JP2004112798A - Document transmitting method and system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a document transmitting method and a document transmitting system capable of enabling a user to transmit a read document without limiting the number of destinations, efficiently updating destination information, and further maintaining high security of the destination information. <P>SOLUTION: MFDs (multi-function devices) 10 to 30 are connected to a reading server 40 via a communication network 100. Respective users input log-in information from the MFDs 10 to 30 to access a directory server 60 and can search for destination information. The server 40 receives document data and the destination information from an MFD 20 and transmits documents. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

The present invention relates to a document transmission method and a document transmission system for transmitting a document read using a reading device.

In recent years, with the spread of the Internet, data communication via the Internet has been put to practical use. Also in facsimile communication, a system has been developed in which document data (read image data) to be transmitted / received is converted into an e-mail format, and the document data is transmitted to the destination via the Internet in the same manner as facsimile communication (patent). Reference 1).
JP 2001-313772 A

According to such a system, the other party can receive the document data by the facsimile machine, and also can confirm the same as the document data attached to the electronic mail on a personal computer or the like which can be connected to the Internet.

In the above-described conventional system, the reading device for reading and transmitting the transmitted document stores a destination directory including a fax number and a mail address of a transmission destination of the document (data).

However, such conventional systems, while adequately meeting the needs of small and medium-sized companies, may be used in environments of relatively large companies, i.e., companies with many users and destinations. The following problems may occur.

That is, since the destination directory is stored in the reading device, its capacity is limited, and in a large company, not all the required destinations may be stored. For example, in a general reading apparatus (facsimile apparatus), the number of addresses is limited to about 200.

Also, the reader's local destination directory must be updated each time it updates the company-wide global destination directory. For example, the destination directory must be updated each time an employee leaves the company, hires a new employee, and each time an employee changes position or department within the company. For example, a large company may update 1000 times a week.

In a large company, the global directory that makes up the address book of the entire company is usually stored and updated on a main server or the like that is the center of the company network. In such a system, the local directory of each reader connected to the company network is updated in synchronization with the global directory. However, frequent and large-capacity update work creates a burden on the system administrator, and at the same time, seriously increases the communication volume of the in-house network, resulting in deterioration of the network function.

Furthermore, the global directory stored in the main server or the like is managed at a high security level, but the local directory of the reading device is usually easily accessible, and there is a possibility that security may be disrupted in the reading device.

As described above, in the document transmission system using the conventional reading device, the number of destinations stored in the reading device is limited, an update operation for each reading device is required, and the security level of the destination information in the reading device is low. There was a problem.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a document that allows a user to transmit a read document without limiting the number of destinations, efficiently update destination information, and maintain high security of destination information. A transmission method and a document transmission system are provided.

In order to achieve the above object, a document transmission method according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:
A document transmission method for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
Requesting the destination information by accessing a directory server that is connected to the reading device via a network and stores the destination information;
The reading device receiving destination information from the directory server;
A transmission step of transmitting the read document and the destination information by the reading device,
Is provided.

The method wherein the reader receives login information from a user;
An authentication step of requesting authentication of an operation of the reading device based on the received login information;
May be further provided.

The method wherein the reader receives login information from a user;
An authentication step of requesting access authentication to the directory server based on the received login information;
May be further provided.

In the above method, the authentication step includes:
Sending the login information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
Performing authentication based on the login information sent to the login server;
May be included.

In the above method, the authentication step may further include a step in which the reading server obtains authentication information stored in the directory server from the directory server.

In the above method, the transmitting step includes:
The reading device sends the read document and the destination information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
A step in which the reading server forwards the read document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
May be included.

The method may further include storing the destination information received by the reading device.

The method may further include the step of deleting the destination information stored by the reading device after a predetermined time.

The method may further include the step of converting the data format of the read document.

In the above method, the destination information includes, for example, at least one of an electronic mail address and a fax number.

In order to achieve the above object, a document transmission system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes:
A document transmission system for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
Means for connecting to the reading device via a network, accessing a directory server storing destination information, and requesting the destination information;
Means for receiving destination information from the directory server;
Transmitting means for transmitting the read document and the destination information;
Is provided.

The system having the above configuration includes means for receiving login information from a user,
An authentication unit for requesting authentication of an operation of the reading device based on the received login information;
May be further provided.

The system having the above configuration includes means for receiving login information from a user,
Authentication means for requesting access authentication to the directory server based on the received login information;
May be further provided.

In the system having the above configuration, the authentication unit includes:
Means for sending the login information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network,
Means for performing authentication based on the login information sent to the login server,
May be included.

In the system configured as described above, the authentication unit may further include a unit that obtains authentication information stored in the directory server from the directory server.

In the system having the above configuration, the transmitting unit includes:
Means for sending the read document and the destination information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
Means for forwarding the read document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
May be included.

The system having the above configuration may further include a unit that stores the destination information received by the reading device.

The system with the above configuration may further include a unit for deleting the destination information stored by the reading device after a predetermined time.

The system having the above configuration may further include a unit that converts a data format of the read document.

In the system having the above configuration, the destination information includes, for example, at least one of an electronic mail address and a fax number.

In order to achieve the above object, a program according to a third aspect of the present invention includes:
A document transmission program for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
Processing for accessing a directory server that is connected to the reading device via a network and stores the destination information and requests the destination information;
A process in which the reading device receives destination information from the directory server;
A transmission process in which the reading device sends the read document and the destination information;
On a computer.

In order to achieve the above object, a computer-readable recording medium according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes:
A document transmission program for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
Processing for accessing a directory server that is connected to the reading device via a network and stores the destination information and requests the destination information;
A process in which the reading device receives destination information from the directory server;
A transmission process in which the reading device sends the read document and the destination information;
In a computer.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a document transmission method and a document transmission that allow a user to transmit a read document without limiting the number of destinations, efficiently update destination information, and maintain high security of destination information A system is provided.

シ ス テ ム The system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The system according to the present embodiment constitutes a system for reading a document and e-mailing and / or faxing the read document. Hereinafter, a case where this system is used in a company will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system 5 according to the present embodiment. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or common parts.
As shown in FIG. 1, the system 5 comprises at least one, but preferably a plurality of reading devices (MFDs) 10-30, a reading server 40, and a network interconnecting the reading devices 10-30 and the reading server 40. 100.

The network 100 uses a generally used protocol, for example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). Of course, other protocols are possible. Network 100 may be any type of network, such as a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet or an extranet, or a combination thereof. Also, other communication links for network 100, such as virtual private networks and wireless links, can be used as well.

読 取 As shown in FIG. 1, the reading devices 10 to 30 are constituted by multifunctional devices, so-called “MFD”. The MFD is configured with a scanner, a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, a digital camera, other office devices, and a combination thereof. Various types of MFDs are generally known in the art and share common features and hardware with the MFDs according to the present embodiments. In embodiments of the present invention, the MFD is a portable device, a multi-scanner, a photocopier, and a printer, as described in more detail below with respect to FIGS.

The MFD may be a portable device such as a digital camera that can be connected to the Internet via a wireless connection. According to such an MFD, a digital image can be transferred to a still image, music, or the like via the Internet. Or you can capture videos and share them wirelessly from various locations. With such an MFD, it is possible to create a web page, send and receive e-mails, edit images and FTP files, surf the Internet, send faxes, and the like.

The reading server 40 is connected to the directory server 60. The directory server 60 can include destination information and personal authentication information. The destination information comprises a name, address, e-mail address, telephone / fax number and / or other forms of information, and is a destination directory (global directory) for the entire organization to which the user belongs. The authentication information is used when authenticating access to the directory server 60, as described later.

Examples of directory servers 60 that can be used include, but are not limited to, Lotus Notes ™, Microsoft Exchange ™, and LDAP (“Lightweight Directory Access Protocol”) that enables directory server 60. . LDAP is a software protocol that allows users to place organizations, individuals, files, and devices in a network.

The reading server 40 is also connected to a network domain control unit 50, an electronic mail (e-mail) server 70, a facsimile (FAX) server 80, and a conversion server 90.
The network domain control unit 50 controls authentication of an MFD user.

In the system 5, the destination information stored in the directory server 60 is provided via the reading server 40 in response to a user access from the MFDs 10 to 30. For example, a user can read a document on the MFD 20 and request a search of the company's global directory of the directory server 60.

{Specifically, the reading server 40 passes the search request received from the MFD 20 to the directory server 60, and receives a search result (for example, an e-mail address and / or a fax number) from the directory server 60.

(4) The reading server 40 passes the search result to the MFD 20, and the MFD 20 temporarily stores the result and displays it on the display screen. Preferably, the stored search results are automatically deleted from the MFD 20 after the job of the MFD 20 is completed or after a predetermined period (for example, two minutes) that can be set by a system administrator.

The user selects a desired e-mail address and fax number from the search results displayed on the display screen of the MFD 20, and requests that the document (read image data) be e-mailed and / or faxed to the selected destination. Can be.

送 る When sending to an unregistered destination, the user can enter a mail address or a fax number. Further, the address and the number can be selected from the local directories stored in the MFDs 10 to 30 without searching the global directory of the directory server 60. The local directories of the MFDs 10 to 30 are updated automatically or periodically, for example, according to the update of the directory server 60.

The reading server 40 receives from the MFD 20 the data of the read document and the information on the selected destination (address / number). The reading server 40 routes the read document to a predetermined server according to the destination information.

For example, when the user requests to send a read document by e-mail (when the destination includes a mail address), the reading server 40 forwards the read document to the e-mail server 70. When the user requests to fax the read document (when the destination includes the fax number), the reading server 40 forwards the read document to the fax server 80. The document sent to the e-mail server 70 or the fax server 80 is sent to a designated destination.

As the e-mail server 70, a Lotus Notes (trademark) e-mail server, a Microsoft Exchange (trademark) e-mail server, and an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) e-mail server can be used. As the fax server 80, a RightFax (trademark) server manufactured by Captaris can be used.

(4) The reading server 40 forwards the read document to the conversion server 90 according to a user's instruction. In the conversion server 90, the document is converted from one format (for example, Tag Image File Format (TIFF)) to another format (Portable Document Format (PDF)). The converted document is sent to the reading server 40 and then sent to the e-mail server 70 or the fax server 80.

In the present embodiment, the reading server 40 is configured such that the MFDs 10 to 30 can execute a plurality of functions during the same reading job. As will be described later, the reading server 40 is configured to display a plurality of functions on the LCD screen based on a request from the browser 25. The MFDs 10 to 30 can display, on the LCD panel thereof, a screen for prompting input of a plurality of parameters such as an e-mail address, a fax number and a building code based on communication between the browser 25 and the reading server 40. . Thereafter, the MFDs 10 to 30 send the read document to a plurality of servers, for example, the e-mail server 70 or the like.

The MFDs 10 to 30 and the reading server 40 exchange data via the network 100 using a protocol such as HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (HTTP over Secure Socket Layer). The MFDs 10 to 30 and the reading server 40 exchange data in, for example, an XML (Extensible Markup Language) format.

The e-mail server 70, the fax server 80, and / or the conversion server 90 may be incorporated in the reading server 40.

The system 5 of the present embodiment having the above configuration provides three levels of user authentication. At the first authentication level, no user authentication is performed. Under this first level, any user can use the MFDs 10-30 to read, copy, print, and access the directory server 60, search the global directory for documents, and send e-mail to the desired destination. And can be faxed.

At the second authentication level, the user is domain-authenticated by the network domain control unit 50. Under this second level, the user must enter login information, such as a login name and password, from the MFDs 10-30. This login information is sent to the reading server 40 via the network 100.

The reading server 40 passes the login information to the network domain control unit 50, and the network domain control unit 50 confirms (or does not perform) the domain authentication of the user. The confirmation information is sent to the MFDs 10 to 30 via the reading server 40.

If the user is authenticated in the domain, the user can use the MFDs 10 to 30. At this time, for example, the user uses a specific function of the MFDs 10 to 30, irrespective of whether or not the domain authentication is available, for example, a function of reading and copying a document, direct e-mail and fax (no access to the directory server 60). It is possible. However, the system 5 prohibits users who have not been domain-authenticated from using other functions, including accessing the directory server 60. Further, for example, the system 5 prohibits an unauthorized user from using all the functions of the MFDs 10 to 30.

At the third authentication level, the user is authenticated by the directory server 60. Under this third level, the directory server 60 controls the area of the global directory to which the user has access. For example, an employee of a particular department of the company (eg, human resources, legal affairs, etc.) may have access to a directory area corresponding only to that department. Therefore, information stored in such a specific area can be accessed only by a specific person, even within a company. Therefore, it is possible to manage and protect the global directory at a very high security level.
This third authentication level is provided above the second level (domain authentication), but is not necessarily required.

Under the second and third authentication levels, the system 5 creates a user profile for each user, and upon authentication, the system 5 is configured to provide the user with access only to specific functions corresponding to the user profile. Have been. Under this embodiment, different authenticated users have different user profiles and thus have access to different functions. The system administrator can change and control the user profile.

The reading server 40 may include an MFD profiler that sets a specific profile for a specific MFD. The administrator of the system 5 creates, modifies, and maintains the profile using the MFD profiler of the reading server 40. The profile is used to configure the exchange of information between the reading server 40 and the MFDs 10 to 30 such as a serial number and identification information such as various parameters related to the MFD (computer network name, machine location, etc.). May be included. These parameters may relate to the authentication scheme used for each MFD, the data format / protocol used, the email server 70, the fax server 80, and / or the directory server 60. The profile may also include a time period that is stored on the reader until the search results from the directory server 60 are deleted.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of software components of the MFD server system including the MFD 20 and the reading server 40 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the reading server 40 includes an authentication unit 260, a management unit 265, a directory gateway 270, a document router unit 275, and a profiler 280.

The authentication unit 260 performs the above-described authentication function.
The management unit 265 enables the system administrator to manage the system 5. For example, an administrator of the system 5 can access the profiler 280 via the management unit 265 and set a user profile and / or an MFD profile for the MFDs 10 to 30 connected to the reading server 40.
The directory gateway 270 can communicate with the directory server 60.
The document router 275 forwards the document received from the MFDs 10 to 30 to an appropriate server.

The MFD 20 includes an engine control unit (MCS) 205 that controls the scanning engine of the MFD 20. The MCS 205 controls access to the memory of the MFD 20.

The operation panel control unit (OCS) 215 generates display information on the LCD of the MFD 20. For example, OCS 215 may generate a conventional menu for the operation of MFD 20 and the menus shown in FIGS.

The system control unit (SCS) 225 controls and / or monitors a sensor in the MFD 20. For example, the SCS 225 controls a touch screen sensor, a paper jam sensor, and a reading operation sensor. Therefore, the SCS 225 can manage the status of the MFD 20 based on information from the sensor.

The network control unit (NCS) 220 controls communication between the browser 25 and the reading server 40. The SSL (Secure Socket Layer) 230 further increases the security of communication between the NCS 220 and the browser 25, but is not always necessary.

The command input unit (CIS) 240 processes input information from the LCD touch panel and the keypad of the MFD 20, for example. The user of the MFD 20 can input information and instructions using the LCD touch panel and the keypad. CIS 240 may process such information and instructions entered by the user (e.g., transferred to CIS 240 by SCS 225). The CIS 240 generates a command (eg, a display command) based on such processing and sends the command to other elements of the MFD 20 (eg, to the OCS 215 to display a graphic on an LCD). CIS 240 also exchanges information and instructions with NCS 220 for processing by browser 25 in connection with read server 40.

Conventional MFDs include ECS, MCS, OCS, SSL, NCS, SCS, and CIS, which are firmware for executing and controlling each hardware element of the MFD. However, in the present embodiment, NCS 220 is configured to be able to communicate with browser 25. For example, the NCS 220 has a capability for communication using the HTTP protocol. The NCS 220 is similarly configured to be able to communicate with the read server 40, which may send a request for an email address to the read server 40 and receive the selected email address from the read server 40, or The login information is sent to the reading server 40 and the authentication process can receive a user authentication confirmation from the reading server 40 (and the directory server 60).

The browser 25 includes an HTTP command processing unit 235 that communicates with the network control unit (NCS) 220 of the MFD 20. For example, a request for an e-mail address entered by a user via the keypad of the MFD 20 or a request for displaying information on the LCD as shown in FIGS. Is passed to the browser 25.

The HTTP command processing unit 235 is capable of exchanging HTML format data with the HTML parser 250 of the browser 25 and exchanging XML format data with the XML parser 255. Parsers 250 and 255 check the data from HTTP instruction processing unit 235 for syntax and process the data for HTTP instruction processing unit 235. The invention can include conventional parsers, which are usually part of a compiler.

The HTTP command processing unit 235 is attached to a program code for executing a specific application such as a user authentication process that can be executed by the directory service of the reading server 40, for example. The HTTP command processing unit 235 can process information based on a definition of a specific application. For example, the HTTP command processing unit 235 can process information such as a user name and a password provided by a user, and generates an HTTP request based on this processing for the reading server 40. The HTTP command processing unit 235 sends the HTTP request to the NCS 220, which is then sent to the reading server 40.

The HTTP command processing unit 235 can also process information received from the reading server 40 (via the NCS 220). For example, the HTTP command processing unit 235 can receive an HTTP response generated by the reading server 40, including parameters for operating the MFDs 10 to 30. This parameter is stored in the profiler 280 of the reading server 40, for example.

This parameter may include a specific user ID as a result of the user authentication process. In addition, the parameters may include read job parameters for a particular user ID, such as default paper size, read resolution settings, document feeder status, or department code for billing the read operation.

The HTTP command processing unit 235 can process this information, generate a command, and control the MFDs 10-30 according to the information, for example, requesting the MFDs 10-30 to read according to the read job parameters for a particular user ID. be able to. As another example, the HTTP command processing unit 235 can generate a graphic drawing command for the LCD panel. The HTTP command processing unit 235 sends a command to an appropriate firmware (for example, the OCS 215) to execute the command. For example, OCS 215 receives a graphics drawing command and performs this by displaying a graphic (eg, FIGS. 3-6) on an LCD panel.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show flowcharts of a method for managing documents in the MFD browser 25. FIG. More specifically, FIG. 13 shows an HTTP request handling processing flow, and FIG. 14 shows an HTTP response handling processing flow.

を Referring to FIG. 13, in step S3100, the user operates the MFD panel and selects, for example, a button on the LCD touch panel of the MFD. In step S3150, the SCS 225 detects a panel operation, for example, the position of the selected button, and sends panel operation information to the CIS 240. In step S3200, CIS 240 translates panel operation information and generates a command. The translation and the generation of the instructions are based on, for example, definitions written in predetermined program code. The default program code may be provided to execute a specific application executed by the MFD 20 and the reading server 40. For example, the specific application is a user authentication using the directory server 60 or a reading-email function in the MFD 20 and the reading server 40. The default program code for a particular application can be used for MFD on an IC card or other medium.

In step S3250, the CIS 240 sends a command to the HTTP command processing unit 235. In step S3300, the HTTP command processing unit 235 generates an HTTP request constructed in the HTML language and / or the XML language based on the command. In step S3350, the HTTP command processing unit 235 sends an HTTP request to the NCS 220. In some cases, the HTTP command processing unit 235 sends the HTTP request to the SSL 230 based on the definition of the default program code for the specific application, that is, using the HTTP protocol or SSL (Secure Socket Layer over HTTP) over HTTP. Sent. In step S3400, the NCS 220 sends an HTTP request to the reading server 40.

を Referring to FIG. 14, in step S4100, reading server 40 generates an HTTP response based on the process defined by the specific application. For example, the authentication result information is included in the HTTP response. The reading server 40 sends this HTTP response to the NCS 220. In this process, the HTTP response is sent using an HTTP protocol that depends on the definition of the default program code for the specific application. In step S4150, the NCS 220 receives the HTTP response and sends it to the HTTP command processing unit 235. In step S4200, the HTTP command processing unit 235 receives the HTTP response from the NCS 220 and sends it to the HTML parser 250 and / or the XML parser 255. In step S4300, the XML parser 255 processes the HTTP response for the HTTP command processing unit 235. In step S4450, the HTTP command processing unit 235 generates a command based on this processing, and sends the command to an MFD element, for example, the CIS 240. In step S4500, CIS 240 generates a display request based on the command, and sends the display request to OCS 215. In step S4600, the OCS 215 processes the display request. For example, in step S4700, the LCD panel displays graphics such as the menus shown in FIGS.

The MFDs 10 to 30 provide an interactive menu based on the information input by the operator, so that the operator can easily enjoy the advantages of the service provided by the system 5. FIGS. 3 to 6 show examples of menus displayed on the contact sensitivity screen of the MFD 20. FIG.
FIG. 3 shows a screen 300 with touch sensitive buttons, for example buttons 305-325. When the “login” button 305 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (not shown) that prompts the user to input login information. When the “FAX” button 310 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (for example, the screen 500 shown in FIG. 5) that allows the user to fax the document. When the “e-mail” button 315 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (for example, a screen 400 shown in FIG. 4) that allows the user to e-mail the document. When the “read setting” button 320 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (for example, a screen 600 shown in FIG. 6) that prompts the user to input settings for reading the document. When the “job log” button 325 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (not shown) for displaying the job log, and this job log maintains the track of the job before the MFD 20 performed the job. Screen 300 may include a system display portion 330 that displays system messages, such as, for example, date and time, error messages, or instructions to the user. Screen 300 includes another display portion. Screen 300 may also include buttons 340 that allow the user to scroll the display shown in main display portion 335.

FIG. 4 shows a screen 400 with touch sensitivity buttons used to set reading parameters. The screen 400 may include a default button 405 for requesting the MFD 20 to read a document using a default reading parameter (for example, 200 dpi). The default parameter is displayed below the default button 405, for example. The “high accuracy” button 410 requests that the MFD 20 read the document using a reading parameter (eg, 300 dpi) that is more accurate than the default parameter upon contact. These more accurate parameters may be displayed below the button 410. The “Ultra High Accuracy” button 415 requests that the MFD 20 read the document using a parameter that is more accurate than the high accuracy parameter (eg, 400 dpi) upon contact. These more accurate reading parameters may be displayed below the button 415.

Screen 400 includes a “Create PDF” button 430 that requests to convert the document to a PDF file, for example, by touch. This conversion may be performed at the MFD 20, at the reading server 40, or at the conversion server 90. For example, the document is sent from the MFD 20 to the reading server 40 in TIFF format with a request to convert to PDF format. The reading server 40 then sends the document to the conversion server 90 for conversion to PDF format.

If the user does not want to convert the document to PDF format, the user can touch the "Keep TIFF" button 435 to request that the document be kept in TIFF format. The user can also set the size of the document to be read by touching the “read size” button 440. The user can also select single-sided reading by touching a “single-sided” button 420 or select double-sided reading by touching a “double-sided” button 425. Once the user has selected all the reading parameters, the user can touch the "Save" button 445 to save his selection. On the other hand, if the user wants to return to the previous screen 300, the user can touch the “Back” button 450.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate screens 500 and 600 used for requests to fax and e-mail documents. Text (eg, a fax memo or an e-mail message) can be entered via the LCD using a touch-sensitive keyboard (not shown) displayed on the LCD. When touching “FAX memo input” button 510, MFD 20 displays a screen that allows the user to input a fax memo accompanying the document to be faxed. The fax memo may be displayed on a portion 555 of the screen 500. Upon touching the "Enter FAX Number" button 520, the MFD displays a screen that allows the user to enter a fax number where the document will be faxed. If the user already knows the fax number, he manually enters the fax number. If the user does not yet know the fax number, the user can search the global directory, as described below.

Upon touching the “FAX Number Search” button 525, the MFD 20 prompts the user for the recipient's name or group of recipients (eg, “marketing”, “management”, “security”, “legal department”, “production department”, “ Softball team "). Search criteria other than names can be used. The MFD 20 can send the name or other search criteria to the reading server 40, which passes this information to the directory server 60. Directory server 60 then returns the fax number for the name entered by the user to reading server 40, which passes the fax number to MFD 20 for display on portion 545 of screen 500. Touching a portion 550 of the screen allows for selection (eg, by highlighting) of the fax numbers listed on portion 545. The selected fax number can be removed from the recipient list by touching the “Remove FAX Number” button 530. When the "OK" button 535 is touched, the information received via screen 500 is processed by MFD 20 and the document is faxed. The user can return to the previous screen by touching the “cancel” button 540. When the “Billing code” button 515 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a billing management screen (not shown) for receiving billing information. For example, the billing management screen prompts the user to enter a department code representing the department to which the user belongs. This allows the MFD 20 to process the billing information locally and / or send the billing information to the read server 40 for centralized processing.

画面 If the user touches the “input title” button 605 in the screen 600 shown in FIG. 6, the MFD 20 displays a screen that allows the user to input the title of the document to be e-mailed. This title may be displayed on part 655 of screen 600. When the user touches the “e-mail message input” button 610, the MFD 20 displays a screen for permitting the user to input an e-mail message accompanying the document to be e-mailed. Touching the “document name” button 615 causes the MFD 20 to display a screen that allows the user to enter the name of the document to be e-mailed. If the user already knows the e-mail address, he or she manually enters the e-mail address. If the user does not yet know the email address, the user can search the global directory stored on the directory server 60, as described below.

Upon touching the "Email Address Search" button 625, the MFD 20 provides the user with the name of the recipient or a group of recipients (e.g., "marketing", "management", "safety", "legal department", "production department", "Softball team") is displayed. Other search criteria can be used. The MFD 20 can send the name or other search criteria to the reading server 40, which passes this information to the directory server 60. Directory server 60 then returns the email address for the name entered by the user to reading server 40, which passes the email address to MFD 20 for display on portion 645 of screen 600. Touching a portion 650 of the screen allows selection (eg, by highlighting) of the email addresses listed on portion 645. The selected email address can be removed from the recipient list by touching the “remove address” button 630. When the "OK" button 635 is touched, the information received via screen 600 is processed by MFD 20 and the document is emailed. The user can return to the previous screen by touching the "cancel" button 640.

FIG. 7 shows a method of user authentication performed by the MFD 20 according to the present embodiment. In step S705, the MFD 20 asks whether an instruction to display a login screen has been received from the user. For example, the user presses a login button of the MFD 20, such as the “login” button 305 of the screen 300 shown in FIG. In step S710, when receiving the command, the MFD 20 displays a login screen. In step S715, the MFD 20 asks whether the user has entered a user name, a password, and a domain name. If the login information has been received, the MFD 20 sends the login information to the reading server 40 in step S720. The reading server 40 then sends the login information to the network domain control unit 50. The network domain control unit 50 confirms the login information, sends an authentication confirmation to the reading server 40, and the reading server 40 transfers the confirmation information to the MFD 20. In step S725, the MFD 20 asks whether an authentication confirmation has been received from the reading server 40. When the MFD 20 receives the user authentication, the MFD 20 downloads the user's home page from the reading server 40 for display in step S730. For example, the home page of the user includes a start screen as shown in FIG. The user homepage may be a type of default (portal) page initially displayed after authentication. This home page is generated, for example, based on the result of user authentication. In a preferred embodiment, the user home page may include a "Help" button and / or a "Related Information" button that provides instructions and information for using the system of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a method of accessing the global directory according to the present embodiment from the MFD 20. The global directory is accessible for performing searches such as fax number searches and / or email address searches. In step S805, the MFD 20 asks whether the user has requested a search of the global directory. For example, a user can request such a search by pressing search buttons 525 and 625 shown in FIGS. When a search is requested, the MFD 20 displays a screen prompting the user to input a search string, for example, a string of two characters, in step S810. In step S815, the MFD 20 asks whether a search string has been input. When the search string is input, the MFD 20 sends the search string to the reading server 40 in step S820. The reading server 40 transfers the search string to the directory server 60, and the directory server 60 performs a search, and sends the search result to the reading server 40. The reading server 40 sends the search result to the MFD 20. In step S825, the MFD 20 asks whether the search result has been received from the reading server 40. Upon receiving the search result, the MFD 20 displays the search result in step S830.

9 to 10 show examples of the MFD 20, which includes a central processing unit (CPU) 931 and various components connected to the CPU 931 by an internal bus 932. CPU 931 performs a number of tasks while monitoring the status of MFD 20. Elements connected to the CPU 931 include a read only memory (ROM) 933, a random access memory (RAM) 934, a hard disk drive (HDD) 935, a floppy disk drive (FDD) 936 capable of receiving a floppy disk 907, A communication interface (I / F) 938 and a modem unit 939 are included. Further, the control panel 937, the reading unit 940, the printer unit 941, and the image processing unit 942 may be connected to the CPU 931 by the internal bus 932. Both the I / F 938 and the modem unit 939 are connected to the communication network 100.

For example, a program code command for the MFD 20 is stored in the HDD 935 via an IC card. Further, the program code command may be stored in the floppy disk 907, read by the FDD 936, sent to the RAM 934, and performed by the CPU 931. These commands may be commands for performing the functions of the MFD 20 described above. With these commands, the MFD 20 can interact with the reading server 40 via the browser 25 and control the control panel 937 and the image processing unit 942 of the MFD 20.

@ During the startup of the MFD 20, the program code command is read by the CPU 931 and sent to the RAM for execution by the CPU 931. Further, the program code command may be loaded into the ROM 933. Therefore, in the present invention, each of the floppy disk 907, the HDD 935, the RAM 934, and the ROM 933 corresponds to a computer-readable storage medium capable of storing a program code command. Other devices and media that can store instructions according to the present invention include, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks including DVDs, magneto-optical disks such as MOs, and semiconductor storage cards such as PC cards.

The control panel 937 is, for example, Includes a display screen that displays information that allows the user to interact with the reading server 40, such as screens 300-600 as shown in FIGS. The display screen may be a liquid crystal display screen (LCD), a plasma display screen, or a cathode ray tube (CRT) display. The display screen need not be incorporated or embedded in the control panel 937, but may simply be integrated with the control panel 937 by a wired or wireless connection. Control panel 937 may include keys for entering information or requesting various operations. Further, the control panel 937 and the display screen may be operated by a keyboard, a mouse, a remote control, a touch on the display screen, voice recognition, or eye tracking, or a combination thereof.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the reading server 40 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic external view of the reading server 40. The reading server 40 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1000 that communicates with many other devices via a system bus 1500. The reading server 40 includes a random access memory (RAM) 1900 that stores temporary storage values used for performing functions such as authentication and forwarding.

A conventional personal computer or computer workstation with sufficient memory and processing power may be configured to operate as read server 40. The central processing unit 1000 is configured for high volume data transfer and to perform large amounts of numerical calculations in processing communications and database searches.
Intel Inc. A Pentium® III microprocessor, such as 1 GHz Pentium® III, manufactured by Philips, may be used for CPU 1000. This processor employs a 32-bit architecture. Other suitable processors include a Motorola 500 MHz PowerG4 processor and workstation. Multiprocessors or workstations can be used as well.

ROM 1800 is preferably included in semiconductor form, although other read-only memory forms including optical media may be used for holding host application software and temporary results. ROM 1800 is connected to system bus 1500 for use by CPU 1000. ROM 1800, when executed by CPU 1000, can perform different authentication, forwarding, and document management functions in connection with documents read from MFD 20. The input control unit 1600 is connected to the system bus 1500 and provides an interface with various peripheral devices including a pointing device such as a keyboard 1610 and a mouse 1620. The input controller 1600 may include a PS2 port or a different port, such as a mouse port in the form of a universal serial bus (USB) port, for example. The keyboard port for the input control unit 1600 is a mini-DIN (mini-DIN) port, but other connectors can be used as well. The input control unit 1600 may include a sound card connection, and an external jack of the sound card may allow a user to attach a microphone speaker or an external sound source. Input controller 1600 may also include a serial port or a parallel port as well.

The disk controller 1400 is in the form of an IDE controller, and is connected to a removable medium drive 1410 such as a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive 1420, a CD-ROM drive 1180, and a compact disk 1190 via a ribbon cable or the like (FIG. 12). Further, a PCI expansion slot may be provided in the motherboard that holds the disk control unit 1400 or the CPU 1000. An enhanced image port expansion slot may be provided to enable 3-D graphics with high-speed access to the main memory. Hard disk 1210 may also include a readable and writable CD-ROM. The communication control unit 1300 provides communication via an Ethernet (registered trademark) connection to a network 1310 which may be the communication network 100, for example. The connection to the network 1310 and the communication control unit 1300 may be via a number of communications connected to the communication control unit 1300, such as a cable-modem connection, a DSL connection, and a dial-up modem connection.

The input / output control unit 1200 may also include an external hard disk 1210, a printer 1220, which may be an MFD 10-30, for example, an RS232 port, a SCSI bus, Ethernet (registered trademark), or TCP / IP, IPX, IPX. Provides connectivity to external components via other network connections that support any desired network, such as / SPX or NetBEUI.

The display control unit 1100 interconnects the system bus 1500 with a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) 1110. Although a CRT is shown, various other display devices such as an LCD and a plasma display device may be used.

The mechanisms and processes described herein above may be implemented using a conventional general purpose microprocessor programmed in accordance with the teachings of the detailed description of the invention, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. There will be. Suitable software for encoding can be readily adjusted by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In particular, the computer program product for authentication, forwarding and management of scanned documents according to the present invention may be written in a number of computer languages such as C, C ++, Fortran, Basic, etc., which will be understood by those skilled in the art. Will be done. The invention can also be practiced by adjustment of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or by interconnecting appropriate networks of conventional component circuits, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Will be.

Accordingly, the present invention also includes a computer-dependent product that contains instructions that can be stored on a storage medium and used to program a computer to perform processing in accordance with the present invention. This storage medium may be any type of disk, such as a floppy disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, optical magnetic disk, ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, magnetic or optical card, or for storing electronic instructions. Including any suitable type of media.

Historically, business applications have been run on mainframe computers, and users have performed operations from terminal consoles by sending command instructions. The terminal controls had no computational power other than displaying the data stream returned from the mainframe computer running the actual application. When a LAN (Local Area Network) became possible, a client-server architecture was introduced. The client-server architecture utilizes the computing power of the client computer to remove the data processing load from the mainframe, allowing for more efficient use of resources and higher overall capacity.

This client-server technology, however, has introduced new problems. Each and every computer must have an application program installed. Client installation, upgrades, and maintenance required a lot of time and human support, which increased operating costs. In addition, this approach lacks flexibility because different versions of the client and server applications should match.

導入 Once introduced, web browsers have been well accepted as this not only solves the problem of client-server architecture, but also allows users to maintain the benefits of distributed computing. In particular, web browsers eliminate the need for client program maintenance, as application programs and / or web pages are dynamically loaded when a user accesses a web site. The user is guaranteed to have the latest version of the application. As a result, the PC no longer needs to have its own permanently installed application program on its local hard disk. This is because PC web browsers are sometimes called "thin client technology" and do not require large application programs.

The MFD browser according to the present invention provides a thin client technology because it ensures the most up-to-date and / or only appropriate software loaded from the website while not requiring a manual program installation or program upgrade. Benefits to MFD. When the MFD browser is embedded in the MFD, the web server identifies the capabilities of the MFD and dynamically downloads and executes the program selected according to predefined criteria. This criterion can be used to implement different types of applications for different departments, such as patent search and printing programs for the Legal Department and resume management applications for the Human Resources department.

As described above, the system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the directory server 60 connected to the reading server 40. The directory server 60 stores destination information, such as an e-mail address and a fax number, required by the user. In addition, the present system includes a local directory server that stores the same destination information provided in the MFDs 10 to 30, in addition to the directory server 60.

The reading server 40 passes the information stored in the directory server 60 to the MFDs 10 to 30. A user who wants to search for a destination such as an e-mail address or a fax number from the directory server 60 can send a search request to the reading server 40 to search the global directory of the directory server 60, and the reading server 40 The request is passed to the server 60. Also, the user does not access the directory server 60 by accessing the local directory of the MFDs 10-30, or otherwise by manually entering the address and / or fax number using the user interface of the MFDs 10-30. You can email or fax directly.

The system 5 having the above configuration can be suitably used in a company, and various employees can access a company's global directory or address book. The global directory (for example, the address book of the entire company) does not need to be stored in the MFDs 10 to 30 or the like. Instead, the global directory can be managed in a secure, central location. The company administrator can update the global directory without having to update any local directories such as MFDs 10-30.

(4) The user inputs a login name and a password from the MFDs 10 to 30, and the login information is transmitted to the reading server 40. The read server 40 can confirm the domain authentication by the network domain control unit 50 and confirm that the user has the authority to use the system 5. The read server 40 can also handle directory authentication and control user access to the directory server 60. The reading server 40 can also process documents or files received from the MFDs 10 to 30. The reading server 40 forwards the document to an appropriate server, such as an e-mail server 70 or a fax server 80, when requested by the user.

The plurality of MFDs 10 to 30 can be connected to the reading server 400 via the communication network 100. Within a company, several readers (MFDs) may be located on different floors, different rooms, or different buildings. Employees can access the global directory from any reader. An administrator can maintain one global directory and efficiently update information available to users throughout the company.

The present invention may be included in the system and method for document management disclosed in application Ser. No. 09 / 79,438, which is co-pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It is.

Obviously, further modifications and variations of the present invention are possible within the scope of the above teachings. Thus, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of software components of the system according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows an example of a menu displayed on a display screen of the reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows an example of a menu displayed on a display screen of the reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows an example of a menu displayed on a display screen of the reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows an example of a menu displayed on a display screen of the reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 shows a flowchart of an authentication method according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of accessing a global directory according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an external view of a reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a reading server according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external view of the reading server according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 shows a flowchart of a document management method in the MFD browser according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 shows a flowchart of a document management method in the MFD browser according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

5 System 10-30 MFD
40 reading server 115 directory server

Claims (20)

A document transmission method for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
Requesting the destination information by accessing a directory server that is connected to the reading device via a network and stores the destination information;
The reading device receiving destination information from the directory server;
A transmission step of transmitting the read document and the destination information by the reading device,
A document transmission method, comprising: The reading device receives login information from a user;
An authentication step of requesting authentication of an operation of the reading device based on the received login information;
The document transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising: The reading device receives login information from a user;
An authentication step of requesting access authentication to the directory server based on the received login information;
The document transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising: The authentication step includes:
Sending the login information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
Performing authentication based on the login information sent to the login server;
The document transmission method according to claim 2, further comprising: 5. The document transmission method according to claim 4, wherein the authentication step further includes a step in which the reading server acquires authentication information stored in the directory server from the directory server. 6. The transmitting step includes:
The reading device sends the read document and the destination information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
A step in which the reading server forwards the read document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
The document transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: 7. The document transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising: storing the destination information received by the reading device. 8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: erasing the destination information stored in the reading device after a predetermined time. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: converting the data format of the read document. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the destination information includes at least one of an electronic mail address and a fax number. A document transmission system for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
Means for connecting to the reading device via a network, accessing a directory server storing destination information, and requesting the destination information;
Means for receiving destination information from the directory server;
Transmitting means for transmitting the read document and the destination information;
A document transmission system comprising: Means for receiving login information from the user;
An authentication unit for requesting authentication of an operation of the reading device based on the received login information;
The document transmission system according to claim 11, further comprising: Means for receiving login information from the user;
Authentication means for requesting access authentication to the directory server based on the received login information;
The document transmission system according to claim 11, further comprising: The authentication means,
Means for sending the login information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network,
Means for performing authentication based on the login information sent to the login server,
14. The document transmission system according to claim 12, further comprising: 15. The document transmission system according to claim 14, wherein the authentication unit further includes a unit that obtains authentication information stored in the directory server from the directory server. The transmitting means,
Means for sending the read document and the destination information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
Means for forwarding the read document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
The document transmission system according to any one of claims 11 to 15, further comprising: 17. The document transmission system according to claim 11, further comprising: a unit configured to store the destination information received by the reading device. 18. The document transmission system according to claim 17, further comprising means for deleting the destination information stored in the reading device after a predetermined time. 19. The document transmission system according to claim 11, further comprising means for converting a data format of the read document. 20. The document transmission system according to claim 11, wherein the destination information includes at least one of an e-mail address and a fax number.

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