IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM THEREFOR

• US 20100214584A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: TAKAHASHI, Yusaku
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An image processing device is configured to detect allocation areas from template data, specify a position of each detected allocation area on the template data with respect to a first standard, provide an area identification to each allocation area based on the specified position of each allocation area, acquire image data based on document sheets set thereon, extract document images from the acquired image data, specify a location of each extracted document image on the acquired image data with respect to a second standard, provide an image identification to each document image based on the specified location of each document image, identify an allocation area corresponding to each document image based on the image identifications and the area identifications, edit each document image to be allocated in the corresponding allocation area, generate composite data with the edited document images allocated in the respective allocation areas, and output the composite data.

Claims

1. An image processing device configured to generate and output composite data in which two or more document images are combined, comprising:

an area detecting unit configured to detect allocation areas from template data that defines the allocation areas where the document images are to be allocated on the composite data, respectively;

an area position specifying unit configured to specify a position of each of the detected allocation areas with respect to a first standard for defining a position on the template data;

an area identification providing unit configured to provide an area identification to each of the allocation areas based on the specified position of each of the allocation areas;

an image acquiring unit configured to acquire image data based on document sheets set thereon on which the document images to be combined are formed;

an image extracting unit configured to extract the document images from the acquired image data;

an image location specifying unit configured to specify a location of each of the extracted document images with respect to a second standard for defining a location on the acquired image data;

an image identification providing unit configured to provide an image identification to each of the document images based on the specified location of each of the document images;

an allocation area identifying unit configured to identify an allocation area corresponding to each of the document images based on the image identifications and the area identifications;

an image editing unit configured to edit each of the document images so as to be allocated in the corresponding one of the allocation areas that is identified by the allocation area identifying unit;

a composite data generating unit configured to generate the composite data in which the edited document images are allocated in the respective allocation areas; and

an output unit configured to output the composite data generated by the composite data generating unit.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display set positions on the image acquiring unit where the document sheets are to be set, in association with the allocation areas of the template data.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2, further comprising a first display controller configured to control the display unit to additionally display a first orientation image for clarifying a relationship between an orientation of the display unit and orientations of the document sheets to be set.

4. The image processing device according to claim 2, further comprising a second display controller configured to control the display unit to additionally display a second orientation image for clarifying a relationship between an orientation of the display unit and an orientation of the template data.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first standard setting unit configured to set, as the first standard, a coordinate system with a predetermined point of the template data defined as an origin thereof;

a template specifying unit configured to specify a type of the template data based on a format information of the template data;

a second standard setting unit configured to set, as the second standard, a coordinate system with a predetermined point of the acquired image data defined as an origin thereof, depending on the specified type of the template data; and

an image rotating unit configured to, when the template data is of such a type that an orientation of the template data is inconsistent with an orientation of each of the document images, rotate each of the document images to render the orientation of each of the document images consistent with the orientation of the template data.

6. The image processing device according to claim 5,

wherein the first standard setting unit is configured to set, as the first standard, the coordinate system with a left upper end of the template data defined as the origin thereof,

wherein the template specifying unit is configured to specify the type of the template data between a vertically-long document type and a horizontally-long document type, based on the format information of the template data,

wherein the second standard setting unit is configured to, when the template data is of the horizontally-long document type, set, as the second standard, the coordinate system with a left upper end of the acquired image data defined as the origin thereof,

wherein the second standard setting unit is configured to, when the template data is of the vertically-long document type, set, as the second standard, the coordinate system with a left lower end of the acquired image data defined as the origin thereof, and

wherein the image rotating unit is configured to, when the template data is of the vertically-long document type, rotate each of the document images clockwise by an angle of 90 degrees.

7. An image processing system configured to generate and output composite data in which two or more document images are combined, comprising:

an area detecting unit configured to detect allocation areas from template data that defines the allocation areas where the document images are to be allocated on the composite data, respectively;

an area position specifying unit configured to specify a position of each of the detected allocation areas with respect to a first standard for defining a position on the template data;

an area identification providing unit configured to provide an area identification to each of the allocation areas based on the specified position of each of the allocation areas;

an image acquiring unit configured to acquire image data based on document sheets set thereon on which the document images to be combined are formed;

an image extracting unit configured to extract the document images from the acquired image data;

an image location specifying unit configured to specify a location of each of the extracted document images with respect to a second standard for defining a location on the acquired image data;

an image identification providing unit configured to provide an image identification to each of the document images based on the specified location of each of the document images;

an allocation area identifying unit configured to identify an allocation area corresponding to each of the document images based on the image identifications and the area identifications;

an image editing unit configured to edit each of the document images so as to be allocated in the corresponding one of the allocation areas that is identified by the allocation area identifying unit;

a composite data generating unit configured to generate the composite data in which the edited document images are allocated in the respective allocation areas; and

an output unit configured to output the composite data generated by the composite data generating unit.

8. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for generating and outputting composite data in which two or more document images are combined, the instructions, when executed by a processor having an image acquiring unit, causing the processor to perform:

an area detecting step of detecting allocation areas from template data that defines the allocation areas where the document images are to be allocated on the composite data, respectively;

an area position specifying step of specifying a position of each of the detected allocation areas with respect to a first standard for defining a position on the template data;

an area identification providing step of providing an area identification to each of the allocation areas based on the specified position of each of the allocation areas;

an image acquiring step of acquiring image data based on document sheets set on the image acquiring unit, the document sheets having thereon the document images to be combined;

an image extracting step of extracting the document images from the acquired image data;

an image location specifying step of specifying a location of each of the extracted document images with respect to a second standard for defining a location on the acquired image data;

an image identification providing step of providing an image identification to each of the document images based on the specified location of each of the document images;

an allocation area identifying step of identifying an allocation area corresponding to each of the document images based on the image identifications and the area identifications;

an image editing step of editing each of the document images so as to be allocated in the corresponding one of the allocation areas that is identified in the allocation area identifying step;

a composite data generating step of generating the composite data in which the edited document images are allocated in the respective allocation areas; and

an output step of outputting the composite data generated in the composite data generating step.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8,

wherein the processor further has a display unit, and

wherein the instructions cause the processor to further perform a display step of displaying, on the display unit, set positions on the image acquiring unit where the document sheets are to be set, in association with the allocation areas of the template data.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9,

wherein the display step comprises a step of additionally displaying, on the display unit, a first orientation image for clarifying a relationship between an orientation of the display unit and orientations of the document sheets to be set.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 9,

wherein the display step comprises a step of additionally displaying, on the display unit, a second orientation image for clarifying a relationship between an orientation of the display unit and an orientation of the template data.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 8,

wherein the instructions cause the processor to further perform:

a first standard setting step of setting, as the first standard, a coordinate system with a predetermined point of the template data defined as an origin thereof;

a template specifying step of specifying a type of the template data based on a format information of the template data;

a second standard setting step of setting, as the second standard, a coordinate system with a predetermined point of the acquired image data defined as an origin thereof, depending on the specified type of the template data; and

an image rotating step of, when the template data is of such a type that an orientation of the template data is inconsistent with an orientation of each of the document images, rotating each of the document images to render the orientation of each of the document images consistent with the orientation of the template data.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12,

wherein the first standard setting step comprises a step of setting, as the first standard, the coordinate system with a left upper end of the template data defined as the origin thereof,

wherein the template specifying step comprises a step of specifying the type of the template data between a vertically-long document type and a horizontally-long document type, based on the format information of the template data,

wherein the second standard setting step comprises a step of, when the template data is of the horizontally-long document type, setting, as the second standard, the coordinate system with a left upper end of the acquired image data defined as the origin thereof,

wherein the second standard setting step comprises a step of when the template data is of the vertically-long document type, setting, as the second standard, the coordinate system with a left lower end of the acquired image data defined as the origin thereof, and

wherein the image rotating step comprises a step of, when the template data is of the vertically-long document type, rotating each of the document images clockwise by an angle of 90 degrees.