Handling digital documents in a networked system

• US 20060248579A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerritsen, Jeroen P.E., Janssen, Timotheus J.W.M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Digital documents are handled in networked document processing system that includes user workstations, document processing devices and a control system. A document storage is used for storing and managing digital documents associated with a user of a workstation. The control system includes a document email server where each email item in the server is linked with a digital document in the control system document storage. A processor manages the digital documents and keeps the owner of a digital document informed on the status thereof by synchronizing with the document email server so as to dynamically reflect status changes in the digital document files in corresponding email items for the owner. The workstations include a respective email client provided with at least one email folder linked to a user account in the document email server.

Claims

1. A method for handling documents in a digital document processing system, the system including a control system having a document storage for digital documents, at least one document processing device connected to the control system, and a plurality of user workstations that each include a respective email client, the plurality of user workstations and the control system including respective devices that enable bi-directional communication through a network, the method comprising the steps of:

storing and managing the digital documents in the document storage, each of the digital documents being related to a processing operation in the at least one document processing device and each of the digital documents being owned by one of the users of the plurality of workstations;

operating a document email server and generating therein a respective email item for each digital document in the document storage, the email item being linked with the digital document;

enabling email clients to access the email items in the document email server through a dedicated email folder coupled to a user account in the document email server; and

synchronizing the document email server and the document storage, so as to dynamically reflect status changes of digital document files in corresponding email items for the owner.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of synchronizing the document storage and the document email server so as to dynamically reflect manipulation of an email item in the dedicated email folder of an email client in a processing operation on a corresponding digital document file.

3. A document processing system, comprising:

a plurality of workstations, each of the workstations including a respective email client; and

a control system and at least one document processing device connected to the control system, the plurality of workstations and the control system including respective devices that enable bi-directional communication through a network, the control system including;

a document storage that stores and manages digital document files related to a processing operation in the at least one document processing device;

each digital document file being associated with a user of the plurality of workstations; and

a processor that, under control of a program, manages the digital document files and informs the user on the status of a digital document file associated with the user,

wherein the control system includes a document email server where each email item in the document email server is associated with at least one of the digital document files in the control system, each of the email clients is provided with at least one dedicated email folder linked to a user account in the document email server, and the processor is operative to synchronize the document email server and the document storage so as to dynamically reflect status changes of digital document files in corresponding email items for the user.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is also operative to synchronize the document storage and the document email server so as to dynamically reflect manipulation of an email item in the dedicated email folder of an email client in a processing operation on the corresponding digital document file.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein an email item and a digital document are linked by way of a copy of the digital document being attached to the email item.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein an email item and a digital document are linked by way of a copy of the digital document being attached to the email item.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is operative to synchronize with the document email server to detect a manipulation of an email item in the document email server and in response changing the status of the digital document file associated with the email item in dependence on the manipulation.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is operative to delete a digital document file in the document storage in response to determining that an email item associated with the digital document has been removed from said dedicated email folder of a user.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is operative to create a digital document file in the document storage in response to determining that an email item has been inserted in the dedicated email folder of a user.

10. The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one document processing device includes a digital document scan system and the processor is operative to create an email item in the document email server in response to a user creating a scan job, where an attachment to the email item includes a digital document generated by the scan system.

11. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one document processing device includes a digital document print system provided with a local user interface and wherein the processor is operative to update the status of a digital document stored in the document storage in response to a user creating a print job relating to said digital document at said local user interface.

12. The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one document processing device includes a digital document copy system including a scanner and a printer and the processor is operative to create an email item in the document email server in response to a user creating a copy job, where an attachment to the email item includes a digital document generated by the scanner.

13. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one document processing device has a local user interface for commanding operations involving digital document files, said local user interface being connected to the control system for manipulating digital document files stored in the document storage.

14. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is operative to indicate a type of digital document in a field of the associated email item.

15. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is operative to extract a title of a digital document and to specify it in a field of the associated email item.

16. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is operative to extract content of a digital document and to specify it in a field of the associated email item.

17. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is operative to specify a time of submission of a digital document in a field of the associated email item.

18. A computer program product for causing a processor to perform a method for handling documents in a digital document processing system, the system including a control system having a document storage for digital documents, at least one document processing device connected to the control system, and a plurality of user workstations that each include a respective email client, the plurality of user workstations and the control system including respective devices that enable bidirectional communication through a network, the computer program product for causing the processor to perform the steps of:

storing and managing the digital documents in the document storage, each of the digital documents being related to a processing operation in the at least one document processing device and each of the digital documents being owned by one of the users of the plurality of workstations;

operating a document email server and generating therein a respective email item for each digital document in the document storage, the email item being linked with the digital document;

enabling email clients to access the email items in the document email server through a dedicated email folder coupled to a user account in the document email server; and

synchronizing the document email server and the document storage, so as to dynamically reflect status changes of digital document files in corresponding email items for the owner.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer program product causes the processor to perform the further step of synchronizing the document storage and the document email server so as to dynamically reflect manipulation of an email item in the dedicated email folder of an email client in a processing operation on a corresponding digital document file.