Abstract: Provided is an information management method for use in an information management system that includes a coordinate pointing device for identifying a paper medium, and a contents server for managing a digital document, and holds an attribute of the digital document and an attribute of a paper document obtained by printing the digital document on the paper medium, the information management method comprising: judging whether a paper document identified by the coordinate pointing device is a master of a document by referring to an attribute of the paper document; and permitting, when it is judged that the identified paper document is the master of the document, to update information annotated to the identified paper document in a digital document corresponding to the paper document to which the information has been annotated.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a document processing apparatus capable of extracting written-in notes on a paper document and printing a document only of written-in notes or a document with a part of written-in notes by a writer left behind, and setting a limit on printing on each written-in note. The above object is achieved by apparatus for processing a document by providing a paper document to print with information for identifying an electronic document as the origin of printing, comprising: written-in notes extracting means for extracting a difference (written-in notes) between the paper document and an electronic document and storing written-notes as image information; text conversion means for converting extracted written-in notes into text as character information, and storing the text; and means for generating a print document by laying out image information of written-in notes and written-in information in text form.

Abstract: Provided is an information management system for generating a form handled in a workflow according to a form generated without considering the workflow. The information management system includes a first management server for managing form definition information including definition of a form which is used in a business process workflow. The first management server determines an approval region to be added onto a form received in the form of paper; determines a position where the determined approval region is to be printed on the form; gives an instruction to print the determined approval region at the determined position; and registers definition of the approval region to be printed in the form definition information.

Abstract: The invention has an object to guarantee, when rewritable paper is used, authenticity of information shown on the rewritable paper. Provided is an information management method for managing information concerning a medium executed in an information management system including: the medium capable of representing on a surface thereof object information that is contents concerning an object; a management apparatus for managing a history of operation on the medium; and a printing apparatus for representing the object information on the medium and erasing the represented object information from the medium, the information management method comprising: holding, by the management apparatus, a correspondence among an identifier of the medium, the object information represented on the medium, and a valid period of the object; and recording, by the management apparatus, a start of the valid period of the object when the printing apparatus represents the object information on the medium.

Abstract: Provided is an information management method for use in an information management system that includes a coordinate pointing device for identifying a paper medium, and a contents server for managing a digital document, and holds an attribute of the digital document and an attribute of a paper document obtained by printing the digital document on the paper medium, the information management method comprising: judging whether a paper document identified by the coordinate pointing device is a master of a document by referring to an attribute of the paper document; and permitting, when it is judged that the identified paper document is the master of the document, to update information annotated to the identified paper document in a digital document corresponding to the paper document to which the information has been annotated

Abstract: The present invention provides a goods trace information storing method comprising the steps of: acquiring identification information from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) tag in each distribution level by an identification information read mechanism, and acquiring physical property information of goods, where the RFID tag is attached, by a physical quantity measurement mechanism; a comparison determination mechanism's comparing the physical property information with predetermined threshold information and outputting determination information comprising information for indicating whether or not the physical property information is out of a range of the threshold information; and a registration mechanism's making the acquired identification information, physical property information, and determination information correspond to information for identifying the information group, including information for specifying an acquisition time and an acquired distribution level, and storing them in a memory mechanism

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a document processing apparatus capable of extracting written-in notes on a paper document and printing a document only of written-in notes or a document with a part of written-in notes by a writer left behind, and setting a limit on printing on each written-in note. The above object is achieved by apparatus for processing a document by providing a paper document to print with information for identifying an electronic document as the origin of printing, comprising: written-in notes extracting means for extracting a difference (written-in notes) between the paper document and an electronic document and storing written-notes as image information; text conversion means for converting extracted written-in notes into text as character information, and storing the text; and means for generating a print document by laying out image information of written-in notes and written-in information in text form.

Abstract: Generalized, low-cost, and easy digital signature verification techniques for use in information processing operations that require a plurality of digital signatures and series of information processing operations that require a plurality of digital signatures based on the progression of operations. Techniques are provided for verifying signatures on an information processing request, received via a network from a processing application computer, to which multiple digital signatures are to be affixed.