JP2001127974A - Device and system for image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically correct an original, base on correcting indication which is written in the original without having to use a personal computer and a word processor. SOLUTION: When an original is corrected, correction is indicated by handwriting through the use of an original correction command, and the original, where the original correction command is written, is read by a scanner part. A CPU analyzes the constants of an original image obtained by reading, confirms the original correction command from the analyzed contents and corrects the original image, based on the confirmed original correction command.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading technique capable of automatically correcting the contents of a document based on a correction instruction written on the document.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when modifying the contents of a document created on a personal computer or a word processor, if there is a document file, the modification can be performed using a personal computer or a word processor. Or, even if there is a document file, if there is no application software that created the document file, the document had to be created from scratch, and a personal computer and a word processor were always required. Examples of the case where there is no document file include a case where the document is received by a facsimile machine and a case where the document is an old document and remains only on paper.

[0003]

However, when the contents of a document are to be modified as described above, if there is no document file or the application software of the creation source, the document must be created from scratch using a personal computer or word processor. If not, it would take a lot of time to modify the document, and there was a problem in terms of paperwork efficiency.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and there is no need to create a document from scratch even when there is no document file or application software of the creation source. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus and system capable of automatically correcting the contents of a document without using a personal computer or a word processor, an image reading method, and a computer-readable recording medium storing an image reading program. I do.

[0005]

The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following means.

(1) An image reading apparatus according to the present invention comprises: reading means for reading a document; analyzing means for analyzing the content of a read document image; and recognition for recognizing a document correction command from the analyzed content. Means for correcting a document image based on a recognized document correction command.

(2) The document correction command is a command for giving an instruction to delete, change, or add the content of a designated portion in the document.

(3) All the manuscript correction commands are written on the manuscript to be corrected.

(4) All the manuscript correction commands are handwritten.

(5) A part of the document correction command is written on a sheet different from that of the document to be corrected.

(6) The manuscript correction commands are all handwritten.

(7) The image reading system according to the present invention comprises:
Reading means for reading a manuscript, analyzing means for analyzing the contents of the manuscript image obtained by reading, recognition means for recognizing a manuscript correction command from the analyzed contents, and recognizing the manuscript image based on the recognized manuscript correction command. Correction means for correcting.

(8) The image reading method according to the present invention includes a step of reading a document, a step of analyzing the contents of a document image obtained by reading, a step of recognizing a document correction command from the analyzed contents, Correcting the document image based on the recognized document correction command.

(9) In the computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention, a process of reading a document, a process of analyzing the content of a document image obtained by reading, and recognizing a document correction command from the analyzed content. A program for causing a computer to execute a process and a process of correcting a document image based on a recognized document correction command is recorded.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image reading apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

This image reading apparatus is a digital copying machine 1 and is connected to one or more personal computers 3a and 3b via a network 2 so as to be able to communicate with each other. For this reason, the digital copying machine 1 has a printer function of outputting image data received from each of the personal computers 3 on paper, in addition to a normal function of the copying machine such as copying a document. .

The digital copying machine 1 stores a scanner unit 11 for reading an original, an external interface (I / F) unit 12 connected to the network 2 for transmitting and receiving data to and from each personal computer 3, and stores a program. ROM13
A RAM 14 for temporarily storing data, and an OCR for analyzing an image obtained by reading and converting the image into character data.
The printer includes a processing unit 15, a printer unit 16 that outputs image data (including character data after OCR processing) on paper in accordance with the contents of a print job, and a CPU 17 that performs various processes and controls the above units.

Here, the characters are roughly divided into control characters for designating control functions and graphic characters other than control characters.
Graphic characters include numbers, alphabets, kana (katakana and hiragana), kanji, special characters (punctuation marks, arithmetic symbols, and other various symbols).

The digital copying machine 1 has an automatic correction function for automatically correcting the contents of a document based on a user's correction instruction written on the document. More specifically, when correcting the contents of a document, the user instructs correction by handwriting using a document correction command described later, and the document in which the correction instruction (document correction command) is written is sent to the scanner unit 11. Just by scanning, the content of the document is automatically corrected according to the user's correction instruction.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a document before the correction processing and a document after the correction processing.

In FIG. 2, an original 4 is an original before the correction processing (hereinafter simply referred to as “an original before correction”), and an original 5
Is a document after the correction processing (hereinafter, simply referred to as “corrected document”). The document 4 before correction is obtained by writing a document correction command on a document to be corrected. The document correction command is roughly composed of a correction portion identification symbol for identifying a correction portion in a document, and a correction instruction sentence for indicating the content of correction at each correction portion. In the example of FIG. 2, the correction portion identification symbol is used to distinguish the correction portion from the symbol “<>” (hereinafter referred to as “correction portion designation symbol”) for specially specifying the correction portion in the document. (Hereinafter referred to as "correction number"). In addition, the correction instruction sentence includes the correction number (“,
,...) And keywords indicating the type of correction, for example, “ADD” indicating insertion (addition), “REP” indicating replacement (change), “DEL” indicating deletion (hereinafter referred to as “correction keyword”). ), A character string indicating the contents after correction (hereinafter referred to as “correction character string”), and a colon “:” for distinguishing the correction keyword from the correction character string.
The correction instruction is written in the margin of the document to be corrected.
In addition, the user only has to manually write the original correction command. In FIG. 2, three correction instructions are written in the original document 4 before correction.

The operation principle of the automatic correction function using such a document correction command is as follows.

When a correction part designating symbol ("<>") is detected in the original document 4 before correction, the correction number corresponding to this correction part is confirmed, and a correction instruction sentence having the same correction number as this correction number is entered. Search for. When a modification instruction having the same modification number is detected, the modification keyword (“ADD”, “REP”, “DEL”, etc.) subsequent to the modification number is recognized, and a colon (“ : ”) Correction based on the following correction string (insert,
Replace, delete, etc.).

The RAM 14 has a first storage unit that stores character data of a document for which there is no correction instruction in units of one page for each document, and a second storage unit that stores character data of a document after correction in units of one page for each document. A storage unit; and a third storage unit that stores one document data obtained by combining and matching character data of one or more pages stored in the first storage unit and the second storage unit. The document data stored in the third storage unit is output on paper by the printer unit 16 as necessary, and is also output to an external personal computer 3 in a predetermined file format (for example, a text file, a PDF file, or the like). Is done.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation relating to the automatic correction function of the digital copying machine 1 according to the first embodiment.

First, an original of one page is read by the scanner unit 11 (S11), and the obtained original image is analyzed by the OCR processing unit 15 and converted into character data (S11).
12). At this time, for example, the image in the margin of the document is recognized as a correction instruction by the area determination processing.
The character data after the OCR processing is temporarily stored in the RAM 14. Before the scanner unit 11 reads a document to be corrected, the user instructs correction by hand using the above-described document correction command (see the document 4 before correction in FIG. 2).

Thereafter, the CPU 17 stores the correction portion designating symbol (“<” in the character data obtained in step S12.
>") Is detected (S13).

If the correction portion designation symbol is not detected (S13: NO), it is determined that there is no correction instruction for the document, and the page is electronically numbered (S14).
The character data obtained in step S12 is directly stored in the RAM
14 (S15) and immediately proceeds to step S23.

On the other hand, if the correction part designating symbol is detected (S13: YES), it is determined that there is a correction instruction in the document, and a series of correction processing of steps S16 to S22 is performed.

That is, the CPU 17 confirms the correction numbers (“,,...”) Of each detected correction portion (S16), and selects one correction number from among them, for example, in numerical order. A correction instruction sentence having the same correction number is searched (S17). When a correction instruction having the same correction number is detected, a correction keyword (“AD
D ”,“ REP ”,“ DEL ”, etc.) (S1
8) According to the recognized correction keyword, the correction (insertion, insertion,
Replacement, deletion, etc.) (S19). Then, it is determined whether or not there is a next correction number (S20). If there is a next correction number (S20: YES), the process returns to step S17, and the processing of steps S17 to S19 for the next correction number. repeat.

On the other hand, if the next correction number does not exist (S20: NO), it is determined that the correction for all the correction portions in the same page has been completed, and the page is electronically numbered ( S21), the character data of the page after the correction processing (see the corrected original 5 in FIG. 2) is set to R
Stored in the second storage unit of the AM 14 (S22), and
Proceed to 23. Step S14 and step S21
Each page is electronically numbered by character data stored on a page-by-page basis.
This is to prevent the order of pages from being out of order when reading and combining from pages 14.

In step S23, the CPU 17 determines whether there is a next page. This judgment is, for example,
This is performed based on a signal from a document detection sensor provided in an ADF (not shown) of the digital copying machine 1. If there is a next page (S23: YES), the process returns to step S11 to repeat the above-described series of processing starting from reading of the document.

On the other hand, if there is no next page (S
23: NO), it is determined that reading of the document for all pages has been completed, and character data for one or more pages stored in the first storage unit and the second storage unit of the RAM 14 is read out (S24). , S25), in the order of the numbers assigned,
That is, the character data is synthesized and matched in the reading order (S26), and the obtained one piece of document data is stored in the RAM 14.
(S27), and the whole series of processes is terminated.

The document data stored in the third storage unit is output on paper by the printer unit 16 as necessary, and is output in a predetermined file format (text file, P
(For example, a DF file) is output to the external personal computer 3.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the digital copying machine 1 when there is a print instruction for the corrected document data.

When a print instruction for the corrected document data is input (S31), the CPU 17 reads one page of document data from the third storage unit and transfers it to the printer unit 16 (S32) to execute printing. (S33). Thereafter, it is determined whether there is a next page (S34). If there is a next page (S34: YES), step S
32, printing of the next page is executed. If there is no next page (S34: NO), it is determined that printing of all pages has been completed, and the above series of processing ends.

The print instruction in step S31 is issued, for example, by a user pressing a print button provided on an operation unit (not shown) of the digital copying machine 1 or from the personal computer 3. It is done by things.

Therefore, according to the first embodiment,
When correcting the contents of the document, the user instructs the correction by handwriting using a document correction command, and the document 4 on which the correction instruction (document correction command) is written is scanned by the scanner unit 11.
The document is automatically corrected according to the user's correction instruction just by scanning the document, so there is no need to create the document from scratch even when there is no document file or the original application software. In addition, the contents of the document can be corrected without using a personal computer or a word processor, and the efficiency of office work can be greatly improved. In addition, since the manuscript correction command may be handwritten, the trouble of the correction instruction itself can be greatly reduced.

In the first embodiment, symbols (excluding a correction character string) constituting a document correction command are:
"<>", ",,, ...", "ADD, REP,
DEL, ... "and": "are used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example," (), [],
Parentheses such as [], ｛｝, <<>>,… ”and“ ‖
Vertical lines such as ‖, || , ￣￣,… ”, symbols such as“ ∧, ∨,… ”,“ 1, 2, 3,
…, One, two, three,…, I, II, III,… ”, alphabets such as“ A, a, B, b, C, c,… ”, hiragana, katakana, Greek letters, etc. In addition, a color marker may be used instead of, for example, a correction portion designation symbol and / or a correction keyword (and a colon) in the document correction command. A color scanner capable of reading colors is required.

(Second Embodiment) An image reading apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention has the same basic configuration as the image reading apparatus corresponding to the first embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, the description is omitted.

The feature of the second embodiment is that, in the first embodiment, all the manuscript correction commands are written in the manuscript to be corrected (see FIG. 2), but a part of the manuscript correction command (correction instruction Sentence) is written on another sheet different from the original to be corrected (hereinafter referred to as "correction instruction original").

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a document before correction, a correction instruction document, and a document after correction.

In FIG. 5, a document 6 is a document before correction (document before correction), a document 7 is a correction instruction document, and FIG. 8 is a document after correction (document after correction). .
The original before correction 6 is a document in which a correction location identification symbol is written out of the original correction command in the original to be corrected, and the correction instruction original 7 is a document in which only the correction instruction in the correction command is written on a predetermined sheet. is there. In the example of FIG. 5, the correction location identification symbol specifically designates the correction location in the document and also indicates the type of correction, for example, "@" for insertion, "@" for replacement. ”,“ = ”For deletion (hereinafter referred to as“ correction symbol ”), and the above-mentioned correction number (“,
The correction instruction sentence is composed of the correction number (“,,,...”), The correction symbol, and the correction character string described above.
For example, a sheet of a predetermined form is used to automatically identify the original 6 from the original. Thus, the digital copier 1 can determine whether the original read by the scanner unit 11 is the correction instruction original 7 by detecting whether or not the paper is of a predetermined form by the image recognition processing. When the instruction of the correction content cannot be accommodated on one sheet, a plurality of correction instruction documents 7 may be used. Also in this case, the user may manually write all the manuscript correction commands. In FIG. 5, two correction instructions are written on the original document 6 before correction.

The RAM 14 has a document storage unit for sequentially storing document data other than the correction command document 7, that is, character data of a document having no correction command and a document 6 before correction. The correction of the content specified by the correction instruction document 7 is performed on the character data stored in the document storage unit.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart showing an operation relating to the automatic correction function of the digital copying machine 1 according to the second embodiment.

First, when the automatic correction function is turned on (ON) by the user (S41), one page of the document is read by the scanner unit 11 (S42), and the document image obtained by reading is read by the OCR processing unit 15. The data is analyzed and converted into character data (S43). The operation in step S41 is performed, for example, by pressing a predetermined switch provided on an operation unit (not shown) of the digital copying machine 1. Here, when there are a plurality of originals, the originals other than the correction instruction original 7 (the original having no correction instruction and the original 6 before correction having the correction instruction) are read in page order, and
The correction instruction manuscript 7 is to be read after at least one or a plurality of pre-correction manuscripts 6 including at least all the correction numbers written therein.

Thereafter, the CPU 17 determines whether the read original is the correction instruction original 7 based on the data after the OCR processing (S44). This determination processing is performed by confirming whether or not the read original is a sheet of a predetermined form representing the correction instruction original 7 by image recognition processing.

If the read original is not the correction instruction original 7, that is, if the original has no correction instruction or the original 6 before correction (S44: NO), the character data (correction symbol or correction number) obtained in step S43 is obtained. RAM1
4 are sequentially stored in the document storage unit in the order of pages (S45), and the process immediately proceeds to step S48.

On the other hand, if the read original is the correction instruction original 7 (S44: YES), the contents of the correction instruction sentence are analyzed, and the correction number (“,,...”) And the correction symbol (“ ”,“ "," = ", Etc.) and the corrected character string are recognized (S46).

After that, based on the recognized correction contents,
Correction processing is performed on the character data stored in the document storage unit of the RAM 14 (S47), and the process proceeds to step S48. Specifically, for each correction number, a search is made for a correction portion having the same correction number from the character data in the document storage unit, and for the detected correction portion, based on the correction symbol and the correction character string, Modify the specified content (insert, replace, delete, etc.). The corrected data is overwritten and stored in the document storage unit as it is.

In step S48, the CPU 17 determines whether there is a next page. This judgment is, for example,
This is performed based on a signal from a document detection sensor provided in an ADF (not shown) of the digital copying machine 1. If there is a next page (S48: YES), the flow returns to step S42 to repeat the above series of processing starting from reading of the document. If there is no next page (S48: NO), all of the prepared documents are read. It is determined that the desired correction has been completed, and the series of processes described above is completed.

The document data in the manuscript storage unit after the completion of the correction processing is output to paper by the printer unit 16 as necessary, and is output in an external file in a predetermined file format (text file, PDF file, etc.). Output to the personal computer 3.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment,
When correcting the contents of the manuscript, the user writes a correction instruction by hand on the manuscript to be corrected and the paper for the correction instruction manuscript using the manuscript correction command, and obtains the obtained correction target manuscript 6.
By simply reading the correction instruction document 7 by the scanner unit 11, the content of the document is automatically corrected according to the user's correction instruction. Therefore, even when there is no document file or the original application software, there is no need to bother. There is no need to create a document from scratch, the content of the document can be modified without using a personal computer or word processor, and the efficiency of paperwork can be greatly improved. In addition, since the manuscript correction command may be handwritten, the trouble of the correction instruction itself can be greatly reduced. Further, in this case, the correction instruction sentence of the correction command is written on a sheet (correction instruction document 7) different from the correction target document, thereby realizing the automatic correction function even when the correction target document has no margin. can do.

In the second embodiment, the symbols (excluding the correction character string) constituting the document correction command are
“,,,…”, “∧, , =,... Are used, but the present invention is not limited to this, as in the case of the first embodiment.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the digital copier 1 which is a multifunction machine having the scanner unit 11 and the printer unit 16 has been described as an example. It is not limited to a complex MFP. For example, the present invention is applicable to an image reading system in which a separate scanner and printer are connected to each other. In this case, the module for realizing the above automatic correction function may be built in the scanner or the printer.

When the computer is used as described above, the automatic correction function according to the present invention requires the CPU 17 to execute a predetermined program describing the above processing procedure (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 6). The predetermined program can be provided by a computer-readable recording medium (for example, a floppy disk or a CD-ROM). In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is usually transferred to and stored on a hard disk. Further, the predetermined program may be provided, for example, as application software that executes the above-described processing independently, or may be provided as one function of a multifunction peripheral (such as a digital copying machine), a scanner, or a printer. , A scanner, a printer, or the like.

[0058]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When the original is to be corrected because the original is scanned, the contents of the original image obtained by scanning are analyzed, the original correction command is recognized from the analyzed contents, and the original image is corrected based on the recognized original correction command. , The user instructs the manuscript to be corrected using the manuscript correction command, and simply reads the manuscript on which the manuscript correction command is written,
It is possible to obtain a document corrected according to a user's correction instruction. Therefore, even if there is no document file or the application software that created the document, there is no need to create the document from scratch, and the contents of the document can be corrected without using a personal computer or word processor. Can be greatly improved.

When all the manuscript correction commands are written on the manuscript to be corrected, there is no need to prepare another sheet and there is no increase in cost.

Further, when a part of the original correction command is written on a sheet different from that of the original to be corrected, it is possible to cope with a case where the original to be corrected has no blank space.

When the manuscript correction command is handwritten, the trouble of the correction instruction itself can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image reading apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document before correction and a document after correction.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation related to a document correction function of the digital copying machine according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the digital copying machine when a print instruction is issued for document data after correction.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document before correction, a correction instruction document, and a document after correction for describing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation relating to a document correction function of the digital copying machine according to the second embodiment.

[Description of Signs] 1 ... Digital copier, 2 ... Network, 3a, 3b ... PC, 11 ... Scanner unit, 13 ... ROM, 14 ... RAM, 15 ... OCR processing unit, 16 ... Printer unit, 17 ... CPU.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus, comprising: reading means for reading a document; analysis means for analyzing the content of a document image obtained by reading; and recognition means for recognizing a document correction command from the analyzed content. Correction means for correcting a document image based on the document correction command. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document correction command is a command for giving an instruction to delete, change, or add the content of a designated portion in the document. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all of the document correction commands are written on a document to be corrected. 4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein all of the document correction commands are handwritten. 5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the document correction command is written on a sheet different from that of the document to be corrected. 6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein all of the document correction commands are handwritten. 7. An image reading system, comprising: reading means for reading a manuscript; analyzing means for analyzing the contents of a manuscript image obtained by reading; and recognition means for recognizing a manuscript correction command from the analyzed contents. Correction means for correcting a document image based on the document correction command. 8. A method of reading an original, a step of analyzing the contents of an original image obtained by reading, a step of recognizing an original correction command from the analyzed contents, and a step of correcting the recognized original. Correcting an original image based on a command. 9. A process for reading a document, a process for analyzing the content of a document image obtained by reading, a process for recognizing a document correction command from the analyzed content, and a process for recognizing a document based on the recognized document correction command. A computer-readable recording medium recording a process of correcting an image and a program for causing a computer to execute the process.