JP2699940B2 - Automatic numbering method using e-mail - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic numbering method for automatically assigning a serial number for managing documents, and more particularly to an automatic numbering method using electronic mail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the past, when a document created in a company or the like is assigned a serial number and managed, a number is manually assigned in the past using a paper-based numbering ledger. FIG.
Shows a paper-based numbering method. If a person who desires numbering is a worker (local worker) at a location where a numbering book exists, the person himself refers to and registers the numbering book and performs numbering. On the other hand, if the numbering applicant is a worker in a remote location, a numbering request is transmitted to the numbering book manager by telephone or other communication means, and this manager performs the numbering agency work. serve.

In the paper-based numbering method, double numbering errors are likely to occur because the numbering is performed manually.
In addition, a person in a remote place must always go through a numbering book manager in order to perform numbering, and if there is no manager, numbering cannot be performed.

[0004] For this reason, an automatic numbering method has been proposed which enables numbering from a remote location and numbering without human intervention. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-168225, a number management file is provided in a host computer, and when a numbering request is received from a terminal device connected via a network, the host computer recognizes an unused youngest file from the number management file. There has been proposed an automatic numbering method of acquiring a number and notifying the requesting terminal device via a network. Also,
JP-A-5-242173 discloses that a management terminal having a number management file and a work terminal requesting numbering are connected via a network so that commands can be exchanged with each other. There has been proposed an automatic numbering method in which a management terminal acquires an unused lowest number from a number management file and notifies the requesting work terminal via a network.

[0005]

According to the above-mentioned conventional automatic numbering method, numbering from a remote place and numbering without human intervention can be realized. However, since this type of conventional automatic numbering method is built on the premise of numbering in a limited environment such as within the same company, there are naturally various restrictions. That is, a computer network in which a terminal device is connected to a host computer via a communication line or the like and a computer network in which commands can be exchanged between a management terminal and a work terminal are both used by a terminal device or a work device used by a user. The terminal must have a machine architecture that can be connected to a host computer or a management terminal. Also, in order to enable numbering from another network connected via a gateway to the network to which the host computer or management terminal is connected, all of the networks must have the same network architecture Is required.

As described above, the conventional automatic numbering method has a problem that automatic numbering cannot be performed if there is a difference in machine architecture or a difference in network architecture.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and its object is to perform numbering from a machine having a machine architecture different from that of the numbering management machine, and to provide various types of networks having different network architectures. It is to enable numbering from a remote place through a network.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a server machine for managing numbering and a plurality of client machines requesting numbering can transmit and receive e-mails via a network. Numbering command in the content from the client machine that connects and requests numbering to the server machine connected via the network
And the numbering command at the beginning of the numbering command.
Is a symbol that is predetermined to distinguish
The server sends the added e-mail, and the server machine analyzes the received e-mail, and
If you extract numbering commands based on the symbols
Starting the numbering management application program and notifying the received e-mail to the numbering management application program, in the numbering management application program, in response to the numbering command in the notified e-mail, Accessing the digitized numbering ledger holding the numbering result up to the present, acquiring the numbering result, and sending an e-mail describing the numbering result via the network to the client machine of the numbering request source To send to.

[0009]

At present, electronic mail is widely spread as a communication service between computer users, and its standardization has been realized. In such a standardized e-mail service, it is possible to deliver a message to a remote machine without being aware of differences in architecture between machines (computers) and differences in network form. The present invention has been made in view of such advantages of electronic mail, and uses electronic mail as an interface to absorb differences in the architecture of machines and networks.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of a computer network to which an automatic numbering method using electronic mail according to the present invention is applied. In the computer network of this example, a server machine 2 having an electronic numbering ledger 1 and operating for 24 hours, and a plurality of client machines 3-1 to 3- 4, the server machine 2 and the client machines 3-1 to 3-3.
-4 is connected via various networks (communication media). Here, the network connecting the server machine 2 and the client machines 3-1 to 3-4 may be any network, regardless of a dedicated network or a public network, as long as electronic mail can be mutually transmitted and received. In the example of FIG. 1, the server machine 2 and the client machines 3-1 to 3-
3 is connected via the Internet 4, and a PC communication network (for example, PC-VAN) 6 is connected to the Internet 4 via the gateway 5, and the client machine 3 is connected to the PC communication network 6.
-4 is connected. Even in such a situation, since MHS-compliant e-mails, which are currently standard, can be transmitted and received to and from each other, any of the client machines 3-1 to 3-
Numbering can also be performed from 4.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the server machine 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a numbering management application program 21 for operating the numbering ledger 1 and a mail handling system 2 are provided on the server machine 2.
2 exists. The numbering management application program 21 includes a mail receiving unit 211 and a mail transmitting unit 2.
12, a mail analysis unit 213, and a command execution unit 214.

FIG. 3 shows client machines 3-1 to 3-4.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of FIG. As shown in the figure,
The client machines 3-1 to 3-4 include a mail handling system 31, an editor 32, a display device 33 such as a CRT, and an input device 34 such as a keyboard.

The numbering ledger 1 may be anything that can digitize and accumulate the numbering information. For example, a file on an external storage device or a commercially available database is used. In this case, it is preferable to use an ASCII-based file or database in order to prevent garbled characters that tend to occur when transferring data between different networks. FIG. 4 shows an example of information digitized and stored in the numbering ledger 1. FIG. 2A shows the contents of one record R additionally registered in the numbering register 1 when a numbering command is notified by e-mail from the client machine, and is obtained by newly numbering. The management information includes a management number 11 and document information 12. Here, the document information 12 stores document data and the like that have been sent simultaneously by e-mail. FIG. 2B shows the accumulation status of the numbering ledger 1 at a certain point in time. In this example, three records R1 to R3 are stored, and their management numbers are serial numbers 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 11C shows a state in which one new record R4 is added to FIG. The management number of the newly added record R4 is 4.

The operation of the embodiment constructed as described above will be described below.

In FIG. 1, a user of any client machine, for example, a client machine 3-4,
When it is desired to number the documents created by the editor 32, an e-mail describing the numbering command is created by the editor 32, and a mail transmission request is issued to the mail handling system 31 (FIG. 3 (a)). .

FIG. 5 shows an example of an electronic mail created at this time. An e-mail is composed of an envelope and content. The envelope describes the mail number of the server machine 2 as the destination, the mail number of the client machine 3-4 as the sender, the sending date and time, and the like. In the content, a numbering command 51 and document data 52 are described in the body part. The numbering command 51 is a command for requesting the server machine 2 to number.
The document data 52 is data of a document created by the user. The numbering command 51 and the document data 52 are described in ASCII character strings for the same reason as in the case of the numbering ledger 1. The numbering command 5 in the content
In order to distinguish 1 from other information, a predetermined symbol (# in the example of FIG. 5) is added to the head.

When a mail transmission is requested by a user through the editor 32, the mail handling system 31 of the client machine 3-4 transmits an electronic mail to the server machine 2 to the personal computer communication network 6 (FIG. 3). (B)). The transmitted e-mail is delivered to the server machine 2 through the personal computer communication network 6, the gateway 5, and the Internet 4.

In the server machine 2, when the mail handling system 22 receives an electronic mail from the client machine 3-4 ((1) in FIG. 2), the mail handling system 22 activates the numbering management application program 21 in response to this reception (FIG. 2 (1)). ((2) of FIG. 2).

In the numbering management application program 21 started, the mail receiving unit 211 first executes a mail reading process ((3) in FIG. 2) to the mail handling system 22, and as a response, the mail handling system 22 Is received from the client machine 3-4 notified from the client machine ((4) in FIG. 2). Then, the received electronic mail is passed to the mail analyzing unit 213, and an analysis is requested ((5) in FIG. 2).

The mail analysis unit 213 extracts a numbering command in the content of the e-mail based on a predetermined symbol (# in the above example), and describes the extracted numbering command and the extracted numbering command. The other data (document data) is transmitted to the command execution unit 214 ((6) in FIG. 2). The processing result by the command execution unit 214 is sent by e-mail to the client machine 3-
In order to return to E.4, the mail number indicating the source address of the current e-mail is notified to the mail transmission unit 212 ((7) in FIG. 2).

Upon receiving the numbering command and the document data, the command execution unit 214 accesses the numbering ledger 1 to determine a management number next to the currently registered management number, and determines the determined management number and mail. A new record including the document data passed from the analysis unit 213 is generated and registered in the numbering ledger 1 ((8) in FIG. 2). For example, as shown in FIG.
If R3 has already been registered, a number “4” next to the last management number “3” is assigned, and this is assigned a management number 11
A new record R4 as shown in FIG. 4C in which the document data passed from the mail analysis unit 213 is set in the document information 12 is generated and registered in the numbering ledger 1. Then, the management number assigned this time is notified to the mail transmitting unit 212 as a processing result ((9) in FIG. 2).

The mail transmitting section 212 is provided for the mail analyzing section 21.
A mail handling system that creates an e-mail in which the management number, which is the processing result notified from the command execution unit 214, is described in the body of the content with the client machine 3-4 of the source e-mail number notified from the destination as the destination. 22 is requested to send the mail (FIG. 2
(10)).

The mail handling system 22 of the server machine 2 transmits an e-mail requested to be transmitted from the mail transmitting section 212 to the Internet 4 (FIG. 2).
(11)). The transmitted e-mail is distributed to the client machine 3-4 through the Internet 4, the gateway 5, and the personal computer communication network 6.

In the client machine 3-4, when the mail handling system 31 receives an electronic mail from the server machine 2 ((c) in FIG. 3), the display device 3
3 displays an e-mail reception notification (FIG. 3 (d)). Therefore, the user uses the editor 32 to
The e-mail received by the e-mail handling system 31 is read ((e) and (f) in FIG. 3), and if the content is confirmed on the display device 33, the numbering result can be recognized.

The above operation is performed by the client machine 3-4.
In this case, the numbering is performed from the other client machines 3-1 to 3-3 in the same procedure.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various other modifications can be made. For example, in addition to the numbering command for requesting numbering, the following various commands may be transmitted to the server machine by e-mail, and the processing result may be received by e-mail. -Search command for registered contents; When an e-mail describing such a search command is received, the command execution unit 214 of the server machine 2 assigns records matching the search conditions specified by the search command to a numbering ledger. 1 and sends an e-mail including the search result to the e-mail transmitting unit 21.
2 sends the search request to the client machine that requested the search. A command for changing the registered contents; upon receiving an e-mail in which such a change command is described, the command execution unit 214 of the server machine 2 reads the change target record in the numbering ledger 1 specified by the change command. The e-mail containing the processing result is changed as specified, and the e-mail
2 sends the search request to the client machine that requested the search. ○ Deleted command of registered contents; When an e-mail describing such a delete command is received, the command execution unit 214 of the server machine 2 deletes the record to be deleted in the numbering book 1 specified by the delete command. The mail transmission unit 212 deletes the e-mail including the processing result, and transmits the e-mail to the search requesting client machine.

Although the numbering commands and the like described in the e-mail by the user of the client machine are simple, an application program, which is an auxiliary tool for creating a command format, is used to assist the user in inputting. It may be prepared on the client machine.

[0029]

As described above, the present invention provides a method for assigning a numbering command to the contents of an e-mail capable of delivering a message to a remote location regardless of the difference in architecture between machines or the form of a network. To describe
At the beginning of the code to distinguish it from other information
As a result, automatic numbering was made possible, so that in an environment where e-mail was used, numbering could be performed from a client machine with a machine architecture different from that of the server machine. There is an effect that numbering can be performed from Further, the client machine only needs to have a configuration capable of transmitting and receiving electronic mail, and has an advantage that a general computer such as a personal computer having an electronic mail function can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of a computer network to which an automatic numbering method using electronic mail according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a server machine.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a client machine.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of information stored in a numbering ledger.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an e-mail issued at the time of a numbering request.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a paper-based numbering method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Numbering ledger 2 ... Server machine 21 ... Numbering management application program 211 ... Mail receiving unit 212 ... Mail transmitting unit 213 ... Mail analyzing unit 214 ... Command execution unit 22 ... Mail handling system 3-1 to 3-4 ... Client Machine 4: Internet 5: Gateway 6: Personal computer communication network

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A server machine for managing numbering and a plurality of client machines requesting numbering are connected via a network so as to be able to send and receive e-mail, and connected from the client machine requesting numbering via the network. Content is being sent to the server machine
Write the numbering command in the
A predetermined number is used to distinguish the numbering command from other information.
The server machine sends an e-mail with the added symbol, and the server machine interprets the received e-mail.
And assigns a numbering frame based on the predetermined symbol.
When the numbering command is extracted, the numbering management application program is started and the received e-mail is notified to the numbering management application program.In the numbering management application program,
In response to the numbering command in the notified e-mail, the computer accesses the digitized numbering ledger holding the numbering result up to the present, acquires the numbering result, and describes the numbering result. An automatic numbering method using electronic mail, wherein the automatic numbering is transmitted to the client machine, which is the numbering request source, via the network. 2. An ASC as the digitized numbering ledger
2. The automatic numbering method using electronic mail according to claim 1, wherein a command composed of an ASCII character string is used as the numbering command using an II-based file or database. 3. The automatic numbering method using electronic mail according to claim 2, wherein an electronic mail conforming to MHS is used as the electronic mail.