Image display apparatus capable of displaying image while retaining confidentiality

• US 20080037040A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Kana, Hibino, Takeshi, Hashimoto, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00795 Reading arrangements details of scanning heads H04N1/024; scanning arrangements therefor H04N1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00811 according to user specified instructions, e.g. user selection of reading mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00824 for displaying or indicating, e.g. a condition or state details of displaying or indicating means H04N1/00405
• 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 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

In setting, by using a format, a non-display region in image data obtained by an image reading unit, a format location information input unit writes in the image data, an image representing information on access to a format storage unit in an external apparatus where a format to be used has been stored. In displaying the image data, a format location information extraction unit extracts the format location information by extracting the image from the image data. A format obtaining unit obtains the format by accessing the format storage unit based on the information. An image modification unit uses the obtained format to modify the image data such that the designated region is displayed in an invisible manner.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit reading a document and obtaining image data;

a display unit displaying said image data;

a setting unit setting a format which is information designating a non-display region in displaying said image data;

a modification unit modifying said image data such that said region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner, based on said format;

a control unit controlling display such that said image data modified by said modification unit is displayed on said display unit; and

an addition unit adding to said image data, format location information which is information designating a storage unit storing said format.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said setting unit sets said format through selection from among formats stored in said storage unit.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said setting unit sets said format by designating a region in said image data, and

said image display apparatus further comprises a storing unit storing said format in said storage unit.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said addition unit adds an image representing said format location information to said image data.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said image representing said format location information includes a pattern specific to a type of said image.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said setting unit further sets a condition for non-display of said region.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said region includes a first region and a second region, and

said condition includes a first condition for non-display of said first region and a second condition for non-display of said second region.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said condition includes at least one condition out of a time from a first operation to a next second operation in an operation input unit and number of times of display of said image data during non-display of said region.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said setting unit further sets whether change of said format is permitted.

10. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit reading a document and obtaining image data;

a first obtaining unit obtaining format location information from said image data,

said format location information designating a storage unit which stores format being added to said image data;

a second obtaining unit obtaining said format based on said format location information, said format designating a non-display region in displaying said image data being set in said image data;

a display unit displaying said image data;

a modification unit modifying said image data such that said region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner, using said format; and

a control unit controlling display such that said image data-modified by said modification unit is displayed on said display unit.

11. The image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said storage unit is provided in an external apparatus, and

said second obtaining unit obtains said format by accessing said external apparatus based on said format location information.

12. The image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

an image representing said format location information which is information designating said storage unit storing said format is added to said image data,

said image representing said format location information includes a pattern specific to a type of said image data, and

said first obtaining unit subjects said image data to pattern matching using said pattern, extracts said image representing said format location information, and obtains said format location information.

13. An image display method in an image display apparatus including a display unit, comprising the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data;

setting a format which is information designating a non-display region in displaying said image data;

modifying said image data such that said region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner, based on said format;

controlling display such that modified said image data is displayed on said display unit; and

adding to said image data, format location information which is information designating a storage unit storing said format.

14. An image display method in an image display apparatus including a display unit, comprising the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data;

obtaining format location information from said image data, said format location information designating a storage unit which stores format being added to said image data;

obtaining said format based on said format location information, said format designating a non-display region in displaying said image data being set in said image data;

modifying said image data such that said region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner, using said format; and

controlling display such that said image data modified in said modifying step is displayed on said display unit.

15. A program product causing a computer to carry out control of display of image data in an image display apparatus including a display unit, the program product causing the computer to execute the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data;

setting a format which is information designating a non-display region in displaying said image data;

modifying said image data such that said region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner, based on said format;

controlling display such that modified said image data is displayed on said display unit; and

adding to said image data, format location information which is information designating a storage unit storing said format.

16. A program product causing a computer to carry out control of display of image data in an image display apparatus including a display unit, the program product causing the computer to execute the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data;

obtaining format location information from said image data, said format location information designating a storage unit which stores format being added to said image data;

obtaining said format based on said format location information, said format designating a non-display region in displaying said image data being set in said image data;

modifying said image data such that said region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner, using said format; and

controlling display such that said image data modified in said modifying step is displayed on said display unit.