JPH03149651A - Device for acknowledging electronic document - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To acknowledge a document prepared as an electronic document in a terminal without temporarily printing out it by synthesizing an acknowledged image with a document displayed on a display means when inputted personal identification information is decided as a valid information and the acknowledgement of the document is instructed by an instructing means. CONSTITUTION:A document body data file 2 stores the document data of plural documents, a recognition image file 3 stores an image such as a seal to be impressed on a document to be acknowledged or a sign and a password file 4 stores a password, a personal name and the name of the file 3 for storing the image of the person's seal impression or sign. When personal identification information inputted by an input means 5 is decided as a valid one by a checking means 200 and the acknowledgement of the document is instructed by the instructing means 5, a document data handling device 100 synthesizes the acknowledgement image stored in the means 3 with the document displayed on a display means 5. Consequently, the prepared document can be acknowledged in the electronized state without printing it.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a technology for performing approval actions such as stamping and signatures on electronic documents such as word processors or desktop publishing devices.

(Conventional technology and issues) With the recent advances in office automation technology,
Document digitization technology is progressing. In other words, (1) technology for inputting and editing character information such as English or Japanese from a keyboard, (2) technology for compositing this character information and image information, and (3) technology for displaying multiple graphs based on numerical data. Document information handling techniques such as combination and editing techniques have rapidly progressed and become popular.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, conventionally, regarding the act of approving a created document (stamping, signing, etc.), the process of printing the approved document multiple times and having the approver stamp or sign on paper. is being carried out.

In other words, in document digitization technology, only the technology for creating documents has progressed, and the technology for operating and managing the completed documents as electronic information is lacking.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to approve a created document while it is in an electronic format without printing it.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a technology for operating and managing created documents while ensuring security while keeping them in electronic form.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, an electronic document approval device according to the present invention includes: a document storage means for storing a document; and a document storage means for reading and displaying a document from the document storage means. a display means; an approval image storage means for storing an approval image indicating that the document has been approved; an instruction means for instructing to approve the document displayed on the display means; an input means for inputting personal identification information; a checking means for checking the personal identification information inputted by the input means; and when the inputted personal identification information is judged to be valid by the checking means and the instruction means instructs to approve the document; Means for composing the approval image stored in the approval image storage means with the document displayed on the display means.

(Operation) With the above configuration, it becomes possible to approve (signature, seal, etc.) the created electronic document without printing it.

Conventionally, a document after approval could not be saved unless the entire document was read in as an image again from an image scanner. However, according to the present invention, the original document data remains text data, and only the image of a seal or signature can be incorporated into the document as image information. According to such processing, the main body of the document can be edited and saved as character information, and the storage capacity for approved documents is small.
You can easily modify and reuse the document itself.

Furthermore, by checking personal identification information, it is possible to prevent seals and signatures from being stolen, and it is possible to provide a highly secure device.

(Embodiment fl) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the electronic document approval device of this embodiment. The electronic document approval device shown in FIG. 1 includes a file section A including various data files, and is connected to the file section A.
The storage unit A, which is composed of a data processing unit B that performs data processing and a terminal device 5 connected to the data processing unit B, includes a document management database 1, document data files 2 associated with the database 1, and approval images. Use file 3 and password file 4.

The document management database 1 allows you to set various search conditions to retrieve desired documents, record approver names, dates, etc.
This is a file for management.

Specifically, the document management database 1 includes a plurality of records specified by document names as search keys, as shown in FIG. Each record holds data such as the name of the file in which the document data exists, the name of the approver, and the date of approval.

The document data file 2 stores document data (text data, image data) of multiple documents. The data stored in the document data file 2 has a structure that can be processed by a document data handling device 100, which will be described later.

The approval image file 3 holds an image of a seal, signature, or the like to be stamped on a document to be approved (in this embodiment, a document displayed on the screen of a terminal device). This approval image file 3 holds, for example, rusk image information obtained by capturing an image of a seal or the like actually stamped on paper or the like using an image scanner. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the password file 4 includes the name (first address, etc.) of an approval image file that holds a password, an individual's name, and an image of that person's seal or signature in a record that can be searched by Rogaine name. ).

The data processing unit B is composed of a document data handling device 100 and an approval device 200. The data processing unit B performs a man-machine interface via a display/conversation terminal device it5.

The terminal device 5 includes a display device, a keyboard, peripheral devices, and the like. The display device displays the document to be approved. Furthermore, the terminal device f5 displays the document with the approval image synthesized thereon. The keyboard inputs various information into the device.

Next, the internal functional configurations of the document data handling device tloO and the approval device 200 will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.5.

The document data handling device 100 includes an extraction/analysis circuit 110, a document display circuit 130, a screen conversation circuit 140,
It includes an external file import circuit 150, a communication circuit 160, and a storage circuit 170.

The retrieval/analysis circuit 100 retrieves document data from the document data file 2. The extraction/analysis circuit 100 converts the extracted document data into document information 120 on the screen. The document display circuit 130 displays the document information 120 on the screen on the screen of the terminal device f5. The screen conversation circuit 140 receives input from the screen of the terminal device F5 and operates necessary circuits. Note that the screen conversation circuit 140 may be placed in the terminal device 5. The external file import circuit 150 reads a desired approval image from the approval image file 3 according to instructions from the screen conversation circuit 220. The external file import circuit 150 incorporates the read approval image into the designated position of the document information 120 on the screen. Communication circuit 160 performs communication with other devices. In FIG. 4, the communication circuit 160
receives an instruction from the approval device 200. Storage circuit 17
0 converts the document information 120 on the screen into data in a format to be saved in the document data file 2. Storage circuit 170
saves the converted document data in document data file 2.

The approval device 200 includes a password matching screen display circuit 21
0, a screen conversation circuit 220, a check circuit 230, an approval instruction timing screen display 240, an approval instruction circuit 250, a storage instruction circuit 260, and a setting circuit 270.

The password matching screen display 210 displays a screen requesting password input on the terminal device N5. Screen conversation circuit 22
0 accepts input from the terminal screen and operates the necessary processing system. The screen conversation circuit 220, for example,
placed within.

The check circuit 230 compares the input password with a password registered in advance in the password file 4, and outputs a signal indicating whether or not they match. The approval instruction timing screen display circuit 240 displays an approval image position instruction request screen and an approval execution request screen on the terminal device 5. The approval instruction circuit 250 outputs an approval instruction signal to the document data handling device 100, and thereafter operates the necessary processing system. The storage instruction circuit 260 outputs a signal to the document data handling device 100 instructing the storage of the approved document. The setting circuit 270 sets the name of the approver and the date of approval in the document management database 1.

Next, the operation of the electronic document approval device having the above configuration will be explained with reference to the drawings.

Prior to operator approval, normal word processing,
An electronic document is created by CAD processing or the like and stored in the document data file 2. This electronic document is represented by a combination of text data and control data when the document consists only of characters, and is represented by, for example, a bitmap pattern when the document is a drawing or the like. The format of the document is not limited to these, and may be a combination of text data and bitmap pattern data, for example. The document data has a format that can be processed by the document bundling device 100.

In relation to the created document, a data group holding the document name, document file name, etc. is generated and held in the document management database 1, as shown in FIG. Note that if the document is not approved, data such as the name of the approver and the name of the approver will not be created.

Approval images such as seals and signatures are previously captured in the approval image file 3 for each approver using an image scanner or the like.

Additionally, for each operator authorized to use this device, there is a password file 4 containing the Rogaine name, password, personal name, and, if available, the authorization file name (or the address of the storage area where the authorization image is stored). is created.

In order to stamp, sign, etc. on a document, the operator inputs the Rogaine name into the terminal device, starts the terminal device 5, and operates the terminal device 5 to display the desired document. In response to the operator's operation, the terminal device 5 outputs a document display request to the document data handling device 100. In accordance with this document display request, the retrieval/analysis circuit 110 reads the document data of the desired document from the document data file 2.

The retrieval/analysis circuit 110 analyzes the read document data and generates document information 120 on the screen.

This document information 120 is generally expanded into a bitmap pattern, and further includes related information indicating what, where, and how the original data is expanded. After completing the creation of the document information 120, the retrieval/analysis circuit 110. outputs a display request to the document display circuit 130.

The document display circuit 130 reads the document information 120 and displays it as a document on the screen. This completes the process of step S1 for displaying a document on the screen.

The operator checks the contents of the displayed document, and if the operator approves the displayed document, displays the - menu as shown in FIG. 7(a). The operator selects the approval function from the menu. In response to this selection, the password matching screen display circuit 210 displays a screen prompting the user to enter a password on the terminal device 5, as shown in FIG. 7(b) (step S2).

When the operator inputs a password into the terminal device 5 according to the instructions on the screen, the input password is supplied to the screen conversation circuit 220. The screen conversation circuit 220 outputs the password and password check request to the check circuit 230. The check circuit 230 erases the password matching screen and reads the contents of the password file 4. The check circuit 230 compares the password registered in advance and the input password based on the operator's Rogaine name to check the validity of the operator (step S3). Note that the Rogaine name is generally input as a procedure when an operator uses a terminal, and is managed by an operating system (hereinafter abbreviated as OS). An application program such as an authorization device operating under the OS can obtain the operator's Rogaine name in time with the OS. Step 32゜S
In the process of step 3, the reason why a password is input in addition to the Rogaine name is to increase the security of this approval process. For example, even if an operator temporarily leaves the operating terminal, security can be ensured by preventing approval actions unless the operator enters a password, which is managed as unique data for each individual. This is to do so.

If the entered password does not match the password previously held in the password file 4, that is, if it is an incorrect password, the password check circuit 230 controls the password inquiry screen display circuit 210 to prompt the operator to enter the password again. urge. Note that, for safety management purposes, the number of times that re-input is prompted is limited to a predetermined number of times, for example, two times.

If the input password matches the password previously held in the password file 4, that is, if it is a correct password, the password check circuit 230 outputs a match signal to the approval instruction timing screen display circuit 240. In response to the coincidence signal, the approval instruction timing screen display circuit 2
40 displays the approval instruction timing screen shown in FIG. 7(C) (step S4). In accordance with the instructions on this screen, the operator operates the cursor movement keys on the keyboard or the mouse to designate the position on the document to be stamped (step S5). In the example shown in FIG. 7, a frame structure for approval is prepared as definition information that can be recognized by the document data handling device!!100 in a previously created document.

The operator specifies the installation location of the approved image by specifying an arbitrary frame using, for example, a cursor key, a mouse, a light pen, or the like. Position information indicating the specified position on the document is received by the screen conversation circuit 140 of the document data handling device 100, and is sent to the external file import circuit 1.
50. External file import circuit 150 stores this position information. After this, the operator will
) Enter the approval execution request on the screen shown in the figure (Step 5)
6). This input is approved by 'fl! 200 is accepted by the screen conversation circuit 220.

The screen conversation circuit 220 sends an approval instruction to the stamp instruction circuit 250.
supply to. The stamp instruction circuit 250 erases the approval time screen and extracts the approval image file name registered in advance corresponding to the operator's Rogaine name from the loaded password file 2. Approval instruction circuit 250
outputs this approval image file name and approval instruction signal to the document data handling device 100.

The communication circuit 160 transfers the approved image file name and approval instruction signal to the external file import circuit 150. The external file import circuit 150 reads the designated approval image from the approval image file 4. The external file import circuit 150 incorporates the read approval image into the position designated as the approval image location in the document information 120. A specific method of incorporation will be described later.

Thereafter, the external file import circuit 150 outputs a display request to the document display circuit 130. The document display circuit 130 displays the document in which the approval image has been synthesized on the terminal device 5. As a result, the approved document is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 7(d) (step S7).

The document information 120 on the screen is generally temporary data held as data on the main memory. Therefore, it is necessary to write this document information 120 back to the original data file. Therefore, after outputting the approval instruction signal, the approval instruction circuit 250 outputs a storage request signal to the storage instruction circuit 260. The save instruction circuit 260 outputs a save signal to the document data handling device 100. This storage signal is supplied to document storage circuit 170 via communication circuit 160. The document storage circuit 170 takes in the document information 120 in response to this storage signal, converts it into a data structure for storage, and stores it in the document data file 2 (step S8).

After outputting the storage request signal, the stamping instruction circuit 250 outputs a database update instruction signal to the setting circuit 270. The setting circuit 270 extracts the personal name corresponding to the operator's Rogaine name from the read password file, and
Also, the date is set to the OS (the OS generally manages the system date, and provides the system date according to the settings from the application). The setting circuit 270 sets the obtained personal name and date as the approver name and approval date in the corresponding record of the document management database 1 (step S9). This completes the series of approval operations.

Next, a specific method of incorporating (synthesizing) an approval image into a document to be approved will be explained. - The approval image is generally a rask scan image. Therefore, when the image to be approved is a bitmap pattern image, both images can be synthesized by ORing the corresponding bit data of both images, as shown in FIG. 8 and 2.

Furthermore, if there is a possibility that the approval image may become invisible due to the document, exclusive OR of the corresponding bit data may be taken. On the other hand, if the document data is composed of text data and control data, the document information 120 on the screen is first expanded into a bitmap pattern.
), then take the OR or exclusive OR of this bitmap pattern and the bitmap pattern of the approval image. - In addition, in the saved state, the document file and approval image data are not physically combined, but are associated but separate.
Both images may be combined when outputting, such as printing or displaying. For example, when an electronic document is composed of text data and control data, as shown in FIG. 9(a),
A synthesis instruction code for calling and compositing an approval image file in the control data of the document, the start address of the area where the approval image is stored, and compositing positions Ll, L2
It may also include a control code that indicates.

In this case, when the text data is developed into image data, the document and the approval image are physically combined, resulting in a document as shown in FIG. 9(b), for example. With this configuration, the document can be easily corrected even after approval, and the size of the document data file can remain the same. If you want to restrict or prohibit corrections to a document after approval, you can use a configuration (or step) that checks the approver name and approval date of the related record in the document management database 1 when calling up a document for additional corrections. What is necessary is to add a configuration (or step) to the device that prohibits correction in the case of a document that has already been corrected. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the contents of the document management database 1 may be expanded to record the name of the person making the correction, the date and time of correction, etc. in the case of a correction after approval. In this case, in order to accept a correction input, the corrector's password may be required to be input.

As shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), there are cases where it is desired to attach an approval date to a document along with an approval image. In this case, the approval image file 3 stores the image of the seal and signature excluding the date.

The external file import circuit 150 adjusts the current date and time to the OS in response to an approval signal supplied from the approval instruction circuit 250 via the communication circuit 160. The external file import circuit 150 converts the obtained current date and time into a bitmap image of a predetermined size by referring to the font memory. The external file import circuit 150 synthesizes a date image at a predetermined position of the approval image read from the approval image file 3. Thereafter, the external file import circuit 150 synthesizes the document information 120 on the screen and an approval image with the date synthesized therein. Further, in the saved state, a text file indicating the date may be held separately from the approval image file, and the approval image and date information may be combined when printing or displaying.

In FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the electronic document approval device according to this embodiment is composed of a large number of circuits. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and each circuit may be replaced with a corresponding step of a computer.

FIG. 12 shows an example of the configuration of an electronic document approval device whose main part is a computer. In FIG. 12, the electronic document approval device includes a computer 51 on which each device (application program) operates, an auxiliary storage device 52 in which various files and databases are stored, and a terminal device on which a screen is displayed! 53, a keyboard 54 for key input, and a mouse 55 as a pointing device for specifying positions and functions. These devices are constructed by partially improving or adding software to equipment that constitutes a normal word processing system.

The pointing device does not necessarily have to be a mouse, and may be any other pointing device such as a light pen.

In the above embodiment, a password is used as the identification information for determining the authenticity of the operator. - Personally identifying information is not limited to passwords. For example, a password unique to the authorization operation may be used, which is different from the password. Also,
Information from an ID card, a fingerprint, a blood vessel pattern on the retina, etc. can be used as personal identification information. in this case,
Connect an ID card reader, a fingerprint reader, a device that reads the blood vessel pattern on the retina, etc. to the terminal device, read the ID card identification information, fingerprint, and blood vessel pattern on the retina, and compare it with the information stored in the device in advance. The validity of the operator is determined by this.

In the above description, the menu in this embodiment is expressed as a menu in a format called a pop-up menu. However, it can also be implemented using other menus such as an icon menu.

In the above embodiment, the approval image is embedded in the specified position of the document. However, if the portion to which the approval image is attached is uniformly determined in advance, no configuration or step for specifying the position is necessary.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, it is possible to approve (stamp, sign, etc.) a document created as an electronic document on a terminal without printing it once. Furthermore, in the past, after approval, a document could not be saved unless the entire document was read as an image from an image scanner again, but according to the present invention, only a seal, signature, etc. can be incorporated as image information on the original document data. It is also possible to save it. This is a very big advantage when modifying and reusing stamped archived documents because the document part can be edited as character information.

In addition, the password check prevents theft of seals and signatures, and since the approver's name and approval date are simultaneously set on the document management database, even if only the approval image is cut and pasted onto the document, it will not be stolen. Even though
Plagiarism can be checked by checking the document management database.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic document data handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an approval device, and FIG. 6 is an overview of the operation of the configuration of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the movement on the screen of the embodiment, FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the method of combining a document and an approval image, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an approval image and an approval window. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention, without showing an example in which the attachments are combined. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Document management database, 2... Document entity data file, 3-- Approval image file, 4... Password file, 5-... Terminal device, 100... Document data handling device, 200...・Approval device. Applicant's representative Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue: (--ze"-"l 1111B Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 1 11nakashimal abcd p
Bird 1/stamp/nakal Fig. 3; Shoulder: 艷:::２″ [Jin == 21,56 mouth 1 digit straight 1 ri external command f 11□11 +1-10,000τ・re■ j j Fig. 8 , Metsu Gaikan 1111, III 11i!ti11

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A document storage means for storing a document; a display means for reading out and displaying a document from the document storage means; an approval image storage means for storing an approval image indicating that the document has been approved; an instruction means for instructing to approve the displayed document; an input means for inputting personal identification information; a checking means for checking the personal identification information input by the input means; and an identification means input by the checking means. means for composing an approval image stored in the approval image storage means with the document displayed on the display means when the identification information is determined to be valid and the instruction means instructs to approve the document; An electronic document approval device is characterized in that it is possible to approve a document in its digitized state.