Automated scan processing

• US 7,215,434 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Geelen, Johannes Franciscus Maria Elisabeth, Van Buren, Antonius Cornelius Maria, Janse, Jan Jozias, Van Den Tillaart, Robertus Cornelis Willibrordus Theodorus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamb; Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour; Houshang
• Application Number:
  US09/680,427
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.9, 358/1.18, 358/403, 358/408, 358/434, 358/471, 358/474
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00397 Switches, knobs or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00503 Customising to a particular machine or model, machine function or application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image

Abstract

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture and data structure for automating the processing of scan data files generated by a digital scanner are presented, in which an operator selects at the scanner console one of a set of preprogrammed scan job types and starts it. Then, a scan data file is automatically synthesized from the scan data generated in the scanning process and meta data that identify the selected scan job type. The synthesized scan data file is transmitted to a server that recognizes the meta data and processes the file further in accordance with the scan job type identified in the meta data. Scan job types can be created by users and downloaded to the scanner and the server.

Claims

1. A method for automating processing of scan data files generated by a digital image scanner, comprising:

selecting, at the scanner, a specific scan job type from a list of pre-defined scan job types, each scan job type having pre-specified properties;

scanning one or more documents according to properties of said specific scan job type, thereby generating a file of scan data;

automatically synthesizing the scan data file including the scan data generated during the scanning step and meta data relating to the properties of said specific scan job type, said metadata also including data for selecting a certain further processing of the scan data in an image server and data for directing said selected further processing of the scan data in the image server;

transmitting the scan data file to the image server;

automatically analyzing, upon reception of the scan data file in the image server, the scan data file as to the data contained therein; and

automatically further processing the scan data file in the image server in a way specified by said meta data contained therein.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

pre-defining a scan job type, including specifying properties for said scan job type;

transmitting a scan job type definition thus made to the scanner; and

upon reception of a scan job type definition at the scanner, including said scan job type definition in the list of scan job types.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting said scan job type definition to the image server and installing said scan job type therein, for reference when a scan data file is analyzed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said meta data contained in the synthesized scan data file includes an application selector string which specifies said way of further processing of that scan data file.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically synthesizing a file name for the scan data file, said file name including at least part of said meta data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said further processing includes displaying said scan data file on a display screen, storing said scan data file in a specified database, or submitting said scan data file to a printer for printing.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said scanning step, the scan data are generated according to specifications specified by the properties of the selected scan job type.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said properties of a scan job type include the requirement of a job number being given for a scan job, and wherein, before a scan job of said type is started, an operator is asked to enter a job number for that job, and said job number is automatically included in said meta data contained in the scan data file generated.

29. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

before starting a scan job in the scanning step according to a selected scan job type to generate the scan data of the scan data file, asking an operator at a local scanner user interface to enter said data for directing said selected further processing of the scan data; and

including said operator-entered data in the metadata of the scan data file.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan data includes text scan data pertaining to texts included in the one or more scanned documents.

9. A method for use in a networked scanner device, in which documents are scanned thereby generating scan data and in which generated scan data are uploaded to a server via a network, said method comprising:

scanning a document to generate scan data; and

automatically generating a composite scan data file that includes the generated scan data and composite meta data comprising an application selector code which selects a certain further processing of the scan data in said server and comprising additional data for directing said selected further processing of the scan-data in said server, such that upon reception of the scan data file in the server, the scan data file is automatically analyzed as to the data contained therein, and the scan data file is automatically further processed in the server in a way specified by the meta data contained therein.

10. The method according to claim 9, also comprising:

automatically generating a file name for said scan data file, said file name including at least part of said composite meta data.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing generic composite meta data including an application selector code;

completing, by an operator, said generic composite meta data by entering additional identification data;

forming specific composite meta data based on said generic composite meta data and said additional identification data entered by the operator; and

scanning a document thereby generating a scan data file including said specific composite meta data.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing at least two different sequences of generic composite meta data, each relating to a respective scan job type and including a different application selector code;

presenting for selection said respective scan job types to an operator of the scanner device;

selection, by the operator, of one of said scan job types; and

scanning a document thereby generating a scan data file including a specific sequence of composite meta data based on the generic sequence of composite meta data of a scan job type selected by the operator.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving identity information of an operator;

wherein, in the storing step, sets of at least one scan job type for each of a plurality of users are stored, and wherein, upon receiving said identity information of said operator, the set of scan job types of that operator is presented in the presenting step.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

said identity information of an operator is inputted at the scanner device, and only said set of scan job types of that operator is presented.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

said identity information of an operator is inputted at a remote site connected to the scanner, and said set of scan job types of that operator is presented at the scanner device for a predetermined time interval.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

defining, at a remote site, a scan job type having a sequence of generic composite meta data including an application selector code and possibly data fields to be completed by an operator; and

downloading said defined scan job type and the related sequence of generic composite meta data to the scanner device for use in said device.

31. The method according to claim 9, wherein the scan data include text scan data pertaining to texts included in the scanned document.

17. An apparatus for use in a networked scanner device, in which documents are scanned thereby generating scan data and in which generated scan data are uploaded to a server via a network, said apparatus comprising:

a scan data generator to generate scan data for a document; and

a unit to automatically generate a composite scan data file including the generated scan data and meta data including an application selector code and additional directing data, together specifying a further processing of the scan data in said server, such that upon reception of the scan data file in the server, the scan data file is automatically analyzed as to the data contained therein, and the scan data file is automatically further processed in the server in a way specified by the meta data contained therein.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a unit to store generic composite meta data, including an application selector code;

a unit to enter, by the operator, additional identification data to complete said generic composite meta data;

a unit to form a specific composite scan data file based on said generic composite meta data and said additional identification data entered by the operator; and

a unit to scan a document thereby generating a scan data file including said specific composite meta data.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a unit to store at least two different sequences of generic composite meta data, each relating to a respective scan job type and including a different application selector code;

a unit to present for selection said respective scan job types to an operator of the scanner device;

a unit to select, by the operator, of one of said scan job types; and

a unit to scan a document thereby generating a scan data file including specific composite meta data based on the generic composite meta data of the scan job type selected by the operator.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a unit for receiving identity information of an operator, and wherein said unit to store generic composite meta data stores sets of at least one scan job type for each of a plurality of users, and wherein said unit to present scan job types for selection is connected to said unit for receiving identity information of an operator so as to present, upon receiving said identity information of an operator, the set of scan job types of that operator.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said unit for receiving identity information of an operator is operable to input identity information of an operator at the scanner device, and aid unit to present scan job types for selection is operable to present the set of scan job types of that operator only.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said unit for receiving identity information of an operator is connected to a remote site for inputting identity information of an operator, and said unit to present generic composite scan file names for selection is operable to present the set of scan job types of that operator at the scanner device for a predetermined time interval.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a unit to define, at a remote site, a scan job type including a sequence of generic composite meta data including an application selector code and possibly data fields to be completed by an operator; and

a unit to download said defined scan job type including said sequence of generic composite meta data to the scanner device for use in said device.

32. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the scan data include text scan data pertaining to texts included in the scanned document.

24. A data structure embodied on a computer-readable medium associated with a networked scanner device, in which documents are scanned thereby generating a scan file and in which a generated scan file is uploaded to a server via a network, said scan file including said data structure comprising:

a scan data object to specify scan data pertaining to contents of one or more scanned documents of said scan file; and

a meta data object, linked to the scan data object, to identify composite meta data at least including an application selector code which selects a certain further processing of the scan file in said server and additional data for directing said selected further processing of the scan file in said server, such that upon reception of the scan file in the server, the scan file is automatically analyzed as to the data contained therein, and the scan file is automatically further processed in the server in a way specified by the meta data contained therein.

25. The data structure according to claim 24, further comprising:

an extra data object, linked to one of said scan data object and said meta data object, to specify additional identification data of the scan file.

33. The data structure according to claim 24, wherein the scan data include text scan data pertaining to texts included in the one or more scanned documents.

26. A data structure embodied on a computer-readable medium associated with a networked scanner device, in which documents are scanned thereby generating a scan file and in which the generated scan file is uploaded to a server via a network, said scan file including said data structure comprising:

a first section for accommodating scan data specifying contents of one or more scanned documents; and

a second section, linked to said first section, for accommodating composite meta data at least including a predefined application selector code which selects a certain further processing of the scan file in said server and further including operator-completable additional identification data for directing said selected further processing of the scan file in said server, such that upon reception of the scan file in the server, the scan file is automatically analyzed as to the data contained therein, and the scan file is automatically further processed in the server in a way specified by the meta data contained therein.

34. The data structure according to claim 26, wherein the scan data include text scan data pertaining to texts included in the one or more scanned documents.

27. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having embedded thereon a computer program to be processed by a computer that is connected, via a network, to a scanner device for scanning documents thereby generating a scan data file and for uploading the generated scan data file to a server via said network, said computer-readable-medium-embodied program comprising:

a first segment to define generic composite meta data including an application selector code field and an additional data field for directing data, said fields together specifying a further processing of the generated scan data file to be performed in a server device connected to the network; and

a second segment to upload said defined generic composite meta data to the scanner device for use in said device,

wherein upon reception of the scan data file in the server device, the scan data file is automatically analyzed as to the data contained therein, and the scan data file is automatically further processed in the server device in a way specified by the meta data contained therein.

28. The article of manufacture according to claim 27, wherein said first segment is also operable to define said generic composite meta data so as to include at least one data field to be completed to enter said additional directing data by an operator at the scanner device.

35. The article of manufacture according to claim 27, wherein the scan data file includes text scan data pertaining to texts included in the scanned documents.