Method and apparatus for storing and managing data

• US 7,277,880 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Sekine, Hitoshi, Ota, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): EHICHIOYA, IRETE FRED
• Application Number:
  US09/782,988
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 Days
• Field of Search: 358/444, 358/1.13, 358/434, 711/112, 711/111, 707/9, 707/3, 707/100, 707/5, 707/4, 707/200, 707/2, 707/1, 707/10, 707/102, 707/204, 707/205, 709/217, 709/209, 709/206, 709/219, 709/212, 709/229, 709/215, 709/201, 709/224, 709/231, 709/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for automatically storing and managing digital data. Digital data is periodically received from a variety of sources. Example digital data include, without limitation, facsimile data, scanned document data, copier data, printer data and email data. The received digital data is automatically stored on a WORM storage device. The data stored on the WORM storage device may be automatically indexed and search queries processed against the index to locate digital data stored on the WORM storage device. Other embodiments include the use of meta data and an automatic watchdog process may be employed to periodically process search queries against the data stored on the WORM storage device.

Claims

1. A data storage apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive digital data; and

a data processor communicatively coupled to the interface and being configured to;

automatically receive digital data from the interface and cause the digital data to be stored to a write-once-read-many (WORM) storage device,

process a search query against the digital data stored on the WORM storage device, and

in response to processing the search query against the digital data stored on the WORM storage device, generate data that identifies data stored on the WORM storage device that satisfies the search query.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a WORM storage device.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to generate one or more indexes for data stored to the WORM storage device.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to generate meta data that describes one or more attributes of the data stored to the WORM storage device.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to process the search query against one or more indexes generated by the data processor.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to automatically process the search query according to a set of one or more time criteria.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital data includes facsimile data.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital data includes electronic document data.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital data includes printer data.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the data is stored on an WORM optical medium, and

the data processor is further configured to cause a label to be applied to the WORM optical medium, wherein the label specifies one or more attributes of the data.

11. A method for storing data comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving digital data to be stored;

automatically causing the digital data to be stored to a write-once-read-many (WORM) storage device without human intervention;

receiving a search query;

processing the search query against the digital data stored on the WORM storage device; and

generating data that identifies data stored on the WORM storage device that satisfies the search query.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising generating one or more indexes for data stored to the WORM storage device.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising generating meta data that describes one or more attributes of the data stored to the WORM storage device.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising processing the search query against one or more indexes.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising automatically processing the search query according to a set of one or more time criteria.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the digital data includes facsimile data.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the digital data includes electronic document data.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the digital data includes printer data.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the data is stored on an WORM optical medium, and

the method further comprises causing a label to be applied to the WORM optical medium, wherein the label specifies one or more attributes of the data.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for storing data, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receive digital data to be stored; and

automatically cause the digital data to be stored to a write-once-read-many (WORM) storage device without human intervention;

receive a search query;

process the search query against the digital data stored on the WORM storage device; and

generate data that identifies data stored on the WORM storage device that satisfies the search query.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate one or more indexes for data stored to the WORM storage device.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate meta data that describes one or more attributes of the data stored to the WORM storage device.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to process the search query against one or more indexes.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to automatically process the search query according to a set of one or more time criteria.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the digital data includes facsimile data.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the digital data includes electronic document data.

27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the digital data includes printer data.

28. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein:

the data is stored on an WORM optical medium, and

the further comprising one or more sequences of additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause a label to be applied to the WORM optical medium, wherein the label specifies one or more attributes of the data.