Apparatus, system, method and computer program product for document management

• US 7,562,286 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yohei, Kanasaki, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US10/386,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 707/500, 707/523, 707/501, 707/203, 715/500, 715/200, 715/229, 715/234
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A document management apparatus is configured to designate a desired document in a series of documents managed under a DMA document object model and to make a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document is provided. The document management apparatus includes an apparatus configured to accept a document call request for the desired document, that is made by a requesting device by presenting a document ID designating the desired document and specifying the desired node and to make connections to the specified nodes. The document ID includes a character string indicating a location of the desired document and character strings designating respective nodes in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

Claims

1. A document management apparatus included in a server computer designating a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and making a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, the document management apparatus comprising:

a document call request accepting device configured to accept a document call request made through a network for the desired document, that is made by a client computer serving as a requesting device by presenting a document ID designating the desired document and specifying the desired node, the document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node specifying document object and the second character string designating a document node positioned lower than the route node in the hierarchical tree-structure to specify at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

an object ID analyzing device configured to separate said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition, or said content of the document object;

a document object operating device configured to execute operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said object ID analyzing device, said document object operating device further configured to provide a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

a connecting device configured to make connections to nodes in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, that are designated by the document ID, sequentially from an upper level one to a lower level one; and

a returning device configured to return, when a connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made, the prescribed information related to the desired node.

2. The document management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the document call request accepting device is configured to accept, together with the document ID, a request of a method that designates information to be returned by the returning device to the requesting device, and

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made, the information designated by the method to be returned by the returning device to the requesting device, the information to the requesting device making the document call request.

3. The document management apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the document call request accepting device is configured to accept a request for a property of the desired node specified by the document ID, and

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the request for the property of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted by the document call request accepting device, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID to the requesting device making the document call request.

4. The document management apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the document call request accepting device is configured to accept, as the request of the method, a request for a content element of the desired node specified by the document ID, and

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the request for the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted by the document call request accepting device, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID to the requesting device making the document call request.

5. The document management apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the document ID accepted by the document call request accepting device omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, all content elements at a lower level of a rendition designated by the document ID, all content elements at the lower level of the rendition designated by the document ID to the requesting device making the document call request.

6. The document management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the connecting device is configured to make a connection to a latest version of the desired document designated by the document ID, when the document ID accepted by the document call request accepting device omits designation of a version in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

7. The document management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the connecting device is configured to make a connection to a primary rendition at a lower level of a version of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, when the document ID accepted by the document call request accepting device omits designation of a rendition in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

8. The document management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the connecting device is configured to make a connection to a top content element at a lower level of a rendition of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, when the document ID accepted by the document call accepting device omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical free-structure of the desired document.

9. A document management system comprising:

a document management apparatus included in a server computer configured to designate a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and to make a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document; and

a client apparatus configured to access the document management apparatus to make a document call request for the desired document by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node designating the document object and the second character string specifying at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the desired document,

the document management apparatus including;

a document call request accepting device configured to accept the document call request for the desired document, that is made by the client apparatus;

an object ID analyzing device configured to separate said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

a document object operating device configured to execute operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said object ID analyzing device, said document object operating device further configured to provide a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

a connecting device configured to make connections to nodes in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, that are designated by the document ID, sequentially from an upper level one to a lower level one; and

a returning device configured to return, when a connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made, the prescribed information related to the desired node.

10. The document management system according to claim 9,

wherein the document call request accepting device of the document management apparatus is configured to accept, together with the document ID, a request of a method that designates information to be returned by the returning device of the document management apparatus to the client apparatus making the document call request, and

wherein the returning device of the document management apparatus is configured to return, when the connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made, the information designated by the method to be returned by the returning device to the client apparatus, the information designated by the method to the client apparatus making the document call request.

11. The document management system according to claim 10,

wherein the document call accepting device is configured to accept, as the request of the method, a request for a property of the desired node specified by the document ID, and

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the request for the property of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted by the document call request accepting device, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID to the client apparatus making the document call request.

12. The document management system according to claim 10,

wherein the document call request accepting device is configured to accept, as the request of the method, a request for a content element of the desired node specified by the document ID, and

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the request for the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted by the document call request accepting device, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID to the client apparatus making the document call request.

13. The document management system according to claim 12,

wherein the returning device is configured to return, when the document ID accepted by the document call request accepting device omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, all content elements at a lower level of a rendition designated by the document ID, the all content elements at the lower level of the rendition designated by the document ID to the client apparatus making the document call request.

14. The document management system according to claim 9,

wherein the connecting device of the document management apparatus is configured to make a connection to a latest version of the desired document designated by the document ID, when the document ID accepted by the document call request accepting device of the document management apparatus omits designation of a version in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

15. The document management system according to claim 9,

wherein the connecting device of the document management apparatus is configured to make a connection to a primary rendition at a lower level of a version of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, when the document ID accepted by the document call accepting device of the document management apparatus omits designation of a rendition in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

16. The document management system according to claim 9,

wherein the connecting device of the document management apparatus is configured to make a connection to a top content element at a lower level of a rendition of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, when the document ID accepted by the document call accepting device of the document management apparatus omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

17. A document management method for designating a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and for making a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting a document call request for the desired document, that is made by a client apparatus by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, a first character string being a route node specifying the document object and the second character string specifying a document node positioned lower than the route node in the hierarchical tree-structure to specify at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said object ID analyzing device, said document object operating device further configured to provide a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

making connections to nodes in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, that are designated by the document ID, sequentially from an upper level one to a lower level one; and

returning, when a connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made in the connections making step, prescribed information related to the desired node.

18. The document management method according to claim 17,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, together with the document ID, a request of a method that designates information to be returned to the client apparatus is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made in the connections making step, the information designated by the method is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

19. The document management method according to claim 18,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, as the request of the method, a request for a property of the desired node specified by the document ID is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the request for the property of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted in the document call request accepting step, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

20. The document management method according to claim 18,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, as the request of the method, a request for a content element of the desired node specified by the document ID is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the request for the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted in the document call request accepting step, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

21. The document management method according to claim 20,

wherein in the returning step, when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, all content elements at a lower level of a rendition designated by the document ID are returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

22. The document management method according to claim 17,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a latest version of the desired document designated by the document ID is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a version in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

23. The document management method according to claim 17,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a primary rendition at a lower level of a version of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a rendition in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

24. The document management method according to claim 17,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a top content element at a lower level of a rendition of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

25. A method for accessing a document management apparatus included in a server computer in which designation of a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document are made to request prescribed information relating the desired node, the method comprising the steps of:

making a document call request to the document management apparatus by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node designating the document object and the second character string specifying a document node positioned lower than the route node in a hierarchical tree-structure to specify at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said separating step;

providing a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object; and

storing an application program for making the document call request to the document management apparatus.

26. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which when executed by a computer performs a document managing operation of designating a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and making a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, the document managing operation comprising the steps of:

accepting a document call request for the desired document, that is made by a client apparatus by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node designating the document object and the second character string specifying at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said separating step;

providing a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

making connections to nodes in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, that are designated by the document ID, sequentially from an upper level one to a lower level one; and

returning, when a connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made in the connections making step, the prescribed information related to the desired node.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 26,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, together with the document ID, a request of a method that designates information to be returned to the client apparatus is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made in the connections making step, the information designated by the method is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

28. The computer readable medium according to claim 27,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, as the request of the method, a request for a property of the desired node specified by the document ID is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the request for the property of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted in the document call request accepting step, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

29. The computer readable medium according to claim 27,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, as the request of the method, a request for a content element of the desired node specified by the document ID is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the request for the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted in the document call request accepting step, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID [is obtained and] is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

30. The computer readable medium according to claim 29,

wherein in the returning step, when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, all content elements at a lower level of a rendition designated by the document ID are obtained and are returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

31. The computer readable medium according to claim 26,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a latest version of the desired document designated by the document ID is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a version in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

32. The computer readable medium according to claim 26, wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a primary rendition at a lower level of a version of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a rendition in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

33. The computer readable medium according to claim 26,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a top content element at a lower level of a rendition of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

34. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which when executed by a computer performs an operation for accessing a document management apparatus in which designation of a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document are made to request prescribed information relating to the desired node, the accessing operation comprising the steps of:

making a document call request to the document management apparatus included in a server computer by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node designating the document object and the second character string specifying the at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said separating step;

providing a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object; and

storing an application program for making the document call request to the document management apparatus.

35. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and directly loadable into an internal memory of a computer, comprising computer program instructions which when executed by the computer performs a document managing operation of designating a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and making a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, the document managing operation comprising the steps of:

accepting a document call request for the desired document, that is made by a client apparatus by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node designating the document object and the second character string specifying at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said separating step;

providing a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

making connections to nodes in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, that are designated by the document ID, sequentially from an upper level one to a lower level one; and

returning, when a connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made in the connections making step, prescribed information related to the desired node.

36. The computer program product according to claim 35,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, together with the document ID, a request of a method that designates information to be returned to the client apparatus is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the connection to the desired node specified by the document ID has been made in the connections making step, the information designated by the method is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

37. The computer program product according to claim 36,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, as the request of the method, a request for a property of the desired node specified by the document ID is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the request for the property of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted in the document call request accepting step, the property of the desired node specified by the document ID is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

38. The computer program product according to claim 36,

wherein in the document call request accepting step, as the request of the method, a request for a content element of the desired node specified by the document ID is accepted, and

wherein in the returning step, when the request for the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID has been accepted in the document call request accepting step, the content element of the desired node specified by the document ID is returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

39. The computer program product according to claim 38,

wherein in the returning step, when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document, all content elements at a lower level of a rendition designated by the document ID are obtained and are returned to the client apparatus making the document call request.

40. The computer program product according to claim 35,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a latest version of the desired document designated by the document ID is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a version in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

41. The computer program product according to claim 35,

wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a primary rendition at a lower level of a version of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a rendition in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

42. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein in the connections making step, a connection to a top content element at a lower level of a rendition of the desired document, that is designated by the document ID, is made when the document ID accepted in the document call request accepting step omits designation of a content element in the hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document.

43. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and directly loadable into an internal memory of a computer, comprising computer program instructions which when executed by the computer performs an operation of accessing a document management apparatus in which designation of a desired document in a series of documents managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model and a connection to a desired node in a hierarchical tree-structure of the desired document are made to request prescribe information relating the desired node, the accessing operation comprising the steps of:

making a document call request to the document management apparatus by presenting a document ID including two character strings in the form of one of a URL syntax or a sentence construction, the first character string being a route node designating the document object and the second character string specifying at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of the document object;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said separating step;

providing a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object; and

storing an application program for making the document call request to the document management apparatus.

44. A method of retrieving a document in a document management system managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model, said method being embodied in a computer readable medium which when executed by a processing apparatus comprises:

receiving a document request comprising a document ID including two character strings, the first character string being a route node and the second character string specifying at least one of a version, a rendition, or a content of a document object at a server, said document request including a plurality of hierarchical-tree parameters;

separating said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

executing operations in accordance with said character strings separated by said separating step;

providing a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

identifying at least one node of said document based on the first character string;

identifying a document object using said second character string; and

returning, at least, a portion of said document corresponding to said at least one node.

45. A method of retrieving a document in a document management system as defined in claim 44, wherein said plurality of hierarchical-tree parameters comprises:

a document identification parameter.

46. A method of retrieving a document in a document management system as defined in claim 44, wherein said plurality of hierarchical-tree parameters comprises:

a version identification parameter.

47. A method of retrieving a document in a document management system as defined in claim 44, wherein said plurality of hierarchical-tree parameters comprises:

a rendition identification parameter.

48. A method of retrieving a document in a document management system as defined in claim 44, wherein said plurality of hierarchical-tree parameters comprises:

a content element identification parameter.

49. A method of retrieving a document in a document management system as defined in claim 44, wherein said identifying at least one node comprises:

providing a default value for said node.

50. A document management system managed under a Document Management Alliance document object model, said document management system comprising:

a server, said server being adapted to receive a document request, said document request including a document ID including two character strings, the first character string being a route node specifying a document object and the second character string identifying at least one of a version, rendition, or a content of the document object, said server being adapted to separate said document ID into character strings for identifying at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

said server being adapted to execute operations in accordance with said character strings, said server being adapted to provide a default value for at least one of said version, said rendition or said content of the document object;

said server being further adapted to identify at least one node of said document request based on said document ID, said server being further adapted to return at least a portion of said document corresponding to said at least one node.

51. A document management system as defined in claim 50 wherein said server comprises a computer coupled to a communication system.

52. A document management system as defined in claim 50 wherein said document ID comprises:

a document identification parameter.

53. A document management system as defined in claim 50 wherein said document ID comprises:

a version identification parameter.

54. A document management system as defined in claim 50 wherein said document ID comprises:

a rendition identification parameter.

55. A document management system as defined in claim 50 wherein said document ID comprises:

a content element identification parameter.