JP2001061035A - Electronic file system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an electronic file system where a digital copying machine or the like designates, registers and outputs a document storage location such as a folder in the case of registering a document to an electronic file device and outputting a document from the electronic file device. SOLUTION: In the electronic file system having a digital copying machine connected to a network to enter image document data going to be registered and stored and having an electronic file device that stores and manages registered document data, the digital copying machine 1 acquires list information denoting a plurality of document storage locations storing registered document data from the electronic file device 2 in the case of registering the document, a user selects a document storage location for document data going to be registered by displaying the list information onto a display device in an operation display section 14, and the selected document storage location information is sent to the electronic file device 2 together with the document data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises an electronic file device and a digital copier connected to a network, and inputs image document data from a digital copier or the like and registers / stores / registers it in the electronic file device. The present invention relates to an electronic file system for outputting stored image document data to a digital copying machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of electronic file systems have been provided. In one electronic file system, as shown in FIG. 8, an electronic file device 31 having a document storage device 32 and a floppy disk device 33 for storing a large amount of document data,
A plurality of operation display devices 34 directly connected to 31, an image input device 35 for inputting an image document, a plotter 36 for outputting a document on a recording paper, etc., a document created using the operation display device 34, a floppy disk Device 33 or image input device
A document or the like input using 35 is registered and stored in the electronic file device 31, and a desired document in the stored document group is output to the operation display device 34 or the plotter 36 for reference. In the electronic file system shown in FIG. 9, a digital copying machine 37 is provided instead of the image input device 35 and the plotter 36 of the electronic file system shown in FIG. 8, and the image input device 35a in the digital copying machine 37 is used. Then, an image document is input, and the document is output on a recording sheet using a plotter 36a in the digital copying machine 37. Further, the electronic file system shown in FIG. 10 includes an electronic file server 41 connected to a LAN, a client terminal device 42 such as a plurality of personal computers, an image input device 43, an image output device 44 having a plotter, and the like. Client terminal device
A document created by using the document input device 42 or a document input by using the image input device 43 is registered in the electronic file server 41 and stored, and a desired document in the stored document group is stored in the client terminal device 42 or an image. It is output to the output device 44 for reference.
In the electronic file system shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, an image document is directly stored in the electronic file device 31 by using the image input device 35 or the operation unit of the digital copying machine 37, or the operation unit of the digital copying machine 37 is operated. There is also provided an electronic file system or the like in which an image document in the electronic file device 31 is output to the digital copying machine 37 by using a digital copying machine.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when an image document is registered using an image input device or an operation unit of a digital copying machine, the document is registered in accordance with directory information (folder information) in an electronic file device. An image document cannot be registered in a desired folder or the like, and when a document is output on a recording sheet using the operation unit of the digital copier, the document in the desired folder or the like is viewed by looking at directory information (folder information). Cannot output. Also, when an attempt is made to specify a desired folder or the like using the client terminal device or the operation display device and register the image document in the specified folder or the like, the communication between the client terminal device or the operation display device and the image input device is performed. The problem is that you have to come and go. Also,
When a desired folder or the like is designated by using the client terminal device and the confidential document in the folder is output to the plotter, the confidential document output since the plotter is away from the client terminal device is viewed by a third party. There is also the problem of confidentiality. An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem of the prior art, and when registering in an electronic file device, a document storage location such as a folder can be designated in a digital copying machine or the like and registered from the digital copying machine or the like. There is no need to move back and forth between the digital copier and the client terminal at the time of registration. When extracting documents from the electronic file device and outputting them to recording paper, digitally copy the document storage location such as a folder. An electronic file system that can be specified and extracted from a digital copier, etc., to secure confidentiality of confidential documents at the time of output, and also to provide convenient functions. Is to provide.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image input apparatus or a digital copying machine connected to a network for inputting image document data to be registered and stored. In an electronic file system having an electronic file device for storing and managing registered document data, when registering a document, the image input device or the digital copying machine stores a plurality of documents as a place for storing the registered document data. The list information indicating the location is obtained from the electronic file device, the list information is displayed and the document storage location of the document data to be registered is selected, and the selected document storage location information is transmitted to the electronic file device together with the document data. It was configured to send. Also,
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device having an image output device or a digital copying machine connected to a network for outputting registered and stored image document data, and an electronic file device for storing and managing the registered document data. In the file system, when outputting the registered / stored document data, the image output device or the digital copying machine transmits, from the electronic file device, list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations for storing the registered document data. Acquiring, displaying the list information, selecting a document storage location, sending the selected document storage location information and search condition to an electronic file device, and searching for the search condition in the document storage location indicated by the document storage location information. Acquire document list information from the electronic file device as a search result according to, and display the document list information To select the write data, and the document data send information indicating the selected document data to the electronic filing system to the structure obtained from the electronic file system, and outputs the document data acquired on a recording sheet. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the electronic file device executes a maintenance process in response to an instruction from the image input device, the digital copying machine, or the image output device. I made it.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of document registration, list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations, which are locations for storing the registered document data, is transmitted from the electronic file device to the image storage device. The list information is transferred to an input device or a digital copying machine, and the list information is displayed on the image input device or the digital copying machine. When a document storage location of the document data to be registered is selected from the list information, the selected document storage location information is displayed. Is sent to the electronic file device together with the document data. According to the second aspect of the present invention, at the time of outputting registered and stored document data, list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations, which are locations for storing the registered document data, is transmitted from the electronic file device to the image output device or the digital output device. The list information is sent to the copying machine, and the list information is displayed on the image output device or the digital copying machine. When one document storage location is selected from the list information and a search condition is indicated, the selected document storage location information and the search condition are displayed. Is sent to the electronic file device, a search is performed at the document storage location indicated by the document storage location information according to the search condition, and the document list information as the search result is sent from the electronic file device to the image output device or the digital Sent to a copier, and the document list information is displayed on the image output device or the digital copier; The document data is selected, information indicating the selected document data is sent to the electronic file device, and the document data is sent from the electronic file device to the image output device or digital copying machine. The document data is output on recording paper. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the maintenance processing is executed by the electronic file device in response to an instruction from the image input device, the digital copying machine, or the image output device.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of an electronic file system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown, the electronic file system of this embodiment includes a digital copying machine 1 and an electronic file device 2 connected to a transmission path 3 such as a LAN.
Note that the digital copying machine 1 and the electronic file device 2 may be configured to have a plurality of units. The digital copying machine 1 has a memory storing a program and a CPU operating according to the program, a control unit 11 for controlling and managing the entire copying machine, and a system memory (temporarily storing various data). A communication control unit 13 for controlling communication with the electronic file device 2 via the transmission path 3, an operation display unit 14 including a keyboard and a display device, a scanner 15 for reading an image on a document, A plotter 16 that outputs images and characters on recording paper, an image memory 17 that temporarily stores image data read by a scanner 15, and the like are provided. The electronic file device 2 includes a memory storing a program and a CPU that operates according to the program, a system control unit 21 that controls and manages the entire electronic file device, and a system that temporarily stores various data. It includes a memory 22, a communication control unit 23 for controlling communication with the digital copier 1 and the like via the transmission path 3, a document storage device 24 for storing a large amount of registered document data, and the like.

FIG. 2 shows an operation flow of the first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, an original of a document to be registered is set on the scanner 15 of the digital copying machine 1. Then, the user indicates the document registration and the name of the electronic file device to be registered on the operation display unit 14. Then, the control unit
11 obtains the instructed information, and issues a connection request to the electronic file device 2 indicated by the information to the communication control unit 13. Thus, a communication link is set between the two by the communication control unit 13 in the digital copying machine 1 and the communication control unit 23 in the electronic file device 2, and both are in a communicable state (step S1, step S11). Subsequently, the control unit of the digital copying machine 1 is connected via the set communication link.
Reference numeral 11 requests the electronic file device 2 to transfer list information (folder list information) indicating a plurality of document storage locations (for example, folders, hereinafter referred to as folders), which are locations for storing document data to be registered ( Step S2). When the request message is received by the communication control unit 23 of the electronic file device 2, the system control unit 21 of the electronic file device 2 acquires the folder list information managed by itself from the system memory 22 (already, Document storage device 24
To the system memory 22), and transfers it to the digital copying machine 1 (step S12). When the communication control section 13 of the digital copying machine 1 receives the folder list information in this way, the control section 11 acquires the folder list information and displays it on the display device in the operation display section 14 as shown in FIG. 3 (step S3). The folder has a hierarchical structure.

When the folder list information is displayed, the user selects one of a plurality of displayed folder information using a mouse or the like, and stores the selected folder information in a registration destination folder for storing image document data to be input. Specify as Also,
Then, in response to the displayed message, the user enters the file name of the document to be registered,
The control unit 11 passes the designated folder information and file name to the communication control unit 13, and the communication control unit 13 sends the folder information and the file name to the electronic file device 2 (Step S)
4). When the system control unit 21 of the electronic file device 2 acquires the folder information and the file name, the system control unit 21 registers the file name as a file belonging to the folder of the folder name (step S1).
3). That is, the file name is set (stored) in association with the folder name. Digital copier 1
Then, the control unit 11 allows the user to set input conditions such as reading density and reading resolution, and causes the scanner 15 to read image document data (image data) from the set document using the input conditions (step S1). S
5). Then, the read image document data is transmitted to the communication control unit.
13 to the electronic file device 2 (step S
6). In the electronic file device 2, after registering the file name in association with the folder name, the electronic file device 2 waits for the image document data to be sent, and when the image document data is sent (Yes in step S14), the communication is performed. The controller 23 receives it (step S15), and the system controller 21 causes the file management means to store the image document data in the document storage device 24 (step S16). The file management means manages the file name in association with the storage location of the image document data. Thereafter, in the digital copying machine 1, when all reading from the original is completed and transmission of all image document data is completed (No in step S7), the communication control unit 13 disconnects the communication link (step S8). When the reception of all the image document data is completed (No in step S14), the electronic file device 2 also disconnects the communication link (step S17). As described above, the case where the image document data transmitting side is the digital copying machine 1 has been described. However, the image document transmitting side may be an image input apparatus having a configuration in which the plotter 16 is removed from the configuration of the digital copying machine shown in FIG. Thus,
According to this embodiment, when registering an image document in an electronic filing device, a document storage location such as a folder configured in the electronic filing device is designated in a digital copying machine or the like and registered from the digital copying machine or the like. This eliminates the need to go back and forth between the digital copying machine and the client terminal at the time of registration.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the digital copier 1 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
, A document storage location such as a folder can be designated, and a desired image document therein can be output on a recording paper in the digital copying machine 1. FIG. 4 shows an operation flow of the second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the user indicates a document search and an electronic file device name to be searched by the operation display unit 14 in the digital copying machine 1. Then, the control unit 11 acquires the instructed information, and issues a connection request to the electronic file device 2 indicated by the information to the communication control unit 13. Thus, the communication control unit in the digital copying machine 1
A communication link is set between the electronic file device 13 and the communication control unit 23 in the electronic file device 2 so that the two can communicate with each other (steps S21 and S31). Subsequently, the control unit 11 of the digital copying machine 1 requests the electronic file device 2 to transfer the folder list information via the set communication link (step S22). When this request message is received by the communication control unit 23 of the electronic file device 2, the system control unit 21 of the electronic file device 2 stores the folder list information managed by itself in the system memory.
22 (already read from the document storage device 24 to the system memory 22) and transferred to the digital copying machine 1 (step S32). Thus, when the communication control unit 13 of the digital copying machine 1 receives the folder list information,
The control unit 11 acquires it (step S22),
The display device 14 is displayed as shown in FIG. 3 (step S23). The folder has a hierarchical structure. When the folder list information is displayed, the user selects one of the displayed plurality of folder information using a mouse or the like, and further registers according to the message displayed on the display device by the control unit 11. A search condition such as a person name and a registration time is input (step S24). Then, the control unit 11 acquires the selected folder name and the inputted search condition, and transmits them to the electronic file device 2 via the communication control unit 13 (step S24). Thereby, the electronic file device 2
When the communication control unit 23 receives a message including a folder name and a search condition, the system control unit 21 obtains the message, and is prepared in advance for each folder and updated at the time of document registration as shown in FIG. The index information is searched (step S33), and document list information (search result list) including the index information of the corresponding document is created. Then, the document list information is transmitted to the digital copying machine 1 via the communication control unit 23 (step S34). When the communication control unit 13 of the digital copying machine 1 receives the document list information in this way, the control unit 11 obtains the document list information and displays the document list information (search result list table) similar to FIG. ) Is displayed (step S25). Then, when the user designates one of them as a document to be taken out using a mouse or the like, the document ID (document identification code, document number) of the designated document is transmitted to the electronic file device 2 (step S26).

Subsequently, in the electronic file device 2, when the system control unit 21 passes the file name corresponding to the acquired document ID to the file management means, the file management means stores the storage location information corresponding to the file name. Acquired,
The image document data (image data) of the file is read from the storage location (step S35), and the image document data is transmitted to the digital copying machine 1 (step S35).
36). On the other hand, in the digital copying machine 1, after transmitting the document ID, it waits for the image document data to be transmitted, and when the image document data is transmitted, the communication control unit 13 receives it (step S27). ), The control section 11 acquires the image document data and causes the plotter 16 to output the image document data on recording paper (step S28). After that, in the digital copying machine 1,
When the reception of all the image document data is completed and the output of all the image document data is completed (No in Step S29), the communication control unit 13 disconnects the communication link (Step S30).
When the transmission of all the image document data is completed (No in step S37), the electronic file device 2 also disconnects the communication link (step S38). When the document list information (search result list information) is acquired in the digital copying machine 1, it can be output to recording paper (step S40). In such a case, as shown in the flowchart, for example, the communication link is disconnected here (step S30), and then the communication link is set again, the document ID is sent to the electronic file device 2, and the document ID of the document ID is set. Acquire image document data and output it to recording paper. In the above, the case where the image document data receiving side is the digital copying machine 1 has been described. However, the image document receiving side may be an image output apparatus having the configuration of the digital copying machine shown in FIG. Thus, according to this embodiment, when a document registered in the electronic file device is output to recording paper, it is possible to designate a document storage location such as a folder in a digital copying machine or the like and output it to recording paper.
At the time of this output, the user can be at the installation place of the digital copying machine or the like, so that the confidentiality of the confidential document can be ensured.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, in the first or second embodiment, a maintenance execution program is provided in the electronic file device with the same configuration as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The electronic file device 2
Even without the operation display unit, the maintenance of the electronic file device can be performed efficiently. FIG. 6 shows an operation flow of the third embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, FIG.
The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First,
The user indicates the maintenance of the electronic file device and the name of the electronic file device to be maintained by the operation display unit 14 in the digital copying machine 1. Then, the control unit 11 acquires the instructed information, and issues a connection request to the electronic file device 2 indicated by the information to the communication control unit 13. Thus, the communication control unit 13 in the digital copying machine 1
A communication link is set between the two by the communication control unit 23 in the electronic file device 2 and both are set in a communicable state (steps S41 and S51). Subsequently, the control unit of the digital copying machine 1 is connected via the set communication link.
11 requests the electronic file device 2 to transfer the maintenance menu information (step S42). When the request message is received by the communication control unit 23 of the electronic file device 2, the system control unit 21 of the electronic file device 2 acquires the maintenance menu information managed by itself from the system memory 22 (already, The data is read from the document storage device 24 to the system memory 22) and transferred to the digital copying machine 1 (step S52). Thus,
When the communication control unit 13 of the digital copying machine 1 receives the maintenance menu information, the control unit 11 acquires the maintenance menu information and causes the display device in the operation display unit 14 to display the information as shown in FIG. 7 (step S42). Then, the user selects a desired one from the displayed maintenance menu, and
11 acquires the selected maintenance number and transmits it to the electronic file device 2 (step S43). As a result, the system control unit 21 of the electronic file device 2 acquires the specified maintenance number, and executes the maintenance program associated with the maintenance number (step S53). For example, when a failure diagnosis is instructed as maintenance to be performed, a plurality of individual diagnosis programs corresponding to a plurality of diagnosis locations are sequentially executed, and if there is an abnormality, the abnormality location is specified.
When the instructed maintenance operation is completed, the system control unit 21 creates a maintenance execution result report and transmits it to the digital copying machine 1 (step S).
54).

After transmitting the maintenance number, the digital copying machine 1 waits for the maintenance execution result report to be sent, and upon receiving the maintenance execution result report, the control unit 11 causes the display unit to display it ( Step S44). If there is another maintenance process to be executed (No in step S45), the process is repeated from step S42, and if not (Ye in step S45).
s) The communication control unit 13 disconnects the communication link (step S4)
6). Further, in the electronic file device 2, if the next maintenance request is received (Yes in step S55), the process is repeated from step S53. If there is no next maintenance request (No in step S55), the communication link is disconnected (step S56). ). Although the case where the maintenance requesting side is the digital copying machine 1 has been described above, the maintenance requesting side may be an image input device or an image output device. Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the electronic filing device 2 is not provided with the operation display unit, the maintenance of the electronic filing device can be performed by using the communication unit shown in the first embodiment or the second embodiment. It can be performed efficiently.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention,
According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of document registration, list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations, which are locations for storing the registered document data, is transferred from the electronic file device to the image input device or the digital copying machine, and When the list information is displayed on the input device or the digital copying machine, and a document storage location of the document data to be registered is selected from the list information, the selected document storage location information is sent to the electronic file device together with the document data. A document storage location such as a folder configured in an electronic file device can be designated in a digital copying machine or the like and registered from the digital copying machine or the like. There is no need to go back and forth. Claim 2
According to the described invention, at the time of outputting the registered / stored document data, list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations, which are locations for storing the registered document data, is sent from the electronic file device to the image output device or the digital copying machine. The list information is displayed on the image output device or the digital copying machine, and when one document storage location is selected from the list information and a search condition is designated, the selected document storage location information and the search condition are stored in an electronic file. The document is sent to the device, and the document storage location indicated by the document storage location information is searched according to the search condition, and the document list information as the search result is sent from the electronic file device to the image output device or the digital copying machine. The document list information is displayed on the image output device or the digital copier, and the document data is Is selected, information indicating the selected document data is sent to the electronic file device, the document data is sent from the electronic file device to an image output device or a digital copying machine, and in the image output device or the digital copying machine, Since the document data is output on the recording paper, it is possible to specify a document storage location such as a folder and output it to the recording paper without using a client terminal device, etc. , The confidentiality of confidential documents can be ensured. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, by utilizing the communication means, an instruction from an image input device, a digital copying machine, or an image output device is provided. Since the electronic file device performs the maintenance process, the electronic file device can be efficiently maintained even if the electronic file device 2 does not include the operation display unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of an electronic file system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the electronic file system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a screen view of the electronic file system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of an electronic file system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a data configuration diagram of a main part of an electronic file system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of an electronic file system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a screen view of an electronic file system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration block diagram of an electronic file system showing an example of a conventional technique.

FIG. 9 is a configuration block diagram of an electronic file system showing another example of the related art.

FIG. 10 is a configuration block diagram of an electronic file system showing another example of the conventional technology.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital copier 2 Electronic file device 11 Control part 13 Communication control part 14 Operation display part 15 Scanner 16 Plotter 21 System control part 23 Communication control part 24 Document storage device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electronic file system having an image input device or a digital copying machine connected to a network for inputting image document data to be registered and stored, and an electronic file device for storing and managing the registered document data. When registering a document, the image input device or digital copier
Obtain list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations, which are locations for storing registered document data, from the electronic file device, display the list information, select a document storage location of the document data to be registered, and select An electronic file system for transmitting the stored document storage location information together with the document data to an electronic file device. 2. An electronic file system having an image output device or a digital copying machine connected to a network for outputting registered and stored image document data, and an electronic file device for storing and managing the registered document data. When outputting the registered / stored document data, the image output device or the digital copying machine acquires from the electronic file device list information indicating a plurality of document storage locations where the registered document data is stored, The list information is displayed to select a document storage location, the selected document storage location information and the search condition are sent to the electronic file device, and the document storage location indicated by the document storage location information is determined according to the search condition. Document list information as a search result is obtained from an electronic file device, and the document list information is displayed to display document data. Electronic file system is selected, characterized in that acquires the document data send information indicating the selected document data to the electronic file apparatus from the electronic filing apparatus, and outputs the document data acquired on a recording sheet. 3. The electronic file system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic file device performs a maintenance process in response to an instruction from an image input device, a digital copying machine, or an image output device. Electronic file system.