JP4143507B2 - Document transmission method, document transmission system, and reading server - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a document transmission method , a document transmission system, and a reading server 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 into practical use. Also in facsimile communication, a system has been developed that converts document data (read image data) to be transmitted / received into an e-mail format, and transmits the document data to the other party via the Internet as in facsimile communication (patent). Reference 1).
JP 2001-313772 A

  According to such a system, the destination can receive the document data by the facsimile apparatus, but can also be confirmed as document data attached to the e-mail in a personal computer or the like that can be connected to the Internet.

  In the above-described conventional system, a reading device that reads and transmits a document to be sent stores a destination directory including a fax number and a mail address of a document (data) transmission destination.

  However, such conventional systems are sufficient to meet the needs of small and medium-sized companies, but when used in the environment of a relatively large company, that is, a company with many users and destinations. The following problems may occur.

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

  Also, the local destination directory of the reader needs to be updated each time the global destination directory of the entire company is updated. For example, the destination directory must be updated each time an employee leaves the company, hires a new employee, and whenever the employee changes position or department within the company. For example, a large company may update 1000 times per week.

  In a large company, the global directory that constitutes the address book of the entire company is usually stored and updated in a main server or the like that is the center of the in-house network. In such a system, the local directory of each reader connected to the in-house network is updated in synchronization with the global directory. However, frequent and large-capacity updating operations create a burden on the system administrator, and at the same time, the amount of communication in the in-house network is seriously increased, leading to a decrease in network function.

  Furthermore, although the global directory stored in the main server or the like is managed at a high security level, the local directory of the reading device is usually easily accessible, and there is a possibility that a security failure occurs 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, and update work 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 problems, the present invention is a document in which a user can transmit a read document without being limited in the number of destinations, the destination information can be updated efficiently, and the security of the destination information can be maintained high. An object is to provide a transmission method , a document transmission system, and a reading server .

In order to achieve the above object, a document transmission method according to the first aspect of the present invention includes:
An authentication requesting step for obtaining login information from a reading device and transmitting the login information to an authentication server for authenticating the reading device to request authentication ;
Transmitting the search request from the reading device to a directory server that stores the destination information based on a search request for destination information indicating a transmission destination of a document read by the reading device ;
Receiving destination information satisfying the search request from the directory server, and transmitting the destination information to the reader;
Get the said document and the destination information from the reading device, a transmission step that sends the document to transmission server corresponding to the destination information,
Is provided.

In the above method ,
The authentication request step includes
The reader receives login information from a user;
A step of based on said log information received, and requests authentication of the operation of the reading device to the authentication server,
May be included .

In the above method ,
The authentication request step includes
The reader receives login information from a user;
A step of based on said log information received, to request access authentication to the directory server to the authentication server,
May be included .

In the above method, the destination information is at least one of an email address and a fax number ,
May be included.

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 to a predetermined device,
Authentication request means for requesting authentication by transmitting the input login information to an authentication server that authenticates the reader;
Means for obtaining an authentication result from the authentication server and transmitting the authentication result to the reader;
Means for transmitting the search request to a directory server storing the destination information based on a search request for destination information indicating a transmission destination of the document read by the reading device from the reading device;
Means for receiving destination information satisfying the search request from the directory server, and transmitting the destination information to the reading device;
Transmitting means for acquiring the document and the destination information from the reading device, and transmitting the document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
The equipped and wherein the Rukoto.

In the above system , the transmission means includes:
Means for sending the reader, the reader connected to the read server via a network to the apparatus, the reading was document and the destination information,
The reading server, and means for transmitting the document, the transmission server according to the destination information,
May be included.

In the system, the reading device may further include means for storing the received destination information.

In the above system, the reader may further comprise a means for erasing the stored the destination information after a predetermined time.

In the above system, the destination information may include at least one of an e-mail address and a fax number .

In order to achieve the above object, a reading server according to the third aspect of the present invention provides :
Authentication request means for obtaining login information from a reader and transmitting the login information to an authentication server for authenticating the reader and requesting authentication;
Means for obtaining an authentication result from the authentication server and transmitting the authentication result to the reader;
Means for transmitting the search request to a directory server storing the destination information based on a search request for destination information indicating a transmission destination of the document read by the reading device from the reading device;
Means for receiving destination information corresponding to the search request from the directory server and transmitting the destination information to the reader;
Transmitting means for acquiring the document and the destination information from the reading device, and transmitting the document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
It comprising: a.

In the reading server, the authentication request means includes
The reader may include means for requesting the authentication server to authenticate the operation of the reader based on login information received from the user .

In the reading server, the authentication request means includes
Means for requesting the authentication server to authenticate access to the directory server based on the login information received by the reader ;
May be included .

In the reading server, the destination information may include at least one of an e-mail address and a fax number .

In order to achieve the above object, a program according to the fourth aspect of the present invention provides:
A document transmission program for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
An authentication request process for obtaining login information from a reading device and transmitting the login information to an authentication server for authenticating the reading device to request authentication ;
Certification result from the authentication server, and processing that sends the authentication result to the reader,
From the reading device, on the basis of the search request destination information indicating a destination of the document read by said read device, a processing you send the search request to the directory server storing the destination information,
Receiving destination information satisfying the search request from the directory server, and transmitting the destination information to the reading device;
A transmission process for acquiring the document and the destination information from the reading device, and transmitting the document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
Is executed on the computer.

In order to achieve the above object, a computer-readable recording medium according to the fifth aspect of the present invention provides:
A document transmission program for transmitting a document read by a reading device,
An authentication request process for obtaining login information from a reading device and transmitting the login information to an authentication server for authenticating the reading device to request authentication ;
Certification result from the authentication server, and processing that sends the authentication result to the reader,
From the reading device, on the basis of the search request destination information indicating a destination of the document read by said read device, a processing you send the search request to the directory server storing the destination information,
Receiving destination information satisfying the search request from the directory server, and transmitting the destination information to the reading device;
A transmission process for acquiring the document and the destination information from the reading device, and transmitting the document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
A program for causing a computer to execute is recorded.

According to the present invention, a user can transmit a read document without being limited in the number of destinations, the destination information can be updated efficiently, and the security of the destination information can be maintained high , and document transmission A system and a reading server are provided.

  A system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail 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. In the following, 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. Hereinafter, in the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or common parts.
As shown in FIG. 1, the system 5 includes at least one, but preferably a plurality of readers (MFDs) 10-30, a reader server 40, and a network interconnecting the readers 10-30 and reader server 40. 100.

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

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

  Note that 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 web pages, 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 is composed of a name, an address, an e-mail address, a telephone / fax number and / or other forms of information, and is a destination directory (global directory) of the entire organization to which the user belongs. The authentication information is used when authenticating access to the directory server 60, as will be described later.

  Examples of directory servers 60 that may be used include, but are not limited to, Lotus Notes ™, Microsoft Exchange ™, and LDAP (“Lightweight Directory Access Protocol”) that enables the 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 (email) server 70, a fax (FAX) server 80, and a conversion server 90.
The network domain control unit 50 controls authentication of MFD users.

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

  The reading server 40 passes the search result to the MFD 20, and the MFD 20 temporarily stores it and displays it on the display screen. Preferably, the stored search result is automatically deleted from the MFD 20 after the job of the MFD 20 is completed or after a predetermined period (for example, 2 minutes) that can be set by the 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 do.

  When sending to an unregistered destination, the user can input a mail address or a fax number. It is also possible to select an address and number from a local directory 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 automatically or periodically updated according to the update of the directory server 60, for example.

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

  For example, when the user requests to e-mail the read document (when the e-mail address is included in the destination), 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 a 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 electronic mail server 70, a Lotus Notes (trademark) electronic mail server, a Microsoft Exchange (trademark) electronic mail server, and an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) electronic mail server can be used. As the fax server 80, a RightFax (trademark) server manufactured by Captaris can be used.

  The reading server 40 forwards the read document to the conversion server 90 in accordance with a user instruction. The conversion server 90 converts the document from one format (for example, TIFF (Tag Image File Format)) to another format (PDF (Portable Document Format)). The converted document is sent to the reading server 40 and then sent to the electronic mail server 70 and 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. Based on the communication between the browser 25 and the reading server 40, the MFDs 10 to 30 can display a screen for prompting input of a plurality of parameters such as an e-mail address, a fax number, and a bill code on the LCD panel. . Thereafter, the MFDs 10 to 30 send the read document to a plurality of servers, for example, the e-mail server 70.

  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 configured as described above provides three levels of user authentication. User authentication is not performed at the first authentication level. Under this first level, any user can read, copy, print, and access the directory server 60 using the MFDs 10-30, search the global directory for documents, and e-mail to the desired destination. And can be faxed.

  In the second authentication level, the user is domain authenticated by the network domain control unit 50. Under this second level, the user needs to input login information such as login name and password from 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 confirm) 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 domain authenticated, the user can use MFDs 10-30. At this time, for example, the user uses specific functions of the MFDs 10 to 30, regardless of whether or not domain authentication is possible, for example, functions such as reading, copying, direct e-mail and fax (no access to the directory server 60). Is possible. However, the system 5 prohibits a user who is not domain-authenticated from using other functions including access to the directory server 60. For example, the system 5 prohibits an unauthenticated 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 that the user can access. For example, employees in a specific department of the company (eg, personnel, legal, etc.) may have access to a directory area that corresponds only to that department. For this reason, information stored in such a specific area can be accessed only by a specific person even in the 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 the system 5 is configured to provide access to the user only for specific functions corresponding to the user profile upon authentication. Has been. Under this embodiment, different authenticated users have different user profiles and are thus accessible to different functions. The system administrator can control such as changing 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, changes, and maintains a profile by the MFD profiler of the reading server 40. A profile is a serial number and identification information such as various parameters related to MFD (computer network name, machine location, etc.) used to configure the exchange of information between reading server 40 and MFDs 10-30. Can 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 in the reader until search results from the directory server 60 are erased.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of software elements of the MFD server system composed of the MFD 20 and the reading server 40 according to the present embodiment.
As illustrated 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 authentication function described above.
The management unit 265 enables the system administrator to manage the system 5. For example, the administrator of the system 5 can access the profiler 280 via the management unit 265 and set the user profile and / or the MFD profile related to 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 unit 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 related to the LCD of the MFD 20. For example, OCS 215 may generate a conventional menu for the operation of MFD 20 and the menu shown in FIGS.

  A system controller (SCS) 225 controls and / or monitors the sensors 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.

  A network control unit (NCS) 220 controls communication between the browser 25 and the reading server 40. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) 230 further increases the safety of communication between the NCS 220 and the browser 25, but is not necessarily required.

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

  A conventional MFD includes 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, the NCS 220 is configured to be able to communicate with the browser 25. For example, the NCS 220 has a communication capability using the HTTP protocol. The NCS 220 is similarly configured to be communicable with the reading server 40 so that the NCS 220 can send a request for an email address to the reading server 40 and receive a selected email address from the reading server 40, or the NCS 220 can The login information can be sent to the reading server 40 and a user authentication confirmation can be received from the reading server 40 (and the directory server 60) in the authentication process.

  The browser 25 includes an HTTP command processing unit 235 that communicates with a network control unit (NCS) 220 of the MFD 20. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a request regarding an e-mail address input by the user via the keypad of the MFD 20 or a request for displaying information on the LCD is received by the HTTP command processing unit 235 by the NCS 220. To the browser 25.

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

  The HTTP command processing unit 235 is associated with 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 the 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 this 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. Further, this parameter may include a read job parameter for a specific user ID, such as paper default size, read resolution setting, document feeder status, or department code for requesting a read operation.

  The HTTP command processing unit 235 can process this information, generate a command, and control the MFDs 10 to 30 according to the information. For example, it requests the MFDs 10 to 30 to read according to the reading job parameter regarding a specific user ID. be able to. As another example, the HTTP command processing unit 235 can generate a graphic drawing command related to the LCD panel. The HTTP command processing unit 235 sends a command to an appropriate firmware (for example, OCS 215) to be executed. For example, OCS 215 receives a graphics drawing command and does this by displaying a graphic (eg, FIGS. 3-6) on the LCD panel.

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

  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, the CIS 240 translates the panel operation information and generates a command. This translation and instruction generation is based on, for example, a definition written in a predetermined program code. The default program code may be prepared for executing 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 and 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 media.

  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 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.

  Referring to FIG. 14, in step S4100, the reading server 40 generates an HTTP response based on the process defined by the specific application. For example, authentication result information is included in the HTTP response. The reading server 40 sends this HTTP response to the NCS 220. In this process, an HTTP response is sent using the HTTP protocol that depends on the definition of the default program code for a particular application. In step S 4150, 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 an 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, the CIS 240 generates a display request based on the command, and sends the display request to the OCS 215. In step S4600, OCS 215 processes this display request. For example, in step S4700, the LCD panel displays graphics such as the menu shown in FIGS.

The MFDs 10 to 30 provide an interactive menu based on information input by the operator, so that the operator can easily enjoy the advantages of the service provided by the system 5. Examples of menus displayed on the contact sensitivity screen of the MFD 20 are shown in FIGS.
FIG. 3 shows a screen 300 with touch sensitive buttons, eg, 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, a screen 500 shown in FIG. 5) that allows the user to fax a document. When the “e-mail” button 315 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (e.g., the screen 400 shown in FIG. 4) that allows the user to email the document. When the “reading setting” button 320 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen (for example, a screen 600 shown in FIG. 6) prompting 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 previous job performed by the MFD 20. The screen 300 may include a system display portion 330 that displays system messages such as date and time, error messages, or instructions to the user, for example. Screen 300 includes other display portions. 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 sensitive buttons used to set the reading parameters. The screen 400 may include a default button 405 that requests the MFD 20 to read a document using default reading parameters (eg, 200 dpi). The default parameter is displayed below the default button 405, for example. The “high accuracy” button 410 requests the MFD 20 to read a document by using a reading parameter (for example, 300 dpi) with higher accuracy than the default parameter when touched. These more accurate parameters may be displayed below the button 410. The “ultra-high accuracy” button 415 requests the MFD 20 to read a document using a parameter (for example, 400 dpi) that is more accurate than the high-accuracy parameter upon contact. These more accurate reading parameters may be displayed under the button 415.

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

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

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate screens 500 and 600 used for requests to fax and email documents. Text (eg, fax memos or email messages) can be entered via the LCD using a touch sensitive keyboard (not shown) displayed on the LCD. When the “FAX Memo Input” button 510 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen that allows the user to input a fax memo accompanying a document to be faxed. The fax memo may be displayed on a portion 555 of the screen 500. When the “FAX number input” button 520 is touched, the MFD displays a screen allowing the user to input a fax number to which the document is faxed. If the user already knows the fax number, the user 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 to name or group of recipients (eg, “Marketing”, “Management”, “Safety”, “Legal Department”, “Production Department”, “ A screen prompting you to enter "Softball Team" etc.). Search criteria other than names can also be used. The MFD 20 can send a 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 this fax number to MFD 20 for display on portion 545 of screen 500. Touching a portion 550 of the screen allows 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 the screen 500 is processed by the MFD 20 and the document is faxed. The user can return to the previous screen by touching a “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 input 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 reading server 40 for centralized processing.

  When the screen 600 shown in FIG. 6 is viewed, when an “enter title” button 605 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen that allows the user to input the title of the document to be emailed. This title may be displayed on a part 655 of the screen 600. When the “email message input” button 610 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen that allows the user to input an e-mail message accompanying a document to be e-mailed. When the “document name” button 615 is touched, the MFD 20 displays a screen that allows the user to input the name of the document to be emailed. If the user already knows the e-mail address, the user manually inputs the e-mail address. If the e-mail address is not yet known, the user can search the global directory stored in the directory server 60 as described below.

  Upon touching the “email address search” button 625, the MFD 20 prompts the user to name or group of recipients (eg, “marketing”, “management”, “safety”, “legal department”, “production department”, Display a screen prompting you to enter "Softball Team"). Other search criteria can be used. The MFD 20 can send a name or other search criteria to the reading server 40, which passes this information to the directory server 60. The directory server 60 then returns the email address for the name entered by the user to the reading server 40, which passes this email address to the MFD 20 for display on a portion 645 of the screen 600. Touching a portion 650 of the screen allows selection (eg, by highlighting) of 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 the screen 600 is processed by the MFD 20 and the document is emailed. The user can return to the previous screen by touching a “cancel” button 640.

  FIG. 7 shows a user authentication method according to the present embodiment performed by the MFD 20. In step S705, the MFD 20 asks whether a command 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 a “login” button 305 of the screen 300 shown in FIG. If an instruction is received in step S710, the MFD 20 displays a login screen. In step S715, the MFD 20 asks whether the user has entered a user name, password, and domain name. If the login information is 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 and sends an authentication confirmation to the reading server 40, and the reading server 40 transfers this 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 for display from the reading server 40 in step S730. For example, the user's home page includes a start screen as shown in FIG. The user home page may be a kind of default (portal) page initially displayed after authentication. This home page is generated based on the result of user authentication, for example. 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 from the MFD 20 according to the present embodiment. 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 for the global directory. For example, the 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 consisting of two characters, in step S810. In step S815, the MFD 20 asks whether a search string has been entered. When the search string is input, the MFD 20 sends this 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 is received from the reading server 40. Upon receiving the search result, in step S830, the MFD 20 displays the search result.

  9 to 10 show an example of the MFD 20, which includes a central processing unit (CPU) 931 and various elements connected to the CPU 931 by an internal bus 932. The CPU 931 performs a number of tasks while monitoring the status of the MFD 20. Elements connected to the CPU 931 are 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. Furthermore, 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 an 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 related to 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, and the program code command may be read by the FDD 936, sent to the RAM 934, and executed 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, a program code command is read by the CPU 931, sent to the RAM, and executed by the CPU 931. The program code command may be loaded into the ROM 933. Accordingly, in the present invention, all of the floppy disk 907, the HDD 935, the RAM 934, and the ROM 933 correspond to computer-readable storage media that can store program code instructions. Other devices and media capable of storing instructions according to the present invention include, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks including DVDs, magneto-optical disks such as MO, and semiconductor storage cards such as PC cards.

  The control panel 937 is, for example. It includes a display screen that displays information that allows the user to interact with the read 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 does not need to be incorporated or embedded in the control panel 937, and may simply be integrated with the control panel 937 by wired or wireless connection. The control panel 937 may include keys for inputting 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, contact with the display screen, voice recognition, line-of-sight 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 holds temporarily stored values used for executing functions such as authentication and forwarding.

A conventional personal computer or computer workstation with sufficient memory and processing power can be configured to operate as the read server 40. The central processing unit 1000 is configured to perform a large amount of numerical calculations for high-capacity data transfer and in processing communications and database searches.
Intel Inc. A Pentium (R) III microprocessor, such as the 1 GHz Pentium (R) III manufactured, can be used for the CPU 1000. This processor employs a 32-bit architecture. Other suitable processors include the 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 can be used to hold host application software and temporary results. ROM 1800 is connected to system bus 1500 for use by CPU 1000. The ROM 1800 can execute different authentication, forwarding, and document management functions related to the document read from the MFD 20 when executed by the CPU 1000. 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 different ports such as a PS2 port or 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 a user may attach a microphone speaker or an external sound source by an external jack of the sound card. The input controller 1600 may also include a serial port or a parallel port as well.

  The disk control unit 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 on the motherboard that holds the disk control unit 1400 or the CPU 1000. An enhanced image port expansion slot may be provided and configured to allow 3-D graphics with fast access to main memory. The 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. 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 cable-modem connection, DSL connection, dial-up modem connection, and the like.

  The input / output control unit 1200 is also 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 elements via other network connections that support any desired network such as / SPX or NetBEUI.

  A display control unit 1100 interconnects a system bus 1500 and a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) 1110. Although a CRT is shown, various other display devices such as an LCD or 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. I will. Appropriate 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 documents read according to the present invention may be written in a number of computer languages such as C, C ++, Fortran, Basic, etc. Will be done. The present invention can also be implemented by adjusting an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or by interconnecting a suitable network of conventional component circuits, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. It will be.

  Accordingly, the present invention also includes a computer dependent product that includes instructions retained on a storage medium and that can be used to program a computer to perform processing in accordance with the present invention. This storage medium can store any kind of disk such as floppy disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, magneto-optical disk, ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, magnetic or optical card, or electronic instructions Any suitable type of media is included.

  Historically, business applications have been executed on mainframe computers, and users have performed operations from a terminal operation unit by sending command instructions. The terminal operation unit had no computing power other than displaying the data stream returned from the mainframe computer executing the actual application. When LAN (local area network) became possible, a client-server architecture was introduced. The client-server architecture takes advantage of the computing power of the client computer that removes the data processing load from the mainframe, allowing for more efficient use of resources and higher overall capacity.

  This client-server technology, however, has created 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 operational costs. Furthermore, this approach lacks flexibility because different versions of the client and server applications should match.

  Once introduced, web browsers have become 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 because application programs and / or web pages are dynamically loaded when a user accesses a website. 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 why PC web browsers are sometimes called "thin client technology" and do not require large application programs.

  The MFD browser according to the present invention guarantees the latest and / or only suitable software loaded from a website, while not requiring manual program installation or program upgrade, so that thin client technology The benefits of MFD. When the MFD browser is incorporated into the MFD, the web server identifies the capabilities of the MFD and dynamically downloads and executes a program selected according to predefined criteria. This criterion can be used to run 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 required by the user, such as an e-mail address and a fax number. In addition to the directory server 60, the present system includes a local directory server that stores similar destination information provided in the MFDs 10 to 30.

  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 a destination such as an e-mail address and a fax number from the directory server 60 can send a search request for searching the global directory of the directory server 60 to 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 MFD 10-30, or by manually entering an address and / or fax number using the user interface of the MFD 10-30. You can email or fax directly.

  The system 5 configured as described above can be suitably used in a company, and various employees can access the company's global directory or address book. The global directory (for example, the company-wide address book) need not be stored in the MFDs 10 to 30 and 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 the MFDs 10-30.

  The user inputs a login name and password from the MFDs 10 to 30, and the login information is transmitted to the reading server 40. The reading 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. Similarly, the reading server 40 can process directory authentication to control user access to the directory server 60. The reading server 40 can also process a document or file received from the MFDs 10 to 30. The reading server 40 forwards the document to an appropriate server, for example, the e-mail server 70 or the fax server 80, when requested by the user.

  A plurality of MFDs 10 to 30 can be connected to the reading server 400 via the communication network 100. Within a company, a number of 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 and manage one global directory to efficiently update information available to users across the company.

  The present invention can be included in the system and method for document management disclosed in application Ser. No. 09 / 795,438, both co-pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which is hereby incorporated 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. Accordingly, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

1 is a block diagram showing an overall system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram of the software element of the system concerning embodiment of this invention. An example of a menu displayed on the display screen of the reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. An example of a menu displayed on the display screen of the reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. An example of a menu displayed on the display screen of the reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. An example of a menu displayed on the display screen of the reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. The flowchart of the authentication method concerning embodiment of this invention is shown. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for accessing a global directory according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the reader concerning embodiment of this invention. 1 is an external view of a reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the reading server concerning embodiment of this invention. It is an external view of the reading server concerning embodiment of this invention. 2 is a flowchart of a document management method in an MFD browser according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart of a document management method in an MFD browser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

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

Claims (13)

An authentication requesting step for obtaining login information from a reading device and transmitting the login information to an authentication server for authenticating the reading device to request authentication ;
Certification result from the authentication server, a step that sends the authentication result to the reader,
Transmitting the search request from the reading device to a directory server that stores the destination information based on a search request for destination information indicating a transmission destination of a document read by the reading device ;
Receiving destination information satisfying the search request from the directory server, and transmitting the destination information to the reader;
Get the said document and the destination information from the reading device, a transmission step that sends the document to transmission server corresponding to the destination information,
A document transmission method comprising: The authentication request step includes
The reader receives login information from a user;
A step of based on said log information received, and requests authentication of the operation of the reading device to the authentication server,
The document transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising : The authentication request step includes
The reader receives login information from a user;
A step of based on said log information received, to request access authentication to the directory server to the authentication server,
The document transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising : The destination information includes at least one of e-mail addresses and fax numbers, document transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that. A document transmission system for transmitting a document read by a reading device to a predetermined device,
Authentication request means for requesting authentication by transmitting the input login information to an authentication server that authenticates the reader;
Means for obtaining an authentication result from the authentication server and transmitting the authentication result to the reader;
Means for transmitting the search request to a directory server storing the destination information based on a search request for destination information indicating a transmission destination of the document read by the reading device from the reading device;
Means for receiving destination information satisfying the search request from the directory server, and transmitting the destination information to the reading device;
Transmitting means for acquiring the document and the destination information from the reading device, and transmitting the document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
Document transmission system comprising, characterized in that the. The transmission means includes
Means for sending the read document and the destination information to a reading server connected to the reading device via a network;
The reading server, and means for transmitting the document, the transmission server according to the destination information,
The document transmission system according to claim 5 , further comprising: The document transmission system according to claim 5 , wherein the reading device further includes a unit that stores the received destination information. 8. The document transmission system according to claim 5 , wherein the reading device further includes means for deleting the stored destination information after a predetermined time. The document transmission system according to claim 5 , wherein the destination information includes at least one of an e-mail address and a fax number . Authentication request means for obtaining login information from a reader and transmitting the login information to an authentication server for authenticating the reader and requesting authentication;
Means for obtaining an authentication result from the authentication server and transmitting the authentication result to the reader;
Means for transmitting the search request to a directory server storing the destination information based on a search request for destination information indicating a transmission destination of the document read by the reading device from the reading device;
Means for receiving destination information corresponding to the search request from the directory server and transmitting the destination information to the reader;
Transmitting means for acquiring the document and the destination information from the reading device, and transmitting the document to a transmission server according to the destination information;
Ru comprising a reading, characterized in that server. The authentication request means includes
Means for requesting the authentication server to authenticate operation of the reading device based on login information received from the user by the reading device;
The reading server according to claim 10 , further comprising : The authentication request means includes
Means for requesting the authentication server to authenticate access to the directory server based on login information received by the reader;
The reading server according to claim 10 , further comprising : The destination information is read server according to any one of claims 10 to 12, in which at least one comprise Ru is configured, wherein the e-mail addresses and fax numbers.

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