Document distribution and storage system

• US 7,451,236 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Rhodes, Bradley, Savitzky, Stephen, Wolff, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mesfin; Yemane
• Application Number:
  US10/085,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,450 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/226, 709/229, 709244-246
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A document storage and distribution system includes distributing documents in accordance with a distribution list. Each copy of the distributed document is identified with an identifier that includes the information indicative of the computer system in which it was created. Modifications to the document can be uploaded to the system from any computer system to which the document had been distributed. The modified documents are then re-distributed from the computer system in which it was originally created.

Claims

1. A method for distributing documents, comprising:

producing a first identifier adapted for association with a first document, the first identifier including first information indicative of a first server configured to create the first document in an original document format;

transmitting the first identifier from the first server to a client based upon at least a request from the client to create the first document on the first server in the original document format;

associating the first identifier by the client with the first document;

transmitting a copy of the first document in the original document format from the client to the first server;

receiving a distribution list associated with the first document, the distribution list identifying a second server;

transmitting a commit request to the first server;

in response to the commit request, transmitting a copy of the first document from the first server to the second server identified by the distribution list, the first server and the second server thereafter responsive to one or more download requests for one or more copies of the first document, the download requests containing the first information;

in response to receiving a second document representative of a modified version of the first document, determining the server that created the first document in the original document format based on the first information; and

propagating a copy of the second document to the server that created the first document in the original document format based on the distribution list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the distribution list associated with the first document comprises receiving the distribution list identifying one or more other servers different from the first server.

3. The method of claim 1 further including receiving a notification list associated with the first document, the notification list identifying one or more users.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the copy of the first document from the first server to the second server identified by the distribution list further includes receiving a download request from the second server, and in response thereto initiating a sequence of operations between the first server and the second server so that the first document is transferred from the first server to the second server, the download request including the first information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the copy of the first document from the first server to the second server identified by the distribution list includes transferring the first document to at least one intermediate server to produce an intermediate copy of the first document in the original document format, and transferring the intermediate copy from the at least one intermediate server to the second server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the copy of the first document from the first server to the second server identified by the distribution list comprises:

informing the second server of a distribution request; and

in response to the distribution request, the second server initiating a sequence of operations with the first server to transfer the first document to the second server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the copy of the first document from the first server to the second server identified by the distribution list comprises:

storing second information to a first memory location in the first server;

the second server accessing the first memory location to detect for a presence of the second information; and

the second server initiating a sequence of operations with the first sewer wherein the first document is transferred to the second server in response to detecting the presence of the second information.

8. The method of claim 1 further including receiving at the first server the second document from the second server, the first server storing the second document while retaining the first document, the first server distributing the second document to one or more other servers based on the distribution list.

9. A method for distributing documents, comprising:

producing a first identifier adapted for association with a first document, the first identifier including first information indicative of a first server configured to create the first document in an original document format;

transmitting the first identifier from the first server to a client based upon at least a request from the client to create the first document on the first server;

associating the first identifier with the first document;

transmitting a copy of the first document to the first server from the client, the first document in the original document format;

receiving a distribution list associated with the first document, the distribution list identifying a second server different from the first server;

transmitting a commit request to the first server;

in response to the commit request, the first server distributing a copy of the first document to the second server identified by the distribution list;

making one or more copies of the first document available for download from the first server and from the second server using at least the first information;

in response to receiving a second document representative of a modified version of the first document, determining the server that created the first document in the original document format based on the first information; and

propagating a copy of the second document to the server that created the first document in the original document format based on the distribution list.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first server distributing the copy of the first document to the second server identified by the distribution list includes transferring the first document to at least one intermediate server to produce an intermediate copy in the original document format, and transferring the intermediate copy from the at least one intermediate server to the second server.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first server distributing the copy of the first document to the second server identified by the distribution list comprises:

informing the second server of a distribution request; and

in response to the distribution request, the second server initiating a sequence of operations with the first server to transfer the first document to the second server.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first server distributing the copy of the first document to the second server identified by the distribution list comprises:

storing a transfer request to a first memory location in the first server;

the second server accessing the first memory location to detect for a presence of the transfer request; and

the second server initiating a sequence of operations with the first server wherein the first document is transferred to the second server in response to detecting the presence of the transfer request.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the first identifier includes a naming component that is randomly generated.

14. A method for distributing documents, comprising:

receiving a first document at an originating server based upon at least a request from a client to create the first document in an original document format on the originating server, the first document having associated therewith a first identifier comprising first information indicative of the originating server;

receiving a first distribution list associated with the first document, the first distribution list identifying a first plurality of servers;

distributing the first document from the originating server to the first plurality of servers identified by the first distribution list;

at each of the first plurality of servers, associating a second identifier with the first document, the second identifier including the first information;

in response to receiving a second document at at least one of the first plurality of servers, the second document being a second version of the first document, determining that the at least one of the first plurality of servers is not the originating server that created the first document in the original document format based on the first identifier;

retaining the first document and the second document on the at least one of the first plurality of servers; and

distributing the second document to a second plurality of servers, the second plurality of servers including at least the originating server.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first plurality of servers is the same as the second plurality of servers.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first plurality of servers is different from the second plurality of servers.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the second document is associated with a second distribution list identifying the second plurality of servers.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first identifier is associated with the second document, whereby the second document is accessed by the first identifier.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein distributing the first document from the originating server to the first plurality of servers identified by the first distribution list includes the originating server initiating a sequence of operations with a second server to transfer a copy of the first document from the originating server to the second server.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein distributing the first document from the originating server to the first plurality of servers identified by the first distribution list includes transferring a copy of the first document to at least one intermediate computer system to produce an intermediate copy in the original document format, and transferring the intermediate copy from the at least one intermediate computer system to a second server.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein distributing the first document from the originating server to the first plurality of servers identified by the first distribution list includes informing a second server of a transfer request, and in response thereto the second server initiating a sequence of operations with the originating server to transfer the first document to the second server.

22. A computer program product for document storage and distribution comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media having contained thereon computer program code suitable for being executed on a first server computer,

the first server computer having associated therewith first identification information suitable to allow other computers to access the first server computer using the first identification information,

the computer program code comprising;

first executable code effective for operating the first server computer to receive a first document as an original document in an original document format from a client computer based upon at least a request from the client computer to create the first document on the first server;

second executable code effective for operating the first server computer to associate a first identifier with the first document in response to receiving a commit request from the client computer, the first identifier including the first identification information indicative of the first server as the origin server;

third executable code effective for operating the first server computer to receive a distribution list identifying a second server computer different than the first server computer; and

fourth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to transmit the first document from the first server computer to the second server computer identified by the distribution list;

fifth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to respond to one or more download requests comprising the first information for downloading one or more copies of the first document in the original document format;

sixth executable code effective for, in response to receiving a second document representative of a modified version of the first document, determining the server that created the first document in the original document format based on the first information; and

seventh executable code effective for propagating a copy of the second document to the server that created the first document in the original document format based on the distribution list.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

eighth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to receive a second document from the second server computer, the second document being an original document in the second server computer; and

ninth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to assign a third identifier to the second document, the third identifier including second identification information, the second identification information suitable to allow other server computers to access the second server computer using the second identification information.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 further including eighth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to initiate a sequence of operations with the second server computer so that the first document is transferred from the first server computer to the second server computer.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 further including eighth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to signal the second server computer of a transfer request and to interact with a sequence of operations initiated by the second server computer to transfer the first document to the second server computer.

26. The computer program product of claim 22 further including eighth executable code effective for operating the first server computer to store in a first memory location second information indicative of a transfer request, wherein the second server computer accesses the first memory location to detect for a presence of the second information, the second server computer initiating a sequence of operations with the first server computer wherein the first document is transferred to the second computer in response to detecting the presence of the second information.