Electronic filing system using different application program for processing drawing commands for printing

• US 5,907,835 A
• Filed: 11/17/1995
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yokomizo, Yoshikazu, Sugiyama, Mitsumasa, Sugiura, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US08/560,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/601, 358/403, 358/445, 382/232, 382/239, 382/56
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

There is disclosed an electronic filing apparatus which allows to handle files, prepared by different application programs, as the files common to these programs in easy and inexpensive manner. The drawing information, transmitted from each application program activatable by the computer system, is converted into a predetermined print data format, defined by the operating system, by the printer driver. Then the QuickDraw-common document conversion device converts the print data, converted into the predetermined print data format, into the common document file format which can be directly referred to by the plural application programs, and the common document in thus converted common document file format is stored in the data base.

Claims

1. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

conversion means for converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program; and

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data.

2. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for converting a drawing command for printing into a format suitable for document accumulation.

3. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for extracting and storing information for keyword search.

4. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

conversion means for converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data;

means for dividing the accumulated data stored in said storing means into groups, according to a feature of the accumulated data; and

means for effecting optimum compression to each of the groups of accumulated data,

wherein the compressed groups of accumulated data are accumulated in a data base.

5. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the data is divided into groups corresponding to a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

6. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

means for recognizing and encoding a bit map image pattern within the data, said bit map being encoded into a plurality of codes including at least one character code,

wherein an encoded character code is processed in the same manner as said character portion.

7. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

conversion means for converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

means for extracting a title portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing means,

wherein said extracted title portion is registered as key information for search.

8. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said title portion indicates presence or absence of a title.

9. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said title portion is code information obtained by recognition of a title.

10. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

11. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

12. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

conversion means for converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

means for extracting a table portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing means,

wherein said extracted table portion is registered as key information for search.

13. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said table portion indicates presence or absence of a table.

14. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said table portion indicates the number of columns constituting a table.

15. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising means for dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

16. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

17. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

conversion means for converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

means for extracting a graph portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing means,

wherein said extracted graph portion is registered as key information for search.

18. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said graph portion indicates presence or absence of a graph.

19. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

20. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

21. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

conversion means for converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

means for extracting a bit map image portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing means,

wherein said extracted bit map image portion is registered as key information for search.

22. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said bit map image portion indicates presence or absence of a bit map image.

23. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said bit map image portion indicates the number of bit map images.

24. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising means for dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

25. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

26. An electronic filing apparatus comprising:

a computer system structured to process file information of a text, a table and an image prepared and/or edited by plural application programs activatable by said computer system based on a predetermined operating system;

printer driver means for converting drawing information, transmitted from a first one of the application programs, into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other one of the application programs different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the drawing information;

conversion means for converting the drawing commands converted by said printer driver means and stored in said storing means, into a common document file format which can be directly referenced by each of said plural application programs; and

memory means for storing a common file, according to said common document file format converted by said conversion means.

27. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

a search driver for effecting search, through said conversion means, of the common file of the common document file format stored in said memory means,

wherein said search driver can be incorporated in said computer system as a general-use driver for said application programs.

28. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said printer driver means is adapted to analyze the drawing commands and to divide them into a character portion, a vector drawing portion, a bit map image portion and a halftone image portion and to generate compressed data from the divided portions.

29. An electronic filing apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising:

optical character recognition means for analyzing the bit map image portion and the halftone image portion divided by said printer driver means, and recognizing and extracting character information added to the divided character portion.

30. An electronic filing system comprising a plurality of electronic filing apparatuses, each of which includes:

a computer system capable of processing file information of a text, a table and an image prepared and/or edited by plural application programs activatable by said computer system based on a predetermined operating system;

printer driver means for converting drawing information, transmitted from a first one of the application programs, into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other one of the application programs different from the first application program;

storing means for storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the drawing information;

conversion means for converting the drawing commands converted by said printer driver means and stored in said storing means, into a common document file format which can be directly referenced by each of said plural application programs; and

memory means for storing a common file, according to said common document file format converted by said conversion means,

wherein a plurality of said electronic filing apparatuses are connected by a predetermined network.

31. An electronic filing method comprising:

the step of converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program; and

the step of storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data.

32. An electronic filing method according to claim 31, further comprising a step of converting a drawing command for printing into a format suitable for document accumulation.

33. An electronic filing method according to claim 31, further comprising a step of extracting and storing information for keyword search.

34. An electronic filing method comprising the steps of:

converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data;

dividing the accumulated data stored in said storing step into groups, according to a feature of the accumulated data; and

effecting optimum compression to each of the groups of accumulated data;

wherein the compressed groups of accumulated data are accumulated in a data base.

35. An electronic filing method according to claim 34, wherein the data is divided into groups corresponding to a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

36. An electronic filing method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

recognizing and encoding a bit map image pattern within the data, the bit map being encoded into a plurality of codes including at least one character code,

wherein an encoded character code is processed in the same manner as the character portion.

37. An electronic filing method comprising the steps of:

converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extracting a title portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing step,

wherein the extracted title portion is registered as key information for search.

38. An electronic filing method according to claim 37, wherein the title portion indicates presence or absence of a title.

39. An electronic filing method according to claim 37, wherein the title portion is code information obtained by recognition of a title.

40. An electronic filing method according to claim 37, further comprising a step of dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

41. An electronic filing method according to claim 37, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion or a bit map image portion.

42. An electronic filing method comprising the steps of:

converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extracting a table portion from the drawing commands stored at said storing step,

wherein the extracted table portion is registered as key information for search.

43. An electronic filing method according to claim 42, wherein the table portion indicates presence or absence of a table.

44. An electronic filing method according to claim 42, wherein the table portion indicates the number of columns constituting a table.

45. An electronic filing method according to claim 42, further comprising a step of dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

46. An electronic filing method according to claim 45, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

47. An electronic filing method comprising the steps of:

converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extracting a graph portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing means;

wherein said extracted graph portion is registered as key information for search.

48. An electronic filing method according to claim 47, wherein the graph portion indicates presence or absence of a graph.

49. An electronic filing method according to claim 47, further comprising a step of dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

50. An electronic filing method according to claim 49, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

51. An electronic filing method comprising the steps:

converting first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extracting a bit map image portion from the drawing commands stored at said storing step;

wherein the extracted bit map image portion is registered as key information for search.

52. An electronic filing method according to claim 51, wherein the bit map image portion indicates presence or absence of a bit map image.

53. An electronic filing method according to claim 51, wherein the bit map image portion indicates the number of bit map images.

54. An electronic filing method according to claim 51, further comprising a step of dividing the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

55. An electronic filing method according to claim 54, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

56. An electronic filing method usable on a computer system structured to process file information of a text, a table and an image prepared and/or edited by plural application programs activatable by the computer system based on a predetermined operating system, said method comprising the steps of:

converting, by printer driver means, drawing information, transmitted from a first one of the application programs, into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other one of the application programs different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the drawing information;

converting the drawing commands converted by the printer driver means and stored at said storing step, into a common document file format which can be directly referenced by each of the plural application programs; and

storing a common file, according to converted common document file format, in memory means.

57. An electronic filing method according to claim 56, further comprising the steps of:

effecting a search of the common file of the common document file format stored in the memory means,

wherein the search can be executed in the computer system by a general-use driver for the application programs.

58. An electronic filing method according to claim 56, wherein the printer driver means is adapted to analyze the drawing and to divide them into a character portion, a vector drawing portion, a bit map image portion and a halftone image portion and to generate compressed data from the divided portions.

59. An electronic filing method according to claim 58, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing, by optical character recognition means, the bit map image portion and the halftone image portion divided by the printer driver means, and recognizing and extracting character information added to the divided character portion.

60. A method for use on an electronic filing system comprising a plurality of electronic filing apparatus, each of which includes a computer system capable of processing file information of a text, a table and an image prepared and/or edited by plural application programs activatable by the computer system based on a predetermined operating system, said method comprising the steps of:

converting, by printer driver means, drawing information, transmitted from a first one of the application programs, into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other one of the application programs different from the first application program;

storing the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the drawing information;

converting the drawing commands converted by the printer driver means and stored at said storing step, into a common document file format which can be directly referenced by each of the plural application programs; and

storing a common file, according to the converted common document file format, in memory means,

wherein a plurality of the electronic filing apparatuses are connected by a predetermined network.

61. A computer-usable medium storing computer-usable instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic filing apparatus to convert first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program, and to store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data.

62. A computer-usable medium according to claim 61, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to convert a drawing command for printing into a format suitable for document accumulation.

63. A computer-usable medium according to claim 61, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to extract and store information for keyword search.

64. A computer-usable medium storing computer-usable instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic filing apparatus to:

convert first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data;

divide the accumulated data stored in said storing step into groups, according to a feature of the accumulated data; and

effect optimum compression to each of the groups of accumulated data,

wherein the compressed groups of accumulated data are accumulated in a data base.

65. A computer-usable medium according to claim 64, wherein the data is divided into groups corresponding to a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

66. A computer-usable medium according to claim 65, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to:

recognize and encode a bit map image pattern within the data, the bit map being encoded into a plurality of codes including at least one character code,

wherein an encoded character code is processed in the same manner as the character portion.

67. A computer-usable medium storing computer-usable instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic filing apparatus to:

convert first data made with a first application program, into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extract a title portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing instruction;

wherein the extracted title portion is registered as key information for search.

68. A computer-usable medium according to claim 67, wherein the title portion indicates presence or absence of a title.

69. A computer-usable medium according to claim 67, wherein the title portion is code information obtained by recognition of a title.

70. A computer-usable medium according to claim 67, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to divide the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

71. A computer-usable medium according to claim 67, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion or a bit map image portion.

72. A computer-usable medium storing computer-usable instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic filing apparatus to:

convert first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application programs;

store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extract a table portion from the drawing commands stored at said storing instruction,

wherein the extracted table portion is registered as key information for search.

73. A computer-usable medium according to claim 72, wherein the table portion indicates presence or absence of a table.

74. A computer-usable medium according to claim 72, wherein the table portion indicates the number of columns constituting a table.

75. A computer-usable medium according to claim 72, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to divide the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

76. A computer-usable medium according to claim 75, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

77. A computer-usable medium storing computer-usable instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic filing apparatus to:

convert first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extract a graph portion from the drawing commands stored in said storing instruction;

wherein said extracted graph portion is registered as key information for search.

78. A computer-usable medium according to claim 77, wherein the graph portion indicates presence or absence of a graph.

79. A computer-usable medium according to claim 77, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to divide the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

80. A computer-usable medium according to claim 79, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

81. A computer-usable medium storing computer-usable instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic filing apparatus to:

convert first data made with a first application program into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other application program different from the first application program;

store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the first data; and

extract a bit map image portion from the drawing commands stored at said storing instruction;

wherein the extracted bit map image portion is registered as key information for search.

82. A computer-usable medium according to claim 81, wherein the bit map image portion indicates presence or absence of a bit map image.

83. A computer-usable medium according to claim 81, wherein the bit map image portion indicates the number of bit map images.

84. A computer-usable medium according to claim 81, the instructions further comprising instruction for causing the apparatus to divide the drawing commands according to a feature thereof.

85. A computer-usable medium according to claim 84, wherein the drawing commands are divided into a character portion, a vector drawing portion and a bit map image portion.

86. A computer-usable medium storing instructions for causing a program-controlled electronic apparatus, having a computer system structured to process file information of a text, a table and an image prepared and/or edited by plural application programs activatable by the computer system based on a predetermined operating system, to:

convert, by printer driver means, drawing information, transmitted from a first one of the application programs, into drawing commands for printing, wherein the drawing commands can be processed with a second, other one of the application programs different from the first application program;

store the drawing commands as accumulated data corresponding to the drawing information;

convert the drawing commands converted by the printer driver means and stored, into a common document file format which can be directly referenced by each of the plural application programs; and

store a common file, according to the converted common document file format, in memory means.

87. A computer-usable medium according to claim 86, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to:

effect a search of the common file of the common document file format stored in the memory means,

wherein the search can be executed in the computer system by a general-use driver for the application programs.

88. A computer-usable medium according to claim 86, wherein the printer driver means is adapted to analyze the drawing and to divide them into a character portion, a vector drawing portion, a bit map image portion and a halftone image portion and to generate compressed data from the divided portions.

89. A computer-usable medium according to claim 86, the instructions further comprising instructions for causing the apparatus to:

analyze, by optical character recognition means, the bit map image portion and the halftone image portion divided by the printer driver means, and recognize and extract character information added to the divided character portion.