Electronic document system, electronic document management apparatus, computer program product, and computer memory product

An electronic document management apparatus comprising a processor capable of performing operations of:

• accessing an original file system for storing unit original electronic information created by dividing an original document into a plurality of units and converting into electronic information;
• a notification file system for storing notification electronic information created by converting a notification document, which notifies that a change was made to the original document, into electronic information;
• an original management table for storing information specifying the unit original electronic information stored in said original file system and information suggesting a content of each unit original electronic information in connection with each other;
• and a difference management table for storing information specifying unit original electronic information corresponding to a portion of the original document to which the change was made and information specifying the corresponding notification electronic information to correspond with each other;
• accepting an instruction to display on a display unit the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information stored in said original management table;
• reading out the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information from said original management table and displaying said information on said display unit according to the accepted instruction;
• searching whether or not information specifying the unit original electronic information corresponding to the information displayed on said display unit is stored in said difference management table;
• and
• displaying a predetermined indication, which indicates presence of notification electronic information, on said display unit when it is found in said searching operation that the information being searched for is stored in said difference management table.

An electronic document system including:

• original file storing means for storing unit original electronic information created by dividing an original document into a plurality of units and converting into electronic information;
• notification file storing means for storing notification electronic information created by converting a notification document, which notifies that a change was made to the original document, into electronic information;
• original management table storing means for storing information specifying the unit original electronic information stored in said original file storing means and information suggesting a content of each unit original electronic information in connection with each other;
• difference management table storing means for storing information specifying unit original electronic information corresponding to a portion of the original document to which the change was made and information specifying the corresponding notification electronic information to correspond with each other;
• displaying means for displaying the information suggesting the content of unit original electronic information stored in said original management table storing means;
• searching means for searching whether or not information specifying the unit original electronic information corresponding to the information displayed on said displaying means is stored in said difference management table storing means;
• and
• controlling means for displaying a predetermined indication, which indicates presence of notification electronic information, on said displaying means when said searching means finds that the information being searched for is stored in said difference management table storing means.

An electronic document management apparatus comprising:

• accessing means for accessing original file storing means for storing unit original electronic information created by dividing an original document into a plurality of units and converting into electronic information, notification file storing means for storing notification electronic information created by converting a notification document, which notifies that a change was made to the original document, into electronic information, original management table storing means for storing information specifying the unit original electronic information stored in said original file storing means and information suggesting a content of each unit original electronic information in connection with each other, and difference management table storing means for storing information specifying unit original electronic information corresponding to a portion of the original document to which the change was made and information specifying the corresponding notification electronic information to correspond with each other;
• means for accepting an instruction to display on displaying means the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information stored in said original management table storing means;
• means for reading out the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information from said original management table storing means and displaying said information on said displaying means according to the accepted instruction;
• searching means for searching whether or not information specifying the unit original electronic information corresponding to the information displayed on said displaying means is stored in said difference management table storing means;
• and
• controlling means for displaying a predetermined indication, which indicates presence of notification electronic information, on said displaying means when said searching means finds that the information being searched for is stored in said difference management table storing means.

A computer program product for use with an electronic document system, comprising:

• a computer usable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for managing an electronic document system, said computer readable program code comprising:
• causing a computer to access an original file system for storing unit original electronic information created by dividing an original document into a plurality of units and converting into electronic information;
• a notification file system for storing notification electronic information created by converting a notification document, which notifies that a change was made to the original document, into electronic information;
• an original management table for storing information specifying the unit original electronic information stored in said original file system and information suggesting a content of each unit original electronic information in connection with each other;
• and a difference management table for storing information specifying unit original electronic information corresponding to a portion of the original document to which the change was made and information specifying the corresponding notification electronic information to correspond with each other;
• causing a computer to accept an instruction to display on a display unit the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information stored in said original management table;
• causing a computer to read out the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information from the original management table and display said information on said display unit according to the accepted instruction;
• causing a computer to search whether or not the information specifying the unit original electronic information corresponding to the information displayed on said display unit is stored in said difference management table;
• and
• causing a computer to display a predetermined indication, which indicates presence of notification electronic information, on said display unit when it is found that the information being searched for is stored in said difference management table.

A computer memory product readable by a computer to manage an electronic document system, wherein said computer being capable of accessing an original file system for storing unit original electronic information created by dividing an original document into a plurality of units and converting into electronic information;

• a notification file system for storing notification electronic information created by converting a notification document, which notifies that a change was made to the original document, into electronic information;
• an original management table for storing information specifying the unit original electronic information stored in said original file system and information suggesting a content of each unit original electronic information in connection with each other;
• and a difference management table for storing information specifying unit original electronic information corresponding to a portion of the original document to which the change was made and information specifying the corresponding notification electronic information to correspond with each other;
• said computer memory product comprising:
• accepting an instruction to display on a display unit the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information stored in said original management table;
• reading out the information suggesting the content of the unit original electronic information from said original management table and displaying the read information on said display unit according to the accepted instruction;
• searching whether or not the information specifying the unit original electronic information corresponding to the information displayed on said display unit is stored in said difference management table;
• and
• displaying a predetermined indication, which indicates presence of notification electronic information, on said display unit when it is found that the information being searched for is stored in said difference management table.