Program, document-data merging system, information processing device, and document-data merging method

Abstract

To reduce a burden of a document data registration work.SOLUTION: A program 9 is provided that makes an information processing device 30B function as: an acquisition unit that obtains a plurality of pieces of document data from document storage means 12 that stores the plurality of pieces of document data; a document classification unit that classifies the plurality of pieces of document data obtained by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule; a merging unit that merges one or more pieces of document data which are classified by the document classification unit and creates merged document data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, a document data merging system, an information processing device, and a document data merging method. [Background technology]

[0002] There are cases where document data such as drawings and related documents related to a project or other work needs to be managed on a project-by-project basis. For example, a building design office manages architectural design drawings, and a product manufacturer manages product design drawings as document data related to the project. Document data may also be distributed to departments or people who need it.

[0003] There is known a technology for reducing the burden on a management department when distributing document data (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a drawing management system that manages the distribution destinations of drawings and a drawing management system that manages the drawings to be distributed. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional technology, the creator of document data had to register each piece of document data into the system, which placed a burden on the user. For example, when a person in charge wanted to compile document data related to a project and distribute it to related parties, registering the multiple pieces of document data they wanted to compile one by one was a heavy burden.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for reducing the burden of document data registration work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a program for causing an information processing device to function as an acquisition unit that acquires multiple document data from a document storage means that stores the multiple document data, a document classification unit that classifies the multiple document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on merge rules, and a merge unit that merges one or more document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention can reduce the burden of document data registration work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of registration of document data. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an example of a document data merging system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server device, a document creation terminal, and a document registration terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus, which is an example of a device. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a functional configuration of an example of a document data merge system. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating merge rules stored in a merge rule storage unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating classification information stored in a classification information storage unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a document data registration screen displayed by a document registration terminal. [Figure 9] 10 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a process in which the document data merge system merges document data; [Figure 10] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a process in which the document registration terminal classifies and merges document data. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a document data registration screen that displays one or more pieces of document data classified into each classification destination. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an error message displayed when a required document is not found. [Figure 13] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a case where the document registration terminal performs a merge process at regular intervals. [Figure 14] 10 is an example of a flowchart when the document registration terminal performs a merge process before the printing deadline. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a client-server document data merging system. [Figure 16] 10 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a process of merging document data in a client-server document data merging system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A document data merging system and a document data merging method performed by the document data merging system will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] <Outline of document data registration> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the registration of document data. (1) A document creator operates the document creation terminal 30A to save document data related to a project or other work, such as design drawings and plans, in the document storage folder 12. The document storage folder 12 is located, for example, in a server device 10 or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) on the network. (2) The document merge application 9 is pre-installed on the document registration terminal 30B. The document registration person who merges and distributes documents operates the document registration terminal 30B to execute the document merge application 9. The document merge application 9 acquires document data from the document storage folder 12 and classifies the document data in the document storage folder 12 based on the merge rules. As an example of the merge rules, the document data is classified based on the file names of the document data. (3) The document merge application 9 merges one or more document data classified into the same classification destination and registers the merged data in the document registration folder 63. The document merge application 9 generates a document registration folder 63 associated with the project when registering the document data.

[0011] As described above, in this embodiment, the document creator of a design drawing, plan, or the like simply stores the created document data in the document storage folder 12. When the document registration person operates the document merge application 9 (or may not operate it), the document merge application 9 merges the document data to be combined into one and registers the merged document data in the document registration folder 63. The document registration terminal 30B may print the merged document data automatically or at any timing. The document registration terminal 30B may distribute the merged document data. Therefore, the document data merge system 100 of this embodiment can reduce the workload related to the registration and distribution of document data.

[0012] <Terminology> A project is a series of tasks that are carried out in a planned manner to achieve a specific goal. In a project, goals and deliverables to be achieved within a specific period of time may be set. Although a project may be carried out by an individual, generally multiple members are involved in the same project, and each member performs tasks selected to achieve a single goal. A large amount of document data is generated during the course of a project. This embodiment relates to the distribution of document data generated in this project.

[0013] Document data is electronic data (hereinafter referred to as "document data") that contains a document. A document is a collection of one or more words or sentences (and, of course, may include alphanumeric characters and other multilingual characters). Document data may be in any format that can represent a sentence. For example, document data may be data that expresses a document in text format or data in a format specialized for a specific application. Alternatively, document data may be data that expresses words or sentences themselves or concepts corresponding to words or sentences using images, audio, or video (video). In other words, document data may be image data, audio data, or video data. Furthermore, the storage format of document data is not limited to a specific one. For example, document data may be stored in a file, as a database record, or in other formats. Document data may be used for business purposes, such as internal company documents (PDF files, application files), or internal meeting minutes, or it may be personal document data such as web pages or hobby images.

[0014] The information that can be referenced in document data is information that the document data has. For example, document data has a file name and document content. Furthermore, document data has attributes such as file size, timestamp, and creator. In this embodiment, the file name is searched for merging, but any information that can be referenced in the document data may be searched.

[0015] The document storage means is a storage means for storing a plurality of document data before they are merged. In this embodiment, the document storage means will be described using the term document storage folder 12. The document registration means is a storage means for registering merged document data. In this embodiment, the document registration means will be described using the term document registration folder 63.

[0016] Merging refers to combining multiple pieces of document data into one piece of document data. For example, if document data A contains p1 to p3 and document data B contains p1 to p5, merging will create one piece of document data containing p1 to p8. The file name of the merged document data could be, for example, "category name" + "date," as described below.

[0017] Classifying multiple document data means dividing the document data into multiple categories according to predetermined rules. In this embodiment, these rules are referred to as merge rules. Rules are created, for example, so that document data in the same category are sorted into the same classification, or so that document data are sorted into the same print size for ease of handling. Categories vary depending on the project. For example, in a construction project, there may be categories related to interior design, exterior design, windows, and exterior walls. In this case, document data related to interior design is merged into one, reducing the workload of the document registration staff in consolidating the document data related to interior design. Furthermore, in a product development project, there may be categories related to the LCD panel UI, exterior design, functionality, cost calculation, and so on.

[0018] [First embodiment] <System configuration example> FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an example of a document data merge system 100. The document data merge system 100 includes a server device 10, a document creation terminal 30A, a document registration terminal 30B, and a device 20. The server device 10 and the device 20 are communicatively connected via a wide-area network N1 such as the Internet. The server device 10, the document creation terminal 30A, and the document registration terminal 30B are communicatively connected via the wide-area network N1 such as the Internet. The server device 10, the device 20, the document creation terminal 30A, and the document registration terminal 30B can communicate with an external service system 40, which is an external system, via the network N1. The device 20, the document creation terminal 30A, and the document registration terminal 30B are located in a facility such as a company and connected to a network N2. The network N2 may be a LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), wide area Ethernet (registered trademark), a mobile phone network such as 4G, 5G, or 6G, or the like. The document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B may be located outside the company or may be carried by the user.

[0019] The server device 10 mainly has a document storage folder 12. The server device 10 is realized by one or more information processing devices, and provides various services realized by a series of processes in cooperation with an external service system 40, such as a cloud service, via a network N1. As will be described later, the server device 10 may execute tasks such as merging document data. The server device 10 may be realized by cloud computing, or may be realized by a single information processing device. Cloud computing refers to a form in which resources on a network are used without being aware of specific hardware resources. The server device 10 may exist on the Internet or on-premise.

[0020] The device 20 is any electronic device used by a user. In this embodiment, the device 20 may have a function of printing document data (print function). Such a device 20 may be called an image processing device, image forming device, MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), printing device, printer, etc. The device 20 is used to print document data transmitted from the document registration terminal 30B for distribution, etc. The device 20 may also have a scanner function for optically reading an original. In this case, image data scanned by the device 20 can also be registered in the server device 10.

[0021] Furthermore, a web browser may be executable on device 20. A user can connect device 20 to document registration terminal 30B or server device 10 using the web browser and use various services (applications) provided by document registration terminal 30B or server device 10. For example, a user may display a list of merged document data on device 20, and device 20 may download and print the document data (pull print).

[0022] In the following description, when the plurality of devices 20 are to be distinguished from one another, they will be referred to using subscripts such as "device 20A" and "device 20B."

[0023] The document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B are information processing devices used by users. The document creation terminal 30A is used by the document creator to create document data, obtain it from outside, and edit it. The document registration terminal 30B is used by the document registration staff to merge and print document data. The document registration terminal 30B transmits the merged document data to the device 20 in response to a user operation or automatically.

[0024] The document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a wearable PC, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). Alternatively, the document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B may be capable of running a web browser or a dedicated application. For example, the document creation terminal 30A may be an electronic whiteboard, and a screen displayed on the electronic whiteboard may be converted into a PDF or the like and transmitted as document data to the server device 10. The document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B may be a head-up display (HUD) device, industrial machinery, an imaging device, a sound collection device, a medical device, a network home appliance, a car navigation system, a game console, a digital camera, a wearable PC, or the like.

[0025] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the document registration terminal 30B executes a native application, but the document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B may execute a web application provided by the server device 10. A web application refers to software or a mechanism thereof that operates through cooperation between a program written in a programming language (for example, JavaScript (registered trademark)) that runs on a browser and a program on the web server side, and that is executed on a browser.

[0026] The Web application used by the document registration terminal 30B to register document data can display a list of classified document data, a list of merged document data, and the contents of the merged document data.

[0027] The external service system 40 is one or more information processing devices that provide services by storing, reading, or processing data when the server device 10 executes a web application. In this embodiment, the external service system 40 is not required. Merged document data may be registered in the external service system 40. The "external" in the external service system 40 refers to a system separate from the server device 10, but it does not necessarily have to be operated by a different company than the server device 10. For example, the same user may have different accounts on the external service system 40 and the server device 10.

[0028] Examples of the external service system 40 include a cloud service, an ASP (Application Service Provider), and the like, and may include various external services provided via a network. For example, a storage service is an example of a service. The external service system 40 may exist on the Internet or on-premise.

[0029] <Hardware configuration example> The hardware configurations of the server device 10, document creation terminal 30A, and document registration terminal 30B included in the document data merge system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0030] <<Server device, document creation terminal, and document registration terminal>> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 10, document creation terminal 30A, and document registration terminal 30B according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the server device 10, document creation terminal 30A, and document registration terminal 30B are constructed by a computer 500, and include a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a HD (Hard Disk) 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0031] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the computer 500. The ROM 502 stores programs, such as an IPL, used to drive the CPU 501. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data, such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information, such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, external devices include, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories and printers. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the network N2. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like, for electrically connecting the components, such as the CPU 501, shown in FIG. 3.

[0032] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys used to input characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. The DVD-RW drive 514 is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R or the like. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0033] <<Equipment>> 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus, which is an example of device 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950.

[0034] Of these, the controller 910 has a CPU 901, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907, which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0035] Of these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus. The NB 903 is a bridge that connects the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0036] The MEM-P 902 comprises a ROM 902a, which is memory for storing programs and data that realize the functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b, which is used for expanding the programs and data and as a drawing memory during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0037] The SB 904 is a bridge for connecting the NB 903 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The ASIC 906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and serves as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD controller 908, and MEM-C 907. The ASIC 906 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 907, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the scanner unit 931, printer unit 932, and facsimile unit via the PCI bus 922. The ASIC 906 may also have a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394 (IEEE 1394) interface.

[0038] The MEM-C907 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD909 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD909 under the control of the CPU901. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing, and direct high-throughput access to the MEM-P902 enables the graphics accelerator card to operate at high speed.

[0039] Further, the short-range communication circuit 920 is provided with a short-range communication circuit antenna 920a. The short-range communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0040] The engine control unit 930 further includes a scanner unit 931, a printer unit 932, and a facsimile unit 933. The operation panel 940 includes a panel display unit 940a, such as a touch panel, that displays current setting values ​​and selection screens and receives inputs from the operator, and hard keys 940b, such as a numeric keypad that receives setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density settings and a start key that receives a copy start command. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and inputs from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 includes an image processing unit such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

[0041] The image forming apparatus can be switched between the document box function, copy function, print function, and facsimile function in sequence using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. When the document box function is selected, the image forming apparatus enters document box mode, when the copy function is selected, the image forming apparatus enters copy mode, when the print function is selected, the image forming apparatus enters printer mode, and when the facsimile mode is selected, the image forming apparatus enters facsimile mode.

[0042] The network I / F 950 is an interface for performing data communication using the network N2. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I / F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via a PCI bus 922.

[0043] <About the function> Next, the functional configuration of the document data merge system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an example of the document data merge system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0044] <<Document creation terminal>> The document creation terminal 30A has a communication unit 31, a display control unit 32, and an operation reception unit 33. Each of these functional units is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 3 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the document creation terminal 30A. For example, the communication unit 21, the display control unit 22, and the operation reception unit 23 may be realized by a web browser or a dedicated application (native app).

[0045] The communication unit 31 transmits and receives various information to and from the server device 10. In this embodiment, the communication unit 31 transmits document data to the server device 10 using, for example, SMB (Server Message Block) or FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

[0046] The display control unit 32 interprets screen information of various screens and displays it on the display 506. The operation receiving unit 33 receives various operations on the various screens displayed on the display 506 by the user.

[0047] <<Server device>> The server device 10 has a communication unit 11 and a document storage folder 12. Each functional unit of the server device 10 is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 3 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the server device 10. The document storage folder 12 is constructed in the RAM 503, HD 504, etc. shown in Fig. 3.

[0048] The communication unit 11 transmits and receives various types of information between the document creation terminal 30A and the document registration terminal 30B. In this embodiment, the communication unit 11 receives document data and the like from the document creation terminal 30A. In addition, the communication unit 11 transmits a list of document data and the document data itself to the document registration terminal 30B in response to a request from the document registration terminal 30B.

[0049] The document storage folder 12 is a folder that stores document data received by the communication unit 11. Although one document storage folder 12 is shown in the figure, the document storage folder 12 is a general term, and document data may be stored in a lower folder within the document storage folder 12. However, all document data may be stored in a single folder.

[0050] <<Document registration terminal>> The document registration terminal 30B has a communication unit 41, a display control unit 42, an operation reception unit 43, a document classification unit 44, a merging unit 45, a determination unit 46, an acquisition unit 47, and a storage unit 50. Each functional unit of the document registration terminal 30B is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 executing instructions included in one or more programs (e.g., the document merge application 9) installed in the server device 10. The storage unit 50 is constructed in the RAM 503, HD 504, etc. shown in FIG. 3. The storage unit 50 may not be constructed in the document registration terminal 30B, but may be constructed on a network accessible by the document registration terminal 30B or the device 20.

[0051] The communication unit 41 transmits and receives various information between the server device 10 and the device 20. In this embodiment, the communication unit 41 receives a list of document data and the document data itself from the server device 10. The communication unit 41 also transmits and receives various information between the device 20. In this embodiment, the communication unit 41 transmits merged document data to the device 20. Alternatively, the communication unit 41 transmits a list of merged document data to the device 20, and transmits document data requested by the device 20 to the device 20. In this case, a web application is executed on the device 20, and the web application displays a list of document data, allowing the user to select document data to print.

[0052] The display control unit 42 is a means for displaying an error message when the document classification unit 44 is unable to retrieve all of the required document data using the search key. The display control unit 42 is also a means for displaying the file names of multiple pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit 44 for each merge rule in an area associated with the classification destination. Specifically, the display control unit 42 displays the document data registration screen 200 of the document merge application 9 on the display 506. Since the document merge application 9 is a native application, the configuration of the document data registration screen 200 is included in the document merge application 9. The display control unit 42 displays a list of document data and the like on the document data registration screen 200.

[0053] The operation reception unit 43 is a means for receiving identification information of a business to which a plurality of document data are related. Specifically, the operation reception unit 43 receives various operations by the user on the document data registration screen 200 displayed on the display 506.

[0054] The document classification unit 44 is a means for classifying, based on merge rules, the multiple document data acquired by the acquisition unit 47. Specifically, the document classification unit 44 classifies, based on merge rules, the multiple document data acquired from the document storage folder 12 of the server device 10. The document classification unit 44 notifies the merge unit 45 of the classified multiple document data.

[0055] The merge unit 45 is a means for merging one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit 44 to create merged document data. Merged document data is one or more pieces of merged document data. Specifically, the merge unit 45 merges multiple pieces of document data and registers them in the document registration folder 63. When registering document data, the merge unit 45 creates a folder (a subordinate folder of the document registration folder 63) associated with the project, and registers the merged document data in the created folder. In this embodiment, a folder with the project identification information (an example of business identification information) as the folder name is created subordinate to the document registration folder 63. The project identification information is referred to as an "ID."

[0056] The judgment unit 46 mainly performs two judgments. The judgment unit 46 is a means for determining whether the number of one or more document data classified into a classification destination has reached a predetermined merge number. A classification destination means that document data of the same category or print size are classified into the same classification destination. The judgment unit 46 is also a means for determining whether all essential documents for each classification destination have been obtained using the file search key.

[0057] The acquisition unit 47 is a means for acquiring a plurality of document data from a document storage means (document storage folder 12) that stores the plurality of document data. Specifically, the acquisition unit 47 acquires a list of the plurality of document data or the document data itself from the document storage folder 12 that stores the plurality of document data via the communication unit 41.

[0058] The storage unit 50 has a merge rule storage unit 61, a classification information storage unit 62, and a document registration folder 63. Of these, the document registration folder 63 is a folder in which merged document data is registered. Although one document registration folder 63 is shown in the figure, the document registration folder 63 is a general term, and merged document data is saved in a subordinate folder within the document registration folder 63 for each project. More specifically, a folder name is created based on the project's identification information (ID), and the merged document data is saved in that folder.

[0059] The merge rule storage unit 61 and the classification information storage unit 62 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0060] <<Equipment>> The device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a display control unit 22, an operation reception unit 23, an image data generation unit 24, a facsimile processing unit 25, and a printing unit 26. Each of these functional units is a function or means realized by the CPU 901 shown in Fig. 4 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the device 20. For example, the communication unit 21, the display control unit 22, and the operation reception unit 23 are realized by a web browser, and the others are realized by individual applications (native apps).

[0061] The communication unit 21 transmits and receives various types of information to and from the server device 10. In this embodiment, the communication unit 21 receives document data. The communication unit 21 may also receive screen information such as a document data list screen from the server device 10 or the document registration terminal 30B, and may receive requested document data, etc. from the server device 10 or the document registration terminal 30B.

[0062] The display control unit 22 interprets screen information of various screens and displays it on the panel display unit 940a. The operation receiving unit 23 receives various operations by the user on the various screens displayed on the panel display unit 940a.

[0063] When the application selected by the operation receiving unit 23 generates image data, the image data generating unit 24 generates image data by reading (scanning) the document using the scanner unit 931. The image data is processed into document data such as a PDF file together with metadata.

[0064] The facsimile processing unit 25 performs processing related to the reception and transmission of facsimiles by the facsimile unit 933, and when a facsimile is received, requests the server device 10 to execute a pre-associated application. The facsimile processing unit 25 may also request an application corresponding to the sender of the facsimile (FAX number).

[0065] The printing unit 26 executes the print job instructed by the document registration terminal 30B. In this embodiment, the printing unit 26 prints the print job including the merged document data. By executing the print job, the document data is printed on paper or the like. Note that the printing unit 26 can also print the image data generated by the image data generation unit 24.

[0066] <About merge rules> FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the merge rules stored in the merge rule storage unit 61. The merge rules define the rules for merging document data based on file names. The file names are just an example, and any information contained in document data may be used for classification. Multiple classified document data (which may be zero or one) are merged into one document data, so the merge rules are rules for classifying and merging document data. Naturally, if the number of classified document data is zero, no merging will occur.

[0067] The merge rule in Figure 6 has the following items: "file search key," "file storage location," and "document type." One line (one record) in Figure 6 represents one search condition, and the entire Figure 6 represents one merge rule. One or more document data classified by the merge rule in Figure 6 will be classified into the same classification destination. One or more document data in the same classification destination will be merged into one document data.

[0068] The file search key is a search key for document data, and indicates that document data that includes the file search key in its file name (or the document data itself) is classified into categories (extracted from the document storage folder 12).

[0069] The file storage location is the folder name of the document storage folder 12 searched for by the file search key. The file storage location may be a URL or a file path, etc. Since the folder name of the document storage folder 12 to be searched is determined for each file search key, problems are unlikely to occur even if document data created by multiple document creators has the same file name. Multiple document creators can save document data in the file storage locations that they are responsible for. However, it is not essential that the file storage locations be classified as shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the document storage folder 12 has the folder name "ID+Year" as described below.

[0070] The document type indicates whether the document data searched for by the file search key is required or optional for merging. Document types include "required document" and "optional document." A required document is document data that is required for merging, and an optional document is document data that is not required for merging. If even one required document in a merge rule does not match the file search key, an error occurs and the merge is not performed. If an optional document does not match the file search key, the merge is performed without an error.

[0071] In the case of the merge rule in FIG. 6, document data that matches the file search keys "S_KEY 1," "S_KEY 2," "S_KEY 3," and "S_KEY 4" are merged into one document data. Optional documents are not required, but required documents are essential for merging. Since one of the objectives of this embodiment is to merge document data by category or print size, merge rules are prepared for each classification destination of document data. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that there are the following classification destinations: ·Category 1 ·Category 2 ·Category 3 ·Category 4 Therefore, one merge rule corresponds to one classification destination. A merge rule is prepared for each classification destination, so there will be a total of four merge rules in Figure 6 (three other than those in Figure 6). Note that the file search key may contain a character string that indicates the classification destination. In this case, four merge rules can be easily created by adding a character string according to the classification destination to the same file search key. In this case, the document creator also includes the classification destination in the file name of the document data.

[0072] It is also preferable to prepare a merge rule for each project. This allows the document type of the document identified by each file search key to be different for each project. For example, if a term such as S_KEY 1 is required for document data in one project but optional in another, it becomes possible to set a document type appropriate for each project.

[0073] The document classification unit 44 references merge rules prepared for each classification destination of document data and extracts document data with file names that match each file search key of the merge rule from the document storage folder 12. It is expected that one or more document data will be found for each classification destination. The document classification unit 44 classifies multiple document data into multiple classification destinations for each merge rule based on multiple merge rules with different classification destinations. Therefore, multiple document data are classified into the number of classification destinations (four in this embodiment).

[0074] If the determination unit 46 cannot extract document data with a file name corresponding to the file search key from the document storage folder 12, the determination unit 46 checks the document type corresponding to the file search key and determines whether the document type is a required document. If the document type is a required document, the display control unit 42 notifies a document extraction error.

[0075] <Classification information> FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the classification information stored in the classification information storage unit 62. The classification information defines the content of the document data to be classified (i.e., merged) into each classification destination. The classification destination is determined according to the category or print size of the document data. The content is, for example, the category or print size. The classification information has the following items: "Classification destination name," "Content," and "Number of merges." One row (one record) in FIG. 7 represents one classification destination. The category name item is a name that the document merge application 9 uses to indicate the category of document data together with document data that matches the search. The content items explain what document data will be classified into. The content items are shown for illustrative purposes only and are not used in processing. The merge count is the number of document data required for merging. The number of document data required for merging is determined for each classification destination, and an error occurs if the number of document data that matches the search does not reach the merge count. Note that if more document data than the merge count is classified into one classification destination, this may be acceptable, or it may be considered an error. For example, if different versions of document data are generated, this is acceptable, but if not, an error occurs.

[0076] Therefore, the document classification unit 44 can classify multiple document data of the same category into the same classification destination based on the file name of the document data, or classify multiple document data of the same print size into the same classification destination.

[0077] <Document data registration screen> Next, a user interface when the document registration terminal 30B registers document data will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows a document data registration screen 200 displayed by the document registration terminal 30B. Each item on the document data registration screen 200 will be described.

[0078] ID 201 is identification information for the project. The file name already contains the ID and file search key. For example, if the file name is "XXXX-S_KEY 1.pdf", "XXXX" is the ID and "S_KEY 1" is the file search key. The user can specify the document data to be extracted for merging by inputting the ID on the document data registration screen 200. In this embodiment, the ID is required, but is not required in an environment where there is only one project.

[0079] Year 202 is information for specifying the folder name of the document storage folder 12. In the document storage folder 12, document data is stored in folders that include ID+Year.

[0080] The Search button 203 is a button that the document registration person presses to search for and extract document data to be merged from the document storage folder 12 .

[0081] The Merge button 205 is a button that the document registration person presses to merge one or more document data that match the file search key and are classified into the classification destination.

[0082] The first area 206 is an area where a list of document data that matches the search using the merge rule corresponding to the first classification information (the classification destination called classification destination 1 in FIG. 8) is displayed.

[0083] The second area 207 is an area where a list of document data that matches the search based on the merge rule corresponding to the second classification information (the classification destination called classification destination 2 in FIG. 8) is displayed.

[0084] The third area 208 is an area where a list of document data that matches the search using the merge rule corresponding to the third classification information (classification destination 3 in FIG. 8) is displayed.

[0085] The fourth area 209 is an area where a list of document data that matches the search using the merge rule corresponding to the fourth classification information (classification destination 4 in FIG. 8) is displayed.

[0086] <Action or Processing> Next, the flow of the process in which the document registration terminal 30B merges document data for each classification will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process in which the document data merge system 100 merges document data.

[0087] S101: The document creator operates the document creation terminal 30A to create document data. The document data may be obtained from an external source. The document creator specifies the document storage folder 12 (ID+Year) and performs an operation to store the document data in the server device 10. The operation reception unit 33 receives this operation, and the communication unit 31 transmits the document data to the server device 10.

[0088] S102: The communication unit 11 of the server device 10 receives the document data and stores the document data in the document storage folder 12 (a folder specified by ID+Year).

[0089] S103: Next, when the document registrant distributes document data, the document registration terminal 30B is connected to the server device 10, and an operation to request a list of document data is input to the document registration terminal 30B. In response to the operation of the document registrant, the acquisition unit 47 of the document registration terminal 30B acquires the list of document data from the document accumulation folder 12 of the server device 10 via the communication unit 41. The request for the list of document data does not have to be made only at this timing, and the document registration terminal 30B may communicate with the server device 10 multiple times. For example, there may be a step of separately requesting classification and merging, or a step in which the document registration terminal 30B acquires the document data itself.

[0090] S104: The document registration terminal 30B classifies and merges the document data based on the list of document data. Details of step S104 will be described later with reference to Fig. 10. The merged document data is created as, for example, a PDF file.

[0091] S105: Next, the document registrant displays the contents of the merged document data using a PDF-compatible application and inputs an operation to print the merged document data into the document registration terminal 30B. The document registrant and the person who prints may be different persons. Displaying the contents of the document data is not essential. Also, when new document data is saved in the document registration folder 63, the document merge application 9 may automatically execute printing.

[0092] S106: The printer driver of the document registration terminal 30B creates a print job, and the communication unit 41 transmits the print job including the document data to the device 20. This enables the device 20 to print the merged document data.

[0093] Next, the flow of the process in which the document registration terminal 30B merges document data for each classification destination will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process in which the document registration terminal 30B classifies and merges document data. A plurality of document data have already been stored in the document storage folder 12 of the server device 10. The process in Fig. 10 starts when the document registrant activates the document merge application 9, for example, once a day, once a week, at a specific time, a specific day of the week, or a specific date.

[0094] The document classification unit 44 first reads the setting file (S1). The setting file specifies the following two parameters: (1) Folder path of document storage folder 12 (The final file path is determined by the combination of the ID and Year values ​​specified on the document data registration screen 200.) (2) Folder path of document registration folder 63 (Known path of document registration folder 63) Next, the operation accepting unit 43 determines whether or not the Search button 203 has been pressed (S2). If the determination in step S2 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S3, and if No, the determination in step S2 is repeated.

[0095] In step S3, the document classification unit 44 acquires the values ​​of ID and Year inputted on the document data registration screen 200 (S3).

[0096] Then, the document classification unit 44 starts the process of acquiring a list of document data stored in the document storage folder 12 (S4 to S12).

[0097] The document classification unit 44 determines the folder path using the parameters of step S1 and the ID+Year acquired in step S3, and accesses the document storage folder 12 (S5).

[0098] The document classification unit 44 determines whether the document storage folder 12 specified by the path exists (S6). Whether the document storage folder 12 exists can be determined, for example, by whether the document storage folder 12 can be found in the file system of the OS (Operating System).

[0099] If the document storage folder 12 does not exist, the process proceeds to step S7, and if it does exist, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0100] In step S7, the display control unit 42 displays an error message indicating that the document storage folder 12 does not exist on the document data registration screen 200. Then, the processing of steps S4 to S7 ends.

[0101] In step S8, the document classification unit 44 starts a classification process for classifying the document data for each merge rule (S8).

[0102] First, the document classification unit 44 searches for document data in the document storage folder 12 according to all file search keys in one merge rule (S9).

[0103] Next, the determination unit 46 determines whether all document data whose document type is determined to be "essential documents" in one merge rule matches the file search key (S10). That is, it determines whether all essential documents are available for each classification destination.

[0104] If there is even one document data whose document type is "essential document", the process proceeds to step S11, and if there is, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0105] In step S11, the display control unit 42 generates an error message indicating a document extraction error, and displays it on the document data registration screen 200. An example of the error message is shown in Fig. 12. The loop process of steps S9 to S12 ends.

[0106] In step S12, the document classification unit 44 classifies one or more pieces of document data that match the search into their respective classification destinations (S12). The file names of the classified document data are displayed in the area determined by the classification destination name among the first area 206 to the fourth area 209 of the document data registration screen 200.

[0107] The processing of steps S9 to S12 is repeatedly performed for each merge rule.

[0108] When document data has been extracted using the file search keys of all merge rules, the classification process of document data ends in step S13, and the process proceeds to step S14.

[0109] In step S14, the operation accepting unit 43 determines whether or not the Merge button 205 has been pressed (S14). If the determination in step S14 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S15, and if No, step S14 is repeatedly determined.

[0110] In step S15, the merge unit 45 accesses the folder in the document registration folder 63 using the parameters of step S1 (S15).

[0111] The merge unit 45 determines whether the folder path of the document registration folder 63 exists (S16). Whether the document registration folder 63 exists can be determined, for example, by whether the document accumulation folder 12 can be found in the OS file system. At this point, the document registration folder 63 may be a higher-level folder that does not include an ID. A folder that includes an ID will be created later.

[0112] If the document registration folder 63 does not exist, the process proceeds to step S17; if the document registration folder 63 exists, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0113] In step S17, the display control unit 42 causes an error message indicating that the document registration folder 63 does not exist to be displayed on the display 506. The process returns to step S14.

[0114] In step S18, the merge unit 45 creates a folder with the ID as the folder name under the document registration folder 63 (S18).

[0115] Next, the determination unit 46 determines whether or not the number of classified document data for each classification destination satisfies the merge number determined for each classification destination in the classification information (S19).

[0116] If the number of classified document data does not satisfy the merge number, the process proceeds to step S17; if it does, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0117] In step S20, the merge unit 45 performs a merge process on all of the document data classified into the classification destination (S20). That is, the merge unit 45 merges all of the document data displayed in the first area 206 of the document data registration screen 200 into one document data, merges all of the document data displayed in the second area 207 into one document data, merges all of the document data displayed in the third area 208 into one document data, and merges all of the document data displayed in the fourth area 209 into one document data. Therefore, four merged document data are created.

[0118] The merge unit 45 saves the merged document data in a folder having the value of the ID as the folder name (S21). This completes the processing of FIG.

[0119] In this way, the document registration terminal 30B can classify and merge document data stored in the document storage folder 12 into categories and print sizes based on file names.

[0120] <<Screen example>> FIG. 11 is an example of a document data registration screen 200 that displays one or more pieces of document data classified into each category. The explanation of FIG. 11 will mainly focus on the differences from FIG. 8. In FIG. 11, one or more pieces of document data 221, 222, 223, and 224 searched for by merge rules are displayed in a first area 206, a second area 207, and a fourth area 209. The three pieces of document data 221 in the first area 206 match the search for the merge rule that classifies the data as category 1. The three pieces of document data 222 in the second area 207 match the search for the merge rule that classifies the data as category 2. The single piece of document data 223 in the third area 208 matches the search for the merge rule that classifies the data as category 3. The single piece of document data 224 in the fourth area 209 matches the search for the merge rule that classifies the data as category 4.

[0121] In this way, the document data registration screen 200 can display the document data to be merged for each classification destination, and the document registrant can confirm the document data to be merged.

[0122] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an error message that appears when a required document cannot be found. In FIG. 12, an error message 225 stating "Required document for search key 'XX' not found" is displayed in the third area 208. The search key included in the error message is the search key for which the required document could not be obtained. The error message 225 is displayed in association with the classification destination for which no required documents were found. The error message 225 allows the document registrant to understand which classification destination does not have a required document and which search key does not have document data corresponding to it.

[0123] <Merge processing at regular intervals> When the document registration terminal 30B performs the merge process at regular intervals, the document merge application 9 can periodically merge and print document data accumulated within the regular interval without any operation by the document registrant.

[0124] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a case where the document registration terminal 30B performs merge processing every time a certain period of time elapses. Note that the explanation of FIG. 13 may mainly focus on the differences from FIG.

[0125] The process of step S2-1 may be the same as step S1 in Fig. 10. In the process of Fig. 13, it is assumed that the ID and Year are determined in advance.

[0126] Next, the document classification unit 44 acquires the time from the RTC (Real Time Clock) of the document registration terminal 30B or a time server (S2-2).

[0127] The document classification unit 44 determines whether the difference between the acquired time and the current time reaches the specified time interval (i.e., is less than the threshold) (S2-3), thereby determining whether a certain period of time has passed.

[0128] If the determination in step S2-3 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S2-4, and if No, the process returns to step S2-2.

[0129] The process of step S2-4 may be the same as steps S3 to S13 in Fig. 10. The process of step S2-5 may be the same as steps S15 to S21 in Fig. 10.

[0130] According to the process of FIG. 13, document data accumulated within a certain period of time can be periodically merged and printed without any operation by the document registrant.

[0131] <Merge processing at a specified timing> For example, if the printing deadline for document data is determined, document registration terminal 30B can merge and print document data accumulated before the printing deadline by performing merge processing at a timing corresponding to the printing deadline.

[0132] 14 is a flowchart illustrating a case where the document registration terminal 30B performs merge processing before the print due date. Note that the explanation of FIG. 14 may mainly focus on the differences from FIG.

[0133] The process of step S3-1 may be the same as step S1 in Fig. 10. In the process of Fig. 14, it is assumed that the ID and Year are determined in advance.

[0134] In step S3-2, the document classification unit 44 checks the printing deadline for the document data (S3-2). The printing deadline may be, for example, a fixed date and time. The date and time may occur periodically.

[0135] Next, the document classification unit 44 compares the confirmed print due date with the current time, and determines whether the current time is a certain time before the print due date (S3-3).

[0136] If the determination in step S3-3 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S3-4, and if No, the process returns to step S3-2.

[0137] The process of step S3-4 may be the same as steps S3 to S13 in Fig. 10. The process of step S3-5 may be the same as steps S15 to S21 in Fig. 10.

[0138] <Major Effects> As described above, in this embodiment, the document creator of a design drawing, plan, or the like simply stores the created document data in the document storage folder 12. When the document registration person operates the document merge application 9 (or may not operate it), the document merge application 9 merges the document data to be combined into one and registers the merged document data in the document registration folder 63. The document registration terminal 30B may print the merged document data automatically or at any timing. The document registration terminal 30B may distribute the merged document data. Therefore, the document data merge system 100 of this embodiment can reduce the workload related to the registration and distribution of document data.

[0139] [Second embodiment] <Client-server document data merge system> 5 and the like, it has been explained that the document registration terminal 30B executes a native application, but the document data merge system 100 may be of a client-server type. Fig. 15 is a functional block diagram of the document data merge system 100 of a client-server type.

[0140] 15, the server device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a document classification unit 44, a merging unit 45, a screen generation unit 52, a determination unit 46, an acquisition unit 47, and a storage unit 50. The functions of the communication unit 11, the document classification unit 44, the merging unit 45, the determination unit 46, and the acquisition unit 47 may be the same as those in FIG. 5. The screen generation unit 52 generates screen information for the document registration terminal 30B to display a screen of the Web application. The screen information is a program written in HTML, XML, a scripting language, CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), or the like, where the structure of the Web page is mainly specified by HTML, the behavior of the Web page is defined by the scripting language, and the style of the Web page is specified by CSS. The screen generation unit 52 generates a document data registration screen 200 and provides it to the document registration terminal 30B as a Web application.

[0141] Furthermore, the server device 10 has not only the document accumulation folder 12 but also a merge rule storage unit 61, a classification information storage unit 62, and a document registration folder 63. These configurations may be the same as those shown in Fig. 5. Even in a client-server configuration, the document registration folder 63 may be included in the document registration terminal 30B.

[0142] FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of merging document data by the client-server document data merge system 100.

[0143] S201: The document creator operates the document creation terminal 30A to create document data. The document data may be obtained from an external source. The document creator specifies the document storage folder 12 (ID+Year) and performs an operation to store the document data in the server device 10. The operation reception unit 33 receives this operation, and the communication unit 31 transmits the document data to the server device 10.

[0144] S202: The communication unit 11 of the server device 10 receives the document data and stores the document data in the document storage folder 12 (a folder specified by ID+Year).

[0145] S203: Next, when the document registrant distributes document data, the document registrant connects the document registration terminal 30B to the server device 10 and inputs an operation to request classification of the document data (pressing the Search button 203) into the document registration terminal 30B. The communication unit 41 of the document registration terminal 30B transmits the request to classify the document data to the server device 10.

[0146] S204: The communication unit 11 of the server device 10 receives the request to classify the document data, and the acquisition unit 47 acquires the plurality of document data from the document storage folder 12. The document classification unit 44 classifies the plurality of document data. Details of step S204 may be the same as S3 to S13 in FIG. 10.

[0147] S205: The communication unit 11 of the server device 10 transmits the classification results (file names of document data for each classification destination) to the document registration terminal 30B.

[0148] S206: The communication unit 41 of the document registration terminal 30B receives the classification results, and the display control unit 42 displays the file names of the classified document data in the first area 206 to the fourth area 209.

[0149] S207: Next, the document registrant inputs an operation to request merging of the document data (pressing the Merge button 205) into the document registration terminal 30B. The communication unit 41 of the document registration terminal 30B transmits a request to merge the document data to the server device 10.

[0150] S208: The communication unit 11 of the server device 10 receives the request to merge the document data, and the merging unit 45 merges the document data classified into the classification destination. Details of step S208 may be the same as S15 to S21 in FIG.

[0151] S209: With the above, the merged document data has been registered in the document registration folder 63 of the server device 10. The document registrant downloads the merged document data from the server device 10 in order to print it. As a result, the communication unit 11 of the server device 10 transmits the merged document data to the document registration terminal 30B.

[0152] S210: The communication unit 41 of the document registration terminal 30B receives the merged document data, and the display control unit 42 displays the contents of the document data in response to a user operation. Displaying the contents of the document data is not essential. The document registrant inputs an operation to print the merged document data into the document registration terminal 30B. The document registrant and the person printing may be different people. The printer driver of the document registration terminal 30B creates a print job, and the communication unit 41 sends the print job including the document data to the device 20. This enables the printing unit 26 of the device 20 to print the merged document data. Note that the user who prints may connect the device 20 to the server device 10, download the merged document data from the document registration folder 63, and then execute printing.

[0153] In addition, in this embodiment, the server device 10 performs classification and merging, but the document registration terminal 30B may perform classification and merging. In this case, the Web application executed by the document registration terminal 30B includes a classification and merging function, and the Web application performs classification and merging.

[0154] <Major Effects> According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the document registration terminal can use a web application to request the server device 10 to classify and merge document data. The merged document data is stored in the server device 10, so any user can download and print it.

[0155] [Other application examples] The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments above, but various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0156] For example, in the first embodiment, the document creation terminal 30A may store the document data in the document registration terminal 30B. For example, the document creation terminal 30A may attach the document data to an e-mail and transmit it to the document registration terminal 30B.

[0157] In the first embodiment, the device 20 can perform pull printing from the document registration terminal 30B in the following manner: The document registration terminal 30B registers the merged document data in a predetermined folder in the server device 10, and the device 20 downloads the merged document data from the folder and prints it. Alternatively, a web server can be implemented in the document registration terminal 30B.

[0158] In addition, the configuration examples shown in Fig. 5 and the like are divided according to main functions to facilitate understanding of the processing by the document registration terminal 30B and the server device 10. The method of dividing the processing units and their names do not limit the present invention. The processing by the document registration terminal 30B and the server device 10 can be divided into even more processing units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, the processing can be divided so that one processing unit includes even more processes.

[0159] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a conventional circuit module designed to perform each function described above.

[0160] The devices described in the example are merely one of several computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, server device 10 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster, configured to communicate with each other via any type of communications link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and to perform the processes disclosed herein.

[0161] Furthermore, the server device 10 can combine the disclosed processing steps in various ways. The elements of the server device 10 may be integrated into one device or may be separated into multiple devices. Furthermore, each process performed by the server device 10 may be performed by the document registration terminal 30B.

[0162] <Additional Notes> [Appendix 1] An information processing device an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of document data from a document storage means that stores the plurality of document data; a document classification unit that classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule; a merging unit that merges one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data; A program to function as a [Appendix 2] The information processing device functioning as an operation reception unit that receives identification information of a business related to the plurality of document data; The program according to claim 1, wherein the merging unit registers the merged document data in a document registration unit in association with the identification information of the business. [Appendix 3] 3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merge rule is a search key used by the document classification unit to search for information that can be referenced in document data. [Appendix 4] The program according to claim 3, wherein the information that can be referenced in the document data is the file name of the document data. [Appendix 5] The document classification unit performs the following based on a plurality of merge rules with different classification destinations: classifying the plurality of document data into one classification destination for each of the merge rules; The program according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the merging unit merges one or more document data classified into each of multiple classification destinations for each classification destination, thereby creating the same number of merged document data as the multiple classification destinations. [Appendix 6] The number of merges of the document data to be merged for each classification destination is determined, The information processing device a determination unit that determines whether the number of one or more document data items classified into the classification destination reaches the merge number; 5. The program according to claim 4, for causing the computer to function as a [Appendix 7] the merge rule has a plurality of the search keys, Each search key is associated with whether the document data matching the search key is a required document or an optional document; causing the information processing device to function as a determination unit that determines whether all of the required documents in one merge rule have been acquired using the search key; A program as described in Appendix 5, in which, if the judgment unit determines that all of the required documents in one merge rule have been obtained using the search key, the merge unit merges one or more document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data. [Appendix 8] The information processing device The program according to claim 7, wherein the document classification unit functions as a display control unit that displays an error message if all of the required documents in one merge rule cannot be retrieved using the search key. [Appendix 9] The program according to claim 8, wherein the display control unit includes the search key for which the required document could not be obtained in the error message. [Appendix 10] 9. The program according to claim 8, wherein the display control unit displays the error message in association with the classification destination for which all of the required documents cannot be retrieved using the search key. [Appendix 11] The information processing device The program described in Appendix 5 or 6, wherein the document classification unit functions as a display control unit that displays the file names of the multiple document data classified for each merge rule based on the merge rule in an area corresponding to the classification destination. [Appendix 12] the classification destination is determined according to a category or a print size of the document data, The program described in Appendix 5 or 6, wherein the document classification unit classifies multiple document data of the same category into the same classification destination based on information that can be referenced in the document data, and classifies multiple document data of the same print size into the same classification destination. [Appendix 13] the document classification unit classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule every time a certain period of time elapses; 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merging unit merges one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit to create the merged document data. [Appendix 14] the document classification unit classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule when a predetermined timing arrives; 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merging unit merges one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit to create the merged document data. [Explanation of symbols]

[0163] 9. Document Merge Apps 10 Server equipment 12 Document storage folder 20 equipment 30A Document Creation Terminal 30B Document registration terminal 49 Document Registration Folder [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0164] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-280230

Claims

1. An information processing device an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of document data from a document storage means that stores the plurality of document data; a document classification unit that classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule; a merging unit that merges one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data; A program to function as a

2. The information processing device functioning as an operation reception unit that receives identification information of a business related to the plurality of document data; 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merging unit registers the merged document data in a document registration unit in association with the business identification information.

3. 3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merge rule is a search key for the document classification unit to search for information that can be referenced in the document data.

4. 4. The program according to claim 3, wherein the information that can be referenced in the document data is a file name of the document data.

5. The document classification unit performs the following based on a plurality of merge rules with different classification destinations: classifying the plurality of document data into one classification destination for each of the merge rules; 4. The program according to claim 3, wherein the merging unit merges one or more document data items classified into a plurality of classification destinations for each classification destination, to create the same number of merged document data items as the number of classification destinations.

6. The number of merges of the document data to be merged for each classification destination is determined, The information processing device a determination unit that determines whether the number of one or more document data items classified into the classification destination reaches the merge number; The program according to claim 5, for causing the program to function as:

7. the merge rule has a plurality of the search keys, Each search key is associated with whether the document data matching the search key is a required document or an optional document; causing the information processing device to function as a determination unit that determines whether all of the required documents in one merge rule have been acquired using the search key; The program described in claim 5, wherein when the judgment unit determines that all of the required documents for one merge rule have been obtained using the search key, the merge unit merges one or more document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data.

8. The information processing device 8. The program according to claim 7, wherein the document classification unit functions as a display control unit that displays an error message when all of the required documents in one merge rule cannot be acquired using the search key.

9. The program according to claim 8 , wherein the display control unit includes the search key for which the essential document could not be acquired in the error message.

10. 9. The program according to claim 8, wherein the display control unit displays the error message in association with the classification destination for which none of the essential documents can be acquired using the search key.

11. The information processing device The program according to claim 5, wherein the document classification unit functions as a display control unit that displays the file names of the plurality of document data classified for each merge rule based on the merge rule in an area corresponding to the classification destination.

12. the classification destination is determined according to a category or a print size of the document data, The program according to claim 5 , wherein the document classification unit classifies multiple document data of the same category into the same classification destination based on information that can be referenced in the document data, and classifies multiple document data of the same print size into the same classification destination.

13. the document classification unit classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule every time a certain period of time elapses; 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merging unit creates the merged document data by merging one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit.

14. the document classification unit classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule when a predetermined timing arrives; 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the merging unit creates the merged document data by merging one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit.

15. A document data merge system in which a server device and an information processing device can communicate with each other via a network, The server device an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of document data from a document storage means that stores the plurality of document data; a document classification unit that classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule; a merging unit that merges one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data; The information processing device includes: a communication unit that receives the merged document data from the server device; A document data merging system having:

16. an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of document data from a document storage means that stores the plurality of document data; a document classification unit that classifies the plurality of document data acquired by the acquisition unit based on a merge rule; a merging unit that merges one or more pieces of document data classified by the document classification unit to create merged document data; An information processing device having the above.

17. The information processing device A process of acquiring a plurality of document data from a document storage means that stores the plurality of document data; a process of classifying the plurality of document data acquired in the acquisition process based on a merge rule; a process of merging one or more pieces of document data classified in the classifying process to create merged document data; A document data merging method.

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