FR2743648A1 - Representing document content for electronic management - Google Patents

Abstract

Information is transmitted from one data processing tool to others by selecting the information on a screen and associating it with an identifier. Data is then assembled including a selected name, a date and a captured message and the association of this data with the identifier comprises an element. The element is then transmitted from the originating data processing tool to other data processing tools together with it's information. The elements are arranged into subsets which belong to sets each of which has a name and corresponds to an information context. Elements may be displaced from one subset to another.

Description

 The present invention relates to a method of managing representations of informative content which can be implemented for the management of all the documents received and emitted by an entity, for example a company. It is intended for use in any business, although it has all its advantages especially in the case of certain types of entities.

Anterleure technique
The entities, in particular the commercial or other companies, use more and more software intended to facilitate the execution of certain tasks implemented in the company. Some of these softwares have as their object a real "management in the field of economic activities" insofar as they impose certain treatments specific to certain economic activities. However, most of this software is only simple IT tools which facilitate the execution of tasks in the management of an entity, for example a business.

 For example, a certain number of computer tools are known, sometimes grouped into "suites", notably comprising word processing tools, spreadsheets, database management systems, messaging, etc. which facilitate the execution of a certain number of tasks during the execution of economic activities, without implementing any method in the field of these economic activities.

 One problem posed by these various computer tools is that, given the diversity of the operations of a company, the execution of the various tasks requires the use of different computer tools. It is therefore necessary to manage documents from different IT tools and which sometimes have differences such that documents prepared with different tools must be treated separately. In other words, each document used must be treated specifically according to the IT tool that was used for its creation.

 In recent years, the IT industry has been trying more and more to determine more or less "universal" common "formats" recognized by several IT tools and allowing exchanges between them. However, all the documents created are managed "in parallel", and even if they can be recognized by several IT tools, they must be treated separately, according to the IT tool used for their creation or their visualization.

 We also know the technique of "collaborative work", sometimes called "groupware", according to which several people can simultaneously have documents from various sources to work together on a project.

It is therefore a system which allows joint work on the same documents, and which therefore constitutes a kind of particular computer tool allowing work on a category of documents, this category being able to be common to other tools. IT but not universal.

 Mail management systems are also known in which images of received documents are captured and associated with certain data and finally put in the "mailbox" of a person concerned, possibly with the formation of "copies" for others. people or for a central system.

 Also known are task processing software, sometimes called "workflow", in which procedures can be associated with documents, and documents can be arranged in sets such as "binders".

All the aforementioned computer tools are often very useful for the execution of different tasks; however, as noted above, they overlap and none of them can be considered to allow nearly all of the tasks performed in an entity to be performed. For example, it is very common in a business for operations relating to payroll, personnel management, accounting,
Business with social organizations, etc. are managed completely independently, without any link to other tasks executed with the assistance of other software more specifically concerning the field of activities of the company.

 Also known in computer science is "global enterprise management" (GGE), usually referred to as ERP ("enterprise resource planning") and which is supposed to constitute "integrated software", but which is in makes a set of "application modules", generally signed by the same editor and working in native mode on a single database, even if it is geographically distributed on a network. The application modules cover accounting and financial management, management control, production management, purchasing and inventory management, sales administration, logistics and possibly payroll. However, this "integration" is not synonymous with universality. There are still a number of applications that are not integrated, mainly because this type of "global management is only implemented in large companies extremely diverse.

 However, there are also known truly "integrated" software programs, each intended for a particular profession.

This software allows members of the particular profession concerned to perform all of their routine tasks in one system. For example, such software intended for a doctor enables the latter to keep up-to-date the files of his patients, to write prescriptions, to keep his accounts, to prepare his declarations, etc. However, all of this integrated software is specific to the profession concerned and cannot be extended to other professions. In particular, as soon as a significant legislative or regulatory change affects the profession concerned, it is necessary to produce a new version of the software so that it is up to date.

Some Problems Affected by the Invention
The aforementioned problems arise particularly acutely in certain professions, and in particular in the profession of industrial property attorneys in which the aforementioned difficulties are particularly important. Irrespective of the "ordinary" nature of an industrial property firm (accounting, personnel management, pay, relations with social organizations, etc.), the latter must manage "affairs", most often called "files", which each include a certain number of procedures each generating a series of "parts", that is to say documents, received or issued, which form a "chain of events", insofar as, most often, a part gives an answer to a question asked by an earlier part and poses itself a question calling for an answer. In general, the series of parts corresponding to such chains of events are classified in "folders" included in the "file" concerned. For example, a "European patent" file can include "shirts" corresponding to the " preparation "," filing and post-filing "," research "," examination "," notifications "," maintenance ", etc.

 As industrial property firms manage files of patents, trademarks, designs and models, etc.

in dozens of countries and more, using a rigid software structure for each of the file types on the one hand would represent considerable work and on the other hand would prove to be completely illusory. Indeed, it is rare that a week goes by without a change occurring among the dozens of countries and more with which an industrial property office may have to work through its foreign colleagues. legislative or regulatory as it requires a modification of a software structure that would have been previously developed.

 For this reason, software which relates to the industrial property professions is generally limited to a certain number of frequent repetitive operations, such as "patent applications", "trademark applications", "annuities", etc. . ; however, even with the scope restrictions they present, this software is almost never up to date. For example, tax rates, notably for the payment of annuities, change frequently in each country, etc.

 An essential condition for all the operations of an industrial property firm to be able to be assisted by software is that this software is in no way linked to these incessant changes in legislation, or simply in data (tax rates, etc.) , while allowing these changes to be taken into account as soon as they have been brought to the attention of the firm.

 In addition, the organization of work and, more generally, the "plans, principles and methods in the field of economic activities" implemented in the various professions, and in particular in the various industrial property firms, vary widely. from one company to another. For example, such a firm has a very vertical organization in which the same person is responsible for all operations relating to a client or a case, that is to say a file, including the management of annuities by example. On the contrary, in another cabinet, the organization is of a horizontal type and includes different departments which are each responsible for an operation such as "patent applications", "research reports", "foreign patents", "annuities," issues and titles ", etc.

 Consequently, a processing method, in order to be able to facilitate management and give real assistance, must be able to be used independently of these types of organizations and of the principles and methods implemented in the field of economic activities, without requiring a modification of organization, that is to say work procedures which have sometimes been tested for decades.

 Another aspect of document management in a business relates to the integrity of documents received and issued. For example, a letter received has an immutable "state", that is to say that it is a representation of which the sender has a copy, and any modification made to the document removes all its value since it does not exist. is more opposable to its sender. Similarly, when a document has been prepared by a company and then sent to a recipient, the copy kept by the sender must not be able to be modified, since it would no longer represent what the recipient actually received and would lose all value. When a document has been prepared using word processing software, it is in the form of a file which can still be modified, deleted, etc., even after a printout of this document has been sent. document.

 To ensure the integrity of the documents, any modification thereof subsequent to dispatch or receipt should therefore be prohibited. However, it may be advantageous to keep documents with a word processing format, for example to reuse them as master documents or to use them in another way. There are thus known, in computing, means allowing the transformation of the files so that they can only be reached in "read only" mode, that is to say without modification. However, this write protection is reversible, and it is always possible to remove it, so that the integrity of documents of this type can never be certified.

Some objects of the invention
The invention relates to a method enabling such assistance, preferably in software form, in the execution of tasks during the work carried out in an entity; although the process actually applies to any entity, it is particularly advantageous in the case of entities that manage most of their business in folders divided into folders and in the case of the legal professions and in particular firms of industrial property.

 The invention also relates to a processing method which facilitates management and gives real assistance, regardless of the type of organization and without requiring a modification of this organization.

Terminology
Before describing the invention, certain terms should be defined. The terms used in the claims are generic. We first define what they designate in an example of office activities, that of industrial property firms, that is to say companies that deal with invention patents, trademarks, designs, etc.

 An "element" is a "piece", that is to say most often information written on a paper support, such as a letter, an invoice, a maintenance report, a report of a telephone conversation or an image, but which can also be a sound recording, etc. This element has an "informative content", for example an image of a document, and data associated with it, for example a name of sender or recipient, a date, a message relating to the content (such as messages usually written on notebooks called "chronos"), etc. In addition, most often, an element is associated with a "type" which indicates its nature (letter, form, invoice, check, etc.). An important characteristic is the fact that the element is of an accounting nature (invoice, check, etc.) or not (letter, image, etc.), because we know that accounting is essential for the life of businesses.

 The aforementioned "elements" can be associated into "groups", that is to say that parts are sometimes grouped into "envelopes". We know that all the pieces of an envelope received normally have the same sender, the same arrival date, the same shipping date, etc. The interest of this group is therefore that certain element data (date, name, etc.) are common to the various elements contained in the group (i.e. to all the parts contained in the envelope) and can therefore only be entered once to be entered into the system.

 The "elements" are grouped into "subsets"; for example, the "parts" (elements) are placed in "shirts" (sub-assemblies). These folders normally have a "name" (for example "annuities", "deposit and post-deposit", etc.) which is relative to their "informative sub-context", and possibly a name of responsible, possibly a date of creation, etc. . Normally, the elements contained in such a subset are linked by a certain causal link or chronology at least existing between the informative contents of the various elements. More precisely, these are the chains of events indicated above, a posterior element generally containing a response to an earlier element and a question to which a posterior element must answer in time. The "informative sub-context" represents this causal link, and it is summarized by the "denomination" of the subset of elements.

 A "set" includes "subsets of elements".

For example, a "folder" (set) contains "folders" (subsets). Such a set normally has a "name" (a file reference), most often a manager, possibly a creation date, etc., and it can include several subsets of elements, (several folders). It may also include other subsets indicated below. The set corresponds to an "informative context" (for example a "European patent"), that is to say a general context to which the "informative sub-contexts" of the subsets of elements are attached. -contexts being relative to chains of events whereas the informative context is relative to a case (file).

 In this specification, the term "name" is used to designate a "participant", that is to say a person, natural or legal, having at least one "quality" (role) in the group concerned. This name can be associated with a type (physical or moral), a short name (convenient for the rapid identification of the different participants), and other information. This name of participant is independent of the sets, and a participant, defined by his name, can have one or more qualities in a file.

 Finally, a "deadline" is a set of data which includes at least one date and preferably at least one name and at least one message and which is attached to a document.

 Other terms used in the description of the invention sometimes have a specific meaning, and they are explained when they are used.

Definition of invention
The invention relates to a method for managing representations of informative content which can be reproduced by computer, the method being of the type which allows the management of elements each comprising an identifier of the representation of its informative content and of element data comprising at least one name and at least one date, the method being of the type in which the elements are arranged in subsets of elements themselves belonging to sets of subsets, each set having a name and corresponding to a context informative, and each subset of elements corresponding to an informative sub-context ;; in addition, the method comprises steps of associating element data with an identifier for the formation of an element, and, when this element is not arranged in the desired subset of elements of a set , its incorporation into this desired subset of elements by moving the element to the desired subset. According to the invention, the assembly also comprises a subset of transfer elements, and the incorporation of the element into a subset of elements of a set comprises the incorporation of the element into the subset of transfer elements from the set, and moving the element from the subset of transfer elements to the desired subset of elements.

 The step of moving an element comprises associating an element from a first subset to a second subset, with or without keeping a copy of the element in the first subset. This displacement of an element of a subset of elements can preferably be carried out either towards another subset of the same set, or towards the subset of transfer elements of another set.

 Preferably, the informative contents of the elements are kept in a practically non-modifiable form.

 When the method is implemented in a system which exchanges informative contents with the outside of the system, it is advantageous that the name of the element data is a name of sender in the case where the element corresponds to a content informative received by the system, and be a recipient name in case the item corresponds to informative content sent by the system. Preferably, the item data has at least two names, a sender name and a recipient name.

 When the method is implemented in a system which exchanges informative contents with outside of the system, the date of the element data is preferably a date of reception in the case where the element corresponds to an informative content received by the system, and a shipping date in case the item corresponds to informative content issued by the system. Preferably, the item data has at least two dates, a shipping date and a receiving date.

 It is further advantageous for the element data to include a message relating to the informative content of the element. It is also advantageous for the item data to include item type data, notably specifying whether it is an accounting item (check, invoice, etc.).

 In a variant, the representations of informative content are associated in groups each comprising at least one representation, and the method comprises the single entry of data of elements common to the elements which correspond to the representations of the group. Preferably, this single entry data includes at least a name and a message.

 When the method is implemented in a system exchanging informative content with the outside, it is advantageous that it comprises the formation of representations of informative content by a method chosen from optical reading, recording of sounds, and the recording of a computer file, the identifier of the representation then being a file name recorded in a memory.

 When the method is implemented in a system exchanging informative contents with the outside, it is also advantageous that it understands, for the creation of an element whose informative contents must be communicated outside the system and which must be incorporated into a particular subset of elements, the following steps, which are performed with reference to that particular subset of elements or to the set to which it belongs: designation of a recipient name, designation of at least one type of element to be created, the creation of an element by forming a representation of an informative content with a computer tool associated with the designated type of the element to be created, and by association of data d 'element containing the name of the addressee with the informative content formed, and the possible entry of deadline data to be associated with the element.

 Preferably, the method comprises, simultaneously with the creation of the element, the display at least in part of data contained in the set so that at least some of this data can be inserted into the informative content of the element in creation course.

 In this case, it is advantageous that the formation of a representation of the informative content during the creation of the element also comprises a saving of the informative content in graphic form, possibly in addition to a saving in another form.

 In the case of certain types of elements, it is also advantageous for the computer tool to be word processing software, and for the formation of the informative content of the element to include the incorporation of selected data into this content. among data relating to the recipient and obtained from the name thereof, and data relating to the set in which the element is created.

 In the case of other types of elements, it is also advantageous that the computer tool is a form establishment software, of the type in which a blank form has fields to be completed at least in part which are distributed over the surface of one or more pages, and that the method implements the following steps: in a first phase, the formation of an image of the blank form by optical reading and the storage of the image obtained, and, in a second phase, displaying the image of the form, and performing at least one group of operations including positioning a cursor on the image at the location of a field and entering data in this field, then printing, on a copy of the blank form, of the data entered by said group of operations at least, excluding the image of the blank form. Preferably, the informative content of the element produced from the blank form is a unique image e comprising both the image of the blank form and the data entered, in the form of a single image.

 When the form is in a single copy, printing is preferably carried out by an impact-free printer. When the form is in a bundle, printing preferably includes the use of a needle printer. When the method is implemented on computers connected to a network, the printer or printers are preferably printers accessible via the network.

 It is very advantageous that the method further comprises the association, with at least one element, of maturity data comprising at least one datum chosen from a date, two dates, three dates, a message, two messages, a name and two names. In a variant, it is advantageous for the association of due date data, comprising at least one date, to an element to be automatic when this element is moved from a subset of elements to another. In this variant, the date of the automatically associated maturity data is preferably the date of the day.

 In this embodiment, it is advantageous for the method to include the display, as a function of at least one date of the due date data, of data relating to elements. These data relating to elements preferably relate to elements having a common property which is a data contained in maturity data or in set or subset data and which is at least one data chosen from a name, set type and subset type.

 It is also advantageous that the set also comprises a subset of expiries containing expiration data relating to the elements contained in all the subsets of elements and to which expiration data are associated.

 In an advantageous embodiment in which the set further comprises a subset of names, the method comprises incorporating, into the subset of names, at least one name drawn from the data of elements of the subsets of the set, and preferably all the names taken from all the elements of all the subsets of elements, with the possible exception of the subset of transfer elements.

 According to a very advantageous characteristic, the method further comprises the association, with at least one name of the subset of names, of at least one quality indicating a role played in the informative context of the set. Preferably, the method also comprises the association of at least one quality to each name of the subset of names of a set.

 In an advantageous embodiment in which the informative context of at least one set relates to a name and the set also comprises a portfolio subset, the method comprises incorporating, into the portfolio subset, names sets whose subset of names contains the name relative to said informative context. Preferably, the incorporation, into the portfolio subset, of names of sets of which the subset of names contains the name relating to said informative context, is limited to the names with which are associated, in the set concerned, one or more several special qualities. Preferably also, the method further comprises associating, with each overall denomination, qualities associated with the name relating to said informative context of the assembly having this denomination.

 In an advantageous embodiment, the method comprises associating, with at least one subset of elements, and preferably with each subset of elements, subset data comprising at least one or more data chosen from a name, a name relating to the informative sub-context, and a date.

 In another advantageous embodiment, the set also comprises a subset of accounting elements, and the method comprises incorporating, into the subset of accounting elements, elements whose type data indicates that they correspond to informative content of an accounting nature.

 In another advantageous embodiment, the method further comprises the creation of at least one standard assembly having a standard structure, and the incorporation, into subsets of elements of this standard assembly, of elements whose informative content relates to part or all of the sets whose structure corresponds to the standard structure of the standard set. Preferably, the elements whose informative content relates to part or all of the sets whose structure corresponds to the standard structure of the standard set are elements forming documentation relating to the informative context of the standard set .

 In one embodiment, the method is implemented after an initial step of determining, preferably with a password, the identity of the person who wishes to implement the method. It is therefore advantageous that an operation of moving an element from a set and / or an operation of associating maturity data with an element of a set is prohibited when the identity of the person who implements the method, established according to the password, does not correspond to at least one name among the names of the subset data of the set concerned and the names of the subset of names of the set concerned. Preferably, the operation is prohibited when the identity of the person implementing the method does not correspond to the name of the subset data of the subset which contains the element concerned.

Brief description of the drawings
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows of embodiments of the invention, given with reference to the appended drawings which are examples of representations of information and on which
Figure 1 is an example of a typical file representation in the implementation of a method according to the invention
FIG. 2 represents an example of presentation of data associated with a participant, in an implementation of the method of the invention
FIG. 3 represents another aspect of a file corresponding to the standard file of FIG. 2
FIG. 4 represents an example of display giving access to various functions implemented within the framework of the method of the invention
FIG. 5 schematically represents an example of display useful for the creation of parts in the method of the invention; and
FIG. 6 shows an example of display of an agenda which can be used when implementing the method of the invention.

Detailed description of execution modes
It should first be noted that the drawings are only examples of displays obtained on a computer screen and are purely illustrative. They concern, for example, the performance of certain tasks in the profession of industrial property attorney.

Main components used and status of a file
In the description which follows, the main components used in the context of the invention are considered, and they are designated by terms customary to the profession considered by way of example and to other similar professions. Thus, "parts", "folders" and "files" are used, which correspond to the "elements", "subsets of elements" and "assemblies" indicated in the general description of the invention. These more precise terms are intended to facilitate understanding of the invention, but they do not limit it in any way. They are first defined more precisely.

 A "piece" is in practice most often a document on paper (although it may be an audio document or simply a graphic document), for example a letter, an invoice, a report, etc. The informative content of the play, that is to say what it means, is most often in the form of a "representation", most often an image. For example, all the documents received by the entity are analyzed by the optical reader (scanning) which gives a corresponding image. This image is normally incorporated into the computer system used in the form of a graphic file, accessible by an "identifier" (for example a file name). Similarly, when a part must be issued, it is created with a computer tool arbitrary and, when it is dispatched (for example after signature of the mail), it is preserved in a form not allowing any later modification, preferably in the form of an image preserved in a graphic file.

 The image of each part represents information which can be understood by a person who sees this image, which is therefore called "representation of the informative content" in the claims, but this information is not entered as data in the database. computer processing system: they usually remain in the form of an image (although data can also be recovered, for example by optical character recognition, and although files with modifiable formats corresponding to the documents issued can also be kept, for example in the form of standard documents or others) - It is therefore essential that, with this representation of the informative content, be associated a certain number of data which are essentially at least a sender's name in the case of a letter received or addressee in the case of a letter sent, at least one date (of receipt in the case of a letter r received) and preferably a type, for example indicating whether it is a letter, an invoice, a report, etc. Of course, the data of the part can include several names (senders , recipients), several dates (date of issue and date of receipt), and other information. In particular, it is very advantageous for each piece to be associated with a message that summarizes the informative content. This message is for example analogous to the messages which are usually written in the chronological books of mail arrived from the companies. Such a message indicates in a few words what concerns the part considered.

 In a very advantageous embodiment, the piece of data comprises a name (of sender if it is received and of recipient if it is issued), a date (of reception if it is received and of emission if it is issued) , a type (indication of its nature), and a short message representative of its content.

 In practice, the pieces are often grouped together.

Thus, it is common for an envelope received or sent to contain several pieces. These pieces then have in common the same name and the same date and possibly the same associated message. It can therefore be convenient to process the pieces by "envelope", the name, the date and the message being entered for the group of pieces, only the nature, and possibly the message, being entered for each piece.

 The aforementioned part data, i.e. a name, a date, a nature and a message, are normally too brief to give a precise idea of the meaning of the part. For this reason, the part, which is associated on the one hand with a file name (identifier) which represents its image, therefore having all the informative content, and on the other hand with the part data, is incorporated into a subset of pieces called "shirt".

 A shirt has a name (title) common to all the pieces placed in this shirt. A person of the profession, observing a particular denomination folder containing a series of documents classified in chronological order, can determine, from the messages of the documents, the current state of the file in the course of the procedure corresponding to the particular chain of events represented by the series of parts.

 The various folders, corresponding to the chains of events, normally represent the main part of the procedures executed in a file. However, the preceding data are still insufficient for a qualified person to be able to truly appreciate the true and complete "state" of the file. Indeed, the series of parts contained in the shirts correspond to a series of names, but these names are simple identifications and do not represent the quality (role) of the participant having this name in the file concerned.

For this reason, according to an important characteristic of the invention, all the names of the participants in the file are grouped together. More specifically, all the names of senders or recipients of the parts contained in the folders are included in a list, and this is preferably displayed in a participant file and, according to the invention, next to each name, one quality is arranged or several qualities are arranged. Quality is the role that the participant plays in the file concerned. If we take the example of a European patent file, the quality "organization" is associated with the short name "EPO" (Office
European Patent), one or more qualities among "applicant", "inventor", "holder", etc. are associated with another name, etc.

 In an advantageous embodiment, the list of names also includes the names of the collaborators of the entity who are concerned by the file, with their own quality (administrative collaborator, technical collaborator, external collaborator). In this way, at a glance, a person can know in what capacity a participant acts in a file.

 Preferably, each folder (subset) is associated not only with a name, but also with a manager name, that is to say a name of participant who is an administrative employee of the entity. In addition, a date, for example creation, is associated with the shirt.

 The previous characteristics (parts classified in folders and files of the participants) already give a certain amount of information on the state of the file. However, it is advantageous if the dossier also includes a basic dossier of the dossier. These basic data vary greatly with the type of file. For example, in the case of a European patent file, the title of the invention, the filing date, the filing number, possibly a priority number and date, a list of designated countries, etc., constitute these data in addition to a name indicating the type of structure of the file concerned, for example a "European patent", and the reference specific to the file.

 A person observing a file in the state which has just been described has a certain number of basic data, a list of names with the qualities of each participant, and a series of shirts indicating generally the state of the file (the folders are preferably only created according to the progress of the file); she can also see each piece, when she has determined with high probability which piece interests her, according to the name of the sender or recipient, the date, the type and the associated message.

 Since accounting is an essential function in any business, it is also desirable that the file includes an "accounting" sheet which contains at least the list of documents which have been determined to be of an accounting nature (invoice, check, etc. .).

 The characteristics described above allow a qualified person to determine at a glance the "state" of a file. For example, in the case of a European patent, if the person sees that only the "miscellaneous", "filing and post-filing" and "search" folders are open, he knows that the file has not yet entered the examination phase and is in the research phase. The most recent part of the "search" folder indicates the exact state in the search procedure. Thus, the messages of the documents (and of the deadlines as indicated below), the names of the folders and the basic data, which are specific to the file and its type, make it possible to assess the state of the file according to the folders and messages of parts and deadlines, with the basic data of the file. Thus, it is not the process which indicates the state of the file, but it is the person who uses the process which determines this state, on the one hand according to the information which is presented to him (parts, shirts, deadlines, participants, qualities) and on the other hand especially by his knowledge of the type of file concerned.

 For example, whether a folder has been created or not indicates the overall state of the procedure, and, in a folder, the particular state is indicated by the most recent part of the series of parts contained in a folder . For example, if the most recent part of the "examination" folder is a letter sent by the firm and has a message stating "communication to the client of the first notification", a qualified person knows perfectly well the state of treatment of the relevant notification.

Evolution of the status of a file
The foregoing description relates only to a "state" of a file, that is to say a static situation at a given moment, whereas the life of the company is on the contrary the evolution of this state. This evolution is essentially constituted by the introduction into the system of the received coins and by the emission of coins by the system.

 Normally, the received parts, which are most often contained in envelopes, are introduced into the system by an optical reader and, at the time of the optical reading, one captures some or all of the information relating to the parts, this is that is to say preferably at least one name or file reference, the date preferably being entered automatically. The message associated with the room or envelope can be entered at this time or only at a later time, depending on whether or not the person who uses the optical reader is able to enter the message of the room or envelope . This message can only be entered by a person who has read and understood at least the main part of the play.

 According to an advantageous characteristic, the invention implements, in each file, a "pocket" which is a subset of transfer elements. This pocket, similar to a shirt, is an important link for the introduction of parts into the system from outside. Indeed, for the management of documents to be carried out with rigor, it is essential that anyone cannot introduce any document into any file where it could remain "forgotten", that is to say -to say that it would not be treated. For this purpose, there are in the different entities a certain number of rules for the management of the mail. In general, in each entity, a certain procedure is established for the treatment of the mail which passes most often in several hands, the different people having a particular role of assignment or indication so that the mail finally reaches the person concerned who ensures its treatment.

 The method according to the invention can be used whatever the procedures established in the various entities for mail management. In view of these procedures, the various pieces of data must be entered in any order and at any time.

However, to make sure that the documents are not "forgotten" in a file in which they have been classified in error, the invention uses the "pocket" in which any document entered in a file must pass. As soon as an item received has been associated with a file reference, it is in the pocket of the corresponding file. Although the cover is similar to a folder containing coins, it is intended to be normally empty. Indeed, as long as the cover has not been emptied (processing of the part or recording of a deadline associated with the part placed in a corresponding folder), the system reminds that the content of the corresponding part has not been taken into account and may require urgent treatment (special presentation of the mail waiting or with the agenda, as described below).

 In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, this pocket is represented by a shirt and it contains, like the other shirts, a list of the parts which, in the case of the pocket, are those which have not yet been assigned to another shirt. However, it is preferable that this pocket appear in the foreground or on top of the collection of shirts so that, as soon as a file is opened, the observer will know if any parts are being processed. Of course, at this time, it is possible that the data relating to these pieces of the cover, in particular their message, have not all been entered, and it is then possible to enter them, modify them, etc., as indicated below.

 In another embodiment, this pocket is not visible in the file. More precisely, the pieces are then transmitted directly to folders, but date data of very close date, for example of the same day, are automatically associated with them, with possibly a date message also introduced automatically, so that their processing is carried out immediately. The meaning of the maturity data and the operations implemented with them are described in more detail below.

 It is therefore noted that the pouch, which constitutes a sub-assembly placed on the stack of shirts, immediately indicates whether parts must be treated or not.

 When reading the documents received, if it is not possible to directly associate the document with a file reference, the document cannot arrive in the folder pocket. Consequently, in this case, it preferably arrives in a single file called "arriving basket" whose manager is a person qualified to understand the content of the documents. In particular, this person can determine whether the document requires the creation of a new file (for example new patent filing, new trademark filing, etc.).

 We now consider the treatment of documents within a file. A piece received from outside the file is in the pocket. Preferably, the cover is associated with a name, which is for example that of the person in charge of the file, and possibly with a date, which is for example the date of creation of the file. It is therefore the person with the name indicated on the cover, that is to say the person in charge of the file, who, having an indication on their calendar, as described below, because the file concerned contains a document to be processed , optionally completes the part data, in particular the message, and then moves it to the folder concerned.

If the desired folder is not yet included in the file, it must be created, that is, introduce a folder whose name is one of the names of the corresponding standard file. For example, this creation is carried out using a pointing system called "mouse" by selection by a double click of a name from a list of possible names for this type of file.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the movement of the part is carried out with association of due date data. Indeed, the person in charge of the file was forced to read the document to know in which folder to put it, and he was therefore able to realize the task to be carried out. This task is defined by a deadline data message, and the manager also assigns at least one date depending on the task to be performed, the deadlines indicated, etc. This manager knows the procedure relating to the file, and it is in no way the process that defines whether due date data is required, and if so, which data.

On the contrary, it is the manager who takes responsibility for indicating a message and a date at least.

 Of course, if the document concerns several chains of events or several files, the manager places copies of the document in several folders or in several files. When a copy is made for another folder, it is found in the pocket of this new folder. When the person responsible for the folder to which the document is sent is not the person responsible for the file, in one embodiment, it may be advantageous for an automatic deadline having an automatic message to be entered as due date with the document. introduced into the shirt. In this way, the person responsible for the folder concerned in the file immediately has in his diary an indication of the existence of a document which must be treated in the file concerned.

 If the person in charge of the file moves the part from the pocket to a folder, he can decide to immediately carry out the treatment of the part, that is to say to issue a new part. In this case, it indicates that it wants to process the part immediately and the process proceeds to the operation of creating envelopes and parts, described in the remainder of this specification.

 We must now consider the deadlines in more detail. The parts of each folder correspond to a chain of events and, normally, the last part of this chain of events is associated with due date data. This due date usually includes either a single date or two or three dates.

When there is a deadline (for example a response), the end date of the deadline must be indicated. In addition, a reminder date must be indicated for the performance of the particular task. It is also advantageous that a third date, fixed relative to the deadline date, constitutes a cut-off date beyond which the recall date can no longer be moved. Preferably, a message is associated with the reminder and the deadline. In addition, it is advantageous that the name of the person who has to perform the task is included in the due date. Preferably, two names are associated, that of the person responsible for managing the folder or the file, and that of the person responsible for carrying out the task. For example, in the case where an engineer has to write a patent, the The deadline indicates the name of the engineer to carry out the task and the name of the administrative manager to monitor the progress of operations, in particular if a date has been set for filing.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, each file also includes a deadline sheet which is added to the folders, the basic data sheet and the participants' sheet in the display of the file which appears as soon as a folder is called. In this way, the observer immediately sees, in addition to the fact that parts are possibly overdue, the schedule of the work to be performed and what are the tasks to be performed.

 The problem posed by the constant evolution of laws, regulations and costs in the various procedures has been mentioned above. It is essential that, as soon as the entity is notified of such a change in legislation, regulation or cost, concerning one or more types of file, these changes are immediately available and even brought to the attention of those responsible. This result is advantageously obtained by using "standard files".

 Thus, in one embodiment, each folder, when it is created, is assigned to a type of folder structure, represented by a "standard folder" associated with it. For example, a "European patent" standard file is associated with each of the European patent files. This standard folder, which is preferably viewed as another folder, advantageously includes a collection of folders containing all the folders that can be created in a folder of the type concerned and which contain, for example, standard documents (standard letters corresponding to the procedural phase represented by the folder, forms, etc.).

It also advantageously includes an additional collection of documentation folders. It is in these folders that all the general documents are placed. For example, when the firm receives a letter from a foreign colleague indicating a change in legislation or patent procedure in its country, the letter is entered in the "pocket" of the standard patent file for that country. As soon as the document or a copy is placed in this pocket, the person in charge of this standard file is notified, for example by automatic registration in his calendar on the current date.

He can then take cognizance of it, possibly placing copies in other files, and, if he deems it useful, himself notify his colleagues concerned, he then places the document in the corresponding documentation folder, where it is accessible to everyone. If the part lapses an earlier part, for example is a new tariff rate from the European Patent Office, the person responsible removes the old tariff from the corresponding folder.

Presentation example
Consider now by way of example the execution of various operations with reference to FIG. 1 which gives an example of display of a standard file during the implementation of a method of the invention. An ordinary file has the same presentation, but it does not include the four folders indicated in the lower right corner and relating to documentation.

 We note in Figure 1, on the right, a series or "collection" of cascading shirts, a particular shirt called "pocket" being indicated on the collection of shirts. The upper left part of the screen contains a basic file for the file (including the name and nature of the file, a certain number of legends next to which labels correspond to the file, such as the title, number and date of deposit, etc.). Below the basic data sheet, the "participants" file indicates the name (preferably abbreviated) of all the participants in the file, with their qualities. The use of a unique short name to designate each legal or natural person, without the possibility of homonymy, greatly simplifies the management of operations, and is even practically essential.

 A "deadlines" card, placed at the bottom of the display, indicates the deadline data, such as a date, a manager's name, a message, etc. relating to all the documents in the file. In general, in a folder, only one piece, the most recent, contains expiration data.

The particular collection of four folders shown at the bottom right of Figure 1 is specific to the standard file: it includes documentation folders, indicated above, and it does not exist in ordinary files, but only in standard files .
We note that these four folders include the documentation which, in the case considered, includes access to the chapter concerned by the "Juris-Classeurs", access to the chapter and to the country concerned by "Los &Stigter", the letters from the colleagues foreign or agency communications, and "laws and decrees". The standard folder is preferably directly accessible from any ordinary folder of this type, for example by selecting an icon with the mouse.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, it is advantageous that a file is associated with each participant. This folder can be very different from ordinary folders; however, it is advantageous that it has the same structure as them, or a similar structure. In the example in FIG. 2, a participant file, which can only be a natural or legal person, includes a "chrono mail" folder and files, like an ordinary file, with a "portfolio" file in addition . This portfolio sheet is a list indicating the reference of the files in which the participant has at least one quality, with, next to the reference of the file concerned and, possibly its type, the qualities that the participant has in this file. , it is easy to obtain in a computerized manner, in the portfolio, only the list of files in which the participant has a particular quality, files of a certain type, etc.

These characteristics are in no way described because they are well known in the art of database management systems.

 The folder of a participant's file, called "chrono mail", contains all the documents involving the participant concerned, with the reference of the corresponding file. The "deadlines" sheet indicates the deadlines corresponding to the parts of the "chrono mail" folder. The file does not include a "pocket", because the processing of the documents takes place in ordinary files, and not in that of the participant which is intended for consultation (apart from the basic data sheets and participants).

However, each document and the possible expiry date can be consulted as in an ordinary file.

 FIG. 3 represents, in the case of an ordinary file (but which also applies to the files of the participants), another advantageous characteristic in the form of an accounting sheet, which is represented in almost hidden form in FIGS. 1 and 2, under the basic data sheet and the collection of shirts. Figure 3 shows this card when it is displayed in the foreground. It is noted that this accounting sheet contains elements relating to the accounting documents concerning the participant. The data indicated may be more complete than simple document data, and it may include a certain number of additional elements such as an invoice number, one or more sums, assigned sums, other dates, for example payment, etc.

 An accounting form has been indicated in the case of a participant, but it is obvious that an accounting form can also be incorporated into a normal file, this form comprising all the documents of an accounting nature which relate to this file. . Indeed, it is useful, in industrial property offices, for administrative managers to be informed of the assignment of payments to invoices, and may even sometimes make these assignments, since they are better able to determine what relates to them. a payment that the accountant who, a priori, does not know all the mysteries of the procedures of the various files. This problem arises particularly in the case of global provisions or partial payments, since it is frequent that the accountant cannot determine alone the link between invoicing and payment.

 According to the invention, it is very important, so that the state of the files is not disturbed, that the operations of modification of the files, that is to say the movements and copies of parts, the creations, modifications and deletions deadlines, etc. are carried out only by persons authorized for this purpose. For this reason, it is advantageous that names of collaborators are associated with files and folders. In the case of the most rigorous processing, only the person in charge of the file or the target folder is authorized to carry out the operations relating to the file or the folder (movement of part, creation of due date, creation of a new part).

However, other authorization possibilities are known which are managed by the computer system. Thus, several names of managers can be equivalent for all files, certain categories of files or certain files, certain names of managers can give access to all files or all types of files, etc. Such authorization management is well known in computer science and is not described in more detail.

 The authorizations that have just been described concern the modification of the state of the files. It is however advantageous to incorporate into the management process another authorization system which relates to display. Indeed, it is sometimes desirable that the authorization to consult files is limited in certain entities. For example, it is common in some entities for each person to have access to only one or more families of particular records. To this end, in a manner well known in computer science, access codes are associated with files, folders and even possibly with parts. Each collaborator name who can access the system has an authorization table indicating what types of files, folders and even parts the collaborator can consult and / or process.

Implementation of the process
The above detailed description concerns only the aspect of the files and a certain number of procedures. We will now consider, with reference to the accompanying drawings, how the method is implemented from the outset and how it allows complete management of the operations of an entity, the description referring to software implementation on computers.

 Figures 1 to 6 are images obtained on computer monitors, when running software programmed with the operating system "Windows" (registered trademark) from Microsoft. The computer installation comprises at least one database server, preferably with a client-server architecture, and each station is a client and receives the information from the server.

 When a person wants to implement the process, he turns on the computer and, after a series of usual computer operations of commissioning, he controls using a mouse the implementation of the process by a double click on an icon. The first operation, not illustrated, is the identification of the person who implements the process. A simple name is not enough, because a third party could very easily take the identity of other people with different attributions. Consequently, in a manner well known in data processing, the entry of the name is followed by the entry of a password which is entered blind and which only the person concerned knows.

All the precautionary measures relating to the entry of passwords and well known in the art can be incorporated within the scope of the invention. When the computer knows its interlocutor, it knows the authorization table and the resources it can make available to it. At this time, the computer displays a selection which can be made either by menus or in various ways, for example as indicated in FIG. 4 where the main means made available to the operator appear. On the lower left of Figure 4, we note that the operator can directly access a file. To this end, he clicks on the representation of the file and obtains the list of files, classified according to one order or another, and preferably the list of participants; indeed, it was noted that the participants could be considered as file identifiers in one embodiment. If the operator wants to consult the mail arrived this day or a previous day, he selects the "mail" and then obtains a series of windows each containing the list of parts received on the date indicated at the top of the window.

 If the operator selects the agenda, he obtains a display of the type represented in FIG. 6, that is to say a list of due dates classified by date with the reference of the file, the person concerned, the message, etc. . The operator can also select a personal calendar to obtain only the list of deadlines concerning him. Although a classification by week has been indicated in FIG. 6, it is possible to use a classification per day and to select different days, possibly by going from one week to the next without limitation of date.

 The operator can also select the "schedule" to obtain a list of dates and files corresponding to the different deadlines to be observed (these are not complete deadline data, but only deadline dates which have been included in the due date).

 We also indicated in Figure 4 the presence of an "ephemeris" which allows the operator to obtain an ephemeris function well known in computer science.

 Following the selection of an element in the representation of FIG. 4, the operator then has on a screen normally a list of documents or of dates or files in which he can select any line. display and then cause the opening of a corresponding folder.

 Most often, work is done from the calendar, and the operator processes the entries in his calendar one by one until he has finished the day's work. This treatment is carried out as indicated below.

 The method according to the invention is particularly useful for immediate consultation of a file. For example, when a participant outside the telephone entity, at the same time as the operator answers him, he can select the "folder" of the representation in FIG. 4 and then has the list of participants. As soon as he has determined the name of his contact, he can select the folder corresponding to this name and which is displayed immediately, as shown in Figure 2. He can then determine, by talking with his contact, which folder is concerned by this telephone conversation. As soon as he has located the folder in the portfolio sheet, he selects it by a double click and the corresponding folder is displayed, as described with reference to Figure 1 (without the documentation folders). He can then determine everything from following the part concerned with the help of his interlocutor and can immediately have a picture of the part before his eyes. He can therefore discuss directly with the contact person the part he has sent or the part which has been sent to him. In this case, it is preferable that the navigation operations among the participants and files be carried out only in visualization, that is to say without the possibility of moving parts, modifying deadlines, etc., since the system is only used for consultation.

Execution of tasks
We now consider the execution of tasks by the personnel of the entity. The tasks are essentially the emission of one or more parts, each created with an appropriate tool, grouped or not in envelopes, and possibly associated with due date data.

 In one example, it is assumed that a person responsible for a shirt wants to respond to a received mail to which a deadline for the reply has been associated, and therefore selects a line of the deadlines card corresponding to this piece. The operator can also select the folder for the part concerned, then this part to consult it.

At this time, the screen presents an image of the part with the possible expiration data which include for example a reminder date, a reminder message, a possible deadline date and a possible delay message, a deadline for postpone the reminder date, a name of the person who must carry out the processing and possibly the name of the person in the agenda of which this deadline is written.

 A number of commands allow the operator to select various functions. If he wants to perform the treatment, he selects a treatment button. He then obtains a screen corresponding generally to the representation of FIG. 5. It is noted that the screen also includes the basic data sheet and the participants' sheet, with possibly an image of the room.

Above all, there appears a series of starting envelopes which are empty. Each envelope has a header in which the operator places a name he chooses from the list of participants. This name is that of the recipient of the envelope he is preparing. He can thus prepare several envelopes. In particular, he can prepare an envelope intended for a collaborator of the cabinet by indicating to him which task which it must execute for the treatment of the part. Although four envelopes are indicated, all four filled with several pieces, most often one or two envelopes are created. Each envelope usually includes one or two pieces. However, five pieces were indicated for each envelope; the first piece of the first envelope is a letter, the second is a laser slip, that is, a slip printed in a single copy on a laser printer, the third a needle slip, that is, a slip in the form of a bundle printed on a needle printer, the fourth a copy of a document and the fifth a check.

These pieces are introduced by selection into the list of pieces represented on the right of FIG. 5, once the name of the recipient participant has been determined.

 The operator then proceeds to create the parts that the envelopes must contain. For example, it selects the letter of the first envelope by double clicking on the processing button. At this time, the operator has the possibility of selecting one or more letter bodies. If he actually wants to select such a body of letter, he has direct access to the standard folder in which he can select, in the folder of his choice, a part corresponding to the treatment and constituting a model of letter. a body of a letter, it validates and is found in the software which constitutes the computer tool associated with this type of part to be created, in this case a word processing software in which a draft letter comprising the name is already constructed and the address of the addressee indicated for the envelope and, as subject, the file references. The body of the letter corresponds to the document he selected in the standard folder. The operator, from this draft letter, prepares the part for the recipient. When he has finished preparing this letter, he validates it and obtains, on his post printer, a print of the letter to determine whether it is suitable or not. If it does not suit him, the operator can take it back because it is currently in a word processing format.

When he has finished the letter, he validates it. If the envelope is finished, it validates the envelope and a graphic image of each piece, and therefore of the letter, is preserved and forms the "informative content" of the piece. If on the contrary all the parts of the envelope are not finished, only the letter in the format of the word processing software is kept, without its image.

 We now consider the case of creating a slip. When the operator selects the execution of a slip as indicated above, he has access to the standard folder in which he chooses the image of a blank slip that he must fill out. For example, he chooses a payment slip for European taxes. After the selection, he obtains on his screen a window which contains an image of the form and, on the side, all the elements contained in the basic data sheet of the file. He therefore simply has to fill in the slip. When the data to be entered is part of the data in the basic file, the operator selects it in the basic data window and moves it on the slip to the desired location.

When it has to enter data effectively, it positions a cursor with the mouse at the corresponding location and, with a double click, creates an input field in which it enters the corresponding data.

Thus, all the data to be added to the slip are placed in input fields arranged at will by the operator when he prepares the slip. When the operator has finished entering the data, he requests a print or valid, and he presents a blank copy of the slip at the printer entrance. This only prints the data placed in the entry fields of the slip.

On the other hand, when the operator then validates the envelope after having finished, it is a complete image including the image of the blank slip with all the data entered which is kept in the graphic state, as a representation of the informative content of the room.

 If the slip is of the bundle type, the printing is directed to a needle printer into which is introduced the bundle of the slip which is thus printed in several copies.

 Two examples of computer tools were given, a word processing tool and a slip creation tool. Of course, the data exchanges indicated depend on the system used. In a system programmed under "Windows", all recent software allows the exchange of OLE data, so that the presentation of the data and its incorporation pose no problem. Most of the time, it suffices to transmit a file name when opening software in "Windows" to obtain the part. When the part is finished, all the data relating to the part is already available (name, date, nature and possibly message) and the file reference is added. Preferably, the files are saved in graphic form on a "WORM" medium, that is to say a medium which can only be written once. In this way, the alteration of the documents is impossible.

However, as long as the part can still be modified (for example, as long as the mail has not been signed), it is preferable to keep a copy in the format of the computer tool used for the preparation of the part.

Adaptation of the presentation
The method according to the invention executes all identical procedures whatever its field of application and the organization of the entity in which it is implemented, but it nevertheless allows immediate knowledge of the state of each file thanks to the knowledge on the one hand of the folders created, and on the other hand of the messages of the parts which they contain and the associated deadlines, within the framework of the considered type of file.

 However, as the users of each profession use their own terminology, the process must also make this terminology appear in its execution so that it is as adapted as possible not only to the organization specific to the entity which implements it, but also in the language of the profession considered.

To this end, the adaptation of the process to a particular profession simply includes the following operations: the definition of the qualities that participants may have in the files (for example depositor, inventor, supplier, collaborator, etc.), the definition of names of folders, and the definition of standard files, that is, for each, the definition of a collection of folders and the basic data sheet. Each type of dossier corresponds to a particular structure of the basic data sheet. In addition, the names of the types of parts and, in the case of the created parts, the name of the computer tool associated with each of these parts, are also defined.

 In this way, when opening a file, the operator sees what type of file is placed at the head of the basic data sheet. He therefore immediately remembers the broad outlines of the dossier procedure, and he can in particular identify data such as a publication number, issue number, etc. which correspond to an overall state of the file according to the various legends associated with the basic data of the file (basic data sheet). The operator determines a less summary state of the file by consulting the series of folder names contained in the file, a folder more recent than another being normally represented above this older folder. For example, if a folder "examination" is present in a European patent file, but without a "grant" folder, the operator generally knows which phase corresponds to the state of the file. He can then directly look at the messages in the "deadlines" sheet and determine exactly the tasks to be performed, and therefore the precise status of the file. Finally, he can open a folder and consult each of the documents to finely assess the real state of the file.

 This result is obtained although all the files are managed in the same way, in the form of a set of subsets (folders) of elements (parts) and data subsets (files containing lists of names, deadlines, basic data, considered only as dates, numbers and strings).

 In the case of the legal professions, and in particular industrial property consultancy, the definition of the files which constitute the entire activity of the company is already essentially carried out with the existing organization. However, certain operations, for example personnel management, payroll, registration with organizations, accounting, etc., may require the definition of particular types of files in a very simple manner. For example, a file type "social organization" can be created with a collection of "various", "registration", "rate", "declarations", "litigation", "suite", "documentation" for example. if such a classification in file-folder-piece, may seem ill-suited in certain cases, the use of this structure for all the activities of the company has such advantages that it is advisable to adopt it for the whole of the company's activities.

Some advantages of the invention
It has been noted that the method according to the invention allows management at the level of the elements (parts), and the possible association of a deadline with each element. More precisely, the circulation of the elements, from their arrival to their classification in the sub-assemblies (file folders), is carried out by passing through a "subset of transfer elements" (pocket), specific to the set (file), before classification in the relevant sub-set (folder), with possible association (and sometimes automatic) of a deadline. It therefore has the advantage of always making it possible to assess the current state of each file, and therefore of all the files which represent the entire activity of the company. This "presentation of information" is not the characteristic of the invention, but is a particularly advantageous result, especially in the case of certain professions, such as industrial property attorneys.

 In addition, the method according to the invention makes it possible to assess, within each set (file), which functions fulfills a participant, designated by a name, according to one or more particular qualities.

 Another advantage of the management method according to the invention is the preservation of the integrity of the documents received and transmitted. For example, a document received or issued has the representation of its informative content in the form of a graphic file, preferably stored on a non-rewritable medium ("WORM" optical disc). The images of documents obtained during the consultation of the documents are therefore unforgeable.

Claims (10)

RESELL I CAT I ONS  1. Method for transmitting information from a first computer tool to one or more other computer tools, characterized in that the transmission of information comprises  - the selection of the information to be transmitted by designation on a screen of a representation reproduced by a computer by display or printing of the informative content of this information, and the association of an identifier with this representation,  - the display on a screen of a list of at least names and the selection of at least one name contained in this list,  - entering a message with an input device,  - the association of at least the selected name, of the message entered and of at least one date in the form of data, and their display on a screen,  - the association of said data and the identifier of the representation of the informative content in the form of an element, and  - the transmission of information in the form of an element by the first IT tool, and  - the receipt, by one or more other IT tools, of the information contained in the element.  2. The method of claim 1, intended to further manage said elements, the method being of the type in which the elements are arranged in subsets of elements themselves belonging to sets of subsets, each set having a name and corresponding to an informative context, and each subset of elements corresponding to an informative sub-context, the method comprising, when an element is not arranged in the desired subset of elements of a set , incorporating this element into this desired subset of elements by moving the element into the desired subset, the method being characterized in that it includes incorporating, into the assembly, a subset of transfer elements, and the step of incorporating the element into a subset of elements of a set includes  - the incorporation of the element into the subset of transfer elements of the set, and  - moving the element from the subset of transfer elements to the desired subset of elements.  3. Method according to claim 2, intended to further ensure the creation of an element whose informative content must be communicated outside the system, characterized in that the method comprises, for the creation of an element which must be incorporated into a particular subset of elements, the following steps, which are performed with reference to that particular subset of elements or to the set to which it belongs  - designation of a recipient name,  - the designation of at least one type of element to be created,  - the creation of an element by forming a representation of an informative content with a computer tool associated with the designated type of the element to be created, and by association of element data containing the name of the recipient with the informative content formed , and  - possible entry of due date data to be associated with the element.  4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the computer tool is a form establishment software, of the type in which a blank form has fields to be completed at least in part which are distributed over the surface of a or more pages, and the method comprises the following steps in a first phase  - the formation of an image of the blank form by  optical reading, and  - the memorization of the image obtained, and in a second phase  - display of the form image, and  - at least one group of operations comprising  - positioning of a cursor on the image when em  placement of a field, and  - data entry in this field, then  - printing, on a copy of the blank form,  data entered by said group of operations at  minus the image of the blank form.  5. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the method further comprises associating, with the data information of at least one element, of maturity data comprising at least one datum chosen from one date, two dates, three dates, one message, two messages, one name and two names.  6. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the method comprises the display, as a function of at least one date of the maturity data, of data relating to elements having a common property which is a datum contained in maturity data or in ensemble or subset data and which comprises at least one datum chosen from a name, a type of set and a type of subset.  7. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the set further comprises a subset of names, and the method comprises incorporating, into the subset of names, at least a name of the element data of all the elements of all the subsets of elements with the possible exception of the subset of transfer elements, and the association, with at least one name of the subset of names, of at least one quality indicating a role held in the information context of the whole.  8. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the informative context of at least one set relates to a name and the set also comprises a portfolio subset, and the method comprises the incorporation, in the portfolio subset, of names of sets whose subset of names contains the name relating to said informative context.  9. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the method further comprises the creation of at least one type assembly having a standard structure, and the incorporation, into subsets of elements of this standard set, of elements whose informative content relates to part or all of the sets whose structure corresponds to the standard structure of the standard set and which form documentation relating to the informative context of the set - type.  10. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the method is implemented after an initial step of determining the identity of the person who implements the method, and at least one operations for the transmission of information of an element is prohibited when the identity of the person implementing the method does not correspond to at least one name from among the names of the subset data of the set concerned and the names of the group concerned.