Network scanner system providing read instruction to plurality of scanners to read divided originals and providing re-arranging order input for re-arranging information of the originals

• US 6,122,684 A
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakura, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US08/994,998
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/72, 710/73, 710/17, 710/15, 358/450
• US Class Current: 710/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32464 Changing the arrangement of pages or documents, e.g. for producing pages to be bound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32502 in systems having a plurality of input or output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32507 a plurality of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32545 Distributing a job or task among a plurality of input devices or a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3255 Hybrid jobs, i.e. performing different parts of the same job on different devices, e.g. colour and B/W pages on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames

Abstract

A network scanner system and original reading method, which can efficiently use time and hardware resources, and can efficiently input originals consisting of a plurality of pages. When a personal computer (100) reads originals using N scanners (200) to which are connected via a LAN and each of which has an automatic document feeding facility, for example, 100 pages of originals are divided into three groups in correspondence with three scanners (200) used for reading, a re-arranging order of three bundles of divided originals set on the three scanners is input to the personal computer (100), and thereafter, a reading instruction for reading the divided originals is supplied to the three scanners (200). In accordance with this instruction, the scanners are controlled to read the set originals. When the three scanners transfer information of the read divided originals to the personal computer (100) via a transmission path (300), the personal computer (100) re-arranges the transferred original information in the order of pages in accordance with the input re-arranging order.

Claims

1. A network scanner system built by connecting at least one computer and N scanners each with an automatic document feeding facility via a network, comprising:

first input means for dividing M pages of originals into L bundles of the originals in correspondence with L number of scanners used for original reading, and inputting a re-arranging order of the L bundles of divided originals set on the L scanners to the computer;

first instruction means for instructing the L scanners to read the divided originals;

reading control means for controlling the L scanners to read the M pages of the originals in accordance with an input instruction from said first instruction means;

transfer means for transferring information of each of the L bundles of the divided originals read by the L scanners to the computer via the network; and

re-arranging means for re-arranging the information of the originals transferred to the computer by said transfer means in accordance with the re-arranging order input by said first input means.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying scanner names of the N scanners connected to the network on a screen.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said display means displays the scanner names in a table format on the screen, and displays, on the table, an instruction column of the re-arranging order of the divided originals, and a confirmation column used by a user to inform the computer that the user set the originals on the L scanners.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said first input means inputs the re-arranging order in the instruction column.

5. The system according to claim 3, further comprising second input means for inputting confirmation information in the confirmation column.

6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising checking means for detecting available scanner from the N scanners, and wherein said display means displays only the scanner name of the available scanner on the basis of the checking result of said checking means.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising second instruction means for instructing said checking means to detect the available scanner.

8. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

third input means for inputting a value of the M; and

calculation means for calculating optimal numbers of pages of originals to be read by the available scanner on the basis of the value of the M and performance of the available scanner, and

wherein said display means displays the calculation result of said calculation means as recommended numbers of pages.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the optimal numbers are determined to attain the highest original reading speed as the whole system.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein said checking means determines the available scanner also in consideration of distances between the computer and the N scanners.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network includes an Ethernet LAN.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein said checking means checks operation status of the scanners by communicating with all power-on and operable scanners via the network.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the N scanners includes:

monitoring means for monitoring own operation status thereof; and

informing means for, when the scanner is in an available state, issuing a status signal indicating a ready state to the connected computer, and for, when the scanner is occupied by a specific computer to read an original, issuing a status signal indicating a busy state to all other computers, in accordance with a monitoring result of said monitoring means.

14. An original reading method using a system built by connecting at least one computer and N scanners each with an automatic document feeding facility via a network, comprising:

a first input step of dividing M pages of originals into L bundles of the originals in correspondence with L number of scanners used for original reading, and inputting a re-arranging order of the L bundles of divided originals set on the L scanners to the computer;

a first instruction step of instructing the L scanners to read the divided originals;

a reading control step of controlling the L scanners to read the M pages of the originals in accordance with an input instruction in the first instruction step;

a transfer step of transferring information of each of the L bundles of the divided originals read by the L scanners to the computer via the network; and

a re-arranging step of re-arranging the information of the originals transferred to the computer in the transfer step in accordance with the re-arranging order input in said first input step.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

a checking step of detecting available scanner from the N scanners;

a second input step of inputting a value of the M; and

a display step of displaying optimal numbers of pages of originals to be read by the available scanner as recommended numbers of pages on the basis of the value of the M and performance of the ready scanner.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code, for executing original reading, said product including:

input process procedure codes for executing processing that divides M pages of originals into L bundles of the originals in correspondence with L number of scanners used for original reading, and inputs a re-arranging order of the L bundles of divided originals set on the L scanners to the computer;

instruction process procedure codes for executing processing that instructs the L scanners to read the divided originals;

control process procedure codes for executing processing that controls the L scanners to read the M pages of the originals in accordance with the instruction process procedure;

transfer process procedure codes for executing processing that transfers information of each of the L bundles of the divided originals read by the L scanners to the computer via the network; and

re-arranging process procedure codes for executing processing that re-arranges the information of the originals transferred to the computer in the transfer process in accordance with the re-arranging order input in the input process.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said input process procedure codes, instruction process procedure codes, control process procedure codes, and re-arranging process procedure codes are installed on the computer, and are executed.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said transfer process procedure codes are installed on each of the scanners, and are executed.

19. A computer connecting N scanners each with an automatic document feeding facility via a network, comprising:

input means for inputting a re-arranging order of L (L≦

N) bundles summing up to M pages of originals which are divided into the L bundles of the originals in correspondence with L number of scanners used for reading the originals, and are read in by the L scanners;

instruction means for instructing the L scanners to read the L bundles of divided originals;

reading control means for controlling reading operation on the L scanners in accordance with an input instruction from said instruction means;

reception means for receiving information of each of the L bundles of the divided originals read by the L scanners via the network; and

re-arranging means for re-arranging the information of the originals received by said reception means in accordance with the re-arranging order input by said input means.

20. A reading control step of controlling the L scanners to read the M pages of the originals in accordance with an input instruction in the first instruction step;

and

an original reading method using a computer connecting N scanners each with an automatic document deeding facility via a network, comprising;

a first input step of dividing M pages of originals into L bundles of the originals in correspondence with L number of scanners used for original reading, and inputting a rearranged order of the L bundles of divided originals set on the L scanners to the computer;

a first instruction step of instruction the L scanners to read the divided originals;

a reading control step of controlling the L scanners to read the M pages of the originals in accordance with an input instruction in the first instruction step; and

a reception step of receiving information of each of the L bundles of the divided originals read by the L scanners to the computer via the network; and

a re-arranging step of re-arranging the information of the originals received in said reception step in accordance with the re-arranging order input in said first input step.

21. Control process procedure codes for executing process that controls the L scanners to read the M pages of the originals in accordance with the instruction process procedure;

the method according to claim 20, further comprising;

a checking step of detecting available scanner from the N scanners;

a second input step of inputting available scanner from the M; and

a display step of displaying optimal numbers of pages of originals to be read by the available scanner as recommended numbers of pages on the basis of the value of the M and performance of the ready scanner.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code, for inputting image of originals, said product including:

input process procedure codes for executing processing that divides M pages of originals into L bundles of the originals in correspondence with L number of scanners used for original reading, and inputs a re-arranging order of the L bundles of divided originals set on the L scanners to the computer;

instruction process procedures codes for executing processing that instructs the L scanners to read the divided originals;

reception process procedure codes for executing processing that receives information of each of the L bundles of the divided originals read by the L scanners to the computer via the network; and

re-arranging process procedure codes for executing processing that re-arranging the information of the originals received in the reception process in accordance with the re-arranging order input in the input process.