IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SERVER, DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT CONTROL METHOD

• US 20070185885A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tamura, Makiya
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

An image processing apparatus communicates with a document management server and a client apparatus. The image processing apparatus receives document entity data and document property information required for determining accessibility to the document entity data stores the received document entity data in a storage unit. The image processing apparatus transmits document property information to the document management server and requests the document management server to perform document registration. The image processing apparatus sends, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the stored document entity data, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus. The image processing apparatus controls transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an obtained inquiry result received from the document management server.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus capable of communicating with a document management server and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an input unit configured to input document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data;

a storage unit configured to store the document entity data entered by the input unit;

a first registration request unit configured to transmit document property information of document entity data stored in the storage unit to the document management server and request the document management server to perform document registration;

an inquiry unit configured to send, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the document entity data stored in the storage unit, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus; and

a control unit configured to control transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an inquiry result obtained by the inquiry unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document property information required for determining accessibility to the document entity data comprises access right information of each user, wherein the inquiry unit sends an inquiry about accessibility to the requested document entity data to the document management server, based on user information obtained from the client apparatus.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document property information required for determining accessibility to the document entity data comprises password information, wherein the inquiry unit sends an inquiry about accessibility to the requested document entity data to the document management server, based on password information obtained from the client apparatus.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit optically scans a paper document to generate the document entity data and receives document entity data via a network or a public telephone network.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second registration request unit configured to transmit, at specific timing, the document entity data registered and stored in the storage unit to the document management server and request registration of the document entity data.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the specific timing includes a pre-designated time, selection of a power saving state in the image processing apparatus, or turning off of a power source of the image processing apparatus.

7. A document management server capable of communicating with an image processing apparatus and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the document management server comprising:

a registration unit configured to respond to a document registration request including property information for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and register a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;

a first reply unit configured to receive a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the property information registered in the registration unit and transmit information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus; and

a second reply unit configured to receive, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the document entity data registered in the registration unit, and determine accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmit the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

8. The document management server according to claim 7, wherein the information required for determining accessibility to the document entity data is access right information of each user, wherein the second reply unit determines accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the user information included in the inquiry information and transmits the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

9. The document management server according to claim 7, wherein the information required for determining accessibility to the document entity data is password information, wherein the second reply unit determines accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the password information included in the inquiry information and transmits the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

10. The document management server according to claim 7, wherein the first reply unit transmits, to the client apparatus, the information indicating the storage destination of the requested document entity data, and controls the client apparatus to execute an inquiry to the storage destination of the requested document entity data.

11. The document management server according to claim 7, wherein if document entity data corresponding to the registered property information is received as a document registration request from the image processing apparatus, the registration unit registers the received entity data as entity data of the registered document.

12. The document management server according to claim 7, wherein if non-registered document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, the first reply unit transmits the information indicating the storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus, and if registered entity data is requested by the client apparatus, the first reply unit transmits the registered document data to the client apparatus.

13. A system comprising:

an image processing apparatus coupled to a network, the image processing apparatus configured to receive document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data, and to store the document entity data in a storage unit,

a document management server coupled to the network, and

a client apparatus coupled to the network, wherein the image processing apparatus, the document management server and the client apparatus are capable of communicating with each other via the network,

wherein the image processing apparatus requests the document management server to perform registration of the received document entity data based on the document property information,

wherein, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, the image processing apparatus determines whether or not to transmit the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an accessibility inquiry response received from the document management server.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the image processing apparatus comprises:

an input unit configured to receive document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data;

a storage unit configured to store the document entity data received by the input unit;

a first registration request unit configured to transmit document property information of document entity data stored in the storage unit to the document management server and request the document management server to perform document registration;

an inquiry unit configured to send, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the document entity data stored in the storage unit, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus; and

a control unit configured to control transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an inquiry result obtained by the inquiry unit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the document management server comprises:

a registration unit configured to respond to a document registration request including property information required for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and register a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;

a first reply unit configured to receive a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the property information registered in the registration unit and transmit information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus; and

a second reply unit configured to receive, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the document entity data registered in the registration unit, and determine accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmit the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the client apparatus comprises:

a first acquisition unit configured to transmit an acquisition request of document entity data registered in the document management server and obtain information indicating a storage destination of the document entity data from the document management server; and

a second acquisition unit configured to transmit an acquisition request of document data including user information to the storage destination of the document entity data obtained by the first acquisition unit and obtain the document entity data.

17. A method performed in an image processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with a document management server and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the method comprising:

receiving document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data;

storing the document entity data in a storage unit;

transmitting document property information of stored document entity data to the document management server and requesting the document management server to perform document registration;

sending, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the stored document entity data, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus; and

controlling transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an obtained inquiry result.

18. A method performed in a document management server that is capable of communicating with an image processing apparatus and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the method comprising:

responding to a document registration request including property information required for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and registering a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;

receiving a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the registered property information and transmitting information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus; and

receiving, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the registered document entity data corresponding to the registered property information, and determining accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmitting the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

19. A storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an image processing apparatus, causes the image processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data;

storing the document entity data in a storage unit;

transmitting document property information of stored document entity data to the document management server and requesting the document management server to perform document registration;

sending, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the stored document entity data, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus; and

controlling transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an obtained inquiry result.

20. A storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a document management server that is capable of communicating with an image processing apparatus and a client apparatus, causes the document management server to perform operations comprising:

responding to a document registration request including property information required for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and registering a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;

receiving a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the registered property information and transmitting information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus; and

receiving, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the registered document entity data corresponding to the registered property information, and determining accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmitting the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.