DOCUMENT INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND DOCUMENT INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20090154815A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: FUJIWARA, Akihiko
• Application Number:
  US12/335,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20090154815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering

Abstract

A document information processing apparatus is obtained in which there is no need to provide the consistency of management between the instances of documents and their metadata, that is, there is no fear that inconsistency in management might be caused, thereby eliminating the possibility of loading the system, which would otherwise result from the provision of managerial consistency, as well as making it possible to improve their versatility. The apparatus includes a document input and output section that is able to at least input or output a document as an image data, an operation timing detection section that detects predetermined operation timing for the document, a metadata acquisition section that acquires metadata of the document based on the operation timing, and a metadata description section that describes the metadata in a predetermined format based on instance data of the document at predetermined timing with respect to the input or output of the document.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A document information processing apparatus comprising:

a document processing section that inputs or outputs a document as image data, the document processing section including at least one of an image reader that scans a document and generates image data from the scanned document or an image communication section that sends and receives image data of a document via communication with external;

a format conversion section that converts a first file format of a image data into a second file format of the image data;

an operation timing detection section that detects an operation timing for the document;

a metadata acquisition section that acquires a first metadata based on the operation timing;

a metadata description section that describes the first metadata in a third file format;

a processing unit that controls the operation of the document processing section, the operation timing detection section, the metadata acquisition section, and the metadata description section, wherein the processing unit controls the metadata description section such that the first metadata is described in a file converted by the format conversion section; and

an image analysis section that analyzes the image data, reads text information in an area that is recognized as text or character area by an optical character reader, and uses the text information obtained as a second metadata.

3. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit controls the metadata description section such that the first metadata is described in a data area of the file which is not displayed as an image.

4. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the document processing section includes an image printing section that coverts the image data in the first file format into a format suitable for printing,

the metadata description section describes the first metadata and the second metadata into the file converted by the image printing section in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing apparatus further comprises a file holding section that holds the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata and the second metadata.

5. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an identification section that identifies contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the image analysis section acquires the second metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the metadata description section describes the second metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements.

6. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a secondary metadata acquisition section that acquires secondary metadata based on the first metadata, wherein

the metadata description section describes the secondary metadata into the file in the third file format.

7. A document information processing apparatus comprising:

a document processing section that inputs or outputs a document as image data, the document processing section including at least one of an image reader that scans a document and generates image data from the scanned document or an image communication section that sends and receives image data of a document via communication with external;

a format conversion section that converts a first file format of a image data into a second file format of the image data;

an operation timing detection section that detects an operation timing for the document;

a metadata acquisition section that acquires a first metadata based on the operation timing and a second metadata based on an input from a user;

a metadata description section that describes the first metadata and the second metadata in a third file format;

a processing unit that controls the operation of the document processing section, the operation timing detection section, the metadata acquisition section, and the metadata description section, wherein the processing unit controls the metadata description section such that the first metadata and the second metadata is described in a file converted by the format conversion section; and

an image analysis section that analyzes the image data, reads text information in an area that is recognized as text or character area by an optical character reader, and uses the text information obtained as a third metadata.

8. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit controls the metadata description section such that the first metadata and the second metadata are described in a data area of the file which is not displayed as an image.

9. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the document processing section includes an image printing section that coverts the image data in the first file format into a format suitable for printing,

the metadata description section describes the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata into the file converted by the image printing section in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing apparatus further comprises a file holding section that holds the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata.

10. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an identification section that identifies contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the image analysis section acquires the third metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the metadata description section describes the third metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements.

11. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a secondary metadata acquisition section that acquires secondary metadata based on the first metadata, wherein

the metadata description section describes the secondary metadata into the file in the third file format.

12. A document information processing apparatus comprising:

a document processing section that inputs or outputs a document as image data, the document processing section including at least one of an image reader that scans a document and generates image data from the scanned document or an image communication section that sends and receives image data of a document via communication with external;

a format conversion section that converts a first file format of a image data into a second file format of the image data;

an operation timing detection section that detects an operation timing for the document;

an information acquisition section that acquires first information based on the operation timing;

an information description section that describes the first information in a third file format;

a processing unit that controls the operation of the document processing section, the format conversion section, the operation timing detection section, the information acquisition section, and the information description section, wherein the processing unit controls the information description section such that the first information is described in a file converted by the format conversion section; and

an image analysis section that analyzes the image data, reads text information in an area that is recognized as text or character area by an optical character reader, and uses the text information obtained as second information.

13. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processing unit controls the information description section such that the first information is described in a data area of the file which is not displayed as an image.

14. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the document processing section includes an image printing section that coverts the image data in the first file format into a format suitable for printing,

the information description section describes the first information and the second information into the file converted by the image printing section in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing apparatus further comprises a file holding section that holds the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first information and the second information.

15. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an identification section that identifies contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the image analysis section acquires the second information recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the information description section describes the second information in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements.

16. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a secondary information acquisition section that acquires secondary information based on the first information, wherein

the information description section describes the secondary information into the file in the third file format.

17. A document information processing apparatus comprising:

an image reading section that scans a document, generates an image data based on the document, and analyzes the image data to obtain text information of the document;

an operation timing detection section that detects an operation timing of the image reading section;

a metadata acquisition section that acquires a first metadata based on the operation timing and a second metadata based on the text information; and

a processing unit that attaches the first metadata and the second metadata on the image data.

18. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit attaches the first metadata and the second metadata in a data area of the image data which is not displayed as an image.

19. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising an image printing section that coverts the image data into an image data in a format suitable for printing, wherein

the processing unit attaches the first metadata and the second metadata on the image data in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing apparatus further comprises a file holding section that holds the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata and the second metadata.

20. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising an identification section that identifies contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the metadata acquisition section acquires the second metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the processing unit attaches the second metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, on the image data.

21. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a secondary metadata acquisition section that acquires secondary metadata based on the first metadata, wherein

the processing unit attaches the secondary metadata on the image data.

22. A document information processing apparatus comprising:

an image reading section that scans a document, generates an image data based on the document, and analyzes the image data to obtain text information of the document;

an operation timing detection section that detects an operation timing of the image reading section;

an information acquisition section that acquires first information based on the operation timing, second information based on the text information, and third information based on an input from a user; and

a processing unit that attaches the first information, the second information, and the third information on the image data.

23. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the processing unit attaches the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata in a data area of the image data which is not displayed as an image.

24. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an image printing section that coverts the image data into an image data in a format suitable for printing, wherein

the processing unit attaches the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata on the image data in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing apparatus further comprises a file holding section that holds the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata.

25. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an identification section that identifies contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the metadata acquisition section acquires the second metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the processing unit attaches the second metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, on the image data.

26. The document information processing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a secondary metadata acquisition section that acquires secondary metadata based on at least one of the first metadata and the third metadata, wherein

the processing unit attaches the secondary metadata on the image data.

27. A document information processing method comprising:

converting a first file format of an image data of a document into a second file format;

detecting a timing of an operation performed on at least one of an input and an output of the document as the image data;

acquiring a first metadata based on the operation timing;

describing the first metadata in a third file format;

controlling the operation of the converting step, the detecting step, the acquiring step and the describing step, wherein the describing step is controlled such that the first metadata is described in a file converted in the converting step; and

analyzing the image data, reading text information in area that is recognized as text or character area by an optical character reader, and using the text information obtained as a second metadata.

28. The document information processing method according to claim 27, wherein the controlling step controls the describing step such that the first metadata is described in a data area of the file which is not displayed as an image.

29. The document information processing method according to claim 27, further comprising converting the image data in the first file format into a format suitable for printing, wherein

the describing step describes the first metadata and the second metadata into the file converted in the converting step for printing in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing method further comprises holding the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata and the second metadata.

30. The document information processing method according to claim 27, further comprising identifying contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the analyzing step acquires the second metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the describing step describes the second metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements.

31. The document information processing method according to claim 27, further comprising acquiring secondary metadata based on the first metadata, wherein

the describing step describes the secondary metadata into the file in the third file format.

32. A document information processing method comprising:

converting a first file format of an image data of a document into a second file format;

detecting a timing of an operation performed on at least one of an input and an output of the document as the image data;

acquiring a first metadata based on the operation timing and a second metadata based on an input from a user;

describing the first metadata and the second metadata in a third file format;

controlling the operation of the converting step, the detecting step, the acquiring step and the describing step, wherein the describing step is controlled such that the first metadata and the second metadata are described in a file converted in the converting step; and

analyzing the image data, reading text information in area that is recognized as text or character area by an optical character reader, and using the text information obtained as a third metadata.

33. The document information processing method according to claim 32, wherein the controlling step controls the describing step such that the first metadata and the second metadata are described in a data area of the file which is not displayed as an image.

34. The document information processing method according to claim 32, further comprising converting the image data in the first file format into a format suitable for printing, wherein

the describing step describes the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata into the file converted by the converting step for printing in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing method further comprises holding the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata, the second metadata and the third metadata.

35. The document information processing method according to claim 32, further comprising identifying contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the analyzing step acquires the third metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the describing step describes the third metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements.

36. The document information processing method according to claim 32, further comprising acquiring secondary metadata based on the first metadata, wherein

the describing step describes the secondary metadata into the file in the third file format.

37. A document information processing method comprising:

converting a first file format of an image data of a document into a second file format;

detecting a timing of an operation performed on at least one of an input and an output of the document as the image data;

acquiring first information based on the operation timing;

describing the first information in a third file format;

controlling the operation of the converting step, the detecting step, the acquiring step and the describing step, wherein the describing step is controlled such that the first information is described in a file converted in the converting step; and

analyzing the image data, reading text information in area that is recognized as text or character area by an optical character reader, and using the text information obtained as second information.

38. The document information processing method according to claim 37, wherein the controlling step controls the describing step such that the first metadata is described in a data area of the file which is not displayed as an image.

39. The document information processing method according to claim 37, further comprising converting the image data in the first file format into a format suitable for printing, wherein

the describing step describes the first information and the second information into the file converted in the converting step for printing in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing method further comprises holding the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first information and the second information.

40. The document information processing method according to claim 37, further comprising identifying contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the analyzing step acquires the second information recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the describing step describes the second information in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements.

41. The document information processing method according to claim 37, further comprising acquiring secondary information based on the first information, wherein

the describing step describes the secondary information into the file in the third file format.

42. A document information processing method comprising:

scanning a document, generating an image data based on the document, and analyzing the image data to obtain text information of the document;

detecting an operation timing of the scanning step;

acquiring a first metadata based on the operation timing and a second metadata based on the text information; and

attaching the first metadata and the second metadata on the image data.

43. The document information processing method according to claim 42, wherein the attaching step attaches the first metadata and the second metadata in a data area of the image data which is not displayed as an image.

44. The document information processing method according to claim 42, wherein further comprising converting the image data into an image data in a format suitable for printing, wherein

the attaching step attaches the first metadata and the second metadata on the image data in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing method further comprises holding the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first metadata and the second metadata.

45. The document information processing method according to claim 42, further comprising identifying contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the acquiring step acquires the second metadata recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the attaching step attaches the second metadata in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, on the image data.

46. The document information processing method according to claim 42, further comprising acquiring a secondary metadata based on the first metadata, wherein

the attaching step attaches the secondary metadata on the image data.

47. A document information processing method comprising:

scanning a document, generating an image data based on the document, and analyzing the image data to obtain text information of the document;

detecting an operation timing of the scanning step;

acquiring first information based on the operation timing, second information based on the text information, and third information based on an input from a user; and

attaching the first information, the second information, and the third information on the image data.

48. The document information processing method according to claim 47, wherein the attaching step attaches the first information and the second information in a data area of the image data which is not displayed as an image.

49. The document information processing method according to claim 47, wherein further comprising converting the image data into an image data in a format suitable for printing, wherein

the attaching step attaches the first information and the second information on the image data in the format suitable for printing, and

the document information processing method further comprises holding the image data in the format suitable for printing with the first information and the second information.

50. The document information processing method according to claim 47, further comprising identifying contents of the document as individual component elements, wherein

the acquiring step acquires the second information recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, and

the attaching step attaches the second information in each unit of the respective component elements which are recognized in each unit of the individual component elements, on the image data.

51. The document information processing method according to claim 47, further comprising acquiring a secondary information based on the first information, wherein

the attaching step attaches the secondary information on the image data.