Patent ID: 7478316

Claim:
A method for capturing electronic documents to a preselected data storage area comprising the steps of: receiving user identification data representative of an identity of an associated user; displaying, on an associated data display, indicia corresponding to each of a plurality of displayed data storage areas; receiving, from an associated user, storage selection data representative of a user selected storage area, selected from the plurality of displayed data storage areas, for a plurality of incoming electronic documents; selecting, in accordance with received storage selection data and user identification data, a data storage area from the selected displayed data storage area adapted for storage of the plurality of incoming electronic documents; testing the user selected storage area for a location within a preset private data storage area; creating a private shadow data storage area when a location is determined to be within the preset private data storage by the testing step; creating a public shadow data storage area when a location is determined to be outside of the preset private data storage area by the testing step; associating an input of a plurality of incoming document systems with the created data storage area in accordance with the storage selection data wherein the document systems include at least two different systems selected from a group consisting of image generating devices, electronic mail servers, Internet servers, and document management systems; receiving a plurality of electronic documents, each in its native format, from the plurality of associated document systems into the created shadow data storage after completion of the step of selecting; prompting for input of an access code after creation of a private shadow data storage area; validating a received access code; and routing, into the selected data storage area from the shadow data storage area, the plurality of received electronic documents.