JP2004102602A - Document management method and system for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a document management method, with which a user can easily specify a desirable document among the documents stored to be reused, and to provide a system for the same. <P>SOLUTION: A file 121 (121-1, 121-2, 121-3, etc.) as a document processed by printing or the like is stored, while relating with a log 131 as the log information, wherein processing contents and condition are written. Items written in the log information are utilized as a reference condition of the document, and reference is performed on the basis of the characteristic of the contents of the document, and furthermore, the external characteristic of the document. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a document management method and apparatus, and more particularly, to a document management method and apparatus for executing a search process on a managed document.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the digitization of documents and the like has progressed, and their use forms have been expanding. For example, in “Document Management Method and Apparatus” described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-63909, documents that have undergone processing such as printing are stored in association with a log file that describes the processing contents and conditions, so that these documents can be stored. In addition to simply reprinting, it is easy to reuse the document for various purposes, and the document can be effectively used.
[0003]
When trying to reuse a stored document, the user needs to specify the desired document. How to specify this document affects whether the document can be reused effectively. .
[0004]
As a method of specifying a document, for example, a “print control apparatus, a print control method, and a storage medium storing a computer-readable program” described in JP-A-11-20241 or JP-A-2001-105689 are described. There is a method of selecting a list of print data and a history, such as “Printing System, Printing Apparatus, and Control Method Thereof”.
[0005]
In addition, the contents of a document can be confirmed by a thumbnail image or a preview screen as in "Printing apparatus, printing method and printing system" described in JP-A-10-269036 or "Printing system" described in JP-A-2000-242463. And a method of searching for a document using printer output information such as a printer name and data size as a search key.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as a method for specifying a document, simply displaying a list of history and attribute information is likely to cause errors even in the person who printed the document, and it may be reused by anyone other than the person who printed the document. It is difficult.
[0007]
The method of providing a thumbnail image or the like can grasp the contents of a document. And so on, the thumbnails are likely to be similar, and even if the document is known, there is a possibility that an error may occur.
[0008]
Furthermore, in the method of using attribute information or the like as a search key, a search cannot be performed without knowing the date and time of printing or the printer name, and a person other than the person who performed printing specifies the document. Was difficult.
[0009]
As described above, in the conventional method, it is often difficult to specify a desired document when a person other than the person who has performed printing or the like reuses the document.
[0010]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a document management method and apparatus that allows a user to easily specify a desired document from documents stored for the purpose of reuse.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a document used for job processing is stored together with log information describing the processing content of the job, and a new job requested using the stored document is stored. In a document management method for executing a process, a process content of a job is received as a search condition, and a document corresponding to the search condition is searched based on the received search condition and the log information.
[0012]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the processing content includes a document printing condition.
[0013]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the processing content includes a post-processing condition of the document.
[0014]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the document is an image obtained by optically reading a document, and the processing content includes a reading condition of the document. And
[0015]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a document management system for storing a document used for job processing together with log information describing the processing content of the job, and executing a new job process requested using the stored document. A search condition receiving unit that receives the processing content of the job as a search condition; and a search unit that searches for a document corresponding to the search condition based on the search condition received by the search condition receiving unit and the log information. It is characterized by having.
[0016]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the search condition receiving means receives a document printing condition as the search condition.
[0017]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the search condition receiving means receives a post-processing condition of the document as the search condition.
[0018]
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the document is an image obtained by optically reading a document, and the search condition receiving means determines the reading condition of the document by the search. It is characterized in that it is accepted as a condition.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a document management method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0020]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a usage form of a document management apparatus to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the document management apparatus 1 includes a plurality of scanners 2 (2-1 to 2-n), a plurality of printers 3 (3-1 to 3-m), and a plurality of clients 4 (4-1 to 4-1). Along with 4-l), it is used by being connected to the network 5.
[0021]
The document management apparatus 1 stores and manages a document together with log information including its print conditions and read conditions, and executes a document search based on the log information. The scanner 2 reads a document and generates a document image. The printer 3 prints out a document or the like generated by the scanner 2 according to designated printing conditions. The client 4 generates a document using an application or the like, and issues an instruction to search or reuse a document managed by the document management apparatus 1.
[0022]
Here, details of the document management apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the document management apparatus 1.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1, the document management apparatus 1 includes a job receiving unit 11, a job processing unit 12, a job sending unit 13, a document storage unit 14, a display information generating unit 15, a search processing unit 16, and a display screen providing unit 17. It is configured with.
[0024]
The job accepting unit 11 accepts a job for printing, saving, and reusing a document from the scanner 2 or the client 4. The job processing unit 12 executes processing such as image processing for outputting and saving the job received by the job receiving unit 11. The job sending unit 13 sends the job processed by the job processing unit 12 to the printer 3 or another output device (not shown) such as a facsimile transmitting device or an e-mail transmitting device.
[0025]
The document storage unit 14 stores documents included in the job processed by the job processing unit 12 together with log information. The display information generation unit 15 generates display information for displaying the document and the log information stored in the document storage unit 14 on the client 4. The search processing unit 16 searches for a document stored in the document storage unit 14 based on a search instruction input from the client 4. The display screen providing unit 17 provides the client 4 with a screen for displaying the display information generated by the display information generating unit 15, a screen for inputting a search condition, a screen for displaying a search result by the search processing unit 16, and the like. I do.
[0026]
Here, a document storage mode in the document storage unit 14 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a document storage mode in the document storage unit 14.
[0027]
The document storage unit 14 stores documents in groups such as “Group-A” 101 and “Group-B” 102. This group corresponds to a job when printing or the like is executed, and is composed of a plurality of files.
[0028]
For example, “Group-A” 101 includes “file” 121-1, 121-2, 121-3 combined as “Original” 111, and “file” 122-1 combined as “70%” 112, In addition to “file” 123-1, 123-2, 123-3 and “Thumbnail” 114, which are grouped as 122-2, 122-3 and “Other” 113, “file” 124, and “log” 131 is stored.
[0029]
“Files” 121-1, 121-2, and 121-3 classified as “Original” 111 are original document files, for example, image data read by the scanner 2. “File” 122-1, 122-2, 122-3 classified into “70%” 112 is image data obtained by reducing the image data of each file of “Original” 111 to 70%. For example, when the image read by the scanner 2 in the previous printing is reduced by 70% and output from the printer 3, the files actually used are the “70%” 112 files. The original file is stored in the “Original” 111.
[0030]
“Files” 123-1, 123-2, and 123-3 classified as “Other” 113 are documents corresponding to other application software used by the client 4 or the like, and classified as “Thumbnail” 114. The “file” 124 is data for displaying a thumbnail image for confirming the document when reusing the document.
[0031]
The “log” 131 describes instructions and parameters used in the previous printing. For example, when a document is read by the scanner 2 and output from the printer 3, the reading resolution in the scanner 2, the page order (the printing order of “file” 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, etc.), It describes the enlargement / reduction ratio in the printer 3, the number of copies, designation of post-processing, various parameters at the time of printing, and the like.
[0032]
Similarly, the “Group-B” 102 stores “file” 125 categorized as “Original” 115 and “file” 126 and “log” 132 classified as “Thumbnail” 116.
[0033]
As described above, the document saving unit 14 saves the document as a file such as “file” 121-1 and the log information as “log” 131 or the like. Then, the search processing unit 16 receives, from the client 4, items included in the log information stored in the “log” 131 or the like as search conditions.
[0034]
Next, search of a document by the search processing unit 16 will be described. At the time of the search by the search processing unit 16, first, the display screen providing unit 17 provides the client 4 with a search condition input screen as shown in FIG. In the client 4 provided with the search condition input screen, when a user inputs a search condition for inputting a document, the search condition is passed to the search processing unit 16, and the search processing unit 16 executes the search. It becomes.
[0035]
The following search conditions can be entered on the search condition input screen.
[0036]
For "file name", a document having a file name matching the specified character string or a document including the specified character string in the file name is searched. “File size” searches for documents whose file size is within the specified range. The "number of pages" retrieves documents in which the number of pages constituting the document falls within a specified range. "Date and time designation" searches for a document created at a date and time within the range specified by the document.
[0037]
The "color mode" specifies a document in which color / black and white / both are mixed. "Simplex / Duplex" designates a document printed on one / double sides. “N-up” specifies a document for which N-up output such as 2 up, 4 up, and 8 up is specified. “Image shift” and “center shift” specify a document for which image shift and center shift are specified, respectively.
[0038]
“Paper size” designates a document output on paper of a specific size, and “staple / punch” designates a document for which stapling / punch is designated as post-processing. More specifically, stapling / punching positions (long side binding / short side binding, top / left / top left / top right, etc.) and the number of staples may be specified. “Paper quality” designates a document such as thick paper or OHP for which output to a specific paper quality is designated, and “magnification” designates a document whose magnification is designated.
[0039]
By using such a search condition as a search condition, for example, a person receiving the output document, such as a 30-page A4-size document stapled at the upper left, can be used when reading the document or printing out. A desired document can be easily searched for from the external features of the output document without knowing the information specified at the time.
[0040]
Note that the above-described search conditions are merely examples, and the document management apparatus 1 stores, as log information, instruction contents input when a document is created, printed out, reused, and the like. Thus, it is possible to use all the instruction contents as search conditions. For example, if the user knows the specification at the time of reading a document or at the time of printing, the following search conditions can be used.
[0041]
In "single / double-sided reading", a document scanned in one-sided / two-sided can be specified, and in "document orientation", a document scanned in right / left-sided direction can be specified.
[0042]
In “Tray specification”, you can specify documents output on paper on a specific tray. In “Sorting”, you can specify documents output by sorting / stacking. In “Image quality adjustment”, you can specify color balance, brightness, A document in which saturation, density designation, automatic contrast, etc. are designated can be designated.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a document that has undergone processing such as printing is stored in association with log information that describes the processing content, reading conditions, output conditions, and the like, and the items described in the log information are stored. Is used as a document search condition, so that a search can be performed based not only on the content characteristics of the document but also on the external characteristics of the document, and a desired document can be easily specified. It becomes possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a usage form of a document management apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the document management apparatus 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a storage mode of a document in a document storage unit 14;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition input screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Document Management Devices 2-1 to 2-n Scanners 3-1 to 3-m Printers 4-1 to 4-1 Client 5 Network 11 Job Accepting Unit 12 Job Processing Unit 13 Job Sending Unit 14 Document Saving Unit 15 Display Information Generation Unit 16 search processing unit 17 display screen providing unit 101 “Group-A” (group)
102 “Group-B” (Group)
111 "Original" (group)
112 “70%” (group)
113 "Other" (group)
114 "Thumbnail" (Group)
115 "Original" (group)
116 "Thumbnail" (Group)
121-1 to 121-3 "file" (document)
122-1 to 122-3 "file" (document)
123-1 to 123-3 "file" (document)
124 "file" (document)
125 "file" (document)
126 "file" (document)
131 "log" (log information)
132 "log" (log information)

Claims (8)

In a document management method for storing a document used for job processing together with log information describing the processing content of the job, and executing a new job process requested using the stored document,
A document management method, wherein job processing contents are received as search conditions, and a document corresponding to the search conditions is searched based on the received search conditions and the log information. The processing content is
2. The document management method according to claim 1, further comprising a printing condition of the document. The processing content is
2. The document management method according to claim 1, further comprising a post-processing condition of the document. The document is:
An image obtained by optically reading a document,
2. The document management method according to claim 1, wherein the processing content includes a reading condition of the document. In a document management apparatus that stores a document used for job processing together with log information describing the processing content of the job, and executes a new job process requested using the stored document,
A search condition receiving means for receiving the processing content of the job as a search condition;
A document management apparatus comprising: a search unit configured to search for a document corresponding to a search condition based on the search condition received by the search condition reception unit and the log information. The search condition receiving means,
6. The document management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a print condition of the document is received as the search condition. The search condition receiving means,
6. The document management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a post-processing condition of the document is received as the search condition. The document is:
An image obtained by optically reading a document,
6. The document management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the search condition receiving unit receives a reading condition of the document as the search condition.

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