Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-21
2001-02-06
Homere, Jean R. (Department: 2772)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S203000, C709S210000, C709S225000, C709S229000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185563
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a client-server electronic filing system, a document filing method and storage medium for use in the filing system, and more particularly to a client-server electronic filing system having a check-in check-out facility for document management, a document management method and storage medium for use in the filing system.
The client-server electronic filing system allows two or more clients to share documents and has a feature that, when a change is made to a document by a client, the resulting document can be immediately referenced by the other clients. For this reason, this type of filing system has an exclusive control function among two or more clients to ensure the consistency of information two or more clients share. In addition, the system has such a security function as to specify clients who are allowed to make references and changes to documents or document folders.
With this type of filing system, however, the following problem arises when two or more clients update the same document. That is, a client A retrieves a document for updating purpose and updates it on the client side. Before the result of the updating is reflected in the server, another client B may also reference the same document for updating purpose. At this point, the updating by the client A is not yet reflected in the document that the client B is referencing. After that, the result of updating by the client A will be reflected in the original document in the server. At a still later time, the result of updating by the client B will be reflected in the document in the server.
As a result, in the server the document updated by the client A will be overwritten by the document updated by the client B, so that the updating by the client A is not reflected in the document in the server, but only the updating by the client B is reflected.
Thus, the problem with the conventional system is that changes made by clients are not reflected correctly.
Conventionally there is also a method to allow only one client to update a document through the control of update rights. This method imposes operation restrictions which are too stringent to solve the above-described problem and is not suitable for the essential technical concept of document sharing by two or more clients.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a client-server electronic filing system which ensures consistency of document contents and permits an update by each client to be reflected correctly in the original document, and a document management method and a storage medium for use in the electronic filing system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a client-server electronic filing system which permits the concurrent double updating of a document by two or more clients to be prevented, and a document management method and a storage medium for use in the electronic filing system.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic filing system comprising: a plurality of client units each capable of making a check-in/check-out request for a document; and a server unit having means for directing check-in check-out management of documents that the plurality of client units share, the check-in check-out management means restraining the check-out of the same document by the plurality of client units.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for prohibiting the check-out of a document until the document is checked in or its check-out is canceled.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for performing the check-out of the document after the document has been checked in or after its check-out has been canceled.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for, at the time of check-in, performing requested update processes in sequence.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for, at the time of check-in, deleting the original document in its entirety, creating a new document, and performing requested update processes on the new document in sequence.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for, at the time of check-in, automatically creating a new document with the original document left as the old version and performing requested update processes on the new document in sequence.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for, after the document has been checked out, canceling the check-out of the document without performing any update process.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for, at the time of check-out of a document, setting a time limit of the check-out, means for monitoring the check-out time limit, and means responsive to the monitoring means for automatically canceling the check-out when the time limit for the document has expired.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for enabling a specific client to cancel the check-out.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include means for, when the document is being checked out, notifying the clients that the document is being checked out.
In the system, the check-in check-out management means may include a check-in check-out table used for the document check-in check-out management, status recording entries being created in the table on a document by document basis with each occurrence of document check-out.
In the system, the status recording entries in the table may include a document management number entry, a check-out client name entry, a check-out date entry, a check-out time limit entry, and a check-in status entry.
In the system, the check-in status entry may be recorded with one of current document statuses of check-out, addition request, replacement, and revision.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a document management method for use in an electronic filing system having a plurality of client units and a server unit, comprising the steps of: installing a facility for performing check-in check-out management of documents that the plurality of client units share; and restraining check-out of the same document by the plurality of client units using the check-in check-out management facility.
In the method, the step of restraining check-out of the same document may include the step of prohibiting check-out of a document until the document is checked in or until the check-out is canceled using the check-in check-out management facility.
In the method, the step of restraining check-out of the same document may include the step of performing the check-out of the document after the document has been checked in or after the check-out has been canceled.
The method may further comprise the step of, at the time of check-in, performing requested update processes in sequence.
The method may further comprise the step of, at the time of check-in, deleting the original document in its entirety, creating a new document, and performing requested update processes on the new document in sequence.
The method may further comprise the step of, at the time of check-in, automatically creating a new document with the original document left as the old version and performing requested update processes on the new document in sequence.
The method may further comprises the step of, after the document has been checked out, canceling the check-out of the document without performing any update process.
The method may further comprise the steps of, at the time of check-out of a document, setting a time limit of the check-out, monitoring the check-out time limit, and automatically canceling the check-out when the time limit for the document has expired.
The method may further comprise the step of enabling a specific client unit to cancel the check-out.
The method may further comprise the step of, when the document is being checked out, notifying the clien
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Homere Jean R.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
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