Image display apparatus capable of displaying image while retaining confidentiality

• US 8,769,406 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Hideyuki, Hibino, Takeshi, Yamauchi, Kana
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Jr., Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): DYER, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US11/595,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20080037040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,787 Days
• Field of Search: 715203-204, 715/271, 715273-275, 715/768
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00795 Reading arrangements details of scanning heads H04N1/024; scanning arrangements therefor H04N1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00811 according to user specified instructions, e.g. user selection of reading mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00824 for displaying or indicating, e.g. a condition or state details of displaying or indicating means H04N1/00405
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

In setting, by using a format, a non-display region in image data obtained by an image reading unit, a format location information input unit writes in the image data, an image representing information on access to a format storage unit in an external apparatus where a format to be used has been stored. In displaying the image data, a format location information extraction unit extracts the format location information by extracting the image from the image data. A format obtaining unit obtains the format by accessing the format storage unit based on the information. An image modification unit uses the obtained format to modify the image data such that the designated region is displayed in an invisible manner.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit for reading a document and obtaining image data, the image data comprising document image data to be displayed;

a display unit for displaying said document image data;

a setting unit for setting a format designating a type of the document image data, and comprising information defining characteristics of a non-display region, and a condition for the non-display region relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed in an invisible manner;

a storage unit to store the format as data that is separate from the image data;

a detection unit for detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the image data based on contents of the image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

a modification unit for modifying said document image data such that said non-display region of said document image data is displayed in an invisible manner;

a control unit for controlling the display unit to display said document image data modified by said modification unit; and

an addition unit for adding to said image data format location information comprising information designating the storage unit storing said format.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said setting unit selects said format from a plurality of formats stored in said storage unit.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets said format by designating a region in said image data.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said addition unit adds an image representing said format location information to said image data.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said image representing said format location information includes a pattern specific to the type of said document image.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said region includes a first region and a second region, and

said condition includes a first condition for non-display of said first region and a second condition for non-display of said second region.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said setting unit further sets whether change of said format is permitted.

8. An image display method in an image display apparatus including a display unit, comprising the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data, the image data comprising document image data to be displayed;

setting a format comprising information designating a type of the document image data and defining characteristics of a non-display region, and a condition for the non-display region relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed in an invisible manner;

storing the format in a storage unit, wherein the format is not saved as part of the image data;

detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the document image data based on contents of the document image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

modifying said document image data such that said region of said non-display document image data is displayed in an invisible manner;

controlling the display unit to display modified said document image data; and

adding to said document image data format location information comprising information designating a storage unit storing said format.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program causing a computer to carry out control of display of image data in an image display apparatus including a display unit, the program causing the computer to execute the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data, the image data comprising document image data to be displayed;

setting a format comprising information designating a type of the document image data and defining characteristics of a non-display region, and a condition for the non-display region relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed in an invisible manner;

storing the format in a storage unit, wherein the format is not saved as part of the image data;

detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the document image data based on contents of the document image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

modifying said document image data such that said region of said non-display image data is displayed in an invisible manner;

controlling the display unit to display said modified document image data; and

adding to said document image data format location information comprising information designating a storage unit storing said format.

10. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit reading a document and obtaining image data, the image data comprising document image data to be displayed;

a first obtaining unit obtaining format location information from said document image data, said format location information designating a storage unit which stores a format for modifying said document image data;

a second obtaining unit obtaining said format based on said format location information, said format designating a type of the document image data and defining characteristics of a non-display region, and a condition for the non-display region relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed in an invisible manner;

a storage unit to store the format as data that is separate from the image data;

a detection unit detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the document image data based on contents of the document image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

a display unit displaying said document image data;

a modification unit modifying said document image data such that said non-display region of said document image data is displayed in an invisible manner; and

a control unit controlling the display unit to display said document image data modified by said modification unit.

11. The image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said storage unit is provided in an external apparatus, and

said second obtaining unit obtains said format by accessing said external apparatus.

12. The image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

an image representing said format location information which is information designating said storage unit storing said format is added to said document image data,

said image representing said format location information includes a pattern specific to the type of said document image data, and

said first obtaining unit subjects said image data to pattern matching using said pattern, extracts said image representing said format location information, and obtains said format location information.

13. An image display method in an image display apparatus including a display unit, comprising the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data, the image data comprising document image data to be displayed;

obtaining format location information from said document image data, said format location information designating a storage unit which stores a format for modifying said document image data;

obtaining said format based on said format location information, said format designating a type of the document image data and defining characteristics of a non-display region, and a condition for the non-display region relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed in an invisible manner;

storing the format in a storage unit, wherein the format is not saved as part of the image data;

detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the image data based on contents of the document image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

modifying said document image data such that said non-display region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner; and

controlling the display unit to display said document image data modified in said modifying step.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program causing a computer to carry out control of display of image data in an image display apparatus including a display unit, the program causing the computer to execute the steps of:

reading a document and obtaining image data, the image data comprising document image data to be displayed;

obtaining format location information from said document image data, said format location information designating a storage unit which stores a format for modifying said document image data;

obtaining said format based on said format location information, said format designating a type of the document image data and defining characteristics of a non-display region, and a condition for the non-display region relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed in an invisible manner;

storing the format in a storage unit, wherein the format is not saved as part of the image data;

detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the document image data based on contents of the document image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

modifying said document image data such that said non-display region of said document image data is displayed in an invisible manner; and

controlling the display unit to display said document image data modified in said modifying step.

15. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit reading a document and obtaining image data;

a display unit displaying said image data;

a setting unit setting a format comprising information defining characteristics of a non-display region;

a detection unit detecting coordinates of the non-display region from the image data based on contents of the image data and the characteristics defined by said format;

a modification unit modifying said image data such that said non-display region of said image data is displayed in an invisible manner;

a control unit controlling the display unit to display said image data modified by said modification unit; and

an addition unit adding to said image data format location information comprising information designating a storage unit storing said format,

wherein said setting unit further sets a condition for non-display of said region, said condition including a first condition relating to a time elapsed from a first operation to a next second operation in an operation input unit and a second condition relating to a number of times said image data has been displayed with said region in the invisible manner.