JP2002330249A - Client device and image reading system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reading system, with which efficiency in the operation of a user such as setting an original or setting reading conditions is improved and the convenience of the system is improved. SOLUTION: When a stationed program 40 of a client PC 200 is started, image data to be sent from a reading device are waited in an ordinary connection mode and received data can be filed and stored in a storage 50. By providing such a function, the user sets the original to the reading device and reading is started while designating the destination client of the read data on the reading device side. At such a time, the reading device reads the original with basic optical resolution on the maximum multi-level conditions and efficiency in operation is improved by dispensing with operation such as resetting on the reading device side. Afterwards, a picture quality alteration (resolution, gradation conversion or the like) is applied to the read data received by the dialog of a client side TWAIN driver 60 and the data are delivered to an image application 70.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a client device using an image reading device (network scanner) connected to a network such as a LAN, and an image reading system including the image reading device (network scanner) and the client device. More specifically, the present invention relates to the client apparatus and the image reading system provided with means for efficiently performing operations such as setting of a document and setting of reading conditions by a user, thereby improving the convenience of the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image reading apparatus (scanner) connected to a network such as a LAN is called a network scanner, and an image reading function of the scanner is provided to a plurality of client devices (in many cases, a personal computer (PC) functions as a client device). 2. Description of the Related Art An image reading system used according to (1) is conventionally known. In the image reading system, the user needs to operate both the network scanner and the client PC which are installed at remote locations. That is, the operation on the network scanner is a setting operation such as setting of a document to be read, and the operation on the client PC is a setting operation of a reading condition using a TWAIN (API and protocol for an image input device) driver for operating a scanner to be used. This is a setting operation.

FIG. 7 shows a setting operation procedure by a user when using a network scanner in a conventional system.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. At the beginning of the setting operation, the client PC prepares P to receive the image data sent from the scanner.
The image application in the program installed in C is started (S71), and the scanner to be used is specified, and the TWAIN driver is started (S72). Activated T
Set various reading conditions with the WAIN driver (S7
3). Thereafter, the user who has performed the PC setting operation moves to the installation location of the scanner, and sets the original at a predetermined position on the original platen of the scanner (S74). After that, in order to execute the reading operation, return to the place where the PC is located, and click the start button of the TWAIN driver on the display screen for operating the PC (S75). When the reading operation is performed and the read image data is sent from the scanner to the PC side, the user checks whether an expected image is obtained. As a result, if the image data is NG instead of the expected image data (S76-YES), the reading conditions are set by the TWAIN driver, the original is set on the scanner, and the TWAIN
Steps (S73-75) such as clicking the start button of the AIN driver are performed, and if the read image data is as expected (S76-NO), the flow ends.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional system, the read image data is confirmed by the PC, and in the case of NG, the setting of the original document or the like in the remote network scanner is reset. Therefore, in the case of a document in which it is necessary to move the user and it is difficult to set the reading conditions, the setting of the reading is determined by trial and error.
And back and forth between the network scanner. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the related art in an image reading system including an image reading device functioning as a network scanner and a client device, and has an object to set a document by a user and read conditions. It is an object of the present invention to provide a client device and an image reading system which are capable of efficiently performing an operation such as setting of an image and having means for improving the convenience of the system.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a client apparatus capable of receiving read image data transmitted from an image reading apparatus via a network, wherein the client apparatus receives the read image data from the image reading apparatus. Image data receiving means capable of waiting for image data in the always-on mode, means for storing received image data, operating means for inputting a command, and the image data according to the command input through the operating means Retrieve image data from storage means,
A client device comprising image data processing means for performing processing according to a setting condition indicated by a command on the extracted image data.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the client device according to the first aspect, a display function for previewing an image based on data processed by the image data processing unit is added to the operation unit. It is characterized by having done.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the client device according to the first or second aspect, a plurality of command inputs indicating different setting conditions can be input to the operating means by a series of operations. It is characterized by adding a function to perform

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus comprising means for reading image data from an object, means for transmitting the read image data to a network, and a client apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects. And an image reading system connected via a network.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading system according to the fourth aspect, a command for starting a reading operation is input to the image reading device by designating a client device as a destination of the read image data. Operating means for the user.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading system according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the image reading device transmits image data read under conditions of an optical basic resolution and a maximum multi-value to a client device. It is characterized by doing so.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A client device according to the present invention and an image reading system including the client device and an image reading device will be described based on the following embodiments. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a hardware configuration of an image reading device functioning as a network scanner according to the present invention. As shown in the hardware configuration of FIG. 1, the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 1 that controls the entire apparatus including the components of the image reading apparatus, and a program for causing the control unit 1 to execute a control operation. 2, a memory 2 storing various data necessary for control, a state detecting unit 3 for detecting an operation state and an operation state of the apparatus, and a document reading operation (for example, operation of a scan motor and a document illumination lamp). An operation control unit 4 for controlling device operation; an image input unit 5 for scanning a document image and converting it into an electric signal; an image processing unit 6 for performing digital processing of read image information; and an image for performing compression processing of image data An external unit for communicating via a communication medium with an external client PC (personal computer) 200 which receives setting data of the reading condition and transmits the reading data. / F8 (here, LA
N, etc.), and an operation unit 9 for inputting necessary for the operation of the device by a user's operation and transmitting information from the device to the operator. Connecting. The configuration of the client PC 200, which is connected to the image reading apparatus having the above-described hardware configuration via a network and constitutes the image reading system, is characterized by a software configuration described later. The configuration is usually composed of CPU, memory, input / output devices (operation unit,
(A display unit or the like) as components.

Next, an embodiment of the software configuration of the image reading apparatus and the client PC constituting the image reading system having the above-described hardware configuration will be described. FIG. 2 shows a software configuration mounted on the image reading apparatus of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the program configuration of the image reading apparatus 100 includes a hardware control unit 11 for directly controlling hardware, a scanner operation control unit 12 for controlling a reading operation and managing a reading job, and a reading operation. Image transfer application 13 for controlling the transfer of the transferred image data, a network interface 14 for controlling the transfer of the packet data to be transmitted to the network, and a communication control unit 15 for controlling the transfer of the transfer data to the network interface 14. A user interface 16 for controlling a display and a SW operation on an operation panel where a user performs an input operation, and a system control unit 17 for controlling the entire program unit.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the software configuration mounted on the client PC. As shown in FIG. 3, the program configuration of the client PC 200 includes a driver function unit (TWAIN driver) 60 and a TWAIN-compatible image application 70 operating on the OS. The driver function unit (TWAIN driver) 60 includes an application interface unit 21 for performing negotiation with the image application 70 and a user interface 2 for displaying a dialog and enabling keys and screen operations.
2. Image quality changing processing (resolution conversion, resolution conversion, etc.) from the raw data
Image processing application 23 for performing gradation conversion, binarization threshold conversion, various types of filter processing, and rotation processing), and reading an image file for reading a data file from the local storage 50 that stores the transmitted read image data file. Part 24. In addition, the client PC 200 can always be connected to the image reading device 100 via the network 300 separately from the driver function unit 60, and the image reading device 10
It has a resident program 40 for receiving the image data sent from 0. The resident program 40 includes a network control unit 25 for negotiating with the network API 30 of the OS, an image data reception control management unit 26 for controlling reception of image data transferred from the image reading device 100, A file storage unit 27 for converting the image data into a file format, a document information writing unit 28 for managing and storing information on the received image data (document), and a thumbnail creation unit 29 for converting the received image data into a thumbnail. .

The image reading system according to the present embodiment includes means for enabling a user to efficiently perform operations such as setting of a document and setting of reading conditions, and for improving the convenience of the system. Are included in the client PC 200 and the image reading apparatus 100. That is, in the client PC 200,
A resident program 40 is provided for enabling continuous connection to the image reading apparatus 100 via the network, receiving the sent image data, and storing the received image data as a file. At this time, the resident program 40 sends the complete image data of the read document from the image reading apparatus 100 (that is, the image reading apparatus 100 does not need to perform the resetting operation as in the related art. In this case, image data without error is transmitted by one scan), and the transmitted image data is awaited. Further, the image reading apparatus 100 includes the client PC 200
In order to cope with the above, the reading is performed according to a setting that does not require resetting, that is, a setting that can generate image data without errors in one scan, and the destination of the destination is determined from the image reading apparatus 100 side according to an input operation by the user. A function to start reading by designating the client PC 200 is provided.

Next, a setting operation procedure by a user when using the image reading apparatus 100 in the image reading system of the present embodiment having the above functions on the image reading apparatus 100 and the client PC 200 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. At the beginning of the setting operation, the resident program 40 is selected on the client PC 200 side from various programs mounted on the client PC, and is activated (S41). When the resident program 40 is started, the client PC is set to the always-on mode with respect to the image reading apparatus 100, waits for image data sent from the image reading apparatus 100, and receives the image data. To perform an operation of accumulating a file. Next, the user reads the image reading device 100
Moves to the installation location, executes an operation mode of inputting a command from the operation unit of the user interface to the activated image reading apparatus 100, reads the prepared document, and transmits the read image data to the client PC 200. To do so. At this time, at the same time as setting the prepared document on the document table of the apparatus, an operation of setting the destination client PC 200 of the read image data and pressing the read start button is performed (S42). When executing this operation, the image reading apparatus 100 reads the document under the conditions of the optical basic resolution and the maximum multi-value, that is, the setting condition that does not require resetting, and transfers the read image data to the destination client PC 200. .

The client PC 200 that receives the image data transferred from the image reading apparatus 100 can receive the transferred image data by the resident program 40 that has been started. Resident program 4
No. 0 converts the received image data into a file, writes document information in order to manage the created file, creates a thumbnail for search, and stores it in a local storage device (for example, a hard disk) 50. At this time, the file storage is performed by using the driver
It is performed in a format in which 0 can be extracted. When the user returns to the client PC 200, the image application 7
After activating T.0 (S43), the user selects the TWAIN driver (driver function unit 60) on the menu screen, sets various reading conditions on the setting screen of the opened driver dialog, and clicks the scan button (S44). Then, the TWAIN driver performs image quality change processing (resolution conversion, gradation conversion, binarization threshold conversion, various filter processing, rotation processing) on the image data according to the set reading conditions, and converts the processed data to the image application. Pass to 70. In the application 70, TWAIN
By actually displaying the image data read according to the setting conditions of the driver on a screen or the like, it is possible to confirm whether the image expected by the user has been obtained (S4).
5) If the confirmed result is NG (S45-YES),
Return to step S44 so that the setting conditions of the TWAIN driver can be changed.
N It is possible to repeat the setting operation of the driver. The image is confirmed, and when the expected image is obtained (S45-NO), the operation procedure of this flow ends.

In the operation procedure shown in FIG. 4, the data processed by the TWAIN driver is stored in the image application 70.
After the image data is passed to the image application 70, the image data is checked before the image data is passed to the image application 70, so that the image data managed by the image application 70 is prevented from increasing unnecessarily. For this purpose, a function for displaying a preview image according to the setting specified by the user on the setting screen of the dialog of the TWAIN driver is required, and this function is added to the TWAIN driver (driver function unit 60).
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a setting operation procedure when this function is added. Referring to FIG. 5, the flow starts, and the setting screen of the TWAIN driver dialog opened by performing the same procedure (S51 to S53) as shown in FIG.
When various reading conditions are set, an image generated according to the setting conditions can be checked in advance by clicking a preview button (S5).
4). As a result of confirming that the expected image is obtained from the preview image, if the result is NG (S55-YES), the user returns to step S54 to change the setting condition of the TWAIN driver, and returns to TWAI in step S54.
Perform the setting operation of the N driver again, and if the preview image by the resetting is as expected (S55-NO), click the scan button on the setting screen of the driver dialog, and import the data processed according to the setting into the image application 70. (S56), and the flow ends.

In the above-described operation procedure of FIG. 4, when a file of read image data stored in the locally provided storage device 50 is processed by the TWAIN driver, a single operation is performed to process a single image data. In this case, the setting operation is terminated by reading the data into the image application 70. However, when obtaining a plurality of data from one image data, the operation efficiency is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to continuously load a plurality of data from one image data stored in the storage device 50 into the application, and to avoid an unnecessary increase in operation procedures. For this purpose, it is necessary to have a function of continuously changing setting conditions on the setting screen of the dialog of the TWAIN driver, generating a plurality of image data, and reading the generated data into the image application 70. Yes, this function is added to the TWAIN driver (driver function unit 60).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a setting operation procedure when this function is added. Referring to FIG. 6, by starting the flow, setting various reading conditions on the setting screen of the dialog of the TWAIN driver opened by performing the same procedure as that of FIG. 4 described above, and clicking the scan button, The read image data is processed according to the set conditions, and the obtained data is passed to the image application 70 (S61 to S64). At that time, the processed image is checked, and if the image is as expected (S65-NO), the flow is not terminated and another dialog is given to the user through the dialog for the same read image data extracted from the storage device 50. A check is made by asking whether an image of the reading condition is required (S66). If the user needs an image with different reading conditions (S6
6-YES), in order to newly set the setting conditions of the TWAIN driver, return to the setting operation step of S64 and repeat the setting operation so that the image data having different settings are continuously taken into the application a plurality of times. Enable, complete the capture, and end the flow. In the above embodiment, different settings of image data are loaded into the application every time each image data is set. However, a plurality of settings may be combined and loaded into the application at one time. .

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, read image data sent from the image reading apparatus is always waited in the connection mode, the received image data is stored, and the stored data is stored. In this case, the user performs the setting operation while changing the image quality in accordance with the setting conditions instructed by the user's operation, so that the user checks the optimum conditions on the image reading device side, which is the source of the image data. It will be possible
It is possible to minimize the movement of the user between the client device and the image reading device for the setting operation, and it is possible to improve the work efficiency in the setting operation. (2) Effects corresponding to the second aspect of the invention In addition to the effect of the above (1), by adding a display function of previewing an image based on data after image data processing such as image quality change has been performed. Since it is not necessary to read and display the read image once in the application to check the read image, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of input operations and to improve the convenience. (3) Effects corresponding to the invention of claim 3 In addition to the effects of the above (1) and (2), setting is changed and a plurality of command inputs indicating different setting conditions are respectively performed by a series of operations. By adding a function that enables
It is possible to improve convenience. (4) Effects According to Claim 4 In the image reading system in which the image reading device and the client device are connected via a network, the effects (1) to (3) are realized. (5) Effects corresponding to the fifth and sixth aspects of the invention The image reading apparatus, which is the source of image data, sets an optimal condition that does not require resetting, specifies a destination client apparatus, and performs a reading operation. By executing the instruction to start the above, a powerful concrete means for realizing the effect of the above (4) is provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a hardware configuration of an image reading device according to an image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a software configuration mounted on the image reading device of the image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a software configuration mounted on a client device of the image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a setting operation procedure by a user during an image reading operation in the image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart in a case where a function of displaying a preview image is added to the setting operation procedure of FIG. 4;

6 is a flowchart in a case where a function of inputting a plurality of commands under different setting conditions by a series of operations is added to the setting operation procedure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a setting operation procedure by a user during an image reading operation in a conventional image reading system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... control unit, 2 ... memory, 3 ...
State detection unit, 4 ... operation control unit, 5 ...
Image input unit 6 Image processing unit 7
Image compression unit, 8 ... external I / F, 9 ...
Operation unit, 10 bus, 30 OS network API, 40 resident program, 50
Local storage, 60: Driver function unit (TWAIN driver), 70: Image application, 100:
Image reading device, 200: Client P
C, 300 ... network.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A client device capable of receiving read image data sent from an image reading device via a network, wherein the client device can always wait for read image data sent from the image reading device in a connection mode. Image data receiving means,
Means for storing received image data, operating means for inputting a command, and extracting image data from the image data storing means in accordance with the command input through the operating means; A client device comprising image data processing means for performing processing according to setting conditions. 2. The client device according to claim 1, wherein a display function for previewing an image based on the data processed by the image data processing unit is added to the operation unit. Client device to do. 3. The client device according to claim 1, wherein a function that enables a plurality of command inputs indicating different setting conditions to be performed by a series of operations is added to the operation unit. A client device, characterized in that: 4. An image reading apparatus comprising: means for reading image data from a target; means for transmitting the read image data to a network; and a client device according to claim 1 via a network. Connected image reading system. 5. The image reading system according to claim 4, further comprising: operating means for inputting a command for starting a reading operation to the image reading device by designating a destination client device of the read image data. An image reading system, comprising: 6. The image reading system according to claim 4, wherein the image reading device transmits image data read under conditions of an optical basic resolution and a maximum multi-value to a client device. Characteristic image reading system.