JP2006227749A - Document image data input process program, computer system, method and computer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent abuse such as falsification when creating and saving document image data based upon documents. <P>SOLUTION: A computer system is provided with complex machines 20, 30, 40 and a storage server 50. Using the complex machines, an employee A70, a manager C72, and an accountant 74 each perform scans in accordance with the flow of written contracts 80, 90, 100 serving as documents, and the document image data created are sent to the storage server and temporarily saved in a data-before-acknowledgement storage part 56. Based on a relation of providing acknowledgement or being acknowledged that is set to match the actual flow of the documents, the document image data inputted are compared. If it is determined that their degrees of matching match the document image data inputted by all acknowledgers, the document image data are transferred to the acknowledged data storage part and saved over a long period of time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for receiving input document image data, and more particularly to a technique for improving input reliability.

  With the development of the electronic information society, opportunities to handle documents in the form of electronic data instead of paper media are increasing. This trend is expected to be further accelerated by the upcoming e-document law, a law that allows electronic preservation of documents in the private sector.

  In order to handle a document printed on a paper medium such as a receipt or a contract as electronic data, a reading process by a scanner may be performed to generate corresponding document image data. However, in order to handle the obtained document image data as important data such as saving it as an original, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for improving input reliability such as limiting the number of input users.

  The following patent document 1 can be mentioned as an example of the technique which improves reliability. This document discloses a technique for performing strict authentication using a magnetic card or a fingerprint when inputting electronic data.

  Patent Document 2 listed below discloses an electronic book filing method including a step of converting image book data into a spreadsheet software format. Patent Document 3 below describes an electronic receipt system in which receipt information is stored in a recording medium and stored, read, operated, and managed. Patent Document 4 below discloses a payment information management system that receives, records, calculates, and provides information related to payment between a server and a client.

JP 2000-353204 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-067422 JP 2001-109962 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-076932

  In the technique of the above-mentioned patent document 1, it is necessary to prepare a device necessary for authentication. In particular, when there are a large number of input persons, it is not preferable in terms of cost. Even if the authentication is strict, it is impossible to cope with an inappropriate input by an input person intentionally or accidentally.

  An object of the present invention is to establish a technique for improving input reliability by preventing illegal input such as tampering in a process of receiving input document image data.

  Another object of the present invention is to improve input reliability while simplifying user authentication in processing for receiving input document image data.

  The document image data input processing program of the present invention includes an association procedure for associating a plurality of users with a computer, and an acquisition procedure for acquiring document image data respectively input by at least two users among the plurality of associated users. A determination procedure for comparing the obtained document image data and determining the validity of these inputs is executed.

  This program is installed in a computer having hardware having an arithmetic function such as a PC, and controls the arithmetic processing operation. The computer may be composed of a single casing or a plurality of casings. This computer acquires document image data input by a plurality of users. The document image data is a document, that is, a document that includes characters, numbers, etc. (and may further include diagrams, picture images, etc.) is expressed as image data. The document image data handled here is a document that is simply read by a scanner, etc., or data that has been read and generated (by attaching an electronic seal stamp or writing items electronically) Alternatively, various objects such as those originally created electronically without using a scanner can be targeted. Acquisition of document image data may be performed by scanner input performed by the user logging in directly to the computer, data generation, data processing, data transfer, etc., or may be associated with the input user on another hardware. The document image data stored in this way may be acquired by the computer.

  A user who inputs document image data is typically based on information input in advance by the user, or based on information attached to the document image data to be acquired or information input by the user after acquisition. Etc., and associated with other users. The association provides information on which document image data related to the user's input should be compared with document image data related to which other user's input.

  The determination unit compares the document image data relating to the input of at least two associated users to determine whether the input document image data can be handled as valid. This process can be performed, for example, by comparing the degree of similarity of how much the document image data is matched by calculating and determining that the similarity is effective when a similarity equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold is found. At the time of comparison, preprocessing for adjusting the direction, scale, density, and the like of each document image data is performed as necessary.

  According to this configuration, since the validity is determined based on the document image data input by different users, it is possible to improve the reliability of the input document image data. In this aspect, since each user can be more gently authenticated than when entrusting input to a single user, the burden on the user can be reduced. For example, when a plurality of input devices are provided, There is no need to introduce expensive equipment to each input device, which is excellent in terms of cost performance. In addition, compared with a case where the input is entrusted to a single user, there is a higher possibility that inappropriate input due to the input person's intention or negligence can be eliminated.

  In addition, when there are a plurality of document image data related to input by each user, it is necessary to determine which document image data should be compared. If there is little document image data, it may be automatically determined based on image recognition or identification data. However, if there is a lot of document image data or if you want to increase the reliability of comparison, an input that clearly indicates the comparison target It is desirable that As a result, a plurality of document image data can be compared at once, and the burden on the user can be greatly reduced.

  In one aspect of the document image data input processing program of the present invention, a computer is caused to execute a storage procedure for storing at least one document image data related to an input determined to be valid. As a result, reliable document image data can be stored. The storage destination may be a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer, or a storage device outside the computer. Further, other document image data to be compared may be stored in the same manner for later re-comparison or the like, or only the difference may be stored or discarded to save the storage amount. .

  In one aspect of the document image data input processing program of the present invention, the association of a plurality of users in the association procedure is performed so as to indicate the comparison order of the document image data between users, and in the determination procedure, according to the comparison order, Document image data input by corresponding users are sequentially compared. The setting of the comparison order can reflect the hierarchical relationship in terms of approval related to approval, as in the case of approving paper documents. For example, when three users A, B, and C have a hierarchical relationship of A <B <C, first, the inputs of A and B are compared, and if it is determined that A and B are valid, It is set to compare (at least) one of the inputs with the C input. In this case, when there is a person B ′ belonging to a hierarchical position parallel to B, only one of B and B ′ in the same hierarchy may be compared, or B and B ′ in the same hierarchy may be compared. You may set so that it may compare with all.

  In one aspect of the document image data input processing program of the present invention, the computer is caused to execute an input promotion procedure for performing output for prompting the user to be compared to input the document image data to be compared. That is, when only document image data related to input by another user to be compared is prepared, screen output or mail transmission for prompting document image data related to remaining user input is performed. Thereby, forgetting of input can be prevented and comparison can be performed quickly.

  In one aspect of the document image data input processing program of the present invention, each of the input of the document image data to be compared is at least compared with the computer that the input is valid or invalid in the determination procedure. A notification procedure for notifying the user is executed. Thereby, each user concerning a comparison object, especially the user who input previously can come to grasp | ascertain a result easily. In addition, there is an effect of preventing one user from inputting while impersonating another user.

  The computer system of the present invention is based on association means for associating a plurality of users, authentication means for authenticating at least two users among the plurality of associated users, and document input of these authenticated users, A scanner that generates document image data for each input; and a determination unit that compares the generated document image data to determine the validity of the document input. A plurality of scanners may be set, or may be incorporated in a copying machine or a multifunction machine including a printer function.

  The method of the present invention is a method executed by a computer system, wherein an association procedure for associating a plurality of users, an authentication procedure for authenticating at least two users among the plurality of associated users, respectively, An acquisition procedure for acquiring document image data input by each user, and a determination procedure for comparing the acquired document image data to determine the validity of these inputs.

  The computer according to the present invention includes an association unit for associating a plurality of users, an acquisition unit for acquiring document image data respectively input by at least two users among the plurality of associated users, and each acquired document image Determining means for comparing the data and determining the validity of these inputs.

  Hereinafter, typical embodiments of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a storage system 10 that is a computer system for realizing the present embodiment and an example of its use. The storage system 10 includes multifunction peripherals 20, 30, 40 and a storage server 50, which are set to be communicable via a network 60.

  The multi-function device 20 is a device including a scanner 22, a printer, a FAX, and the like, and also includes a storage unit 24 that stores image data. The multi-function device 20 also has a function of making an http connection to the outside through the network 60 and receiving a mail. The user can use the multifunction device 20 as an unspecified user without logging in, or can log in to a registered account and use it as the registered user. In the latter case, as a registered user, it is possible to perform scanning, printing, http connection, mail / fax transmission / reception, information processing service on the network, and the like. The user can give a user instruction to instruct or control such processing by operating the operation buttons while looking at the display display provided in the multifunction machine 20. For example, a registered user can log in to his / her account through password authentication and scan the document document with the scanner 22 to create document image data corresponding to the document document. The created document image data can be transmitted to the storage server 50 based on a user instruction or according to a program. Note that such functions provided in the multifunction device 20 are similarly provided in the multifunction device 30 including the scanner 32 and the storage unit 34 and the multifunction device 40 including the scanner 42 and the storage unit 44.

  The accumulation server 50 is a device that forms the core of the accumulation system 10, and includes a main body unit 52, a storage unit 54, a pre-approval data storage unit 56, and an approved data storage unit 58. The main body 52 is constituted by hardware having a calculation function such as a PC (personal computer). The storage unit 54 includes a storage device such as a hard disk. The storage unit 54 controls an arithmetic function of the main unit 52 to perform processing operations related to input and storage of document image data, and a setting file for the application program Etc. are stored. The pre-approval data storage unit 56 is provided for temporarily storing document image data input through the network 60, and the approved data storage unit 58 stores document image data approved by a predetermined approver for a long period of time. It is provided for memorization. The pre-approval data storage unit 56 and the approved data storage unit 58 are configured by a large-capacity storage device having a large number of hard disks.

  In the figure, employee A70, section manager C72, and accounting 74 are depicted as registered users who use the multifunction machines 20, 30, and 40, respectively. It is assumed that the employee A 70 executes the contract 80 as a document document using a paper medium, the section manager C 72 executes the contract 90, and the accounting 74 executes the scanner of the contract 100. The contract 80 of the employee A70 has a character pattern 82 and an approval mark 84 for the employee A70. The contract 90 held by the section manager C72 is obtained by adding the approval mark 92 to the contract 80 delivered from the employee A70. Further, the contract 100 held by the accounting 74 is obtained by browsing the contract 90 sent from the section manager C72 and adding an approval mark 102.

  Here, first, the employee A 70 scans the contract 80 using the scanner 22 of the multifunction machine 20, and transmits the corresponding document image data to the storage server 50. Subsequently, the section manager C 72 scans the contract 90 using the multifunction machine 30 (not necessarily different from the multifunction machine 20 used by the employee A 70), and transmits the corresponding document image data to the storage server 50. Finally, accounting 74 scans contract 100 using multifunction device 40 and transmits corresponding document image data to storage server 50. It is notified by mail from the storage server 50 that the section manager C72 and the accounting 74 should perform scanning at an appropriate timing.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting file stored in the storage unit 54 of the accumulation server 50. In this setting file, an association table used when comparing document image data input by each registered user in the storage server 50 is stored. In the association table, each registered user is associated with each other so as to indicate the correspondence between approval and approval based on the order relationship of the approval. The input to the setting file is performed by the administrator of the storage server 50.

  In the association table, an approved person column 200 and an approver column 202 are provided. In the person to be approved column 200, a registered user name for inputting or approving document image data to be approved is written, and in the approver column 202, a registered user name for performing the approval is written. Specifically, column 210 indicates that registered image data related to the input / approval of employee A is approved by section C, and column 212 indicates that registered image data related to the input / approval of employee B is approved by general manager D and accounting. The column 214 indicates that the registered image data related to the input / approval of the section manager C is approved by the accounting, and the column 216 indicates that the registered image data related to the accounting approval is the final approver itself and other registered users. Indicates that no approval is required.

  According to this association table, when employee A inputs document image data, section manager C approves based on column 210, and the accountant approves the result based on column 214, and based on column 216. It turns out that this approval is the final approval. The flow of the employee A 70, the section manager C 72, the accounting 74, and the corresponding contracts 80, 90, 100 shown in FIG. 1 shows the flow of processing corresponding to the association table.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing in the multifunction peripheral and the storage server. In this flowchart, the process in the MFP is shown in the left column, and the process in the storage server is shown in the right column.

  A registered user who wants to store a document image performs a button operation instructing a process of storing document image data on the menu screen, and inputs a user name and a password in accordance with an instruction displayed on the display screen. The multi-function device performs user authentication to confirm the password (S1), and permits the login of the user. The registered user who has logged in sets a desired document on the scanner and executes a scan command according to the display. Then, the multifunction peripheral performs scanning according to the program (S2) and creates corresponding document image data. If necessary, an additional image such as a symbol indicating that the document has been scanned can be attached to the document image data. The created document image data is transmitted to the storage server (S3).

  The storage server stores the received document image data with an identifier attached to the pre-approval data storage unit (S4). Information such as the name of the user who performed the operation, the operation date and time, and the identifier of another document image data input at the same time is also stored.

  Next, the storage server refers to the association table to acquire information on the approver, and determines whether or not it is necessary to perform processing for approval using the document image data that has been input (S5). ). If there is no need for approval, that is, if this user is not listed in the approver column, or if it is listed in the approver column but there is no document image data to be approved, the process ends once. (S12). For example, when employee A inputs document image data under the settings shown in FIG. 2, this processing is executed. Employee A sends the scanned document to section C and requests approval.

  On the other hand, when approval is necessary, that is, when document image data written in the approver column and subject to approval is retrieved, the document image data is compared (S6). The comparison is performed by calculating the degree of coincidence between the two document image data and evaluating it against a predetermined criterion. In calculating the degree of coincidence, an area where the approval mark is pressed can be excluded. If it is determined that the two do not match, the process ends (S12). At the end of the process, it is possible to display a mismatch message on the multi-function peripheral or to notify the approved user by e-mail or the like.

  If there is a partial discrepancy between the two, an approval request process for entrusting the determination to the user is performed (S7). That is, the fact that there is a partial mismatch and the mismatch point are displayed on the display screen of the multifunction device, and confirmation is requested from the input registered user (S8). In this case, in order to prevent intentional tampering or the like by the approver, it is also effective to notify the user on the approved side or save a log indicating inconsistencies in the storage server. When there is no problem, for example, when the inconsistency is just trash attached to the document, the user inputs that fact from the multifunction device. In the storage server, data indicating that the approved document image data and the approved document image data are in an approved relationship is stored in the pre-approval data storage unit (S9). If it is determined in step S6 that they completely match, the process of step S9 is directly performed.

  Subsequently, the storage server refers to the association table to check whether the approver is the final approver (S10). If it is not the final approver, it is displayed on the multi-function peripheral that the processing at this stage is completed, and the processing is temporarily terminated (S12). For example, in the case of the section manager C who has approved the document of the employee A under the setting shown in FIG. Manager C sends the scanned document to accounting and requests approval.

  On the other hand, if the user is the final approver, a series of data stored in the pre-approval data storage unit is transferred to the approved data storage unit (S11), and the completion of the transfer is displayed on the display screen of the multifunction device. Then, the process is terminated (S12). For example, in the case of accounting in which the document image data for the approval of the section manager C is approved under the setting shown in FIG.

  In this way, the document image data for which all scheduled approval operations have been completed is stored in the approved data storage unit and stored for a long period of time. Since the document image data has undergone a necessary approval process as described above, it is generally unlikely that the document image data has been tampered with and is reliable data. In addition, the user who wants to view the document image data can reconfirm the reliability by referring to the log in the approval process, the related document image data, and the like as necessary.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the computer system concerning this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting of an association table. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in a multifunction peripheral and a storage server.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Storage system, 20 MFP, 22 Scanner, 24 Storage unit, 30 MFP, 32 Scanner, 34 Storage unit, 40 MFP, 42 Scanner, 44 Storage unit, 50 Storage server, 52 Main unit, 54 Storage unit, 56 Pre-approval data storage unit, 58 approved data storage unit, 60 network, 80, 90, 100 contract, 82 character pattern, 200 approver column, 202 approver column.

Claims (8)

On the computer,
An association procedure for associating multiple users;
An acquisition procedure for acquiring document image data respectively input by at least two users among a plurality of associated users;
A determination procedure for comparing the obtained document image data to determine the validity of these inputs;
A document image data input processing program characterized in that In the document image data input processing program according to claim 1,
A document image data input processing program for causing a computer to execute a storage procedure for storing at least one document image data related to an input determined to be valid. In the document image data input processing program according to claim 1,
The association of the plurality of users in the association procedure is performed so as to indicate the comparison order of the document image data among the users,
A document image data input processing program characterized in that, in the determination procedure, document image data input by corresponding users are sequentially compared according to a comparison order. In the document image data input processing program according to claim 1,
A document image data input processing program for causing a computer to execute an input promotion procedure for performing an output for prompting a user to be compared to input document image data to be compared. In the document image data input processing program according to claim 1,
The computer is caused to execute a notification procedure for notifying each user who has input at least the document image data to be compared that the input is valid or invalid in the determination procedure. Document image data input processing program. An association means for associating multiple users;
An authentication means for authenticating at least two users among a plurality of associated users;
A scanner that generates document image data for each input based on the authenticated document input of these users;
A determination means for comparing the generated document image data and determining the validity of these document inputs;
A computer system comprising: A method performed by a computer system, comprising:
An association procedure for associating multiple users;
An authentication procedure for authenticating at least two of each of a plurality of associated users;
An acquisition procedure for acquiring document image data input by each of these authenticated users;
A determination procedure for comparing the obtained document image data to determine the validity of these inputs;
A method characterized by comprising. An association means for associating multiple users;
Obtaining means for obtaining document image data respectively input by at least two users among a plurality of associated users;
A determination means for comparing the acquired document image data to determine the validity of these inputs;
A computer comprising:

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