Image processing apparatus

• US 5,754,712 A
• Filed: 08/29/1994
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yuzuru, Takahashi, Kinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S.
• Application Number:
  US08/296,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 382/61, 382/56, 382/57, 382/1, 382/40, 382/100, 382/112, 382/305, 382/309, 382/306, 395/148, 395/149, 395/145, 395/156, 395/166, 395/54, 345/146, 345/162, 345/163, 345/173
• US Class Current: 382/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/00 Image analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/40 Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image input unit for inputting image information, a trimming unit for trimming an area for classifying and summarizing the image information input by the image input unit, a recognition unit for recognizing information representing each image information in the area trimmed by the trimming unit, and a search unit for searching image information by at least one of pieces of the information recognized by the recognition unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting first image data consisting of a plurality of pages, and second image data of a page including character patterns of indexes and character patterns of page specifying information respectively specifying the plurality of pages, said character patterns of page specifying information corresponding to respective ones of the indexes;

discriminating means for discriminating the character patterns of the indexes and the character patterns of the page specifying information in the image data input by said input means;

recognizing means for recognizing the character patterns of the page specifying information discriminated by said discriminating means to provide recognized page specifying information respectively specifying the plurality of pages;

generating means for generating a table comprising (a) position data of the character patterns of the indexes discriminated by said discriminating means and (b) the recognized page specifying information, wherein the position data of the character pattern of the index for each one of the plurality of pages is provided in the table in correspondence with the recognized page specifying information specifying that one page; and

registering means for registering the table generated by said generating means and the first image data in correspondence to each other.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying the second image data and character patterns of page specifying information upon input of the first image data.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the image data registered by said registering means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

designating means for designating a position of a desired item in the image data displayed by said display means; and

means for discriminating a number of the designated item in the displayed image data.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means for detecting a position of page specifying information and for recognizing a page number represented by the page specifying information.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means comprises at least one scanner.

23. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discriminating means discriminates the character patterns of the indexes and the page specifying information from the second input image data by making a histogram of the second image data.

24. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means inputs the image data in response to an instruction indicating that the image data represents the indexes.

46. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said generating means generates an item table listing item numbers, item position data, and recognized numerals of page numbers in correspondence with each other from the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes and character patterns of page specifying information, and wherein said detecting means detects the page specifying information which corresponds to a position designated on said display means.

2. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

a first inputting step of inputting first image data consisting of a plurality of pages;

a second inputting step of inputting second image data of a page including character patterns of indexes and character patterns of page specifying information respectively specifying the plurality of pages, said character patterns of page specifying information corresponding to respective ones of the indexes;

discriminating the character patterns of the indexes and the character patterns of the page specifying information in the image data input in said second inputting step;

recognizing the character patterns of the page specifying information discriminated in said discriminating step to provide recognized page specifying information respectively specifying the plurality of pages;

generating a table comprising position data of the character patterns of the indexes discriminated in said discriminating step and the recognized page specifying information, wherein the position data of the character pattern of the index for each one of the plurality of pages is provided in the table in correspondence with the recognized page specifying information specifying that one page; and

registering the table and the first image data in correspondence to each other.

11. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes on a display device whereby certain items of displayed image data may be designated; and

discriminating a number of the designated item in the displayed image data.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of detecting a position of page specifying information and recognizing a page number represented by the page specifying information.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the table is an item table listing item numbers, item position data, and recognized numerals of page numbers in correspondence with each other from the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes and character patterns of page specifying information.

25. A method according to claim 2, wherein said first and second inputting steps are performed using a scanner.

26. A method according to claim 2, wherein said discriminating step includes discriminating the character patterns of the indexes and the page specifying information from the input second image data by making a histogram of the second image data.

27. A method according to claim 2, wherein said second input step includes inputting the image data in response to an instruction indicating that the image data represents the indexes.

28. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of displaying the registered image data.

3. An image processing apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing (a) first image data consisting of a plurality of pages, (b) second image data of a page including character patterns of indexes corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of pages, and (c) a table comprising position data of the character patterns of the indexes and identification data for identifying respective ones of the plurality of pages corresponding to respective ones of the indexes, wherein the position data of the character pattern of the index for each one of the plurality of pages is provided in the table in correspondence with the identification data identifying that one page, and wherein the table is generated by recognizing the second image data;

display means, for displaying the second image data, wherein a character pattern of the second image data may be designated on said display means;

detecting means for detecting position data of a character pattern designated on said display means;

search means for determining which of the identification data is provided in the table in correspondence to the position data detected by said detecting means, and for searching the first image data to locate the first image data of the page corresponding to the determined identification data; and

read means for reading from said memory means the first image data of the page located by said search means.

14. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display means displays the second image data of the page including the character patterns of indexes upon input of the first image data consisting of the plurality of pages.

15. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for discriminating a number of the designated data.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said detecting means detects position data of a page number in the image data and recognizes a numeral representing the page number.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the table is an item table listing item numbers, item position data and recognized numerals of page numbers in correspondence with each other from the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes.

29. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pointing device for designating a desired position on said display means.

30. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display means also displays the image data read by said read means.

4. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory first image data consisting of a plurality of pages and second image data of a page including character patterns of indexes corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of pages;

generating and storing a table in the memory by recognizing the second image data, said table comprising position data of the character patterns of the indexes and identification data for identifying respective ones of the plurality of pages corresponding to respective indexes, wherein the position data of the character pattern of the index for each one of the plurality of pages is provided in the table in correspondence with the identification data identifying that one page;

displaying the second image data on a display device on which a character pattern of the second image data may be designated;

detecting position data corresponding to a character pattern designated on the display device;

determining which of the identification data is provided in the table in correspondence to the position data detected in said detecting step;

searching the first image data to locate the first image data of the page corresponding to the determined identification data; and

reading from the memory the first image data of the page located in said searching step.

18. A method according to claim 4, wherein image data of a page including character patterns of indexes is extracted and displayed upon input of the first image data consisting of the plurality of pages.

19. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of discriminating a number of the designated data in the displayed image data.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said discriminating step includes detecting a position of a page number in the image data and recognizing a numeral representing the page number.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the table is an item table listing item numbers, item position data, and recognized numerals of page numbers in correspondence with each other from the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes, and wherein said detecting step includes detecting the page number which corresponds to a designated position.

31. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of designating a desired position in the display step.

32. A method according to claim 4, wherein said display step includes displaying the image data read in said reading step.

5. A memory medium storing instructions for causing a programmable apparatus loaded with the instructions to perform an image processing method comprising the steps of:

a first inputting step of inputting first image data consisting of a plurality of pages;

a second inputting step of inputting second image data of a page including character patterns of indexes and character patterns of page specifying information respectively specifying the plurality of pages, said character patterns of page specifying information corresponding to respective ones of the indexes;

discriminating the character patterns of the indexes and the character patterns of the page specifying information in the image data input in said second inputting step;

recognizing the character patterns of the page specifying information discriminated in said discriminating step to provide recognized page specifying information respectively specifying the plurality of pages;

generating a table comprising position data of the character patterns of the indexes discriminated in said discriminating step and the recognized page specifying information, wherein the position data of the character pattern of the index for each one of the plurality of pages is provided in the table in correspondence with the recognized page specifying information specifying that one page; and

registering the table and the first image data in correspondence to each other.

33. A memory medium according to claim 5, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

displaying the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes on a display device whereby certain items of displayed image data may be designated; and

discriminating a number of the designated item in the displayed image data.

34. A memory medium according to claim 33, further comprising a step of detecting a position of page specifying information and recognizing a page number represented by the page specifying information.

35. A memory medium according to claim 34, wherein the table is an item table listing item numbers, item position data, and recognized numerals of page numbers in correspondence with each other from the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes and character patterns of page specifying information.

36. A memory medium according to claim 5, wherein said first and second inputting steps are performed using a scanner.

37. A memory medium according to claim 5, wherein said discriminating step includes discriminating the character patterns of the indexes and the page specifying information from the input second image data by making a histogram of the second image data.

38. A memory medium according to claim 5, wherein said second input step includes inputting the image data in response to an instruction indicating that the image data represents the indexes.

39. A memory medium according to claim 5, further comprising the step of displaying the registered image data.

6. A memory medium storing instructions for causing a programmable apparatus, when loaded with the instructions, to perform an image processing method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory first image data consisting of a plurality of pages and second image data of a page including character patterns of indexes corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of pages;

generating and storing a table in the memory by recognizing the second image data, said table comprising position data of the character patterns of the indexes and identification data for identifying respective ones of the plurality of pages corresponding to respective indexes, wherein the position data of the character pattern of the index for each one of the plurality of pages is provided in the table in correspondence with the identification data identifying that one page;

displaying the second image data on a display device on which a character pattern of the second image data may be designated;

detecting position data corresponding to a character pattern designated on the display device;

determining which of the identification data is provided in the table in correspondence to the position data detected in said detecting step;

searching the first image data to locate the first image data of the page corresponding to the determined identification data; and

reading from the memory the first image data of the page located in said searching step.

40. A memory medium according to claim 6, wherein image data of a page including character patterns of indexes is extracted and displayed upon input of the first image data consisting of the plurality of pages.

41. A memory medium according to claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of discriminating a number of the designated data in the displayed image data.

42. A memory medium according to claim 41, wherein said discriminating step includes detecting a position of a page number in the image data and recognizing a numeral representing the page number.

43. A memory medium according to claim 42, wherein the table is an item table listing item numbers, item position data, and recognized numerals of page numbers in correspondence with each other from the second image data of the page including character patterns of indexes, and wherein said detecting step includes detecting the page number which corresponds to a designated position.

44. A memory medium according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of designating a desired position in the display step.

45. A memory medium according to claim 6, wherein said display step includes displaying the image data read in said reading step.