Memo image managing apparatus, memo image managing system and memo image managing method

• US 20040019585A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Naoi, Satoshi, Fujimoto, Katsuhito, Ohara, Atsuko
• Granted Patent: US 7,286,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a memo image managing apparatus, system and method which are adapted to manage and retrieve a large amount of memo images. The memo image managing apparatus that is connectable to a portable terminal capable of performing a memo image exchange and a memo image display comprises: a managing server adapted to manage memo images and a character information recognizing server adapted to recognize character information of the memo image. The managing server is comprised of a memo image accumulating section adapted to accumulate memo images and a memo image retrieving section adapted to retrieve a predetermined memo image from the accumulated memo images in response to a request. The character information recognizing server is comprised of a character information recognizing section adapted to recognize character information from the memo image.

Claims

1. A memo image managing apparatus connectable to an information appliance capable of manipulating a memo image, comprising:

a memo image accumulating section adapted to accumulate memo images;

a memo image retrieving section adapted to retrieve a predetermined memo image from said accumulated memo images in response to a request from said information appliance or the other information appliance than said information appliance;

a character information recognizing section adapted to recognize and extract character information from said memo image; and

a memo image distributing section adapted to distribute to said information appliance said memo image retrieved by said memo image retrieving section or said character information extracted by said character information recognizing section.

2. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said memo image accumulating section is adapted to classify and accumulate said memo images every user of said portable terminal.

3. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said memo image accumulating section is adapted to classify and accumulate said memo images based on said character information extracted by said character information recognizing section.

4. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a character information storing section adapted to store therein said character information extracted by said character information recognizing section in corresponding manner to said memo image.

5. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an internet retrieval function section adapted to access a home page on the Internet based on character information in a predetermined memo image and extract information on said home page as a memo image, wherein said memo image accumulating section is adapted to accumulate said information on said home page as a memo image.

6. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a portion adapted to extract graphic information, table information or photograph information from said memo image.

7. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a portion adapted to binarize a designated memo image or convert said designated memo image into a thumbnail file for producing its compressed image.

8. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said character information recognizing section is equipped with a function to create a character recognition candidate lattice based on the recognition result of said character information in said memo images.

9. A memo image managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a managing server which is comprised of said memo image accumulating section, said memo image retrieving section and said memo image distributing section;

and a memo image recognizing server which is comprised of said character information recognizing section and which is connectable to said managing server via a communication line.

10. A memo image managing system, comprising:

(a) an information appliance including a portable terminal; and

(b) a server connectable to said information appliance via a communication line and capable of exchanging, accumulating and retrieving a memo image from said information appliance, said server being comprised of;

(i) a memo image accumulating section adapted to accumulating memo images;

(ii) a memo image retrieving section adapted to retrieve a predetermined memo image from said accumulated memo images in response to a request from said information appliance or the other information appliance than said information appliance;

(iii) a character information recognizing section adapted to recognize and extract character information from said memo image; and

(iv) a memo image distributing section adapted to distribute to said information appliance said memo image retrieved by said memo image retrieving section or said character information extracted by said character information recognizing section.

11. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said server is comprised of a managing server including said memo image accumulating section, said memo image retrieving section and said memo image distributing section;

and a memo image recognizing server connectable to said managing server via a communication line and including said character information recognizing section.

12. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information appliance includes an optical image pickup portion capable of acquiring an image as a memo image containing text information.

13. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information appliance acquires said character information recognized by said memo image recognizing section and includes a character correcting or varying portion adapted to correct or vary said acquired character information, and wherein said information appliance is adapted to distribute said corrected or varied character information to said server so that said server can accumulate said corrected or varied character information as corrected or varied character information.

14. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said server is adapted to retrieve a memo image from a set of accumulated memo images by using said corrected or varied character information as a keyword and transmit the retrieval result as character information or a set of memo images to said portable terminal.

15. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information appliance is adapted to perform a predetermined call origination, a URL connection or a memory registration by using said character information as a parameter extracted from said memo image acquired from said server.

16. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information appliance is equipped with a function to transmit said memo image together with category information of said memo image.

17. A memo image managing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information appliance is adapted to transmit to said server said memo image together with a key item in associated with said memo image.

18. A memo image managing method of managing memo images by using an information appliance capable of manipulating said memo images and a managing server connectable to said information appliance via a communication line and capable of performing an exchange, accumulation and retrieval with respect to said memo images transmitted from said information appliance, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting said memo image from said information appliance to said managing server;

(b) accumulating said transmitted memo image;

(c) retrieving a predetermined image from said accumulated memo images in response to a request from said information appliance or the other information appliance than said information appliance;

(d) recognizing and extracting character information from said memo image, as desired, before or after the step (b) or the step (c); and

(e) distributing to said information appliance said retrieved memo image or said recognized and extracted character information.

19. A memo image managing method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, during transmission of said memo image to said managing server, additional retrieval information also is transmitted thereto.

20. A memo image managing method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said additional information is at least one selected from the group consisting of position information, an opening condition of said memo image, a category of said memo image and transmission date and hour of said memo image.