METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING IMAGE DATA, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDUIM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20110069347A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: HASE, Junichi, KAWABUCHI, Yoichi, TAJIMA, Hiroki, YOSHIMURA, Tomonari
• Granted Patent: US 9,203,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1512 Print-to a presentation device other than a printer, e.g. e-reader, e-paper, tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1242 Image or content composition onto a page
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1271 Job submission at the printing node, e.g. creating a job from a data stored locally or remotely G06F3/1238 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/129 in server-printer device-client configuration, e.g. print flow goes from server to printer and then bidirectional from printer to client, i.e. the client does not communicate with the server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0471 Vertical positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0478 Horizontal positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a display state data obtaining portion obtaining display state data indicating a state of a displayed image that is an image electrically displayed on electronic paper, a display termination control portion controlling the electronic paper to finish displaying the displayed image, a write image data obtaining portion that obtains write image data that is image data of a write image corresponding to an image written on the electronic paper by reading the image written on the electronic paper after finishing the display, and a storage control portion that controls a storage portion to store, therein, displayed image data that is image data of the displayed image, the display state data obtained by the display state data obtaining portion, and the write image data obtained by the write image data obtaining portion, the displayed image data, the display state data, and the write image data being associated with one another.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus having a function to perform communication with electronic paper, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a display state data obtaining portion that obtains display state data from the electronic paper, the display state data indicating a state of a displayed image that is an image electrically displayed on the electronic paper;

a display termination control portion that sends, to the electronic paper, a command to request the electronic paper to finish displaying the displayed image;

a write image data obtaining portion that obtains write image data that is image data of a write image corresponding to an image written on the electronic paper by reading the image written on the electronic paper after displaying the displayed image has been finished; and

a storage control portion that controls a storage portion to store, therein, displayed image data that is image data of the displayed image, the display state data obtained by the display state data obtaining portion, and the write image data obtained by the write image data obtaining portion, the displayed image data, the display state data, and the write image data being associated with one another.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a composite image generating portion that generates a composite image based on the displayed image data, the write image data, and the display state data, the composite image being an image obtained by overlaying the write image on the displayed image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the display state data obtaining portion obtains, as the display state data, data indicating a part of the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper, and

the composite image generating portion generates the composite image by overlaying the write image on the part of the displayed image indicated in the display state data.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the display state data obtaining portion obtains, as the display state data, data indicating an enlargement factor of the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper, and

the composite image generating portion generates the composite image by adjusting the write image to have a size of a reciprocal multiple of the enlargement factor and overlaying the write image thus adjusted on the displayed image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of the write images differing from one another are written on the electronic paper at different periods of time,

the write image data obtaining portion obtains the write image data of the write image for each of the periods of time,

the storage control portion controls the storage portion to store, therein, the write image data of the write image for each of the periods of time, and

the composite image generating portion generates the composite image by overlaying at least one of the plurality of the write images on the displayed image.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

each of the plurality of the write images is written while the electronic paper displays, thereon, parts of the displayed image differing from one another,

the display state data obtaining portion obtains the display state data for the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper at a time when the write image is written, and

the display termination control portion sends the command every time the write image is written.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the composite image generating portion generates the composite image by overlaying, on the displayed image, the write image written by a user belonging to a specific group.

8. A method for managing image data, the method comprising:

a first step of obtaining display state data indicating a state of a displayed image that is an image electrically displayed on electronic paper;

a second step of controlling the electronic paper to finish displaying the displayed image;

a third step of obtaining write image data that is image data of a write image corresponding to an image written on the electronic paper by reading the image written on the electronic paper after the second step; and

a fourth step of controlling a storage portion to store, therein, displayed image data that is image data of the displayed image, the display state data obtained in the first step, and the write image data obtained in the third step, the displayed image data, the display state data, and the write image data being associated with one another.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a fifth step of generating a composite image based on the displayed image data, the write image data, and the display state data, the composite image being an image obtained by overlaying the write image on the displayed image.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the first step includes obtaining, as the display state data, data indicating a part of the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper, and

the fifth step includes generating the composite image by overlaying the write image on the part of the displayed image indicated in the display state data.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the first step includes obtaining, as the display state data, data indicating an enlargement factor of the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper, and

the fifth step includes generating the composite image by adjusting the write image to have a size of a reciprocal multiple of the enlargement factor and overlaying the write image thus adjusted on the displayed image.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein

a plurality of the write images differing from one another are written on the electronic paper at different periods of time,

the third step includes obtaining the write image data of the write image for each of the periods of time,

the fourth step includes controlling the storage portion to store, therein, the write image data of the write image for each of the periods of time, and

the fifth step includes generating the composite image by overlaying at least one of the plurality of the write images on the displayed image.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

each of the plurality of the write images is written while the electronic paper displays, thereon, parts of the displayed image differing from one another,

the first step includes obtaining the display state data for the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper at a time when the write image is written, and

the second step includes sending the command every time the write image is written.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fifth step includes generating the composite image by overlaying, on the displayed image, the write image written by a user belonging to a specific group.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing thereon a computer program used in an image processing apparatus having a function to perform communication with electronic paper, the computer program causing the image processing apparatus to perform:

a first process of obtaining display state data indicating a state of a displayed image that is an image electrically displayed on electronic paper;

a second process of controlling the electronic paper to finish displaying the displayed image;

a third process of obtaining write image data that is image data of a write image corresponding to an image written on the electronic paper by reading the image written on the electronic paper after the second process; and

a fourth process of controlling a storage portion to store, therein, displayed image data that is image data of the displayed image, the display state data obtained in the first process, and the write image data obtained in the third process, the displayed image data, the display state data, and the write image data being associated with one another.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15, the program causing the image processing apparatus to further perform a fifth process of generating a composite image based on the displayed image data, the write image data, and the display state data, the composite image being an image obtained by overlaying the write image on the displayed image.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein

the first process includes obtaining, as the display state data, data indicating a part of the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper, and

the fifth process includes generating the composite image by overlaying the write image on the part of the displayed image indicated in the display state data.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein

the first process includes obtaining, as the display state data, data indicating an enlargement factor of the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper, and

the fifth process includes generating the composite image by adjusting the write image to have a size of a reciprocal multiple of the enlargement factor and overlaying the write image thus adjusted on the displayed image.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein

a plurality of the write images differing from one another are written on the electronic paper at different periods of time,

the third process includes obtaining the write image data of the write image for each of the periods of time,

the fourth process includes controlling the storage portion to store, therein, the write image data of the write image for each of the periods of time, and

the fifth process includes generating the composite image by overlaying at least one of the plurality of the write images on the displayed image.

20. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 19, wherein

each of the plurality of the write images is written while the electronic paper displays, thereon, parts of the displayed image differing from one another,

the first process includes obtaining the display state data for the displayed image displayed on the electronic paper at a time when the write image is written, and

the second process includes sending the command every time the write image is written.

21. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the fifth process includes generating the composite image by overlaying, on the displayed image, the write image written by a user belonging to a specific group.