Document collection manipulation

• US 20050022122A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Barrus, John, Piersol, Kurt, Wolff, Gregory J., Rhodes, Bradley, Savitzky, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2179 Interfaces allowing access to a plurality of users, e.g. connection to electronic image libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2183 the stored images being distributed among a plurality of different locations, e.g. among a plurality of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2187 with image input from a plurality of different locations or from a non-central location, e.g. from one or more users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2191 for simultaneous, independent access by a plurality of different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32106 separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

In a system for inputting and managing document collections, the order in which documents are presented to the system dictates the organization and hierarchy for the electronically stored document collection. Users can add annotations to documents and collections by writing on a coversheet; the system scans the coversheet, reads the written material, and adds the material to the electronically stored document and/or collection. In addition, in one aspect the invention provides a mechanism for granting different levels of access to different individuals, by generating coversheets that point to the same collection but that provide different levels of access to the collection.

Claims

1. A method of composing a collection of information comprising:

receiving a plurality of documents in an order; and

performing at least one action on a stored document collection, wherein the at least one action is selected responsive to the order of the documents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action is selected from a group of actions.

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

creating a new collection; and

adding a document to a collection.

4. A method of composing a collection of information comprising:

receiving a first document;

receiving at least one subsequent document;

determining whether the first document includes an indicium identifying a collection;

responsive to the determination, selecting among the actions of;

adding the at least one subsequent document to the collection identified by the indicium; and

creating a new collection; and

performing the selected action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the action of creating a new collection further comprises adding the at least one subsequent document to the new collection.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the action comprises:

responsive to the first document including an indicium identifying a collection, selecting the action of adding the at least one subsequent document to the collection identified by the indicium.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the action comprises:

responsive to the first document not including an indicium identifying a collection, selecting the action of creating a new collection.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

for at least one of the subsequent documents, receiving a separator prior to receiving the document.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the separator comprises a piece of paper including a separator indicium.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein each document comprises at least one piece of paper, and wherein receiving the document comprises scanning the at least one piece of paper.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the first document including an indicium identifying a first collection, and a subsequent document including an indicium identifying a second collection, adding at least a subset of the contents of the second collection to the first collection.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the first document including an indicium identifying a first collection, and a subsequent document including an indicium identifying a second collection, adding the second collection as a subcollection of the first collection.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein:

receiving a first document comprises scanning a piece of paper; and

receiving at least one subsequent document comprises scanning at least one piece of paper.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein:

receiving a first document comprises receiving the document by fax transmission; and

receiving at least one subsequent document comprises receiving the at least one document by fax transmission.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein:

receiving a first document comprises receiving the document by e-mail transmission; and

receiving at least one subsequent document comprises receiving the at least one document by e-mail transmission.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein each collection comprises at least one multimedia item.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein each collection comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

documents;

images;

files;

video data; and

audio data.

18. A method for adding an annotation to a collection of information, comprising:

receiving an annotated media item identifying the collection of information;

reading the annotation from the media item; and

adding the annotation to the collection of information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adding the annotation comprises:

retrieving, from a storage device, the identified collection;

modifying the retrieved collection to add the annotation; and

storing the modified collection.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the collection of information comprises a collection of multimedia documents.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the annotated media item comprises scanning the item.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the annotated media item comprises receiving an e-mail message including the item.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the annotated media item comprises receiving a fax transmission including the item.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the annotation is handwritten.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving an annotated media item comprises receiving a paper document.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving an annotated media item comprises receiving a collection coversheet.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the annotated media item further comprises a pointer to the collection.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein reading the annotation from the media item comprises scanning an annotation region of the media item.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein reading the annotation from the media item comprises performing optical character recognition on at least a portion of the media item.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein reading the annotation from the media item comprises

scanning at least a portion of the media item to obtain an image;

and

removing preprinted marks from the image.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the preprinted marks comprise lines.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein reading the annotation from the media item comprises:

retrieving a previously stored media item; and

extracting differences between the previously stored media item with the received annotated media item.

33. A method of providing differentiated access to a collection of information, the method comprising:

generating a first pointer to a collection of information, the first pointer further specifying a first access level from a plurality of access levels;

outputting a representation of the first pointer.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first pointer identifies a directory containing the collection, the directory further containing a file indicating the first access level.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the first pointer specifies the first access level by identifying a file indicating the access level.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising generating a machine-readable indicium representing the first pointer, wherein outputting the representation of the first pointer comprises outputting a document including the machine-readable indicium.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein outputting the document comprises printing a paper coversheet.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the paper coversheet comprises a collection overview, and wherein the first pointer specifies a first access level for a first region within the collection overview, and wherein the first pointer further specifies a second access level for a second region within the collection overview.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the indicium comprises a machine-readable code.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising generating a second pointer to the collection, the second pointer specifying a second access level different from the first access level.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

generating a first machine-readable indicium representing the first pointer, wherein outputting the representation of the first pointer comprises outputting a first document including the first machine-readable indicium;

generating a second pointer to the collection, the second pointer specifying a second access level different from the first access level; and

generating a second machine-readable indicium representing the second pointer; and

outputting a second document including the second machine-readable indicium.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein outputting the first document comprises printing a first paper coversheet and outputting the second document comprises printing a second paper coversheet.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein outputting the first document further comprises printing, on the first paper coversheet, a collection identifier that uniquely identifies the collection, and wherein outputting the second document further comprises printing, on the second paper coversheet, the same collection identifier.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of access levels comprises at least one access level selected from the group consisting of:

administrator;

edit;

delete;

read-only; and

add-only.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of access levels comprises at least one access level specifying that access permissions should be inherited from a containing collection.

46. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of access levels comprises at least one access level specifying that access permissions should be applied to documents within a containing collection.

47. The method of claim 33, wherein the collection comprises a plurality of documents.

48. The method of claim 33, wherein the collection comprises at least one multimedia item.

49. The method of claim 33, wherein the collection comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

documents;

images;

files;

video data; and

audio data.

50. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving the representation of the first pointer;

reading the representation; and

providing access to the collection, according to the first access level.

51. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving the representation of the first pointer;

reading the representation;

receiving a signal indicating a request for access to the collection; and

responsive to the requested access conforming with the first access level, providing the requested access.

52. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving the representation of the first pointer;

reading the representation;

receiving a signal indicating a request for access to the collection; and

responsive to the requested access not conforming with the first access level, denying the request for access.

53. The method of claim 33, wherein the representation further indicates at least one criterion for changing the access level.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the criterion for changing the access level comprises an expiry criterion.

55. The method of claim 33, further comprising outputting a collection identifier that uniquely identifies the collection.

56. A method of providing differentiated access to a collection of information, the method comprising:

receiving a first document comprising a first machine-readable indicium representing a first pointer to a collection of information, the first pointer specifying a first access level for accessing the collection;

generating a second pointer to the collection, the second pointer specifying a second access level different from the first access level;

generating a second machine-readable indicium representing the second pointer; and

outputting a second document including the second machine-readable indicium.

57. A method of providing differentiated access to a collection of information, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a first access level for a first recipient from a plurality of access levels;

receiving a selection of a second access level for a second recipient from a plurality of access levels;

generating a first machine-readable indicium pointing to a collection of information, the first indicium further indicating the first access level;

generating a second machine-readable indicium pointing to the same collection of information, the second indicium further indicating the second access level;

outputting a first document including the generated first machine-readable indicium; and

outputting a second document including the generated second machine-readable indicium.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein each machine-readable indicium corresponds to a collection identifier.

59. A method of providing differentiated access to a collection of information, the collection comprising a plurality of items, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a first access level for a first subset of items in the collection;

receiving a selection of a second access level for a second subset of items in the collection;

generating a machine-readable indicium pointing to the collection, the indicium further indicating the first access level for the first subset of items and the second access level for the second subset of items; and

outputting a document including the generated machine-readable indicium.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising generating a collection overview representing the collection, wherein the first access level is associated with a first region within the collection overview, and wherein the second access level is associated with a second region within the collection overview.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein each of the regions within the collection overview contains at least one item.

62. A computer program product for providing differentiated access to a collection of information, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, encoded on the medium, for;

generating a first pointer to a collection of information, the first pointer further specifying a first access level from a plurality of access levels;

outputting a representation of the first pointer.

63. A system for providing differentiated access to a collection of information, the computer program product comprising:

a first pointer to a collection of information, the first pointer specifying a first access level from a plurality of access levels; and

an output device, for outputting a representation of the first pointer.

64. A file for specifying access levels, comprising:

at least two resource identifier paths; and

for each of the resource identifier paths, an indication of access rights;

wherein the access rights for a first resource identifier path differ from the access rights for a second resource identifier path pointing to the same resource.

65. The file of claim 64, further comprising, for at least one of the resource identifier paths:

an indication of a geographic region within a collection representation; and

an indication of access rights for items within the geographic region.

66. The file of claim 64, wherein at least one of the resource identifier paths identifies a collection.

67. The file of claim 64, further comprising, for at least one of the resource identifier paths, and indication that access rights should be inherited from a containing collection.