JP2000059553A - Image input device and its controlling method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To confirm a read image in an appropriate way before transmitting it to a desired destination by controlling a transmitting means to display image data from a reading means and then to transmit the image data to a designated destination according to a preview method registered by a registering means. SOLUTION: A digital composite machine 101 can output an image read from a scanner 1-3 to a printer 1-4 according to an instruction from an operation panel 1-5 and also can print the image read from the scanner 1-3 by means of a printer function belonging to another digital composite device by sending it to the digital composite device connected by a LAN. Or, it can show the image read from the scanner 1-3 on the display of an operation panel belonging to another composite device by sending it to the digital composite device connected by the LAN according to the instruction from the operation panel 1-5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image input apparatus such as a scanner for reading an image on a document and a control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, it has been proposed to connect a scanner for reading an image on a document to a local area network (LAN) to which a plurality of terminals are connected, and to transmit image data obtained from the scanner to a remote terminal. I have. As described above, in a scanner connected to a network, a destination terminal is often distant, so that it is necessary to specify a destination on the scanner side.

[0003]

In such a system, usually, many scanners do not have a display enough to confirm an image obtained by reading an original, so that an overview of the entire image can be obtained. In some cases, an image in an unintended form may be sent, or an image with a missing portion may be sent.

[0004] The user notices that the transmitted image is defective after outputting the image data received by the user of the designated destination as a visible image. Therefore, it was necessary to repeat the reading operation of the original.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an image input apparatus capable of confirming a read image by an appropriate method before transmitting the image to a desired destination, and a control method therefor. Is to do.

To achieve the above object, the present invention has the following arrangement. That is, reading means for reading an image on a document, generating image data based on the image, connecting means for connecting to a network connectable to a plurality of terminals, and image data from the reading means, A registration unit for registering a transmission unit for transmitting the image data from the reading unit to the specified destination via the connection unit, and a preview method for displaying the image data from the reading unit before transmitting the image data to the specified destination by the transmission unit; And control means for controlling the transmission means to transmit the image data to the designated destination after displaying the image data from the reading means in accordance with the preview method registered by the registration means. .

Preferably, the preview method registered by the registration means includes displaying an image based on the image data on a display connected via the connection means.

Preferably, in the preview method registered by the registering means, the image data is transmitted by storing an address of the display,
Displaying an image based on the image data on the display.

Preferably, in the preview method registered by the registration means, the image data is attached to an electronic mail by storing a mail address of the display, and the image data is transmitted to the display. And displaying an image based on the image.

Preferably, the preview method registered by the registration means stores information for displaying an image based on the image data on a terminal connected by the connection means, by storing the image data. And causes the terminal to display it on a web browser.

Preferably, the information registered by the registration unit includes a URL indicating a location where the image data is stored.

Preferably, the transmitting means transmits the image data to a destination designated by an operator.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication network system to which a digital multifunction peripheral as an image input device according to the present invention is connected. In the figure, a network client 1-1 is a LAN client.
It is constituted by a personal computer having an interface, and can use resources on the network under the control of the network server 1-2 as a client terminal in the network system. The network server 1-2 is configured by a personal computer or the like, and manages the entire network system.

The digital multifunction peripheral 101 is connected to a LAN together with a network server 1-2 and a client 1-1, and scans and reads an image.
3. Printer 1-4 for printing an image, A4 original 1
An operation panel 1-5, which is a combination of an LCD panel and a touch panel having a resolution and size enough to display a reduced page, and an accessory 1-6 such as a finisher are provided. The digital MFP 102 has the same configuration as the digital MFP 101.

The groupware server 1-7 is a groupware server that manages various applications that share information via a network. Mail server 1
Reference numeral -8 designates a workstation or the like which manages the exchange of e-mail between terminals such as personal computers connected to the LAN, and a terminal connected to the terminal on the LAN via a telephone line (Internet). Control the exchange of emails during The terminal 1-9 is a browser for browsing data on a server connected with a personal computer, a PDA (Personal Data Assistant), or a dedicated terminal via a telephone line or the like.

Each of the above terminals is equipped with a LAN interface, and constitutes an environment in which the terminals can communicate with each other.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the digital multifunction peripheral 101. The CPU 41 executes a program stored in the main memory 42 to scan an original by the scanner 1-3, print out an image by the printer 1-4, and also output image information and the like to the LAN via the LAN interface 44. The transmission is controlled, and the entire MFP 101 is controlled. The secondary memory 43 is a device such as a hard disk or a flexible disk for storing data files and program files. Accessories such as the finisher 1-6 are attached to the accessory interface 45. As described above, the operation panel 1-5 is configured by combining an LCD panel for displaying an image and a touch panel for inputting an operation, and performs push scan (for operation on the LAN by operation from the scanner 1-3). A start instruction for performing a scan operation) and designation of an output destination can be performed.

FIG. 2 shows an LCD on the operation panel 1-5.
It is an example of a display screen of a panel. FIG. 2 shows an example where the image to be displayed exceeds the panel size. In such a case, the vertical scroll bar 2-1 is displayed. For example, when the operator presses an upward arrow or a downward arrow of the vertical scroll bar 2-1, the touch panel overlapped there is pressed. With this operation, the digital multifunction peripheral 101 vertically scrolls the screen in the direction of the pressed arrow. The horizontal scroll bar 2-2 is displayed for scrolling the screen in the horizontal direction in the same manner. The means for instructing scrolling may be a button provided on the operation panel 1-5 in addition to a touch panel integrated with the display. When the displayed image fits within the screen, no scroll bar or arrow is displayed.

In the digital multifunction peripheral 101, an image read from the scanner 1-3 can be output to the printer 1-4 according to an instruction from the operation panel 1-5. Also,
The scanner 1-3 is operated according to an instruction from the operation panel 1-5.
The image read from the MFP can be sent to another digital MFP connected to the LAN, and can be printed by the printer function of the MFP. Alternatively, the scanner 1 can be operated by an instruction from the operation panel 1-5.
-3 can be sent to another digital multifunction peripheral connected via LAN, and displayed on the display of the operation panel of the digital multifunction peripheral. Alternatively, after an image read from the scanner 1-3 is converted into a file in accordance with an instruction from the operation panel 1-5, the personal computer connected to the LAN as an attached file of the electronic mail by an electronic mail function of the digital multi-function peripheral. The image is sent to the computer, and the attached image can be displayed and confirmed by the user interface of the mail application of the personal computer.

<Operation Procedure at Push Scan> In order to perform such an operation, when a push scan instruction is given from the operation panel 1-5, the digital multifunction peripheral 10
1 operates according to the procedure shown in FIG. This procedure is realized by executing a program in the main memory 42 by the CPU 41. When a push scan instruction is given, an instruction is also given as to whether to display the scanned image on the operation panel before sending it to the designated destination or to print from the printer.

When a push scan is instructed, first,
In step S31, an image is read from the scanner 1-3.

In step S32, it is determined whether to display or print the image based on an instruction given in advance. When the display on the operation panel is instructed, the process proceeds to step S33, and the size of the image is measured. In step 34, when the scanned image is displayed on the LCD panel used for the current operation panel 1-5 based on the result of step 33, it is determined whether the image fits on the display screen and the entire image can be displayed. If the image fits on the display screen, the image is displayed on the LCD panel in step S36. If the image does not fit on the display screen, the process proceeds to step S35 to change the image display method to an image display with a scroll bar and display the image on the LCD panel.

If it is determined in step S32 that the output is a print output, the process proceeds to step S37, where an image is printed by the printer 1-4.

FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure when the scanned image is displayed on the operation panel in step S35 or S36 in FIG. 3 and a scanned image is output in accordance with the designation from the operation panel 1-5. is there. The procedure in FIG. 4 is started when the operator instructs where and how to output an image using the operation panel 1-5. This instruction is performed by, for example, displaying a plurality of output methods that can be selected from a menu or the like, and allowing the operator to select one of them.

In order to process the scanned image at another device, the network address of a nearby digital multifunction device (for example, 102) is previously input to the digital multifunction device 101 by operating the operation panel 1-5. It is entered and registered in the secondary memory 43.

Also, in order to display the information on a nearby PC, a mail address accessible from the PC is similarly input in advance by operating the operation panel 1-5 and registered in the secondary memory 43. deep.

If a nearby PC is connected to the LAN but cannot access the mail server 1-8, but has a web browser, the network address and image display of the network server 1-2 are displayed. URL is registered.

When registering such information, a symbol or the like is set according to the distance or direction from the digital multifunction peripheral 101 so that the operator can easily determine the installation location of each device. And

Hereinafter, the flow of processing for displaying (previewing) a scan image for confirmation will be described with reference to FIG.

First, it is determined in step S40 whether or not an instruction has been given to output an image for confirmation. If not, the procedure of FIG. 3 is repeated to perform rescanning.

On the other hand, when outputting, the output method selected in step 41 is determined.

If the user instructs printing on his own device, the scanned image is printed by the printer 42 in step 42.

When printing by another digital multifunction peripheral (for example, 102) registered in advance is selected, information indicating the installation position is displayed on the operation panel 1-5. -3, converts the image read from the file into a file, adds a predetermined print instruction to the image, and transmits the file to another digital MFP 102 connected via the LAN. The other digital multifunction peripherals that have received the image file and the print instruction print the image by the printer in step 44 in the same manner as in the above-described printing.

Here, the digital multifunction peripheral 102 always runs a program for monitoring its own LAN port in the background. This program performs the following operation by a port interrupt.

If it is determined that the port interruption due to the reception of data from the LAN is a print request from another machine, an image based on the image on the original document scanned by the scanner 1-3 following the request is sent. After receiving the data and performing image processing such as decompression processing if necessary, printing is performed.

When the display by another digital multifunction peripheral (for example, 102) registered in advance on the LAN is selected, information indicating the installation position is displayed on the operation panel 1-.
5, and in step S45, the image read from the scanner 1-3 is converted into a file, a predetermined display instruction is added thereto, and the file is transmitted to another digital MFP 102 connected to the LAN. The other digital multifunction peripherals that have received the image file and the display instruction execute step S46 in the same manner as at the time of printing.
To display an image on the LCD display of the operation panel.

Next, when the display using a personal computer (PC) on the LAN registered in advance is selected, the installation position of the PC is displayed on the operation panel 1-5.

Then, in step S47, it is determined whether or not the PC for displaying the image can access the mail server 1-8 and has a function of receiving an electronic mail.

If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S48,
The image data based on the image on the document scanned by the scanner 1-3 is converted into a file of a predetermined format (for example, JPEG), and an e-mail attached with the file is transmitted to a pre-registered mail address.

The PC that has received this e-mail
At 49, the image file attached to the mail is displayed on the display of the PC as a visible image.

If a negative judgment is made in step S47, it means that the pre-registered PC has a web browser, and the image display U is displayed on the operation panel 1-5.
RL is displayed, and the process proceeds to step S50.

In step S50, the image data based on the image on the document scanned by the scanner 1-3 is converted into a file of a predetermined format (for example, JPEG), and the file is edited into an HTML file (HTML file with image). It is registered in a predetermined area of the network server 1-2.

In step S51, the UR previously displayed on the digital multi-function peripheral by the PC registered to be used for displaying the image using the web browser is displayed.
L to connect to the network server 1-2, browse the HTML file on the display, and visually display the image.

The editing of the HTML file may be performed by the network server 1-2.

The URL may be displayed by transmitting the URL information from the network server 1-2 to the digital multi-function peripheral 101 after forming the HTML file on the network server 1-2.

When the operator determines that the image printed or displayed in this way has disorder or omission, the image is read again by the scanner 1-3 and read.
What is necessary is just to output like the above-mentioned procedure.

After the operator confirms the image output in this way, the original output destination is designated (or designated in advance), and the image is sent there.

At this time, the instruction to permit transmission to the original output destination may be issued from the device that has output for confirmation or from the digital multifunction peripheral that has scanned the image.

As described above, when performing a so-called push scan in which image data read from a scanner of a digital multi-function peripheral is transmitted to other devices connected via a network, the digital multi-function peripheral that has once scanned or an operator can perform the operation. The scanned image can be confirmed before transmission by displaying it on the designated terminal and then transmitting it to the original destination database or terminal. That is, the image data that has been scanned once is output by an output device that is specified in advance and is close to the operator for the first time to be checked by the operator, and then output to the original output destination for the second time. This can prevent erroneous data from being output due to a missing image or the like.

[0050]

[Other Embodiments] Even if the present invention is applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus (for example, a copying machine) Machine, facsimile machine, etc.).

Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (or CPU) of the system or the apparatus.
Or MPU) reads and executes the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) Performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instructions of the program code, The case where the CPU of the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by the processing.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The read image can be confirmed by an appropriate method before being transmitted to the original destination, and the image in a desired form can be easily transmitted to the desired destination.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a network system to which a digital multifunction peripheral is connected.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a display example of an LCD display.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control procedure at the time of prescan.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a control procedure at the time of prescan.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the digital multifunction peripheral.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101, 102 Digital MFP 1-3 Scanner 1-4 Printer 1-5 Operation panel 1-6 Accessories

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Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An image reading device for reading an image on a document, generating image data based on the image, a connecting device for connecting to a network connectable to a plurality of terminals, and an image from the reading device. Transmitting means for transmitting data to a designated destination via the connection means; and a preview method for displaying image data from the reading means before transmitting the image data to the designated destination by the transmitting means. Registration means for registering, and control means for controlling the transmission means to transmit the image data to the designated destination after displaying the image data from the reading means in accordance with the preview method registered by the registration means. An image input device comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preview method registered by the registration unit includes displaying an image based on the image data on a display connected via the connection unit. Image input device. 3. The preview method registered by the registration means includes transmitting the image data by storing an address of the display, and displaying an image based on the image data on the display. The image input device according to claim 2, wherein: 4. A preview method registered by the registering means, wherein the image data is attached to an electronic mail by storing a mail address of the display, and an image based on the image data is transmitted to the display. 3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising displaying
An image input device according to claim 1. 5. The preview method registered by the registration unit transmits the image data by storing information for displaying an image based on the image data on a terminal connected by the connection unit. The image input device according to claim 2, wherein the terminal displays the image on a web browser. 6. The information registered by the registration means,
The image input apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a URL indicating a location where the image data is stored. 7. The image input device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data to a destination designated by an operator. 8. A method for controlling an image input device, comprising: a reading step of reading an image on a document and generating image data based on the image; A transmitting step of transmitting from a plurality of terminals connected to the apparatus to a designated destination; and displaying the image data generated by the reading step before transmitting to the designated destination by the transmitting step. A registration step of registering a preview method, and after displaying the image data generated by the reading step according to the preview method registered by the registration step, the image data is transmitted to the designated destination by the transmission step A control step of controlling the image data so as to perform the image input. 9. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program for controlling an image input device, comprising: a reading step of reading an image on a document and generating image data based on the image; Transmitting means for transmitting the image data generated by the above to a specified destination from among a plurality of terminals connected to the image input device; and transmitting the image data generated by the reading step to the designated destination by the transmitting step. Registering a preview method for displaying before transmitting to the destination, and displaying the image data generated in the reading step according to the preview method registered in the registering step. Controlling the image data to be transmitted to the designated destination in the transmitting step. And the storage medium.