Document management system rule-based automation

• US 20030200234A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Koppich, George, Ormond, Louis, Yeng, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and system is provided for automating management of document data in a document management system. The document data management automation system suitably permits document management system users to create and define rules for automated management of document data in the document management system. The rules are suitably created by selecting from a variety of criteria permit users to automate tasks that are performed on document data which is preferably received by the document management system.

Claims

1. A method for processing documents managed by a network-based document management system comprising the steps of:

defining at least one rule for application to document data received by a document management system, the rule comprising;

at least one condition based upon at least one property, and

at least one action;

examining document data received by a document management system;

determining if the examined document data matches the at least one condition of the at least one rule; and

applying the at least one action of the at least one rule to the document data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one property comprises information related to document data received by the document management system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one property is selected from the group consisting of:

annotation, application type, author, client, comment, creator, creation date, date completed, department, description, destination, document number, document type, group, language, manager, modified date, owner, priority, project, purpose, size, status, version, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one property comprises calendar information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one property comprises information related to a storage location in which the received document data is to be stored.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information related to a storage location is selected from the group consisting of:

access permission, attribute, available space, last update, name, owner, creation date, size, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

compression attributes, read/write attributes, archive attributes, viewing attributes, renaming attributes, deletion attributes, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of:

printing the document data, faxing the document data, emailing the document data, posting the document data to a web, storing the document data in a specified location, generating a message, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving document data representative of a document into at least one network device in communication with the document management system; and

routing the document data from the at least one network device to the document management system for storage therein.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step receiving document data representative of a document comprises receiving from a software program document data corresponding to a document created by the software program.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one network device comprises an email server and the step of receiving document data comprises receiving an email message having document data in an attachment.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one network device is a thick client, such that when the document data is directed to the document management system in the step of routing, the document data is converted from a first file format to a second file format prior to storing therein.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one network device is a thin client, such that when the document data is routed to the document management system in the step of routing, the document data is stored therein in its source format.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of routing comprises routing document data to user personal storage in the document management system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the user'"'"'s personal storage is a network folder.

16. A system for managing documents, comprising:

a document management system for receiving routed document data from the at least one network device, the document management system comprising;

computer-readable code for defining rules having an action and at least one condition based upon at least one property,

computer-readable code for examining document data received by the document management system,

computer-readable code for determining if the examined document data matches the at least one condition of the at least one rule, and

computer-readable code for applying the at least one action of the at least one rule to the document data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one property comprises information related to document data received by the document management system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one property is selected from the group consisting of:

annotation, application type, author, client, comment, creator, creation date, date completed, department, description, destination, document number, document type, group, language, manager, modified date, owner, priority, project, purpose, size, status, version, and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one property comprises calendar information.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one property comprises information related to a storage location in which the received document data is to be stored.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the information related to a storage location is selected from the group consisting of:

access permission, attribute, available space, last update, name, owner, creation date, size, and combinations thereof.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of:

compression attributes, read/write attributes, archive attributes, viewing attributes, renaming attributes, deletion attributes, and combinations thereof.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of:

printing the document data, faxing the document data, emailing the document data, posting the document data to a web, storing the document data in a specified location, generating a message, and combinations thereof.

24. The system of claim 16, further comprising at least one network device in communication with a document management system, the network device configured for receiving document data representative of a document and for routing the document data to a document management system.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one network device is configured for receiving from a software program document data corresponding to a document created by the software program.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one network device comprises an email server and the step of receiving document data comprises receiving an email message having document data in an attachment.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one network device comprises a thick client configured to convert document data from a first file format to a second file format prior to routing the document data to the document management system.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one network device comprises a thin client configured for routing the document data to the document management system in its source format.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the document management system further comprises user personal storage, and wherein the document data is routed to user personal storage in the document management system.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the user personal storage is a network folder.