Document management system, document management apparatus, document management method, and program

A document management method for a document management system that includes a document storage device that stores document data and management information of the document data, and a printing device that prints the document data stored in the document storage device onto at least one document-data printed sheet, the document management method comprising:

• a management step of managing a print history of images printed by the printing device based on the document data and managing information indicating whether or not a non-disposed sheet remains, the non-disposed sheet being a sheet from among the document data-printed sheet(s) that has not been disposed, and the information indicating whether or not the non-disposed sheet remains being based on the number of document data-printed sheet(s) and the number of at least one sheet which has been disposed of among the document data-printed sheet(s);
• a receiving step of receiving a deletion instruction for at least one set of document data stored in the document storage device;
• a first deletion step of deleting, based on the deletion instruction, document data targeted for deletion in the document storage device;
• and
• a second deletion step of deleting the management information of the document data targeted for deletion from the document storage device in accordance with the information managed in said management step indicating that the non-disposed sheet does not remain,
• wherein the management information is used for managing the information managed in said management step, and
• wherein each of said management step, receiving step, first deletion step, and second deletion step are implemented at least in part by a computer, and wherein the at least one sheet which has been disposed of has been disposed of by shredding.

A document management apparatus connecting to an external printing device, comprising:

• a document storage unit adapted to store document data and management information of the document data;
• a management unit adapted to manage a print history of images based on the document data printed by the external printing device onto at least one document-data printed sheet, and to manage information indicating whether or not a non-disposed sheet remains, the non-disposed sheet being a sheet from among the document data-printed sheet(s) that has not been disposed, and the information indicating whether or not the non-disposed sheet remains being based on the number of document data-printed sheet(s) and the number of at least one sheet which has been disposed of among the document data-printed sheet(s);
• a receiving unit adapted to receive a deletion instruction for at least one set of document data stored in said document storage unit;
• a first deletion unit adapted to delete the document data targeted for deletion from said document storage unit based on the deletion instruction;
• and
• a second deletion unit adapted to delete the management information of the document data targeted for deletion from said document storage unit in accordance with the information managed by said management unit indicating that the non-disposed sheet does not remain,
• wherein the management information is used for managing the information managed by said management unit, and
• wherein each of said management unit, receiving unit, first deletion unit, and second deletion unit are implemented at least in part by a computer, and wherein the at least one sheet which has been disposed of has been disposed of by shredding.

A document management method using a document management device that connects to an external printing device and includes a document storage unit adapted to store document data and management information of the document data, the document management method comprising:

• a management step of managing a print history of images based on the document data printed by the external printing device onto at least one document-data printed sheet, and managing information indicating whether or not a non-disposed sheet remains, the non-disposed sheet being a sheet from among the document data-printed sheet(s) that has not been disposed, and the information indicating whether or not the non-disposed sheet remains being based on the number of document data-printed sheet(s) and the number of at least one sheet which has been disposed of among the document data-printed sheet(s);
• a receiving step of receiving a deletion instruction for at least one set of document data stored in the document storage unit;
• a first deletion step of deleting the document data targeted for deletion from the document storage unit based on the deletion instruction;
• and
• a second deletion step of deleting the management information of the document data targeted for deletion from the document storage unit in accordance with the information managed in said management step indicating that the non-disposed sheet does not remain,
• wherein the management information is used for managing the information managed in said management step, and
• wherein each of said management step, receiving step, first deletion step, and second deletion step are implemented at least in part by a computer, and wherein the at least one sheet which has been disposed of has been disposed of by shredding.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a document management device, which connects to an external printing device and includes a document storage unit for storing document data and management information of the document data, to execute a document management method, the document management method comprising:

• a management step of managing a print history of images based on the document data printed by the external printing device onto at least one document-data printed sheet, and managing information indicating whether or not a non-disposed sheet remains, the non-disposed sheet being a sheet from among the document data-printed sheet(s) that has not been disposed, and the information indicating whether or not the non-disposed sheet remains being based on the number of document data-printed sheet(s) and the number of at least one sheet which has been disposed of among the document data-printed sheet(s);
• a receiving step of receiving a deletion instruction for at least one set of document data stored in the document storage unit;
• a first deletion step of deleting the document data targeted for deletion from the document storage unit based on the deletion instruction;
• and
• a second deletion step of deleting the management information of the document data targeted for deletion from the document storage unit in accordance with the information managed in said management step indicating that the non-disposed sheet does not remain,
• wherein the management information is used for managing the information managed in said management step, and wherein the at least one sheet which has been disposed of has been disposed of by shredding.