Image data output processing apparatus and image data output processing method

• US 20090080782A1
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Konishi, Yohsuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/218
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5025 by measuring the original characteristics, e.g. contrast, density
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00316 Electronic image supplied to the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00324 Document property detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00586 duplex mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs

Abstract

An image data output processing apparatus of the present invention, in a case where a reference document is duplex, causes a storage process section, in a storage mode, to store, at the time of storage, a DocID indicative of the reference document so as to correspond to an ID indicative of respective document images on front and back sides of the reference document. In a matching mode, in a case where a matching document is duplex, (i) an ID similar to that of the reference document and (ii) a corresponding DocID are extracted for each of the document images on the front side and the back side of the matching document, so as to create candidate lists for front and back sides of the matching document. If first candidates in the candidate lists correspond to an identical DocID, it is determined that the images are similar to each other, and if the first candidates do not correspond to the identical DocID, a determination result is corrected to a reference document that corresponds to the identical DocID. Thus, it is possible to realize an image data output process that can reliably control an output process, in the case where input image data is of a duplex document and includes a document image in which its output process is regulated.

Claims

1. An image data output processing apparatus which carries out an output process with respect to input image data, the image data output processing apparatus comprising:

an image matching section that (i) extracts features of an image of the input image data and (ii) carries out a determination as to a similarity between the image of the input image data and an image of a reference document based on a comparison made between the features extracted and features of the image of the reference document stored in advance; and

an output process control section that controls the output process with respect to the input image data based on a determination result made by the image matching section, wherein the image matching section carries out a matching of the image of the input image data by use of a storage section which stores (i) features of each of images on a front side and a back side of a duplex reference document and (ii) an index for identifying a duplex document including the reference image, the index being stored so as to correspond to an index for identifying each of the images on the front side and the back side of the duplex document, the image matching section further including;

a voting process/candidate list creation section that extracts, in a case where the input image data is of a duplex document, for each of the images on the front side and the back side of the duplex document, (i) a reference image index of a reference image having a similarity which is not less than a predetermined value from the storage section and (ii) a reference document index corresponding to the reference image index from the storage section, so as to create a front side candidate list and a back side candidate list; and

a duplex document determination process section that determines, in a case where each of the front and back side candidate lists created include a reference image index that corresponds to an identical reference document index, that the images on the duplex document of the input image data are similar to the reference images that correspond to the identical reference document index, respectively.

2. The image data output processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the duplex document determination process section includes:

a similarity determination process section that determines whether or not the image of the input image data are similar to the reference image, and if it determines that the image of the input image data is similar to the reference image, determines that a reference image which has a highest similarity with respect to the image of the input image data is the image of the input image data; and

a determination result correction process section that corrects a determination result made by the similarity determination process section,

the determination result correction process section determining whether or not first candidate reference images, having a highest similarity in the front and back side candidate lists, correspond to an identical reference document index,

in a case where the first candidate reference images correspond to the identical reference document index, the determination result correction process section not correcting the determination result made by the similarity determination process section, and

whereas, in a case where the first candidate reference images do not correspond to the identical reference document index, the determination result correction process section (i) comparing the similarities of the first candidate reference images in the front and back side candidate lists, respectively, so as to regard a reference document corresponding to one of the first candidate reference images having a higher similarity as a candidate document, (ii) determining whether or not a reference image, corresponding to a reference document index of the candidate document, is included in the candidate list of the other of the first candidate reference images having a lower similarity, and, in a case where the reference image corresponding to the reference document index of the candidate document is included, (iii) correcting the determination result made by the similarity determination process section with respect to the other of the first candidate reference images having the lower similarity so that the reference image, corresponding to the reference document index of the candidate document, is the image of the other of the first candidate reference images having the lower similarity.

3. The image data output processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein,

in a case where at least one of the images on the duplex document of the input image data is similar to the reference image, the output process control section causes a forced mode in which not only the output process of the input image data of the image that is similar to the reference image but also the output process of the input image data of both the images on the front and back sides of the duplex document are regulated.

4. The image data output processing apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

regulations of the output processes are set for each of the reference images, and

a regulation having a highest priority is selected in the forced mode.

5. The image data output processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the output process is an image forming process in which the images are formed on a recording material based on the input image data,

said apparatus further comprising image forming means for forming, on the recording material, the image based on the input image data.

6. The image data output processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the output process is a filing process in which the input image data is stored in a storage device,

said apparatus further comprising filing means for storing the input image data to the storage device.

7. The image data output processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the output process is a transmitting process in which the input image data is transmitted to a receiving device via a network,

said apparatus further comprising transmitting means for transmitting the input image data to the receiving device via the network.

8. A control device for use in an image data output processing apparatus which carries out an output process with respect to input image data, the control device comprising:

an image matching section that (i) extracts features of an image of the input image data, and (ii) carries out a determination as to a similarity between the image of the input image data and an image of a reference document based on a comparison made between the features extracted and features of the image of the reference document stored in advance; and

an output process control section that controls the output process with respect to the input image data based on a determination result made by the image matching section,

wherein the image matching section carries out a matching of the image of the input image data by use of a storage section which stores (i) features of each of images on a front side and a back side of a duplex reference document and (ii) an index for identifying a duplex document including the reference image, the index being stored so as to correspond to an index for identifying each of the images on the front side and the back side of the duplex document,

the image matching section including;

a voting process/candidate list creation section that extracts, in a case where the input image data is of a duplex document, for each of the images on the front side and the back side of the duplex document, (i) a reference image index of a reference image having a similarity which is not less than a predetermined value from the storage section and (ii) a reference document index corresponding to the reference image index from the storage section, so as to create a front side candidate list and a back side candidate list; and

a duplex document determination process section that determines, in a case where each of the front and back side candidate lists created include a reference image index that corresponds to an identical reference document index, that the images on the duplex document of the input image data are similar to the reference images that have the identical reference document index, respectively.

10. A computer-readable recording medium for storing a program for causing a control device as set forth in claim 8 for an image data output processing apparatus to operate, said program causing a computer to function as each of the sections of the image data output processing apparatus.

9. An image data output processing method for carrying out an output process with respect to input image data, said method comprising:

an image matching step of (i) extracting features of an image from the input image data and (ii) carrying out a determination as to a similarity between the image of the input image data and an image of a reference document based on a comparison made between of the features extracted and features of the image of the reference document stored in advance; and

an output process control step of controlling the output process with respect to the input image data based on a determination result made by the image matching section,

wherein the image matching step carries out a matching of the image of the input image data by use of a storage section which stores (i) features of each of images on a front side and a back side of a duplex reference document and (ii) an index for identifying a duplex document including the reference image, the index being stored so as to correspond to an index for identifying each of the images on the front side and the back side of the duplex document,

the image matching step further including;

a voting process/candidate list creation step of extracting, in a case where the input image data is of a duplex document, for each of the images on the front side and the back side of the duplex document, (i) a reference image index of a reference image having a similarity which is not less than a predetermined value from the storage section and (ii) a reference document index corresponding to the reference image index from the storage section, so as to create a front side candidate list and a back side candidate list; and

a duplex document process step of determining, in a case where each of the front and back side candidate lists created include a reference index that corresponds to an identical reference document index, that the images on the duplex document of the input image data are similar to the reference images that correspond to the identical reference document index, respectively.