Document retrieving system, document retrieving apparatus, method, program and storage medium therefor
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasaaki Sato, Shin Fukuda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Each of two or more document management server stores a document and index data corresponding to the document. Of the index data stored in the two or more document management servers, index data corresponding to a document that satisfies a first retrieval condition is collected for storage. When a user requests retrieval based on a second retrieval condition, it is determined whether the first retrieval condition and the second retrieval condition are the same, and when the first and second conditions are the same, the document retrieval according to the user's instruction is performed by referring to the collected index data.
Claims14
A document retrieving system for retrieving a document from documents registered in two or more document management servers which are connected via a network, the document retrieving system comprising:
- a storage device, provided with each of the document management servers, configured to store a document and index data corresponding to the document;
- and
- a controller programmed to:
- obtain and collect the index data corresponding to one or more documents each satisfying a first retrieval condition from the storage device of each of the document management servers via the network, without retrieving the one or more documents each satisfying the first retrieval condition;
- determine whether or not a second retrieval condition is the same as the first retrieval condition, the second retrieval condition being newly designated by a user;
- and
- retrieve a document satisfying the second retrieval condition by:
- transmitting a query, which includes the second retrieval condition, to all of the document management servers, in a case where the second retrieval condition is determined to be not the same as the first retrieval condition;
- and
- transmitting the query to only one of the document management servers that stores the collected index data, without transmitting the query to any other document management server, in a case where the second retrieval condition is determined to be the same as the first retrieval condition;
- manage log information of the second retrieval condition designated by the user;
- and
- collect, in a case where, based on the log information, the second retrieval condition satisfying a predetermined collecting condition is determined to exist, the index data corresponding to the document satisfying the second retrieval condition.
A document retrieving apparatus for retrieving a document from documents registered in two or more document management servers which are connected to the document retrieving apparatus via a network, the document retrieving apparatus comprising:
- an input device configured to receive a retrieval condition to retrieve a document;
- a memory device configured to store log information of the retrieval condition received by the input device;
- and
- a controller programmed to:
- determine based on the log information stored in the memory device whether or not a retrieval condition designated by a user satisfying a predetermined collecting condition exists;
- obtain and collect, in a case where, based on the log information stored in the memory device, the retrieval condition satisfying the predetermined collecting condition is determined to exist, index data corresponding to one or more documents each satisfying the retrieval condition from each of the document management servers via the network, without retrieving the one or more documents;
- retrieve a document satisfying a newly designated retrieval condition by:
- transmitting a query, which includes the newly designated retrieval condition, to all of the document management servers, in a case where the newly designated condition is not the same as the retrieval condition;
- and transmitting the query to only one of the document management servers that stores the collected index data, without transmitting the query to any other document management server, in a case where the newly designated retrieval condition is the same as the retrieval condition satisfying the predetermined collecting condition.
A document retrieving method for a document retrieving system for retrieving a document from documents registered in two or more document management servers which are connected via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing a document and index data corresponding to the document in a storage device of each of the document management servers;
- obtaining and collecting index data corresponding to one or more documents each satisfying a first retrieval condition from the storage device of each of the document management servers via the network, without retrieving the one or more documents each satisfying the first retrieval conditions;
- determining whether or not a second retrieval condition is the same as the first retrieval condition, the second retrieval condition being newly designated by a user;
- retrieving a document satisfying the second retrieval condition by:
- transmitting a query, which includes the second retrieval condition, to all of the document management servers, in a case where the determining step determines that the second retrieval condition is not the same as the first retrieval condition;
- and
- transmitting the query to only one of the document management servers that stores the index data collected in the collecting step, without transmitting the query to any other document management server, in a case where the determining step determines that the second retrieval condition is the same as the first retrieval condition;
- managing log information of the second retrieval condition designated by the user;
- and
- collecting, in a case where, based on the log information, the second retrieval condition satisfying a predetermined collecting condition is determined to exist, the index data corresponding to the document satisfying the second retrieval condition.
A document retrieving method for a document retrieving apparatus for retrieving a document from documents registered in two or more document management servers which are connected to the document retrieving apparatus via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
- inputting a retrieval condition to retrieve a document,
- storing log information of the retrieval condition input in the inputting step in a memory device,
- determining whether or not a retrieval condition designated by a user satisfying a predetermined collecting condition exists, based on the log information stored in the memory device,
- obtaining and collecting, in a case where, based on the log information stored in the memory device, the determining step determines that the retrieval condition satisfying the predetermined collecting condition exists, index data corresponding to the one or more documents each satisfying the retrieval condition from each of the document management servers via the network, without retrieving the one or more documents;
- and
- retrieving a document satisfying a newly designated retrieval condition by:
- transmitting a query, which includes the newly designated retrieval condition, to all of the document management servers, in a case where the newly designated condition is not the same as the retrieval condition;
- and
- transmitting the query to only one of the document management servers that stores the index data collected in the collecting step, without transmitting the query to any other document management server, in a case where the newly designated retrieval condition is the same as the retrieval condition satisfying the predetermined collecting condition.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a document retrieving system for carrying out a method of retrieving a document from documents registered in two or more document management servers which are connected via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing a document and index data corresponding to the document in a storage device of each of the document management servers;
- obtaining and collecting index data corresponding to one or more documents each satisfying a first retrieval condition from the storage device of each of the document management servers via the network, without retrieving the one or more documents each satisfying the first retrieval condition;
- determining whether or not a second retrieval condition is the same as the first retrieval condition, the second retrieval condition being newly designated by a user;
- and
- retrieving a document satisfying the second retrieval condition by:
- transmitting a query, which includes the second retrieval condition, to all of the document management servers, in a case where the determining step determines that the second retrieval condition is not the same as the first retrieval condition;
- and
- transmitting the query to only one of the document management servers that stores the index data collected in the collecting step, without transmitting the query to any other document management server, in a case where the determining step determines that the second retrieval condition is the same as the first retrieval condition;
- managing log information of the second retrieval condition designated by the user;
- and
- collecting, in a case where, based on the log information, the second retrieval condition satisfying a predetermined collecting condition is determined to exist, the index data corresponding to the document satisfying the second retrieval condition.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a document retrieving apparatus for retrieving a document from documents registered in two or more document management servers which are connected to the document retrieving apparatus via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
- inputting a retrieval condition to retrieve a document;
- storing log information of the retrieval condition input in the inputting step in a memory device;
- determining whether or not a retrieval condition designated by a user satisfying a predetermined collecting condition exists, based on the log information stored in the memory device;
- and
- obtaining and collecting, in a case where, based on the log information stored in the memory device, the determining step determines that the retrieval condition satisfying the predetermined collecting condition exists, index data corresponding to one or more documents each satisfying the retrieval condition from each of the document management servers via the network, without retrieving the one or more documents;
- and
- retrieving a document satisfying a newly designated retrieval condition by:
- transmitting a query, which includes the newly designated retrieval condition, to all of the document management servers, in a case where the newly designated condition is not the same as the retrieval condition;
- and
- transmitting the query to only one of the document management servers that stores the index data collected in the collecting step, without transmitting the query to any other document management server, in a case where the newly designated retrieval condition is the same as the retrieval condition satisfying the predetermined collecting condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.