Physical to electronic record content management

• US 7,979,398 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeBie, Tod
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen; Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/615,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/610, 707/640, 707/661, 707/665, 707/667, 707/672, 707/673, 707/674, 707/689, 707/690, 707/692, 707/694, 707/696, 707/791, 707/802, 707/822, 707/828, 707/999.204, 707/999.1, 707/999.103, 707/999.009, 711/170, 711/100, 382/305, 382/306, 382/321, 382/312
• US Class Current: 707/662
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques provide a file plan including a plurality of containers, wherein each container is capable of providing management information for record information objects assigned to the container, wherein the record information objects represent documents, wherein one of the containers points to a physical record. An electronic record associated with the physical record is stored. The physical record is automatically associated with the electronic record by updating the file plan.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a file plan including a plurality of containers, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a plurality of record information objects (RIOs) and lifetime document management rules for the record information objects (RIOs), wherein each of the record information objects (RIOs) represents a document,

wherein the at least one of the containers points to a physical record, wherein the physical record is associated with an existing, first record information object (RIO) that provides metadata that describes the physical record, a location of the physical record, and hold information to override an attempt to dispose of the document represented by the first record information object (RIO), and wherein a first disposition schedule is associated with the first record information object (RIO);

storing an electronic record associated with the physical record that is associated with the first record information object (RIO);

generating a new, second record information object (RIO) that is associated with the electronic record that provides metadata that describes the electronic record and a location of the electronic record, and wherein a second disposition schedule is associated with the second record information object (RIO);

automatically associating the second record information object (RIO) with the first record information object (RIO) associated with the physical record; and

separately disposing of the physical record and the electronic record at different times based on the first disposition schedule associated with the first record information object (RIO) and the second disposition schedule associated with the second record information object (RIO).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in a record folder in the file plan, creating multiple record information objects (RIOs) by creating a record information object (RIO) for each of the physical records stored in a physical document location;

in response to creating electronic records of the physical records, storing the electronic records associated with the physical records in an object store; and

automatically associating the physical records in the physical document location with the electronic records in the object store by updating, in the record folder, the record information object (RIO) for each of the physical records to include a link to a corresponding electronic record to associate each of the electronic records to a same, existing record information object (RIO) with which a corresponding physical record is associated, wherein the record folder points to the physical document location and each record information object (RIO) points to an electronic record in the object store.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some portion of metadata associated with the first record information object (RIO) is copied to the second record information object (RIO).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the first record information object (RIO) to include a second link to the electronic record, wherein the physical record and the electronic record have a same record information object (RIO) with the first link and the second link.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the physical record comprises a group of physical records.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein disposing of the physical record further comprises:

removing the first link from the first record information object (RIO) to the physical record without removing the second link from the first record information object (RIO) to the electronic record.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

provide a file plan including a plurality of containers, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a plurality of record information objects (RIOs) and lifetime document management rules for the record information objects (RIOs), wherein each of the record information objects (RIOs) represents a document,

wherein the at least one of the containers points to a physical record, wherein the physical record is associated with an existing, first record information object (RIO) that provides metadata that describes the physical record, a location of the physical record, and hold information to override an attempt to dispose of the document represented by the first record information object (RIO), and wherein a first disposition schedule is associated with the first record information object (RIO);

store an electronic record associated with the physical record that is associated with the first record information object (RIO);

generate a new, second record information object (RIO) that is associated with the electronic record that provides metadata that describes the electronic record and a location of the electronic record, and wherein a second disposition schedule is associated with the second record information object (RIO);

automatically associate the second record information object (RIO) with the first record information object (RIO) associated with the physical record; and

separately disposing of the physical record and the electronic record at different times based on the first disposition schedule associated with the first record information object (RIO) and the second disposition schedule associated with the second record information object (RIO).

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to:

in a record folder in the file plan, creating multiple record information objects (RIOs) by creating a record information object (RIO) for each of the physical records stored in a physical document location;

in response to creating electronic records of the physical records, store the electronic records associated with the physical records in an object store; and

automatically associate the physical records in the physical document location with the electronic records in the object store by updating, in the record folder, the record information object (RIO) for each of the physical records to include a link to a corresponding electronic record to associate each of the electronic records to a same, existing record information object (RIO) with which a corresponding physical record is associated, wherein the record folder points to the physical document location and each record information object (RIO) points to an electronic record in the object store.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein at least some portion of metadata associated with the first record information object (RIO) is copied to the second record information object (RIO).

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to:

update the first record information object (RIO) to include a second link to the electronic record, wherein the physical record and the electronic record have a same record information object (RIO) with the first link and the second link.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the physical record comprises a group of physical records.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

remove the first link from the first record information object (RIO) to the physical record without removing the second link from the first record information object (RIO) to the electronic record.

13. A system, comprising:

hardware logic performing operations, the operations comprising;

providing a file plan including a plurality of containers, wherein at least one of the containers comprises a plurality of record information objects (RIOs) and lifetime document management rules for the record information objects (RIOs), wherein each of the record information objects (RIOs) represents a document, wherein the at least one of the containers points to a physical record, wherein the physical record is associated with an existing, first record information object (RIO) that provides metadata that describes the physical record, a location of the physical record, and hold information to override an attempt to dispose of the document represented by the first record information object (RIO), and wherein a first disposition schedule is associated with the first record information object (RIO);

storing an electronic record associated with the physical record that is associated with the first record information object (RIO);

generating a new, second record information object (RIO) that is associated with the electronic record that provides metadata that describes the electronic record and a location of the electronic record, and wherein a second disposition schedule is associated with the second record information object (RIO);

automatically associating the second record information object (RIO) with the first record information object (RIO) associated with the physical record; and

separately disposing of the physical record and the electronic record at different times based on the first disposition schedule associated with the first record information object (RIO) and the second disposition schedule associated with the second record information object (RIO).

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

in a record folder in the file plan, creating multiple record information objects (RIOs) by creating a record information object (RIO) for each of the physical records stored in a physical document location;

in response to creating electronic records of the physical records, storing the electronic records associated with the records in an object store; and

automatically associating the physical records in the physical document location with the electronic records in the object store by updating, in the record folder, the record information object (RIO) for each of the physical records to include a link to a corresponding electronic record to associate each of the electronic records to a same, existing record information object (RIO) with which a corresponding physical record is associated, wherein the record folder points to the physical document location and each record information object (RIO) points to an electronic record in the object store.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least some portion of metadata associated with the first record information object (RIO) is copied to the second record information object (RIO).

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

updating the first record information object (RIO) to include a second link to the electronic record, wherein the physical record and the electronic record have a same record information object (RIO) with the first link and the second link.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the physical record comprises a group of physical records.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein operations for disposing of the physical record further comprise:

removing the first link from the first record information object (RIO) to the physical record without removing the second link from the first record information object (RIO) to the electronic record.