Document providing system and computer-readable storage medium

• US 8,719,691 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawabe, Shigehisa, Kunitake, Setsu, Nukaga, Masao, Suzuki, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/748,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 715/229, 715/239, 707/610, 707/634, 707/638
• US Class Current: 715/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

There is provided a document providing system including a derivation relationship registration unit that, when receiving an instruction to register a second electronic-document that is an updated version of a first electronic document, registers a derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document in a derivation relationship storage unit; an input-output relationship registration unit that generates input-output relationship information indicating an updated electronic document to be provided in response to a document request that designates a requested electronic document based on the derivation relationship registered in the derivation relationship storage unit and registers the input-output relationship information in an input-output relationship storage unit; and a providing unit that, when receiving a document request, obtains an updated electronic document corresponding to a requested electronic document designated in the document request based on the input-output relationship information and provides the updated electronic document.

Claims

1. A document providing system including a processor, comprising:

a derivation relationship storage unit;

a derivation relationship registration unit that, when receiving an instruction to register a second electronic document that is an updated version of a first electronic document, registers a derivation relationship, in said derivation relationship storage unit, indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document;

an input-output relationship storage unit;

an input-output relationship registration unit that generates input-output relationship information indicating an updated electronic document to be provided as an output document in response to a document request that designates a requested electronic document as an input document, based on the derivation relationship registered in said derivation relationship storage unit, and registers the input-output relationship information in said input-output relationship storage unit; and

a providing unit that, when receiving a document request, obtains an updated electronic document as the output document corresponding to a requested electronic document as the input document designated in the document request based on the input-output relationship information and provides the updated electronic document that is obtained;

said input-output relationship registration unit, when the derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document is registered in said derivation relationship storage unit, generating new input-output relationship information indicating that, with regard to each of all electronic documents that are ancestors of the second electronic document in an derivation relationship tree structure represented by derivation relationships stored in said derivation relationship storage unit, an updated electronic document to be provided corresponding to a document request that designates the ancestor electronic document as a requested electronic document is the second electronic document, and registering said generated input-output relationship information;

said providing unit providing the output document when said providing unit receives a document request that designates the input document as the requested document.

2. The document providing system according to claim 1, wherein said input-output relationship registration unit registers, with regard to an ancestor electronic document that satisfies a predetermined limiting condition among ancestor electronic documents of the second electronic document in the derivation relationship tree structure, input-output relationship information indicating that an updated electronic document to be provided corresponding to a document request that designates the ancestor electronic document as a requested electronic document is the second electronic document.

3. The document providing system according to claim 2, wherein said input-output relationship registration unit uses, as the limiting condition, a condition that limits the ancestor electronic documents to an ancestor electronic document registered in said derivation relationship storage unit on time and date that is within a predetermined period from time and date when the second electronic document is registered.

4. The document providing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a deleting unit that, when first input-output relationship information is registered in said input-output relationship storage unit, deletes second input-output relationship information in which a requested electronic document in the first input-output relationship information is an updated electronic document to be provided in accordance with the document request.

5. The document providing system according to claim 1, wherein said input-output relationship registration unit, when the derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document is registered in said derivation relationship storage unit including the updated version of the second electronic document and each ancestor of the second electronic document, displays a derivation relationship tree structure represented by derivation relationships stored in said derivation relationship storage unit, and receives designation of one or more electronic documents that are ancestors of the second electronic document on the display and registers input-output relationship information indicating that the second electronic document is to be provided in response to a document request with regard to the designated electronic document.

6. A computer readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for providing electronic documents, the process comprising:

registering, when receiving an instruction to register a second electronic document that is an updated version of a first electronic document, a derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document in a derivation relationship storage unit;

generating input-output relationship information indicating an updated electronic document to be provided as an output document in response to a document request that designates a requested electronic document as an input document, based on the derivation relationship registered in the derivation relationship storage unit, and registering the input-output relationship information in an input-output relationship storage unit;

when receiving a document request, obtaining an updated electronic document as the output document corresponding to a requested electronic document as the input document designated in the document request based on the input-output relationship information and providing the updated electronic document that is obtained;

when the derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document is registered in the derivation relationship storage unit, generating new input-output relationship information indicating that, with regard to each of all electronic documents that are ancestors of the second electronic document in derivation relationship tree structure represented by derivation relationships stored in the derivation relationship storage unit, an updated electronic document to be provided corresponding to a document request that designates the ancestor electronic document as a requested electronic document is the second electronic document, and registering the generated input-output relationship information; and

providing the output electronic document when a received document request designates the input document as the requested document.

7. The recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the registering of the input-output relationship information comprises registering, with regard to an ancestor electronic document that satisfies a predetermined limiting condition among ancestor electronic documents of the second electronic document in the derivation relationship tree structure, input-output relationship information indicating that an updated electronic document to be provided in response to a document request that designates the ancestor electronic document as a requested electronic document is the second electronic document.

8. The recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the registering of the input-output relationship information comprises using, as the limiting condition, a condition that limits the ancestor electronic documents to an ancestor electronic document registered in the derivation relationship storage unit on time and date that is within a predetermined period from time and date when the second electronic document was registered.

9. The recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the process further comprising:

deleting, when first input-output relationship information is registered in the input-output relationship storage unit, second input-output relationship information in which a requested electronic document in the first input-output relationship information is an updated electronic document to be provided in accordance with the document request.

10. The recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the registering of the input-output relationship information comprises, when the derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document is registered in the derivation relationship storage unit including the updated version of the second electronic document and each ancestor of the second electronic document, displaying a derivation relationship tree structure represented by derivation relationships stored in the derivation relationship storage unit, and receiving designation one or more electronic documents that are ancestors of the second electronic document on the display and registering input-output relationship information indicating that the second electronic document is to be provided in response to a document request with regard to the designated electronic document.

11. A method for providing electronic documents, comprising:

registering, using a processor, when receiving an instruction to register a second electronic document that is an updated version of a first electronic document, a derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document in a derivation relationship storage unit;

generating, using a processor, input-output relationship information indicating an updated electronic document to be provided as an output document in response to a document request that designates a requested electronic document as an input document, based on the derivation relationship registered in the derivation relationship storage unit, and registering the input-output relationship information in an input-output relationship storage unit;

when receiving a document request, obtaining, using a processor, an updated electronic document as the output document corresponding to a requested electronic document as the input document designated in the document request based on the input-output relationship information and providing the updated electronic document that is obtained;

when the derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document is registered in the derivation relationship storage unit, generating new input-output relationship information indicating that, with regard to each of all electronic documents that are ancestors of the second electronic document in a derivation relationship tree structure represented by derivation relationships stored in the derivation relationship storage unit, an updated electronic document to be provided corresponding to a document request that designates the ancestor electronic document as a requested electronic document is the second electronic document, and registering the generated input-output relationship information; and

providing the output electronic document when a received document request designates the input document as the requested document.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the registering of the input-output relationship information comprises registering, with regard to an ancestor electronic document that satisfies a predetermined limiting condition among ancestor electronic documents of the second electronic document in the derivation relationship tree structure, input-output relationship information indicating that an updated electronic document to be provided in response to a document request that designates the ancestor electronic document as a requested electronic document is the second electronic document.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the registering of the input-output relationship information comprises using, as the limiting condition, a condition that limits the ancestor electronic documents to an ancestor electronic document registered in the derivation relationship storage unit on time and date that is within a predetermined period from time and date when the second electronic document was registered.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the process further comprising:

deleting, when first input-output relationship information is registered in the input-output relationship storage unit, second input-output relationship information in which a requested electronic document in the first input-output relationship information is an updated electronic document to be provided in accordance with the document request.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the registering of the input-output relationship information comprises, when the derivation relationship indicating that the second electronic document is derived from the first electronic document is registered in the derivation relationship storage unit including the updated version of the second electronic document and each ancestor of the second electronic document, displaying a derivation relationship tree structure represented by derivation relationships stored in the derivation relationship storage unit, and receiving designation one or more electronic documents that are ancestors of the second electronic document on the display and registering input-output relationship information indicating that the second electronic document is to be provided in response to a document request with regard to the designated electronic document.