Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium in which information processing program is recorded

• US 20050268220A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kei
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

An information processing apparatus has an additional information adding unit, a display, an acquisition unit, a status determination unit, and a display control unit. The additional information adding unit adds additional information to an electronic document. The display displays the electronic document and the additional information added to the electronic document. The acquisition unit acquires, in a state where the electronic document is being displayed by the display unit, additional information added to the electronic document by another information processing apparatus. The status determination unit determines whether or not a user is unhindred in referencing the additional information added by the other information processing apparatus. The display control unit controls the display to display the additional information acquired by the acquisition unit when it has been determined by the status determination unit that the user is unhindered in the referencing.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an additional information adding unit that adds additional information to an electronic document;

a display that displays the electronic document and the additional information added to the electronic document;

an acquisition unit that acquires, in a state where the electronic document is being displayed by the display unit, additional information added to the electronic document by another information processing apparatus;

a status determination unit that determines whether or not a user is unhindered in referencing the additional information added by the other information processing apparatus; and

a display control unit that controls the display to display the additional information acquired by the acquisition unit when it has been determined by the status determination unit that the user is unhindered in the referencing.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the status determination unit determines whether or not the user is unhindered in referencing the additional information based on a public attribute.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the status determination unit determines whether or not the user is unhindered in referencing the additional information based on a user name and/or user'"'"'s password.

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

an operation unit that is operated when inputting predefined format of information relating to a display image resulting from the display unit,

wherein the status determination unit determines whether or not the user is unhindered in the referencing on the basis of a status of the operation unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation unit comprises at least one of a text input device that is operated when inputting text information relating to the display image and a coordinate input device that is operated when inputting coordinate information representing a position in the display image.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the operation unit comprises both the text input device and the coordinate input device, and

the status determination unit determines that the user is unhindered in the referencing when the operation with respect to the text input device and the coordinate input device is not conducted in a period of time equal to or greater than a predetermined period of time and when an operation amount per predetermined period of time with respect to the coordinate input device exceeds a predetermined amount.

7. An information processing method comprising:

adding additional information to an electronic document;

displaying the electronic document and the additional information added to the electronic document;

acquiring, in a state where the electronic document is being displayed, additional information added to the electronic document by another information processing apparatus;

determining whether or not a user is unhindered in referencing the additional information added by the other information processing apparatus; and

controlling to display the additional information when it has been determined that the user is unhindered in the referencing.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7, wherein it is determined whether or not the user is unhindered in the referencing on the basis of a status of an operation when inputting predefined format of information relating to a display image.

9. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for processing information, the function comprising:

adding additional information to an electronic document;

displaying the electronic document and the additional information added to the electronic document;

acquiring, in a state where the electronic document is being displayed, additional information added to the electronic document by another information processing apparatus;

determining whether or not a user is unhindered in referencing the additional information added by the other information processing apparatus; and

controlling to display the additional information when it has been determined that the user is unhindered in the referencing.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein it is determined whether or not the user is unhindered in the referencing on the basis of a status of an operation when inputting predefined format of information relating to a display image.