Method and apparatus for managing online and offline documents withRFID technology

• US 20060092024A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Jang, Jong Soo, Sohn, Sung Won, Lee, Joo Young, Moon, Ki Young, Kim, Ju Han
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00854 Recognising an unauthorised user or user-associated action
• 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 1/2187 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 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs

Abstract

Provided are a method and an apparatus for managing online and offline documents using RFID technology. The method includes: pre-registering online and offline documents using radio frequency identification tag information stored in at least one of the online and offline documents to be output; determining whether the pre-registered online and offline documents are authorized to be output; and if it is determined that the pre-registered online and offline documents are authorized to be output, generating documents of the online and offline documents to be output and storing new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags attached to the documents to be output.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing online and offline documents using radio frequency identification technology, comprising:

a document management server receiving radio frequency identification tag information stored in the online and offline documents from a document management client and a document output apparatus to manage the online and offline documents;

a receiver receiving extracted radio frequency identification tag information from one of the document management client and the document output apparatus;

a radio frequency identification tag information analyzer receiving and analyzing the radio frequency identification tag information and extracting history information of a document comprising the radio frequency identification tag information to generate a radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal;

a document management information register receiving the radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal to store the history information of the document and generating new radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in a document to be output using the history information;

a transmitter transmitting the new radio frequency identification tag information to one of the document management client and the document output apparatus extracting the radio frequency identification tag information; and

a controller controlling an output and a circulation of the document using the radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the document output apparatus receives output data of an online document to be output from the document management client and radio frequency identification tag information of the online document, transmits the radio frequency identification tag information to the document management server, receiving new radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in a document to be output, the document being generated by the document management server, and storing the radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags of the document to be output.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the document output apparatus extracts output data of an offline document to be output and radio frequency identification tag information of the offline document, transmits the radio frequency identification tag information to the document management server, receives the new radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in a document to be output, the document being generated by the document management server, and stores the new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags of the document to be output.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the document output apparatus is a receiver document output apparatus receiving output data of a document to be output, the document being transmitted from a transmitter document output apparatus to the document management server and radio frequency identification tag information using the output data, the radio frequency identification tag information, and receiver document output apparatus information, transmitting the radio frequency identification tag information to the document management server, receiving the new radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in a document to be output, the document being generated by the document management server, and storing the new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags of the document to be output.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio frequency identification reader extracting radio frequency identification tag information of an offline document and transmitting the radio frequency identification tag information to the document management server,

wherein the document management server obtains history information of the offline document using the radio frequency identification tag information to manage the offline document.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the document management server comprises:

an output authorization determiner determining whether a user is authorized to access an online or offline document using history information of the online or offline document obtained using the radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the output authorization determiner comprises:

a display unit displaying that the user is not authorized to access the online or offline document.

8. A document output apparatus receiving data of an online document to be output and radio frequency identification tag information stored in the online document data from a document management client to output the online document as an offline document, comprising:

a receiver receiving the data of the online document and the radio frequency identification tag information from the document management client and receiving new radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in radio frequency identification tags of a document to be output, the document being generated by a document management server, based on the radio frequency identification tag information;

a transmitter transmitting the radio frequency identification tag information to the document management server;

a printer output unit outputting an offline document based on the data of the online document and storing the new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags attached to the offline document; and

a controller transmitting the data of the online document and the new radio frequency identification tag information received from the receiver to the printer output unit.

9. A document output apparatus extracting an offline document to be output and radio frequency identification tag information stored in the offline document to output a new offline document, comprising:

a copy input unit extracting data of the offline document;

a radio frequency identification tag information extractor extracting the radio frequency identification tag information stored in radio frequency identification tags of the offline document;

a transmitter transmitting the radio frequency identification tag information extracted by the radio frequency identification tag information extractor to a document management server;

a receiver receiving the radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in radio frequency identification tags of a new offline document to be output from the document management server;

a copy output unit outputting the new offline document based on the data of the offline document to be output and storing the new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags attached to the new offline document; and

a controller transmitting the data of the offline document received from the copy input unit and the radio frequency identification tag information received from the receiver to the copy output unit.

10. A receiver document output apparatus receiving output data of a document to be output and radio frequency identification tag information from a document management server using the document transmitted from a transmitter document output apparatus to the document management server, the radio frequency identification tag information, and receiver document output apparatus information, comprising:

a receiver receiving the data of the document and the radio frequency identification tag information stored in the document from a document management client and receiving new radio frequency identification tag information to be stored in radio frequency identification tags of a document to be output, the document being generated by the document management server, based on the radio frequency identification information;

a transmitter transmitting the radio frequency identification tag information to the document management server;

a facsimile output unit outputting the offline document based on the data of the document and storing the new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags attached to the offline document; and

a controller transmitting the data of the online document and the new radio frequency identification tag information received from the receiver to the facsimile output unit.

11. A method of managing online and offline documents using a document management server receiving radio frequency identification tag information stored in the online and offline documents received from a document management client and a document output apparatus to manage the online and offline documents, comprising:

pre-registering online and offline documents using radio frequency identification tag information stored in at least one of the online and offline documents to be output;

determining whether the pre-registered online and offline documents are authorized to be output; and

if it is determined that the pre-registered online and offline documents are authorized to be output, generating documents of the online and offline documents to be output and storing new radio frequency identification tag information in radio frequency identification tags attached to the documents to be output.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein pre-registering the online and offline documents using the radio frequency identification tag information stored in the at least one of the online and offline documents to be output comprises:

setting security levels of the online and offline documents using the radio frequency identification tag information;

setting ranges in which the online and offline documents are output to determine a number of times online and offline documents are output and time limits for outputting the online and offline documents; and

setting ranges in which the online and offline documents are drained.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the pre-registered online and offline documents are authorized to be output comprises:

authenticating a user desiring to output the online and offline documents, using an encryptor; and

if the user desiring to output the online and offline documents are authenticated, authenticating access range of the online and offline documents according to the security levels using information as to the pre-registered online and offline documents.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the documents of the online and offline documents to be output and storing the new radio frequency identification tag information in the radio frequency identification tags attached to the documents to be output comprises:

receiving the new radio frequency identification tag information from the document management server;

storing the new radio frequency identification tag information in the radio frequency identification tags attached to the documents to be output; and

outputting the documents to which the RFID tags are attached.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

managing the output documents using a radio frequency identification reader.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein managing the output documents using the radio frequency identification reader comprises:

receiving the radio frequency identification tag information of the output documents using the radio frequency identification reader;

analyzing the radio frequency identification tag information to generate a radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal; and

managing history information of the output documents using the radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein managing the output documents using the radio frequency identification reader comprises:

receiving the radio frequency identification tag information of the output documents using the radio frequency identification reader;

analyzing the radio frequency identification tag information to generate a radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal;

determining whether the output documents comprise a document to be scraped, using the radio frequency identification tag information analysis signal; and

if it is determined that the output documents comprise the document to be scraped, checking a position of the document to be scraped to scrap the document.