Document management system

Abstract

The present intervention wherein a document referencing computer applies relationships between documents that are documents managed by a document managing computer, and a knowledge managing computer manages these relationship, or links. The display of the links is controlled according to a variety of conditions. The display of these links between documents can be controlled by either the user who set the link (the link setting user) or by a user using the system to reference documents, or a referencing user, thereby enabling related documents to be referenced easily.

1 . A document management system for referencing document data from among multiple document data gathered in response to a referencing request from a document referencing part connected via a network, said system comprising: 
 a storing part for storing said multiple document data;    a receiver part for receiving from said document referencing part, transmission of identifying information that identifies a first document data included amongst said multiple document data, transmission of a request to perform a referencing operation for document data with the appropriate relationship to said first document data and transmission of referencing conditions that provide the conditions for said referencing operation;    a processing part that is connected to said receiving part and to said storing part that, in accordance with a previously stored program and based on said request for performance of a referencing operation, utilizes said identifying information and executes a referencing operation for document data having the appropriate restricted relationship with said first document data in accordance with information defining the appropriate relationship to said first document data, which processing part selects as a result of its referencing operations and from among said document data referenced for having said appropriate relationship, that document data which fulfills said referencing conditions for said information defining the appropriate relationship; and    an output part that is connected to said processing part and to said network that outputs to said network said selected results of referencing operations.    
     
     
         2 . A document management system according to  claim 1  wherein said information defining the appropriate relationship shows a restriction applied to either the user requesting the reference operation or said referencing part.  
     
     
         3 . A document management system according to  claim 2  wherein said referencing condition includes either of said information identifying the reference requesting user or said information identifying the referencing part.  
     
     
         4 . A document management system according to  claim 2  wherein the restrictions concerning said reference requesting user apply to either of said reference requesting user himself or the organization to which said referencing requesting user belongs.  
     
     
         5 . A document management system according to  claim 4  wherein the information identifying said reference requesting user is either of information identifying the relevant reference requesting user himself or information identifying the organization to which said reference requesting user belongs.  
     
     
         6 . A document management system according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said network is connected to a knowledge management part that stores said information defining the appropriate relationship;  
 said receiver part receives information defining the appropriate relationship for said first document data from said knowledge management part via said network; and  
 said processing part performs said referencing and selection based on said received information defining the appropriate relationship.  
 
     
     
         7 . A document management system according to  claim 1  wherein 
 said appropriate relationship is a link between different document data; and  
 said information defining the appropriate relationship is information showing whether or not such link is applied in accordance with conditions.  
 
     
     
         8 . A document management method for a document management system that manages multiple document data and references from said multiple document data that document data which conforms to a referencing request coming from a document referencing part connected via a network, which methodology includes the following steps: 
 a step for receiving from said document referencing part via said network, transmission of identifying information that identifies a first document data included amongst said multiple document data, transmitting a request to perform a referencing operation for document data with the appropriate relationship to said first document data and transmitting referencing conditions that provide the conditions for said referencing operation;    a step that operates based on said request for performance of a referencing operation and utilizes said identifying information for executing a referencing operation for document data having the appropriate restricted relationship with said first document data in accordance with information defining the appropriate relationship to said first document data; and    a step for selecting as a result of referencing operations conducted among said document data referenced for having said appropriate relationship, that document data which fulfills said referencing conditions for said information defining the appropriate relationship.    
     
     
         9 . A document management method according to  claim 8  wherein said document management system provides a storage means for storing said multiple document data.  
     
     
         10 . A document management method according to  claim 8  wherein said information defining the appropriate relationship shows a restriction applied to either the reference requesting user or said referencing part.  
     
     
         11 . A document management method according to  claim 10  wherein said referencing condition includes either of said information identifying the reference requesting user or said information identifying the referencing part.  
     
     
         12 . A document management method according to  claim 10  wherein the restrictions concerning said reference requesting user are applied to either of the said reference requesting user himself or the organization to which said referencing requesting user belongs.  
     
     
         13 . A document management method according to  claim 12  wherein said information identifying the reference requesting user is either of information identifying the relevant reference requesting user himself or information identifying the organization to which said reference requesting user belongs.  
     
     
         14 . A document management method according to  claim 8  wherein said document management system connects via a network to said knowledge management part storing information identifying the appropriate relationship and wherein the referencing operation for said document data and the output of said referencing results are executed utilizing the information defining the appropriate relationship stored in said knowledge management part.  
     
     
         15 . A document management method according to  claim 8  wherein said appropriate relationship is a link between different document data and wherein said information defining the appropriate relationship is information showing whether or not such link is applied in accordance with conditions.  
     
     
         16 . A program loadable in a storage medium from which a computer can retrieve data, which program manages multiple document data, and which program initiates performance of the following steps in a document management part that references from said multiple document data, that document data corresponding to the referencing request coming from a document referencing part connected via a network: 
 a step for storing said multiple document data;    a step for receiving from said document referencing part via said network, transmitting identifying information that identifies a first document data included amongst said multiple document data, transmitting a request to perform a referencing operation for document data with the appropriate relationship to said first document data and transmitting referencing conditions that provide the conditions for said referencing operation;    a step for performing, based on said request for performance of a referencing operation and utilizing said identifying information, a referencing operation for document data having the appropriate restricted relationship with said first document data; and    a step for selecting as a result of its referencing operations and from among said document data referenced for having said appropriate relationship, that document data which fulfills said referencing conditions for said information defining the appropriate relationship.    
     
     
         17 . A program according to  claim 16  wherein said information defining the appropriate relationship shows a restriction applied to either a reference requesting user or said referencing part.  
     
     
         18 . A program according to  claim 17  wherein said referencing condition includes either of said information identifying the reference requesting user or said information identifying the referencing part.  
     
     
         19 . A program according to  claim 17  wherein the restrictions concerning said reference requesting user are applied to either of said reference requesting user himself or the organization to which said reference requesting user belongs.  
     
     
         20 . A program according to  claim 19  wherein the information identifying said reference requesting user is either of information identifying the relevant reference requesting user himself or information identifying the organization to which said reference requesting user belongs.  
     
     
         21 . A program according to  claim 16  executing in said document management system, connection via a network to said knowledge management part storing information identifying the appropriate relationship.  
     
     
         22 . A program according to  claim 16  wherein said appropriate relationship is a link between different document data and wherein said information defining the appropriate relationship is information showing whether or not such link is applied in accordance with conditions.