Information management device, information management system, and computer usable medium

• US 20070100815A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yanagi, Satoru, Muroi, Kazushige, Aoki, Kazuma
• Application Number:
  US11/529,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

When a first period in which a target document is utilized overlaps with a second period in which a utilization document utilized, the target document and the utilization document are correlated with each other. When the utilization document is updated in the second period, a correlation score is given to the correlation between both, and then a document address for identifying the utilization document is preferentially output as being correlated with the target document in accordance with the correlation score.

Claims

1. An information management device comprising:

a data storage unit that stores a plurality of data;

a utilization unit that utilizes the data;

a period specifying unit that specifies a period in which the data is utilized by the utilization unit;

a utilization information specifying unit that specifies identification information to identify the data which is used by the utilization unit in the period specified by the period specifying unit and event information indicating a utilization form of the utilization unit;

a utilization information storage unit that correlates and stores the period, the identification information, and the event information which are specified by the period specifying unit and the utilization information specifying unit;

a correlation giving unit that correlates first data and second data with each other when a first period for the first data and a second period for the second data stored in the utilization information storage unit overlaps with each other;

a relevant information output unit that outputs second identification information to identify the second data correlated with the first data by the correlation giving unit;

an event information specifying unit that specifies the event information stored in the utilization information storage unit for the second data correlated by the correlation giving unit;

a score giving unit that gives a score to the correlation of the first data with the second data when the event information specified by the event information specifying unit indicates one utilization form and the utilization in the utilization form is performed in the second period; and

a relevant information output control unit that controls to output the second identification information, to which the score is given by the score giving unit, on the basis of the given score.

2. An information management system comprising:

an information management device comprising;

a data storage unit that stores a plurality of data;

a utilization unit that utilizes the data;

a period specifying unit that specifies a period in which the data is utilized by the utilization unit;

a utilization information specifying unit that specifies identification information to identify the data which is used by the utilization unit in the period specified by the period specifying unit and event information indicating a utilization form of the utilization unit;

a utilization information storage unit that correlates and stores the period, the identification information, and the event information which are specified by the period specifying unit and the utilization information specifying unit;

a correlation giving unit that correlates first data and second data with each other when a first period for the first data and a second period for the second data stored in the utilization information storage unit overlaps with each other;

a relevant information output unit that outputs second identification information to identify the second data correlated with the first data by the correlation giving unit;

an event information specifying unit that specifies the event information stored in the utilization information storage unit for the second data correlated by the correlation giving unit;

a score giving unit that gives a score to the correlation of the first data with the second data when the event information specified by the event information specifying unit indicates one utilization form and the utilization in the utilization form is performed in the second period; and

a relevant information output control unit that controls to output the second identification information, to which the score is given by the score giving unit, on the basis of the given score; and

an external device which is connected to the information management device in a communication-practicable manner and has at least one function performing unit including an output unit that outputs data in response to a command from the information management device,

wherein the external device comprises a transmission unit that transmits process specifying information, which is used to specify a process on condition that the process is performed by the function performing unit, to the information management device,

wherein the information management device comprises;

a reception unit that receives the process specifying information transmitted from the external device;

a process information storage unit that correlates and stores the process specifying information received by the reception unit with third identification information to identify the data as a target of the process; and

a process detail determining unit to determine that the process specifying information stored in the process information storage unit is associated with the output unit,

wherein the utilization units instruct the external device to output the data, and

wherein the correlation giving unit correlates data associated with the third identification information correlated and stored with the process specifying information as a target of the determination and a period correlated with the data associated with the third identification with each other as the first data and the first period, when the process detail determining unit determines that the process specifying information is associated with the output unit.

3. A computer usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions enabling a computer to perform predetermined operations including the steps of:

storing a plurality of data;

utilizing the data;

period specifying for specifying a period in which the data are utilized;

utilization information specifying for specifying identification information to identify the data which is used by the utilizing in the period specified by the period specifying and event information indicating a utilization form of the utilizing;

utilization information storing for correlating and storing the period, the identification information, and the event information which are specified by the period specifying and the utilization information specifying;

correlation giving for correlating first data and second data with each other when a first period for the first data and a second period for the second data stored in the utilization information storing overlaps with each other;

a relevant information outputting for outputting second identification information to identify the second data correlated with the first data by the correlation giving;

event information specifying for specifying the event information stored in the utilization information storing for the second data correlated by the correlation giving;

score giving for giving a score to the correlation of the first data with the second data when the event information specified by the event information specifying indicates one utilization form and the utilization in the utilization form is performed in the second period; and

relevant information output controlling for controlling to output the second identification information, to which the score is given by the score giving, on the basis of the given score.