WO1990013089A1

WO1990013089A1 - Electronic document storage system

Info

Publication number: WO1990013089A1
Application number: PCT/FR1990/000278
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Uguen
Original assignee: Archivage Systemes Sarl
Priority date: 1989-04-17
Filing date: 1990-04-13
Publication date: 1990-11-01
Also published as: FR2645984A1; EP0469047A1; FR2645984B1; AU5563290A

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to obtain a document storage system which enables a maximum volume of graphical data to be stored in a minimum space while permitting rapid and virtually immediate viewing of the graphs to be consulted. The system comprises first storage means (32) for storing printable high-definition data and second storage means (35) for storing data which can be viewed on a screen and obtained by sub-sampling of said high-definition data, said second storage means (35) co-operating with means for rapid consultation of said viewable data on a viewing screen (38), means (33) for compression and decompression of said viewable data, which enable said data to be stored in compressed form in said second storage means (35), and memory-management means (39) for temporary storage, in a viewing memory (34), of data selected by anticipation from said second storage means (35), said selected data being stored in decompressed form in said viewing memory (34) so that they can be viewed immediately when commanded by said means for rapid consultation. This system can be applied advantageously to the operation and maintenance of complex industrial installations.

Description

Electronic filing system. "

The field of the invention is that of electronic archiving systems for large quantities of documents, in particular in the form of graphic data, allowing easy consultation of the documentation stored by viewing and then printing the documents.

The viewing operation generally corresponds to a phase of rapid search for information, during the consultation of several successive documents until the desired information is obtained. The operator can then order the printing of the document found or of a series of selected documents.

The archived documentation is, for example, made up of plans of a complex industrial unit, which can represent sets of bundles of several hundred, even several thousand graphic documents of great complexity.

The consultation of the archived documents can then be carried out by an operator responsible for the maintenance of the industrial installation, or even by an operator responsible for the operation of such a complex installation and having to compensate for any failure of the assembly.

The archived database can also be used for an essentially graphical information processing system, for example for the compilation of statistics or the preparation of predictions from a very large number of curves, charts, graphs and others (industrial maintenance, meteorology, seismology, etc.)

The original documents corresponding to the data entered into the archiving system can in particular come from two sources:

- paper documents, which must be scanned, to constitute computerized files defining point to point graphic information; - electronic files, for example produced on computer systems

CAD / CAD, or by electronic measurement recording procedures (seismic, thermal, vibration sensors, etc.). For this type of source, the original files can for example be either in point-to-point definition, or in the form of a vector definition of graphic information, or in alphanumeric expression. More specifically, in the design of an electronic archiving system of essentially graphic documentation, the data are organized in files corresponding to viewable units (essentially a plan, a notice, a curve), the data files then being grouped into bundles. In the case of industrial installation plans, these bundles correspond for example to bundles of paper documents which, at the time of design and then maintenance of the installation, define the information necessary for the various trades (electricity, instruments, mechanics, fluid circuits, ...).

These files or plans have association links between them, which fall into two main families: - access identifiers, generally corresponding to the information in the plan cartridges. Through these identifiers, also called "simple indexes", one can thus access a plan by its title, or even find the plans adjacent to a 'given plan in the bundle, or consult the successive historical versions of the same plan; these identifiers also include, where appropriate, (alphanumeric) references of components present on a given plan;

- the reference indexes, or "internal indexes" appearing in the form of hypertext links associated with specific graphics on a given plan. Concretely, these links are in the form of indexes of references located near given elements of the plan, in the form of a reference of a detail plan corresponding to said documents.

An efficient archiving system must be able to easily and automatically manage these different types of access.

There are already known systems for archiving and consulting essentially graphical data, stored in large quantities. Among these known systems, the GEX system (registered trademark) as well as the system marketed by SPECTRUM (Great Britain) are archiving systems allowing the consultation of a voluminous static graphic database, corresponding specifically to technical plans.

These known systems notably have the drawback of requiring manual entry of the reference indexes (hypertext links) for each file retrieved from an electronic file of digitized graphic information. Furthermore, none of these known systems is capable of exploiting the considerable knowledge base contained in the CAD / DAO files of the Design Office, and in particular the alphanumeric database associated with the graphical information characteristic of this type of system. . These major drawbacks considerably limit the provision of technicians or operators operating and maintaining an industrial installation, installation design information which is only available in a complex and specific way on the systems. CAD / CAD. In the case where this information has nevertheless been transcribed in paper form, in order to be scanned for its introduction into the archiving system, we clearly encounter the problem of the cumbersome process (passage required by an intermediate step of paper printing , then scanning), as well as the impossibility of making real-time access to the most recent CAD information, nor a fortiori allowing interactivity between the designers and operators of an industrial operation, through the system archiving.

The objective of the invention is to overcome these various limitations of the state of the art, by further providing new functionalities, as well as a gateway ensuring the constitution of a complete chain of archiving and automatic transmission of 'information, common to the designers and operators of an industrial installation, and more generally between users of the same large graphic database.

More specifically, a first objective of the invention is to make it possible to easily exploit a large volume of graphic data by means of user-friendly and independent systems, in particular from information removed from a complex environment, such as the environment of CAD / CAD. A complementary objective of the invention is to provide an archiving system which allows both the storage of a maximum volume of graphic data in a minimal location, while allowing rapid and almost immediate visualization of the graphics sought in consultation. This objective meets the need to provide a user-friendly system adapted to the requirements of the maintenance and management of industrial installations. Indeed, where a design office tolerates a response time of a few minutes to an interrogation, the operator of the industrial installation must be able to visualize in a few tenths of a second or a few seconds information vital for interpretation, and if possible repair, for example a malfunction.

Another objective of the invention is, in this spirit, to authorize an extremely rapid consultation of a succession of logically linked documents, through which the operator must successively pass to arrive at the information he is looking for. A complementary objective of the invention is to provide an archiving system allowing consultation adapted to the various trades having access to it. Indeed, for example, an electrician does not expect the same information from the archiving system as a mechanic or an engineer from the design office. The consultation can also be adapted to each consultant, depending on their knowledge and consultation methods.

The invention also aims to provide an archiving system whose operation is perfectly compatible with any type of computer and network environment, any type of industrial installation, and logic of design, operation, and organization of the operation of these facilities, and more generally to all types of storage and processing systems for a large volume of graphic data.

These objectives and others which will appear subsequently are achieved, according to the invention, using a dynamic multi-access archiving system with high storage capacity and high speed of access, in particular for the archiving of complex graphic data, of the type comprising first means of storing printable data at high definition and second means for storing data viewable on screen obtained by subsampling said high definition data, said second storage means cooperating with means for rapid consultation of said viewable information, on a display screen, compression means and decompressing said viewable data, allowing the storage of said data in compressed form in said second storage means, and memory management means ensuring the temporary storage, in a display memory, of selected data in said second storage means, said selected data being stored in decompressed form in said display memory so as to allow their immediate display on command of said rapid consultation means.

In the case where the consultation means comprise commands for calling up a new file by the user, in particular from a current data file viewed, the following two tasks are performed in parallel:

- reading, decompression and storage, in display memory, of the files selected from said current data file viewed and,

- display of the current file and call of a new file, by the user. Thus, the preselection by anticipation of the documents which have a high probability of being called by the operator during a following phase, functions in a way in "background task" compared to the action of the user.

In other words, the system of the invention advantageously comprises two basic cores, the realization in parallel on the one hand of the optimization of the selection and of the anticipated loading in memory of the documents most likely to be called , and on the other hand the overall administration of the system, including the coordination of the various operations and the exploitation of the resources of the system.

Advantageously, said data are organized into files, each viewable data file corresponding to a printable data file, each of said files being associated on the one hand with identifiers forming keys. access to said file, and on the other hand to indexes of references from said file to other specific files, the means for selecting said data stored in the display memory selecting, for each current file viewed, files belonging to the group comprising files called by identifiers close to the identifiers of the current data file viewed and / or said specific files called by the reference indexes associated with said current file viewed.

The notion of near identifier covers both the ordinal proximity in the bundle and the logical proximity of the current file viewed (general plan for example) with files (detail plans, or associated modules) which are logically connected to it.

Advantageously, said identifiers and said reference indexes are physically integrated into said corresponding associated files, so as to be simultaneously read with said files in said second storage means, then written into display memory by said selection means.

According to the invention, it is advantageous, but not imperative, that, for each current file viewed, said selection means select files to be called, from said group of callable files, according to a selection strategy depending on the consultations carried out. previously. The selection means can also operate according to an interrogation logic that can be personalized according to the centers of interest and the operator's reasoning mode. Indeed, the documents likely to be called from the document viewed depend on several factors, and in particular:

- the content of the document, interpreted in particular thanks to the indexes and identifiers linked to each document;

- the user, whose consultation logic, and therefore the circulation in the database, is variable, depending on the reasoning method and the context of use of the information;

- the course of the consultation in progress, so as to allow, among other things, the return to previous documents;

- previous consultations, each path covered in the database data during a consultation that can be memorized, and re-used during future consultations. This last characteristic has the important advantage of making the consultation system scalable and therefore more and more efficient as it is used. The means of selection can also allow searches

"fuzzy", that is to say systematic selection, possibly according to a priority or "intelligent" interrogation logic, of documents for which an identifier is only partially known.

According to a preferred characteristic of the invention, the means of early selection of the data stored in the display memory, and in particular the logic representative of the selection strategy, are formalized by means of artificial intelligence techniques.

Thus, it is possible to use an expert system, or equivalent operating on the basis of rules and facts, to automate at least partially, in the archiving system, the knowledge of an expert of the type of industrial installation. archived. In this case, the selection means operate as an intelligent cache memory interposed between the storage means and the display unit.

The main sources of information used to determine the documents to be loaded into display memory can be:

- the characteristics of the document being viewed, such as: identifiers or simple indexes (next, previous folio), cross-reference index (hypertext links), high-definition file and reports associated with the document;

- the characteristics of the consultant (for example: profession, training, seniority, etc.);

- privileged links, created following a logic established after an analysis of one or more consultation cycles, or following intensive use.

Advantageously, the selection means of the invention, after having established a list of documents to be loaded into memory, prioritizes this list, according to a decreasing order of probability of call. Thus, if the consultant requests the viewing of a file before the phase of loading files into memory selected is completely finished, the files with the highest probability of being called are available in display memory.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said high definition files are obtained by scanning paper documents and / or by recovering electronic files, in particular of the CAD type, scanning and recovering CAD files resulting in the production of '' a single standardized file format.

In the case where said files are electronic CAD type files comprising on the one hand a graphic part in the form of vectors and on the other hand a technical and documentary database, said recovery of the files

CAD and their storage in said first storage means consisting on the one hand of transcribing and subsampling the data of the graphic part, and on the other hand. automatically extract from said technical and documentary database said identifiers and the reference indexes associated with each graphic file.

Advantageously, the access to said selected files is carried out in direct access, through addressing tables formed from the technical and documentary database of each stored file.

This characteristic is one of the imperative conditions prior to the truly effective and operational implementation of the archiving system of the invention. The speed of access to the information displayed is justified, in particular, in the case where this information can be obtained almost in real time on a database that is immediately updated. In other words, in the maintenance and operating applications of industrial installations for example, the efficiency of the system of the invention rests on the combination of the automaticity of the extraction of useful information from the centralized system of CAD / DAO, and the speed of access to viewing archived documents due to the system of indexing and selection in advance of the operator's choices. The extraction of useful information from the CAD / CAM system is also advantageously carried out using artificial intelligence techniques. Said first and second data storage means are advantageously constituted by digital optical discs.

Advantageously, the archiving system of the invention also comprises means for using the data stored in the first storage means, for example for printing or drawing the plans on paper, in high definition, or even viewing. in enlargement (zoom) of part of a plan.

According to a very advantageous characteristic of the invention, the archiving system is also compatible and usable with external functionalities such as CMMS, MAO, or the management of modification proposals presented by the operators to the designers of an installation. industrial.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, produced in the form of a prototype, by way of illustration and not limitation, and of the appended drawings, in which :

- Figure 1 is a general diagram illustrating the insertion of an electronic filing system of bundles of plans, between the Design Offices on the one hand, and the Maintenance and operating services of an industrial installation on the other hand ; - Figure 2 is a simplified diagram illustrating the main functions of the archiving system of the invention;

- Figure 3 shows the main modules of an advantageous embodiment of the electronic archiving system of the invention;

- Figure 4 shows schematically a paper plan to illustrate the principle of indexing of the electronic filing system of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the principle of storing graphic data in the electronic archiving system of the invention, from vector graphic files, of the type of CAD / DAO files;

- Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the circulation of a graphic data file during the various stages of use of the electronic archiving system of the invention, in storage, consultation, and update. - Figure 7 shows the block diagram of the operation of the document selection means most likely to be called by the user, in a particular embodiment of the invention.

The system of the invention uses a document organization at least two levels, a first physical level of data organization, and a second logical level of automatic data organization, depending on the content of the documents.

In other words, the first level conceptually corresponds to the organization of documents as it would materialize if these documents were paper documents. It is therefore about the organization in files, bundles, ... The second level corresponds to an organization depending on the content of the document, relying on the logical links associated with each document (index, identifiers, ...) .

A third level can also be defined, based on the user's documentary logic. Indeed, it clearly appears that each consultant of a database organizes his consultation in a particular way, according to his knowledge, his habits, his training, his seniority ... The system of the invention can adapt to the user consultation process, thereby defining new links and paths.

The embodiment of the invention presented in the drawings relates to a system for consulting technical documents, stored electronically on

Digital Optical Disc (DON). This system advantageously works on a broadband network, so that it can be consulted by a large number of remote users.

The consultation can thus be done on several workstations simultaneously. The documents to be consulted can also be distributed between several different stations or sites. In the case of remote sites, the link can be made for example by high speed telephone links, in particular of the ISDN type, or by radio links.

The consultation is carried out on documents scanned in the form of point-to-point defined files. As shown in Figure 1, the scanned files are generated either from CAD / CAD 11 computer files (after a rasterization process, that is to say point-to-point scanning and subsampling), either from paper documents 12, having been scanned 13 or entered automatically 14 to form CAD files 11.

The heart of the archiving system of the invention consists of a large capacity storage unit, on Digital Optical Discs 15, associated with a consultation station 16 usable in interactive mode to obtain the viewing on screen of the files stored on DON 15, or their return on paper by printing or tracing 17.

The graphic data files stored on D.O.N 15 come from a standardized conversion module 18 of data from both CAD / CAD computer files 11 and paper documents 12.

This electronic archiving system can be operated in two modes:

- a first mode, corresponding to a simple configuration, consisting in providing a multi-access consultation system, with high storage capacity and high speed of access, of standardized files corresponding to the paper and CAD / CAD information sources of the Office Study, with dynamic update;

- a more complex mode of use (which accounts for the considerable efficiency of the electronic archiving system of the invention), consists of its implementation in a processing chain connecting the automated operating and maintenance systems from an industrial installation to graphic data sources from Design Offices.

In this mode of use, as shown in FIG. 1, the archiving system 10 of the invention can be connected to a computer-assisted maintenance management system (CMMS) 19, to a fault management system and to aid to diagnosis 20 or to centralized process control 21. The interfacing of these external systems with the archiving system of the invention can be automated using for example an expert system for interrogating the database graphics 15.16 from the external modules 19.20.20. Centralized process control operates, for example, from a status recorder, with a response time of the order of one tenth to one hundredth second. The high-speed electronic archiving system provides the operator with means of very rapid access to the cause of a failure, the search for graphic documents in the database of the invention advantageously being carried out with automatic piloting from information supplied by the status recorder.

In the case of using the electronic archiving system of the invention in connection with a CMMS unit, it is possible for example to associate maintenance reports with the archived electronic documents, so that these can be consulted by all of the users concerned, based on a simple consultation of the corresponding archived documents.

The interfacing between the modules 19, 20, 21 on the one hand and the electronic archiving system 10 of the invention, is advantageously carried out according to the following procedure:

the user selects information on his CMMS or process management system and switches this information to the electronic archiving system 10; -

- the archiving system analyzes this information, and displays the document or documents associated with this information;

- conversely, the operator can select information in the archiving system 10, then re-export it to the CMMS or process management system ”

We see that we have thus been able to create a new and very efficient gateway between the operating and maintenance modules 19,20,21 on the one hand, and the standardized source of information with quick access to the system. electronic filing of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the standard graphic files constituting the database 18 of the archiving system consist of two types of files:

- low definition files 23, allowing rapid viewing; - high definition files 22, for a detailed examination of the document.

High definition files have for example a definition of 300 points per inch, or approximately 11.81 pts / mm. These files are used to perform:

- A detailed visualization of part of the document (ZOOM)

- An impression,

- Exploitation of the document with a graphic editor, for example in the context of graphic modifications made by the user.

The size of the files is for example around 1MB. They can advantageously be compressed to represent only a size of 40 KB. These files are binary files, having not undergone any processing, provided with a header of 256 bytes according to the format:

16 alphanumeric bytes Document identifier

4 bytes integer Size in bytes outside descr.

2 bytes II Line length in bytes

2 bytes II Left margin

2 bytes II Top margin

2 bytes II Line length in bits

2 bytes II Page height in lines

30 alphanumeric bytes Machine designation

196 bytes Filling

256 bytes File header.

These parameters are necessary for the document processing by the archiving system (Compression, display, indexing). Some of this information is redundant (line length in bytes and line length in bits for example). This information is kept to be compatible with certain "raster" formats currently generated by scanner. The left margin and top margin data allow the drawing to be centered on an A4 page when printing.

Low definition files are A4 size documents with a definition of 75 dots per inch (approximately 2.95 dots / mm). These files are used for searching for a document. Indeed the definition is sufficient to perform a quick consultation on the screen but the document cannot in any case be printed or used for detailed research. These files are small: around 65 KB decompressed, 8 KB compressed (Group IV). They are provided with a header of 256 bytes, the format of which is identical to that of high definition files. Low definition files are obtained by subsampling, and therefore degradation of high definition files. Their development follows a standardized process, which allows them to be viewed on any monitor fitted with any graphics card.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, the consultation (16) generally takes place in two stages: research then examination of a document.

Searching for a document involves low definition files:

1. Using CMMS software, the consultation station serves both as a terminal for dialogue with the computer (housing the CMMS system) and as a document display station. Information transfer is possible in both directions;

2. by chaining of plans, ie calling of new plans from a current plan displayed. This uses the indexing, presented below, of the low-definition files with loading in anticipation in visualization memory to accelerate the visualization times. These anticipatory loadings, whatever the search mode, are carried out advantageously by means of artificial intelligence techniques as described in the preamble. The consultation unit, in addition, stores the last three or five views, for example, to allow the user to go back on a few screens, without loss of time. The examination of this document implies the use of high definition files, for two types of operations:

1. zoom and print operation (17,51). In this case, it is necessary to obtain a good quality document, to the detriment of the display time performance (of the order of 5 s). The definition is 300 dots per inch, as already noted.

2. modification operation (MAJ). In this case, the time factor did not of influence. The graphic editor is loaded and the user works on a high definition file.

The modifications suggested by the operator are transferred, via the network, to the design office which validates the information on the main storage unit, (DON) if it proves to be relevant. This validation is carried out from CAD documents.

A right of access and modification may or may not be given to certain consultants by the owner of a document. This avoids the risk of multiple or untimely modifications of a document. The consultation station also makes it possible to send electronic mail 25 to the other users.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of the electronic archiving system of the invention. As shown, the modules of this system essentially comprise a rasterization card (point-to-point graphic conversion) 31 of the CAD / DAO source files, supplying on the one hand a storage unit 32 of high definition files (preferably on Disk

Digital Optics), and on the other hand a compression / decompression module

33. Scanned paper files are also routed to the storage unit

32 and the module 33. The purpose of the compression / decompression module 33 is to compress the low definition files temporarily stored in the buffer memory 34, with a view to their storage on the storage unit 35, preferably on disk.

Digital optics.

Advantageously, the compression parameters are as follows: - Compression Group IV 2D (k infinite, no EOL, no byte bound, EOP)

- Variable page width depending on the data to be processed,

- Zero high margin,

- Zero left and right margins,

- Zero express compression factor, - zero granularity,

Variable parameters (file length in bytes, excluding header; page width) are retrieved by reading the corresponding bytes in the header. Format Size Time Size decompressed compressed compression

A4 300DPI * lMo 4 to 5s 30 to 40Ko A4 75DPP 65Ko <ls 8 to lOKo

* (DPI: dots per inch, in French: dots per inch). The compression card is advantageously the LSD card of SMO (registered trademark). It can manage different tasks independently from the microcomputer, in particular: - compression / decompression operations;

- control of the local Digital Optical Disc. The Digital Optical Disc is interface to the card according to the SCSI standard. There are two types of drivers: either direct SCSI or hard drive emulation.

The display is advantageously carried out through a processing unit 36, associated with a screen 38 through a graphics card 37.

During the display operations, the RAM 34 of the compression / decompression module 33 serves as display memory, for the storage of the files called in advance, under the control of the expert system 39 hosted by the processing unit 36. FIG. 4 is a printed plan making it possible to illustrate the scanning process, then the storage of the high definition and low definition files indexed in the electronic archiving system of the invention.

The paper plan comprises on the one hand a certain number of identifiers 41 and references 42 forming access keys to the plan. The identifiers are for example in the cartridge 41 of the plan, and include in particular the title of the plan, as well as a plan number generally consisting of a plan bundle number followed by a folio number and an index of revision. The graphic part 43 of the plan can contain references 42 of represented elements, which also constitute access keys to said plan. During the plan scanning operation, these different identifiers and references are stored in the form of access keys to the resulting digital file. of the digitization of the plan.

On the other hand, the graphic part of the plan also includes indexes of references 44 to other plans. Thus, the inscription "v pi. 19600071 Fo 74" means: see the plan bearing the folio number 74 in the bundle 19600071. This reference index 44 therefore corresponds to the identifier of another plan.

All of these indexes of references appearing on a plan are used to call in advance the following plans which it is most likely that the user wishes to view. Advantageously, the reference indexes are adapted to each type of user. Thus, for example, it is possible to establish a selection of referral indexes, depending on the profession of the consultant. In the case where the same document presents data concerning electricity and mechanics at the same time, the electrician will then have access to the only "electricity" index, and the mechanic to the only "mechanical" index. The corresponding files, as well as others, as explained in the preamble, are therefore called up and classified in display memory, while the user is viewing the current plan displayed, so as to make immediate the display of the next plan (if the user actually chooses a plan placed in the meantime in display memory); otherwise, unlikely, the system will require, from the user's viewing order, the time to search, read, decompress, then display, before ensuring viewing.

As noted in the preamble, and described below in connection with FIG. 7, the search operation, particularly that of loading the display memory, is advantageously controlled by an expert system.

The document indexing system, and working on cross-reference indexes, makes it possible to considerably speed up the operations of searching, viewing and examining documents, on the one hand by allowing the selection and decompression of files by anticipation, and on the other hand by authorizing the constitution of index tables which avoid having to read all the files to find a given selected file. FIG. 5 illustrates the process of extracting graphic and alphanumeric information from a CAD file of the type of vector files, for the convert to the point-to-point mode which can be used by the archiving system of the invention.

These vector files comprise on the one hand a part of graphic information 51, and on the other hand a database 52 comprising a certain number of information associated with the graphic information.

The automatic extraction of this information consists in treating each of the two parts 51,52 separately. The graphic part 51 undergoes a rasterization treatment 52 (putting the graphic information in point-to-point form), then compression 53 before storage 54 in the storage units for low definition and high definition files.

For its part, the database 52 is used to extract the indexing information, of the type presented in relation to the paper documents shown schematically in FIG. 4. The step of searching for access identifiers, as well as indexes of referrals, in the database 52, is advantageously carried out by means of an artificial intelligence tool. It is for example an expert system, which will analyze each of the alphanumeric information of the database 52, in order to feed the index management system comprising on the one hand the identifiers 55 of the document, and d 'on the other hand the references index 56 present on the document in question. This indexing information 55, 56 is used to build up the index base 57 integrated into the standardized file stored in the storage step 54.

During the step of extracting the indexing information from the database 52, the expert system has for example the function of recognizing, for each relevant character string, that it is indeed a index, then to recognize the coordinates (x, y) associated with this recognized index (and locating it in the graphic part of the plan), then to interpret the content of the index.

Such automatic indexing has the particular advantage of allowing the constitution of the index database without human intervention. The database obtained is therefore well standardized, and structures the data in a homogeneous manner. In addition, it is created at low cost and reliably. After compression of the visualization file extracted from the files

DAO, it is possible to obtain displayed file sizes of the order of ten kilobytes, including about five kilobytes of indexing.

During the index extraction operation, the artificial intelligence tool must in particular be able to identify, for example, the implicit omissions of information: thus, when a cross-reference index concerns a sheet of the same bundle as the current document, only the folio is mentioned; in the case where the reference index corresponds to a file of a different bundle, the folio number is preceded by the number of this distinct bundle. The role of the expert system is to provide, in a simple way, the analysis logic necessary to take into account this type of situation. Figure 6 summarizes the typical circulation of a document, in the different forms of files it takes according to the consultation stage, then possibly modification.

We find the difference in point-to-point conversion processing depending on whether the file comes from a CAD station 61, with storage on specific DON 63 and "rasterization" 62 in both low definition and high definition formats, or whether it comes from 'a scanned file 64. After creation of the display file ("overview") 65, the file is compressed 66, for storage 67 on Digital Optical Disc 68.

On display command, the file is decompressed 69, then displayed in consultation 70 on the screen (display file).

The step of examining the file selected by search, involves loading the high definition file 71, and using a graphic editor 72 either to order the printing or plotting 73 of the file, or to allow transmission of a modification document 74. The modification is carried out on the point-to-point file 74 and stored on hard disk 75. It also gives rise to the sending of an electronic mail 76 to the Design Office 77. The Office d'Etude 77, after consulting the hard disk 75, if necessary validates the modification, either by rewriting in the CAD station 61 (case of a CAD / CAD file), or by scanning the modified document (case of '' an original document in paper form) 78.

Advantageously, in the case of a CAD / DAO file, the Optical Disc Numérique 63 is a rewritable DON. This avoids consuming memory space with each new version of a document. Only the historical version "converted point to point" will be kept on Digital Optical Disc 68. Of course, the user will only have access to the file with the most recent revision index.

FIG. 7 presents the basic diagram of the operation of the means for selecting the documents to be loaded into display memory, in a particular embodiment of the invention. The documents most likely to be viewed are selected by a selection module 80, according to the following information:

- characteristic 81 of the user, which may in particular include:

- user's profession, as specified above,

- skill level, - access authorizations,

- training, seniority,

- consultation habits.

Some of this information (job, authorizations, etc.) makes it possible to objectively choose - links with other documents. The other information makes it possible to adapt to the personality of the user. Thus, if the consultant is of the type with a high level of competence, the selection module 80 can prejudge his needs and offer him a final document, without having to carry out all of the consultation steps, for example in the case of a set of intermediate level plans; - history 82 of consultations: the selection module 80 takes account on the one hand of the consultation in progress, so as to allow a possible backtracking, and on the other hand of all the consultations already carried out;

- set 83 of the links (identifiers and index of references) assigned to the document currently viewed; - set 84 of selection rules, which can for example be implemented by an expert system. The list 85 of the documents to be loaded into the viewing memory 89 is then ordered, by the hierarchy module 86, according to a decreasing probability order. Thus, the module 87 for loading a document from the optical disc 88 to the display memory 89 will start to load the document having the greatest probability of being called by the user, and ending with the least probable. In this way, in the event of a viewing request before the end of the loading operation, there is a good chance that the requested document will be available.

This prioritization procedure amounts, in a similar embodiment, to prioritizing the rules 84, by assigning them different weights.

An important advantage of the invention is the possibility of modification, or self-learning, of the selection means. A modification module 90 can in fact update, add or delete selection rules 84 or reference indexes 83, according to a specific analysis of the history 82 of the consultations.

This modification module 90 can for example establish a new link 83, or reference index, between two documents, if it detects that viewing the first document often results in viewing the second. It can also create a new selection rule, if a law appears in a set of consultations. Advantageously, it will favor the documents most often consulted, considering that they are the most interesting, from the point of view of the consultants.

The validation of such a modification may take into account the number of times it suggests, the number of users to suggest it, the level of competence of the users and their modification authorizations.

Claims

.-z CLAIMS

1. Multi-access dynamic electronic archiving system with high storage capacity and high speed of access, in particular for the archiving of complex graphic data, of the type comprising first means (32) for storing high definition printable data and second means (35) for storing data that can be viewed on a screen obtained by subsampling said high-definition data, said second means (35) for storing cooperating with means for rapidly consulting said viewable information, on a viewing screen ( 38), said storage means (34, 35) cooperating with means (33) for compressing and decompressing said viewable data, allowing the storage of said data in compressed form in said second storage means (35), characterized in that said storage means cooperate with memory management means (39) ensuring the early selection of at least two x units of data viewable in said second storage means (35) and the temporary storage, in a display memory (34), of said selected data, said selected data being stored in decompressed form in said display memory (34) so to allow their immediate viewing on command of said rapid consultation means.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which said data are organized into files, each viewable data file corresponding to a printable data file, each of said files being associated on the one hand with identifiers (41,42; 55) forming access keys to said file, and on the other hand to reference indexes (44; 56) from said file to other specific files, system characterized in that the means for selecting (80) said data stored in the memory view, select, for each current file viewed, files belonging to the group comprising files called by identifiers (41,42; 55) close to the identifiers of the file displayed current data and / or said specific files called up by the reference indexes (44, 56) associated with said displayed current file.

3. System according to any one of claims 1 and 2 characterized in that, for each current file viewed, said selection means (80) select files to be called, from said group of callable files, according to a strategy of selection depending on the consultations carried out previously and / or the progress of the consultation in progress.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said selection means (80) comprise means (90) for modifying the selection strategy and / or for creating referral indexes (44; 56; 83). , for each of said viewable data files, based on a statistical analysis of a history of previous consultations and / or of the progress of the consultation in progress.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that said means (90) for modifying the selection strategy and / or for creating new referral indexes operate according to at least one of the following modes:

- objective update, for all future consultations and for at least one set of consultants;

- subjective update, adapted to the method of consultation of each consultant.

6. System according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that said selection means (80) comprise means (86) for prioritizing the files selected according to a decreasing order of probability of selection by the consultant, and in that said selected files are loaded according to said decreasing order of probability of selection in said display memory (34; 89).

7. System according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said selection means take account of at least one of the following information: - personality of the consultant (profession, training, seniority ...);

- level of competence attributed to the consultant; - history of previous consultations;

- progress of the consultation in progress.

8. System according to any one of claims 3 to 7 characterized in that said selection strategy is formalized by means of artificial intelligence techniques.

9. System according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the consultation means comprise commands for calling up a new file by the user, in particular from a displayed current data file, characterized in that the following two tasks are performed in parallel: - reading, decompression and storage in display memory (34; 89) of the files selected from said current displayed data file and,

- display of the current file and call of a new file, by the user.

10. System according to any one of claims 2 to 9 characterized in that said identifiers (41,42; 55) and said reference indexes (44; 56) are physically integrated into said corresponding associated files, so as to be simultaneously read with said files in said second storage means (35), then written into display memory (34; 89) by said selection means.

11. System according to any one of claims 1 to 10 characterized in that said high definition files are obtained by scanning (13) of paper documents (12) and / or by recovering electronic files 11), scanning (13 ) and the recovery of electronic files (11) leading to the production of a single format (18) of standardized files.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, in the case where said files are electronic files (11) of CAD type each comprising on the one hand a vector graphics part (51) and on the other hand a technical and documentary database ( 52), characterized in that said recovery of CAD files and their storage in said first storage means consists on the one hand of converting and subsampling the data of the graphic part (51), and on the other hand of extracting automatically from said technical and documentary database (52) said identifiers (55) and the reference indexes (56) associated with each graphic file.

13. System according to any one of claims 1 to 12 characterized in that said first storage means (32) and / or said second storage means (35) are constituted by digital optical discs.