Apparatus and method for image separation, layout, and templating

• US 8,910,038 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US12/414,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 715/243, 715/246, 715/200
• US Class Current: 715/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• 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 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A document processing apparatus accepts input of image information which represents a document, separates the image information as content of the document into regions, associates the image information separated as content into regions with information used to lay out the content, and holds the associated information as learning information. Subsequently, the document processing apparatus lays out the content of the inputted document based on the held learning information and outputs a document in which the content is laid out.

Claims

1. A document processing apparatus comprising:

an input unit that inputs image information from a plurality of documents;

a separation unit that separates content included in the plurality of documents from the image information;

a holding unit that (i) learns relation of a layout location in which the content has been laid out to the content separated by the separation unit and frequency of the layout location, and (ii) holds the learning as learning information;

an indication unit that indicates one or more items of content in a target document; and

a layout unit that lays out the one or more items of content indicated by the indication unit to a template for the target document, wherein the template is selected based on the held learning information,

wherein the holding unit comprises a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

2. The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs a document in which the one or more items of content is laid out.

3. The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separation unit separates a background of the content by distinguishing the background from the image information serving as content.

4. The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the held information concerns an aspect ratio shape and location of the separated content.

5. The document processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said holding unit learns the information about the aspect ratio shape and location of the separated content as information used to lay out the separated content of the inputted document.

6. The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit comprises a determination unit that determines whether or not a similar image has already been stored, and updates the layout location corresponding to the similar image stored already to hold learning information of the updated layout location for the content included in the plurality of documents from the image information.

7. A document processing method comprising the steps of:

accepting, using an input unit, an input of image information from a plurality of documents;

separating, using a separation unit, content included in the plurality of documents from the image information;

learning, using a learning unit, a relation of a layout location in which the content has been laid out to the content separated in the separating step and frequency of the layout location;

holding, using a holding unit, results of the learning step as learning information;

indicating, an indication unit, one or more items of content in a target document; and

automatically laying out, using a layout unit, the one or more items of content indicated in the indicating step to a template for the target document, wherein the template is selected based on the held learning information.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute a document processing method, the method comprising:

accepting, using an input unit, input of image information from a plurality of documents;

separating, using a separation unit, content included in the plurality of documents from the image information;

learning, using a learning unit, a relation of a layout location in which the content has been laid out to the content separated in the separating step and frequency of the layout location;

holding, using a holding unit, results of the learning step as learning information;

indicating using an indication unit, one or more items of content in a target document; and

automatically laying out, using a layout unit, the one or more items of content indicated in the indicating step to a template for the target document, wherein the template is selected based on the held learning information.

9. A document processing apparatus comprising:

an input unit that inputs image information from a plurality of documents;

a separation unit that separates content included in the plurality of documents from the image information;

a holding unit that (i) learns relation of a layout location in which the content has been laid out to the content separated by the separation unit and frequency of the layout location, and (ii) holds the learning as learning information;

an indication unit that indicates one or more items of content; and

a layout unit that lays out the one or more items of content indicated by the indication unit to a document based on the held learning information,

wherein the holding unit comprises a computer-readable storage medium.

10. A document processing method comprising:

an input step of inputting, using an input unit, image information from a plurality of documents;

a separation step of separating, using a separation unit, content included in the plurality of documents from the image information;

a holding step of (i) learning, using a learning unit, a relation of a layout location in which the content has been laid out to the content separated in the separation step and frequency of the layout location, and (ii) holding, using a holding unit, the learning as learning information;

an indication step of indicating, using an indication unit, one or more items of content; and

a layout step of automatically laying out, using a layout unit, the one or more items of content indicated by the indication unit to a document based on the held learning information.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

an input step of inputting image, using an input unit, information from a plurality of documents;

a separation step of separating, using a separation unit, content included in the plurality of documents from the image information;

a holding step of (i) learning, using a learning unit, a relation of a layout location in which the content has been laid out to the content separated in the separation step and frequency of the layout location, and (ii) holding, using a holding unit, the learning as learning information;

an indication step of indicating, using an indication unit, one or more items of content; and

a layout step of automatically laying out, using a layout unit, the one or more items of content indicated by the indication unit to a document based on the held learning information.