Document management apparatus and document management method using search folder comprising one or more parent folders

• US 9,026,508 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagai, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Sherief
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raab, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US12/268,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/797
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A document management apparatus, which converts management of documents managed using a folder tree to management using search folders, newly defines attributes of documents included in respective hierarchies of the folder tree as a conversion source. To each document which belongs to the folder tree, a name of a folder in an upper hierarchy, which stores that document, is assigned as an attribute value of the defined attribute. Each folder which configures the folder tree is converted into a search folder which can search for documents assigned with the attribute values using the name of that folder as a search condition.

Claims

1. A document management apparatus comprising:

a hardware processor;

a decision unit adapted to cause the processor of said document management apparatus to decide, as a document attribute, an attribute corresponding to respective hierarchies branched from one parent folder of a parent-child relationship of a folder tree as a conversion source;

an assignment unit adapted to cause the processor to assign, as an attribute value, a folder name of an upper hierarchy folder which stores each document belonging to the folder tree, to the attribute decided by said decision unit, wherein the folder name is assigned as an attribute value to an attribute corresponding to a hierarchy of the upper hierarchy folder, and wherein the folder name identifies a name of the folder which stores the respective document and does not further identify a location of the folder within the hierarchy of the folder tree;

a conversion unit adapted to cause the processor to convert each folder which configures the folder tree into a search folder which can search for documents by a search condition using the attribute decided by said decision unit and the attribute value assigned by said assignment unit, wherein the search folder includes one or more parent folders of the parent-child relationship;

a document attribute confirmation unit adapted to cause the processor to confirm whether or not an attribute of existing attributes set for documents included in respective hierarchies of the folder tree can be set as an attribute of documents to be stored in the search folder;

a document attribute selection unit adapted to cause the processor to select the existing attribute based on a confirmation result of said document attribute confirmation unit; and

a document attribute processing branch unit adapted to cause the processor to accept a selection as to whether a new attribute is decided by said decision unit or the existing attribute is used by said document attribute selection unit,

wherein said assignment unit assigns an attribute value to the attribute of each document which belongs to the folder tree, based on the selection accepted by said document attribute processing branch unit.

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

a conversion folder group designation unit adapted to cause the processor to designate a partial configuration of the folder tree as a conversion target.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an attribute value input request unit adapted to cause the processor to request to input an attribute value of the attribute decided by said decision unit upon registering a new document.

4. A document management method comprising:

a decision step of deciding, as a document attribute, an attribute corresponding to respective hierarchies branched from one parent folder of a parent-child relationship of a folder tree as a conversion source;

an assignment step of assigning, as an attribute value, a folder name of an upper hierarchy folder which stores each document belonging to the folder tree, to the attribute decided in the decision step, wherein the folder name is assigned as an attribute value to an attribute corresponding to a hierarchy of the upper hierarchy folder, and wherein the folder name identifies a name of the folder which stores the respective document and does not further identify a location of the folder within the hierarchy of the folder tree;

a conversion step of converting each folder which configures the folder tree into a search folder which can search for documents by a search condition using the attribute decided in the decision step and the attribute value assigned in the assignment step, wherein the search folder includes one or more parent folders of the parent-child relationship;

a document attribute confirmation step of confirming whether or not an attribute of existing attributes set for documents included in respective hierarchies of the folder tree can be set as an attribute of documents to be stored in the search folder;

a document attribute selection step of selecting the existing attribute based on a confirmation result in the document attribute confirmation step; and

a document attribute processing branch step of accepting a selection as to whether a new attribute is decided in the decision step or the existing attribute is used in document attribute selection step,

wherein an attribute value is assigned to the attribute of each document which belongs to the folder tree, based on the selection accepted in the document attribute processing branch step.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

a conversion folder group designation step of designating a partial configuration of the folder tree as a conversion target.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

an attribute value input request step of requesting to input an attribute value of the attribute defined in the document attribute definition step upon registering a new document.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for making a computer execute a document processing method according to claim 4.