Electronic document management system

• US 6,237,099 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1997
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US08/800,113
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 395/186, 395/187.01, 395/188.01, 380/3, 380/4, 380/23, 380/25, 707/1, 707/8, 707/9, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 711/163
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

An electronic document management system comprising access right list assignment unit for assigning an access right list setting an authorization system name, user name, and access right to an electronic document, access authorization unit for inquiring of an authorization system specified by a user who the user is when the electronic document is opened, and access right recognition means for recognizing the access right assigned to the authorized user from the access right list. To open an electronic document, the user is authorized in the authorization system specified by the user and the access right assigned to the authorized user is recognized from the access right list, then display and edit unit opens the electronic document in accordance with the recognized access right, whereby if the electronic documents confidential in each system are moved to another system, the access rights are also moved with the electronic documents, so that security of the electronic documents can be provided.

Claims

1. An electronic document management system for an information processing system having at least one authorization system for checking a user for validity and authorizing the user if the user is valid and means for storing electronic documents, the electronic document management system comprising:

access right list assignment means for assigning an access right list to an electronic document, the access right list comprising information for identifying a user authorized to access the electronic document and information for identifying an authorization system corresponding to the authorized user so as to control access to the electronic document when the document is copied or moved to a different type authorization system;

input means for accepting an access request from a user requesting access to at least one electronic document stored in the electronic document storage means;

access authorization means for determining which of the authorization systems to request authorization for the user requesting access and gaining authorization from the determined authorization system;

access right recognition means for checking the access right list assigned to the electronic document requested to be accessed to determine whether the user authorized by the authorization system has access to the electronic document requested to be accessed and determining whether the access to the electronic document is allowed or denied based on a result of the checking; and

means for performing processing responsive to the entered access request only if the access is determined to be allowed by said access right recognition means.

2. The electronic document management system as claimed in claim 1, further including means for compressing the electronic document to which the access right list is assigned and means for decompressing compressed electronic documents stored in the electronic document storage means.

3. The electronic document management system as claimed in claim 1, further including means for coding the electronic document to which the access right list is assigned and means for decoding coded electronic documents stored in the electronic document storage means.

4. The electronic document management system as claimed in claim 1, further including means for compressing and coding the electronic document to which the access right list is assigned and means for decompressing and decoding compressed and coded electronic documents stored in the electronic document storage means.

5. An electronic document management system for an information processing system having at least one authorization system for checking a user for validity and authorizing the user if the user is valid and means for storing electronic documents, said electronic document management system comprising:

access right list assignment means for assigning an access right list to an electronic document, the access right list comprising information for identifying a user authorized to access the electronic document and information for specifying an access type assigned to the user and information for identifying an authorization system corresponding to the authorized user so as to control access to the electronic document when the document is copied or moved to a different type authorization system;

input means for accepting an access request from a user requesting access to at least one electronic document stored in the electronic document storage means;

access authorization means for determining which of the authorization systems to request authorization for the user requesting access and gaining authorization from the determined authorization system;

access right recognition means for checking the access right list assigned to the electronic document requested to be accessed to determine whether the user authorized by the authorization system has access to the electronic document requested to be accessed and determining whether the access to the electronic document is allowed or denied based on a result of the checking; and

means for determining the access type of the access right list and performing processing responsive to the entered access request only if the access is determined to be allowed by said access right recognition means.

6. The electronic document management system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the access type includes a document content reference right, a document content update right, a document attribute change right, and a document right change right.

7. An electronic document management system for an information processing system having at least one authorization system for checking a user for validity and authorizing the user if the user is valid and means for storing electronic documents each with an access right list comprising information for identifying a user authorized to access the electronic document and information for identifying an authorization system corresponding to the authorized user so as to control access to the electronic document when the document is copied or moved to a different type authorization system, said electronic document management system comprising:

input means for accepting an access request from a user requesting access to at least one electronic document stored in the electronic document storage means;

access authorization means for determining which of the authorization systems to request authorization for the user requesting access and gaining authorization from the determined authorization system;

access right recognition means for checking the access right list assigned to the electronic document requested to be accessed to determine whether the user authorized by the authorization system has access to the electronic document requested to be accessed and determining whether the access to the electronic document is allowed or denied based on a result of the checking; and

means for performing processing responsive to the entered access request only if the access is determined to be allowed by said access right recognition means.

8. An electronic document management system for an information processing system having at least one authorization system for checking a user for validity and authorizing the user if the user is valid and means for storing electronic documents each with an access right list comprising information for identifying a user authorized to access the electronic document and information for specifying an access type assigned to the user and information for identifying an authorization system corresponding to the authorized user so as to control access to the electronic document when the document is copied or moved to a different type authorization system, said electronic document management system comprising:

input means for accepting an access request from a user requesting access to at least one electronic document stored in the electronic document storage means;

access authorization means for determining which of the authorization systems to request authorization for the user requesting access and gaining authorization from the determined authorization system;

access right recognition means for checking the access right list assigned to the electronic document requested to be to determine whether the user authorized by the authorization system has access to the electronic document requested to be accessed and determining whether the access to the electronic document is allowed or denied based on a result of the checking; and

means for setting the access type on the access right list and performing processing responsive to the entered access request only if the access is determined to be allowed by said access right recognition means.

9. A method for controlling an access right to an electronic document wherein the access right covers different authorization systems, comprising the step of:

(a) assigning an access right list to the electronic document wherein the access right list comprises information for identifying a user authorized to access the electronic document and information for identifying an authorization system corresponding to the user so as to control access to the electronic document when the document is copied or moved to a different type authorization system;

(b) obtaining an input authorization system name, a user name, and a password from a user requesting access to the electronic document;

(c) obtaining authorization from the authorization system corresponding to the input authorization system name;

(d) checking the access list to determine if the access list contains information for identifying the user name and corresponding information for identifying the input authorization system name;

(e) allowing or denying access to the document based on the result of the step of checking.