System and method for managing documents with multiple applications

• US 7,216,070 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kitada, Hiroshi, Kizawa, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, HUGH M
• Application Number:
  US10/294,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 709/201
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and system for managing documents, where the system includes a document manager server connected to image processing devices and to applications via a network. The document manager server receives an identification from the image processing devices; looks up a profile and transmits the profile to the image processing devices. The profile includes information about the applications connected to the document manager server. The document manager server can receive a job information, e.g., a document, from the image processing devices; process the job information and transmit the processed information to the applications connected to the document manager server. The applications can include for example an e-mail server, a fax server, a file format conversion system, an optical character recognition system, a document management system and a file storage system.

Claims

1. A method for managing documents, comprising the steps of:

receiving an identification information at a document manager server from an image processing device;

looking up said identification information in a registrar;

if said identification information is in said registrar, transmitting a profile to said image processing device, wherein said profile includes information about an application connected to said document manager server; and

if said identification information is not in said registrar;

comparing a number of registered image processing devices with a predetermined number,

if said number of registered image processing devices is less than said predetermined number, registering said image processing device and transmitting said profile to said image processing device, and

if said number of registered image processing devices is equal to said predetermined number, transmitting a message to said image processing device, wherein said message indicates that said application is not available to said image processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said identification information comprises a serial number of said image processing device.

3. A system for managing documents, comprising:

means for receiving an identification information at a document manager server from an image processing device;

means for looking up a profile based on said identification information at said document manager server, wherein said profile includes information about an application connected to said document manager server via a network; and

means for transmitting said profile from said document manager server to said image processing device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said identification information comprises a serial number of said image processing device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said identification information comprises a group identification for said image processing device.

6. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

means for inquiring at said document manager server whether said image processing device is registered.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for registering said image processing device with said document manager server.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for receiving a job information at said document manager server from said image processing device;

means for processing said job information at said document manager server; and

means for transmitting a processed information from said document manager server to said application connected to said document manager server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is login information related to a user of said image processing device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a request for a destination information, and wherein said application connected to said document manager server is a directory server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said destination information comprises an e-mail address.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said destination information comprises a fax number.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving said destination information at said document manager server from said directory server;

means for transmitting said destination information from said document manager server to said image processing device;

means for receiving at said document manager server from said image processing device a document and a request for routing said document; and

means for routing said document from said document manager server in accordance with said request for routing.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said destination information comprises an e-mail address, and

said means for routing said document comprises means for transmitting said document to an e-mail server with a request for e-mailing said document to said e-mail address.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

said destination information comprises a fax number, and

said means for routing said document comprises means for transmitting said document to a fax server with a request for faxing said document to said fax number.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is an e-mail server.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is fax server.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is a file format conversion system.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is an optical character recognition system.

20. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is a document management system.

21. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is a file storage system.

22. The system of claim 8, wherein said job information is a document, and said means for transmitting said processed information transmits to a plurality of applications connected to said document manager server.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said applications are grouped into a delivery system group, a middle processing group, and a backend system group.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

said delivery system group comprises an e-mail server and a fax server;

said middle processing group comprises a file format conversion system and an optical character recognition system, and

said backend system group comprises a document management system and a file storage system.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for transmitting said processed information transmits to at least one application from said delivery system group, and to only one application from said backend system group.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for transmitting said processed information transmits to only one application from said middle processing group.

27. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for receiving and transmitting receive and transmit data using an HTTP protocol and an XML format.

28. A system for managing documents, comprising:

means for receiving an identification information at a document manager server from an image processing device;

means for looking up said identification information in a registrar;

means for transmitting a profile to said image processing device if said identification information is in said registrar, wherein said profile includes information about an application connected to said document manager server;

means for comparing a number of registered image processing devices with a predetermined number if said identification information is not in said registrar;

means for registering said image processing device and transmitting said profile to said image processing device if said number of registered image processing devices is less than said predetermined number; and

means for transmitting a message to said image processing device if said number of registered image processing devices is equal to said predetermined number, wherein said message indicates that said application is not available to said image processing device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said identification information comprises a serial number of said image processing device.

30. A system for managing documents, comprising:

a document manager server configured to receive identification information from an image processing device;

the document manager server configured to look up said identification information in a registrar;

the document manager server configured to transmit a profile to said image processing device if said identification information is in said registrar, wherein said profile includes information about an application connected to said document manager server; and

the document manager server configured to compare a number of registered image processing devices with a predetermined number if said identification information is not in said registrar,

the document manager server configured to register said image processing device and transmit said profile to said image processing device if said number of registered image processing devices is less than said predetermined number, and

the document manager server configured to transmit a message to said image processing device if said number of registered image processing devices is equal to said predetermined number, wherein said message indicates that said application is not available to said image processing device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said identification information comprises a serial number of said image processing device.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein said identification information comprises a group identification for said image processing device.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein said document manager server is further configured to:

receive job information from said image processing device;

process said job information; and

transmit said processed job information to said application connected to said document manager server.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is login information related to a user of said image processing device.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a request for a destination information, and wherein said application connected to said document manager server is a directory server.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said destination information comprises an e-mail address.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said destination information comprises a fax number.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein said document manager server is further configured to:

receive said destination information from said directory server;

transmit said destination information to said image processing device;

receive, from said image processing device, a document and a request for routing said document; and

route said document from said document manager server in accordance with said request for routing.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said destination information comprises an e-mail address, and

said document server is configured to route said document by transmitting said document to an e-mail server with a request for e-mailing said document to said e-mail address.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein:

said destination information comprises a fax number, and

said document server is configured to route said document by transmitting said document to a fax server with a request for faxing said document to said fax number.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is an e-mail server.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is fax server.

43. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is a file format conversion system.

44. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is an optical character recognition system.

45. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is a document management system.

46. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said application connected to said document manager server is a file storage system.

47. The system of claim 33, wherein said job information is a document, and said document server is configured to transmit said processed information to a plurality of applications connected to said document manager server.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said applications are grouped into a delivery system group, a middle processing group, and a backend system group.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein:

said delivery system group comprises an e-mail server and a fax server;

said middle processing group comprises a file format conversion system and an optical character recognition system, and

said backend system group comprises a document management system and a file storage system.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein said document server is configured to transmit said processed information to at least one application from said delivery system group, and to only one application from said backend system group.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein said document manager server is configured to transmit said processed information to only one application from said middle processing group.

52. The system of claim 33, wherein said document manager server is configured to transmit and receive data using an HTTP protocol and an XML format.