JP2007048197A - Image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image processing system which reads revision for every object in a paper document, compares the revision with revision of the digitized object already registered on a DB, selects an object having the latest revision, digitizes the object and performs print and transmission processing to the object in the case of reading and digitizing the paper document. <P>SOLUTION: A means for selecting a print method of application data, selecting registration of the application data to be printed in the database and selecting attributes of the data to be registered by an operation part of a computer is provided. Furthermore, a data format conversion means for converting the application data into other data formats according to selection of database registration and selection of the attributes and a registration means at printing for printing a print job and registering the data converted by the data format conversion means in the database by executing a print operation by a print selection means are provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing system according to a technique for registering electronic information in a database from a host computer, MFP (multifunction multifunction peripheral) or the like.

  In recent years, paperless offices are rapidly becoming paperless as environmental problems are screamed.

  In the paperless method, for example, a paper document stored in a binder or the like is read by a scanner or the like, and the raster data of the image or its encoded data (hereinafter collectively referred to as image data) is used as a portable document format ( Some of them are converted into a compact file (PDF format) and stored in the image storage means.

  Furthermore, when an original data file of characters and images is registered in the image storage device using an MFP (multifunction multifunction peripheral) having an extended function, the original data file is printed and recorded on a paper document. In addition, pointer information in an image storage device in which an original data file exists is recorded as additional information in a cover or print information of a paper document (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As a result, the original data file can be accessed immediately from the pointer information, and the original data file can be reused for editing, printing, etc., and the amount of paper document possessed can be reduced.

Further, in order to use these registered data from other network domains, not only original data but also data processed as reusable information is registered (searched) in a database or the like. It is common. The data processed into reusable information is also used as index information for retrieving original data from a paper medium.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-285378

  As described above, a system capable of accessing data from document information on a paper medium to an original data file (electronic information) is about to be put into practical use. In such a system, the original electronic information can be handled via a server (storage medium) using a paper medium as a key, but the capacity of the server to be managed as the number of registered original information (electronic information) increases. Increase is a challenge.

  In particular, the contents to be edited and reused are not necessarily all the information to be registered, and depending on the contents to be registered, some of them may not be considered for editing or reusability. Highly dependent on

  The present invention was devised to solve such conventional problems. The amount of information registered when editing and reusing original information output as a paper medium is determined by the user's intention to register. The objective is to reduce them efficiently.

  From the computer operation unit, select the application data printing method, from the computer operation unit, select to register application data to be printed in the database, from the computer operation unit, select the attribute of the data to be registered, Depending on the selected and selected attributes, the application data is converted to another data format, and the print operation is performed with the print settings, so that the print job is printed and the data format is converted. By selecting an attribute to be registered in an image processing system that registers the registered data in the database, the problem of data increase related to the database is reduced.

  Further, the application data printing method is selected from the computer operation unit, the application data to be printed is selected to be registered in the database from the computer operation unit, and the attribute of the data to be registered is selected from the computer operation unit. Depending on what is selected and registered and selected, the application data is converted into another data format, and a print operation is performed with the print settings, thereby printing a print job and the data. In the image processing system for registering the format-converted data in the database, a registration period is set for the data registered at the time of printing registration from the operation unit of the computer, and the data is registered in the database according to the registration period means. By erasing the data, further database To reduce the load.

  Further, the application data printing method is selected from the computer operation unit, the application data to be printed is selected to be registered in the database from the computer operation unit, and the attribute of the data to be registered is selected from the computer operation unit. Depending on what is selected and registered and selected, the application data is converted into another data format, and a print operation is performed with the print settings, thereby printing a print job and the data. In an image processing system that registers format-converted data in a database, the access frequency is set for the data registered for printing registration, and the access frequency set in the frequency is compared with the number of accesses to the data in the database. Depending on the result of the Scan frequency that data erased by solving the above-mentioned problems.

  Further, the application data printing method is selected from the computer operation unit, the application data to be printed is selected to be registered in the database from the computer operation unit, and the attribute of the data to be registered is selected from the computer operation unit. Depending on what is selected and registered and selected, the application data is converted into another data format, and a print operation is performed with the print settings, thereby printing a print job and the data. In an image processing system that registers format-converted data in a database, the user explicitly specifies the object to be registered in the above-mentioned registration at the time of printing on the operation unit of the computer, and only necessary object information is registered in the database. This solves the above problem.

  In more detail, the present invention can solve the above problems by the following configuration.

  (1) From a computer operation unit, a print selection unit that can select a printing method of application data; from a computer operation unit, a registration selection unit that can select registration of application data to be printed in a database; from a computer operation unit, The attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered, the data selection conversion means that converts the application data into another data format, and the print selection means according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means. An image processing system comprising: a printing time registration unit that prints a print job and registers the data converted by the data format conversion unit in a database.

  (2) From a computer operation unit, a print selection unit that can select a printing method of application data; from a computer operation unit, a registration selection unit that can select registration of application data to be printed in a database; from a computer operation unit, The attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered, the data selection conversion means that converts the application data into another data format, and the print selection means according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means. By performing the printing, the printing time registration means for registering the data converted by the data format conversion means in the database and the registration period for the data registered by the printing time registration means from the operation unit of the computer. Registration period setting Means an image processing system characterized by having, Limited data erasing means for erasing the data registered in the database in response to the registration period setting means, and.

  (3) From a computer operation unit, a print selection unit that can select a printing method of application data; from a computer operation unit, a registration selection unit that can select registration of application data to be printed in a database; from a computer operation unit, The attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered, the data selection conversion means that converts the application data into another data format, and the print selection means according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means. By performing the printing, the printing time registration means for printing the print job and registering the data converted by the data format conversion means in the database, and the frequency setting means for setting the access frequency to the data registered by the printing time registration means , With the above frequency setting means The image processing system characterized by having within the constant has been accessed frequently and the database in response to a result of comparison of the number of accesses said data, and access frequency data erasing means for erasing the data.

  (4) Print selection means capable of selecting a printing method of application data from the operation section of the computer, Registration selection means capable of selecting registration of application data to be printed in the database from the operation section of the computer, from the operation section of the computer, The attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered, the data selection conversion means that converts the application data into another data format, and the print selection means according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means. By executing, a print job registration unit that prints a print job and registers the data converted by the data format conversion unit in a database, and a setting for the user to select data registered by the print time registration unit for each object Having means The image processing system according to claim.

  According to the present invention, an increase in the amount of data to be registered, which is a problem in an image processing system that reuses original data (electronic information) or object information from document information of a paper document, is left from the registration side. It is improved by selecting the information you want. Specifically, conventionally, the data to be registered is the data itself. However, in the first embodiment, by selecting an attribute, unnecessary objects (attributes) are deleted and registered, thereby reducing the data amount. I am trying.

  In the second embodiment, both original data and reusable data are registered in the past, but only reusable data is registered.

In the third embodiment, a period is provided for the data to be registered, and the file is deleted after a predetermined period.
In the fourth embodiment, the period can be set in units of objects.

  Further, in another embodiment, the problem relating to the increase in the data amount is improved by adopting a configuration in which the concept of the third and fourth embodiments is deleted according to the access frequency registered in the database.

  In the fifth embodiment, the creator (printer) explicitly sets the object to be registered using the UI, so that only the necessary object is registered and the data amount increases. Has improved.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

[First embodiment]
Next, a first embodiment of an image processing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an image processing system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an MFP in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a data processing module in the local PC 102 illustrated in FIG. 4 shows a detailed configuration of the data processing module of the PC, FIG. 5 shows a first data processing flow described in the first embodiment, and FIG. 6 shows an example of a print setting dialog for registering data. FIG. 7 is a second data processing flow described in the first embodiment, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of information notified to the despooler from the spool manager shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 9 is a diagram for registering data. FIG. 10 is an example of a print setting dialog displayed when a detailed setting is selected. FIG. 10 is an example of a display in which the registered setting contents are expanded in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart of conversion to reusable data according to the present embodiment. FIG. 12 shows an example of the result of area division information in the BS (block selection) process performed in the vectorization process, and FIG. 13 shows block information and input file information of each attribute when BS: area division information is given. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of vectorization processing important in conversion to reusable data. 15 is a diagram showing corner extraction processing in vectorization processing, FIG. 16 is a diagram showing outline summarization processing in vectorization processing, and FIG. 17 is a grouping of the vector data generated in FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the graphic element detection process for the vector data grouped in the process of FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a map showing the data of the vectorization process result according to this embodiment. 20 is a flowchart showing the application data conversion process in FIG. 11, FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the document structure tree generation process in FIG. 20, and FIG. 22 shows a document that is the target of the document structure tree generation process. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a document structure tree generated by the processing of FIG. 21, and FIG. 24 is an SVG (Sca) described in the present embodiment. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing details of the registration setting implemented in the present invention and the reusable data format to be transmitted, and FIG. 26 is a diagram of the data for registration described in the second embodiment. 27 shows a file format, FIG. 27 shows a first data processing flow described in the second embodiment, and FIG. 28 shows a file format of registration data described in the second embodiment.

[Image processing system]
In FIG. 1, the image processing system according to the present invention is used in an environment in which an office 10 and an office 20 are connected via the Internet 104.

  Connected to the LAN 107 constructed in the office 10 is an MFP (multifunction multifunction peripheral) 100 as a recording device, a management PC 101 that controls the MFP 100, a local PC 102, a document management server 106, and a database 105 for the document management server 106. Has been.

  A LAN 108 is constructed in the office 20, and a document management server 106 and a database 105 for the document management server 106 are connected to the LAN 108.

  A proxy server 103 is connected to the LANs 107 and 108, and the LANs 107 and 108 are connected to the Internet via the proxy server 103.

  The MFP 100 is responsible for part of the image processing for the input image read from the document, and the image data as the processing result is input to the management PC 101 via the LAN 109, or the PDL (from the local PC 102 or a general-purpose PC not shown). (Page Description Language) Interprets the language, functions as a printer, and further has a function of transmitting an image read from a document to the local PC 102 or a general-purpose PC (not shown). The management PC 101 is a normal computer including an image storage unit, an image processing unit, a display unit, an input unit, and the like. Functionally, some of these components are integrated with the MFP 100, and the components of the image processing system It has become. In the present embodiment, the registration process described below is executed in the database 105 via the management PC, but the process executed in the management PC may be executed in the MFP.

  Further, the MFP 100 is directly connected to the management PC 101 via the LAN 109.

[MFP]
In FIG. 2, an MFP 100 includes an image reading unit 110 having an unillustrated auto document feeder (ADF). The image reading unit 110 irradiates a bundled or one original image with a light source, and a reflected image with a lens. An image is formed on the solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device generates an image reading signal having a predetermined resolution (for example, 600 dpi) and a predetermined luminance level (for example, 8 bits), and image data including raster data is configured from the image reading signal.

  The MFP 100 includes a storage device 111 and a recording device 112, and when executing a normal copying function, the image data is processed by the data processing device 115 and converted into a recording signal. In the case of copying a plurality of sheets, a recording signal for one page is temporarily stored in the storage device 111 and then sequentially output to the recording device 112 to form a recorded image on the recording paper.

  The MFP 100 includes a network I / F 114 for connection with the LAN 107, and the recording device 112 can record the PDL language output from the local PC 102 or another general-purpose PC (not shown) using a driver. The PDL data output from the local PC 102 via the driver is converted into a record signal that can be recorded by interpreting and processing the language from the LAN 107 via the network I / F 114 and then processed in the MFP 100. A recorded image is recorded on the recording paper.

  The MFP 100 is operated through a key operation unit (input device 113) provided in the MFP 100 or an input device (keyboard, pointing device, etc.) of the management PC 101. For these operations, the data processing apparatus 115 performs predetermined control by an internal control unit (not shown).

  The MFP 100 includes a display device 116, and the display device 116 can display an operation input state and image data to be processed.

  The storage device 111 can be directly controlled from the management PC 101 via the network I / F 117. The LAN 109 is used for data exchange and control signal exchange between the MFP 100 and the management PC 101.

[Registration method and overall print processing flow]
In this embodiment, a method for registering original application data as data to be reused as searchable or reusable application data when data is printed out by a printer driver will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a processing module that prints application data on the local PC 102 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, an application 301, a graphic engine 302, a printer driver 303, and a system spooler 304 exist as files stored in a storage device (not shown) inside the local PC 102, and the OS and its modules are executed when executed. It is a program module (data processing module) executed by a module to be used. The application 301 and the printer driver 303 can be added to a storage device in the local PC 102 via an external memory (not shown), a CD-ROM (not shown) or the network I / F 107.

  The graphic engine 302 executes the printer driver 303 prepared for each recording device 112 from the storage device inside the local PC 102, and sets the output of the application 301 in the printer driver 303.

  Then, the GDI (Graphic Device Interface) function received from the application 301 is converted into a DDI (Device Driver Interface) function, and the DDI function is output to the printer driver 303.

  Based on the DDI function received from the graphic engine 302, the printer driver 303 converts it into a control command that can be recognized by the data processing apparatus 115, for example, PDL (Page Description Language). The converted printer control command is output as print data to the MFP 100 via the network I / F 107 via the system spooler 304 loaded by the OS.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the detailed configuration of the data processing module of the local PC 102 shown in FIG. 1, corresponding to an extension of the system shown in FIG. 3, and printing commands from the graphic engine 302 to the printer driver 303. 1 shows a configuration in which a spool file 403 composed of an intermediate code is once generated.

  In the system shown in FIG. 4, the contents of the spool file 403 can be processed. As a result, functions that the application does not have, such as enlargement / reduction and N-up printing that reduces a plurality of pages into one page and prints the print data from the application, are realized. As described above, in the system shown in FIG. 4, the system is expanded so that spooling is performed with the intermediate code data.

  As shown in the figure, in this processing method, the dispatcher 401 receives a print command from the graphic engine 302. If the print command received by the dispatcher 401 from the graphic engine 302 is a print command issued from the application 301 to the graphic engine 302, the dispatcher 401 stores the spooler 402 stored in the external memory (not shown) in the RAM (not shown). The print command is sent to the spooler 402 instead of the printer driver 303.

  The spooler 402 converts the received print command into an intermediate code and outputs it to the spool file 403. Further, the spooler 402 acquires various settings regarding print / registration data set for the printer driver 303 from the printer driver 303 and stores them in the spool file 403.

  The spool file 403 is generated as a file on an external memory (not shown), but may be generated on a RAM (not shown). Further, the spooler 402 loads a spooler file manager 404 stored in an external memory (not shown) onto a RAM (not shown), and notifies the spool file manager 404 of the generation status of the spool file 403.

  Thereafter, the spool file manager 404 determines whether printing can be performed in accordance with the contents of the processing settings relating to the print data stored in the spool file 403. When the spool file manager 404 determines that printing / registration can be performed using the graphic engine 302, the despooler 405 stored in the external memory (not shown) is loaded into the RAM (not shown), and the despooler 405 is loaded. An instruction is issued to print the intermediate code described in the spool file 403 and to transmit original electronic data and application data that can be reused.

  The despooler 405 processes the intermediate code included in the spool file 403 according to the setting contents included in the spool file 403 and outputs it again via the graphic engine 302. If the print command received by the dispatcher 401 from the graphic engine 302 is a print command issued from the despooler 405 to the graphic engine 302, the dispatcher 401 sends the print command to the printer driver 303 instead of the spooler 402. The printer driver 303 generates a printer control command and outputs it to the MFP 100 via the system spooler 304.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the data processing procedure shown in FIG. 4 and corresponds to the processing procedure of the page unit storage step in the generation of the spool file 403 by the spooler 402 shown in FIG.

  In step S501, a print request from the application 301 is received. In the application 301, a dialog for inputting print / registration settings as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed, and the print / registration settings input from the dialog are transferred to the spooler 303 from the printer driver.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a print / registration setting dialog displayed on a monitor (not shown) attached to the local PC 102 shown in FIG.

  In the figure, reference numeral 601 represents an area for previewing an image to be printed by the application 301, and 602 represents a TAB for setting RCP (rich content print). In the present embodiment, RCP refers to an operation of registering original electronic information or reusable application data (vectorized) in a server at the same time as printing electronic data to be printed. Reference numerals 603 and 604 represent buttons for reflecting RCP settings, and reference numeral 605 represents a button for performing more detailed settings for registration. Details of registering the original electronic information will be described later.

  In step S502, it is determined whether the received print request is a job start request. If it is determined that the received print request is a job start request, a spool file 403 for temporarily storing intermediate data is created in step S503. To do.

  In step S504, the spool file manager 404 is notified of the progress of the printing process. In step S505, the page number counter of the spooler 402 is initialized to “1”. Here, the spool file manager 404 reads job information, processing settings, and the like for the job for which printing has started from the spool file 403, stores it, and returns to step S501.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S502 that the request is not a job start request, the process advances to step S506 to determine whether the received request is a job end request. If it is determined that the received request is not a job end request, step S507 is performed. To determine whether the page is a page break. If it is determined that the page is a page break, the process proceeds to step S508 to notify the spool file manager 404 of the progress of the printing process and increment the page number counter. The process returns to step S501.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S507 that the received print request is not a page break, the process advances to step S509 to prepare for storage of the intermediate file and vectorized data.

  In step S510, conversion processing for storing the print request in the spool file 403 is performed. In step S511, the print request converted into a storable form in step S510 is written to the spool file 403. Thereafter, the process returns to step S501 to accept a print request from the application again. The series of processing from step S501 to step S511 is continued until a job end request is received from the application.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S506 that the print request from the application is the end of the job, all the print requests from the application are ended, and the process proceeds to step S512, where it is determined whether registration is set. I do.

  If it is determined in step S512 that registration is set (when the button 603 is selected in FIG. 6), the vectorized application is activated in step S513, and the data stored as the spool file 403 is temporarily stored. Raster data is converted into vector data, and in step S514, the original application data and the reusable application are associated with each other as registration data and stored in the spool file 403 in step S513. Details of the vectorization method and registration will be described later.

  When the association in step S514 ends, the process proceeds to the subsequent step S515, where the spool file manager 404 is notified of the progress of the printing process and the registration process, and the process ends.

  If there is no registration request in step S512, the process directly proceeds to step S515 to notify the spool file manager 404 of the progress of only the printing process, and the process ends.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the second data processing procedure of the present invention. First, in step S701, a print processing progress notification is received from the spooler 402 or despooler 405. In step S702, it is determined whether or not the progress notification is a print start notification from the spooler 402 notified in step S504 shown in FIG. 5, and if it is determined, the process proceeds to step S703. The printing processing settings are read from the spool file 403, job management is started, and the process returns to step S701.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S702 that the print start notification is not received from the spooler 402, the process advances to step S704, and the progress notification is printed in one logical page from the spooler 402 notified in step S508 shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not it is an end notification, and if it is determined that it is a print end notification for one logical page, the process advances to step S705 to store logical page information for this logical page.

  In subsequent step S706, it is determined whether printing of one logical page can be started with respect to the n logical pages that have been spooled at this time. If printing is possible, the process advances to step S707 to determine a physical page from the logical number assigned to one physical page to be printed.

  Regarding the calculation of the physical page, for example, when the processing setting is such that four logical pages are arranged in one physical page, the first physical page can be printed when the fourth logical page is spooled, and the first physical page is printed. It becomes a page. Subsequently, the second physical page can be printed when the eighth logical page is spooled.

  Even if the number of logical pages is not a multiple of the number of logical pages to be arranged on one physical page, the logical page to be arranged on one physical page can be determined by the spool end notification in step S515 shown in FIG.

  In step S708, the despooler 405 is notified of information such as a logical page that constitutes a printable physical page and its physical page number in the format shown in FIG. Then, it returns to step S701 and waits for the next notification.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of information notified to the despooler 405 from the spool file manager 404 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S704 that the progress notification is not a print end notification of one logical page from the spooler 402, the process proceeds to step S709, and the spooler 402 notified in step S512 shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not it is a job end notification, and the process proceeds to step S711.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S709 that the notification is not a job end notification, the process advances to step S710 to determine whether the received notification is a print end notification for one physical page from the despooler 405, and a print end notification for one physical page. If it is determined that there is, the process proceeds to step S711, where it is determined whether all of the processing setting printing has been completed. If it is determined that printing has been completed, the process proceeds to step S712, where the despooler 405 is notified of the completion of printing. Return to S701.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S711 that printing for the processing setting has not yet been completed, the process proceeds to step S706 described above. Note that the despooler 405 in this embodiment assumes that the number of physical pages that can be simultaneously printed is “1”.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S710 that it is not a print end notification of one physical page from the despooler 405, the process proceeds to step S713 to determine whether it is a print end notification from the despooler 405, and a print end notification from the despooler 405. If it is determined, the process advances to step S714 to delete the spool file, and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S713 that the print end notification has not been received from the despooler 405, the process advances to step S715 to perform other normal processing and wait for the next notification.

  In response to a print request from the despooler 405 and the spool file manager 404, necessary information is read out from the spool file 403, and print data generation and registration data transmission preparation are performed. The registration data (or reusable application data) that has already been generated and the transfer method of the MFP 100 in the generated print data are as described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, these names and functional frameworks described above may be slightly different depending on the basic OS. However, as long as the technical means referred to in the present invention can be realized, these names and frameworks are used for the present embodiment. Is not a big problem. For example, what is called a spooler or a spool file can be realized by incorporating processing into a module called a print queue in another OS. In general, a host computer including these functional modules includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk (HDD), various input / output control units ( Under the hardware such as I / O), software called basic software controls the software, and under the basic software, each application software and subsystem process can operate as functional modules. Yes.

[Advanced registration settings]
In the print setting dialog shown in FIG. 6, when “NO” 604 is selected with a radio button in the RCP (rich content print) setting, the normal print processing is generated by the application 301 along the above-described print sequence. Data is printed via the MFP 100. When “Yes” 603 is selected with the radio button, the original electronic data created by the application 301 is re-converted into object units in a plurality of domains by the vectorization process described later. The data is processed into a usable format, and at the same time, the data is registered in the database 105 so that it can be used as index information for searching the original data. That is, when “YES” 603 is set, the original data and the processed data are registered in the database 105 while performing the printing process.

  When “Yes” 603 is selected, “Detail Settings” 605 is activated in the dialog, and the setting for vectorizing the original electronic data can be changed.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a print setting dialog when the detailed setting button 605 is selected. A box 901 indicates a default or currently set registration method, and a button 902 indicates a button for expanding the setting contents as a pull-down menu. A box 903 is a button for confirming the current setting contents, and a box 904 is for canceling the current setting contents. When the button 903 or 904 is selected, the display returns to the display of FIG.

  FIG. 10 shows the registration setting contents displayed when the button 902 is pressed. As the setting mode, five modes of all registration mode, photo mode, table mode, character mode, and character / photo mode can be selected. Here, when the character mode 1001 is selected, the character mode is displayed in the box 901 shown in FIG. 9, and the registration contents are set as “character mode” in the registration setting information: 801 shown in FIG. The

  Here, the operation of each setting mode shown in FIG. 10 will be briefly described.

  All registration mode: All information obtained by vectorizing original electronic information is transmitted to the database 105 as registration information.

  Photo mode: In the vectorized file, only the photo object (bitmap object) is sent to the database 105 as registration information, and only the position information is sent to the database 105 as the other object NULL (blank information). Send.

  Character mode: In the vectorized file, only text objects are transmitted as registration information to the database 105, and other objects are transmitted as NULL (blank information) and only position information is transmitted to the database 105.

  Character / photo mode: Sends only text objects and photo object bitmap objects in the vectorized file to the database 105 as registration information, and other objects as NULL (blank information) and position information. Only to the database 105.

  FIG. 24 shows an example of a vectorized format when “all registration mode” is set in the box 901. In the present embodiment, the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format is used, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In FIG. 24, the notation of the object is surrounded by a frame for explanation. A frame: 2401 indicates an image attribute, in which area information indicating an area of the image object and bitmap information are indicated. A frame: 2402 represents text object information, and a frame: 2403 represents the content indicated by the frame: 2402 as a vector object. A subsequent frame: 2404 represents line art such as a table object.

  Therefore, for example, when the character mode 1001 is selected in the box 901, as shown in FIG. 25, only the frame: 2502 is left as the object information in the vectorized information of FIG. For 2501, 2503, and 2504, only the position information of the object is left, and the information indicating the contents is NULL and the data amount (information amount) is reduced and transmitted and registered in the database 105. When another mode is selected, the data amount is reduced by the same method and registered in the database 105 together with original application data as vectorized data to be described later.

  FIG. 26 shows a file format in which the vectorized data described later is converted as reusable application format data and the original application data format, and includes a header 2601, a reusable application data portion 2602, and an original. It consists of a data part 2603.

  In the header 2601, contents conforming to the format format of the database registered in the database 105 are described. Information such as the size of application data that can be reused, the size of original data, and the contents set in the RCP 602 of FIG. Is retained.

  The reusable application data portion 2602 is stored in a data format described in a vectorization process to be described later, and the original data is stored in the data format of the original application that the user controls.

  Although the operation of five modes has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to these five, and can be set as a new mode in which a plurality of pieces of object information are combined.

[Vectorization of original electronic information]
The conversion into reusable data according to the present invention refers to the processing in step S513 shown in FIG. 5, and is executed by each step in FIG.

  Step S1101 (RIP): Intermediate data stored for printing in the spool file 403 is once converted into raster data. Raster data conversion is performed using a RIP core application. This process is the same as that for developing intermediate data in MFP 100. The converted data is temporarily stored in the RAM (not shown) in the local PC 102 as image data for one page, and the process proceeds to step S1102.

  Step S1102 (Block selection (area division) step): The image data area stored in the RAM (not shown) by the local PC 102 is divided into a character / line drawing area including characters or line drawings, a halftone photo area, and an indefinite shape. The image area is divided into other areas. Further, with respect to the character / line drawing area, a character area mainly including characters and a line drawing area mainly including tables and figures are separated, and the line drawing area is separated into a table area and a graphic area. In this embodiment, connected pixels are detected and divided into regions for each attribute using the shape, size, pixel density, etc. of the circumscribed rectangular region of the connected pixels, but other region dividing methods are used. It doesn't matter.

  For the character area, the clustered blocks of each character paragraph are segmented into rectangular blocks (character area rectangular blocks), and in the line drawing area, individual objects such as tables and figures (table area rectangular block, line drawing area rectangular block) Segment into rectangular blocks every time.

  The photograph area expressed in halftone is segmented into rectangular blocks for each object such as an image area rectangular block and a background area rectangular block.

  Information on these rectangular blocks is referred to as “region division information”. An example of this “region division information” is shown in FIG.

  In the left half of the figure, the original image information itself is the image 1201, and the right half is the image 1202 in which the area division information is obtained by the rectangular block. In the region-divided image 1202, the state of the division is shown as each rectangular block.

  In this embodiment, in order to facilitate understanding of the concept of the rectangular block, each rectangular block is indicated as TEXT, PICTURE, LINE, or TABLE indicating its attributes.

  TEXT, PICTURE, LINE, and TABLE are attributes of a character area rectangular block, a drawing area rectangular block, a line figure area rectangular block, a table area rectangular block, and a photograph area rectangular block. If other attributes are defined, it can be further divided into a plurality of types of rectangular areas.

  Step S1103 (vectorization step): Image data is converted into vector data by vectorization processing.

  The vectorization methods include the following (a) to (f).

  (A) When the divided area is a character area, the character image is further code-converted by OCR, or the character size, style, and font are recognized, and the character obtained by scanning the document is visually faithful. Convert to font data.

  (B) When the divided area is a character area and cannot be recognized by OCR, the outline of the character is traced, and the outline information (outline) is converted into a format that represents the connection of line segments.

  (C) When the divided region is a graphic region, the contour of the graphic object is tracked and converted into a format in which the contour information is expressed as a connection of line segments.

  (D) Fitting the outline information in the line segment format of b and c with a Bezier function or the like to convert it into function information.

  (E) The shape of the figure is recognized from the contour information of the figure object of c, and converted into figure definition information such as a circle, a rectangle, and a polygon.

  (F) When the divided area is a graphic area and the object is a tabular object in the specific area, the ruled line and the frame line are recognized and converted into form format information of a predetermined format.

  In addition to the above methods, various vectorization processes can be considered in which image data is replaced with command definition information such as code information, graphic information, and function information.

  Step S1104: Using the vector data obtained in step S1103, the data is converted into a reusable application data format and stored in the spool file 403 as reusable data. Usually, the data format depends on the application to be used and needs to be converted into a file format suitable for the purpose.

  Application data formats that can be reused for editing and the like are application software such as word processors and spreadsheet software, such as word processor WORD (registered trademark) of Microsoft Corporation and spreadsheet application software EXCEL (registered trademark). There is. Each of these reusable applications has a different purpose of use, and a file format corresponding to the purpose is defined, and a file (data) is stored in that format.

  More general file formats include Microsoft Corporation's RTF (Rich Text File) format, SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format that has recently been used, or plain text format that simply handles text data only. , Etc. are known, and these can be commonly used in corresponding applications.

  With the above configuration, the data is converted into vector data and generated as data that can be easily reused such as editing. At the same time, this data is managed together with the original electronic data and stored in the spool file 403.

  Next, the main steps of FIG. 11 will be described in detail.

[Block selection step]
In step S1102 (block selection step), as shown in the image 1202 in the right half of FIG. 12, the input image is divided into rectangular blocks for each attribute. As described above, the attributes of the rectangular block include character (TEXT) / drawing (PICTURE) / line drawing (Line) / table (Table) / photograph (PHOTO).

  In the block selection step, first, image data stored in a RAM (not shown) is binarized into black and white, and a pixel block surrounded by a black pixel outline is extracted.

  Further, the size of the black pixel block extracted in this way is evaluated, and the contour tracking is performed for the white pixel block inside the black pixel block whose size is a predetermined value or more. As long as the internal pixel block is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, such as size evaluation for the white pixel block and tracking of the internal black pixel block, the internal pixel block is extracted recursively and the contour is traced.

  The size of the pixel block is evaluated by, for example, the area of the pixel block.

  A rectangular block circumscribing the pixel block thus obtained is generated, and attributes are determined based on the size and shape of the rectangular block.

  For example, a rectangular block whose aspect ratio is close to 1 and whose size is constant is a character-corresponding block that may be a character area rectangular block. When adjacent character-corresponding blocks are regularly aligned, these characters are equivalent. A new rectangular block in which the blocks are collected is generated, and the new rectangular block is set as a character area rectangular block.

  In addition, flat pixel blocks are line drawing area rectangular blocks, black pixel blocks that are larger than a certain size and square white pixel blocks are arranged in a well-aligned manner, front area rectangular blocks, and regions where irregular pixel blocks are scattered are photo areas. A rectangular block and other irregular pixel blocks are defined as a photographic area rectangular block.

  In the block selection step, block information such as attributes and input file information shown in FIG. 13 are generated for each of the rectangular blocks generated in this way.

  In FIG. 13, the block information includes attributes of each block, position coordinates X, coordinates Y, width W, height H, and OCR information. The attribute is given by a numerical value of 1 to 5, where 1 is a character area rectangular block, 2 is a drawing area rectangular block, 3 is a table area rectangular block, 4 is a line drawing area rectangular block, and 5 is a photographic area rectangular block. The coordinates X and Y are the X and Y coordinates (upper left corner coordinates) of the start point of each rectangular block in the input image. The width W and the height H are the width in the X coordinate direction and the height in the Y coordinate direction of the rectangular block. The OCR information indicates the presence or absence of pointer information in the input image.

  Furthermore, the total number N of blocks indicating the number of rectangular blocks is included as input file information.

  The block information for each rectangular block is used for vectorization in a specific area. Further, the relative positional relationship when the specific area and other areas are combined can be specified by the block information, and the vectorized area and the raster data area can be combined without impairing the layout of the input image.

[Vectorization step]
Step S1103 (vectorization step) is executed by each step of FIG.

  Step S1401: It is determined whether or not the specific area is a character area rectangular block. If the specific area is a character area rectangular block, the process proceeds to step S1402 and the subsequent steps, recognition is performed using one method of pattern matching, and the corresponding character code is set. obtain. If the specific area is not a character area rectangular block, the process proceeds to step S1412.

  Step S1402: In order to perform horizontal writing and vertical writing determination (assembling direction determination) on the specific area, a horizontal / vertical projection with respect to the pixel value is taken within the specific area.

  Step S1403: The dispersion of the projection in step S1402 is evaluated. If the horizontal projection variance is large, it is determined as horizontal writing, and if the vertical projection variance is large, it is determined as vertical writing.

  Step S1404: Based on the evaluation result of step S1403, the assembling direction is determined, lines are cut out, and then characters are cut out to obtain character images.

  In the case of horizontal writing, character strings and characters are cut out using horizontal projection, and characters are cut out from the projection in the vertical direction with respect to the cut lines. For vertically written character areas, the process is reversed for horizontal and vertical. When cutting out lines and characters, the size of characters can also be detected.

  Step S1405: For each character cut out in step S1404, an observation feature vector is generated by converting a feature obtained from the character image into a numerical sequence of several tens of dimensions. There are various known methods for extracting feature vectors. For example, there is a method in which characters are divided into meshes, and a mesh number-dimensional vector obtained by counting character lines in each mesh as line elements according to directions is used as a feature vector.

  Step S1406: The observation feature vector obtained in step S1405 is compared with the dictionary feature vector obtained for each character type in advance, and the distance between the observation feature vector and the dictionary feature vector is calculated.

  Step S1407: The distance calculated in step S1406 is evaluated, and the character type with the closest distance is used as the recognition result.

  Step S1408: In the distance evaluation in step S1407, it is determined whether or not the shortest distance is larger than a predetermined value. When the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, there is a high possibility that the dictionary feature vector is erroneously recognized as another character having a similar shape. Therefore, if the similarity is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the recognition result in step S1407 is not adopted, and the process proceeds to step S1411. When the similarity is lower (smaller) than the predetermined value, the recognition result in step S1407 is adopted, and the process proceeds to step S1409.

  Step S1409 (font recognition step): A plurality of dictionary feature vectors for the number of character types used for character recognition are prepared for the character shape type, that is, the font type, and the character code and the font are used for pattern matching. The character font can be recognized by outputting the seed.

  Step S1410: Using the character code and font information obtained by character recognition and font recognition, each character is converted into vector data using outline data prepared in advance. When the input image is color, the color of each character is extracted from the color image and recorded together with vector data.

  Step S1411: Treat the character in the same way as a general line drawing, and outline the character. In other words, outline vector data that is visually faithful to the image data is generated for characters that are likely to cause erroneous recognition.

  Step S1412: When the specific area is not a character area rectangular block, vectorization processing is executed based on the contour of the image.

  Through the above processing, the image information belonging to the character area rectangular block can be converted into vector data that is substantially faithful in shape, size, and color.

[Vectorization of areas other than character areas]
If it is determined in step S1412 that the area is other than the character area rectangular block, that is, the drawing area rectangular block, the line drawing area rectangular block, the table area rectangular block, or the like, the outline of the black pixel block extracted in the specific area is used as vector data. Convert.

  In vectorization of regions other than character regions, first, “corners” that divide a curve into a plurality of sections (pixel columns) are detected in order to represent a line drawing or the like as a combination of straight lines and / or curves. A corner is a point at which the curvature is maximized, and whether or not the pixel Pi on the curve in FIG. 15 is a corner is determined as follows.

  That is, a line segment L connects pixels Pi−k and Pi + k separated from each other by a predetermined number of pixels (k pixels) in both directions along the curve, starting from Pi. When the distance between the pixels Pi-k and Pi + k is d1, the distance between the line segment L and the pixel Pi is d2, and the arc length between the curved pixels Pi-k and Pi + k is A, and when d2 becomes a maximum Alternatively, the pixel Pi is determined to be a corner when the ratio (d1 / A) is equal to or less than the threshold value.

  The pixel row divided by the corner is approximated by a straight line or a curve. The approximation to a straight line is executed by the least square method or the like, and the approximation to a curve uses a cubic spline function or the like. The pixel at the corner that divides the pixel row is the approximate line or the start or end of the approximate line.

  Furthermore, it is judged whether or not the inner contour of the white pixel block exists in the vectorized contour, and when there is an inner contour, the contour is vectorized and recursively inverted as the inner contour of the inner contour. The inner contour of the pixel is vectorized.

  As described above, the outline of a figure having an arbitrary shape can be vectorized by using the contour line approximation. If the original document is in color, the figure color is extracted from the color image and recorded together with vector data.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the outer contour PRj and the inner contour PRj + 1 or another outer contour are close to each other in a certain section of interest, two or a plurality of contour lines are combined and expressed as a line having a thickness. can do. For example, the distance PiQi from each pixel Pi of the contour Pj + 1 to the pixel Qi that is the shortest distance on the contour PRj is calculated, and when the variation of PQi is slight, the interval of interest is set to the midpoint Mi of the pixels Pi and Qi. It can be approximated by a straight line or curve along the point sequence. The thickness of the approximate line and the approximate curve is, for example, an average value of the distance PiQi.

  A table ruled line, which is a line or a set of lines, can be efficiently expressed as a vector by using a set of lines having a thickness.

  After the outline summarization process, the entire process is terminated.

  Note that the photographic area rectangular block is not vectorized and remains as image data.

[Figure recognition]
After the outlines of the above line figures and the like are vectorized, the vectorized dividing lines are grouped for each graphic object.

  Each step of FIG. 17 shows a process of grouping vector data for each graphic object.

  Step S1701: First, the start point and end point of each vector data are calculated.

  Step S1702 (graphic element detection): A graphic element is detected using the start point and end point information obtained in step S1701. A graphic element is a closed graphic formed by a dividing line, and a vector is connected at a common corner pixel serving as a start point and an end point for detection. That is, the principle that each vector constituting the closed shape has a vector connected to both ends thereof is applied.

  Step S1703: Next, other graphic elements or dividing lines existing in the graphic element are grouped into one graphic object. If there is no other graphic element or dividing line in the graphic element, the graphic element is set as a graphic object.

[Detection of graphic elements]
The process of step S1702 (graphic element detection) is executed by each step of FIG.

  Step S1801: First, unnecessary vectors that are not connected to both ends are removed from vector data, and a vector constituting a closed figure is extracted.

  Step S1802: Next, for the vectors constituting the closed figure, the vectors are searched in order in a certain direction, for example, clockwise, with the end point (start point or end point) of one of the vectors as the start point. That is, the end point of another vector is searched at the other end point, and the closest end point within a predetermined distance is set as the end point of the connected vector. When the vector constituting the closed figure is rotated by one and returned to the starting point, all the passed vectors are grouped as a closed figure constituting one graphic element. In addition, all closed graphic constituent vectors inside the closed graphic are also grouped. Further, the same processing is repeated with the starting point of a vector not yet grouped as a starting point.

  Step S1803: Finally, from the unnecessary vectors removed in Step S1801, a vector whose end point is close to the vector grouped as a closed figure in Step S1802 is detected and grouped as one figure element.

  With the above processing, a graphic block can be handled as a reusable individual graphic object.

[Conversion to application (for registration) data]
After the block selection step of FIG. 11 (step S1102), the data converted as a result of vectorization (step S1103) is used to perform conversion processing to application data in step S1104. The vectorization processing result in step S1103 is stored in the intermediate data format shown in FIG. 19, that is, the so-called document analysis output format (DAOF).

  In FIG. 19, DAOF includes a header 1901, a layout description data portion 1902, a character recognition description data portion 1903, a table description data portion 1904, and an image description data portion 1905.

  The header 1901 holds information related to the input image to be processed.

  The layout description data portion 1902 includes rectangular block attributes TEX (character), TITLE (title), CAPTION (caption), LINE (line drawing), PICTURE (drawing), FRAME (frame), and TABLE (table) in the input image. , PHOTO (photo), etc., and position information of each rectangular block in which these attributes are recognized.

  A character recognition description data portion 1903 holds a character recognition result obtained by character recognition among character area rectangular blocks such as TEXT, TITLE, and CAPTION.

  The table description data portion 1904 stores details of the table structure of the table area rectangular block TABLE.

  In the image description data portion 1905, image data in blocks such as the drawing area rectangular block PICTURE and the line drawing area rectangular block LINE are cut out from the input image data and held.

  In a specific area where vectorization processing is instructed, for a block, the image description data portion 1905 stores a set of data representing the internal structure of the block obtained by the vectorization processing, the shape of the image, character codes, and the like. Is retained.

  On the other hand, the input image data itself is held in a rectangular block other than the specific area that is not a vectorization target.

  Conversion processing to application data is executed by each step of FIG.

  Step S2001: Data in DAOF format is input.

  Step S2002: Generate a document structure tree that is the source of application data.

  Step S2003: Based on the document structure tree, actual data in the DAOF is acquired, and actual application data is generated.

  The document structure tree generation process in step S2003 is executed by each step in FIG. As a basic rule of overall control in the processing of FIG. 21, the flow of processing shifts from a micro block (single rectangular block) to a macro block (aggregate of rectangular blocks). Hereinafter, “rectangular block” means both a micro block and a macro block.

  Step S2101: The rectangular blocks are regrouped in units of rectangular blocks based on the relevance in the vertical direction. Although the process of FIG. 21 may be repeatedly executed, the determination is performed in units of micro blocks immediately after the start of the process.

  Here, the relevance is defined by characteristics such as a short distance and a substantially equal block width (height in the horizontal direction). Information such as distance, width, and height is extracted with reference to DAOF.

  In the image data of FIG. 22, the rectangular blocks T1 and T2 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction at the top. A horizontal separator S1 exists below the rectangular blocks T1 and T2, and rectangular blocks T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7 exist below the horizontal separator S1.

  The rectangular blocks T3, T4, and T5 are arranged in the vertical direction from top to bottom in the left half of the region below the horizontal separator S1, and the rectangular blocks T6 and T7 are arranged in the right side in the region below the horizontal separator S1. They are arranged vertically in the half.

  A grouping process based on the vertical relationship in step S2101 is executed. As a result, the rectangular blocks T3, T4, and T5 are combined into one group (rectangular block) V1, and the rectangular blocks T6 and T7 are combined into one group (rectangular block) V2. The groups V1 and V2 are in the same hierarchy.

  Step S2102: The presence / absence of a vertical separator is checked. The separator is an object having a line attribute in the DAOF, and has a function of explicitly dividing the block in the application software. When the separator is detected, the area of the input image is divided into left and right with the separator as a boundary in the processing target hierarchy. In FIG. 22, there is no vertical separator.

  Step S2103: It is determined whether or not the total group height in the vertical direction is equal to the height of the input image. That is, when grouping in the horizontal direction while moving the region to be processed in the vertical direction (for example, from top to bottom), when the processing of the entire input image is completed, the total group height becomes the input image height. To determine the end of the process. When the grouping is finished, the process is finished as it is, and when the grouping is not finished, the process proceeds to step S2104.

  Step S2104: A grouping process based on the related position in the horizontal direction is executed. As a result, the rectangular blocks T1 and T2 are combined into one group (rectangular block) H1, and the rectangular blocks V1 and V2 are combined into one group (rectangular block) H2. The groups H1 and H2 are in the same hierarchy. Again, immediately after the start of processing, the determination is made in units of micro blocks.

  Step S2105: Check whether or not there is a horizontal separator. When the separator is detected, the area of the input image is divided into upper and lower parts with the separator as a boundary in the processing target hierarchy. In FIG. 22, a horizontal separator S1 exists.

  The above processing results are registered as a tree in FIG.

  In FIG. 23, the input image V0 has groups H1 and H2 and a separator S1 in the highest hierarchy, and the rectangular blocks T1 and T2 in the second hierarchy belong to the group H1.

  The group H2 includes the second layer groups V1 and V2, the group V1 includes the third layer rectangular blocks T3, T4, and T5, and the group V2 includes the third layer rectangular blocks T6 and T7. Belongs.

  Step S2106: It is determined whether the total group length in the horizontal direction is equal to the width of the input image. In this way, the end determination regarding the grouping in the horizontal direction is performed. If the horizontal group length is the page width, the document structure tree generation process is terminated. If the group length in the horizontal direction is not the page width, the process returns to step S2101 to repeat from the relevance check in the vertical direction again at the next higher level.

  Since the horizontal division width is the page width at the stage of the tree structure in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23, the processing is ended as it is, and finally the highest hierarchy V0 representing the entire page is added to the document structure tree. .

  After the document structure tree is completed, application data is generated in step S2003 based on the information.

  Examples of processing of application software by application data based on FIGS. 22 and 23 are as follows.

  First, since the group H1 has two rectangular blocks T1 and T2 in the horizontal direction, two columns are used, the DAOF of T1 is referred to, and the internal information (text, image, etc. of the character recognition result) is output. Thereafter, the column is changed, the internal information of T2 is output, and then the separator S1 is output.

  The process proceeds to the next group H2. Since the group H2 has two rectangular blocks V1 and V2 in the horizontal direction, it is output as two columns. For the group V1, the internal information is output in the order of the rectangular blocks T3, T4, T5, and then the column is changed to output the internal information of the rectangular blocks T6, T7 of the group V2.

  As described above, conversion processing into application data, which is data for registration, is executed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted, and different portions will be described.

  In the first embodiment, a description has been given of a mode in which original data and reusable application data are registered in the database 150 when RCP is set in the print / registration setting dialog of the driver UI. In order to further reduce the amount of data to be registered, the data to be registered is limited to reusable application data.

[Registration method and overall print processing flow]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a processing module that prints application data on the local PC 102 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, an application 301, a graphic engine 302, a printer driver 303, and a system spooler 304 exist as files stored in a storage device (not shown) inside the local PC 102, and the OS and its modules are executed when executed. It is a program module (data processing module) executed by a module to be used. The application 301 and the printer driver 303 can be added to a storage device in the local PC 102 via an external memory (not shown), a CD-ROM (not shown) or the network I / F 107.

  The graphic engine 302 executes the printer driver 303 prepared for each recording device 112 from the storage device inside the local PC 102, and sets the output of the application 301 in the printer driver 303.

  Then, the GDI (Graphic Device Interface) function received from the application 301 is converted into a DDI (Device Driver Interface) function, and the DDI function is output to the printer driver 303.

  Based on the DDI function received from the graphic engine 302, the printer driver 303 converts it into a control command that can be recognized by the data processing apparatus 115, for example, PDL (Page Description Language). The converted printer control command is output as print data to the MFP 100 via the network I / F 107 via the system spooler 304 loaded by the OS.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the detailed configuration of the data processing module of the local PC 102 shown in FIG. 1, corresponding to an extension of the system shown in FIG. 3, and printing commands from the graphic engine 302 to the printer driver 303. 1 shows a configuration in which a spool file 403 composed of an intermediate code is once generated.

  In the system shown in FIG. 4, the contents of the spool file 403 can be processed. As a result, functions that the application does not have, such as enlargement / reduction and N-up printing that reduces a plurality of pages into one page and prints the print data from the application, are realized. As described above, in the system shown in FIG. 4, the system is expanded so that spooling is performed with the intermediate code data.

  As shown in the figure, in this processing method, the dispatcher 401 receives a print command from the graphic engine 302. If the print command received by the dispatcher 401 from the graphic engine 302 is a print command issued from the application 301 to the graphic engine 302, the dispatcher 401 stores the spooler 402 stored in the external memory (not shown) in the RAM (not shown). The print command is sent to the spooler 402 instead of the printer driver 303.

  The spooler 402 converts the received print command into an intermediate code and outputs it to the spool file 403. Further, the spooler 402 acquires various settings regarding print / registration data set for the printer driver 303 from the printer driver 303 and stores them in the spool file 403.

  The spool file 403 is generated as a file on an external memory (not shown), but may be generated on a RAM (not shown). Further, the spooler 402 loads a spooler file manager 404 stored in an external memory (not shown) onto a RAM (not shown), and notifies the spool file manager 404 of the generation status of the spool file 403.

  Thereafter, the spool file manager 404 determines whether printing can be performed in accordance with the contents of the processing settings relating to the print data stored in the spool file 403. When the spool file manager 404 determines that printing and registration can be performed using the graphic engine 302, the despooler 405 stored in the external memory (not shown) is loaded into the RAM (not shown), and the despooler 405 is loaded. Is instructed to print the intermediate code described in the spool file 403 and to transmit reusable application data.

  The despooler 405 processes the intermediate code included in the spool file 403 according to the setting contents included in the spool file 403 and outputs it again via the graphic engine 302. If the print command received by the dispatcher 401 from the graphic engine 302 is a print command issued from the despooler 405 to the graphic engine 302, the dispatcher 401 sends the print command to the printer driver 303 instead of the spooler 402. The printer driver 303 generates a printer control command and outputs it to the MFP 100 via the system spooler 304.

  FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing the data processing procedure shown in FIG. 4 in the present embodiment, and corresponds to the processing procedure of the page unit storage step in the generation of the spool file 403 by the spooler 402 shown in FIG.

  In step S2701, a print request from the application 301 is received. In the application 301, a dialog for inputting print / registration settings as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed, and the print / registration settings input from the dialog are transferred to the spooler 402 from the printer driver.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a print / registration setting dialog displayed on a monitor (not shown) attached to the local PC 102 shown in FIG.

  In the figure, reference numeral 601 represents an area for previewing an image to be printed by the application 301, and 602 represents a TAB for setting RCP (rich content print). In this embodiment, RCP refers to an operation of registering reusable data obtained by vectorizing original electronic information in a server at the same time as printing electronic data to be printed. Reference numerals 603 and 604 represent buttons for reflecting RCP settings, and reference numeral 605 represents a button for performing more detailed settings for registration. Details of registering the original electronic information will be described later.

  In step S2702, it is determined whether the received print request is a job start request. If it is determined that the received print request is a job start request, a spool file 403 for temporarily storing intermediate data is created in step S2703. To do.

  In step S2704, the spool file manager 404 is notified of the progress of the printing process. In step S2705, the page number counter of the spooler 402 is initialized to “1”. Here, the spool file manager 404 reads job information, processing settings, and the like for the job for which printing has been started from the spool file 403, stores it, and returns to step 2701.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2702 that the request is not a job start request, the process advances to step S2706 to determine whether the received request is a job end request. If it is determined that the received request is not a job end request, step S2707 is performed. If it is determined that the page is a page break, the flow advances to step S2708 to notify the spool file manager 404 of the progress of the printing process and increment the page number counter. The process returns to step S2701.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2707 that the received print request is not a page break, the process advances to step S2709 to prepare for storage of the intermediate file and vectorized data.

  In step S2710, conversion processing for storing the print request in the spool file 403 is performed. In step S 2711, the print request converted into a storable form in step S 2710 is written to the spool file 403. After that, the process returns to step S2701 to accept a print request from the application again. The series of processing from step S2701 to step S2711 is continued until a job end request is received from the application.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2706 that the print request from the application is the end of the job, all the print requests from the application are ended, so the process proceeds to step S2712, and it is subsequently determined whether registration is set. To do.

  If it is determined in step S2712 that the registration setting has been made (when the button 603 is selected in FIG. 6), the vectorized application is activated in step S2713, and the data stored as the spool file 403 is temporarily stored. After raster data is converted to vector data, it is converted into a format that can be registered in the database. The converted data is stored in the spool file 403 again.

  In the subsequent step S2714, the spool file manager 404 is notified of the progress of the printing process and the registration process, and the process ends.

  If there is no registration request in step S 2712, the process directly proceeds to step S 2714, the progress of only the printing process is notified to the spool file manager 404, and the process ends.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the second data processing procedure of the present invention. First, in step S701, a print processing progress notification is received from the spooler 402 or despooler 405. In step S702, it is determined whether or not the progress notification is a print start notification from the spooler 402 notified in step 2704 shown in FIG. 27. If it is determined that the progress notification is so, the process proceeds to step S703. The printing processing settings are read from the spool file 403, job management is started, and the process returns to step S701.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S702 that the print start notification is not received from the spooler 402, the process advances to step S704, and the progress notification is printed in one logical page from the spooler 402 notified in step S508 shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not it is an end notification, and if it is determined that it is a print end notification for one logical page, the process advances to step S705 to store logical page information for this logical page.

  In subsequent step S706, it is determined whether printing of one logical page can be started with respect to the n logical pages that have been spooled at this time. If printing is possible, the process advances to step S707 to determine a physical page from the logical number assigned to one physical page to be printed.

  Regarding the calculation of the physical page, for example, when the processing setting is such that four logical pages are arranged in one physical page, the first physical page can be printed when the fourth logical page is spooled, and the first physical page is printed. It becomes a page. Subsequently, the second physical page can be printed when the eighth logical page is spooled.

  Even if the number of logical pages is not a multiple of the number of logical pages allocated to one physical page, the logical page to be allocated to one physical page can be determined by the spool end notification in step S2714 shown in FIG.

  In step S708, the despooler 405 is notified of information such as a logical page that constitutes a printable physical page and its physical page number in the format shown in FIG. Then, it returns to step S701 and waits for the next notification.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of information notified to the despooler 405 from the spool file manager 404 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S704 that the progress notification is not a print end notification of one logical page from the spooler 402, the process proceeds to step S709, and the process from the spooler 402 notified in step S2712 shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not it is a job end notification, and the process proceeds to step S711.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S709 that the notification is not a job end notification, the process advances to step S710 to determine whether the received notification is a print end notification for one physical page from the despooler 405, and a print end notification for one physical page. If it is determined that there is, the process proceeds to step S711, where it is determined whether all of the processing setting printing has been completed. If it is determined that printing has been completed, the process proceeds to step S712, where the despooler 405 is notified of the completion of printing. Return to S701.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S711 that printing for the processing setting has not yet been completed, the process proceeds to step S706 described above. Note that the despooler 405 in this embodiment assumes that the number of physical pages that can be simultaneously printed is “1”.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S710 that it is not a print end notification of one physical page from the despooler 405, the process proceeds to step S713 to determine whether it is a print end notification from the despooler 405. If it is determined, the process advances to step S714 to delete the spool file, and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S713 that the print end notification has not been received from the despooler 405, the process advances to step S715 to perform other normal processing and wait for the next notification.

  In response to a print request from the despooler 405 and the spool file manager 404, necessary information is read out from the spool file 403, and print data generation and registration data transmission preparation are performed. The registration data (or reusable application data) that has already been generated and the transfer method of the MFP 100 in the generated print data are as described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, these names and functional frameworks described above may be slightly different depending on the basic OS. However, as long as the technical means referred to in the present invention can be realized, these names and frameworks are used for the present embodiment. Is not a big problem. For example, what is called a spooler or a spool file can be realized by incorporating processing into a module called a print queue in another OS. In general, a host computer including each of these functional modules includes a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk (HDD), various input / output control units ( Under the hardware such as I / O), software called basic software controls the software, and under the basic software, each application software and subsystem process can operate as functional modules. Yes.

[Advanced registration settings]
In the print setting dialog shown in FIG. 6, when “NO” 604 is selected with a radio button in the RCP (rich content print) setting, the normal print processing is generated by the application 301 along the above-described print sequence. Data is printed via the MFP 100. When “Yes” 603 is selected with the radio button, the original electronic data created by the application 301 is re-converted into the object unit in a plurality of domains by the vectorization process described above. The data is processed into a usable format, and at the same time, the data is registered in the database 105 so that it can be used as index information for searching the original data.

  When “Yes” 603 is selected, “Detail Settings” 605 is activated in the dialog, and the setting for vectorizing the original electronic data can be changed.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a print setting dialog when the detailed setting button 605 is selected. A box 901 indicates a default or currently set registration method, and a button 902 indicates a button for expanding the setting contents as a pull-down menu. A box 903 is a button for confirming the current setting contents, and a box 904 is for canceling the current setting contents. When the button 903 or 904 is selected, the display returns to the display of FIG.

  FIG. 10 shows the registration setting contents displayed when the button 902 is pressed. As the setting mode, five modes of all registration mode, photo mode, table mode, character mode, and character / photo mode can be selected. Here, when the character mode 1001 is selected, the character mode is displayed in the box 901 shown in FIG. 9, and the registration contents are set as “character mode” in the registration setting information: 801 shown in FIG. The

  Here, the operation of each setting mode shown in FIG. 10 will be briefly described.

  All registration mode: All information obtained by vectorizing original electronic information is transmitted to the database 105 as registration information.

  Photo mode: In the vectorized file, only the photo object (bitmap object) is sent to the database 105 as registration information, and only the position information is sent to the database 105 as the other object NULL (blank information). Send.

  Character mode: In the vectorized file, only text objects are transmitted as registration information to the database 105, and other objects are transmitted as NULL (blank information) and only position information is transmitted to the database 105.

  Character / photo mode: Sends only text objects and photo object bitmap objects in the vectorized file to the database 105 as registration information, and other objects as NULL (blank information) and position information. Only to the database 105.

  FIG. 24 shows an example of a vectorized format when “all registration mode” is set in the box 901. In the present embodiment, the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format is used, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In FIG. 24, the notation of the object is surrounded by a frame for explanation. A frame: 2401 indicates an image attribute, in which area information indicating an area of the image object and bitmap information are indicated. A frame: 2402 represents text object information, and a frame: 2403 represents the content indicated by the frame: 2402 as a vector object. A subsequent frame: 2404 represents line art such as a table object.

  Therefore, for example, when the character mode 1001 is selected in the box 901, as shown in FIG. 25, only the frame: 2502 is left as the object information in the vectorized information of FIG. For 2501, 2503, and 2504, only the position information of the object is left, and the information indicating the contents is NULL and the data amount (information amount) is reduced and transmitted and registered in the database 105. Even when another mode is selected, application data that can be reused by reducing the data amount is registered in the database 105 in the same manner.

  FIG. 28 shows a file format for converting reusable application format data as registration data, and includes a header 2801 and a reusable application data portion 2802.

  In the header 2801, contents conforming to the format format of the database registered in the database 105 are described, and information such as the size of reusable application data and the contents set in the RCP 602 in FIG. 6 are held.

  The reusable application data portion 2802 is stored in the data format described in the vectorization process described above, and the original data is stored in the data format of the original application that the user controls.

  Although the operation of five modes has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to these five, and can be set as a new mode in which a plurality of pieces of object information are combined.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following, description of the same configuration as in the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and different parts will be described.

  In the first and second embodiments, the mode in which original data and reusable application data are registered in the database 105 when RCP is set in the print / registration setting dialog of the driver UI has been described. In the present embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, an example will be described in which a registered object is stored in the database 105 for a certain period, and the substance of the object is deleted from the registered data after a predetermined period.

[Advanced registration settings]
In the print setting dialog shown in FIG. 6, when “NO” 604 is selected with a radio button in the RCP (rich content print) setting, the normal print processing is generated by the application 301 along the above-described print sequence. Data is printed via the MFP 100. When “Yes” 603 is selected with the radio button, the original electronic data created by the application 301 is re-converted into object units in a plurality of domains by the vectorization process described later. The data is processed into a usable format, and at the same time, the data is registered in the database 105 so that it can be used as index information for searching the original data. That is, when “YES” 603 is set, the original data and the processed data are registered in the database 105 while performing the printing process.

  When “Yes” 603 is selected, “Detail Settings” 605 is activated in the dialog, and the setting for vectorizing the original electronic data can be changed.

  FIG. 29 is an example of a print setting dialog when the detailed setting button 605 is selected. A box 2901 indicates a default or currently set registration method, and a button 2902 indicates a button for expanding the setting contents as a pull-down menu. A box 2903 is a button for confirming the current setting contents, and a box 2904 is for canceling the current setting contents. When the button 2903 or 2904 is selected, the display returns to the display of FIG. A button 2905 is used to set a period during which the mode set in the box 2901 is valid. After this set period, the registered data is deleted from the database 105.

  FIG. 10 shows registration setting contents displayed when the button 2902 is pressed. As the setting mode, five modes of all registration mode, photo mode, table mode, character mode, and character / photo mode can be selected. Here, when the character mode 1001 is selected, the character mode is displayed in the box 2901 shown in FIG. 29, and the registration content is set as “character mode” in the registration setting information: 801 shown in FIG. The

  Here, the operation of each setting mode shown in FIG. 10 will be briefly described.

  All registration mode: All information obtained by vectorizing original electronic information is transmitted to the database 105 as registration information.

  Photo mode: In the vectorized file, only the photo object (bitmap object) is sent to the database 105 as registration information, and only the position information is sent to the database 105 as the other object NULL (blank information). Send.

  Character mode: In the vectorized file, only text objects are transmitted as registration information to the database 105, and other objects are transmitted as NULL (blank information) and only position information is transmitted to the database 105.

  Character / photo mode: Sends only text objects and photo object bitmap objects in the vectorized file to the database 105 as registration information, and other objects as NULL (blank information) and position information. Only to the database 105.

  When the button 2905 is set, a dialog shown in FIG. 30 is displayed. In FIG. 30, a box 3001 displays a currently set time limit, and a pull-down button 3002 indicates a button for expanding the setting contents as a pull-down menu. FIG. 31 shows an example in which setting contents are displayed by pressing a pull-down button. In FIG. 31, the above six process setting items “indefinite”, “1 year”, “6 months”, “3 months”, “1 month”, “1 week” are prepared. The scope of the embodiment is not limited to these six items, and the set period may be input from a keyboard (not shown).

  In this embodiment, “all registration mode” in FIG. 29 and “1 month” 3101 are set as the period setting. An example of reusable application data in that case is shown in FIG. FIG. 32 shows the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format as in the first embodiment, but is not limited to this.

  FIG. 32 is basically the same as FIG. 24 described in the first embodiment, but a tag representing the period shown in 3201 is added. In this embodiment, “term” representing a period, “date” representing a registration date, and “time” representing time are set. In this embodiment, “term” is set to “1 month” and the registration date is set to the date and time registered on the local PC 102. However, the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to this notation, and is displayed in FIG. Any other notation may be used as long as the method satisfies the predetermined period.

  The reusable application data set as described above is registered in the database 105.

  FIG. 33 shows a processing flow for managing a setting period of a file in which the database 105 is registered.

  First, in step S3301, it is confirmed whether an expiration date is set for the corresponding file. If an expiration date has been set, the process proceeds to step S3302, but if not set, the process ends.

  In the subsequent step S3302, for each registered file, a “term” tag, a “date” tag, and a “time” tag are stored in a memory (not shown) in the database 105 (confirmation work).

  Subsequently, in step S3303, the current date from the database 105 timer (not shown) is called, and it is confirmed from the “term” tag, “date”, and “time” tag stored earlier whether a predetermined period has been entered.

  The following formulas (1) and (2) are one means for realizing the present embodiment.

end time = date (time) + term (1)
now time ≧ end time (2)
In the formula (1), the deadline is calculated from each tag, and the current date and time in the formula (2) are compared with the deadline obtained in the formula (1). In this embodiment, the simple comparison operation as described above has been described, but other comparison means such as using an index that can substitute a numerical value may be used.

  If the period is not entered in step S3303 (the expression (2) is satisfied), the file registered in the subsequent step S3304 is deleted to reduce the data capacity. If it is within the period, it will not be deleted.

  The flow shown in FIG. 33 shows processing for determining deletion of one file, and the timing of deleting each file in the database 105 is not mentioned in this embodiment.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following, description of the same configuration as that of the third embodiment will be omitted, and different portions will be described.

  In the third embodiment, the registered data is deleted after a predetermined period. In this embodiment, a registerable period is set for each object to be registered. An example of erasing will be described.

[Advanced registration settings]
In the print setting dialog shown in FIG. 6, when “NO” 604 is selected with a radio button in the RCP (rich content print) setting, the normal print processing is generated by the application 301 in accordance with the above-described print sequence. Data is printed via the MFP 100. When “Yes” 603 is selected with the radio button, the original electronic data created by the application 301 is re-converted into object units in a plurality of domains by the vectorization process described later. The data is processed into a usable format, and at the same time, the data is registered in the database 105 so that it can be used as index information for searching the original data. That is, when “YES” 603 is set, the original data and the processed data are registered in the database 105 while performing the printing process.

  When “Yes” 603 is selected, “Detail Settings” 605 is activated in the dialog, and the setting for vectorizing the original electronic data can be changed.

  FIG. 34 shows an example of a print setting dialog when the detailed setting button 605 is selected. A box 3401 indicates a default or currently set registration method, and a button 3402 indicates a button for expanding the setting contents as a pull-down menu. A box 3403 is a button for confirming the current setting contents, and a box 3404 is for canceling the current setting contents. When the button 3403 or 3404 is selected, the display returns to the display of FIG. A button 3405 is used to select an object for which the registration expiration date is valid from the modes set in the box 3401. Therefore, for an object that is not validated, the time limit is set to indefinite.

  When button 3405 is selected, a dialog shown in FIG. 35 is displayed. In this embodiment, “all objects”, “PHOTO objects”, “TEXT objects”, “LINE objects”, and “TABLE objects” can be selected, and the expiration date of the selected objects can be selected with a button 3502. It can be set. The meaning of the object displayed here is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, FIG. 36 shows an example of reusable application data when the “PHOTO object” 3501 is selected and the set deadline is the same period as in the third embodiment. Although FIG. 36 is expressed in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format as in the first and third embodiments, it is not limited to this.

  When the setting is completed, the button 3403 or 3404 is selected to return to the display of FIG. 34, and the button 3403 or 3404 is selected to return to the display of FIG.

  FIG. 36 is different from FIG. 32 of the third embodiment in that an expiration date is set in the image tag related to “PHOTO object”. 3601 shows that the same tag information as in the third embodiment is added to the image tag.

  FIG. 37 shows a sequence for deleting an object entity in this embodiment.

  First, it is confirmed whether or not an object is defined in step S3701 in the corresponding registration file. If it is not defined, the process ends. If it is defined, the process advances to step S3702.

  In step S3702, the entity of the object is confirmed. The actual condition is whether or not it has a NULL attribute, that is, as shown in the first embodiment, only the area information is described and its entity does not exist: it is determined whether or not it is NULL. If there is an actual condition, the process proceeds to the following step S3703. If there is no actual condition, the process proceeds to step S3701 and the process is repeated.

  In step S3703, it is confirmed whether an expiration date is set for the corresponding object.

  As shown in FIG. 36, in this embodiment, there is an entity in the image tag, and since an expiration date is set there, the “term” tag in the object being confirmed is the same as in the third embodiment. The “date” tag and the “time” tag are stored in a memory (not shown) in the database 105 (confirmation work). If the expiration date is not described in step S3703, the process returns to step S3701 and continues.

  Subsequently, in step S3705, the current date from the database 105 timer (not shown) is called, and it is confirmed from the previously stored “term” tag, “date” and “time” tag whether a predetermined period has been entered.

  The following formulas (1) and (2) are one means for realizing the present embodiment.

end time = date (time) + term (1)
now time ≧ end time (2)
In the formula (1), the deadline is calculated from each tag, and the current date and time is compared with the deadline obtained by the formula (1) in the formula (2). In this embodiment, the simple comparison operation as described above has been described, but other comparison means such as using an index that can substitute a numerical value may be used.

  If it is not in the period in step S3705 (the expression (2) is satisfied), the registered object is deleted instead of the registered object in the subsequent step S3706, and NULL information is entered as shown in FIG. To reduce. Reference numeral 3810 denotes a state in which the image tag entity is deleted.

  If it is within the period, it will not be deleted.

  If the period is entered in step S3705, the process is continued again in step S3701.

  The flow shown in FIG. 37 shows processing for determining deletion of one file, and the timing of deleting each file in the database 105 is not mentioned in this embodiment.

[Other embodiments]
In the third and fourth embodiments, the case where the target for which the expiration date is set is the file itself to be registered and the case where it is limited to the object have been described. As another invention, the method of deleting the file itself or in units of objects is also advantageous for reducing the data amount, as in the third and fourth embodiments, depending on the frequency of accessing the file to be registered.

  FIG. 39 shows an example of reusable application data when the access frequency is set in the print setting dialog. Although FIG. 39 is expressed in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format as in the first, third, and fourth embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this. Similarly to FIG. 36, 3901 describes a tag (freq) that defines the access frequency, instead of a tag that clearly specifies the period setting. The method for setting the time limit in the print setting dialog is as shown in FIG. 40 as in FIG. 31 of the third embodiment. In FIG. 40, the frequency “10” shown in 4001 is specified, and the result is reflected in the previous file: the freq tag in FIG. In this embodiment, the access frequency can be set to “unlimited”, “10000”, “1000”, “100”, “10”, “3”, but the scope of this embodiment includes these six items. The frequency setting may be input from a keyboard (not shown).

  FIG. 41 shows a processing flow for deleting a file in the database 105.

  First, in step S4101, it is confirmed whether the frequency is set for the corresponding file. If the frequency is set, the process proceeds to the following step S4102. If the frequency is not set, the process ends.

  In the subsequent step S4102, a “freq” tag is stored in a memory (not shown) in the database 105 for each registered file (confirmation work).

  In step S4103, the access frequency of the corresponding file stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) is read out. As for the file access frequency, the result of counting the file name as an index every time the file accesses the file from the MFP 100 or another domain is stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) as needed.

  In the subsequent step S4104, the count number of the corresponding file is compared with the set value of the file. If the frequency is exceeded, the file is deleted in the subsequent step S4105, and if it does not exceed, the process continues.

  The flow shown in FIG. 41 shows processing for determining deletion of one file, and the timing of deleting each file in the database 105 is not mentioned in this embodiment.

  Moreover, it is possible to delete the data by storing the access frequency for each object based on the same concept as the fourth embodiment as an extension of the fourth embodiment.

[Fifth embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following, description of the same configuration as in the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment will be omitted, and different parts will be described.

  In the third embodiment, the registered data is deleted after a predetermined period. In the fourth embodiment, a registerable period is set for each object to be registered, and the substance is deleted when the time limit has passed. In this embodiment, an example in which the creator (printer) explicitly sets an object to be registered using a UI will be described.

[Advanced registration settings]
In the print setting dialog shown in FIG. 6, when “NO” 604 is selected with a radio button in the RCP (rich content print) setting, the normal print processing is generated by the application 301 along the above-described print sequence. Data is printed via the MFP 100. When “Yes” 603 is selected with the radio button, the original electronic data created by the application 301 is re-converted into object units in a plurality of domains by the vectorization process described later. The data is processed into a usable format, and at the same time, the data is registered in the database 105 so that it can be used as index information for searching the original data. That is, when “YES” 603 is set, the original data and the processed data are registered in the database 105 while performing the printing process.

  When “Yes” 603 is selected, “Detail Settings” 605 is activated in the dialog, and the setting for vectorizing the original electronic data can be changed.

  FIG. 34 shows an example of a print setting dialog when the detailed setting button 605 is selected. A box 3401 indicates a default or currently set registration method, and a button 3402 indicates a button for expanding the setting contents as a pull-down menu. A box 3403 is a button for confirming the current setting contents, and a box 3404 is for canceling the current setting contents. When the button 3403 or 3404 is selected, the display returns to the display of FIG. A button 3405 is used to select an object to be registered among the modes set in the box 3401. As shown in the first embodiment, the selected object information is in a vectorized format, for example, as shown in FIG. 24, and the bounding box of the selected object (minimum closed area surrounding the object: x coordinate) , Y coordinate, width, height). In this embodiment, the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format is used, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the object that is not selected leaves only the bounding box information of the object, and the information indicating the contents is transmitted and registered in the database 105 as NULL with the data amount (information amount) reduced.

  When button 3405 is selected, a dialog shown in FIG. 42 is displayed. Hereinafter, a case where “all registration mode” is selected in the box 3401 will be described. In other modes, only the objects that can be selected depend on the mode, and the object selection processing described below is the same.

  In a text box 4206, a target page number can be designated. A button 4201 is a button for switching to a mode for selecting an object. After pressing this button, the user selects an object to be registered from the preview screen on the left side of FIG. When the selection is made, it is highlighted as shown by 4208 to indicate to the user that it has been selected. After selecting an object, registration is performed using a button 4202. A text box 4207 displays the number of selected objects. When registration is performed using the button 4202, the number of selected objects increases. When the object registered with the button 4202 is to be released, the button 4203 is pressed. After the cancellation, the number of objects selected in the text box 4207 decreases. After selecting objects for all pages, the user presses a button 4204 to confirm the selected object and return to the screen of FIG. When canceling the object selection, a button 4205 is pressed to cancel the process and return to the screen of FIG. Furthermore, when the button 3403 or 3404 is selected, the display returns to the display of FIG.

  Means for carrying out the image processing method according to the present invention is not limited to the image processing system described in FIGS. 1 and 2, and various means such as a dedicated image processing apparatus and a general-purpose computer may be employed.

  When executed on a general-purpose computer, a computer-executable program including program code for causing the general-purpose computer to execute each step of the image processing method is read into the general-purpose computer.

  A program for the general-purpose computer to execute image processing is read from a ROM built in the general-purpose computer, a storage medium readable by the general-purpose computer, or read from a server or the like through a network.

  Further, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the spirit and scope of the present invention are not limited to the specific description and drawings of the present invention, but cover various modifications and changes in the contents described in the claims of the present application. It will be.

1 is a block diagram showing an image processing system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the MFP in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of the data processing module in the local PC102 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of FIG. 2. It is a 1st data processing flow demonstrated in 1st Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the dialog explaining the printing / registration setting demonstrated by this invention. It is a 2nd data processing flow demonstrated in 1st Example. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information notified from a spool manager illustrated in FIG. 4 to a despooler. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print setting dialog when a detailed setting is selected in FIG. 6. It is a figure which shows an example of the display which expand | deployed the registration setting content in FIG. It is a conversion flow figure to reusable data concerning the 1st example. It is a figure which shows an example of the result of having performed BS: area | region division | segmentation information implemented in FIG. BS is a diagram showing block information and input file information for each attribute when region division information is used. It is a flowchart of the vectorization process which concerns on 1st Example. It is a figure which shows the process of the corner extraction in the process of vectorization. It is a figure which shows the process of the outline grouping in the process of vectorization. It is a flowchart which shows the process of grouping the vector data produced | generated by FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a graphic element detection with respect to the vector data grouped by the process of FIG. It is a figure showing the map which shows the data of the vectorization process result which concerns on 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows the process of application data conversion of FIG. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing processing for generating the document structure tree of FIG. 20. FIG. It is a figure which shows the document used as the object of a document structure tree production | generation process. It is a figure which shows the document structure tree produced | generated by the process of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format demonstrated in a present Example. It is a figure which shows the detail of the reusable data format transmitted and the registration setting implemented by this invention. It is a figure showing the file format of the data for registration demonstrated in 2nd Example. It is a 1st data processing flow demonstrated in 2nd Example. It is a figure showing the file format of the data for registration demonstrated in 2nd Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the print setting dialog demonstrated in 3rd Example. FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating an example of a dialog displayed when a time limit setting is selected in FIG. 29. It is a figure which shows an example which expanded the period setting in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format demonstrated in 3rd Example. It is a processing flow which manages the setting period of a registration file demonstrated in 3rd Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the print setting dialog demonstrated in 4th Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the dialog display when the button object 3405 in FIG. 34 is selected. It is a figure showing the file format of the data for registration demonstrated in 4th Example. It is a processing flow which manages the setting period of the registration file demonstrated in 4th Example. It is a figure showing an example of the file from which the entity of the object demonstrated in 4th Example was deleted. It is a figure which shows an example of the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format demonstrated in another Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the dialog display in another Example. It is a processing flow which manages the registration file demonstrated in another Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the print setting dialog demonstrated in 5th Example.

Explanation of symbols

10, 20 Office 100 MFP
101 Management PC
102 Local PC
103 Proxy Server 104 Internet 105 Database 106 Document Management Server 107, 108, 109 LAN
110 Image Reading Unit 111 Storage Device 112 Recording Device 113 Input Device 114 Network I / F
115 Data Processing Device 116 Display Device 117 Network I / F

Claims (21)

Print selection means for selecting a printing method of application data from the operation unit of the computer,
A registration selection means capable of selecting registration of application data to be printed in a database from an operation unit of the computer;
Attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered from the operation unit of the computer,
Data format conversion means for converting application data into another data format according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means,
An image having printing-time registration means for printing a print job and registering data converted by the data format conversion means in a database by performing a printing operation in the print selection means. Processing system.   2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute selecting means has one or more attribute modes.   2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing time registration means registers not only the data converted by the data format conversion means but also application data.   2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing time registration means registers only the data converted by the data format conversion means. Print selection means for selecting a printing method of application data from the operation unit of the computer,
A registration selection means capable of selecting registration of application data to be printed in a database from an operation unit of the computer;
Attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered from the operation unit of the computer,
Data format conversion means for converting application data into another data format according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means,
A printing time registration means for printing a print job and registering the data converted by the data format conversion means in a database by performing a printing operation in the print selection means,
Registration period setting means for setting a registration period in the data registered by the printing time registration means from the operation unit of the computer,
An image processing system comprising: a period-limited data erasing unit for erasing data registered in the database according to the registration period setting unit.   6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the attribute selection means has one or more attribute modes.   6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the printing time registration means registers not only the data converted by the data format conversion means but also application data.   6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the printing time registration means registers only the data converted by the data format conversion means.   6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the registration period setting means can set a period for each attribute.   6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the limited-time data erasure unit erases the substance of the data according to the period for each set attribute. Print selection means for selecting a printing method of application data from the operation unit of the computer,
A registration selection means capable of selecting registration of application data to be printed in a database from an operation unit of the computer;
Attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered from the operation unit of the computer,
Data format conversion means for converting application data into another data format according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means,
A printing time registration means for printing a print job and registering the data converted by the data format conversion means in a database by performing a printing operation in the print selection means,
A frequency setting means for setting an access frequency to the data registered by the printing time registration means;
An image processing system comprising: access frequency data erasing means for erasing the data according to a result of comparing the access frequency set by the frequency setting means with the number of accesses of the data in the database.   12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the attribute selecting means has one or more attribute modes.   12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the printing time registration means registers not only the data converted by the data format conversion means but also application data.   12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the printing time registration means registers only the data converted by the data format conversion means.   12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the frequency setting means can set a period for each attribute.   12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the access frequency data erasing unit erases the substance of data according to the access frequency for each set attribute. Print selection means for selecting a printing method of application data from the operation unit of the computer,
A registration selection means capable of selecting registration of application data to be printed in a database from an operation unit of the computer;
Attribute selection means that can select the attribute of the data to be registered from the operation unit of the computer,
Data format conversion means for converting application data into another data format according to the registration selection means and the attribute selection means,
A printing time registration means for printing a print job and registering the data converted by the data format conversion means in a database by performing a printing operation in the print selection means,
An image processing system comprising setting means for allowing a user to select, for each object, data registered by the printing time registration means.   18. The image processing system according to claim 17, wherein the attribute selection unit has one or more attribute modes.   18. The image processing system according to claim 17, wherein the printing time registration means registers not only the data converted by the data format conversion means but also application data.   18. The image processing system according to claim 17, wherein the printing time registration means registers only the data converted by the data format conversion means.   18. The image processing system according to claim 17, wherein the object selection setting means can be explicitly specified and set by a user through a computer operation unit.

Images