Document Management Apparatus with Part-Level Change Notification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional document management systems can only notify users of alterations on a predetermined object level, failing to accommodate user-specific notification preferences for alterations within smaller or larger ranges than the object.

Innovation Solution

A document management apparatus and method that allows users to designate specific parts of a document for notification, associating these parts with notification destinations and alerting only when alterations occur within those designated areas, enabling customizable notification based on user-defined ranges.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If notification is provided for all document alterations, then all users are informed of any change, but users receive unnecessary alerts for changes unrelated to them

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification accuracyVSAvoiduser attention

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the document into multiple parts and allows users to designate specific parts they are interested in. The notification system then segments alerts by comparing alterations against user-designated parts, sending notifications only when relevant changes occur in the user's designated sections rather than notifying for all document changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If notification scope is fixed at object level, then system structure is simple, but users cannot receive notifications for smaller or larger ranges than the object

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification range flexibilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a new dimension of granularity control by allowing users to designate arbitrary parts within the document structure, moving beyond the fixed object-level notification scope. This enables notifications at multiple granularities (smaller or larger ranges) while maintaining the underlying object-based system structure through part designation mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS8676747B2Document management apparatus, document management method, and computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing document management program

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 KONICA MINOLTA INC

AI summary

A document management apparatus includes a document storing portion to store a document, a designated part accepting portion to accept any part designated by a user within the stored document as a designated part, an associating portion to associate the accepted designated part with a notification destination, an altering portion to alter the stored document, and a notifying portion to notify the notification destination associated with the designated part when at least a portion of an altered part altered within the stored document by the altering portion is included in the designated part.