Method and system of using a multifunction printer to identify pages having a text string

• US 20040218205A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Irwin, Cory, Price, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00331 with an apparatus performing optical character recognition character recognition G06V30/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A method is directed to using a multifunction printer to identify pages of a printed document that have a specified text string. The method comprises electronically converting, with the multifunction printer, a plurality of pages of the printed document to a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to the printed pages. The multifunction printer electronically searches the plurality of electronic text pages to identify which electronic text pages include the specified text string. The multifunction printer then communicates the identified electronic text pages to the user.

Claims

1. A method of using a multifunction printer comprising:

electronically converting, via the multifunction printer, a plurality of printed pages to a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to the printed pages;

electronically searching, via the multifunction printer, in the plurality of electronic text pages to identify which electronic text pages have at least one specified text string; and

communicating to a user, via the multifunction printer, the identified electronic text pages that include the at least one specified text string.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the identified electronic text pages comprises at least one of:

printing, via the multifunction printer, the identified electronic text pages;

digitally sending, via the multifunction printer, the identified electronic text pages as an electronic mail message; and

printing, via the multifunction printer, a summary page that identifies the pages that include the text string.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein electronically converting comprises:

scanning the plurality of pages of the printed document via the multifunction printer to produce a digital image file; and

performing an optical character recognition function on each of the digital image file to produce a plurality of electronic text pages which correspond to the plurality of pages of the printed document.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein scanning the digital image file comprises producing a plurality of digital image pages, with each digital image page corresponding to each page of the printed document;

and

wherein performing the optical character recognition function comprises performing the optical character recognition function on each of the digital image pages to produce a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to the pages of the printed document;

5. The method of claim 1 wherein electronically searching comprises:

specifying, to a user interface of the multifunction printer, the text string to be identified in the printed document.

6. A method of identifying one or more pages of a printed document that include at least one specified text string, the method comprising:

specifying the at least one text string, via a user interface of the multifunction printer, that is to be identified in the printed document;

scanning the pages of the printed document, via the multifunction printer, to produce a digital image file of the pages of the printed document;

performing, via the multifunction printer, an optical character recognition function on the digital image file to produce an electronic text file of the pages;

electronically searching, with the multifunction printer, the electronic text file to identify electronic text pages of the electronic text file that include the at least one specified text string;

communicating, via the multifunction printer, only the identified electronic text pages that include the at least one specified text string.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein communicating only the identified pages comprises at least one of:

printing the identified electronic text pages via the multifunction printer;

digitally sending the identified electronic text pages, via the multifunction printer, as an electronic mail message; and

printing a summary of the identified electronic text pages via the multifunction printer.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein scanning the pages includes scanning each page separately so that each page produces a separate digital image file.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein performing an optical character recognition function comprises performing the optical character recognition function on each page of the digital image file to produce a separate electronic text page for each page of the printed document.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein communicating comprises printing, via the multifunction printer, each page as soon as it is identified by the electronic search as having the at least one specified text string.

11. A multifunction printer comprising:

a scanner configured for converting a plurality of printed pages of a printed document to a plurality of electronic page images corresponding to the printed pages;

a memory configured to store a search manager, which is configured to direct an optical character recognition of the electronic page images as electronic text pages and configured to direct electronic searching for at least one text string in the plurality of electronic text pages; and

a printing mechanism configured for printing the electronic text pages that include the at least one text string.

12. The multifunction printer of claim 11 and further comprising:

a controller including an optical character recognition function of the electronic page images as electronic text pages; and

a user interface including;

a key pad configured to receive alphanumeric or symbolic text strings; and

a display configured for displaying functions of multifunction printer including display of text string being searched.

13. The multifunction printer of claim 12 wherein the user interface further comprises:

an electronic mail function configured to permit specifying an electronic mail address to which identified electronic text pages that include the text string will be digitally sent by multifunction printer;

a print function configured to permit specifying that the identified electronic text pages that include the text string be printed by multifunction printer as printed pages; and

a save function configured to permit specifying that the identified electronic text pages be saved in the memory of the multifunction printer.

14. A multifunction printer comprising:

a scanner configured for producing a digital image file of a printed document;

an optical character recognition function configured for optically recognizing text characters in the digital image file to produce an electronic text file;

a user interface configured for specifying a text string to be identified in one or more pages of the electronic text file;

a text search manager configured for searching the electronic text file to identify one or more pages of the electronic text file that include the text string;

a memory configured for storing the electronic text file and the identified pages of the electronic text file that include the text string; and

a printing mechanism configured for printing the identified pages that include the text string.

15. The multifunction printer of claim 14 wherein the optical character recognition function is stored in at least one of the memory, a controller, and an application specific integrated circuit.

16. A text search manager of a multifunction printer comprising:

a text searcher function configured for specifying one or more text strings to be identified in one or more electronic text pages corresponding to one or more pages of a printed document and configured for searching for the one or more text strings in the electronic text pages;

an optical character recognition function configured for optically recognizing text characters of a digital image file to produce the one or more electronic text pages; and

a page handler function configured for specifying whether the optical character recognition function and the text searcher function are employed separately on each page, employed collectively on all of the pages, or concurrently.

17. A multifunction printer comprising:

means for converting one or more printed pages of a printed document into an electronic text file;

means for searching for at least one text string within the electronic text file to identify pages within the electronic text file that have the at least one text string; and

means for selectively communicating to a user identified pages of electronic text file that have the at least one text string.

18. The multifunction printer of claim 17 wherein the means for selectively communicating comprises at least one of:

means for printing the identified pages; and

means for digitally sending the identified pages as an electronic mail message.

19. The multifunction printer of claim 18 wherein the means for converting comprises:

means for obtaining a digital image of the printed pages; and

means for converting the digital image into a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to the printed pages.

20. The multifunction printer of claim 19 wherein the means for obtaining a digital image includes a scanner and the means for converting the digital image includes an optical character recognition function.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of identifying pages within a plurality of pages of a printed document that include at least one text string, the method comprising:

obtaining a digital image file of the plurality of pages of the printed document;

converting the digital image file to an electronic text file including a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to the plurality of pages of the printed document;

searching the plurality of electronic text pages to identify which electronic text page includes the at least one text string; and

communicating to a user which electronic text pages include the at least one text string.