Automatic and transparent document archiving
AssigneeRicoh Silicon Valley Corporation
InventorsJONATHAN J. HULL, MARK PEAIRS, JOHN CULLEN, MICHAEL BAXTER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic archiving system that makes document archiving largely transparent to the user. In one embodiment, documents scanned in or printed during the course of office equipment operation are automatically archived. For example, an office local area network (LAN) may interconnect a copier, a printer, a fax machine, and a document management workstation. Whenever, a document is copied, printed, or faxed, a document image is archived by the document management workstation without further user intervention. A single user command results in the document being copied and archived, printed and archived, or faxed and archived.
Claims25
A method for processing document images comprising the steps of:
- receiving a single user input command;
- and
- responsive to said single user input command, performing the following steps:
- scanning a document image to collect image data;
- printing said document image based on said image data;
- and
- sending said image data to an archiving system for storage.
A computer-implemented method for printing and archiving documents comprising the steps of:
- receiving a single user command requesting that a document be printed;
- printing said document in response to said single user command;
- and
- archiving image data representing said document in response to said single user command.
A method for archiving documents to be faxed comprising the steps of:
- receiving a single user command indicating that a document is to be faxed;
- scanning said document to be faxed in response to said single user command;
- transmitting first image data representing said document as scanned via a telephone line;
- and
- archiving, in response to said single user command, second image data representing said document as scanned in said scanning step.
A computer installation comprising:
- a digital copier that scans in documents to be copied;
- a printer that prints documents;
- a computer system controlling a long-term storage medium;
- and
- a network interconnecting said digital copier, said printer, and said computer system, wherein said digital copier relays image data representing said documents to be copied to said computer system for storage on said long-term storage medium, and said printer relays image data representing printed documents to said computer system for storage on said long-term storage medium.
A digital copier comprising:
- a scanner that generates image data representing a document to be copied;
- an image processing unit that processes said image data to correct imaging errors introduced by said scanner;
- a printer that copies said document responsive to said image data as processed by said image processing unit;
- and
- an image data tap that relays said image data to a storage system for archiving.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.