
         [0024]    The file management system  2  includes an application server  3  connected to the Internet  1 , and a database server  4  and a storage  5  each connected to the application server  3 . The application server  3  corresponds to the file management device of the present invention. In this embodiment, although the application server  3  is connected to the Internet  1 , and the database server  4  and the storage  5  are connected to the application server  3 , each may be connected to the Internet  1 . 
         [0025]    The application server  3  manages the storage  5  using a place management table  41  stored in the database server  4  and provides an online storage service to member users. That is, the application server  3  stores and manages a file such as an image file which is uploaded from the information device  6  in a storage area of the storage  5 , which is allocated to each member user. Moreover, the application server  3  reads a requested file from the storage  5  in response to a download request from the information device  6  and sends the file to the information device  6 . 
         [0026]    Moreover, the application server  3  performs a simple share service in which a member user enables a non-member user to have limited access to a file using a simple share information table  42  stored in the database server  4 . Details of the simple share service will be described later. 
         [0027]    Management Information of Database Server 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the structure of the place management table  41  stored in the database server  4 , and  FIG. 3  is a diagram showing the content of the simple share information table  42 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the place management table  41  is made up of map management sections  10  that store therein setting information for displaying a place map screen on a display of the information device  6  and a place management section  20  that stores therein setting information of a region (place) on the place map screen. The place map screen is a screen in which symbol images representing file management units are arranged in a matrix form. 
         [0030]    A Mapconf folder of the map management section  10  is a root folder of the map management section  10 . The Mapconf folder includes user folders (user 1 , user 2 , and the like) prepared for each member user (for each user ID) who uses the system. In the user folder, the setting information (place map information: placeMap.xml) of a place screen for a user ID corresponding to a user folder name is stored. Moreover, “userconfig.dat” for recording information on a user such as an icon image (usericon.jpg) for the user ID, a user name or a contact address (for example, an e-mail address) corresponding to the user ID is also stored in the user folder. 
         [0031]    Various types of setting information on the respective places are stored in the place management section  20 . That is, a Placeconf folder of the place management section  20  is the root folder of the place management section  20 . A placeID folder (placeID, placeID 2 , . . . ) and a DEF_PLACE folder are stored under the Placeconf folder. The placeID folder corresponds to file management information. The DEF_PLACE folder stores therein the setting information on a place in an unregistered state where a place attribute or a place name is not registered. 
         [0032]    File registration information of a place (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding place) corresponding to the placeID folder is stored under the placeID folder. In a place.xml (place information) of the file registration information, information on the corresponding place of the placeID folder that stores therein the place.xml is registered. Examples of the information include the place attribute which is an index for characterizing the place input from the user (the information device  6  of a client), a comment, and the like. 
         [0033]    A YYYYMM folder is a folder representing the year and month when files are registered in the corresponding place. Here, “YYYY” represents year (western calendar year) and “MM” represents month. A DD folder representing the day when files are registered in the corresponding place is stored under the YYYYMM folder, which is generated whenever a file is registered. That is, the year, month, and day when a file is registered in a place can be checked from the data in the YYYYMM folder and the DD folder. 
         [0034]    Under the DD folder, a contentsID folder corresponding to each of the files registered in the place is stored. Here, a file name (excluding an extension portion) of the file registered in the place is assigned to the folder name of the contentsID folder. 
         [0035]    Under the contentsID folder, a content.xml which describes information on a file corresponding to the contentsID folder, a thumbnail.jpg which is the thumbnail image of the file, an original.jpg which is original data of the file, and the like are stored. Here, information on the file such as a storage location at which a file corresponding to the contentsID folder is actually stored, and a file attribute described later, registered in this file are described in the content.xml (file information). 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the simple share information table  42  includes a table ID, a place ID, a hash value, a password, a creation time, an update time, an expiration time, a share suspend time, and a share suspend flag. 
         [0037]    The simple share information table  42  is created whenever a member user operates the information device  6  to executes an operation of sharing files in his/her own place managed by the place management table  41  with other users. As will be described later, since the sharing period is limited to a predetermined period (for example, one month), and sharing can be suspended during the period, the duration of the simple share information table  42  is within a predetermined period. 
         [0038]    The table ID (in this example, kantan_0001) is the ID of the simple share information table  42 . The place ID (in this example, My place) is the ID of a place that a member user shares with other users. The hash value (in this example, A3C2B5D8) is shared folder management information made up of a hash value generated from a hash function by the application server  3  in order to generate a simple share URL, namely the URL of a Web site which serves as an entry when other users access a place shared by the member user. Since the hash value is a random value, the shared folder management information is unique information capable of specifying the place ID stored in the simple share information table  42 . The password (in this example, bluesky) is a word used for authentication when other users access a place shared by the member user. 
         [0039]    The creation time (in this example, Dec. 7, 2010) is the date when the simple share information table  42  is created, and the update time is the data when the simple share information table  42  is updated. The expiration time (in this example, Dec. 8, 2010) is an expiration date of sharing the place, that is, after a lapse of a predetermined period (for example, one month) from the start of sharing which is the creation time. The share suspend time is the time when sharing is suspended within the expiration period after sharing starts, and the share suspend flag is an identification flag indicating the suspension of sharing. In this example, described is a case where the table is not updated and the sharing is not suspended, namely a case where no information is available for the update time, the sharing suspension time, and the sharing suspension flag. 
         [0040]    Procedure of Sharing Place 
         [0041]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a process performed by the application server  3  when a member user operates the information device  6  to execute a procedure of sharing a place with other users. 
         [0042]    Through execution of the flow shown in  FIG. 4 , the simple share information table  42  shown in  FIG. 3  is created. It is assumed that when the flow of  FIG. 4  is executed, a place of the member user has been created on the storage  5 , and a file has been registered in the place. Moreover, it is assumed that the member user has operated the information device  6  to start an application for receiving an online storage service, has entered a user ID or password to complete an authentication process, whereby a welcome screen of the online storage service has been displayed on the display of the information device  6 . 
         [0043]    The user of the information device  6  enters an instruction to execute a simple share service on the welcome screen of the online storage service, whereby the flow shown in  FIG. 4  is started, and the application server  3  generates a place setting screen, transmits the place setting screen to the information device  6  and displays the place setting screen on the display of the information device  6  (step S 1 ). 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  shows an example of the place setting screen. In a place setting screen  100 , a place name display region  101 , a place description display region  102 , a simple share setting region  103 , an OK button  104 , a cancel button  105 , a member display region  106 , a member delete button  107 , a place closing instruction message display region  108 , and the like are arranged. 
         [0045]    In the place name display region  101 , the name of a place that the member user shares with other users is displayed. In the place description display region  102 , a list of place names that the member user has on the storage  5  is displayed, so that the member user can designate a desired place name within the list to thereby display the desired place name in the place name display region  101 . In this example, the member user designates a place which stores a file related to a sports meeting, and as a result, “sports meeting” is displayed in the place name display region  101  as a place name. 
         [0046]    In the simple share setting region  103 , a check box  103   a,  a password input region  103   b,  and the like for configuring simple share settings are arranged. When the check box  103   a  is filled with a check mark, it is set such that a place displayed in the place name display region  101  is shared with non-member users. In the password input region  103   b,  black circles are displayed when the member user enters a password using the keyboard of the information device  6 . 
         [0047]    When the user presses the OK button  104  (for example, when confirmation is made by a mouse-click operation with a pointer or a cursor placed on the button) after a desired place name is displayed in the place name display region  101 , the check box  103   a  is filled with a check mark, and a password is entered based on the instruction of the user of the information device  6 , the application server  3  receives the simple share settings and the password (step S 2 ) and creates the simple share information table  42  (step S 3 ). 
         [0048]    A plurality of places displayed in the place description display region  102  may be sequentially designated on the place setting screen  100 , so that a plurality of places is shared. When the cancel button  105  is pressed, the contents of the place name display region  101 , the place description display region  102 , the check box  103   a,  and the password input region  103   b  are canceled. When a non-member user who uses the place is present, the name or the like of the non-member user is displayed in the member display region  106 . The member delete button  107  is a button used when the member user deletes a non-member user displayed in the member display region  106 . The place closing instruction message display region  108  is a region to be pressed by the member user to close (suspend the sharing of) the place. 
         [0049]    In step S 3 , the application server  3  sets the table ID, the place ID, the hash value, the password, the creation time, and the expiration time among the items of the simple share information table  42 . 
         [0050]    An appropriate ID is determined for the table ID. As for the place ID, a place ID corresponding to the place name displayed in the place name display region  101  is acquired from the place management table  41 . As for the hash value, fixed-length (for example, 16-digit) data is generated using a hash function. The password is a password that the user enters in the password input region  103   b.  As for the creation time, current time information of an internal clock is used. The expiration time is the date after a lapse of a predetermined period from the creation time. 
         [0051]    Since the update time is set when the table is updated within an expiration period, the update time is not set in this example. The share suspend time and the share suspend flag are set when the user opens the place setting screen  100  within the expiration period and presses the place closing instruction message display region  108 . In addition, when the users clears the check mark from the check box  103   a  of the simple share setting region  103 , since sharing with only non-member users is suspended, the share suspend time and the share suspend flag are not written. 
         [0052]    Subsequently, the application server  3  creates a simple share URL based on the hash value in the simple share information table  42 , generates a place setting complete screen, transmits it to the information device  6 , and causes the information device  6  to display it(step S 4 ). 
         [0053]      FIG. 6  shows an example of the place setting complete screen. In a place setting complete screen  200 , a message  201  indicating that simple share settings have been configured, a prompt message  202  for informing persons with whom the user wants to share of a simple share URL and a password, a simple share URL  203 , an expiration period  204 , a return button  205 , and the like are arranged. In  FIG. 6 , the last 7-digit numeric value within the simple share URL corresponds to the hash value. 
         [0054]    The member user records the simple share URL by storing the place setting complete screen  200  or writing down the simple share URL. The simple share URL and the password can be notified to a desired person at a desired time. The means for notification may be any means such as an e-mail, a telephone, or handover of a memo. Thus, the member user does not need to input an e-mail address of a person with whom the user wants to share a place when configuring the simple share settings. Moreover, by informing persons whose e-mail addresses are unknown or who do not have an e-mail address, of the simple share URL, the member user can share the place with such persons. When the user presses the return button  205  on the place setting complete screen  200 , the user can return to the place setting screen  100 . 
         [0055]    Procedure of Accessing Shared Place 
         [0056]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a performed by the application server  3  when another user executes a procedure of accessing a place shared by the member user. This flow is started when another user uses the information device  7  to input the simple share URL which is notified in advance to access the application server  3 . 
         [0057]    First, the application server  3  acquires a place ID by referring to the simple share information table  42  based on the hash value of the simple share URL received from the information device  7  (step S 11 ). 
         [0058]    Subsequently, the application server  3  acquires various types of information (for example, a place name, the number of files in the place, a content ID, and the like) of a place specified by the place ID by referring to the place management table  41  based on the acquired place ID and further acquires thumbnails of the files from the storage  5  based on the content ID (step S 12 ). 
         [0059]    Subsequently, the application server  3  generates and transmits a simple share entry screen to the information device  7  using the acquired various types of information, and causes the information device  7  to display the simple share entry screen on the display thereof (step S 13 ). 
         [0060]      FIG. 8  shows an example of the simple share entry screen. In a simple share entry screen  300 , a display region  301  for displaying a place name, an owner which is the name of a member user who shares the place, and the like, a display region  302  for displaying the number of files and the expiration date, a nickname input region  303 , a password input region  304 , a terms of use display region  305 , an “Agree” button  306 , and the like are arranged. The terms of use displayed in the terms of use display region  305  include the indication of functional restrictions, stating that the function of this simple share allow displaying and downloading of files, recording of comments, and the like, but editing, uploading of files and the like are not allowed. 
         [0061]    When the user of the information device  7  enters a password and presses the “Agree” button  306 , the password is transmitted to the application server  3 . In this case, if a nickname is input, it is also transmitted. 
         [0062]    The application server  3  receives the password (step S 14 ) and performs authentication based on its matching with a password registered in the simple share information table  42  (step S 15 ). Moreover, after the authentication, the application server  3  generates and transmits a file list screen to the information device  7  to be displayed on the display of the information device  7  (step S 16 ). Moreover, when the nickname is input, and the nickname is registered in the simple share information table  42  as a member of the simple share. If the nickname is not input, “Guest” is registered as a member of the simple share. The member name is displayed in the member display region  106  of the place setting screen  100 . 
         [0063]      FIG. 9  shows an example of the file list screen. In a file list screen  400 , thumbnails  401  of the respective files, file attribute information  402 , download buttons  403 , check boxes  404 , a place expiration date message display region  405 , a number-of-files display region  406  for displaying the number of files, a display region  407  for displaying a place name, an owner, and the like, a “register new member” button  408 , and the like are arranged. 
         [0064]    When the user fills the check box  404  with a check mark and presses the thumbnail  401 , the screen changes to a file view screen and a file corresponding to the thumbnail  401  is displayed. When the user fills a check mark into the check box  404  and presses the download button  403 , a file corresponding to the thumbnail  401  is downloaded. When the user presses the “register new member” button  408 , a membership registration screen not shown is displayed. 
         [0065]    In the place expiration date message display region  405 , rather than displaying just the expiration date as shown in  FIG. 9 , a message prompting users to proceed to membership registration may be displayed, the message indicating the number of days left as the expiration date approaches, and the possibility to upload files and copy shared files if registered as a member. When the user of the information device  7  is a member user, a message may be displayed, stating that when a user ID is entered on the membership registration screen described above, the user is allowed to upload files and copy shared files. 
         [0066]      FIG. 10  shows an example of the file view screen. In a file view screen  500 , a file display region  501 , a file name display region  502 , a file attribute information display region  503 , a download button  504 , a comment input region  505 , and the like are arranged. 
         [0067]    When the download button  504  is pressed, a file displayed in the file display region  501  is downloaded. The comments input in the comment input region  505  are stored in the place management table  41  so as to be associated with an input time and the name (a nickname or Guest) of a person who input the comments. 
         [0068]    As described above, according to the file management system of the embodiment of the invention, when a member user selects a place to be shared and enters a password from the information device  6 , the application server  3  generates and transmits a simple share URL for sharing the place to the information device  6 . Thus, the user does not need to input an e-mail address of a person with whom the user wants to share the place when configuring the simple share settings. Moreover, the simple share URL and the password can be notified to a desired person at a desired time. Since the means for notification may be any means such as an e-mail, a telephone, or handover of a memo, the user can share the place with persons whose e-mail addresses are unknown or who do not have an -mail address. 
         [0069]    According to the invention, when a user having completed membership registration designates a sharing folder, the file management device generates and stores shared folder management information so to be associated with the designated folder, generates a folder share URL which includes the shared folder management information and which is a URL of a Web site serving as an entry when accessing the designated shared folder, and issues the folder share URL to the user who designated the folder. The user having designated the folder notifies other users of the issued file share URL at a desired time using optional means. 
         [0070]    According to the invention, when a user having completed membership registration to use an online storage service shares files on an online storage with other users, the user does not need to perform an operation of inputting e-mail addresses of other users. Moreover, the user can share the files with persons whose e-mail addresses are unknown or who do not have an e-mail address. 
         [0071]    Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.