Patent ID: 8108351

Claim:
A file management apparatus for managing registered files, comprising: a memory; a selecting part which selects a plurality of electronically-stored files from the registered files; an integrating part which integrates data stored in the selected electronically-stored files and store the integrated data as a single file in the memory of the file management apparatus; a time stamping part which calculates a hash value of the single file, obtain a time stamp generated by coupling the hash value of the single file with time information, and add the time stamp to the single file; and a setting part which sets attribute information regarding addition of the time stamp; wherein the plurality of files are selected based on the attribute information; wherein the attribute information includes a flag indicating whether the addition of the time stamp is necessary; wherein the plurality of files are selected based on setting of the flag and whether the time stamp has already been added to the file, wherein the selecting part extracts a plurality of files (i) for which the flag indicates that the addition of the time stamp is necessary and (ii) on which the addition of the time stamp has yet to be performed, and selects, from among the extracted files, files including a character string indicating a date and time in a predetermined area; and wherein the selecting part excludes, from selection targets, a file including the character string indicating the date and time which has yet to arrive.