JP4715413B2 - Document management apparatus and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a document management apparatus and program for managing the status of disposal such as document collection and disposal for distributed documents.

  An image document circulation device that supports the transmission and storage of user information is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133830. Patent Document 2 discloses an image output system that manages distributed output and distribution destinations when distributing output to a plurality of distribution destinations.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-177277

JP 2001-186287 A

  In the case of a document having confidentiality, for example, even if it is distributed in-house, it is preferable that the document is finally disposed of such as disposal or collection. However, the conventional technique has a problem that it is impossible to grasp what kind of disposal such as disposal and collection is performed even for a confidential document.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a document management apparatus and program capable of appropriately grasping the disposal status of a document.

In order to solve the above problems, a document management apparatus according to the present invention includes a data storage unit that stores document data, and an identifier storage unit that stores an identifier of the document in association with the document data. A disposal information storage unit storing disposal information indicating a disposal status after document distribution, a receiving unit capable of receiving input of disposal information different from the disposal information stored in the disposal information storage unit, and a document There was obtained by reading the printed original medium optically, an information acquisition unit that information to retrieve the image data included to allow the identifier is taken out, the identifier from the acquired information of the image data by the information acquisition means It means extraction identifier to retrieve document data acquisition for acquiring the data of the document from the data storage unit based on the extracted identifier by the identifier retrieving means And an identity determination unit that determines the identity of both from the image data acquired by the information acquisition unit and the document data acquired by the document data acquisition unit, and a disposal stored in the disposal information storage unit When the input of the disposal information different from the information is received by the receiving means, the identity determining means if the image data acquired by the information acquiring means is identical to the document data acquired by the document data acquiring means The disposal information updating means updates the disposal information stored in the disposal information storage means in correspondence with the retrieved identifier document.

In the configuration of the present invention, when the identifier is extracted from the information obtained by the information acquisition unit from the manuscript medium on which the document is printed, the information indicating the disposal status is updated. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage how the document is disposed. Further, for example, when a document medium read by the information acquisition unit is missing, it is possible to prevent occurrence of a situation in which a confidential document is not completely collected. However, it is possible to determine whether or not the collection is complete by counting the number of read original media. The disposal information may be configured to include information set as a document no longer exists at a distribution destination. For example, it may be configured to include information set as collected, information set as discarded, and the like.

  For example, when a problem such as leakage of confidential information occurs, it may be a problem how the document containing the confidential information was disposed. It is necessary to communicate with each other by telephone, exchange mail, etc., which is extremely complicated in large organizations with many customers and members. In addition, the worker who actually performs the disposal work with a shredder or the like often does not know the contents of the document. In this case, it is extremely difficult to determine whether the document was discarded or lost later. According to the document management apparatus of the invention, occurrence of such a problem can be suppressed.

  The document identifier can be assigned on the document management device side, or on the information processing device side when data is transmitted from an information processing device such as a personal computer to request printing. You can also. However, since it is necessary to avoid duplication, when an identifier set externally is duplicated, a message to that effect may be displayed to prompt resetting, or the identifier may be changed.

The document management apparatus includes a distribution destination information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a distribution destination of the document, and the disposal information storage unit stores a disposal status after distribution of the document for each distribution destination when there are a plurality of distribution destinations. It can be set as the structure which memorize | stores the disposal information which shows .

  The document management apparatus may include a time limit setting receiving unit that receives a setting input of a disposal time limit for a distributed document. Here, the deadline setting accepting unit may be configured to accept an input for setting a disposal deadline for each page when the document includes a plurality of pages.

  The information acquisition means may be configured to acquire information obtained by reading an original medium from reading means for reading the original medium. Information obtained by reading an original medium is not limited to image data obtained by reading an image on an original medium such as a recording sheet. For example, when an IC chip is mounted on the original medium, the information is recorded on the IC chip. It is also possible to take a form in which the obtained information is acquired. The document management apparatus can be configured to include the reading unit, but the reading unit can also be configured to be provided in an external device connected via a network, a cable, or the like.

  The disposal information updating unit is configured to update the disposal information when the document includes a plurality of pages and when the reading unit reads at least one of the original media on which the document is printed. In addition, the disposal information updating unit updates the disposal information when the document includes a plurality of pages, and the reading unit reads the entire original medium on which the document is printed. You can also

The information acquisition unit acquires image data obtained by photoelectrically reading an original medium, and the document management device includes a data synthesis unit that generates print data from document data and the document identifier; based on the printing data, and an image forming means for printing a document on the original media may be Bei obtain configuration.

The form of composition by the data composition means is arbitrary, and it can be printed so that the identifier is visible, or composition such that the identifier is not necessarily visible by digital watermarking or the like is possible .

After the disposal information is updated so as to indicate that the distributed document no longer exists in the distribution destination for all distribution destinations, the disposal information update means stores the identifier information in the identifier storage means corresponding to the document. The stored identifier information can be deleted. Here, if the document management apparatus is configured to include a document file deleting unit that deletes a file including the contents of the document, for example, a confidential document stored in the disposal information storage unit is deleted. The document file having the property does not remain in the apparatus.

  A program according to the present invention is a program that transmits data to a connected image forming apparatus that is installed in an information processing apparatus including a processor, and requests the formation of an image, and is based on the document management apparatus according to the present invention. It is characterized in that the processor is caused to execute a setting process for setting whether or not to be a document management target and a transmission process for transmitting the contents set in the setting process to the image forming apparatus.

  This program is installed in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer when using the document management apparatus according to the present invention. For the transmission process, not only the processor and the program of the present invention but also partly dedicated hardware and communication software may be used. The program according to the present invention may be distributed to the market in a state recorded on various recording media, or may be supplied to the market via various networks such as the Internet.

  According to the document management apparatus and the like according to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately manage the state of disposal such as document collection and disposal.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(1) Configuration of Document Management System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a document management system in the present embodiment. The document management system is configured by connecting an MFP (multi-function peripheral) 100 and PCs (personal computers) 31A and 31B via a network 500 such as a LAN. The number of MFPs and PCs connected to the network 500 is arbitrary. The PC 31A, 31B is installed with a driver program that inputs a job to the MFP 100 and forms an image. The image data created, edited, etc. from the PC 31A, 31B using a word processor or other application software on the PC. Can be printed on the MFP 100. In the present embodiment, the PCs 31A and 31B have the same function, and both can cause the MFP 100 to execute the same processing. In the following description, the case where the PC 31A is used is taken as an example, and the description is simply referred to as “PC 31”.

  MFP 100 according to the present embodiment is an image forming apparatus in which functions such as copying, network printing, scanner, FAX, or document server are integrated. Sometimes called a multifunction device. However, the image forming apparatus used for document management according to the present embodiment is not limited to the MFP, but can be applied to a digital copying machine, and the printer and the scanner can be configured as separate apparatuses. An embodiment using a portable information terminal, a FAX device, or the like instead of the PC 31 is also possible. The LAN as an example of the network 500 may be wired or wireless. In addition to the LAN, various networks using a telephone line or the like can be used, and not only the network but also a connection form using a dedicated cable is possible.

(2) Configuration of MFP 100 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of MFP 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration in MFP 100 according to the present embodiment. The MFP 100 includes an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, a scanner unit 13, a printer unit 14, a communication interface 16, a document feeder 17, a paper feeding device 18, a tray 19 (see FIG. 2), a CPU 20, a ROM 21, a RAM 22, and a hard disk drive ( HDD) 23 and the like.

  The operation unit 11 includes a plurality of keys for inputting numbers, characters, symbols, and the like, a sensor for recognizing the pressed key, and a transmission circuit for transmitting a signal indicating the recognized key to the CPU 20. .

  Display unit 12 displays a screen for displaying a message to the user, a screen for the user to input setting content and processing content, a screen for displaying the result of processing executed by MFP 100, and the like. In the present embodiment, a liquid crystal touch panel is used as the display unit 12. Therefore, the display unit 12 has a function of detecting a position on the touch panel touched by the user with a finger and transmitting a signal indicating the detection result to the CPU 20.

  The scanner unit 13 photoelectrically reads an image on a document and generates digital image data (here, density data representing the density of RGB or black). The image data obtained in this way is used for printing in the printer unit 14. Alternatively, it is converted into a file of a format such as JPEG format, PDF format, TIFF format, etc. and stored in the hard disk 23 or transmitted to a device such as the PC 31. The document feeder 17 is provided at the upper part of the main body of the MFP 100 and is used to sequentially convey one or more originals to the scanner unit 13.

  The printer unit 14 prints an image read by the scanner unit 13 and an image of image data transmitted from the PC 31 or the like on a recording sheet such as paper or film. The paper feeding device 18 is provided at the lower part of the MFP 100 main body, and is used to supply a recording sheet suitable for an image to be printed to the printer unit 14. The recording sheet on which the image is printed by the printer unit 14 is discharged to the tray 19. The communication interface 16 is a device for transmitting / receiving data to / from an external device such as the PC 31 via the network 500, a telephone line, or the like. As the communication interface 16, for example, a NIC (network interface card) or a TA (terminal adapter) can be used.

(3) Configuration of Document Management Device In MFP 100, the function of the document management device according to the present embodiment is that the program stored in ROM 21 and the program stored in hard disk 23 and loaded in RAM 22 operate on CPU 20. Etc. For example, it may be preferable to implement functions such as image processing using dedicated hardware such as a DSP (digital signal processor). Hereinafter, a part for realizing the function of the document management apparatus in MFP 100 will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the document management apparatus installed in MFP 100.

  The MFP 100 includes a display content control unit 201, an input acquisition unit 202, a management target document determination unit 203, an identifier assignment unit 204, an image data synthesis unit 205, an identifier extraction unit 206, a document information management unit 207, a document information storage unit 221, A document data storage unit 222 is provided. The document information storage unit 221 and the document data storage unit 222 can be provided in the hard disk 23, for example.

  In the document management apparatus according to the present embodiment, an identifier is assigned to a management target document (for example, a document that is subject to management of disposal status such as disposal and collection, such as a confidential document and a document in which customer personal information is described). And the identifier and the image data are combined and printed. When discarding and collecting are performed, the document is managed by reading the manuscript with the scanner unit 13 and confirming the identity of the document after updating the information on the managed disposal status. To do. Hereinafter, the processing content of each part shown in FIG. 4 etc. are demonstrated.

  The display content control unit 201 determines the display content on the display unit 12. The input acquisition unit 202 acquires input content from the user via the operation unit 11 (including a touch panel). The management target document discrimination unit 203 determines whether the image data requested to be printed from an external device such as the PC 31 and the image data read by the scanner unit 13 are management targets of the document management device according to the present embodiment. Determine. In the present embodiment, the determination is made in response to the designation of the document to be managed when the PC 31 or the like instructs printing, or the designation via the operation unit 11. The input indicating that the document is a management target document includes designation of distribution as the management target document and designation of a disposal status indicating that the management target document is to be discarded and collected.

  An identifier assigning unit 204 assigns an identifier to a document to be managed. The image data composition unit 205 synthesizes the image data of the document to be printed and the assigned identifier to generate image data for printing. The combining method is arbitrary, and a method in which the identifier is printed in a visible state is possible. Alternatively, the combining can be performed in the form of a digital watermark.

  As described above, the identifier extracting unit 206 extracts an identifier from the image data obtained by reading the document when the scanner unit 13 reads the document in response to the designation of discarding and collecting the document. The document information management unit 207 performs management such as addition, update, and deletion of document information stored in the document information storage unit 221. The document data storage unit 222 stores document image files.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of document information stored in the document information storage unit 221. In the example of the figure, the document identifier assigned by the identifier assigning unit 204, the distributor code as distribution information, the distribution destination code, the file name of the image data, the disposal deadline, the input method, the disposal status of the document, Stores the disposal date and the determination of whether or not the disposal is done properly.

  The format of the document identifier is arbitrary, and any information unique to each document may be used. As the distributor code and the distribution destination code, for example, the distributor and the employee code of the distribution destination can be used, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A code may be used.

  In this embodiment, the file name of the image data is held, and the file is separately stored in the hard disk 23. The disposal deadline is the deadline for the management target document to be collected, discarded, etc., and is specified when the distributor instructs the distribution of the document. It is possible to set different disposal deadlines for each distribution destination. The input method is a method of inputting a manuscript when instructing disposal such as collection and disposal. When a document includes a plurality of pages, for example, the scanner unit 13 can input one of the manuscripts. (Scanning one sheet), or the entire document can be input by reading the entire document with the scanner unit 13 (scanning all). The original image data input by the scanner unit 13 is compared with the image data of the file included in the distribution information, and thereby the identity between the distributed document and the document to be disposed of is determined.

  The disposal status is information indicating the disposal status of the document. If it is in a distributed state, it is “distributed”, “collected”, “collected”, “ Information such as “Discarded” is stored. In the example shown in the figure, for example, information indicating “discarding trial” is stored when the input of discarding is made but the identity of the image data is not recognized. Similarly, in the case of collection, a “collection trial” can be stored. If the input of collection and disposal is made again, it can be updated to “collected” and “discarded”.

  The disposal date is the distribution date for documents whose disposal status is "distributed", the date when collection and disposal are entered for "collected" and "discarded" documents, "collection trial", and "disposal trial". ", The date when the document input for disposal is attempted is stored even if the identity is not recognized. From the above, in the judgment column, “O” (indicating that a document having the same identity has been collected or discarded) is stored for “collected” and “discarded” documents, and “collection trial” is stored. , “×” is stored for the “discard trial” document.

(4) Processing contents of the document management apparatus (print processing of the document to be managed)
Next, processing contents of the document management apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing contents of MFP 100 as an application example of the document management apparatus.

  The MFP 100 first displays an initial screen on the display unit 12 (S101). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the initial screen. Hereinafter, display on the operation unit 11 and the display unit 12 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The operation unit 11 includes a start button 301, a numeric keypad 302, a clear key 303, a stop button 304, a panel reset button 305, a copy button 306, a scan button 307, and a FAX button 308. A setting screen area 311 is arranged on the display unit 12.

  The start button 301 is used when starting operations such as copying and FAX transmission. The numeric keypad 302 is used when inputting numerical values such as the number of copies. A clear key 303 is used for clearing an input numerical value. A stop button 304 is used when instructing to stop copying, scanning, and the like. The panel reset button 305 is used when canceling the set operation mode and returning the display on the display unit 12 to the initial screen.

  A copy button 306, a scan button 307, and a FAX button 308 are selection buttons for setting whether to operate the MFP 1 in a copy, scan, or fax operation mode. When the copy button 306 is pressed, the MFP 1 can be used as a copying machine.

  At this time, in the setting screen area 311 of the display unit 12, a display for performing various settings for the copy operation is made. By pressing various buttons displayed in the setting screen area 311, a hierarchical screen for performing more detailed settings is displayed. After performing various settings, a copy operation is started by setting a document and pressing the start button 301.

  When the scan button 307 is pressed, the MFP 1 can be used as a scanner. At this time, the setting screen area 311 displays various settings for the scanning operation. After completing the setting, the scanning operation is started by setting the document and pressing the start button 301.

  When the FAX button 308 is pressed, the MFP 1 can be used as a FAX transmitter. At this time, a display for performing various settings for the FAX transmission operation is displayed in the setting screen area 311. After the setting is completed, the original is set and the start button 301 is pressed to start the FAX transmission operation.

  Note that when any one of the copy button 306, the scan button 307, and the FAX button 308 is selected, the other buttons are automatically unselected. In the present embodiment, in addition to the above, a button for instructing the operation of the document management apparatus is provided. That is, a distribution button 321, a collection button 322, a discard button 323, and a confirmation button 324 are arranged.

  The distribution button 321 can be specified simultaneously with the copy button 306, for example, and is pressed when printing a document to be distributed as a management target document. When the distribution button 321 is pressed, the image data obtained by reading the document with the scanner unit 13 and the document identifier assigned by the identifier assigning unit 204 are combined and printed.

  The collection button 322 is designated when inputting to the document management apparatus that the document is to be collected, for example. It may be specified at the same time as the scan button 307, or the scan button 307 may be automatically turned on when the collection button 322 is pressed. When a document is set on the scanner unit 13 with the collection button 322 specified and the start button 301 is pressed, the identifier extraction unit 206 extracts an identifier from image data obtained by reading the document, and corresponds to the identifier. Thus, the disposal status information of the document stored in the document information storage unit 211 is updated to “collected”, “collection trial”, or the like. Note that the process of actually collecting the document needs to be performed between the distribution source user and the distribution destination user.

  For example, the discard button 323 is designated when inputting to the document management apparatus that the document is to be discarded. The scan button 307 may be designated at the same time, or the scan button 307 may be automatically turned on when the discard button 323 is pressed. When a document is set on the scanner unit 13 with the discard button 323 designated and the start button 301 is pressed, the identifier extraction unit 206 extracts an identifier from image data obtained by reading the document, and corresponds to the identifier. Thus, the disposal status information of the document stored in the document information storage unit 211 is updated to “discarded”, “discarding trial”, or the like. Note that the process of actually discarding the document needs to be performed by the distribution destination user.

  The confirmation button 324 is designated when it is desired to confirm the disposal status of the document. When the confirmation button 324 is pressed, for example, a screen for inputting a document identifier is displayed on the display unit 12. When the user inputs the document identifier and presses the start button 301, the display unit 12 displays the disposal status of the document. To display.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 6, the MFP 100 determines whether a document has been input (S <b> 102). As a document input method, an original is read by the scanner unit 13, a print request is sent by transmitting image data from an external device such as the PC 31, the image data is read from the hard disk 23, and the image data attached to the mail is extracted. Etc. In addition, image data can also be acquired from an information recording medium such as a memory card or USB memory or an external device via various interfaces (not shown) (Centronics, USB, card reader / writer, etc.).

  When a document is input (S102: YES), it is determined whether the document is a management target document (S103). Here, since the processing is performed when the target document is distributed, whether or not the distribution button 321 is designated or information indicating that the document to be printed is set in the image data input from the outside. It is determined whether or not it has been done. In the case of a management target document (S103: YES), setting information is acquired (S104). The setting information is information stored in the document information storage unit 211 such as the distribution destination code and the disposal time limit.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a window displayed on the PC 31 when the PC 31 requests the MFP 100 to print, for example. As shown in FIG. 10A, if setting is made as to whether or not the document is to be managed in the print instruction window, the setting can be acquired on the MFP 100 side. When the setting information input button 401 is pressed when the management target is designated, for example, a window as shown in FIG. When a plurality of distribution destinations are set, a distribution destination addition button 402 is pressed.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 12 when setting information is input on the MFP 100 side. The screen shown in FIG. 5 can be displayed after the distribution button 321 is pressed and the scanner unit 13 reads the document. The setting information input method is the same as described above. To add a distribution destination, a distribution destination addition button 312 may be pressed. The distributor code may be acquired from the user ID or may be input by the user ID when logging in through user authentication.

  Next, the identifier assigning unit 204 assigns an identifier to the document (S105). Then, a synthesis process is performed on the assigned identifier and the image data to be printed (S106). At this time, the composition processing method is arbitrary, and any form can be used as long as it can be extracted when the printed and distributed document is read again by the scanner unit 13. There is a merit that it is possible to recognize that it is a document to be managed if it is synthesized in such a form that the document identifier is printed in a visible state, but it is not always necessary to make it visible, and it is not necessary to make it visible. It does not matter in the form.

  After the image data composition process, a print process by the printer unit 14 is executed (S107). In the printing process, when a plurality of distribution destinations are set, the number of copies corresponding to the distribution destination is automatically printed. At this time, not only the document identifier but also the distribution destination code may be combined with the image data in the image data combining process and printed for each distribution destination.

  Thereafter, the document information is added and stored in the document information storage unit 221 (S108). At this time, the distributor code, the distribution destination code, the disposal deadline, and the input method set via the window illustrated in FIG. 8 and the screen illustrated in FIG. 9 are stored in the document information storage unit 221 of the MFP 100. The At this time, the distribution date, disposal date, file name, etc. are also stored. In the case of a document read by the scanner unit 13, the file name may be the same as the document identifier, and the input image data file is stored in the document data storage unit 222 except when a file already existing in the MFP 100 is printed. Store. A path name indicating the location of the file can be stored together with the file name. Thus, the management target document print processing is completed.

(5) Processing contents of the document management device (disposal status management processing of managed documents)
Next, processing contents of the document management apparatus when managing the disposal status such as collection and disposal of the distributed management target document will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the contents of the document disposal status management process.

  As in the example of FIG. 6, an initial screen is displayed (S201), and instructions for collection and disposal are received (S202). Recovery and disposal are instructed by turning on the recovery button 322 or the discard button 323 described above. After either the collection button 322 or the discard button 323 is pressed, a document is set on the scanner unit 13 and it is detected that the start button 301 is pressed (S203: YES), and the document is read (S204). ).

  Then, identifiers are extracted from the image data obtained by reading the document (S205). When the identifier is printed in a visible state, it can be extracted by character recognition. When the identifier is embedded in a digital watermark state, the identifier is extracted together with the embedding method. When the identifier is extracted, the document information is acquired from the document information management unit 221 using the identifier as a key, and further the image data of the document is acquired (S206). The image data here can be acquired from a file stored in the document data management unit 222 at the time of distribution, for example.

  Here, in MFP 100, a distribution destination input screen is displayed on display unit 12. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a distribution destination input screen. The reason for requesting the input of the distribution destination in this manner is that disposal information such as collection and disposal is managed for each distribution destination as shown in FIG. When the user inputs a distribution destination code on this screen and presses an OK button, image data comparison processing is performed (S209). The image data comparison process is for determining the identity of the documents to be managed, and is read by the scanner unit 13 at the time of collection and disposal of the image data at the time of distribution acquired in step S206. Compare the image data. However, when the document identifier is embedded in an invisible state such as a digital watermark, it is possible to determine that the identity is secured by extracting the identifier. The comparison process can be omitted.

  When the identity is confirmed as a result of the image data comparison (S209: YES), the disposal status in FIG. 5 is set to “recovered” or “discarded” (S210). If collection and disposal are attempted but the identity of the document cannot be confirmed (S209: NO), the disposal status is set to “collection trial” or “discarding trial” (S211). Here, a message that the distributed document does not match the read document, a message that prompts the user to set the document again, and the like can be displayed on the display unit 12. Then, the document information management unit 207 updates the document information (disposal information) stored in the document information management unit 221 (S212). The date at this time is stored as the disposal date, and the determination result of step S209 is stored in the determination field.

  As described above, according to the document management information of the present embodiment, the document distributed when the document is collected and discarded is read by the scanner unit 13 and the document disposal status is confirmed after confirming the identity of the document. Update the information indicating. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage that the distributed document has been collected and discarded, and this is particularly effective for managing confidential documents. Also, discarded documents will not be distinguished from lost, stolen, etc. at a later date, and the practical effect is extremely large when applied to document management in large organizations with many members. . The disposal status can be referred to at any time by pressing the confirmation button 324. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a disposal status confirmation screen.

(Modification)
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the content of the present invention is not limited to the specific examples described in the embodiment, and for example, the following modifications may be implemented. it can.

  (1) In the above-described embodiment, the disposal deadline is managed by assigning an identifier for each document. However, when a document includes a plurality of pages, it is possible to set a collection deadline for each page. It is also possible to manage the disposal status for each.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the MFP 100 is provided with the identifier assigning unit 204 to assign the document identifier. However, the document identifier may be input by the user using the MFP 100 or the PC 31. At this time, in order to avoid duplication of identifiers, the content of the document information storage unit 221 may be referred to and a change of the identifier may be promoted in the case of duplication. In addition, for example, a user name may be added to the identifier input by the user to reduce the possibility of duplication.

  (3) In the above embodiment, the MFP 100 is provided with the identifier extraction unit 206 to extract the document identifier from the image data obtained by reading the document. However, when collecting, discarding, etc., the user selects the document identifier. It is good also as a structure which inputs.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the contents of the document information storage unit 221 are retained even after being collected or discarded. This configuration is effective for suppressing the occurrence of a problem that the distinction between discard and loss may not be made later. However, after collection or disposal, the document identifier is stored from the document information storage unit 221. It is also possible to delete the information. At this time, if the image data is also deleted, confidential document data does not remain. When a plurality of distribution destinations are set, the image data can be deleted after collection or the like is performed at all distribution destinations.

  It is also possible to switch the information in the document information storage unit 221 and whether or not to delete the document image data (image data file). For example, a window screen as illustrated in FIG. 13 can be displayed on the PC 31 and processing after collection and disposal can be designated. A similar screen can be displayed on the display unit 12 on the MFP 100 side. With this configuration, it is possible to cope with cases where handling of image data after collection and disposal differs depending on the installation location, installation purpose, user type of business, and the like of the MFP.

  (5) In the above embodiment, the document management apparatus is applied to the MFP including the scanner unit 13. However, the document management apparatus is not limited to the apparatus including the scanner unit, and can be applied. In other words, the document management apparatus can acquire image data obtained by reading a recording sheet with a scanner separately connected via a wired or wireless network, a cable, or the like.

  (6) In the above embodiment, the print data is generated by combining the document data and the document identifier. This is suitable when the scanner unit 13 reads a document to acquire image data and extracts an identifier from the image data when collecting and discarding the document. However, the document data and the document identifier are not necessarily used. Embodiments that do not synthesize are also possible.

  In other words, in recent years, ultra-small IC chips of 0.4 mm square have been embedded in admission tickets, and the scene where IC chips are embedded in recording sheets such as recording paper has become widespread. Yes. In this case, the identifier of the document can be stored in the IC chip, and the identifier can be read from the IC chip at the time of collection and disposal. Therefore, it is not always necessary to combine the document data and the identifier.

  (7) In the above embodiment, the disposal date is stored as the disposal information as shown in FIG. 5, but the disposal time may be stored in addition to the disposal date. At this time, for example, the time when the document to be collected and discarded is read by the scanner unit 13 may be acquired and stored in the document information storage unit 221.

  The present invention can be applied to, for example, a document management apparatus.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the document management system in embodiment of this invention. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of an MFP 100. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration in MFP 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a document management apparatus installed in an MFP 100. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the content of document information stored in a document information storage unit 221. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing contents of MFP 100. It is a figure which shows an example of an initial screen. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a window displayed on the PC 31 when the PC 31 requests the MFP 100 to print. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 12 when setting information is input on the MFP 100 side. FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the content of the disposal condition management process of a document. It is a figure which shows an example of a distribution destination input screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a disposal condition confirmation screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen which designates whether the document information after document disposal, and image data are deleted.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Operation part 12 Display part 13 Scanner part 14 Printer part 16 Communication interface 17 Document feeder 18 Paper feeder 19 Tray 20 CPU
21 ROM
22 RAM
23 Hard disk drive 31 Personal computer (PC)
100 MFP
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 201 Display content control part 202 Input acquisition part 203 Management object document discrimination | determination part 204 Identifier provision part 205 Image data synthetic | combination part 206 Identifier extraction part 207 Document information management part 221 Document information storage part 222 Document data management part 321 Distribution button 322 Collecting button 323 Discard button 324 Confirm button 500 Network

Claims (13)

Data storage means for storing document data;
Identifier storage means for storing an identifier of the document in association with the data of the document ;
Disposal information storage means for storing disposal information indicating the disposal status after distribution of the document;
Receiving means capable of receiving input of disposal information different from the disposal information stored in the disposal information storage means;
Information acquisition means for acquiring information of image data that is obtained by optically reading a document medium on which a document is printed , and wherein the identifier is removably included;
An identifier extracting means for extracting an identifier from the information of the image data acquired by the information acquiring means;
Document data acquisition means for acquiring document data from the data storage means based on the identifier extracted by the identifier extraction means;
Identity determination means for determining the identity of both from the image data acquired by the information acquisition means and the document data acquired by the document data acquisition means,
When receiving the disposal information different from the disposal information stored in the disposal information storage unit by the receiving unit, the image data acquired by the information acquiring unit and the document data acquired by the document data acquiring unit Disposal information updating means for updating the disposal information stored in the disposal information storage means in correspondence with the document of the retrieved identifier when the identity determination means determines that there is identity. Document management device characterized by the above. The document management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the disposal information includes information set as the document no longer exists at the distribution destination. The document management apparatus includes:
A distribution destination information acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the distribution destination of the document;
The disposal information storage means includes
The document management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when there are a plurality of distribution destinations, disposal information indicating a disposal status after document distribution is stored for each distribution destination. The document management apparatus includes:
4. The document management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a time limit setting reception unit configured to receive a setting input of a disposal time limit of a document after distribution. The deadline setting accepting means is:
5. The document management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when a document includes a plurality of pages, an input for setting a disposal deadline is received for each page. The information acquisition means includes
6. The document management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information obtained by reading the original medium is acquired from a reading unit that reads the original medium. The document management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the document management apparatus includes the reading unit. The disposal information update means includes
8. The disposal information is updated when the document includes a plurality of pages, and when the reading unit reads at least one of the manuscript media on which the document is printed. The document management apparatus described. The disposal information update means includes
8. The disposal information is updated when the document includes a plurality of pages, and when the entire original medium on which the document is printed is read by the reading unit. Document management device. Before Symbol document management apparatus,
Data synthesizing means for generating print data from the document data and the identifier of the document;
On the basis of the printing data, the document management apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that Ru and an image forming means for printing a document on the original medium 9. The disposal information update means includes
For all distribution destinations, after the disposition information is updated to indicate that the distributed document no longer exists at the distribution destination, the identifier information stored in the identifier storage means corresponding to the document is stored. The document management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the document management apparatus is deleted. The document management apparatus includes:
The document management apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising: a document file deleting unit that deletes a file including the contents of the document for a document from which the disposal information stored in the disposal information storage unit is deleted. A program that transmits data to a connected image forming apparatus that is installed in an information processing apparatus including a processor and requests image formation,
A setting process for setting whether the subject of the document management by the document management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
A program causing the processor to execute a transmission process for transmitting the content set in the setting process to the image forming apparatus.

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