Document management method and document management apparatus using the same

A document management apparatus, comprising:

• a storage unit which stores a document therein;
• a display unit which displays a category list including a directory name and a plurality of sub-directory names of a directory corresponding to at least one of a predetermined directory, a directory indicating where the document is stored according to a folder structure, and a keyword of the document, the category list corresponding to multiple levels of directories;
• an input unit which receives a user selection of a document, an action to generate a category options menu for the selected document, and a user selection of at least one category in the category list, each of the directory name and the sub-directory names corresponding to a plurality of categories in the category list;
• and
• a hardware controller which automatically generates the category list upon the receiving the action, controls the display unit to display the category list, assigns the selected category to the document, and categorizes the document based on the assigned category,
• wherein a name of the category in the category list may be adjusted by the user, and
• wherein the hardware controller removes at least one of the sub-directory names from the category list, and
• the category options menu displays options to set categories by the folder structure and keyword search.

A method to search for documents, comprising:

• receiving a category selection in a user interface to search for a categorized document;
• searching through multiple levels of directories for the document according to the category selection;
• and
• displaying the document according to whether the category selection corresponds to a directory used to locate the document which has been assigned to the document as the category,
• wherein the assigned category is included in an automatically generated category list including a directory name and a plurality of sub-directory names of a directory corresponding to at least one of a predetermined directory, a directory indicating where the document is stored according to a folder structure, and a keyword of the document, and the assigned category corresponds to at least one category in the category list, each of the directory name and the sub-directory names corresponding to a plurality of categories in the category list, the category list being automatically generated and displayed upon receiving an action from a user to generate a category options menu for a document, and
• wherein a name of the category in the category list may be adjusted by the user, and
• wherein the searching comprises excluding a search of another category which has been removed according to preset removal conditions, and
• the category options menu displays options to set categories by the folder structure and keyword search.