Digital multifunctional apparatus and data terminal apparatus connected therewith

• US 6,650,794 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US09/610,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 382/112, 382/172, 382/180, 382/190, 382/193, 382/194, 382/195, 382/197, 382/201, 382/203, 382/204, 382/206, 382/209, 382/217, 382/218, 382/219, 382/278, 382/282, 382/303, 382/305, 382/306, 382/307, 382/317, 358/401, 358/403, 358/405, 358/408, 358/426.02, 358/426.06, 358/426.11, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 707/10, 707/7, 707/102
• US Class Current: 382/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• 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 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32512 of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32529 of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32593 Using a plurality of controllers, e.g. for controlling different interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A digital multifunctional apparatus includes a printer, a scanner and a memory. A document code is stored in the memory and printed on a management document when a scanned document is stored in the memory. The document code identifies the scanned document. The apparatus comprises a receiver configured to receive data from an external data source. The memory is configured to store the data received from the external data source. A generator generates a document code that identifies the data received by the receiver. Further, a transmitter transmits the document code to the external data source to enable access by the external data source to the data in the memory identified by the document code.

Claims

1. A digital multifunctional apparatus comprising:

a scanner that scans a document image;

a communicator that communicates with a client through a communication network;

a storage that stores at least one document;

a document registrator that stores a document image scanned by said scanner and data received by said communicator in said storage as a registered document, creates a document code and managing information, said document code comprising a unique code for the registered document, said managing information including a storage address of the registered document associated with the document code;

a notifier that, when said registered document is requested by a signal from the client, transfers the document code of said registered document to said communicator so that the document code is sent to the client via the communication network;

an outputter that creates an identification mark indicating said document code and outputs a managing document combining said identification mark and at least part of said registered document; and

a document searcher configured to search for a document in said storage, said searcher configured to analyze the identification mark included in a scanned image of the managing document scanned by said scanner to recognize the document code to acquire the storage address corresponding to the recognized document code from said managing information and to extract the document from the acquired storage address.

2. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said document registrator stores the document to be registered in said storage in response to receipt of a request from the client, via a network, for document registration.

3. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said document searcher searches for a desired document in response to a request from the client, said document searcher receives a document code of the desired document from the client via a network and detects a document code matching the received document code from said managing information.

4. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client manages at least one document under a document managing system which is different from a document managing system of said digital multifunctional apparatus.

5. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said document code is configured as a combination of a document ID and other information.

6. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said other information includes at least one of an apparatus ID of the digital multifunctional apparatus, user ID and manufacturer ID.

7. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation panel configured to input a registration instruction to said document registrator, a search instruction to said document searcher, and other predetermined instructions;

a facsimile section that transmits/receives images via a telephone line; and

a printer that is configured to print a registered document, said managing document, an image scanned by said scanner and an image received by said facsimile section.

8. A computer including a display and an input device, comprising:

a recording medium that stores programs;

a processor that reads a program stored in said recording medium and performs a processing according to the program;

a memory in which data generated by said processor is stored; and

a communicator that communicates with a digital multifunctional apparatus via a network,

wherein said recording medium stores a first program which is executable to obtain a document and a second program which is executable to transfer a document,

said first program instructing said processor to create a document in accordance with a signal input by said input device, to display the document on said display, and to create managing information including the document name, input from said input device, and a storage location in said memory when the document is stored at the storage location,

said second program, upon receipt of an instruction from said input device that the document should be stored in said digital multifunctional apparatus, instructs said processor to transfer the document from said memory via said communicator to said digital multifunctional apparatus and, when said communicator receives a document code from said digital multifunctional apparatus, links said document code with the document name in said managing information.

9. The computer according to claim 8, wherein said recording medium further stores a third program that searches for a document, said third program, when instructed by said input device to search for a document with a designated document name, instructs said processor to search the storage location of the designated document corresponding to said document name in said managing information, to extract the document code corresponding to said document name, to request transfer of the document associated with said document code by said communicator from said digital multifunctional apparatus when the storage location is in said digital multifunctional apparatus, and to receive the requested document from said digital multifunctional apparatus.

10. A digital multifunctional apparatus including a printer, a scanner and a memory, wherein a document code is stored in the memory and printed on a management document when a scanned document is stored in the memory, the document code identifying the scanned document, the digital multifunctional apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive data from an external data source;

the memory configured to store data received from the external data source;

a generator that generates a document code that identifies the data received by said receiver; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the document code to the external data source to enable access, by the external data source, to the data in the memory identified by the document code.

11. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said transmitter transmits the document code into a table provided in the external data source, the table storing a listing of document codes and corresponding file names.

12. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the external data source comprises a personal computer connected to the digital multifunctional apparatus by a network.

13. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a retriever that, when a document code is received from the external data source, retrieves data stored in said memory of the multifunctional apparatus by using the document code received from the external data source.

14. The digital multifunctional apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the data stored in the memory is accessible from the external data source by input of a file name, whereby data is accessed using document code associated with the input file name.

15. A data terminal apparatus connected to a digital multifunctional apparatus, the digital multifunctional apparatus printing a document code on a management document when a scanned document is stored in memory, the document code identifying the scanned document, the data terminal apparatus comprising:

a generator that generates a file name corresponding to created data;

a transmitter configured to transmit the data to the digital multifunctional apparatus to store the data into the memory of the digital multifunctional apparatus;

a receiver configured to receive a document code corresponding to the transmitted data from the digital multifunctional apparatus, the document code being utilized to manage the transmitted data in the digital multifunctional apparatus; and

a table that stores the document code received by said receiver, corresponding to the generated file name, the data corresponding to the file name being accessible from the digital multifunctional apparatus by use of the document code.

16. The data terminal apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a searcher that, when a file name corresponding to a desired data stored in the digital multifunctional apparatus is input, searches for a document code corresponding to the input file name in said table, and transfers the searched document code to the digital multifunctional apparatus to enable retrieving of the desired data.

17. A method for storing data into a memory of a digital multifunctional apparatus including a memory, a printer and a scanner, wherein a document code is stored in the memory and printed on a management document when a scanned document is stored in the memory, the document code identifying the scanned document, the method comprising:

receiving the data from an external data source;

storing the data received from the external data source;

generating a document code that identifies the stored data; and

transmitting the document code to the external data source to enable access by the external data source to the stored data identified by the document code.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising retrieving, when a document code is received from the external data source, stored data by using the document code transmitted from the external data source.

19. A method for storing data, using a terminal apparatus connected to a digital multifunctional apparatus, the digital multifunctional apparatus printing a document code on a management document when a scanned document is stored in memory, the document code identifying the scanned document, the method comprising:

generating a file name corresponding to created data;

transmitting the data to the digital multifunctional apparatus to store the data into the memory of the digital multifunctional apparatus;

receiving a document code corresponding to the transmitted data from the digital multifunctional apparatus, the document code being utilized to manage the transmitted data in the digital multifunctional apparatus; and

storing the received document code corresponding to the generated file name into a table, the data corresponding to the file name being accessible from the digital multifunctional apparatus by use of the document code.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

searching a document code corresponding to the input file name from the table when a file name corresponding to a desired data stored in the digital multifunctional apparatus is input; and

transferring the searched document code to the digital multifunctional apparatus to retrieve the desired data.