JPH1166051A - Filing method for electronic document and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily register a document by executing registration by means of permitting a server device to hold the electronic document transferred from a client device and transferring it to an output device based on an instruction from the client sevice. SOLUTION: When the registration destination of the generated document is designated, an I/F conversion device 11 converts it into respective pieces of data for display/output. A database information acquirement part 12 acquires database information and registers it to a server 3 from a data transmission part 13 through a network 9. The server 3 receives it in a data reception part 311 and holds it in a data holding part 33 through a data management part 32. When an output destination is designated, an instruction acquirement part 21 acquires it and transmits it to the server 3 from an instruction transmission part 22. In the server 3, a data management part 32 transfers output data which an output data holding part 332 holds to an output part 37 based on an output instruction which an instruction reception part 312 receives, and outputs it from the output part 37.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for filing an electronic document, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for filing an electronic document which can easily register and acquire a document in a short time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the improvement of network technology, an electronic document created by a word processor or the like has been registered and managed.
Systems using this by a plurality of users are increasing.

In a document management system, there is a system in which a dedicated operator registers and acquires a document. In a system using a network environment, each user registers and acquires a document. Often.

[0006] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by a user when registering and acquiring a document.

[0005] In FIG. 8, FIG. 8A is a flowchart showing a flow of a process performed by a user when registering a document, and FIG. 8B is a flow of a process performed by a user when obtaining a document. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

[0006] When registering a document (step 801), first, a document is created using application software such as a word processor (step 802).
A file server to which the created document is to be registered is determined (step 803).

[0007] Next, if it is necessary to set a directory or the like in the file server determined as the registration destination (YES in step 804), a directory or the like is created (step 805), and a document is registered (step 805). (Copying the document to the file server) (step 806), and notifying another user of the registration destination of the document (step 807).
The document registration process ends (step 808).

When a document is acquired (step 851), first, a registration destination of a document to be used is searched (step 852).

Here, if the application software that created the document to be used is not installed on the computer of the user who acquires the document (step 853)
NO), install this (step 85)
4) A document is obtained (copied from the file server) (step 855).

Next, the application software that has created the acquired document is started (step 856), and after confirming the contents of the acquired document (step 857), the document is printed (step 858), and the document acquisition process is started. The process ends (step 859).

[0011]

However, when performing such document registration and acquisition processing, the user who creates the document must consider a registration destination that is easy for other users to use. The user must install the application software as needed and activate the application software according to the type of document. In particular, even when the user who uses the document wants to print only the document, the application software is started and the PDL (page description lane) is started.
ngage) must be created and transferred to the printer, which is troublesome and time consuming.

Further, since the user registers the document individually, there is no uniformity in the registration location and the document name of the document, which may cause confusion for the user who uses the document.

As a technique for solving such a problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-286230 has been proposed, but this is a system corresponding to a document in a predetermined format, and does not support a document in an arbitrary format. .

Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to easily register a document, to reduce the time and effort required to obtain the document,
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic document filing method and apparatus that can reduce the time required for acquiring a document.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides at least one server device,
An electronic document filing method in which at least one output device and a plurality of client devices are connected via a network, and an electronic document created by the client device is registered and managed in the server device. To the server device, the server device registers by holding the electronic document transferred from the client device, and the server device holds the electronic document based on an instruction from the client device. The document is output by transferring the document to the output device.

Here, the client device has a display means, and the electronic document is displayed on the client device at the time of the registration by a display data in a format corresponding to the display means and a format corresponding to the output device. The display data is transferred to the server device at the time of output, the display data is transferred to the client device and displayed on the display device, and the output data is transferred to the output device. It can be configured as follows.

Further, the client device has a display means, and the electronic document, at the time of the registration, stores, in the client device, original data in a format corresponding to the application that created the electronic document;
The display data in a format corresponding to the display means and the output data in a format corresponding to the output device are converted into at least one of the data and transferred to the electronic document, and the display data at the time of output is Either the data obtained by converting the original data into display data or the data obtained by converting the output data into display data is transferred to the client device and displayed on the display device, and the output data and the original data are displayed. Any of the data obtained by converting the data into the output data and the data obtained by converting the display data into the output data can be transferred to the output device.

Further, the server device converts the output data into image data, transfers the image data to the output device, holds the image data, and transfers the same output data to the output device. May be configured to transfer the held image data to the output device without performing conversion to the image data.

Further, the client device is connected to a second output device without passing through the network, and the electronic document is stored in the client device in a format corresponding to the second output device at the time of the registration. The output data is transferred to the second output device via the client device when converted to output data and transferred to the server device and output to the second output device. can do.

According to the present invention, at least one server device, at least one output device, and a plurality of client devices are connected via a network, and an electronic document created by the client device is registered in the server device. In the electronic document filing apparatus to be managed, the client device includes a document transfer unit that transfers the electronic document to the server device, and the server device stores the electronic document transferred from the client device. And a document output unit that transfers the electronic document held in the holding unit to the output device based on an instruction from the client device.

Here, the client device includes a display unit, and a document data conversion unit that converts the electronic document into display data in a format corresponding to the display unit and output data in a format corresponding to the output device. Means, the server device further comprises display data transfer means for transferring the display data to the client device, and the output means transfers the output data to the output device. Can be configured.

The client device may further comprise a display unit, original data of the electronic document in a format corresponding to the application that created the electronic document, and display data in a format corresponding to the display unit.
Document data conversion means for converting the output data into at least one of output data in a format corresponding to the output device, wherein the server device converts the original data into the display data and the output data. To convert the output data to the display data,
The display device may further include a data conversion unit that converts the display data into the output data.

Further, the server device includes image data conversion means for converting the output data into image data, image data transfer means for transferring the image data converted by the image data conversion means to the output device, An image data holding means for holding the image data converted by the image data converting means may be further provided.

Further, a second output device is connected to the client device without passing through the network, and the client device converts the electronic document into output data in a format corresponding to the second output device. Further comprising document data converting means for converting the output data to the second data via the client device.
To an output device.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method and an apparatus for filing an electronic document according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic document filing apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall connection configuration.

The electronic document filing apparatus is a client A that creates and registers a document as shown in FIG.
1 (1-1, 1-2), a client B2 for performing a document acquisition process, a server 3 to which a document is registered, an output-only server 4 for printing and facsimile outputting a document, a client A
Client (A) that performs processing of both
+ B) 5, a client A and a client B, and a client (A + B) + server 6 that performs processing of the three of the server are connected via a network 9.

Since this electronic document filing apparatus can be constituted only by an apparatus for processing the client A1, the client B2, and the server 3, the operation will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the client A1 operates under the OS
Graphic I specific to (operating system)
/ F (interface) and I that convert application-specific formats into display data and output data
/ F converter 11, a database information acquisition unit 12 for acquiring database information specified by the user, and a data transmission unit 13 for transmitting display data, output data, original data, and database information to the server 3 via the network 9. It is configured with.

The database information acquired by the data information acquisition unit 12 includes a data (document) registration destination, a comment of a document creator, a format of image data to be created, management information such as deletion and movement of data, and existence of original data. Information such as location is the main information.

Further, the client B2 is a command acquisition unit 21 for acquiring a command from the user, a command transmission unit 22 for transmitting the command acquired by the command acquisition unit 21 to the server 3 via the network 9, and transferred from the server 3. A data receiving unit 23 for receiving display data and the like, and a data display unit 24 for displaying the display data received by the data receiving unit 23.

The commands obtained by the command obtaining unit 21 include an output command for printing or faxing a registered document, an original data obtaining command, a display data obtaining command,
There are an output data acquisition command, a database management command for erasing or moving data, a command for acquiring a list of data registered in the server 3, and the like.

The client 3 is connected to the network 9
And a data management unit 32 for managing data, a data holding unit 33 serving as a data registration location, and an output unit 37 for outputting data to a printer or a fax machine. The communication unit 31 sends data for display and output, original data, and database information from the client A1, a data receiving unit 311 for receiving database information, an instruction receiving unit 312 for receiving an instruction from the client B2, and a client B2. The data holding unit 33 includes an original data holding unit 331, an output data holding unit 332, and a display data holding unit 333.

Here, the server 3 has a WWW (World)
A display data stored in the server 3 is an HTML (Hypertext).
Markup Language). Therefore, the client B2 can browse the display data by using the Web browser.

The output data is PostScript.
The data is in a format suitable for printing or facsimile transmission such as t or TIFF, and the original data is a format unique to the application that created the document.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by a user using the client A1 and the client B2.

In FIG. 3, FIG. 3 (a) shows the flow of user processing in the client A1, and FIG. 3 (b) shows the flow of user processing in the client B2.

A user using the client A1 (step 101) creates a document (step 10).
2) When the registration destination of the document is designated (step 10)
3), the I / F converter 11 converts the document (original data) created by the user into display data and output data, and the database information acquisition unit 12 acquires the database information, and the data transmission unit 12 From the server 3 via the network 9 (step 104).
The server 3 receives this data at the data receiving unit 311 and holds the data in the data holding unit 33 via the data management unit 32.

When the registration of the document is completed, the user sends a URL (Uniform R) indicating the registration destination of the document to another user.
resource Locator) (step 105), and terminates the document registration process (step 10).
6).

By the way, the conversion into display data and output data performed by the I / F converter 11 of the client A1 is performed by the printer driver so that the processing function can be performed by the same operation as when the user performs printing from the application. It is equipped with.

When the user operating the client B2 (step 151) specifies the URL of the required document using the Web browser (step 152),
This is the command acquisition unit 21 as a display data acquisition command.
The command is transmitted from the command transmitting unit 22 to the server 3 via the network 9, and the server 3 receives the command at the command receiving unit 312, and the data management unit 32 is stored in the display data holding unit 333 based on the command. The display data is transmitted from the data transmission unit 313 to the client B2 via the network 9.

At this time, if the user designates a directory or the like instead of a document, a list of documents in the directory is transmitted to the client B2, and the user designates a necessary document from this list to display data. May be transmitted.

The client B2 displays the display data received by the data receiving unit 23 on the data display unit 23, and confirms whether or not the user is a target document (step 1).
53).

Next, when the user outputs the document (YES in step 154), the user designates an output destination or the like, and instructs output, the command acquisition unit 21 acquires the document, and the command transmission unit 21 22 to the server 3.

In the server 3, based on the output command received by the command receiving unit 312, the data management unit 32 outputs the output data held in the output data holding unit 332 to the output unit 3.
7 and the output unit 37 outputs this (step 1).
55), the document output process ends (step 159).

On the other hand, when the user acquires and edits the document (NO in step 154, YES in step 156), the user instructs acquisition of the document,
1 acquires this and transmits it to the server 3 from the command transmission unit 22.

In the server 3, based on the output command received by the command receiving unit 312, the data management unit 32 transmits the original data held in the original data holding unit 331 from the data transmission unit 313 to the client B2 (step 157). ).

In the client B2 that has acquired the original data, the user edits it (step 158), and ends the document acquisition processing (step 159).

By the way, assuming that the user does not edit the registered document, the data holding unit 33 does not need to have the original data holding unit 331, and the display data is converted into the output data. Or a data conversion unit for converting output data into display data, so that the output data holding unit 332 and the display data holding unit 33
It is also possible to omit one of the three.

It is also possible to convert output data into image data and cache it, or to output a document from an output-only server (such as a print server).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 4, the client A1 receives an I / O
The client B2-2 includes an F-converter 11, a database information acquisition unit 12, and a data transmission unit 13.
Denotes an instruction acquisition unit 21, an instruction transmission unit 22, and a data reception unit 2.
3, a data display unit 24, a data management unit 25, and a data transmission unit 26.

The server 3-2 includes a communication unit 31, a data management unit 32, a data holding unit 33, a data conversion unit 34, an image data creating unit 35, an image data holding unit 36,
The communication unit 31 includes a data receiving unit 311, a command receiving unit 312, a data transmitting unit 313,
At 314, the data holding unit 33 includes an original data holding unit 331, an output data holding unit 332, and a display data 33.
3 is provided.

The output-only server 4 further includes a data receiving section 41 and an output section 42, and the client A
1, a client B2-2, a server 3-2, and an output-only server 4 are connected via a network 9.

The client A1 has the same configuration and operates in the same manner as the client A1 shown in FIG.
Only the data corresponding to the -2 data holding unit 33 is transmitted. For example, when the data holding unit 33 includes only the output data holding unit 332, the client A1 transmits only the output data.

The client B2-2 further includes a data management unit 25 in addition to the configuration of the client B2 shown in FIG.
The data management unit 25 and the data transmission unit 26 allow the client B2-2 to output the output data acquired from the server 3-2 from the output-only server 4 via the network 9. Can be output.

The server 3-2 outputs the output data to the output unit 3.
7, the image data can be output from the output unit 42 of the output-only server 4 via the data transmission unit 314. The image data creation unit 35 converts the output data and the like into image data, and outputs the image data. Holds the image data converted by the image data creation unit 35.
The image data creation unit 35 is, for example, PostScript.
PostScript data written in t-language
The image data is converted into image data necessary for printing by a printer having no t interpreter. Alternatively, display data or original data can be converted into image data.

The image data holding unit 36 is a component for caching image data. The image data holding unit 36 holds the image data when outputting the image data, and then stores the image data when outputting the same image data. If the image data stored in the storage 36 is newer than the original data (for example, the output data stored in the output data storage 332), the image data creation unit 35
The image data held in the image data holding unit 36 is output without performing the conversion in (1).

The image data held in the image data holding unit 36 can be selected from non-compressed, lossless-compressed, and irreversible-compressed types according to the intended use. Non-compression is the original data as it is and the data capacity is large, but it is high quality and suitable for printing.Reversible compression is data compressed using a data compression method that can completely return to the original data. Yes, medium capacity, high quality and suitable for printing.

The irreversible compression is data compressed using a compression method that cannot be completely restored to the original data, and has a small capacity but is of poor quality and can be used for display.

It is sufficient that the data holding unit 33 includes at least one of the original data holding unit 331, the output data holding unit 332, and the display data holding unit 333. Can be converted into display data, or display data can be converted into output data for use. Original data storage 3
31, the output data holding unit 332, and the display data holding unit 333 can shorten the processing time for display and output, but the server 3-2 requires a large storage capacity. The configuration can be adapted to the usage status of the system.

If the original data holding unit 331 is omitted, data (document) cannot be edited, and if the output data holding unit 332 is omitted, the time required for document printing and the like is required. Becomes relatively long, and when the display data holding unit 333 is omitted, the time required for displaying the document becomes relatively long.

Next, a third embodiment of an electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 shows client A and client B
Is a block diagram in the case where are configured in the same computer device.

In FIG. 5, client (A + B) 5
Is an I / F converter 51, a database information acquisition unit 52,
A data transmission unit 53, a command acquisition unit 54, a command transmission unit 55,
It comprises a data receiving section 56 and a data display section 57.

Each unit of the data transmitting unit 53, the command transmitting unit 55, and the data receiving unit 56 is connected to the network 9, and the network 3 is connected to the server 3 shown in FIG. 1 and the server 3-2 shown in FIG. ing.

The client (A + B) 5 has both the client A1 and the client B2 shown in FIG. 1 in the same computer, and the operation is the same as that of the client A1 and the client B2. Description is omitted.

Next, a fourth embodiment of an electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram when the client A, the client B, and the server are configured in the same computer.

In FIG. 6, client (A + B) +
The server 6 includes a database information acquisition unit 61, an I / F conversion device 62, an instruction acquisition unit 63, a data display unit 64, a data management unit 65, a data holding unit 66, and an output unit 67. Is the original data holding unit 6
61, an output data holding unit 662, and a display data output unit 663.

Further, client (A + B) + server 6
A communication unit (not shown) is connected to the network 9 and can perform document registration and acquisition processing from other clients A and B.

The client (A + B) + server 6 has the client A1, the client B2, and the server 3 shown in FIG. 1 in the same computer, and the operation is the same. However, the database information acquisition unit 61, the I / F converter 6
2. Data transfer between the command acquisition unit 63, each unit of the data display unit 64, and the data management unit 65 is not performed via a network, and thus is performed without using a communication unit.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration in a case where a local printer directly connected to the client B is used as an output device.

In FIG. 7, the client A1 receives an I / O
The client B2-3 includes an F-converter 11, a database information acquisition unit 12, and a data transmission unit 13.
Denotes an instruction acquisition unit 21, an instruction transmission unit 22, and a data reception unit 2.
3, a data display unit 24, a data management unit 25, and a data transmission unit 26.

The server 3-3 includes a communication unit 31, a data management unit 32, and a data holding unit 33, and an output unit 37. The communication unit 31 includes a data receiving unit 311, a command receiving unit 312, and a data transmitting unit. In 313 and 314, the data holding unit 33 includes an original data holding unit 331, an output data holding unit 332, and display data 333.

Further, the local printer 7 includes a data receiving section 71 and an output section 72, and is connected to the client A1, the client B2-3, and the server 3-3 via the network 9. The printer 7 is connected by a cable 8 such as a serial cable.

Here, the client A1 has the same configuration as the client A1 shown in FIG. 1, the client B2-3 has the same configuration as the client B2-2 shown in FIG. 4, and the server 3-3 has the same configuration as the server 3 shown in FIG. Since the operation is the same, the detailed description is omitted.

When the user designates the printer 7 locally connected to the client B 2-3 via the cable 8 as an output destination and instructs the output of a document, the command acquisition unit 21 acquires this and sends it from the command transmission unit 22. Send to server 3-3.

In the server 3-3, based on the output command received by the command receiving unit 312, the data management unit 32 transmits the output data held in the output data holding unit 332 via the data management unit 32 and transmits the data. The packet is sent from the unit 313 to the network 9.

The client B 2-3 receives the output data transmitted from the server 3-3 to the network 9 by the data receiving unit 23, and transmits this to the local printer via the data management unit 25, the data transmitting unit 26, and the cable 8. 7 to the data receiving unit 71.

The local printer 7 has a data receiving unit 71
Is output from the output unit 72, and the document output process ends.

In this embodiment, the client B2
-3 does not perform any processing on the output data to be transferred and merely serves as a transfer path for the output data. Therefore, the time required for outputting the document is the same as that in the conventional case where the data is processed by the client. It will be shortened in comparison.

The client A described in each embodiment
1, client B2, 2-2, 2-3, server 3, 3
-2, 3-3, output-only server 4, client (A +
B) 5, the client (A + B) + server 6 can be connected to the same network 9 as shown in FIG. 2, and can be used in any combination including the local printer 7 via the client B.

The client data holding unit 33 (6
6) has an original data holding unit 331 (66)
1) The combination of the output data holding unit 332 (662) and the display data holding unit 333 (663) is arbitrary, and image cache may or may not be performed.

Further, the output data is PostScript.
Other PDL (page descri) instead of pt language
A display language may be used, and the display data may be PDF (Portable) in addition to HTML.
Document Format) can be used, and the output data and the display data are the same (for example, Po
stScript language).

[0087]

As described above, according to the present invention, the output data and the display data are registered in the WWW server, and the client uses the Web browser to display the contents of the document with the display data. Since it is configured to output the output data directly from the server to the printer after confirming, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required to obtain the document and the time required to obtain the document.

Also, when the output data is transferred from the server to the local printer via the client and output, the client does not perform data conversion or the like on the output data. As in the case of outputting, the time required for acquiring a document can be reduced.

Further, each client can check and print the document without installing the application that created the document.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic document filing device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall connection configuration.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process performed by a user using a client A1 and a client B2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of an electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of an electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the electronic document filing method and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a conventional flow of processing performed by a user when registering and acquiring a document.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1-1, 1-2 Client A 2, 2-2, 2-3 Client B 3, 3-2, 3-3 Server 4 Output-only server 5 Client (A + B) 6 Client (A + B) + Server 7 Local Printer 8 Cable 9 Network 11 I / F converter 12 Database information acquisition unit 13 Data transmission unit 21 Command acquisition unit 22 Command transmission unit 23 Data reception unit 24 Data display unit 25 Data management unit 26 Data transmission unit 31 Communication unit 32 Data management Unit 33 data holding unit 34 data conversion unit 35 image data creation unit 36 image data holding unit 37 output unit 41 data reception unit 42 output unit 51 I / F conversion device 52 database information acquisition unit 53 data transmission unit 54 command acquisition unit 55 instruction Transmission unit 56 Data reception unit 57 Data display unit 61 Database information acquisition unit 62 I / F converter 63 Command acquisition unit 64 Data display unit 65 Data management unit 66 Data holding unit 67 Output unit 71 Data reception unit 72 Output unit 311 Data reception unit 312 Command reception unit 313, 314 Data transmission unit 331 Original data holding unit 332 Output data holding unit 333 Display data holding unit 661 Original data holding unit 662 Output data holding unit 663 Display data holding unit

Claims (10)

[Claims] An electronic document that connects at least one server device, at least one output device, and a plurality of client devices via a network, and registers and manages an electronic document created by the client device in the server device. In the filing method, the client device transfers the electronic document to the server device, the server device performs registration by holding the electronic document transferred from the client device, and the server device performs the registration. A method for filing an electronic document, wherein the electronic document is output by transferring the held electronic document to the output device based on an instruction from the electronic document. 2. The client device comprises a display unit, wherein the electronic document is displayed on the client device at the time of registration by a display data in a format corresponding to the display unit and a display data in a format corresponding to the output device. The display data is transferred to the server device after being converted into output data, and the display data is transferred to the client device and displayed on the display device at the time of the output, and the output data is transferred to the output device. 2. The method for filing an electronic document according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The client device has a display unit, wherein the electronic document is, at the time of the registration, an original data in a format corresponding to an application that created the electronic document in the client device; The display data is converted into at least one of display data in a format corresponding to the output device and output data in a format corresponding to the output device and transferred to the electronic document. Either the data converted to display data or the data obtained by converting the output data to display data is transferred to the client device and displayed on the display device, and the output data and the original data are output data. The display data is converted to output data. 2. The electronic document filing method according to claim 1, wherein any one of the extracted data is transferred to the output device. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server device converts the output data into image data, transfers the image data to the output device, holds the image data, and transfers the same output data to the output device. The electronic document filing method according to claim 1, wherein the stored image data is transferred to the output device without converting the image data into the image data. 5. The client device is connected to a second output device without passing through the network, and the electronic document has a format corresponding to the second output device in the client device at the time of the registration. The output data is transferred to the second output device via the client device when converted to output data and transferred to the server device, and output to the second output device. 2. The method of filing an electronic document according to claim 1, wherein: 6. An electronic document in which at least one server device, at least one output device, and a plurality of client devices are connected via a network, and an electronic document created by the client device is registered and managed in the server device. In the filing device, the client device includes a document transfer unit that transfers the electronic document to the server device, the server device includes a document holding unit that holds the electronic document transferred from the client device, and the client A document output unit for transferring the electronic document held in the holding unit to the output device based on an instruction from the device. 7. The client device, comprising: a display unit; and a document data conversion unit that converts the electronic document into display data in a format corresponding to the display unit and output data in a format corresponding to the output device. The server device further comprises display data transfer means for transferring the display data to the client device, and the output means transfers the output data to the output device. 7. An electronic document filing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: 8. The client device, comprising: display means; original data of the electronic document in a format corresponding to an application which created the electronic document; display data of a format corresponding to the display means; Document data converting means for converting the original data into at least one of output data in a format corresponding to the format, and the server device converts the original data into the display data and the output data. 7. The electronic document filing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising data conversion means for converting the output data into the display data and converting the display data into the output data. 9. The server device, comprising: image data conversion means for converting the output data into image data; image data transfer means for transferring the image data converted by the image data conversion means to the output device; 9. The filing apparatus for an electronic document according to claim 6, further comprising: an image data holding unit that holds the image data converted by the image data converting unit. 10. A second output device connected to the client device without going through the network, wherein the client device converts the electronic document into output data in a format corresponding to the second output device. 7. The electronic document filing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a document data converting unit that performs the output, and wherein the output unit transfers the output data to the second output device via the client device.