Information Processing System and Program

Abstract

To improve, as compared with a case where an error associated with browsing of a bundle document is resolved by an individual inquiry by an individual viewer, efficiency of a work required for resolving the error.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes a processor configured to manage a second document in which information for specifying a location at which a first document managed by the information processing system or another system is present is associated with a page in an arrangement order, and when the second document is browsed, in a case where the first document associated with the page to be browsed is read and provided to a viewer, display an operator requesting a person in charge to resolve an event that the first document is not read when the event is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] By defining a data structure in which links to independently existing documents are arranged in the order of appearance, there is a service that enables a user who views them to observe as if they were a single document. Hereinafter, a document having this type of structure is referred to as a "bundled document". When a user views a bundled document, the target document is downloaded from the link destination corresponding to each page and displayed on the user's display.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, after registering a link to a bundled document, if the storage location of the target document is changed or the target document is deleted from the storage location, an error occurs due to the target document not being found. Also, even if the target document exists in the storage location where it was registered, if the access right of the viewing user has expired or if authentication to the system where the document is stored fails, etc., the target document cannot be downloaded. In this case as well, as a result, a viewing error occurs. Although there are other causes of errors, to resolve the errors, it is necessary to inquire of the owner or administrator of the document, etc., and the work burden on the viewer is large.

[0005] The present invention Comprising a link URL indicating the location where the first document existsIt aims to improve the efficiency of the work required to resolve errors compared to the case where errors associated with document viewing are resolved through individual inquiries by individual viewers.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The invention according to claim 1 has a processor, and the processor determines the location where a first document managed by itself or another system exists. Comprising the link URL to be indicated Manages a second document, and when the second document is viewed 、 Reads out the first document and provides it to the viewer. In this case, When the viewer When an event is detected for the first document Does not have access rights to An operator that requests the person in charge to resolve the event is In the second document Displayed on an information processing system. The invention according to claim 2 is the information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the event is the case where the first document that is the object of reading does not exist at the location registered for the second document. Does not have access rights to The invention according to claim 3 is the information processing system according to claim 2, wherein when the first document does not exist at the location, the processor requests the person in charge to specify a document to be alternatively displayed. The invention according to claim 4 is the information processing system according to claim 2, wherein when the first document does not exist at the location, the processor requests the person in charge for a new location where the first document exists. The invention according to claim 5 is the information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the event is the case where the viewer does not have the access right to the system that manages the first document. The invention according to claim 6 is the information processing system according to claim 5, wherein when the first document does not exist at the location, the processor requests the person in charge to grant the access right to the system that manages the first document. Does not have access rights to The invention according to claim 6 is the information processing system according to claim 5, wherein when the first document does not exist at the location, the processor requests the person in charge to grant the access right to the system that manages the first document. The invention according to claim 6 is the information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the processor requests the person in charge to grant the access right to the system that manages the first document which is the object of reading. The invention according to claim 7 is the information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the processor presents a screen for a viewer to input information for logging in to a system that manages the first document to be read. Claim 8 The invention described in [claims] is such that the processor When an event is detected that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document requests a person in charge to grant access rights to the first document that is the object of reading, in the information processing system described in claim 1 Claim 9 The invention described in [claims] is such that the processor When an event is detected that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document presents a screen for a viewer to input information for accessing the first document that is the object of reading, in the information processing system described in claim 1 Claim 10 The invention described in [claims] is such that the processor displays the operator on the page where the event is detected, in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 Claim 11 The invention described in [claims] is such that the processor displays the operator on an additional page inserted before or after the page where the event is detected, in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 Claim 12 The invention described in [claims] is such that the processor displays the attribute information of the second document in response to a request from a viewer, in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 Claim 13 The invention described in [claims] is such that the attribute information includes information of a system that manages the first document linked to each page of the second document, information that identifies the location where the first document exists, and information of the person in charge, in the information processing system described in claim 12 Claim 14 The invention described in [claims] is such that the processor searches for the current person in charge of the first document from the system that manages the first document in which the event is detected, in the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ​​​​​​The information processing system according to any one of claims Claim 15 The invention described in claim Comprising the link URL to be indicated causes a computer to have a function of managing a second document at a location where a first document managed by itself or another system exists, and 、 when reading out the first document and providing it to a viewer during viewing of the second document, When the viewer the first document Does not have access rights to when an event is detected, an operator that requests a person in charge to resolve the event is In the second document displayed on the screen, and is a program for realizing the above functions.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, Comprising a link URL indicating the location where the first document exists it is possible to improve the efficiency of the work required to resolve an error as compared with the case of resolving an error associated with document viewing through individual inquiries by individual users. According to the invention described in claim 2, it is possible to request a person in charge from the screen being viewed that the first document to be read does not exist at the designated location. According to the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to request a person in charge from the screen being viewed to designate a document to be displayed alternatively. According to the invention described in claim 4, even when a link is broken due to movement or the like, it is possible to request a person in charge from the screen being viewed to update the location where the original document exists. According to the invention described in claim 5, it is possible to request a person in charge to grant access rights to the system that manages the first document to be read. According to the invention described in claim 6, it is possible to request the grant of access rights to the system from the screen used for viewing. According to the invention described in claim 7, the viewer himself / herself can attempt to access. Claim 8 According to the invention described in claim Claim 9 According to the invention described in claim Claim10 According to the described invention, the operator can be directly operated from the page to be viewed. Claim 11 According to the described invention, the operator can be directly displayed before reaching the page to be viewed. Claim 12 According to the described invention, the structure of a document can be easily confirmed without viewing a second document. Claim 13 According to the described invention, the structure of a document can be easily confirmed without viewing a second document. Claim 14 According to the described invention, even when the registered person in charge is different from the current person in charge, it is possible to surely request the resolution of an error. Claim 15 According to the described invention, Comprising a link URL indicating the location where the first document exists compared with the case where an error associated with document viewing is resolved through individual inquiries by the user, it is possible to realize the efficiency improvement of the work required for error resolution.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment 1> <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a document viewing system 1 used in Embodiment 1. The document viewing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a plurality of document management systems 10, a work terminal 20, and a network 30.

[0010] In FIG. 1, the document management system 10A that manages the bundled documents is referred to as "this system", and the document management systems 10B, 10C, etc. that manage the documents constituting the bundled documents are referred to as "other systems". However, part or all of the documents constituting the bundled documents may be managed by this system. This system and other systems are defined based on the bundled documents viewed by the user. So, if the bundled documents viewed by the user are in the document management system 10B, the document management system 10B becomes this system. Hereinafter, when not distinguishing between this system and other systems, it is referred to as the document management system 10, and when distinguishing between this system and other systems, it is referred to as the document management systems 10A, 10B, 10C, etc.

[0011] In FIG. 1, there is one terminal 20. However, in the actual document viewing system 1, multiple terminals 20 are connected to the network 30. Note that the terminal 20 does not have to be one per user. The terminal 20 may be multiple for one user. Also, the terminal 20 may be one for multiple users. For the network 30, for example, the Internet is used. However, the network 30 may also be a LAN (= Local Area Network).

[0012] <Bundled document> FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the bundled document BD used in Embodiment 1. (A) shows an example of the data structure of the bundled document BD, and (B) shows an example of how the bundled document BD looks on the terminal 20. The bundled document BD shown in FIG. 2 is defined by a set of link information to the documents D11, D12, and D13 that actually exist separately from the bundled document BD. However, link information may be stored only for some pages constituting the bundled document BD, and binary data may be stored for other pages.

[0013] In the case of this embodiment, the link information is arranged in the order of appearance of the corresponding pages. In the case of FIG. 2(A), the link information of the document D11 corresponding to pages 1 and 2, the link information of the document D12 corresponding to page 3, and the link information of the document D13 corresponding to pages 4 to 6 are arranged in order. Note that some of the documents D11, D12, and D13 constituting the bundled document BD may be another bundled document.

[0014] The file formats of the documents D11, D12, and D13 linked to one bundled document BD do not have to be the same. For example, D11 and D12 are document files, but D13 may be an image file. The difference in file format is represented by the extension. Extensions representing document files include, for example, txt, doc, ppt, and pdf. Extensions representing image files include, for example, jpg, gif, bmp, and tif. For link information, for example, document names, file names, directories, URLs (= Uniform Resource Locators), and identifiers are used. The link information only needs to be able to uniquely identify the document that is the link destination.

[0015] The content of the pages of the bundled document BD is specified by the document at the link destination. Therefore, when the link information is rewritten, the content of the corresponding pages of the bundled document BD is also changed. Also, even if there is no change in the link information, when the content of the document at the link destination is edited or replaced with another document, the content of the corresponding pages of the bundled document BD is also changed. Note that even by swapping, adding, or deleting the order of the link information, the content of the bundled document BD displayed on the terminal 20 is changed. Note that since the documents D11, D12, and D13 exist independently of the bundled document BD, even if the display content of the bundled document BD is changed by editing the link information, no change occurs to the documents D11, D12, and D13 at the link destination.

[0016] The document management system 10 (see FIG. 1) manages the bundled document BD and the documents D11, D12, and D13 that constitute the bundled document BD without distinction. Hereinafter, when collectively referring to the bundled document BD and the documents D11, D12, and D13 that constitute the bundled document BD, it is referred to as a "document". Also, the documents D11, D12, and D13 that constitute the bundled document BD are also referred to as "sub-documents". When viewing the bundled document BD, the sub-documents corresponding to each page of the bundled document BD are read out through the link information and displayed on the terminal 20.

[0017] On the screen of the terminal 20 shown in FIG. 2(B), when the document to be viewed is the bundled document BD, a sequential number is assigned regardless of the difference in the sub-documents corresponding to each page. Therefore, a user viewing the bundled document BD does not know whether each page is read out through the link information. The bundled document BD here is an example of the second document, and the sub-document is an example of the first document.

[0018] <Configuration of Document Management System> FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of the hardware of the document management system 10 used in Embodiment 1. (A) shows an example of the hardware configuration, and (B) shows an example of the data structure stored in the auxiliary storage device 104.

[0019] The document management system 10 shown in FIG. 3(A) includes a processor 101 that controls the operation of the entire device, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 in which a BIOS (= Basic Input Output System) or the like is stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 used as a work area for the processor 101, an auxiliary storage device 104 that stores data such as programs, and a communication IF (= InterFace) 105 used for communication with the outside.

[0020] The processor 101 and each unit are connected through a signal line 106 such as a bus. The document management system 10 here is an example of an information processing system. The processor 101, the ROM 102, and the RAM 103 function as a so-called computer. The processor 101 realizes various functions through the execution of programs. For example, the processor 101 provides a document management service through the execution of a program.

[0021] For example, a semiconductor memory or a hard disk device is used as the auxiliary storage device 104. Programs and data related to the document management service are stored in the auxiliary storage device 104. The programs here also include an operating system and application programs related to the document management service. In the auxiliary storage device 104, as data related to document management, there are stored a database (hereinafter referred to as "document DB") 104A that stores information on documents managed by this system, a database (hereinafter referred to as "other system document information DB") 104B that stores information on documents managed by other systems, and a database (hereinafter referred to as "authentication information DB") 104C that stores information related to authentication (hereinafter also referred to as "authentication information") required when accessing the system or documents.

[0022] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the databases stored in the auxiliary storage device 104. (A) shows an example of the structure of the document DB 104A, (B) shows an example of the structure of the other system document information DB 104B, and (C) shows an example of the structure of the authentication information DB 104C.

[0023] In the document DB 104A, bundled documents BD and other documents are managed without distinction. In the document DB 104A, individual documents are managed with one record. The document DB 104A manages documents by "document identifier", "document name", "document data", "owner", etc. used for document management. For example, "document 001" in the first row is a single document.

[0024] In the case of a bundled document BD, the "document data" column also includes the bundling structure. In the example of Figure 4(A), "document 002" and "document 003" are bundled documents BD. In the "document data" column, information for identifying the sub-documents that make up the bundled document BD is described in the order of arrangement. In the case of Figure 4(A), the "document data" column includes a URL and binary data. Note that an IP (= Internet Protocol) address may be stored instead of the URL.

[0025] In the "owner" column, information on the owner of each document to be managed is stored. The user here may be an individual or a group name. Also, the owner is not limited to one person and may be multiple persons. Instead of the owner, the creator or administrator may be remembered. The owner, creator, and administrator here are examples of the persons in charge of document management. In the case of Fig. 4(A), the owners of each document are all different. Of course, there may be cases where multiple documents belong to the same owner.

[0026] In the other system document information DB104B, information regarding sub-documents managed by other systems is managed. The other system document information DB104B manages information regarding sub-documents by means of the "URL" for specifying the location of the sub-document, the "other system identifier" for specifying the other system, the "owner identifier" for identifying the owner, the "notification destination information for messages addressed to the owner", etc.

[0027] When using an IP address to specify the location of the sub-document, the IP address may be remembered in the URL field or in a separately prepared IP address field. In the example of Fig. 4(B), the URLs of the sub-documents constituting "Document 002" and "Document 003" are remembered. In the "owner" field, information on the creator or administrator may be remembered. In the case of Fig. 4(B), the owner of each sub-document is different from the owner of any of the documents managed in the document DB104A. In the "notification destination information for messages addressed to the owner" field, for example, an email address, a short message address, a telephone number, etc. are remembered.

[0028] In the authentication information DB104C, authentication information used for accessing sub-documents or accessing the system in which the sub-documents are managed is managed. The authentication information DB104C manages authentication information by means of the "user identifier" for identifying the user, the "other system identifier" used for managing other systems, the "authentication information" required for accessing sub-documents or systems, etc. In the "authentication information" field, for example, an ID (= Identifier) and a password are encrypted and remembered. Note that the authentication information may also be in plain text.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a functional configuration example of the document management system 10 used in the first embodiment. The functions shown in FIG. 5 are realized through the execution of a program by the processor 101. The processor 101 shown in FIG. 5 functions as a bundled document creation unit 101A, a link URL analysis unit 101B, a document display control unit 101C, an authentication request unit 101D, an authentication unit 101E, an alternative document request unit 101F, a message transmission unit 101G, and a document selection unit 101H.

[0030] The bundled document creation unit 101A is executed when the creation of the bundled document BD is instructed from the terminal 20. The bundled document creation unit 101A has a sub-function for assisting in the creation of the bundled document BD and a sub-function for registering the data of the created bundled document BD in the document DB 104A (see FIG. 3). The sub-function for assisting in the creation of the bundled document BD receives, through the work screen of the terminal 20, an array of "document identifiers", which are information of sub-documents, and URLs (hereinafter referred to as "link URLs"), which are link information to "other systems".

[0031] On the other hand, the sub-function for registering the data of the created bundled document BD in the document DB 104A registers the data of the created bundled document BD in the document DB 104A. The bundled document creation unit 101A also has a sub-function for instructing the link URL analysis unit 101B to analyze the link URL. This sub-function is executed when the bundled document BD contains a link URL.

[0032] The link URL analysis unit 101B is executed when it receives an instruction to analyze the link URL from the bundled document creation unit 101A. The link URL analysis unit 101B accesses the document DB 104A of another system to identify information such as the owner of the sub-document corresponding to the link URL and registers it in the other system document information DB 104B. The link URL analysis unit 101B also registers the notification destination information of the message to the owner in the other system document information DB 104B.

[0033] The document display control unit 101C is executed when the viewing of a document managed in the document DB 104A is instructed from the terminal 20. The documents here include not only the bundled document BD but also documents other than the bundled document BD. The document display control unit 101C has a sub-function of accepting, through the operation screen of the terminal 20, the designation of a document to be viewed, and a sub-function of outputting the data of a specified specific page to the terminal 20. For the designation of a document to be viewed, for example, a document identifier or a document name is used. Also, for the designation of a page to be displayed, a page number is used.

[0034] When a link URL is registered in association with a specified specific page, the document display control unit 101C executes a sub-function of acquiring a sub-document from the location specified by the link URL. When authentication is required for access to another system, the document display control unit 101C also executes a sub-function of reading authentication information from the authentication information DB 104C and performing authentication.

[0035] When authentication fails, the document display control unit 101C displays on the terminal 20 a page (hereinafter referred to as a "login page") that requests the user to input information (hereinafter referred to as "authentication information") necessary for authentication. When authentication is successful but the target document does not exist, a page (hereinafter referred to as an "alternative document request page") for requesting the owner registered for the document of the link URL to present an alternative document is displayed on the terminal 20. In the case of the present embodiment, the documents for which authentication is required are assumed to be documents managed in another system. However, even documents managed in this system may require authentication.

[0036] The authentication request unit 101D is a sub-function that instructs the authentication unit 101E to transmit authentication information. The authentication information in the present embodiment is given by an other-system identifier specified by a link URL or the like, and a user identifier and password input through the authentication request page. When the authentication is successful, the authentication request unit 101D updates the display of the corresponding page of the terminal 20 according to the acquired document. In addition, the authentication request unit 101D encrypts and stores the authentication information in the authentication information DB 104C. When the authentication fails, the authentication request unit 101D causes the terminal 20 to display the login page again. When the authentication is successful but the target document does not exist, the authentication request unit 101D causes the terminal 20 to display the alternative document request page.

[0037] When accessing another system, the authentication unit 101E transmits the authentication information to the authentication unit 101E of the other system and obtains the authentication result. When the authentication unit 101E receives the authentication information from another system, it compares the received authentication information with the data in the authentication information DB 104C and returns the comparison result. The alternative document request unit 101F obtains information such as the owner of the document corresponding to the link URL of the specified page number from the other system document information DB 104B, and requests the message transmission unit 101G to send a message requesting an alternative document. The transmission of this message is executed when an alternative document is requested from the terminal 20. When an alternative document is specified by the owner or the like, the alternative document request unit 101F updates the corresponding page of the terminal 20 to display the alternative document.

[0038] The message transmission unit 101G sends a message requesting an alternative document to the destination read from the other system document information DB 104B. In the case of a document managed by this system, the message transmission unit 101G may send a message requesting an alternative document to the owner or the like of the document of this system. The document selection unit 101H executes a sub-function of providing a screen for selecting an alternative document to the user who requested the alternative document. In the case of this embodiment, a list screen is used for selecting an alternative document. When the selection of a replacement document is accepted, the document selection unit 101H transmits the link URL of the document to the bundled document creation unit 101A that manages the document targeted by the link URL, and updates the configuration of the bundled document BD.

[0039] <Processing operation> <Creation of bundled document> FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing operation executed by the document management system 10 when creating the bundled document BD. The symbol S in FIG. 6 represents a step. The processing operation shown in FIG. 6 is executed when the processor 101 accepts the creation of the bundled document BD from the terminal 20. First, the processor 101 creates a bundled document BD and stores the created data in the document DB 104A (step 1). Next, the processor 101 loops through the processing for each sub-document constituting the bundled document BD (step 2).

[0040] The processor 101 determines whether the sub-document is a link URL (step 3). If the sub-document is actual data, the processor 101 obtains a negative result in step 3 and returns to step 2. While there are still sub-documents for which the determination has not been made, the processor 101 repeats the determination in step 3. If the sub-document is a link URL, the processor 101 obtains an affirmative result in step 3. In this case, the processor 101 identifies the document with the other system from the link URL and obtains information such as the owner from the document DB 104A of the other system (step 4). Next, the processor 101 stores the obtained information in the other system document information DB 104B (step 5). After that, the processor 101 returns to step 2. If there are no remaining sub-documents for which the determination has not been made, the processor 101 ends the loop processing.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the content of communication executed between terminals constituting the document viewing system 1 and the processing operations executed at each terminal when creating the bundled document BD. In FIG. 7, the document management system 10 that receives a request to create a bundled document BD is referred to as the document management system 10A, and another system that manages sub-documents constituting the bundled document BD to be created is referred to as the document management system 10B. A user of the document management service accesses the document management system 10A from the terminal 20 and requests the creation of a bundled document BD (1001).

[0042] The document management system 10A that has received the request includes or analyzes the link URL (1002). If there is a document including the link URL, the document management system 10A requests another system specified by the link URL to acquire the attribute information of the document (1003). The other system that has received the request returns the attribute information of the document to the document management system 10A (1004). The document management system 10A that has received the attribute information of the document from the other system creates a bundled document BD and stores the information of the document owner (1005). After that, the document management system 10A notifies the terminal 20 of the completion of the creation of the bundled document BD (1006).

[0043] <Viewing of Bundled Document> FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing operation executed by the document management system 10 when viewing a bundled document. The symbol S in FIG. 8 represents a step. The processing operation shown in FIG. 8 is executed when the processor 101 receives an instruction to view from the terminal 20. First, the processor 101 acquires the data of the specified bundled document BD from the document DB 104A (step 11).

[0044] Next, the processor 101 determines whether the specified page is a link URL (step 12). If a negative result is obtained in step 12, the processor 101 proceeds to step 18 and displays the specified page to the user. On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained in step 12, the processor 101 identifies another system from the link URL and requests the authentication unit 101E to perform an authentication process (step 13).

[0045] Subsequently, the processor 101 causes the authentication unit 101E to acquire authentication information from the authentication information DB 104C and perform authentication on another system (step 14). After this, the processor 101 determines whether authentication has been successful (step 15). If authentication fails, the processor 101 obtains a negative result in step 15. In this case, the processor 101 proceeds to step 20 and displays a login page to the user. On the other hand, if authentication is successful, the processor 101 obtains an affirmative result in step 15. In this case, the processor 101 acquires document data from another system (step 16).

[0046] After this, the processor 101 determines whether the acquisition of the document data has been successful (step 17). In other words, the processor 101 determines whether document data to be acquired exists at the link destination. If the acquisition of the document data is successful, the processor 101 obtains an affirmative result in step 17. In this case, the processor 101 displays the specified page to the user (step 18). On the other hand, if the acquisition of the document data fails, the processor 101 obtains a negative result in step 17. In this case, the processor 101 displays an alternative document request page to the user (step 19).

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of the content of communication executed between terminals constituting the document browsing system 1 and the processing operations executed at each terminal when browsing the bundled document BD. In FIG. 9, the document management system 10 that receives a request to view the bundled document BD is designated as the document management system 10A, and another system that manages the sub-documents constituting the bundled document BD to be created is designated as the document management system 10B. Also, in FIG. 9, the terminal 20 operated by the user who views the bundled document BD is denoted as "terminal 20A". The user of the document management service accesses the document management system 10A from the terminal 20A and requests to view the bundled document BD by specifying a page (1101).

[0048] The document management system 10A that has received the request analyzes whether the target page of the target document is a link URL (1102). If the target page is a link URL, the document management system 10A requests authentication from the other system at the link destination (1103). The other system returns the authentication result to the document management system 10A that is the request source. Note that if the authentication is successful and the target document exists at the link destination, the document data is also returned.

[0049] After that, the document management system 10A displays a screen corresponding to the authentication result on the terminal 20A that is the request source. If the authentication fails, the document management system 10A displays a login page on the terminal 20A (1105A). If the authentication is successful and the target document exists at the link destination, the document management system 10A displays the bundled document BD on the terminal 20A (1105B). If the authentication is successful but the target document does not exist at the link destination, the document management system 10A displays an alternative document request page on the terminal 20A (1105C).

[0050] When the login page is displayed, the terminal 20A logs in to the document management system 10A by inputting authentication information to the login page (1106). That is, the terminal 20A transmits authentication information to the document management system 10A. The document management system 10A that has received the authentication information requests authentication from the other system (1107). Another system returns the authentication result to the document management system 10A, which is the requester (1108). If the authentication is successful and the target document exists at the linked destination, the document data is also returned. If the authentication is successful, the document management system 10A records the authentication information (1109).

[0051] After that, the document management system 10A displays a screen corresponding to the authentication result for the terminal 20A, which is the requester. If the authentication fails, the document management system 10A displays the login page again (1110A). If the authentication is successful and the target document exists at the linked destination, the document management system 10A displays the bundled document BD (1110B). If the authentication is successful but the target document does not exist at the linked destination, the document management system 10A displays the alternative document request page (1110C).

[0052] When the alternative document request page is displayed, the terminal 20A sends a message requesting an alternative document to the document management system 10A through an operation on the alternative document request page (1111). The document management system 10A that has received the alternative document request determines the owner (1112). When the owner is identified, the document management system 10A sends a request email or notification to the identified owner. In the case of Figure 9, the owner is assigned to the terminal 20B.

[0053] The owner requests the other system to obtain a document list from the terminal 20B (1114). The other system returns the document list to the terminal 20B, which is the requester (1115). The terminal 20B accepts the selection of the alternative document by the owner (1116). After that, the terminal 20B returns the selection result to the document management system 10A (1117). The document management system 10A overwrites the selected alternative document on the link URL (1118). Thereafter, the document management system 10A displays the corresponding page on the terminal 20A (1119).

[0054] <Example of terminal screen> <Display example of login page> FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a display example of a login page 200 that is displayed when authentication fails in the case where sub-documents on the 4th page to the 6th page from the top are managed by another system. (A) shows an example of embedding the login page 200 over the page specified by the user, (B) shows an example of embedding the login page 200 over a page that combines a plurality of pages for which authentication fails, and (C) shows an example of inserting the login page 200 immediately before or after the page specified by the user.

[0055] When the login page 200 is displayed, if the user does not have access rights to the system that manages the sub-document, the user's access rights may have expired. The login page 200 shown in FIG. 10(C) is an example of an "additional page". FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a display example of the login page 200. The login page 200 shown in FIG. 11 is composed of an explanation column 201 for the cause requiring login and the operation required of the user, an input column 202 for the user ID as the account used for authentication, a confirmation column 203 regarding the retention of the user ID, an input column 204 for the password, and a "Login" button 205.

[0056] Since the login page 200 shown in FIG. 11 is displayed in a form embedded in the corresponding page of the bound document BD being viewed, the user can immediately proceed to the authentication work. That is, it becomes possible to efficiently eliminate the state where viewing is impossible. If the login page 200 is not displayed in a form embedded in the corresponding page, the user needs to individually request permission from the owner or administrator of the sub-document by phone or email, which results in poor work efficiency. Also, in the case of this embodiment, when authentication is successful, subsequent authentication for the system associated with the same link URL becomes unnecessary. Therefore, using the login page 200 improves the operability of the user as compared to the case where an error screen pops up every time the page is advanced.

[0057] In the case of this embodiment, the layout of the login page 200 varies according to the document management service for which login is required. However, regardless of the difference in the document management service, a login page 200 with the same layout may be prepared. In the explanation column 201 shown in FIG. 11, the service name for which login is required is displayed. Thus, a user viewing the bound document BD can specifically know the service name for which input of authentication information is required. Note that instead of the service name, a link URL, a system identifier, a document identifier, etc. may be displayed. When the "Login" button 205 is operated, the authentication information input in the input fields 202 and 204 is transmitted to the document management system 10 that manages the bound document BD being viewed.

[0058] <Example of display of alternative document request page> FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of the display of an alternative document request page 210. The alternative document request page 210 shown in FIG. 12 is displayed when authentication for the system is successful but there is no target document at the link destination. The alternative document request page 210 shown in FIG. 12 includes an explanation column 211 for the reason for requesting the selection of an alternative document and the operation required of the user, an information column 212 regarding the owner of the corresponding page, an information column 213 for the deleted sub-document, and a "Send Request" button 214. The "Send Request" button 214 is an example of an operator used when requesting an alternative document.

[0059] The alternative document request page 210 is also displayed in a form embedded in the corresponding page or in an added form, similar to the login page 200 (see FIG. 11). That is, the display format in FIG. 10 is adopted. Therefore, the user can shift to the operation of requesting an alternative document from the corresponding page. That is, it becomes possible to efficiently eliminate the unviewable state caused by broken links or the like.

[0060] If the alternative document request page 210 is not displayed in a form embedded in the corresponding page, the user needs to individually request the registration of an alternative document from the owner or administrator of the sub-document by phone or email, resulting in poor workability. Also, in the case of this embodiment, when an alternative document is selected by the owner, the information of the document management system 10 is updated with the alternative document. Therefore, by using the alternative document request page 210, the operability of the user is improved as compared with the case where an error screen is popped up every time the page is scrolled.

[0061] In the case of this embodiment, the layout of the alternative document request page 210 differs according to the document management service for managing sub-documents. However, regardless of the difference in the document management service, an alternative document request page 210 with the same layout may be prepared. In the information fields 212 and 213 shown in FIG. 12, the information of the owner and the sub-document that requires an alternative is displayed. Therefore, a user viewing the bundled document BD can know in advance the person to whom the request is to be made. When the "Send Request" button 214 is operated, a request including the information of the document requesting the selection of an alternative document is sent to the owner of the corresponding sub-document.

[0062] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen 220 displayed on the terminal 20B (see FIG. 9) operated by the owner to whom the selection of an alternative document is requested. The screen 220 shown in FIG. 13 assumes an operation screen of an application program for sending and receiving emails. Therefore, operation buttons 221 are arranged in the first row. Also, the destination email address 222 is placed in the second row, and the sender's email address 223 is placed in the third row. Here, the destination is the address of the owner of the alternative document.

[0063] In the fourth row, the title 224 issued by the document management system 10A (see FIG. 1) is described. In the case of FIG. 13, the title 224 is composed of the content and the information of the target document. The content is "Request for Selection of Alternative Document", and the target document is "Case A Data.xdw". In the fifth row, the reason for issuing the email and the work required of the owner 225 are described. In the example of FIG. 13, "Deletion of Document" is noted as the reason for issuing the email. In the sixth row, information 226 about the requester and the target document is described. In this example, it can be seen that the user who is the requester is "Hanako Fuji".

[0064] Note that in the seventh row, a "Report without Alternative" button 227 and a "Select Document" button 228 are arranged. If there is no alternative document, the owner of the corresponding document operates the "Report without Alternative" button 227. When this button is operated, an email notifying the document management system 10A, which is the sender, to that effect is returned. When selecting an alternative document, the owner of the corresponding document operates the "Select Document" button 228.

[0065] When the "Select Document" button 228 is operated, a request is made to display a list of selectable documents to another system that manages the corresponding document. As a result, a document list is displayed as a separate screen on the terminal 20B operated by the owner. When an alternative document is selected from the displayed documents, the result of the selection is given to the document management system 10A, and the registered content is updated. Since the "Report without Alternative" button 227 and the "Select Document" button 228 are arranged in the email, the work of the owner is streamlined. Note that the process of requesting the owner to select an alternative document is an example of the process of requesting the specification of a document to be displayed alternatively.

[0066] <Example of display of properties of bundled document> FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of the display of the properties 240 of the bundled document BD. The property 240 is attribute information used for confirming the internal structure of the bundled document BD. The property 240 shown in FIG. 14 is composed of "page number", "management service", "original document name", "file format", "owner name", and "link URL". Looking at the column of the "original document name", it is possible to confirm what documents are bundled. In the case of FIG. 14, it can be seen that three documents are bundled as sub-documents. Also, looking at the column of the "file format", it is possible to know what file format each document is.

[0067] Also, looking at the column of the "management service", it is possible to know the system that manages each document. Also, it is possible to know which documents are managed by this system and which documents are managed by other systems. In the case of FIG. 14, the documents managed by this system are described as "this service", and the names of external services are described for the documents managed by other systems. In the example of FIG. 14, it can be seen that the documents corresponding to pages 1 to 3 are managed by this system, and the documents corresponding to pages 4 to 6 are managed by other systems. That the document is managed by other systems can also be confirmed from the description in the column of the "link URL". Also, looking at the column of the "owner name", it is possible to confirm the ownership of each document.

[0068] While property 240 is being displayed, verify the login to another system in the background. If the login fails, an input field for login information may be displayed on the same screen. Also, the aforementioned login page 200 (see FIG. 11) may be displayed in an embedded format or a pop-up format. If the input of login information is requested at this stage, interruption of browsing due to a failed login can be avoided. Also, verify the access to documents managed by another system in the background. If the access fails, a button for requesting an alternative document may be displayed on the same screen. Also, the aforementioned alternative document request page 210 (see FIG. 12) may be displayed in an embedded format or a pop-up format. If the input of login information is requested at this stage, interruption of browsing due to a broken link or deletion of the target document can be avoided.

[0069] <Embodiment 2> The configuration of the document browsing system 1 (see FIG. 1) described in Embodiment 2 is the same as that in Embodiment 1. Also, the hardware configuration of the document management system 10 (see FIG. 1) is assumed to be the same as that in Embodiment 1. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a functional configuration example of the document management system 10 used in Embodiment 2. In FIG. 15, reference numerals corresponding to the corresponding parts in FIG. 5 are shown.

[0070] The processor 101 shown in FIG. 15 functions as a bundled document creation unit 101A, a link URL analysis unit 101B, a document display control unit 101C, an authentication request unit 101D, an authentication unit 101E, an alternative document request unit 101F, a message transmission unit 101G, a document selection unit 101H, an access permission request unit 101J, and an access right change unit 101K. The processor 101 used in this embodiment is added with an access permission request unit 101J and an access right change unit 101K.

[0071] The access permission request unit 101J acquires information on the owner of the document corresponding to the link URL corresponding to the designated page number from the other system document information DB 104B. Also, the access permission request unit 101J requests the message transmission unit 101G to transmit a message requesting permission for the owner to access. When the owner selects access permission, the access permission request unit 101J displays the page corresponding to the terminal 20A that is the request source.

[0072] When the owner selects access permission, the access right change unit 101K executes a change in the access right for another system. Note that the URL for changing the access right is different for each document management system 10. Therefore, the access right change unit 101K reconstructs the URL for the corresponding document. The access right change unit 101K changes the access right by calling the changed URL. Also, the access right change unit 101K notifies the alternative document request unit 101F of the selection result.

[0073] <Processing operation> FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining another example of the processing operation executed by the document management system 10 when browsing a bundled document. In FIG. 16, the corresponding parts to those in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the case of the processing operation shown in FIG. 16, after step 16, the processor 101 determines whether it has the access right to access the document data (step 21). When the user has the access right to the specified page, the processor 101 obtains an affirmative result in step 21. In this case, the processor 101 proceeds to step 18 and displays the specified page for the user.

[0074] On the other hand, when the user does not have the access right to the specified page, the processor 101 obtains a negative result in step 21. In this case, the processor 101 displays an access permission request page for the user (step 22). FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the content of communication executed between terminals constituting the document viewing system 1 and another example of processing operations executed by each terminal when viewing a bundled document BD. In FIG. 17, reference numerals corresponding to the corresponding parts in FIG. 9 are shown.

[0075] A user of the document management service accesses the document management system 10A from the terminal 20 and requests viewing of the bundled document BD by specifying a page (1101).

[0076] The document management system 10A that has received the request analyzes whether the target page of the target document is a link URL (1102). If the target page is a link URL, the document management system 10A requests authentication from another system at the link destination (1103). The other system returns the authentication result to the document management system 10A that is the request source (1104A). Note that if the authentication is successful and there is access permission to the link destination, the document data is also returned.

[0077] After that, the document management system 10A displays a screen corresponding to the authentication result for the terminal 20 that is the request source. If the authentication fails, the document management system 10A displays a login page on the terminal 20 (1105A). If the authentication is successful and there is access permission to the link destination, the document management system 10A displays the bundled document BD on the terminal 20 (1105D). If the authentication is successful but there is no access permission to the link destination, the document management system 10A displays an access permission request page on the terminal 20 (1105E).

[0078] When the login page is displayed, the terminal 20 logs in to the document management system 10A by inputting authentication information to the login page (1106). That is, the terminal 20 transmits authentication information to the document management system 10A. The document management system 10A that has received the authentication information requests authentication from another system (1107). Another system returns the authentication result to the document management system 10A, which is the requester (1108A). If the authentication is successful and there is access permission to the linked destination, the document data is also returned. If the authentication is successful, the document management system 10A records the authentication information (1109).

[0079] After that, the document management system 10A displays a screen corresponding to the authentication result for the terminal 20, which is the requester. If the authentication fails, the document management system 10A displays the login page again (1110A). If the authentication is successful and there is access permission to the linked destination, the document management system 10A displays the bundled document BD (1110D). If the authentication is successful but there is no access permission to the linked destination, the document management system 10A displays the access permission request page (1110E).

[0080] When the access permission request page is displayed, the terminal 20 sends a message requesting access permission to the document management system 10A through an operation on the access permission request page (1211). The document management system 10A that has received the access permission request determines the owner (1212). When the owner is identified, the document management system 10A sends a request email or notification to the identified owner (1213). In the case of Figure 17, the owner is assigned to the terminal 20B.

[0081] When the terminal 20B operated by the owner accepts the availability of the access right (1214), it returns the result to the document management system 10A, which is the sender (1215). When the access right is granted, the document management system 10A notifies another system of the user identifier (1217). By this notification, the change of the access right becomes effective and access to the corresponding page becomes possible. When the access right is permitted, the document management system 10A displays the corresponding page on the terminal 20A (1218A). In addition, when the access right is not permitted, the document management system 10A displays a message to that effect on the terminal 20A (1218B).

[0082] <Example of terminal screen> <Example of display of access permission request page> FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining an example of the display of the access permission request page 250. The access permission request page 250 shown in FIG. 18 includes an explanation column 251 for the cause why the corresponding page is not displayed and the operations required of the user, an information column 252 regarding the owner of the corresponding page, an information column 253 for the document without access right, and a "Send Request" button 254. The "Send Request" button 254 is an example of an operator used when requesting the grant of an access right.

[0083] Similar to the login page 200 (see FIG. 11), the access permission request page 250 is also displayed in a form embedded in or added to the corresponding page. That is, the display format in FIG. 10 is adopted. Therefore, the user can proceed to the operation of requesting permission to access from the corresponding page.

[0084] If the access permission request page 250 is not displayed in a form embedded in the corresponding page, the user needs to individually request permission to access from the owner or administrator of the sub-document by phone or email, resulting in poor workability. Also, in the case of this embodiment, when access is permitted by the owner, the information of another system that manages the sub-document corresponding to the corresponding page is updated. Therefore, by using the access permission request page 250, the operability of the user is improved compared to the case where an error screen pops up every time the page is scrolled.

[0085] In the case of this embodiment, the layout of the access permission request page 250 varies according to the document management service that manages the sub-documents. However, regardless of the difference in the document management service, an access permission request page 250 with the same layout may be prepared. In the information columns 252 and 253 shown in FIG. 18, information on the owner and sub-documents without access rights is displayed. Therefore, a user viewing the bundled document BD can know in advance the person or target for whom the request is to be made. When the "Send Request" button 254 is operated, a request including information on the document requesting permission for access rights is sent to the owner of the corresponding sub-document.

[0086] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen 260 displayed on a terminal 20B (see FIG. 17) operated by an owner for whom access permission is requested. The screen 260 shown in FIG. 19 assumes an operation screen of an application program for sending and receiving e-mails. For this reason, operation buttons 261 are arranged in the first row. Also, the destination e-mail address 262 is arranged in the second row, and the sender e-mail address 263 is arranged in the third row. Here, the destination is the address of the owner of the document for which access permission is requested.

[0087] In the fourth row, a title 264 issued by the document management system 10A (see FIG. 1) is described. In the case of FIG. 19, the title 264 is composed of the content and information on the target document. The content is "Access Permission Request", and the target document is "Case A Data.xdw". In the fifth row, the reason for issuing the e-mail and the work required of the owner 265 are described. In the sixth row, information 266 on the request source and the target document is described. In this example, it can be seen that the user who is the request source is "Hanako Fuji".

[0088] Note that in the seventh row, a "Reject" button 267 and an "Access Permission" button 268 are arranged. When the "Reject" button 267 is operated, an email notifying the document management system 10A, which is the source, to that effect is returned. When the "Access Permission" button 268 is operated, access to the corresponding document is permitted and browsing by the user becomes possible. Since the "Reject" button 267 and the "Access Permission" button 268 are arranged in the email, the work of the owner is streamlined.

[0089] <Other Embodiments> (1) As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that those obtained by making various changes or improvements to the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0090] (2) When a specific page constituting the bound document BD is not displayed, the file format may not be supported by the system being used by the user. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation screen displayed when the system does not support the file format of the target document. (A) shows a screen 270 displayed when the target document cannot be displayed because the file format is not supported, and (B) shows a screen 280 displayed when opening the target document.

[0091] The screen 270 shown in FIG. 20(A) is composed of an explanation column 271 for the cause of the non-display of the corresponding document and the operation required of the user, an information column 272 for the target document, and a "Open with Another Application" button 273 for selecting an application program for opening the target document. The screen 280 shown in FIG. 20(B) is displayed when the "Open with Another Application" button 273 is operated by the user.

[0092] The screen 280 is composed of an explanation column 281 for the operation required of the user, a column 282 for candidates of selectable application programs, and an "OK" button 283 for finalizing the selection of the application program. The screens 270 and 280 shown in FIG. 20 are also displayed in a form embedded in or added to the corresponding page, similar to the login page 200 (see FIG. 11). That is, the display format in FIG. 10 is adopted. Therefore, the user can shift from the corresponding page to the selection operation of the application program, improving the workability.

[0093] (3) The processor in each of the above-described embodiments refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes, in addition to a general-purpose processor (such as a CPU, etc.), a dedicated processor (such as a GPU (=Graphical Processing Unit), an ASIC (=Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (=Field Programmable Gate Array), a programmable logic device, etc.). Also, the operation of the processor in each of the above-described embodiments may be executed by one processor alone, or may be executed in cooperation by a plurality of processors existing at physically separated positions. Also, the order of execution of each operation in the processor is not limited to only the order described in each of the above-described embodiments, and may be individually changed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0094] 1…Document viewing system, 10, 10A, 10B…Document management systems, 20, 20A, 20B…Terminals, 30…Network, 101…Processor, 101A…Bundle document creation unit, 101B…Link URL analysis unit, 101C…Document display control unit, 101D…Authentication request unit, 101E…Authentication unit, 101F…Alternative document request unit, 101G…Message transmission unit, 101H…Document selection unit, 101J…Access permission request unit, 101K…Access right change unit, 200…Login page, 210…Alternative document request page, 250…Access permission request page

Claims

1. An information processing system having a processor, wherein the processor manages a second document including a link URL indicating a location where a first document managed by itself or another system exists, and when reading out the first document and providing it to a viewer during viewing of the second document, if an event that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document is detected, an operator for requesting a person in charge to resolve the event is displayed in the second document.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the event that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document is a case where the first document to be read out does not exist at the location registered for the second document.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein when the first document does not exist at the location, the processor requests the person in charge to specify a document to be alternatively displayed.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein when the first document does not exist at the location, the processor requests the person in charge for a new location where the first document exists.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the event that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document is a case where the viewer does not have access rights to the system that manages the first document.

6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the processor requests the person in charge to grant access rights to the system that manages the first document to be read out.

7. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the processor presents a screen for the viewer to input information for logging in to the system that manages the first document to be read out.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein when an event that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document is detected, the processor requests the person in charge to grant access rights to the first document to be read out.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein when an event that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document is detected, the processor presents a screen for the viewer to input information for accessing the first document to be read out.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processor displays the operator on the page where the event is detected. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The processor displays the operator on an additional page inserted before or after the page where the event is detected. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. The processor displays the attribute information of the second document in response to a request from a viewer. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. The attribute information includes information of a system that manages the first document linked to each page of the second document, the information that identifies the location where the first document exists, and the information of the person in charge. The information processing system according to claim 12.

14. The processor searches for the current person in charge of the first document from the system that manages the first document in which the event is detected. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

15. A program for causing a computer to have a function of managing a second document including a link URL indicating the location where a first document managed by itself or another system exists, and when reading out and providing the first document to a viewer when viewing the second document, displaying an operator for requesting a person in charge to resolve the event when an event that the viewer does not have access rights to the first document is detected. function.

Images