Document management method and apparatus for ensuring consistency of document contents

Claim 1

A document management method for use in an electronic filing system having means for storing documents, a plurality of client units, each capable of issuing a check-out request to read out a document from said storing means so as to change the document and issuing a check-in request to write a document, which has been checked out and changed, to said storing means, and means for inhibiting a document, which has been checked out by a first client unit, from being checked out by a second client unit, comprising the steps of: issuing, from said first client unit, a first check-out request for a document to read out the document from said storing means so as to change the document; setting a time limit of check-out for a document which has been stored in said storing means, when the document is read out from said storing means in accordance with said first check-out request; issuing, from a second client unit, a second check-out request for the document which has been checked out by said first client unit; checking, in response to said second check-out request, the time limit which has been set for the document and in a case where the time limit has not expired, inhibiting the document from being checked out by said second client unit; and checking, in response to said second check-out request, the time limit which has been set for the document and in a case where the time limit has expired, canceling the check-out of the checked out by said second client unit.