Document management device and document management method

• US 20070047013A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawabuchi, Yoichi, Murakami, Masakazu, Ikenoue, Yoshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32502 in systems having a plurality of input or output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32523 a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information

Abstract

The document management device manages documents circulated to a reader according to a circulation tree and additional information added to the documents by the readers. The circulation tree indicates the circulation order of a plurality of readers, and includes at least a first group and a second group. The document management device includes: document circulation unit for enabling a reader of the circulation tree to read predetermined document data; recognition unit for recognizing additional information added by the reader as electronic data; and additional information management unit for managing the additional information by associating it with document data determined for each group to which the reader belongs.

Claims

1. A document management device for managing a document circulated to a reader in accordance with a circulation tree and additional information added to the document by the reader, the circulation tree indicating a circulation order of plurality of readers, and including at least a first group and a second group, the device comprising:

document circulation unit for enabling a reader of the circulation tree to read predetermined document data;

recognition unit for recognizing additional information added by the reader as electronic data; and

additional information management unit for managing the additional information by associating it with document data determined for each group to which the reader belongs.

2. The document management device according to claim 1, when a document circulated to a first reader of at least one of the groups is assumed as 0^th generation document data, the document circulation unit enables an n^th (n is an integer not less than 2) reader of the group to read n−

1^th generation document data which cumulatively includes 1^st to n−

1^th pieces of additional information added to the 0^th generation document data by the first reader to an n−

1^th reader of the first group, respectively.

3. The document management device according to claim 1, when a document circulated to an m^th (m is an integer not less than 1) reader of the circulation tree is assumed as m−

1^th generation document data, the document circulation unit enables an n^th (n is an integer larger than m and not less than

     2) reader of the circulation tree to read n−

1^th generation document data which cumulatively includes m^th to n−

1^th additional information added to the m−

1^th generation document data by an m^th reader to n−

1^th reader of the circulation tree.

4. The document management device according to claim 2, further comprising record unit for recording the 0^th generation document data, 1^st generation document data including the additional information added to the oth generation document data by the first reader, and 2^nd to n^th generation document data.

5. The document management device according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit recognizes the additional information based on a difference between document data including the additional information added by the reader and document data circulated to the reader.

6. The document management device according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit recognizes the additional information as document data when it is added as document data, and recognizes the additional information as image data when it is added as image data.

7. A document management method for managing a document circulated to a reader in accordance with a circulation tree and additional information added to the document by the reader, the circulation tree indicating a circulation order of a plurality of readers, and including at least a first group and a second group, the method comprising:

enabling a reader of the circulation tree to read predetermined document data;

recognizing additional information added by the reader as electronic data; and

managing the additional information by associating it with document data determined for each group to which the reader belongs.

8. The document management method according to claim 7, when a document circulated to a first reader of at least one of the groups is assumed as 0^th generation document data, in the step of enabling to read the document data, an n^th (n is an integer not less than 2) reader of the group is enabled to read n−

1^th generation document data which cumulatively includes 1^st to n−

1^th pieces of additional information added to the 0^th generation document data by the first reader to an n−

1^th reader of the first group, respectively.

9. The document management method according to claim 7, when a document circulated to an m^th (m is an integer not less than 1) reader of the circulation tree is assumed as m−

1^th generation document data, in the step of enabling to read the document data, an n^th (n is an integer larger than m and not less than

     2) reader of the circulation tree is enabled to read n−

1^th generation document data which cumulatively includes m^th to n−

1^th pieces of additional information added to the m−

1^th generation document data by an m^th reader to n−

1^th reader.

10. The document management method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of recording the 0^th generation document data, 1^st generation document data including the additional information added to the 0^th generation document data by the first reader, and 2^nd to n^th generation document data.

11. The document management method according to claim 7, wherein in the step of recognizing, the additional information is recognized based on a difference between document data including the additional information added by the reader and document data circulated to the reader.

12. The document management method according to claim 7, wherein in the step of recognizing, the additional information is recognized as document data when it is added as document data, and the additional information is recognized as image data when it is added as image data.

13. A document management program for prompting a computer to execute a document management method for managing a document circulated to a reader in accordance with a circulation tree and additional information added to the document by the reader, the circulation tree indicating a circulation order of a plurality of readers, and including at least a first group and a second group, the method comprising:

enabling a reader of the circulation tree to read predetermined document data;

recognizing additional information added by the reader as electronic data; and

managing the additional information by associating it with document data determined for each group to which the reader belongs.

14. A computer readable recording medium on which the document management program according to claim 13 is stored.