Document storing and managing system

• US 5,819,295 A
• Filed: 09/26/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Aki, Hata, Tsutomu, Kanno, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLACE, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/721,077
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 395/712, 395/703, 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A document storing and managing system for storing plural electronic documents in each of folders according to classifications and managing the stored electronic documents in a unit of the folder has a folder managing means for managing attributes of the electronic documents included in each of the folders, a document version managing means for managing information as to version of the electronic documents included in each of the folder, and a folder version managing means for managing a correspondence relation between a version of the folder and a version of each of the electronic documents included in the folder. The document storing and managing system of this invention may set and manage a version of a folder while keeping adjustability with a version of each document.

Claims

1. A document storing and managing system for storing plural electronic documents in each of folders according to classifications and managing the stored electronic documents in a unit of said folder comprising:

a folder managing means for managing attributes of said electronic documents included in each of said folders;

a document version managing means for managing information as to versions of said electronic documents included in each of said folders; and

a folder version managing means for managing a correspondence relation between a version of said folder and a version of each of said electronic documents included in said folder.

2. The document storing and managing system according to claim 1 further comprising a library managing means for collecting a plurality of said folders to manage them.

3. The document storing and managing system according to claim 1, wherein said folder version managing means manages a correspondence relation between a version of said folder and a version of said electronic document selected by the user correspondingly thereto.

4. The document storing and managing system according to claim 1, wherein if the user omits designation of a version of said electronic document, said folder version managing means assumes that the latest version is selected so as to set said correspondence relation of said electronic document.

19. The document storing and managing system according to claim 1, wherein said folder version managing means manages said correspondence relation so that said version of said folder is a collection of specific versions of said electronic documents included therein.

5. A document storing and managing system for storing plural electronic documents in each of a plurality of folders according to classifications and managing the stored electronic documents in a unit of said folder comprising:

a folder managing means for managing attributes of said electronic documents included in each of said folders;

a document version managing means for managing information as to versions of said electronic documents included in each of said folders;

a folder version managing means for managing a correspondence relation between a version of said folder and a version of each of said electronic documents included in said folder;

a folder retrieving means for retrieving a folder including an electronic document or a classification coinciding with designated retrieval conditions among designated objects of retrieval; and

a document retrieving means for retrieving an electronic document that is an object of said retrieval included in the retrieved folder.

6. The document storing and managing system according to claim 5, wherein said folder retrieving means retrieves a folder in a version designated as an object of retrieval.

7. The document storing and managing system according to claim 6, wherein said folder that is an object of the retrieval has n designated versions, said n versions counted from the latest version of said folder in the order of their ages.

8. The document storing and managing system according to claim 5, wherein said document retrieving means retrieves electronic documents included in the folder in a version retrieved by said folder retrieving means and presents a result of the retrieval.

9. The document storing and managing system according to claim 5, wherein as said retrieval conditions, a classification/document name and a keyword included in said classification/document name are designated.

10. The document storing and managing system according to claim 9, wherein said designation of a classification/document name is made in a regular expression.

11. A document storing and managing system for storing plural electronic documents in each of folders according to classifications and managing the stored electronic documents in a unit of said folder comprising:

a folder managing means for managing attributes of said electronic documents included in each of said folders;

a document version managing means for managing information as to versions of said electronic documents included in each of said folders;

a folder version managing means for managing a correspondence relation between a version of said folder and a version of each of said electronic documents included in said folder; and

a document entity moving means for moving a place for storing files of all electronic documents in designated versions in said folder.

12. The document storing and managing system according to claim 11, wherein said document entity moving means moves said place for storing files of the electronic documents to a low-speed, large-capacity medium.

13. The document storing and managing system according to claim 12, wherein said document entity moving means designates a document in a version which exceeds a predetermined number counted from the latest version of said folder as an object of the move.

14. The document storing and managing means according to claim 12, wherein said document entity moving means designates as an object of the move a document in a version stored for a period which exceeds a predetermined period elapsed from when said document was made.

20. The document storing and managing system according to claim 11, wherein said folder version managing means manages said correspondence relation so that said version of said folder is a collection of specific versions of said electronic documents included therein.

15. A document storing and managing system for storing plural electronic documents in each of folders according to classifications and managing the stored electronic documents in a unit of said folder comprising:

a folder managing means for managing attributes of said electronic documents included in each of said folders;

a document version managing means for managing information as to versions of said electronic documents included in each of said folder;

a folder version managing means for managing a correspondence relation between a version of said folder and a version of each of said electronic documents included in said folder; and

a document entity deleting means for deleting files of all electronic documents in designated versions in said folder.

16. The document storing and managing system according to claim 15, wherein said document entity deleting means designates a document in a version which exceeds a predetermined number counted from the latest version of said folder as an object of the deletion.

17. The document storing and managing means according to claim 15, wherein said document entity deleting means designates as an object of the deletion a document in a version stored for a period which exceeds a predetermined period elapsed from when said document was made.

18. A document storing and managing system for storing plural electronic documents in each of folders according to classifications and managing the stored electronic documents in a unit of said folder comprising:

a folder managing means for managing attributes of said electronic documents included in each of said folder;

a document version managing means for managing information as to versions of said electronic documents included in said folder;

a folder version managing means for managing a correspondence relation between a version of said folder and a version of each of said electronic documents included in said folder;

a distribution information managing means for managing distribution information designating a distribution destination of a specific electronic document included in a specific folder; and

a document distributing means for copying said specific electronic document included in the latest version of said folder as the latest version of a specific electronic document of a folder that is a distribution destination according to said distribution information to update a version of said folder that is the distribution destination.