Information processing apparatus, document management system and method, and computer program

• US 8,115,619 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Hitoshi, Kashimura, Hirotsugu, Fukui, Motofumi, Mitsu, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Chat
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US11/332,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 186 55- 56, 715/745, 707/100, 707/3
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an input section, a position calculation section, a storage section, a log information record section, a display data generation section and a display section. The input section receives document identification information, which are output as output signals from respective transmission portions set to correspond to respective documents, and user identification information, which are output as output signals from respective transmission portions set to correspond to users. The position calculation section calculates document positions and user positions based on the document identification information and the user identification information. The storage section stores the calculated document positions and the calculated user positions. The log information record section records document use histories of the users based on the stored document positions and the stored user positions. The display data generation section generates display data indicating a document position of a document, which was used by a particular user.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an input section that receives document identification information, which are output as output signals from respective transmission portions that are set to correspond to respective documents, and user identification information, which are output as output signals from respective transmission portions set to correspond to users;

a position calculation section that calculates document positions and user positions on a basis of the document identification information and the user identification information, which are input to the input section;

a storage section that stores the document positions and the user positions, which are calculated by the position calculation section;

a log information record section that records document use histories of the users by detecting usage of the document on a basis of the document positions and the user positions changing concurrently, which are stored in the storage section, the usage of the document being detected when both the document positions and the user positions change concurrently in a situation where both the document positions and the user positions are substantially the same;

a display data generation section that generates display data indicating a document position of a document, which was used by a particular user, on a basis of the document use histories of the particular user, which is recorded in the log information record section;

a display section that outputs the display data generated by the display data generation section,

wherein the log information record section records information on movement of each document by the users, as log information on a basis of change of each document position over time and change of each user position over time, and the display section outputs the generated display data in an order of a higher frequency of use or an order of the dates used.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a document database that stores detailed information corresponding to the documents, wherein;

the display data generation section acquires the detailed information corresponding to the document, which was used by the user, from the document database to generate the display data containing the acquired detailed information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the log information record section records image data of a document, which is acquired by an information processing device connected through a network to the information processing apparatus, and data corresponding to a user who has executed said acquiring the image data, and

the display data generation section acquires at least one of the image data and thumb-nail information based on the image data, from the log information record section to generate the display data containing the acquired information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus further detects whether or not the particular user approaches any of the information processing apparatus and other information processing apparatuses connected through a network to the information processing apparatus, to output the display data generated by the display data generation section on a display section of the information processing apparatus, which the user has approached.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the log information record section records document use histories of the user on a basis of a correlation between a change in document positions and a change in the user positions, which are stored in the storage section.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in response to a request by a user, the display generation section generates a display indicating document attribute information, on the basis of the document use histories of the user.

7. A document management system comprising:

document-associated-signal output devices that are disposed to correspond to respective documents, each of the document-associated-signal output devices comprising;

a storage portion that stores document identification information; and

a transmission portion that outputs the document identification information stored in the storage portion;

user-associated-signal output devices that are disposed to correspond to respective users, each of the user-associated-signal output devices comprising;

a storage portion that stores user identification information; and

a transmission portion that outputs the user identification information stored in the storage portion; and

an information processing apparatus that receives the document identification information output from the document-associated-signal output devices, and the user identification information output from the user-associated-signal output devices, the information processing apparatus that executes information analyses, wherein;

the information processing apparatus comprises;

an input section that receives the document identification information and the user identification information;

a position calculation section that calculates document positions and user positions on a basis of the document identification information and the user identification information, which are input to the input section;

a storage section that stores the document positions and the user positions, which are calculated by the position calculation section;

a log information record section that records document use histories of the users by detecting usage of the document on a basis of the document positions and the user positions changing concurrently, which are stored in the storage section, the usage of the document being detected when both the document positions and the user positions change concurrently in a situation where both the document positions and the user positions are substantially the same;

a display data generation section that generates display data indicating a document position of a document, which was used by a particular user, on a basis of the document use histories of the particular user, which is recorded in the log information record section;

a display section that outputs the display data generated by the display data generation section,

wherein the log information record section records information on movement of each document by the users, as log information on a basis of change of each document position over time and change of each user position over time, and

the display section outputs the generated display data in an order of higher frequency of use or an order of the dates used.

8. The document management system according to claim 7, wherein the document-associated-signal output devices and the user-associated-signal output devices are IC cards.

9. The document management system according to claim 7, wherein the log information record section records document use histories of the user on a basis of a correlation between a change in document positions and a change in the user positions, which are stored in the storage section.

10. An information processing method comprising:

inputting document identification information, which are output as output signals from respective transmission portions set to correspond to respective documents, and user identification information, which are output as output signals from respective transmission portions set to correspond to users;

calculating document positions and user positions on a basis of the input document identification information and the input user identification information to store calculated data in a storage section;

recording document use histories of the users by detecting usage of the document on a basis of the document positions and the user positions changing concurrently, which are stored in the storage section, the usage of the document being detected when both the document positions and the user positions change concurrently in a situation where both the document positions and the user positions are substantially the same;

generating display data indicating a document position of a document, which was used by a particular user, on a basis of the recorded document use history of the particular user;

outputting the display data generated in an order of a higher frequency of use or an order of the dates used; and

recording information on movement of each document by the users, as log information on a basis of change of each document position over time and change of each user position over time.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the generating comprises acquiring detailed information corresponding to the document, which was used by the particular user, from a document database to generate the display data containing the acquired detailed information.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

the recording comprises recording image data of a document, which is acquired by an information processing device connected through a network, and data corresponding to a user who has executed said acquiring the image data, and

the generating comprises acquiring at least one of the image data and thumb-nail information based on the image data, from log information record section to generate the display data containing the acquired information.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

detecting whether or not the particular user approaches any of information processing apparatuses connected through a network, wherein;

the outputting comprises outputting the display data generated on a display section of the information processing apparatus, which the particular user has approached.

14. The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the document use histories of the user are recorded on a basis of a correlation between a change in document positions and a change in the user positions, which are stored in the storage section.