Data file management apparatus, image forming apparatus, method of managing a data file, data file management program and program recording medium

• US 20060265389A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Kenichi, Yamahata, Taketoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A data file management apparatus capable of avoiding the unauthorized deletion of a file shared by a plurality of users. In the apparatus connected to a network and having the function to store the data file in such as to be shared by the users, the address information of the joint file users permitted to share the data file are registered-while being related to the data file at the time of data file storage, and in response to a data file deletion request, a message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion is sent to the registered address information. Upon receiving a message returned from a joint file user not to consent to the data file deletion within a predetermined period from the confirming message transmission, the data file is not deleted, while the data file is deleted otherwise.

Claims

1. A data file management apparatus connected to a network and having the function of accumulating a data file that can be shared by a plurality of users, comprising:

a register for registering an address information of a plurality of joint file users permitted to share the data file while being related to the data file at the time of accumulating the data file;

a transmitter for transmitting a message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion to the address information registered in the register in response to a data file deletion request; and

a deletion controller for not executing the data file deletion in the case where a message not consenting to the deletion of the data file is returned from the joint file user within a predetermined period from the message transmission by the transmitter and executing the data file in the other cases.

2. The data file management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitter transmits the message confirming the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion only to the address information of the joint file users who have not yet accessed the data file to be deleted.

3. The data file management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitter, upon receipt of the message not consenting to the data file deletion from the joint file users and upon lapse of a predetermined length of time from the receipt, transmits the message again to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion.

4. The data file management apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the transmitter progressively shortens a timing of transmitting each message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion.

5. The data file management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitter transmits a data file to be deleted to the sender of the message not consenting to the data file deletion, and

wherein the deletion controller deletes the data file after the transmitter transmits the data file to be deleted.

6. A data file management apparatus connected to a network and having the function to accumulate a data file that can be shared by a plurality of users, comprising:

a register for registering an address information of a plurality of joint file users permitted to share the data file together with the address information of a data file accumulator while being related to the data file at the time of accumulating the data file;

a memory for recording, after the data file accumulation, selected one of the joint file users who have accessed the data file and the joint file users who have yet to access the data file; and

a transmitter for transmitting, to the address information of the data file accumulator registered in the register, the address information of the joint file users who have not accessed the data file as determined by the information recorded in the memory and a message to the effect that the joint file users have not accessed the data file.

7. The data file management apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the transmitter attaches the data file to be deleted to the message transmitted to the address information of the data file accumulator registered in the register.

8. An image forming apparatus in which an image data file is generated by reading an original document, the apparatus being connected to a network and having the function of accumulating the image data file that can be shared by a plurality of users, comprising:

a register for registering an address information of a plurality of joint file users permitted to share the image data file while being related to the image data file at the time of accumulating the image data file;

a transmitter for transmitting a message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the image data file deletion to the address information registered in the register in response to an image data file deletion request; and

a deletion controller for not executing the image data file deletion in the case where a message not consenting to the deletion of the image data file is returned from the joint file user within a predetermined period from the message transmission by the transmitter and executing the image data file in the other cases.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the transmitter transmits the message confirming the consent of the joint file users about the image data file deletion only to the address information of the joint file users who have not yet accessed the image data file to be deleted.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the transmitter, upon receipt of the message not consenting to the image data file deletion from the joint file users and upon lapse of a predetermined length of time from the receipt, transmits a message again to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the image data file deletion.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the transmitter progressively shortens a timing of transmitting each message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the image data file deletion.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the transmitter transmits an image data file to be deleted to the sender of the message not consenting to the image data file deletion, and

wherein the deletion controller deletes the image data file after the transmitter transmits the image data file to be deleted.

13. A method of managing a data file in an apparatus connected to a network and having the function of accumulating a data file that can be shared by a plurality of users, the method comprising the steps of:

registering an address information of a plurality of joint file users permitted to share the data file while being related to the data file at the time of the data file accumulation;

transmitting a message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion to the registered address information in response to a data file deletion request; and

not executing the data file deletion in the case where a message not consenting to the data file deletion is returned from the joint file user within a predetermined period from the confirming message transmission and executing the data file deletion otherwise.

14. A data file management program for a data file management apparatus connected to a network and having the function of accumulating a data file that can be shared by a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

registering an address information of a plurality of joint file users permitted to share the data file while being related to the data file at the time of the data file accumulation;

transmitting a message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion to the registered address information in response to a data file deletion request; and

not executing the data file deletion in the case where a message not consenting to the data file deletion is returned from the joint file user within a predetermined period from the confirming message transmission and executing the data file deletion otherwise.

15. A recording medium for recording a data file management program in a data file management apparatus connected to a network and having the function of accumulating a data file that can be shared-by a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

registering an address information of a plurality of the joint file users permitted to share the data file while being related to the data file at the time of the data file accumulation;

transmitting a message to confirm the consent of the joint file users about the data file deletion to the registered address information in response to a data file deletion request; and

not executing the data file deletion in the case where a message not consenting to the data file deletion is returned from a joint file user within a predetermined period from the confirming message transmission and executing the data file deletion otherwise.