JP2005346281A - File transfer-and-reception management device and system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify a terminal device, to which a file is secondarily distributed, of information that the file is updated. <P>SOLUTION: A file transfer-and-reception management device is connected to a plurality of user terminals constituting a computer network. In addition, the management device is provided with; a storage means which records information relating to the transfer and reception of a file; and a management means which manages information on the transfer and reception of a file at a user terminal. When the management means receives the information that a file is to be opened from one of the user terminals, it records information for specifying the file to the storage means in association with the user terminal concerned. When receiving the information that a file is to be received from one of the user terminals, the management means records the information for specifying the file to the storage means in association with the user terminal concerned. When receiving the information that the file concerned is updated from the user terminal which has opened the file, the management means refers to the storage means, extracts the user terminal which receives the file and provides the extracted user terminal with the notification that the file is updated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to file transfer management, and more particularly, to a technique for notifying information about updated files to user terminals to which files are secondarily distributed.

  When a plurality of members jointly advance development work, development-related information such as specifications and drawings that have been exchanged in the past is exchanged between the workers as an electronic file.

  Development-related information generally changes frequently. For this reason, the contents of a document once exchanged may be updated later. In such a case, it is necessary to notify the recipient of the file before update that the file has been updated.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for managing patch revision management and defect contents in association with each other, reflecting patch adaptation data for a plurality of system revisions without omission, and distributing patch files to target personnel and customers. It is disclosed.

JP 2003-208308 A

  By the way, development-related information is often distributed not only directly from the creator of a file but also distributed to other members by the distributed person. For this reason, it is not sufficient to notify the update information only to members distributed directly.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to notify information about a file update to a terminal device to which the file is secondarily distributed.

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention,
A file transfer management device connected to a plurality of user terminals constituting a computer network,
Storage means for recording information relating to file exchange;
A management means for managing information related to file transfer in the user terminal,
The management means includes
When receiving information to publish a file from any user terminal, the information for specifying the file is recorded in the storage means in association with the user terminal,
When receiving information indicating that a file is received from any user terminal, information for specifying the file is associated with the user terminal and recorded in the storage unit,
When receiving information indicating that the file has been updated from the user terminal that published the file, refer to the storage means, extract the user terminal that received the file,
A file transfer management device is provided that notifies the extracted user terminal that the file has been updated.

  Here, a user authentication unit that authenticates a user of the connected user terminal can be further provided.

  In addition, when the management means receives information indicating that a file is received from any user terminal, the management means further records information for specifying a derivation source file of the file in the storage means in association with the user terminal. Alternatively, when information indicating that the file is to be transmitted is received from any user terminal, the information for specifying the file can be recorded in the storage means in association with the user terminal of the transmission destination.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a file transfer system to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the file transfer system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  The file transfer system shown in FIG. 1 has a function of notifying the receiving side that a file has been updated when the transmitted / received file is later updated. For this reason, the file transfer system includes a file transfer process management device 1 that manages the file transfer process and a user terminal 2 that performs the file transfer process. Each device is connected by a network such as a LAN. Yes.

  The user terminal 2 can be classified into a user terminal 2A on the file transmission side and a user terminal 2B on the file reception side according to the direction in which the file is communicated.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration using a peer-to-peer method in which a file held by the user terminal 2A on the transmission side is directly transmitted to the user terminal 2B on the file reception side. This is because the file transfer system is particularly suitable for building with a peer-to-peer system configuration because it mainly assumes that an unspecified number of workers work together. is there.

  Here, various communication protocols used for file exchange (communication) can be used. For example, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) used for file transfer, SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) used for sending electronic mail, and the like can be mentioned. In addition, the mode of file exchange includes both the one that the reception side performs mainly like download and the one that the transmission side performs mainly like e-mail.

  As shown in the figure, the file transfer process management device 1 includes a user information storage unit 10 that manages information on users who perform file transfer processes and a file transfer process for authenticating the user terminal 2 to be accessed. And a user authentication unit 11 that authenticates a user to be performed. As described above, by providing means for authenticating the worker (user terminal 2), the reliability of the attribute information 21 and the history information 27 indicating the file transfer process is improved, and data exchanged between the workers is also performed. The reliability of the file contents is also improved.

  The file transfer process management device 1 relates to an attribute information creation unit 23 that creates attribute information 21 that is information for specifying a file transfer flow and a transfer process performed for the file in order to manage the file transfer process. And a history information creation unit 28 for creating history information 27 as information. Further, information (attribute information 21 and history information 27) relating to the created file exchange process is managed by the file exchange process DB 20 included in the file exchange process management apparatus 1.

  The user terminal 2 receives and transmits a file, an attribute information acquisition unit 22 that acquires attribute information 21 attached to the file, an attribute information addition unit 24 that adds attribute information 21 corresponding to the file to the file, and a disclosure And a public file management unit 30 serving as a storage destination of files to be stored.

  Here, the attribute information adding unit 24 of the user terminal 2 can add the attribute information 21 to the data file using various methods. For example, as a method of adding the attribute information 21, there is a recording portion of the attribute information 21 in the data file. If this is available, it is added as the attribute information 21 or the redundant data in the data file is recorded. For example, there is a method using a “watermark technique” for adding character string information to image data. Further, there is a method of grouping data files and their attribute information 21 and compressing the data to form one file (package file).

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the file transfer process DB 20. First, the attribute information 21 managed by the file transfer process DB 20 includes a unique ID for identifying a predetermined file from other files, a sub ID for identifying a distribution history in the predetermined file, and a predetermined sub ID. This includes the derivation source sub-ID that is the derivation source of the file and the version of the file.

  The unique ID is an ID for enabling the data file to be specified throughout its life cycle. The file name used for specifying the normal file is generally a name arbitrarily given by the registrant of the data file. However, with the file name alone, there is a possibility that it collides with the file name named by another worker, and if the file name is changed by the worker during data file transfer, it is not possible to trace the previous history There is sex. As a countermeasure, the system according to the present embodiment uses a unique file ID for specifying a file instead of a file name so that the data file does not change even if it moves between a plurality of workers.

  The version at the time of registration of the file is assumed to be version “1”, and thereafter, every time the file is updated by the registrant, the version is increased to “2”, “3”,.

  The history information 27 managed by the file transfer process DB 20 includes a user ID that identifies a user who is the subject of the file transfer process, an activity indicating the type of the file transfer process, a file name assigned to the file, a file transfer And the date and time the process was performed. The history information 27 further includes content information that explains the contents of the file, a file type that indicates the type of the file, and a file name (unique ID) of a file that is linked (referenced) from the file. May be. In particular, when information on a file linked from the file is included, the user terminal 2 that has not directly received the link file can be notified that the link file has been updated. It becomes like this.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of file exchange and the assignment of attribute information 21 accompanying the flow. FIG. 3 shows a flow in which each user terminal 2 corresponding to five workers exchanges a predetermined file (specified by a unique ID). Each file transfer process is indicated by an arrow that connects the worker to the worker, where the source of the arrow is the source of the file and the destination of the arrow is the destination of the file. Therefore, in FIG. 3, after the file is transmitted from the worker A to the three workers (worker B, worker C, worker D), the file is transmitted from the worker C to the worker E. The flow is shown. Here, each file transfer process is not given in advance as standard data, but is atypical data as a result of each worker performing the file transfer process independently.

  Here, the attribute information 21 created by the attribute information creation unit 23 of the file transfer process management device 1 will be described in detail. First, the file transfer process shown in FIG. 3 is a process for a predetermined file specified by a unique ID. Therefore, the process of a file whose unique ID is different from the predetermined file is a flow different from that in FIG. Next, the sub ID is generated for each file registration (publication) and file transfer process (file communication from the transmission source to the transmission destination). That is, when a file is transmitted from worker A to three workers (worker B, worker C, worker D), the file ID is the same, but the transmission destination is different. A different ID is assigned to each destination. As a result, the file transfer process can be specified.

  Furthermore, the value of the sub ID assigned in the previous file transfer process is used as the derivation sub ID. For example, attention is focused on a file transfer process from worker A to worker C and a file transfer process from worker C to worker E. First, when the worker A registers (opens) a file, “0” is added as a sub ID. Here, since the derivation sub ID is not defined, it is set to “NULL”. Next, when performing the file transfer process from the worker A to the worker C, the sub ID “0” previously assigned to the file is copied to the derivation sub ID “0”, and the predetermined file is A sub ID that has not been assigned so far (eg, “2”) is assigned as a new sub ID. Further, when the file transfer process from the worker C to the worker E is performed, the sub ID “2” previously attached to the file is copied to the derivation sub ID “2”, and the predetermined file is A sub ID (eg, “4”) that has not been assigned so far is assigned as a new sub ID.

  The configuration of the file transfer system has been described above. Next, among the operations of the file transfer system according to the present embodiment, a process for registering a file to be disclosed will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing for registering a file to be disclosed. First, the file transfer process management device 1 registers user information as preparation (S101). The user information is data used by the user authentication unit 11 to authenticate the user terminal 2 that has accessed the file transfer process management apparatus 1 and is stored in the user information storage unit 10.

  Note that the user information is configured as a set of a user ID and user-specific data necessary for authentication, for example. The user-specific data includes, for example, a password, the IP address and MAC address of the user terminal 2, and a mail address uniquely assigned to the user. The user information may be configured by adding information related to the user such as the user's department in order to efficiently select the user by the user selection unit 111 (see FIG. 5). Note that the user selection unit 111 has a scroll bar (rectangle drawn with diagonal lines) on the right side for allowing the user to scroll the screen when the user list does not fit on one screen.

  Next, the user terminal 2 receives a file publication request (S102). Therefore, the user terminal 2 presents the selection screen 110 shown in FIG. 5 in order to confirm and select a file to be disclosed. Here, since the selection screen 110 includes his / her public file list unit 113 related to the user of the local terminal, the user can check a list of files to be publicized. The selection of the file to be published is accepted by, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping the file to be published into the own file list section 113. Then, the user terminal 2 acquires the attribute information 21 from the file designated as the file to be disclosed via the attribute information acquisition unit 22 (S103).

  Here, the user terminal 2 checks whether or not the attribute information 21 exists in the file to be disclosed (S104). First, when the attribute information 21 exists, the user terminal 2 registers the file with the attribute information 21 added as it is (S110), and ends the process. On the other hand, if the attribute information 21 does not exist, the user terminal 2 requests the attribute information 21 from the file transfer process management apparatus 1 in order to add the attribute information 21 to the file to be disclosed (S105). And the file transfer process management apparatus 1 shall authenticate the user terminal 2 using user information, and shall perform the following processes with respect to the user terminal 2 which succeeded in authentication.

  After the request for attribute information 21 (S105), the file transfer process management device 1 issues the attribute information 21 (S106). Here, as shown in the item of worker A in FIG. 3, the attribute information creation unit 23 includes attribute information 21 (unique ID, sub ID, derivation sub ID “NULL”, and version for the file at the time of initial registration). Issue “1”). Then, the file transfer process management device 1 registers the created attribute information 21 in the file transfer process DB 20 (S107). At this time, activity “registration”, date and time, etc. are recorded in the file transfer process DB 20 as history information 27. Further, the file transfer process management device 1 notifies the user terminal 2 of the attribute information 21 in order to attach the attribute information 21 to the file to be disclosed (S108).

  Then, the attribute information adding unit 24 of the user terminal 2 adds the notified attribute information 21 to the file to be disclosed (S109). Further, the user terminal 2 registers the file with the attribute information 21 added in the public file management unit 30 (S110).

  The process for registering a file to be disclosed has been described above.

  Next, among the operations of the file transfer system according to the present embodiment, processing for receiving a published file will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process in which the file exchange system receives a published file.

  First, the user terminal 2B on the receiving side selects the user terminal 2A on the transmitting side (S201). Specifically, the user terminal 2B on the receiving side presents the file selection screen 110 in FIG. Then, the receiving-side user terminal 2 </ b> B causes the user selection unit 111 to select a user who is a file receiving partner from the user list. Note that the user selection unit 111 may classify and present a plurality of users for each affiliation in order to efficiently select a desired user from the plurality of users.

  Next, the user terminal 2B on the receiving side designates a file (S202). The file selection screen 110 in FIG. 5 includes a partner public file list unit 112 related to the user (S201) selected by the user selection unit 111. Then, the user terminal 2B on the receiving side selects a desired file via the other party's public file list unit 112. Further, when the selected file is dragged and dropped onto its own public file list section 113, the receiving-side user terminal 2B requests the transmitting-side user terminal 2A to transmit the selected file. (S203).

  Further, the user terminal 2A on the transmission side receives the file transmission request and acquires the attribute information 21 of the designated file (S204). Then, the user terminal 2A on the transmission side notifies the file transfer process management device 1 of the attribute information 21 (obtained in S204) in order to update the attribute information 21 of the designated file (S205).

  The file transfer process management device 1 receives the notification of the attribute information 21 and issues new attribute information 21 (S206). Here, the attribute information creation unit 23 creates the attribute information 21 for the file to be transmitted as shown in the item such as the worker B in FIG. As described above, the sub-ID of the attribute information 21 issues a value not used before the previous time for the file to be transmitted, and the derivation source sub-ID indicates the sub-ID of the attribute information 21 that has been notified. Use.

  Further, the file transfer process management device 1 registers new attribute information 21 in the file transfer process DB 20 (S207). At this time, the activity “reception”, the date and time, etc. are recorded in the file transfer process DB 20 as the history information 27. Then, the file transfer process management device 1 notifies the new attribute information 21 to the user terminal 2A on the transmission side (S208).

  Then, the transmitting-side user terminal 2A updates the specified file from the acquired attribute information 21 (S204) to new attribute information 21 (S206) (S209). Here, in the update process of the attribute information 21, the previous attribute information 21 may be overwritten with the new attribute information 21, or the new attribute information 21 is added while leaving the previous attribute information 21 in the file. Also good. Further, the transmission-side user terminal 2A transmits the file in which the attribute information 21 is updated to the reception-side user terminal 2B (S210).

  Note that the above processing has been described by way of example in which the receiving side acquires the file proactively, but it can also be applied to the case where the transmitting side proactively transmits the file like e-mail. In this case, the transmission-side user terminal 2A performs selection of the reception-side user terminal 2B, processing for specifying a file, and the like.

  The process for receiving a published file has been described above. In this way, instead of defining a standard workflow from the beginning, the transfer process between workers of the data file required for each worker's work or the data file that is the product of each worker's work is monitored. As a result, a data file-based workflow is generated. As a result, it is possible to construct a highly flexible workflow even in an atypical task that has heretofore been difficult to process model. The workflow is recorded in the file transfer process DB 20.

  The file transfer process management device 1 may visualize the generated workflow so that the file transmission / reception status can be grasped.

  Next, of the operations of the file transfer system according to the present embodiment, processing when a published file is updated will be described. In the file transfer system, when the publisher registers again for the same file, it is treated as updated. Then, referring to the workflow, the user terminal 2 receiving the file before update is notified that the file has been updated.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process for updating a published file.

  First, the user terminal 2 accepts a file update request (S301). Similarly to the registration of the file to be disclosed in this process, the user terminal 2 presents the selection screen 110 shown in FIG. 5 in order to confirm and select the file to be updated. Here, since the selection screen 110 includes his / her public file list unit 113 related to the user of the local terminal, the user can check the list of files publicized by the user. Also, the designation of the file to be updated is accepted by, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping the file to be updated into the public file list unit 113 of the user. Then, the user terminal 2 acquires the attribute information 21 from the file designated as the file to be updated via the attribute information acquisition unit 22 (S302). Since the file to be updated has already been registered, the attribute information 21 exists in principle.

  Then, the user terminal 2 notifies the attribute information 21 to the file transfer process management device 1 in order to update the attribute information 21 of the designated file (S303).

  The file transfer process management device 1 receives the notification of the attribute information 21 and issues new attribute information 21 (S304). Here, the attribute information creation unit 23 creates the attribute information 21 for the file to be updated. As described above, the sub-ID of the attribute information 21 issues a value not used before the previous time for the file to be transmitted, and the derivation source sub-ID indicates the sub-ID of the attribute information 21 that has been notified. Use. Also, the version value of the attribute information 21 is increased by one.

  Further, the file transfer process management device 1 registers new attribute information 21 in the file transfer process DB 20 (S305). At this time, the activity “update” and the date and time are recorded in the file transfer process DB 20 as the history information 27. Then, the file transfer process management device 1 notifies the user terminal 2 of the new attribute information 21 (S306).

  Then, the user terminal 2 updates the specified file from the acquired attribute information 21 to the new attribute information 21 (S307). Here, in the update process of the attribute information 21, the previous attribute information 21 may be overwritten with the new attribute information 21, or the new attribute information 21 is added while leaving the previous attribute information 21 in the file. Also good.

  On the other hand, the file transfer process management device 1 refers to the workflow recorded in the file transfer process DB 20 and extracts the user terminal 2 that has received the updated file (S308).

  At this time, the user terminal 2 receiving the file linking the updated file may be further extracted. In this case, a file is extracted without omission even when linked hierarchically. For example, when the changed file A is linked from the file B and the file B is linked from the file C, not only the file B but also the user terminal 2 receiving the file C is extracted. Like that.

  Then, the extracted user terminal 2 is notified that the file has been updated (S309).

  FIG. 8 is an example of the update notification screen 120 displayed by the user terminal 2 and indicating that the received file has been updated. Here, the update notification screen 120 includes a list 122 of received files, and an update mark display column 121, a reception date display column 123, and an update date display column 124 are provided for each file.

  For example, when the file transfer process management apparatus 1 notifies the received file C that the file has been updated, the update date and the update mark “*” are displayed on the update notification screen 120.

  Thereby, the user can know that the file received by the user terminal 2 has been updated, and can receive the updated file again to obtain the latest file. It is also possible to determine whether or not the received file is the latest by comparing the reception date and time with the update date and time.

  The update notification may be displayed with a file icon or the like. In this case, a list of received files can be displayed as icons, and an icon indicating an updated file can be highlighted, for example, to indicate to the user that the file has been updated.

  These display screens may be generated by the file transfer process management device 1 and displayed on the user terminal device 2, or on the user terminal device 2 side based on information sent from the file transfer process management device 1. You may make it produce | generate.

  The present invention described above can be widely modified as follows without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  For example, the file transfer system is configured as a peer-to-peer method (see FIG. 1), but may be configured as a client-server method (see FIG. 9). In the client / server system, a file to be disclosed is arranged in the file transfer process management apparatus 1 instead of being arranged in the user terminal 2. Thus, even if reception requests are concentrated on a specific file, the request does not place a burden on the specific user terminal 2. The file exchange system based on the client / server system is applied to, for example, a file server system, a document management system, and a PDM.

It is a block diagram by the peer to peer system of the file transfer system regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of file transfer process DB regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the file transfer regarding one Embodiment of this invention, and allocation of the attribute information accompanying the flow. It is a flowchart which shows the process which registers the file disclosed about one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows GUI which the user terminal regarding one Embodiment of this invention displays. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of receiving a published file according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process which updates the published file regarding one Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the update notification screen which shows that the received file regarding one Embodiment of this invention was updated. It is a block diagram by the client server system of the file transfer system regarding one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... File transfer process management apparatus, 2 ... User terminal, 11 ... User authentication part, 20 ... File transfer process DB, 21 ... Attribute information, 23 ... Attribute information creation part, 27 ... History information, 28 ... History information creation part

Claims (6)

A file transfer management device connected to a plurality of user terminals constituting a computer network,
Storage means for recording information relating to file exchange;
A management means for managing information related to file transfer in the user terminal,
The management means includes
When receiving information to publish a file from any user terminal, the information for specifying the file is recorded in the storage means in association with the user terminal,
When receiving information indicating that a file is received from any user terminal, information for specifying the file is associated with the user terminal and recorded in the storage unit,
When receiving information indicating that the file has been updated from the user terminal that published the file, refer to the storage means, extract the user terminal that received the file,
A file transfer management apparatus that notifies an extracted user terminal that the file has been updated. The file transfer management device according to claim 1,
A file transfer management apparatus, further comprising a user authentication unit that authenticates a user of the connected user terminal. The file transfer management device according to claim 1,
When the management means receives the information indicating that the file is received from any user terminal, the management means further records information for specifying the derivation source file of the file in the storage means in association with the user terminal. A file transfer management device characterized by this. The file transfer management device according to claim 1,
When receiving information indicating that a file is to be transmitted from any user terminal, the management unit records information for specifying the file in the storage unit in association with a destination user terminal. File transfer management device. A file transfer system comprising a plurality of user terminals and a file transfer management device constituting a computer network,
The file transfer management device is:
Storage means for recording information relating to file exchange;
A management means for managing information related to file transfer in a user terminal,
When receiving information to publish a file from any user terminal, the information for specifying the file is recorded in the storage means in association with the user terminal,
When receiving information indicating that a file is received from any user terminal, information for specifying the file is associated with the user terminal and recorded in the storage unit,
When receiving information indicating that the file has been updated from the user terminal that published the file, refer to the storage means, extract the user terminal that received the file,
A management means for notifying the extracted user terminal that the file has been updated;
The user terminal is
Transmission / reception means for transmitting / receiving files to / from other terminal devices;
A notification means for notifying the file transfer management device of information relating to the release, update, and reception of the file;
When receiving information indicating that a file has been updated from the file transfer management device, a file transfer system comprising display means for displaying the information. A program for causing a computer connected to a plurality of user terminals constituting a computer network to function as a file transfer management device,
Storage means for recording information relating to file exchange;
A management means for managing information related to file transfer in a user terminal,
When receiving information to publish a file from any user terminal, the information for specifying the file is recorded in the storage means in association with the user terminal,
When receiving information indicating that a file is received from any user terminal, information for specifying the file is associated with the user terminal and recorded in the storage unit,
When receiving information indicating that the file has been updated from the user terminal that published the file, refer to the storage means, extract the user terminal that received the file,
A computer program for causing a computer to function as management means for notifying an extracted user terminal that a file has been updated.

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