Image processing method, image processing program, and storage medium with a prescribed data format to delete information not desired

• US 7,813,550 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Komada, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bali; Vikkram
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEH, EUENG NAN
• Application Number:
  US11/466,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 382/103, 382/177
• US Class Current: 382/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

The object of this invention is to reduce the effort of deleting and information symbol from a read image. To accomplish this, an image of a document with an information symbol is read (S100), and the information symbol is identified in the read image (S130). The identified information symbol is decoded (S150), and it is determined on the basis of the decoding result whether the data format of the information symbol is a desired one (S160). On the basis of the determination, if the data format is the desired one, the information symbol is deleted from the read image (S170).

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image reading unit which reads an image of a document, the image including an information symbol;

an identification unit which identifies the information symbol in the read image;

a decoding unit which decodes the information symbol identified by the identification unit;

a determination unit which determines, based on decoding result from the decoding unit, whether or not a data format of the information symbol is a prescribed data format;

a registration unit which registers information, for each of a plurality of addresses, indicating whether or not the information symbol should be deleted from the read image, in a case where the determination unit determines that the data format of the information symbol is the prescribed data format;

a selection unit which selects one of the plurality of addresses as a transmission destination of the read image;

a deletion unit which deletes the information symbol from the read image in a case where the information registered for the address selected by the selection unit indicates that the information symbol should be deleted from the read image;

a transmission unit which transmits the read image data, from which the information symbol is deleted, to the address selected by the selection unit in a case where the information registered for the address selected by the selection unit indicates that the information symbol should be deleted from the read image, and which transmits the read image data, from which the information symbol is not deleted, to the address selected by the selection unit in a case where the information registered for the address selected by the selection unit indicates that the information symbol should not be deleted from the read image; and

a processor configured to function as at least one of the identification unit, the determination unit, the selection unit and the deletion unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit faxes the read image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits an e-mail to which the read image is attached.

4. An image processing method including:

an image reading step of reading an image of a document, the image including an information symbol;

an identification step of identifying the information symbol in the read image;

a decoding step of decoding the information symbol identified in the identification step;

a determination step of determining, based on a result of the decoding in the decoding step, whether or not a data format of the information symbol is a prescribed data format;

a registration step of registering information, for each of a plurality of addresses, indicating whether or not the information symbol should be deleted from the read image, in a case where the data format of the information symbol is the prescribed data format based on the determination made in the determination step;

a selection step of selecting one of the plurality of addresses as a transmission destination of the read image;

a deletion step of deleting the information symbol from the read image in a case where the information registered for the address selected in the selection step indicates that the information symbol should be deleted from the read image; and

a transmission step of transmitting the read image data, from which the information symbol is deleted, to the address selected in the selection step in a case where the information registered for the address selected in the selection step indicates that the information symbol should be deleted from the read image, and of transmitting the read image data, from which the information symbol is not deleted, to the address selected in the selection step in a case where the information registered for the address selected in the selection step indicates that the information symbol should not be deleted from the read image.

5. A non-transitory storage medium computer-readably storing an image processing program for causing a computer to execute:

an image reading step of reading an image of a document, the image including an information symbol;

an identification step of identifying the information symbol in the read image;

a decoding step of decoding the information symbol identified in the identification step;

a determination step of determining, based on a result of the decoding in the decoding step whether or not a data format of the information symbol is a prescribed data format;

a registration step of registering information, for each of a plurality of addresses, indicating whether or not the information symbol should be deleted from the read image, in a case where the data format of the information symbol is the prescribed data format based on the determination made in the determination step;

a selection step of selecting one of the plurality of addresses as a transmission destination of the read image;

a deletion step of deleting the information symbol from the read image in a case where the information registered for the address selected in the selection step indicates that the information symbol should be deleted from the read image; and

a transmission step of transmitting the read image data, from which the information symbol is deleted, to the address selected in the selection step in a case where the information registered for the address selected in the selection step indicates that the information symbol should be deleted from the read image, and of transmitting the read image data, from which the information symbol is not deleted, to the address selected in the selection step in a case where the information registered for the address selected in the selection step indicates that the information symbol should not be deleted from the read image.