Verifying authorization to destroy a physical document before destroying the physical document

Abstract

A document processing system provides a double check before allowing destruction of a physical document. A user scans a unique identifier on the physical document at a first location, receives verification the document should be destroyed, and places the document in a container for documents to be destroyed. At a second location, a user scans the unique identifier on the document and receives verification the document should be destroyed. The physical document may then be destroyed.

1 . A computer-implemented method for verifying physical documents should be destroyed, the method comprising:
 receiving a first scan of a unique identifier on the document at a first location;   providing first verification at the first location the document should be destroyed;   receiving a second scan of the unique identifier on the document at a second location; and   providing second verification at the second location the document should be destroyed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a user defining metadata corresponding to the physical document during a reservation session for the physical document, where the metadata includes the unique identifier of a label that is applied to the physical document and further includes a disposition policy for the physical document. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 providing a notification that the physical document should be destroyed when the disposition policy for the physical document that was specified by the user during the reservation session for the physical document is satisfied. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the disposition policy comprises a default disposition policy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the disposition policy comprises one of multiple default disposition policies that each correspond to a defined document type. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of destroying the physical document in response to receiving the second verification at the second location. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating a reservation for the physical document; 
 specifying in the reservation for the physical document metadata corresponding to the physical document, where the metadata includes a unique identifier of a label that is applied to the physical document and further includes a specified disposition policy for the physical document; 
 applying the label to the physical document; 
 scanning the physical document to generate an electronic document corresponding to the physical document; 
 reading the unique identifier of the label in the electronic document; 
 linking the electronic document with the reservation for the physical document based on the unique identifier of the label; and 
 storing the electronic document in a database. 
 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor;   a memory coupled to the at least one processor;   a document processing system residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the document processing system comprising:
 a document disposition mechanism that schedules disposition of a physical document according to a specified disposition policy for the physical document, provides a notification when the physical document should be destroyed according to the specified disposition policy for the physical document, and in response to the notification, prompts a user to retrieve the physical document to a first location, receives a first scan in the first location of a unique identifier on the label on the physical document, and in response to the first scan, provides a first prompt at the first location that verifies the physical document should be destroyed, receives a scan in a second location of the unique identifier on the label on the physical document, and in response to the second scan, provides a second prompt at the second location that verifies the physical document should be destroyed. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the specified disposition policy for the physical document is specified in metadata by a user during a reservation session for the physical document. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the document disposition mechanism allows a user to define metadata corresponding to the physical document during a reservation session for the physical document, where the metadata includes the unique identifier of a label that is applied to the physical document and further includes the specified disposition policy for the physical document. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the document disposition mechanism provides the notification that the physical document should be destroyed according to the specified disposition policy for the physical document that was specified by the user during the reservation session for the physical document. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the specified disposition policy comprises a default disposition policy. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the specified disposition policy comprises one of multiple default disposition policies that each correspond to a defined document type. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein after the first scan the document disposition mechanism provides a prompt to place the physical document in a container of documents to be destroyed that is transported to the second location. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the second scan is performed by a person who retrieves the physical document from the container of documents to be destroyed to verify the document should be destroyed before destroying the document at the second location.