Document management apparatus and document management method

• US 8,046,365 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Saito, Shigemi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shanmugasundaram; Kannan
• Application Number:
  US11/685,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20070226174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707 1- 5, 707/10, 707/100, 707/781, 707999001-999005, 707/999.1, 707/999.01, 707/673, 707/696, 707/741
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries

Abstract

An apparatus stores one or more document information of which access right is managed by an access right management apparatus, and generates an index of stored document information. The apparatus receives user identification information, and sends the user identification information, and information for identifying document information of which index has not been generated to the access right management apparatus. The apparatus receives access right information associated with the user from the access right management apparatus, and generates index of the identified document information based on the received access right information.

Claims

1. A document management apparatus including a processor, comprising:

a document information storing unit configured to use the processor to store document information, the document information storing unit being capable of storing a first type of document information and a second type of document information, wherein an access right of the second type of document information is managed by an access right management apparatus which is located external to the document management apparatus, and the second type of document information has been encrypted by a key managed by the access right management apparatus, and wherein an access right of the first type of document information is not managed by the access right management apparatus, and the first type of document information has not been encrypted;

a managing unit configured to manage the access right of the first type of document information stored in the document information storing unit;

an index generating unit configured to perform processing for generating an index of document information stored in the document information storing unit, wherein the index generating unit is not capable of generating the index from the second type of document information which is encrypted;

a user identification accepting unit configured to accept user identification information for identifying a user;

a sending unit configured to send, to the access right management apparatus, the user identification information and information for identifying document information of which index generating processing has not been performed by the index generating unit from among the second type of document information stored in the document information storing unit;

a receiving unit configured to receive, in a case where a user, who is identified by the user identification information sent by the sending unit, has an access right of the second type of document information identified by the information sent by the sending unit, the key of the document information from the access right management apparatus;

a control unit configured to control the index generating unit to decrypt the second type of document information and to generate the index of the second type of document information when the key of the second type of document information is received by the receiving unit;

an index storing unit configured to store an index generated by the index generating unit; and

an index storing status storing unit configured to store an index storing status indicating a state whether or not the index of each of one or more document information stored in the document information storing unit is stored in the index storing unit,

wherein the sending unit refers to the index storing status storing unit, and sends information determining document information of which index generation by the index generating unit has not been performed to the access right management apparatus,

and wherein the index storing status storing unit stores the index storing status relating to the document information of which index has been generated by the index generating unit as index stored.

2. The document management apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the receiving unit further receives access right information of the user corresponding to the second type of document information, from the access management apparatus, and

wherein the control unit determines index generating processing by the index generating unit to be executable based on the access right information if the user has a reference right regarding the second type of document information.

3. The document management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit determines index generating processing by the index generating unit to be inexecutable based on the access right information if the user has no right necessary for index generation regarding the second type of document information.

4. The document management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a document information processing unit configured to process the first type or the second type of document information stored by the document information storing unit; and

a document specification accepting unit configured to accept specification of the first type or the second type of document information to be processed by the document information processing unit, of one or more document information stored by the document information storing unit;

wherein the index generating unit perform index generation regarding the second type of document information stored in the document information storing unit other than the document information to be processed by the document processing unit that is accepted by the document specification accepting unit.

5. A method for storing document information using a document management apparatus having a document information storing unit, the method comprising:

storing a first type of document information and a second type of document information, wherein an access right of the second type of document information is managed by an access right management apparatus which is located external to the document management apparatus, and the second type of document information has been encrypted by a key managed by the access right management apparatus, and wherein an access right of the first type of document information is not managed by the access right management apparatus, and the first type of document information is not encrypted;

managing the access right of the first type of document information stored in the document information storing unit;

performing processing for generating an index of document information stored in the document information storing unit, wherein generating the index from the second type of document information which is encrypted is not possible;

receiving user identification information for identifying a user;

sending to the access right management apparatus the user identification information, and information for identifying document information of which index generating processing has not been performed from among the second type of document information stored in the document information storing unit;

receiving, in a case where a user, who is identified by the user identification information, has an access right of the second type of document information identified by the information sent, the key of the document information from the access right management apparatus;

decrypting the second type of document information and generating the index of the second type of document information when the key of the second type of document information is received;

storing an index generated in an index storing unit; and

storing an index storing status indicating a state whether or not the index of each of one or more document information stored in the document information storing unit is stored in the index storing unit;

wherein the sending step refers to the index storing status, and sends information determining document information of which index generated has not been performed to the access right management apparatus;

and wherein the stored index storing status relating to the document information of which index has been generated as index stored.

6. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for storing document information using a document management apparatus having a document information storing unit, the document management method comprising:

storing a first type of document information and a second type of document information, wherein an access right of the second type of document information is managed by an access right management apparatus which is located external to the document management apparatus, and the second type of document information has been encrypted by a key managed by the access right management apparatus, and wherein an access right of the first type of document information is not managed by the access right management apparatus, and the first type of document information is not encrypted;

managing the access right of the first type of document information stored in the document information storing unit;

performing processing for generating an index of document information stored in the document information storing unit, wherein generating the index from the second type of document information which is encrypted is not possible;

receiving user identification information for identifying a user;

sending to the access right management apparatus, the user identification information and information for identifying document information of which index generating processing has not been performed from among the second type of document information stored in the document information storing unit;

receiving, in a case where a user, who is identified by the user identification information, has an access right of the second type of document information identified by the information, the key of the document information from the access right management apparatus;

decrypting the second type of document information and generating the index of the second type of document information when the key of the second type of document information is received;

storing an index generated in an index storing unit; and

storing an index storing status indicating a state whether or not the index of each of one or more document information stored in the document information storing unit is stored in the index storing unit;

wherein the sending step refers to the index storing status, and sends information determining document information of which index generated has not been performed to the access right management apparatus;

and wherein the stored index storing status relating to the document information of which index has been generated as index stored.