# US 5,708,766 A · Filing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,708,766 A - Document ID: US5708766A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/364,748 - Filed: 1994-12-27 - Granted: 1998-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 1993-12-27 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Atsushi Goto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708766A ## CPC - H04N 1/32133: {on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header} - G06F 16/93: Document management systems - G06V 30/1456: {based on user interactions} - G06V 30/414: Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text - G06V 30/10: Character recognition - H04N 2201/3205: of identification information, e.g. name or ID code (H04N2201/3209 takes precedence) - H04N 2201/3271: Printing or stamping - H04N 2201/3274: Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A filing device for storing a plurality of documents in a storage device in the form of images and allowing any of them to be searched for when needed. A memo data generating section generates memo data related to a particular image document and containing information on the person who entered the memo. A memo image is overlaid on the original document image on the basis of the memo data. The resulting composite image is output. A searching section searches, based on the data generated by the memo data generating section, document images by use of the content of the memo as a key. Marking data generating section generates marking data related to a particular image document and containing information on the person who entered the marking. A marked document image is, output on the basis of the data. The searching section searches, based on the data generated by the marking data generating section, documents by using the content of the marked area as a key. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A filing device comprising: document image storing means for storing document images; searching means for searching for a particular document image in said document image storing means; memo data generating means for generating data of a memo corresponding to one of the document images stored in said document image storing means, said data containing information representing a person who wrote said memo; and outputting means for outputting, based on said data generated by said memo data generating means, an image of said one document image while overlaying an image of said memo on said one document image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A filing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said searching means searches the document images using a content of the memo as a key. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A filing device according to claim 1, wherein the memo data generating means comprises: means for generating a document object header data structure including a reference to a page object header data structure; and means for generating the page object header data structure including a reference to the memo data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A filing device according to claim 3, wherein the means for generating the page object header data structure comprises: means for generating the page object header data structure to have a reference to an object header which includes a reference to the memo data. ### Claim 5 A filing device comprising: document image storing means for storing document images; searching means for searching for a particular document image in said document image storing means; marking data generating means for generating data of a marking corresponding to one of the document images stored in said document image storing means, said data containing information representing a person who entered a marking; and outputting means for outputting a marked document image using the data generated by said marking data generating means. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A filing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said searching means searches the document images by using a content of the marking as a key. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A filing device according to claim 5, wherein the marking data generating means comprises: means for generating a document object header data structure including a reference to a page object header data structure; and means for generating the page object header data structure including a reference to the marking data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A filing device according to claim 7, wherein the means for generating the page object header data structure comprises: means for generating the page object header data structure to have a reference to an object header which includes a reference to the marking data. ### Claim 9 A method of processing a document, comprising the steps of: generating a document; storing the document in a file; generating, by a person, information associated with a selected position in the document; and storing the information including an indication of the person who generated the information without making any changes to the document which has been stored in the file. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: searching the information which has been stored. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of generating comprises: generating information which is text. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of generating comprises: generating information which is graphical. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: analyzing the information which has been generated to identify the person who generated the information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein the storing step comprises the steps of: creating a data structure including a field indicating the person who generated the information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of: writing, in the data structure, a field indicating whether the information is textual or graphical. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of generating comprises: generating a document object header data structure including a reference to a page object header data structure; and generating the page object header data structure including a reference to said information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of generating the page object comprises: generating the page object header data structure to have a reference to an object header which includes a reference to said information. ### Claim 18 A method of processing a document, comprising the steps of: generating a document; storing the document in a file; generating information associated with a selected position in the document; and storing the information separately from the document without updating the document. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method according to claim 18, wherein the step of generating comprises: generating a document object header data structure including a reference to a page object header data structure; and generating the page object header data structure including a reference to said information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of generating the page object comprises: generating the page object header data structure to have a reference to an object header which includes a reference to said information.