Reduced image forming method and apparatus

• US 6,996,293 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2000
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US09/593,775
• Time in Patent Office: 2,064 Days
• Field of Search: 382/171, 382/177, 382/190, 382/282, 382/284, 382/294, 382/298, 382/179, 382/180, 382/187, 382/195, 382/198, 382/251, 382/277, 382/290, 382/295, 382/299, 358/1.2, 358/538, 358/540, 358/450, 358/453, 358/452, 345/629, 345/630, 345/634, 345/635, 348/584, 348/588
• US Class Current: 382/284
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

In an electric filing apparatus, a document is read, and the read document is divided into blocks by a predetermined dividing number. Further, the divided block is divided into a partial image or partial character train, and a partial image or partial character train is extracted from a predetermined position every block. The extracted partial images or partial character trains are combined, thereby forming a reduced image smaller than an original image or character train. When selecting a document registered by the user, a list of the reduced images is displayed.

Claims

1. A reduced image forming apparatus comprising:

recording means for recording a plurality of images;

dividing means for dividing each of the plurality of images into a plurality of image blocks;

extracting means for extracting a plurality of partial images from each of the plurality of image blocks, the partial images being of a size in accordance with a reduction ratio from each respective block;

generating means for combining the plurality of partial images extracted by said extracting means and generating a plurality of combined images, which correspond to respective ones of the plurality of images, smaller than the original image; and

indicating means for indicating the plurality of combined images generated by said generating means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dividing means divides said original image into a plurality of uniform image blocks.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extracting means obtains the partial image at a same position in each image block.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dividing means divides each said image block into a plurality of uniform partial images, and said extracting means obtains the partial image at a position set for each image block.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generating means decreases an image resolution within a range in which a character can be visually recognized as a character on said indicating means, and generates a combined image smaller than said original image.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extracting means further has application data extracting means for reading application data and extracting the application data.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the application data is data which is formed in an application.

8. A reduced image forming method comprising:

a dividing step, of dividing each of a plurality of images recorded by recording means into a plurality of image blocks;

an extracting step, of extracting a plurality of partial images from the original image, the partial images being of a size in accordance with a reduction ratio from each respective block;

a generating step, of combining the plurality of partial images extracted in said extracting step and generating a plurality of combined images, which correspond to respective ones of the plurality of images, smaller than the original image; and

an indicating step, of indicating the plurality of combined images generated in said generating step.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said dividing step includes dividing the original image into a plurality of uniform image blocks.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said obtaining step divides said image block into a plurality of partial images, and obtains the partial image at a same position in each image block.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein said obtaining step includes dividing each image block into a plurality of uniform partial images, and obtains the partial image at a position set for each image block.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein said generating step includes decreasing an image resolution within a range in which a character can be visually recognized as a character in said indicating step, and generates a combined image smaller than the original image.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein said extracting step further comprises an application data extracting step, of reading application data and extracting the application data.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the application data is data which is formed in an application.

15. A storage medium storing a control program for making a computer form a reduced image based on an original image, wherein said control program comprises codes for:

a dividing step, of dividing each of a plurality of images recorded by recording means into a plurality of image blocks;

an extracting step, of extracting a plurality of partial images from the original image, the partial images being of a size in accordance with a reduction ratio from each respective block;

a generating step, of combining the plurality of partial images extracted in said extracting step and generating a plurality of combined images, which correspond to respective ones of the plurality of images, smaller than in original image; and

an indicating step, of indicating the plurality of generated combined images generated in said generating step.

16. A medium according to claim 15, wherein said dividing step includes dividing the original image into a plurality of uniform image blocks.

17. A medium according to claim 15, wherein said extracting step includes dividing each image block into a plurality of partial images, and obtaining the partial image at a same position in each image block.

18. A medium according to claim 15, wherein said extracting step includes dividing the image block into a plurality of uniform partial images, and obtaining the partial image at a position set for each image block.

19. A medium according to claim 15, wherein said generating step includes decreasing an image resolution within a range in which a character can be visually recognized as a character in said indicating step, and generating a combined image smaller than the original image.

20. A medium according to claim 15, wherein said extracting step further comprises an application data extracting step, of reading application data and extracting the application data.

21. A medium according to claim 20, wherein the application data is data which is formed in an application.

22. A reduced image forming apparatus comprising:

recording means for recording a plurality of documents;

converting means for converting the plurality of documents into a plurality of character trains;

dividing means for dividing each of the plurality of character trains converted by said converting means into a plurality of character train blocks;

extracting means for extracting a partial character train from each of the plurality of character train blocks, by selecting a predetermined number of recognized characters from each block;

generating means for combining a plurality of partial character trains extracted by said extracting means, converting the combined partial character trains into an image, and generating a plurality of combined images, which correspond to respective ones of the plurality of documents, smaller than the original document; and

indicating means for indicating the plurality of combined images generated by said generating means.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said converting means has:

character train recognizing means for recognizing a character train; and

replacing means for replacing two or more sequent spaces recognized by said recognizing means or a carriage return line feed control code and a plurality of spaces subsequent thereto with one space.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said dividing means divides the character train replaced by said replacing means into a plurality of uniform character train blocks.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said extracting means divides each character train block into a plurality of partial character trains, and obtains the partial character train at a same position in each character train block.

26. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said extracting means divides each character train block into a plurality of uniform partial character trains, and obtains the partial character train at a position set for each character train block.

27. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said generating means decreases an image resolution within a range in which a character can be visually recognized as a character on said indicating means, and generates a combined image smaller than the original image.

28. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said extracting means further has application data extracting means for reading application data and extracting the character train included in the application data.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the application data is data which is formed in an application.

30. A reduced image forming method comprising:

a converting step, of converting a plurality of documents recorded by recording means into a plurality of character trains;

a dividing step, of dividing each of the plurality of character trains converted in said converting step into a plurality of character train blocks;

an extracting step, of extracting a partial character train from each of the plurality of character train blocks, by selecting a predetermined number of recognized characters from each block;

a generating step, of combining a plurality of partial character trains extracted in said extracting step, converting the combined partial character trains into an image, and generating a plurality of combined images, which correspond to respective ones of the plurality of documents, smaller than said document; and

an indicating, step of indicating the combined images generated in said generating step.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said converting step includes:

a character train recognizing step, of recognizing a character train; and

a replacing step, of replacing a two or more sequent spaces recognized in said recognizing step or a carriage return line feed control code and a plurality of spaces subsequent thereto with one space.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein said dividing step includes dividing the character train replaced in said replacing step into a plurality of uniform character train blocks.

33. A method according to claim 30, wherein said obtaining step includes dividing each character train block into a plurality of partial character trains, and obtaining the partial character train at a same position in each character train block.

34. A method according to claim 30, wherein said obtaining step includes dividing each character train block into a plurality of uniform partial character trains, and obtaining the partial character train at a position set for each character train block.

35. A method according to claim 30, wherein said generating step includes decreasing an image resolution within a range in which a character can be visually recognized as a character in said indicating step, and generating a combined image smaller than the image.

36. A method according to claim 30, wherein said extracting step further comprises an application data extracting step, of reading application data and extracting the character train included in the application data.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the application data is data which is formed in an application.

38. A storage medium comprising codes for:

a converting step, of converting a plurality of documents recorded by recording means into a plurality of character trains;

a dividing step, of dividing each of the plurality of character trains converted in said converting step into a plurality of character train blocks;

an extracting step, of extracting a partial character train from each of the plurality of character train blocks, by selecting a predetermined number of recognized characters from each block;

a generating step, of combining a plurality of partial character trains extracted in said extracting step, converting the combined partial character trains into an image, and generating a plurality of combined images, which correspond to respective ones of the plurality of documents, smaller than said document; and

an indicating step, of indicating the combined images generated in said generating step.

39. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said converting step includes a character train recognizing step, of recognizing a character train.

40. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said converting step comprises a replacing step, of replacing two or more sequent spaces recognized in said recognizing step or a carriage return line feed control code and a plurality of spaces subsequent thereto with one space.

41. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said dividing step includes dividing the character train replaced in said replacing step into a plurality of uniform character train blocks.

42. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said obtaining step includes dividing each character train block into a plurality of partial character trains, and obtaining the partial character train at a same position in each character train block.

43. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said obtaining step includes dividing each character train block into a plurality of uniform partial character trains, and obtaining the partial character train at a position set for each character train block.

44. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said generating step includes decreasing an image resolution within a range in which a character can be visually recognized as a character in said indicating step, and generating a combined image smaller than the image.

45. A medium according to claim 38, wherein said extracting step further comprises an application data extracting step, of reading application data and extracting the character train included in the application data.

46. A medium according to claim 45, wherein the application data is data which is formed in an application.