System, computer program product and method for managing documents

• US 7,401,125 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Hyakutake, Shogo, Uchida, Yuki, Aoshima, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/684,965
• Time in Patent Office: 2,835 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-202, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for managing documents. The system includes a document manager that is configured to search for application services providers (ASPs) over a network and based on a user input. The document manager can search documents within the ASPs, retrieve documents and URLs, store documents and data, format documents, generate and issue unified bills from a plurality of bills from a plurality of ASPs. The document manager can provide consulting advice to the user regarding document managing, and can manage the documents stored on a user storage device, for example by transferring these documents to a ASP storage device after storage time periods associated with the documents.

Claims

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

receiving a request from a remote user;

providing said user with consulting advice regarding said request based upon data input by said user, said consulting advice including advice on document retrieval costs, document storage strategies, document storage organization, protection of secured documents, or delivery options of documents;

selecting an application service provider from a plurality of application service providers based on said request, wherein said request is not related to said application service provider;

forwarding said request to said application service provider;

providing said application service provider with a user access level that includes first, second and third sections, each section indicating a different hierarchical level of access, wherein said first section indicates a business entity, said second section indicates a department, and said third section indicates an individual;

receiving information from said application service provider indicating information of a document provided from said application service provider to said user;

formatting said document from said application service provider into a standardized format regardless of which application service provider of said plurality of application service provides is selected;

generating a unified bill from bills received from application service providers; and

transmitting said unified bill to said user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said user with said document from said application service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of searching for said document in said application service provider.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing said document to said user comprises:

delivering a print out of said document to said user; and

providing said user with a URL of said document.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing said document to said user comprises transmitting said document to a user storage device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing said document to said user comprises transmitting said document to a user display device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving said document;

formatting said document into a format requested by said user;

providing said user with said document formatted in said formatting step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information step comprises receiving the information which is a billing information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information step comprises receiving the information which is the document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information step comprises receiving the information which is a URL for said document.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the consulting advice provided to said user includes advice on document search strategies, or updating of documents.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is obtained via a user interaction device by said user in response to a series of questions.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is generated based upon previously acquired data from said user.

11. A system for managing documents, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a remote user;

means for providing said user with consulting advice regarding said request based upon data input by said user, said consulting advice including advice on document retrieval costs, document storage strategies, document storage organization, protection of secured documents, or delivery options of documents;

means for selecting an application service provider from a plurality of application service providers based on said request, wherein said request is not related to said application service provider;

means for forwarding said request to said application service provider;

means for providing said application service provider with a user access level that includes first, second and third sections, each section indicating a different hierarchical level of access, wherein said first section indicates a business entity, said second section indicates a department, and said third section indicates an individual;

means for receiving information from said application service provider indicating information of a document provided from said application service provider to said user;

means for formatting said document from said application service provider into a standardized format regardless of which application service provider of said plurality of application service provides is selected;

means for generating a unified bill from bills received from application service providers; and

means for transmitting said unified bill to said user.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for providing said user with said document from said application service provider.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for searching for said document in said application service provider.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for providing said user with said document comprises:

means for delivering a print out of said document to said user; and

means for providing said user with a URL of said document.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for providing said user with said document comprises means for transmitting said document to a user storage device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for providing said user with said document comprises means for transmitting said document to a user display device.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for retrieving said document;

means for formatting said document into a format requested by said user; and

means for providing said user with said document formatted in said formatting step.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving information comprises a means for receiving a billing information.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving information comprises a means for receiving the document.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving information comprises a means for receiving a URL for said document.

43. The system of claim 11, wherein the consulting advice provided to said user includes advice on document search strategies, or updating of documents.

44. The system of claim 11, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is obtained via a user interaction device by said user in response to a series of questions.

45. The system of claim 11, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is generated based upon previously acquired data from said user.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to manage documents over a computer network, the computer program code mechanism including;

a first computer code device configured to receive a request from a remote user;

a second computer code device configured to provide said user with consulting advice regarding said request based upon data input by said user, said consulting advice including advice on document retrieval costs, document storage strategies, document storage organization, protection of secured documents, or delivery options of documents;

a third computer code device configured to select an application service provider from a plurality of application service providers based on said request, wherein said request is not related to said application service provider;

a fourth computer code device configured to forward said request to said application service provider along with a user access level that includes first, second and third sections, each section indicating a different hierarchical level of access, wherein said first section indicates a business entity, said second section indicates a department, and said third section indicates an individual;

a fifth computer code device configured to receive information from said application service provider indicating information of a document provided from said application service provider to said user;

a sixth computer code configured to format said document from said application service provider into a standardized format regardless of which application service provider of said plurality of application service provides is selected;

a seventh computer code device configured to generate a unified bill from bills received from application service providers; and

an eighth computer code device configured to transmit said unified bill to said user.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a ninth computer code device configured to provide said user with said document from said application service provider.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a ninth computer code device configured to search for said document in said application service provider.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the ninth computer code device comprises:

a tenth computer code device configured to deliver a print out of said document to said user; and

an eleventh computer code device configured to provide said user with a URL of said document.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the ninth computer code device comprises a tenth computer code device configured to transmit said document to a user storage device.

26. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the ninth computer code device comprises a tenth computer code device configured to transmit said document to a user display device.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

a ninth computer code device configured to retrieve said document;

a tenth computer code device configured to format said document into a format requested by said user; and

an eleventh computer code device configured to provide said user with said document formatted in said formatting step.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the fifth computer code device is configured to receive a billing information.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the fifth computer code device is configured to receive the document.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the fifth computer code device is configured to receive a URL for said document.

46. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the consulting advice provided to said user includes advice on document search strategies, or updating of documents.

47. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is obtained via a user interaction device by said user in response to a series of questions.

48. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is generated based upon previously acquired data from said user.

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

receiving a request from a remote user;

receiving a document, storage information and an access level from said user,

wherein said access level includes first, second and third sections, each section indicating a different hierarchical level of access needed to access said document, wherein said first section indicates a business entity, said second section indicates a department, and said third section indicates an individual;

providing said user with consulting advice regarding said request based upon data input by said user, said consulting advice including advice on document retrieval costs, document storage strategies, document storage organization, protection of secured documents, or delivery options of documents;

selecting an application service provider from a plurality of application service providers based on said storage information;

transmitting said document, said access level and at least part of said storage information to a storage device of said application service provider;

formatting said document from said application service provider into a standardized format regardless of which application service provider of said plurality of application service provides is selected;

generating a unified bill from bills received from application service providers; and

transmitting said unified bill to said user.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of receiving said document and storage information is performed after a storage time period associated with said document to be transmitted.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of selecting said application service provider is performed based on a document type for said document.

49. The method of claim 31, wherein the consulting advice provided to said user includes advice on document search strategies, or updating of documents.

50. The method of claim 31, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is obtained via a user interaction device by said user in response to a series of questions.

51. The method of claim 31, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is generated based upon previously acquired data from said user.

34. A system for managing documents, comprising means for receiving a request from a remote user;

means for receiving a document, storage information and an access level from said user,

wherein said access level includes first, second and third sections, each section indicating a different hierarchical level of access needed to access said document from said user, wherein said first section indicates a business entity, said second section indicates a department, and said third section indicates an individual;

means for providing said user with consulting advice regarding said request based upon data input by said user, said consulting advice including advice on document retrieval costs, document storage strategies, document storage organization, protection of secured documents, or delivery options of documents;

means for selecting an application service provider from a plurality of application service providers based on said storage information;

means for transmitting said document, said access level and at least part of said storage information to a storage device of said application service provider;

means for formatting said document from said application service provider into a standardized format regardless of which application service provider of said plurality of application service provides is selected;

means for generating a unified bill from bills received from application service providers; and

means for transmitting said unified bill to said user.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the means for receiving said document and said storage information is configured to receive said document and said storage information after a storage time period associated with said document to be transmitted.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the means for selecting said application service provider is configured to select based on a document type for said document.

52. The system of claim 34, wherein the consulting advice provided to said user includes advice on document search strategies, or updating of documents.

53. The system of claim 34, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is obtained via a user interaction device by said user in response to a series of questions.

54. The system of claim 34, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is generated based upon previously acquired data from said user.

37. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to manage documents over a computer network, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to receive a request from a remote user;

a second computer code device configured to receive a document, and an access level from said user,

wherein said access level includes first, second and third sections, each section indicating a different hierarchical level of access needed to access said document, wherein said first section indicates a business entity, said second section indicates a department, and said third section indicates an individual;

a third computer code device configured to provide said user with consulting advice regarding said request based upon data input by said user, said consulting advice including advice on document retrieval costs, document storage strategies, document storage organization, protection of secured documents, or delivery options of documents;

a fourth computer code device configured to select an application service provider from a plurality of application service providers based on said storage information;

a fifth computer code device configured to transmit said document, said access level and at least part of said storage information to a storage device of said application service provider;

a sixth computer code configured to format said document from said application service provider into a standardized format regardless of which application service provider of said plurality of application service provides is selected;

a seventh computer code device configured to generate a unified bill from bills received from application service providers; and

an eighth computer code device configured to transmit said unified bill to said user.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the second computer code device is configured to receive said document and storage information after a storage time period associated with said document to be transmitted.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the fourth computer code device is configured to select said application service provider based on a document type for said document.

55. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the consulting advice provided to said user includes advice on document search strategies, and updating of documents.

56. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is obtained via a user interaction device by said user in response to a series of questions.

57. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the data input by said user upon which the consulting advice is provided is generated based upon previously acquired data from said user.