Key based electronic file approval management system

An information terminal device for an approver comprising:

• an electronic information transmission reception unit for the approver storing and retrieving electronic information with an electronic information device for an electronic file creator;
• an input unit for approving an electronic file being input an approval result of the electronic file received by the electronic information transmission reception unit for the approver;
• a print data conversion unit converting the electronic file into print data from the approval result input to the input unit for approving the electronic file, the print data having a data structure comprising information to be printed, attribute information and approval information;
• an approval information extraction unit extracting approval information of the electronic file from the print data converted by the print data conversion unit;
• and
• an approval key creation unit creating an approval key from the approval information extracted by the approval information extraction unit.

An information terminal device for an electronic file creator comprising:

• an electronic file creation unit creating an electronic file;
• a print data conversion unit converting the electronic file into print data, the print data having a data structure comprising information to be printed, attribute information and approval information;
• an approval information extraction unit extracting approval information of the electronic file from the print data converted by the print data conversion unit;
• an electronic information transmission reception unit for the electronic file creator storing and retrieving electronic information including an approval key with an information terminal device for an approver;
• and
• an approval key authentication unit determining whether or not to make an approval from collation of the approval information extracted by the approval information extraction unit and the approval key received by the electronic information transmission reception unit for the electronic file creator.

A method of managing an electronic file approval applied to an electronic file approval management system comprising an information terminal device for an electronic file creator creating an electronic file and an information terminal device for an approver approving the electronic file, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating the electronic file by an electronic file creation unit;
• transmitting the electronic file created by the electronic file creation unit to the information terminal device for the approver;
• receiving the electronic file transmitted by the transmitting step of transmitting the electronic file;
• inputting an approval result of the electronic file received by the receiving step into an input unit for approving the electronic file;
• converting the electronic file into first print data from the approval result input to the input unit for the approving the electronic file, the first print data having a data structure comprising information to be printed, attribute information and approval information;
• extracting first approval information of the electronic file from the first print data;
• creating an approval key from the first approval information;
• transmitting the approval key to the information terminal device for the electronic file creator;
• receiving the approval key transmitted by the transmitting step of transmitting the approval key;
• converting the electronic file into second print data having a data structure comprising information to be printed, attribute information and approval information;
• extracting second approval information of the electronic file from the second print data;
• and
• determining whether or not to make an approval from collation of the second approval information and the approval key received by the receiving step of receiving the approval key.