System and method for routing electronic documents

• US 20040215729A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Inventors: Su, William, Nguyen, Truc, Kuwata, Katie
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

This invention is directed to a system and method for routing electronic documents. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method for transferring at least one of a plurality of documents to at least one of a plurality of destinations.

Claims

1. A system for routing electronic documents comprising:

a memory adapted for storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

means adapted for receiving user-specified routing data, which routing data is specifying selections of a plurality of output destinations to which electronic documents will be transferred;

means adapted for receiving user-specified document selection data, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired; and

output means adapted for selectively communicating electronic documents to at least one of the plurality of output destinations in accordance with the routing data.

2. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the routing data further includes information about operations to be performed on electronic documents associated with each destination.

3. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the means for receiving user-specified document selection data is comprised of a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of electronic documents in the memory.

4. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the means adapted for receiving user-specified selections of the plurality of output destinations is comprised of a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of the plurality of output destinations.

5. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the output destinations are selected from the group consisting of electronic mail servers, Internet servers, data storage areas, and document management systems.

6. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 further comprising:

means adapted for determining whether at least one of the electronic documents to be communicated to at least one output destination is substantially identical to an electronic document located within such output destination;

upon a positive determination, means adapted for determining if an associated user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document; and

upon a positive determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, means adapted for selectively communicating the at least one substantially identical electronic document and means adapted for replacing the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document.

7. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 6 further comprising:

upon a negative determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, means adapted for receiving user-specified routing data for a new output destination for the electronic document and means adapted for selectively communicating such electronic document to the new output destination in accordance with the routing data.

8. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the means adapted for receiving user-specified document selection data further comprises means adapted for specifying at least one selected portion of an electronic document.

9. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 8 wherein the means adapted for receiving user-specified routing data further comprises means adapted for receiving user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated.

10. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 9 further comprising:

means adapted for determining if the user-specified electronic document into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated is located within the output destination; and

based on a positive determination, means adapted for receiving user-specified insertion information specifying a location into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be inserted and means adapted for selectively communicating the at least one selected portion to the electronic document in accordance with the insertion information.

11. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 10 further comprising:

based on a negative determination that a user-specified electronic document is located within the output destination, means adapted for receiving new user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated and means adapted for selectively communicating the at least one selected portion of the electronic document in accordance with the new user-specified electronic document information.

12. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 further comprising:

means adapted for prompting an associated user for selected information in order for the user to access at least one of the plurality of documents and the plurality of output destinations; and

means adapted for receiving such selected information from the associated user.

13. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 9 further comprising:

means adapted for verifying such selected information; and

upon verification of such selected information, means adapted for allowing the associated user access to at least one of the plurality of documents and the plurality of output destinations upon verification.

14. A method for routing electronic documents comprising the steps of:

storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

receiving user-specified routing data, which routing data is specifying selections of a plurality of output destinations to which the electronic documents will be transferred; and

receiving user-specified document selection data, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the routing data further includes information about operations to be performed on electronic documents associated with each destination.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein user-specified document selection data is received via a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of electronic documents in the memory.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein user-specified selections of the plurality of output destinations is received via a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of the plurality of output destinations.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein the output destinations are selected from the group consisting of electronic mail servers, Internet servers, data storage area, and document management systems.

19. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of the electronic documents to be communicated to at least one output destination is substantially identical to an electronic document located within such output destination;

upon a positive determination, determining if an associated user desires to selectively communicating the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replacing the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document; and

upon a positive determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, selectively communicating the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replacing the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document.

20. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

upon a negative determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, receiving user-specified routing data for a new output destination for the electronic document and selectively communicating such electronic document to the new output destination in accordance with the routing data.

21. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 14 wherein receiving user-specified document selection data further comprises the step of specifying at least one selected portion of an electronic document.

22. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 21 wherein receiving user-specified routing data further comprising the step of receiving user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated.

23. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 22 further comprising:

determining if the user-specified electronic document into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated is located within the output destination; and

based on a positive determination, receiving user-specified insertion information specifying a location into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be inserted and selectively communicating the at least one selected portion to the electronic document in accordance with the insertion information.

24. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 23 further comprising the steps of:

based on a negative determination that a user-specified electronic document is located within the output destination, receiving new user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the at least one selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated and selectively communicating the at least one selected portion of the electronic document in accordance with the new user-specified electronic document information.

25. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

prompting an associated user for selected information in order for the user to access at least one of the plurality of documents and the plurality of output destinations; and

receiving such selected information from the associated user.

26. The method according to claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

verifying such selected information; and

upon verification of such selected information, allowing the associated user access to at least one of the plurality of documents and the plurality of output destinations upon verification.

27. A computer readable medium of instruction for routing electronic documents comprising:

a memory adapted for storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

means adapted for receiving user-specified routing data, which routing data is specifying selections of a plurality of output destinations to which electronic documents will be transferred;

means adapted for receiving user-specified document selection data, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired; and

output means adapted for selectively communicating electronic documents to at least one of the plurality of output destinations in accordance with the routing data.

28. The computer readable according to claim 27 wherein the routing data further includes information about operations to be performed on electronic documents associated with each destination.

29. The computer readable medium to claim 27 wherein the means for receiving user-specified document selection data is comprised of a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of electronic documents in the memory and the means adapted for receiving user-specified selections of the plurality of output destinations is comprised of a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of the plurality of output destinations.

30. A computer implemented method for routing electronic documents comprising the steps of:

storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

receiving user-specified routing data, which routing data is specifying selections of a plurality of output destinations to which the electronic documents will be transferred; and

receiving user-specified document selection data, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the routing data further includes information about operations to be performed on electronic documents associated with each destination.

32. The method according to claim 30 wherein user-specified document selection data is received via a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of electronic documents in the memory and user-specified selections of the plurality of output destinations is received via a graphical user interface inclusive of a listing of the plurality of output destinations.