Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ricoh Americas Corporation

Ricoh Corporation

Hiroaki Ishizuka

Shogo Hyakutake

Minoru Aoshima

Hiroshi Kitada

Akio Kizawa

Yuichi Takamiya

Yusuke Tamari

Hiroaki Numata

System, apparatus and method for managing documents and metadata generated by a plurality of software application systems are provided.

Converting metadata for applications having different metadata formats

An approach for switching from one application to another, according to time information of a schedule item with respect to a current date and time and including converting data of the first application to data suitable for use in the other application, is provided. Such other application is chosen based on a comparison between the time information of the schedule item and the current date and time, and the data of the first application is automatically converted to data suitable for use in the other application and transferred to the other application.

Switching among applications according to date-and-time of schedule item

An improved approach for managing and sending electronic data which allows one to access electronic data corresponding to a hardcopy document is provided. For example, when the hardcopy bearing a visible image is output, an identification image corresponding to identification data identifying the document is added to the visible image. The identification data can be recognized from the identification image, and used to retrieve various information in a database corresponding to the document.

Managing electronic data with identification data

A system, method and computer program product for managing documents. The system includes an image forming apparatus configured to display interactive menus so as to allow an operator of the image forming apparatus to interact with a document manager. The display interactive menus are downloaded from the document manager to the image forming apparatus based on a request by the operator. The document manager is configured to search for application services providers (ASPs) over a network and based on operator inputs. The document manager can search documents within the ASPs, retrieve documents and URLs, store documents and data. The system can provide basic and/or customized interactive menus displayed on the screen of the image forming apparatus.

System, computer program product and method for managing documents

A system, method and computer program product for managing documents. The system includes a document manager that is configured to search for application services providers (ASPs) over a network and based on a user input. The document manager can search documents within the ASPs, retrieve documents and URLs, store documents and data, format documents, generate and issue unified bills from a plurality of bills from a plurality of ASPs. The document manager can also manage, e.g. create, receive, transmit, store, merge, watermark information for documents managed by the document manager. The document manager can request that a document be merged with a corresponding watermark information so that the document be printed with an embedded watermark. Alternatively, the document manager can merge the watermark information with the document and can transmit the merged document data to a printing entity.

An improved approach for managing a document having a plurality of versions is provided. For example, a scanned version of an edited hardcopy of the document is received from an image capture device and uploaded to an electronic database. The scanned version of the hardcopy of the document is linked to a previous electronic version of the document in the database as an update of the previous electronic version. A grouping of a plurality of electronic versions of the document is maintained in the database.

System, apparatus and method for document management

A system, method and computer program product for managing documents. The system includes a document manager that is configured to search for application services providers (ASPS) over a network and based on a user input. The document manager can search documents within the ASPs, retrieve documents and URLs, store documents, and data, format documents, generate and issue unified bills from a plurality of bills from a plurality ASPs. The document manager can also manage, e.g. create, receive, transmit, store, merge, watermark information for documents managed by the document manager. The document manager can request that a document be merged with a corresponding watermark information so that the document be printed with an embedded watermark. Alternatively, the document manager can merge the watermark information with the document and can transmit the merged document data to a printing entity.

A method, system and computer program product for storing document information in an application service provider (ASP) which is connected to a user terminal through a network, such as the Internet. The method on which the system and computer program product are based includes inputting the document information into the user terminal, inputting a previously created e-mail address into the user terminal, the e-mail address being confirmed by the ASP and corresponding to a storage location in the ASP, and sending the document information to the e-mail address via the network. The document information may be input into the user terminal either manually or automatically and a storage folder may be created for storing documents to the ASP. Where the user terminal is an Internet fax machine, the Internet fax machine can be set up to automatically send all document information received by the Internet fax machine to the ASP for storage.

System, computer program product and method for storing information in an application service provider

A method, system and computer program product for managing bills issued from applications service providers (ASPs). The method on which the system and computer readable medium are based includes receiving an ASP service request from a remote user, forwarding the ASP service request to an ASP, receiving a service bill from the ASP, and incorporating the service bill into a unified bill and issuing the unified bill to the remote user. Calculating the ASP fee may include determining a discount offered by the ASP. The discount offered by the ASP may be determined on a customer by customer basis or based on a volume usage of a document management system providing access to the ASP for a plurality of users. The accuracy of the service bill from the ASP may be verified, and a discrepancy between a calculated fee and the billing amount may be determined, and negotiations undertaken with the ASP to resolve the discrepancy. Whether the user pays the bill issued may also be monitored.

System, computer program product and method for managing bills issued from application service providers

A method, system and computer program product for managing applications service provider (ASP) transactions between an ASP and an ASP user. The method on which the system and computer program product are based includes receiving an ASP transaction request from the user via a communications network such as the Internet, selecting an ASP for processing the transaction request, and transmitting instructions for performing the transaction request, via the communications network, to the selected ASP. The ASP transaction request may be received by receiving a user identifier from the user or by receiving a document consultation request from the user. Selecting an ASP may include selecting a special service ASP.

System, computer program product and method for selecting an application service provider

A system, computer program product, and method for managing ASP documents includes requesting a transfer of an ASP document at an ASP user device connected to a remote document manager and a remote ASP via a network such as the Internet, establishing a predetermined time for effecting a transfer of the ASP document, and transferring the ASP document at a predetermined time via the network. According to one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of requesting a transfer may include sending a deferred transfer request to the remote document manager via the network when the ASP user device logs on to the remote document manager. In this regard, the user requests a transfer by inputting a deferred transfer option from a menu received from the remote document manager via the network. The step of establishing a predetermined time for effecting a transfer of the ASP document may include inputting the predetermined time, and sending the predetermined time to the remote document manager via the network or requesting the remote document manager to establish the predetermined time without sending a predetermined time to the remote document manager.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Hiroaki Ishizuka