Document conversion using an intermediate computer which retrieves and stores position information on document data

• US 6,848,079 B2
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Naoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar B
• Application Number:
  US09/074,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 707/523, 707/501, 707/513, 707/524, 707/203, 345/750, 345/751, 345/753, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715523-524, 715/500, 715/511, 709/203
• US Class Current: 715/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A document processing apparatus implemented in a client/server system to add and modify a document conversion function without modification for either client or server. The apparatus comprises a client requesting acquisition or storage of a document, a server performing management such as transfer and storage of the document, a network connecting the client and the server, and a proxy server existing on the network and relaying interaction between the client and the server. The proxy server has a document data conversion section for performing conversion of the document based on the structure of document.

Claims

1. A document conversion system connecting a first computer having document data and a second computer using said document data through a network, said system comprising:

a repeater computer, wherein said repeater computer sends to said first computer a request for transferring said document data when a request for transferring partial document data contained in said document data is received from said second computer, wherein said request for transferring said document data is created and output by said repeater computer based solely on information provided in said request for transferring said partial document data, and wherein said repeater computer extracts said partial document data from said document data and sends said partial document data to said second computer when said document data is received from said first computer,

wherein said partial document data, as extracted by said repeater computer, is processed by an application program running on said second computer, without any modification of said partial document data;

wherein said repeater computer comprises a document data conversion section, wherein said document data conversion section retrieves and stores position information on said partial document data in said document data from said transfer request for partial document data received from said second computer, and wherein said document data conversion section extracts said partial document data at a position corresponding to said position information said document data received from said first computer.

2. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said repeater computer comprises a document data storage section for storing either one or both of a duplicate of said document data that said first computer has or document data after said repeater computer has processed said document data.

3. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a storing medium configured to store a document conversion program, said document conversion program providing control of said repeater computer.

4. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said repeater computer comprises a processing request storage section for storing a processing request from said second computer for said document data.

5. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said storing medium also stores at least a portion of said document data when said document data is received from said first computer as a result of said first computer responding to said request for transferring said document data output by said repeater computer, to thereby lessen a number of accesses to said first computer by said repeater computer, and wherein said storing medium stores said portion of said document data even after said partial document data has been output by said repeater computer to said second computer.

6. A document conversion system connecting a first computer having document data and a second computer using said document data through a network, the system comprising:

a repeater computer, wherein said repeater computer sends a request to said first computer for transferring said document data when update data for updating said document data is received by said repeater computer as sent directly to said repeater computer from said second computer in an update request that does not pass through said first computer, wherein said request for transferring said document data is created and output by said repeater computer based on information provided in said update request, and wherein said repeater computer updates said document data with said update data and then sends said updated document data to said first computer when said document data is received from said first computer;

wherein said repeater computer comprises a document data conversion section, wherein said document data conversion section retrieves and stores position information in said document data indicating a position to be updated according to said update data from said transfer request for update data received from said second computer, and wherein said document data conversion section updates the position corresponding to said position information in said document data received from said first computer with the update data.

7. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said repeater computer comprises a document data storage section for storing either one or both of a duplicate of said document data that said first computer has or document data after said repeater computer has processed said document data.

8. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said repeater computer comprises a processing request storage section for storing a processing request from said second computer for said document data.

22. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 6, said repeater computer updates said document data based solely on said update data as provided by said second computer and does not perform any other updating of said document data.

23. The document conversion system as set forth in claim 6, wherein all document data that is sent between said first computer and said second computer must pass through said repeater computer.

9. A document conversion method for a repeater computer, said repeater computer being connected to a first computer having document data and a second computer using said document data through a network, and relaying transfer of document data between said first and second computers, said method comprising:

a first step for receiving, by said repeater computer, a request for transferring partial document data contained in said document data, the request for transferring said partial document data being created and output by said second computer;

a second step for sending, by said repeater computer, said transfer request for said document data to said first computer when said transfer request is received by said repeater computer in said first step;

a third step for receiving, by said repeater computer, said document data output by said first computer; and

a fourth step for extracting, by said repeater computer, said partial document data from said document data based solely on the request for transferring said document structure data, and for sending said partial document data to said second computer when said document data is received by said repeater computer in said third step,

wherein said partial document data, as extracted by said repeater computer, is processed by an application program running on said second computer, without any modification of said partial document data;

a fifth step for retrieving and storing, by said repeater computer, position information on said partial document data in said document data from said transfer request for partial document data, received from said second computer; and

a sixth step for extracting, by said repeater computer, said partial document data at a position corresponding to said position information in said document data received by said repeater computer as output from said first computer.

10. The document conversion method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a step for storing, by said repeater computer, either one or both of a duplicate of said document data that said first computer has or document data after said repeater computer has processed said document data.

11. The document conversion method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a step for storing, by said repeater computer, a processing request from said second computer for said document data.

12. A document conversion method for a repeater computer, said repeater computer being connected to a first computer having document data and a second computer using said document data through a network, and relaying transfer of document data between said first and second computers, said method comprising:

a first step for receiving, by said repeater computer, update data for updating said document data, the update data being included in an update request output by said second computer and which is sent directly to said repeater computer from said second computer;

a second step for sending, by said repeater computer, a transfer request for said document data to said first computer when said update data is received by said repeater computer in said first step;

a third step for receiving, by said repeater computer, said document data output by said first computer; and

a fourth step for updating, by said repeater computer, said document data with said update data, and for sending said updated document data to said first computer when said document data is received by said repeater computer in said third step;

a fifth step for retrieving and storing, by said repeater computer, position information in said document data indicating a position to be updated according to said update data from said transfer request for update data received from said second computer; and

a sixth step for updating, by said repeater computer using said update data, said position corresponding to said position information in said document data received by said repeater computer as output from said first computer.

13. The document conversion method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a step for storing, by said repeater computer, either one or both of a duplicate of said document data that said first computer has or document data after said repeater computer has processed said document data.

14. The document conversion method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a step for storing, by said repeater computer, a processing request from said second computer for said document data.

15. A recording medium recording a program, said program causing a repeater computer, said repeater computer being connected to a first computer having document data and a second computer using said document data through a network, and relaying transfer of document data between said first and second computers, to execute the following steps:

a first processing for receiving, by said repeater computer, a request for transferring partial document data contained in said document data, the request for transferring said partial document data being created and output by said second computer;

a second processing for sending, by said repeater computer, said transfer request for said document data to said first computer when said transfer request is received by said repeater computer in said first processing;

a third processing for receiving, by said repeater computer, said document data output by said first computer; and

a fourth processing for extracting, by said repeater computer, said partial document data from said document data based solely on the request for transferring said document structure data, and for sending said partial document data to said second computer when said document data is received by said repeater computer in said third processing,

wherein said partial document data, as extracted by said repeater computer, is processed by an application program running on said second computer, without any modification of said partial document data;

a fifth processing for retrieving and storing position information on said partial document data in said document data from said transfer request for partial document data received from said second computer; and

a sixth processing for extracting said partial document data at a position corresponding to said position information in said document data received by said repeater computer as output from said first computer.

16. The recording medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein said program further causes said repeater computer to execute processing for storing a processing request output from said second computer for said document data.

17. The recording medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein said program further causes said repeater computer to execute a processing for storing either one or both of a duplicate of said document data that said first computer has or document data after said repeater computer has processed said document data.

18. A recording medium recording a program, said program comprising a repeater computer, said repeater computer being connected to a first computer having document data and a second computer using said document data through a network, and relaying transfer of document data between said first and second computers, to execute the following steps:

a first processing for receiving, by said repeater computer, update data for updating said document data, the update data included in an update request output by said second computer and which is sent directly to said repeater computer from said second computer;

a second processing for sending, by said repeater computer, a transfer request for said document data to said first computer when said update data is received by said repeater computer in said first processing;

a third processing for receiving, by said repeater computer, said document data output by said first computer;

and a fourth processing for updating, by said repeater computer, said document data with said update data, and for sending said updated document data to said first computer when said document data is received by said repeater computer in said third processing;

a fifth processing for retrieving and storing position information in said document data indicating a position to be updated according to said update data from said transfer request for update data received by said repeater computer as output by said second computer; and

a sixth processing for updating, with said update data, said position corresponding to said position information in said document data received by said repeater computer as output by said first computer.

19. The recording medium as set forth in claim 18, wherein said program further causes said repeater computer to execute a processing for storing either one or both of a duplicate of said document data that said first computer has or document data after said repeater computer has processed said document data.

20. The recording medium as set forth in claim 18, wherein said program further causes said repeater computer to execute processing for storing a processing request output from said second computer for said document data.

21. The recording medium as set forth in claim 18, wherein said program further causes said repeater computer to execute processing for storing a processing request output from said second computer for said document data.