System and method for routing electronic documents

• US 7,275,088 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Su, William, Nguyen, Truc, Kuwata, Katie
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US10/402,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

This invention is directed to a system and method for routing electronic documents. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method for transferring at least one of a plurality of documents to at least one of a plurality of destinations.

Claims

1. A system for routing electronic documents comprising:

a memory for storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

means for generating image data corresponding to the plurality of electronic documents on a thin client interface;

means for receiving user-specified routing data via the thin client interface, which routing data specifies at least one output destination to which electronic document data of the plurality of electronic documents will be transferred;

means for receiving user-specified document selection data via the thin client interface, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired;

means for receiving user-specified apportionment data representative of a selected portion of at least one electronic document of the subset via the thin client interface;

means for determining whether at least one of the electronic documents to be communicated to the at least one output destination is substantially identical to an electronic document located within such output destination;

upon a positive determination, means for determining if an associated user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document; and

upon a positive determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, output means for selectively communicating the at least one substantially identical electronic document to the at least one output destination in accordance with received routing data, document selection data, and apportionment data, and means for replacing the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document.

2. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the routing data further includes information about operations to be performed on electronic documents associated with the at least one destination.

3. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the means for receiving user-specified document selection data includes means for displaying on the thin client interface a listing of electronic documents in the memory.

4. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the means for receiving user-specified selections of the plurality of output destinations includes means for displaying on thin client interface a listing of output destinations.

5. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 wherein the at least one output destination is selected from the group consisting of electronic mail servers, Internet servers, data storage areas, and document management systems.

6. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 further comprising:

upon a negative determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, means for receiving user-specified routing data for a new output destination for the electronic document and means for selectively communicating such electronic document to the new output destination in accordance with the routing data.

7. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 1 further comprising:

means for prompting an associated user for selected information in order for the user to access at least one of the plurality of documents and output destinations; and

means for receiving such selected information from the associated user.

8. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 7 further comprising:

means for verifying such selected information; and

upon verification of such selected information, means for allowing the associated user access to at least one of the plurality of documents and output destinations upon verification.

9. A system for routing electronic documents comprising:

a memory for storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

means for generating image data corresponding to the plurality of electronic documents on a thin client interface;

means for receiving user-specified routing data via the thin client interface, which routing data specifies at least one output destination to which electronic document data of the plurality of electronic documents will be transferred;

means for receiving user-specified document selection data via the thin client interface, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired;

means for receiving user-specified apportionment data representative of a selected portion of at least one electronic document of the subset via the thin client interface;

means for receiving user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated;

means for determining if the user-specified electronic document into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated is located within the at least one output destination; and

based on a positive determination, means for receiving user-specified insertion information specifying a location into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be inserted and means for selectively communicating the selected portion to the electronic document in accordance with the insertion information.

10. The system for routing electronic documents according to claim 9 further comprising:

based on a negative determination that a user-specified electronic document is located within the output destination, means for receiving new user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated and means for selectively communicating the at least one selected portion of the electronic document in accordance with the new user-specified electronic document information.

11. A method for routing electronic documents comprising the steps of:

storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

generating image data corresponding to the plurality of electronic documents on a thin client interface;

receiving user-specified routing data via the thin client interface, which routing data specifies at least one output destination to which the electronic document data of the plurality of electronic documents will be transferred;

receiving user-specified document selection data via the thin client interface, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired;

receiving user-specified apportionment data representative of a selected portion of at least one electronic document of the subset via the thin client interface;

determining whether at least one of the electronic documents to be communicated to the at least one output destination is substantially identical to an electronic document located within such output destination;

upon a positive determination, determining if an associated user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document; and

upon a positive determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, selectively communicating the at least one substantially identical electronic document to the at least one output destination in accordance with received routing data, document selection data, and apportionment data, and replacing the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the routing data further includes information about operations to be performed on electronic documents associated with the at least one output destination.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of receiving user-specified document selection data includes the step of displaying on the thin client interface a listing of electronic documents in the memory.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the step of received user-specified selections of the plurality of output destinations includes the step of displaying on the thin client interface a listing of output destinations.

15. The method according to claim 11 wherein the at least one output destination is selected from the group consisting of electronic mail servers, Internet servers, data storage area, and document management systems.

16. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

upon a negative determination that a user desires to selectively communicate the at least one substantially identical electronic document and replace the electronic document located therein with the substantially identical electronic document, receiving user-specified routing data for a new output destination for the electronic document and selectively communicating such electronic document to the new output destination in accordance with the routing data.

17. The method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

prompting an associated user for selected information in order for the user to access at least one of the plurality of documents and output destinations; and

receiving such selected information from the associated user.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

verifying such selected information; and

upon verification of such selected information, allowing the associated user access to at least one of the plurality of documents and output destinations upon verification.

19. A method for routing electronic documents comprising the steps of:

storing electronic document data representative of a plurality of electronic documents;

generating image data corresponding to the plurality of electronic documents on a thin client interface;

receiving user-specified routing data via the thin client interface, which routing data specifies at least one output destination to which the electronic document data of the plurality of electronic documents will be transferred;

receiving user-specified document selection data via the thin client interface, which document selection data is representative of a subset of the plurality of electronic documents for which transfer is desired;

receiving user-specified apportionment data representative of a selected portion of at least one electronic document of the subset via the thin client interface;

receiving user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated;

determining if the user-specified electronic document into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated is located within the at least one output destination; and

based on a positive determination, receiving user-specified insertion information specifying a location into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be inserted and selectively communicating the selected portion to the electronic document in accordance with the insertion information.

20. The method for routing electronic documents according to claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

based on a negative determination that a user-specified electronic document is located within the output destination, receiving new user-specified electronic document information for specifying the electronic document into which the selected portion of the electronic document is to be selectively communicated and selectively communicating the selected portion of the electronic document in accordance with the new user-specified electronic document information.