Image processing apparatus, document management server, document management system, and document management control method

A document management server capable of communicating with an image processing apparatus and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the document management server comprising:

• a registration unit configured to respond to a document registration request including property information for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and register a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;
• a first reply unit configured to receive a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the property information registered in the registration unit and transmit information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus;
• and
• a second reply unit configured to receive, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the document entity data registered in the registration unit, and determine accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmit the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

A system comprising:

• an image processing apparatus coupled to a network, the image processing apparatus configured to receive document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data, and to store the document entity data in a storage unit,
• a document management server coupled to the network, and
• a client apparatus coupled to the network, wherein the image processing apparatus, the document management server and the client apparatus are capable of communicating with each other via the network,
• wherein the image processing apparatus requests the document management server to perform registration of the received document entity data based on the document property information,
• wherein, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, the image processing apparatus determines whether or not to transmit the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an accessibility inquiry response received from the document management server.

A method performed in an image processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with a document management server and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the method comprising:

• receiving document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data;
• storing the document entity data in a storage unit;
• transmitting document property information of stored document entity data to the document management server and requesting the document management server to perform document registration;
• sending, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the stored document entity data, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus;
• and
• controlling transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an obtained inquiry result.

A method performed in a document management server that is capable of communicating with an image processing apparatus and a client apparatus via a communication medium, the method comprising:

• responding to a document registration request including property information required for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and registering a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;
• receiving a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the registered property information and transmitting information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus;
• and
• receiving, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the registered document entity data corresponding to the registered property information, and determining accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmitting the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.

A storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an image processing apparatus, causes the image processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

• receiving document entity data and document property information for determining accessibility to the document entity data;
• storing the document entity data in a storage unit;
• transmitting document property information of stored document entity data to the document management server and requesting the document management server to perform document registration;
• sending, to the document management server, an inquiry about accessibility to the stored document entity data, if the document entity data is requested by the client apparatus, based on information obtained from the client apparatus;
• and
• controlling transmission of the requested document entity data to the client apparatus based on an obtained inquiry result.

A storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a document management server that is capable of communicating with an image processing apparatus and a client apparatus, causes the document management server to perform operations comprising:

• responding to a document registration request including property information required for determining accessibility to document entity data stored in the image processing apparatus, and registering a document in a storage unit based on the property information and information relating to the image processing apparatus storing the document entity data;
• receiving a request from the client apparatus that requires document entity data corresponding to the registered property information and transmitting information indicating a storage destination of the entity data to the client apparatus;
• and
• receiving, from the image processing apparatus, inquiry information about accessibility to the registered document entity data corresponding to the registered property information, and determining accessibility to the document entity data with reference to information for determining accessibility to the registered document based on the inquiry information, and transmitting the determined accessibility to the image processing apparatus.