JP2010231662A - Information processing system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prepare transcription destination information as electronic information, and to associate it with a transcription source document when transcribing information from a specific document to another document by handwriting. <P>SOLUTION: When an operation for specifying an item is performed by using a digital pen 60 for a first document in which the item and the description content of the item are managed by a document server by the terminal device 50, the description content of the specified item is acquired from the document server. In addition, the content of the handwritten character is acquired on the basis of the trace of a character handwritten on a second document with a digital pen 60. Moreover, the content of the handwritten character acquired by a second acquisition means after the item of the first document is specified is managed as the description content related to the specified item in the second document. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system and a program.

  There is a technique for recognizing handwritten characters using a pen-type device and acquiring digitized character data (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The technique described in Patent Literature 1 prints a code pattern specific to a position on a paper surface on a paper surface, and writes on the paper surface with an electronic pen provided with a code pattern reading unit. Is read and decoded to determine the writing position. Then, writing information is generated from the plurality of determined writing positions.

  In the technique described in Patent Document 2, an acceleration sensor is added to a writing instrument, and a handwriting information signal obtained by restoring and recognizing a handwriting acceleration trajectory is transmitted to the computer, whereby characters and figures are input to the computer.

JP 2007-288285 A JP-A-8-16301

  An object of the present invention is to digitize information of a transfer destination when information is transferred by handwriting from a specific document to another document, and to enable association with the document of the transfer source.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when an operation for designating an item is performed on the first document in which the item and the description content of the item are managed by the document server, the description content of the specified item is The first acquisition means for acquiring from the document server, the second acquisition means for acquiring the contents of the handwritten characters based on the locus of the handwritten characters handwritten in the second document, and the items of the first document are designated. An information processing system comprising management means for managing the contents of the handwritten character acquired later by the second acquisition means as the description contents of the designated item in the second document.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the description content of the designated item of the first document acquired by the first acquisition unit and the description of the item managed by the management unit in the second document The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising output means for causing the display device to display the contents in association with each other.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a pattern image representing position information on the medium is printed on the medium on which the first document is described, and the first acquisition unit includes a reading unit that reads the pattern image. A position information acquisition unit that analyzes the pattern image read by the reading unit to acquire the position information, and an identification unit that identifies the specified item based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the management unit reads a pattern image printed at a specific location of the first document by the first acquisition unit, and then prints the pattern image at another specific location. The content of the handwritten character acquired by the second acquisition means is associated with the item identified based on the pattern image until the pattern image is read. Information processing system.
The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the second acquisition means obtains a locus of the handwritten character based on a physical movement direction and a movement amount of the writing instrument. The information processing system according to any one of the above.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the second acquisition unit includes the writing instrument, an acceleration sensor provided in the writing instrument, and the handwriting based on movement of the writing instrument based on acceleration information obtained by the acceleration sensor. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates a trajectory of the character.
The invention according to claim 7 is the information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the reading means of the first acquisition means is the writing instrument of the second acquisition means.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the second acquisition unit includes an imaging unit that captures a medium on which the second document is described, and an image of handwritten characters of the second document that is captured by the imaging unit. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an extraction unit that extracts a locus of handwritten characters.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the computer accepts an operation for designating an item and the first document in which the content of the item is managed by the document server, and the content of the designated item is received. A function to acquire from the document server, a function to acquire the content of the handwritten character based on the locus of the handwritten character handwritten in the second document, and the content of the handwritten character after the item of the first document is designated And a function of managing the content of the handwritten character acquired by the function of acquiring as the description content of the specified item in the second document.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to manage the description items of the document whose contents are managed in association with the description contents of other documents transferred from the document.
According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to reduce the burden of collation work of the description of the transfer source document and the transfer destination document associated with the description contents.
According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to accurately specify an item to be transcribed in the document of the transcription source.
According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to accurately specify the description of the transfer destination document to be associated with the description item of the transfer source document.
According to the invention of claim 5, the contents of the handwritten character can be acquired regardless of the paper type of the transfer destination document.
According to the invention of claim 6, by detecting the physical movement of the writing instrument based on the acceleration information, the contents of the handwritten character can be acquired regardless of the paper type of the transfer destination document.
According to invention of Claim 7, compared with the case where the structure of this invention is not applied, a transcription | transfer operation | work can be performed, without changing a writing implement.
According to the invention of claim 8, the contents of the handwritten character can be acquired regardless of the paper type of the transfer destination document.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in the system using this program, the description items of the document whose contents are managed and the description contents of other documents transferred from the document can be managed in association with each other.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the computer system of this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the function structural example of the document server of this embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the image etc. which comprise the code | cord | chord image used by this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the function structural example of the identification information server of this embodiment. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an image forming apparatus. FIG. It is the figure which showed the structural example of the digital pen of this embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of a control circuit of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the track | orbit detection part of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the form used by this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations of a document server and an identification information server in print form output processing. It is a flowchart which shows the operation procedure in the case of transferring the description of a printing form to a handwritten form in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other structural example in the computer system of this embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when a description of a print form is transferred to a handwritten form in the system having the configuration shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the further another structural example in the computer system of this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the hardware structural example of the computer which implement | achieves each apparatus of the system of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
When creating a form in the core business, the items described in the printed form (hereinafter referred to as “printed form”) must be copied to the handwritten form (hereinafter referred to as “handwritten form”). There is a case. For example, a form is output from the core system, but a form designated by the customer must be used in a transaction with the customer. In such a case, it is necessary that the description items in the printed form are correctly transferred to the handwritten form.

  In the present embodiment, handwritten information of handwritten characters in handwritten forms is acquired, and items printed on printed forms are associated with items handwritten on handwritten forms. Then, based on the obtained correspondence information, a check operation for checking whether or not the printing form is correctly transferred to the handwritten form is supported. In the following, a case where the contents of a printed form are copied on a handwritten form will be described as an example. However, the present embodiment may be applied to a case where the contents are copied in other various documents.

<System configuration>
First, the overall configuration of the computer system in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a computer system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, this computer system is configured by connecting a terminal device 10, a document server 20, an identification information server 30, an image forming device 40, and a terminal device 50 to a network 80. A digital pen 60 is connected to the terminal device 50 via a communication device 70.

  The terminal device 10 is a computer device that requests the document server 20 to print an electronic document. Here, as the terminal device 10, for example, a personal computer, a workstation, or another computer may be used.

  The document server 20 is a computer device that stores and manages electronic documents. In the present embodiment, electronic data of a print form is managed by the document server 20. Also, when a request for printing an electronic document is received from the terminal device 10, an image of the electronic document and a code image representing identification information and position information are generated, and a print command for printing a composite image obtained by synthesizing the image on a medium is generated. Output to the forming apparatus 40. In this case, the identification information is information for uniquely specifying the medium, and the position information is information for specifying the coordinate position on the medium. Here, as the document server 20, for example, a personal computer, a workstation, or another computer may be used.

  The identification information server 30 is a computer device that issues identification information to be given to a medium. The issued identification information is stored in association with the electronic document printed on the medium to which the identification information is assigned. Here, as the identification information server 30, for example, a personal computer, a workstation, or another computer may be used.

  The image forming apparatus 40 is an apparatus that prints an image on a medium and outputs it as a print document. The image forming apparatus 40 may be a single printer or printing machine, or may be a multifunction machine having a scanner or a communication function. Here, as an image forming method in the image forming apparatus 40, for example, an electrophotographic method may be used, but other methods may be used. In the following description, the identification information to be given to the medium is described as being issued by the identification information server 30, but the identification information may be issued by any device as long as it can be issued without duplication in the system. It may be issued by the device 40. In this case, for example, a combination of the machine number of the image forming apparatus 40 and the print count value in the image forming apparatus 40 may be used as the identification information.

  The terminal device 50 transmits information obtained by digitizing writing on the print document (hereinafter referred to as “handwriting information”) to the identification information server 30 in order to reflect the information in the electronic document that is the basis of the image recorded in the print document. A computer device. Further, the electronic document to be reflected in the handwriting information may be displayed on a display (not shown), and the handwriting information may be displayed on the display. Here, as the terminal device 50, for example, a personal computer, a workstation, or another computer may be used. In the present embodiment, handwriting information is used as an example of writing information obtained by digitizing the contents of writing. The handwriting information is mainly described as handwritten information. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be information mechanically drawn by, for example, a plotter that is a device that outputs drawing data such as architecture and machinery.

  The digital pen 60 is an example of an electronic writing instrument, and is a pen device used for writing characters or figures on a medium. Further, the digital pen 60 acquires and stores handwriting information obtained by converting characters and figures written on the medium into image data. The digital pen 60 of the present embodiment includes means by two different types as handwriting information acquisition means. One is a method for reading a code image printed on a medium (first acquisition means), and the other is a method for reading handwriting information from an operation itself of moving the digital pen 60 when writing is performed (first operation). 2 acquisition means).

  The communication device 70 is a device that acquires handwriting information from the digital pen 60 and transmits it to the terminal device 50. For example, an insertion port into which the digital pen 60 is inserted may be provided, and when the digital pen 60 is inserted into the insertion port, handwriting information stored in the digital pen 60 may be transmitted to the terminal device 50. Here, as a method of communication with the terminal device 50, various methods such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and an infrared communication function are conceivable. Further, in the figure, the communication device 70 is shown as a separate body from the digital pen 60, but it is not necessarily a separate body and may be configured integrally.

In this specification, electronic data that is the basis of an image recorded on a medium is expressed as “electronic document”. However, this does not mean only data obtained by digitizing a “document” including text. For example, "electronic document" including image data such as pictures, photos, figures (regardless of raster data or vector data), data recorded by database management software or spreadsheet software, and other printable electronic data It is said.
In the present specification, the “medium” may be any material as long as it can print an image. A typical example is paper, but an OHP sheet or a metal plate may be used.
Further, in this specification, processing is performed using identification information for uniquely identifying each of the electronic document, the medium, and further the digital pen 60 and the user. It shall mean the identification information of the medium.

<Functional Configuration of Document Server 20>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the document server 20.
As illustrated, the document server 20 includes a reception unit 21 and an identification information acquisition unit 22. In addition, an identification code generation unit 25a, a position code generation unit 25b, a code arrangement unit 25c, a pattern image storage unit 25d, and a code image generation unit 25e are provided. Further, it includes a document image generation unit 26, an image composition unit 27, a document storage unit 28a, a document content item management unit 28b, and a transmission unit 29.

  The receiving unit 21 receives a print request from the terminal device 10. Here, the print request includes an electronic document to be printed (electronic data of a print form), identification information of the electronic document (hereinafter referred to as “document ID”), and various settings relating to printing (hereinafter referred to as “print settings”). ) And The receiving unit 21 receives a document ID and position information from the terminal device 50.

  The identification information acquisition unit 22 acquires the document ID and print settings from the reception unit 21, passes them to the transmission unit 29, instructs transmission of an identification information issue request, passes this to the document image generation unit 26, and sends the document Instructs generation of an image. Also, identification information is acquired from the receiving unit 21, and this is passed to the identification code generation unit 25a to instruct generation of the identification code.

  The identification code generation unit 25a encodes identification information for specifying the medium to generate an identification code. The position code generation unit 25b generates position codes by encoding position information indicating coordinate positions on the medium. The code arrangement unit 25c arranges the identification code generated by the identification code generation unit 25a, the position code generated by the position code generation unit 25b, and the like on a two-dimensional plane according to a predetermined layout. Generate a dimensional code array. The pattern image storage unit 25d stores a pattern image corresponding to the code value of each code stored in the code array. The code image generation unit 25e refers to the two-dimensional code array generated by the code arrangement unit 25c, selects a pattern image corresponding to each code value, and generates a code image.

  The document image generation unit 26 acquires a document ID and print settings from the identification information acquisition unit 22, reads an electronic document specified by the document ID from a storage unit (not shown), and reads a document image of the electronic document according to the print settings. Generate.

  The image composition unit 27 synthesizes the code image generated by the code image generation unit 25e and the document image generated by the document image generation unit 26 to generate a composite image.

  The document storage unit 28a acquires the electronic data, document ID, and print settings of the electronic document from the receiving unit 21, and stores them in association with each other.

  The document content item management unit 28b acquires the document ID and the position information from the receiving unit 21, and is designated based on these information and electronic data corresponding to the document ID stored in the document storage unit 28a and the print settings. The item name (for example, billing amount) and the value (for example, 10,000 yen) described in the designated position of the document are acquired.

  The transmission unit 29 transmits an identification information issuance request to the identification information server 30. Also, an image print command for the medium is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 40. Also, the item name and value described in the designated position of the designated document are transmitted to the terminal device 50.

<Configuration example of code image>
Next, the code image generated in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image constituting the code image.
First, unit patterns constituting a code image will be described.
FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of a unit pattern.
The unit pattern is the minimum unit for embedding information. In the figure, the black area and the shaded area are areas where dots can be arranged, and the white area between them is an area where dots cannot be arranged. In addition, among the areas where dots can be arranged, dots are arranged in black areas, and dots are not arranged in hatched areas. That is, the figure shows an example in which a unit pattern is configured by arranging dots at two locations selected from nine locations where dots can be arranged. Here, since there are 36 (= ₉ C ₂ ) combinations for selecting two locations out of nine locations, there are 36 types of unit patterns. Of these, four types of unit patterns are used as synchronization patterns. The synchronization pattern is a pattern for detecting the rotation of the image and specifying the relative positions of the identification code and the position code. In particular, since it is necessary to detect the rotation of the image, the four types of synchronization patterns are selected such that when one of the synchronization patterns is rotated 90 degrees, another synchronization pattern is obtained. Further, the 32 types of unit patterns other than the 4 types of unit patterns are used as information patterns expressing the identification code and the position code, and 5-bit information is expressed.

  By the way, the dots shown in FIG. 3A are only dots for information expression, and do not necessarily coincide with the dots that mean the minimum points constituting the image. In the present embodiment, the dots for information expression (the minimum square in FIG. 3A) have a size of 2 dots × 2 dots at 600 dpi. Since the size of one dot at 600 dpi is 0.0423 mm, one side of a dot for information expression (the minimum square in FIG. 3A) is 84.6 μm (= 0.0423 mm × 2). The larger the dot for information expression, the more likely it is to be noticeable. However, if it is too small, printing with a printer becomes impossible. Therefore, the above values larger than 50 μm and smaller than 100 μm are employed as the size of dots for information expression. However, the above value 84.6 μm is a numerical value to the last, and is about 100 μm in the actually printed toner image. In the present specification, the term “dot” refers to a dot for information expression, not a dot that means the minimum point constituting an image unless otherwise specified.

Next, a code block composed of such unit patterns will be described.
FIG. 3B shows an example of the layout of the code block. Here, not the image but the code arrangement immediately before being replaced by the pattern image is shown. That is, a unit pattern as shown in FIG. 3A (any one of 36 unit patterns) is arranged in the smallest square (hereinafter referred to as “unit block”) in FIG. Will be formed.

  In the layout of FIG. 3B, the synchronization code is arranged in one unit block at the upper left of the code block. Further, the X position code is arranged in the four unit blocks on the right side of the unit block in which the synchronization code is arranged, and the Y position code is arranged in the four unit blocks on the lower side of the unit block in which the synchronization code is arranged. . Furthermore, identification codes are arranged in 16 (= 4 × 4) unit blocks surrounded by unit blocks in which these position codes are arranged.

Here, encoding of identification information will be described.
When encoding identification information, the bit string which comprises identification information is divided | segmented into a some block in order to perform RS encoding. Although there are several methods for encoding, RS encoding is suitable in this embodiment. This is because the RS code is a multi-value coding method, and in this case, the value represented by the unit block corresponds to the multi-value of the RS code. For example, when 5-bit information is expressed by one unit block, the 60-bit identification information is divided into 12 blocks having a block length of 5 bits. If an RS code capable of correcting two blocks of errors is employed, the code length is 16 blocks, which can be accommodated in the unit block in which the identification code in the code block of FIG. Note that the encoding method is not limited to the RS code, and other encoding methods such as a BCH code may be used.

Next, encoding of position information will be described.
For encoding the position information, an M-sequence code, which is a kind of pseudo-random sequence, is used. Here, the M sequence refers to a sequence having the longest period among code sequences generated by a shift register having a certain length and feedback. When K is the number of stages in the shift register, the sequence length of the M sequence is 2 ^K −1. Arbitrary consecutive K bits extracted from the M sequence have a property that they do not appear at other positions in the same M sequence. Therefore, the position information is encoded using this property.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, a necessary M-sequence order is obtained from the length of position information to be encoded, and an M-sequence is generated. However, if the length of the position information to be encoded is known in advance, it is not necessary to generate the M sequence each time. That is, a fixed M sequence may be generated in advance and stored in a memory or the like. For example, it is assumed that an M sequence (K = 13) having a sequence length of 8191 is used. In this case, since the position code is also embedded in units of 5 bits, 5 bits are taken out from the M sequence having a sequence length of 8191 and blocked.

  In this specification, the identification information and the position information are clearly distinguished and used for the sake of simplicity. However, there is a technique in which a wide range of position information is prepared, the position information is cut out and embedded from different ranges for each medium, and the medium is identified by the difference in position information. Therefore, in such a method, it is assumed that the position information has a function for identifying the medium, and the position information is also considered as the identification information.

<Functional Configuration of Identification Information Server 30>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the identification information server 30.
As illustrated, the identification information server 30 includes a receiving unit 31, a medium management unit 32, and a medium management information storage unit 33. The handwriting management unit 35, the handwriting management information storage unit 36, and the transmission unit 39 are provided.

  The receiving unit 31 receives an identification information issue request from the document server 20. In addition, the receiving unit 31 receives identification information and handwriting information from the terminal device 50 when writing is performed on the printed document.

  When there is a request for issuing identification information, the medium management unit 32 issues the identification information without duplication, and stores the document ID and print settings specified at that time in association with the identification information. In the present embodiment, the identification information of the print form is also stored in association with the address of the image forming apparatus 40 that printed the print form.

  The medium management information storage unit 33 includes identification information, a document ID of an electronic document printed on the medium to which the identification information is assigned, a print setting when the electronic document is printed on the medium to which the identification information is assigned, This is a database that stores the address of the image forming apparatus 40 that has printed the electronic document on the medium to which it is attached.

  The handwriting management unit 35 acquires the identification information and handwriting information received by the receiving unit 31 and registers them in the handwriting management information storage unit 36. In the present embodiment, as an example of writing information obtained by digitizing writing at a specific writing position on a writing medium, handwriting information of a portion specified by setting information is used, and writing information is acquired to acquire writing information. As an example of the means, a handwriting management unit 35 is provided. The handwriting management information storage unit 36 stores handwriting management information managed by the handwriting management unit 35.

  The transmission unit 39 transmits identification information issued in response to a request from the document server 20 to the document server 20.

<Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 40>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the image forming apparatus 40.
As illustrated, the image forming apparatus 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 43, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 44, and an operation panel 45. An image reading unit 46, an image forming unit 47, and a communication interface controller (hereinafter referred to as “communication I / F controller”) 48.

  The CPU 41 implements various functions by loading various programs stored in the ROM 43 and the like into the RAM 42 and executing them. The RAM 42 is a memory used as a working memory for the CPU 41. The ROM 43 is a memory that stores various programs executed by the CPU 41. The HDD 44 is, for example, a magnetic disk device that stores image data read by the image reading unit 46 and image data used for image formation in the image forming unit 47. The operation panel 45 is, for example, a touch panel that displays various types of information and receives operation inputs from the user. The communication I / F controller 48 transmits / receives various information to / from other devices via the network.

  The image reading unit 46 reads an image recorded on a recording medium such as paper. Here, the image reading unit 46 is, for example, a scanner, and a CCD system in which reflected light with respect to light irradiated from a light source to a document is reduced by a lens and received by a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices), or an LED light source is sequentially irradiated on a document. It is preferable to use a CIS system that receives reflected light with respect to the received light with a CIS (Contact Image Sensor).

  The image forming unit 47 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper. Here, the image forming unit 47 is, for example, a printer, and forms an image by transferring the toner attached to the photosensitive member to a recording medium to form an image, or ejecting ink onto the recording medium. An ink jet type may be used.

<Configuration of digital pen 60>
Next, a configuration example of the digital pen 60 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the digital pen 60.
As illustrated, the digital pen 60 includes a control circuit 61 that controls the operation of the entire pen. The control circuit 61 includes an image processing unit 61a that processes the read code image, and a data processing unit 61b that extracts identification information and position information from the processing result.

  The control circuit 61 is connected to a pressure sensor 62 that detects a writing operation by the digital pen 60 by a pressure applied to the pen tip 69. Furthermore, as an example of the first acquisition unit, an infrared LED 63 that irradiates infrared light onto the medium and an infrared CMOS 64 that reads a code image by detecting reflected light are also connected. Furthermore, an information memory 65 for storing identification information and position information, a communication circuit 66 for communicating with an external device, a battery 67 for driving a pen, and pen identification information (pen ID) are stored. A pen ID memory 68 is also connected. The control circuit 61 is connected to a trajectory detection unit 90 that detects the trajectory of the handwriting based on the acceleration generated in the digital pen 60 when writing with the digital pen 60 as an example of the second acquisition means. .

Next, the functional configuration of the control circuit 61 will be described in more detail.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the control circuit 61. In the figure, an example of a functional configuration is shown separately for an image processing unit 61 a and a data processing unit 61 b in the control circuit 61.
As illustrated, the image processing unit 61 a includes an image acquisition unit 611 and a dot array generation unit 612. The data processing unit 61b includes a code array generation unit 613, an identification information acquisition unit 614, a position information acquisition unit 615, a handwriting information generation unit 616, and a communication control unit 619.

  The image acquisition unit 611 acquires a code image read from the print document by the infrared CMOS 64. Moreover, the noise contained in a code image is removed as needed.

  The dot array generation unit 612 generates a dot array with reference to the dot positions in the code image. That is, on a two-dimensional array, for example, “1” is stored at a position where there is a dot and “0” is stored at a position where there is no dot, thereby replacing the dot detected as an image with digital data. Then, this two-dimensional array is output as a dot array.

  The code array generation unit 613 detects a block corresponding to the unit pattern in the code block on the dot array. Specifically, a frame having the same shape and size as the block in which the unit pattern is arranged is moved on the dot array, and the frame is fixed at a position where the number of dots in the frame becomes equal. For example, if the unit pattern shown in FIG. 3A is used, a frame having a size corresponding to 3 dots × 3 dots is moved, and the frame is fixed at a position where the number of dots included in the frame is two. Then, a code array is generated that stores code values determined from dot positions in each block delimited by the frame. When this code array is generated, the position of the synchronization code is specified by searching for a code value of a predetermined synchronization code.

  The identification information acquisition unit 614 detects the identification code based on the position of the synchronization code from the code array. Then, the identification code is decoded using the parameters used in the RS encoding process at the time of image generation, and identification information is acquired.

  The position information acquisition unit 615 detects the position code based on the position of the synchronization code from the code array. Then, an M-sequence partial sequence is extracted from the position code, the position of this partial sequence in the M-sequence used at the time of image generation is referenced, and a value obtained by correcting this position with an offset using a synchronization code is acquired as position information. The reason for correcting with the offset is that a synchronization code is arranged between the position codes.

  The handwriting information generation unit 616 generates handwriting information by connecting the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 615. Here, the handwriting information includes at least data obtained by digitizing the locus of the pen tip of the digital pen 60, but may include information other than this. Information other than the locus of the pen tip includes, for example, information on the color set for the pen when writing, information on writing pressure, and the like.

  The communication control unit 619 implements information transmission to the communication device 70 by passing the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 614 and the handwriting information generated by the handwriting information generation unit 616 to the communication circuit 66.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the trajectory detection unit 90.
As shown in the figure, the trajectory detection unit 90 includes an X-axis acceleration sensor 91 that detects acceleration along coordinate axes (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis) that are orthogonal to each other in three-dimensional solid coordinates (XYZ coordinates). An acceleration sensor 92 and a Z-axis acceleration sensor 93 are provided. In addition, an amplifying unit 94 and a signal double integrating unit 95 that process acceleration signals of the acceleration sensors 91, 92, and 93 are provided.

  One of the coordinate axes of the three-dimensional solid coordinates, for example, the Z axis is set along the pen axis direction of the digital pen 60. Thus, when a writing operation is performed using the digital pen 60, the movement is detected as acceleration in each axis direction by the X-axis acceleration sensor 91 and the Y-axis acceleration sensor 92. The acceleration signals Sx and Sy output from the X-axis acceleration sensor 91 and the Y-axis acceleration sensor 92 are amplified by the amplification unit 94 and then sent to the signal double integration unit 95. The signal double integrator 95 restores the handwriting trajectory by subjecting the acceleration trajectory based on the acceleration signal amplified by the amplifying unit 94 to double integration arithmetic processing.

  The Z-axis acceleration sensor 93 detects the acceleration in the pen axis direction caused by the operation of moving the digital pen 60 close to or away from the medium. Thereby, the operation of bringing the digital pen 60 into contact with the medium or moving it away from the medium is identified. This operation may be identified using a detection signal from the pressure sensor 62 instead of the acceleration signal from the Z-axis acceleration sensor 93.

  The handwriting trajectory information obtained as described above is sent to the control circuit 61 and is sent to the communication device 70 via the communication control unit 619. The above process of acquiring the trajectory information using the acceleration by the trajectory detection unit 90 may be performed when the control circuit 61 cannot obtain the handwriting information from the code image because the code image does not exist. In parallel with the handwriting information acquisition process based on the code image, the trajectory information acquisition process using acceleration is performed, and when the handwriting information acquisition fails, the trajectory information obtained from the signal double integration unit 95 is transmitted. You may make it do. Further, the digital pen 60 may be provided with a switch for performing switching between acquisition of handwriting information based on the code image and acquisition of trajectory information by acceleration, and the user may selectively execute processing.

<Composition structure>
Next, the configuration of the printed form and handwritten form used in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a print form, and FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a handwritten form.
In the configuration example shown in FIG. 9A, the print form 910 is titled “Customer Billing Information Sheet” and includes four items “Customer Name”, “Address”, “Billing Amount”, and “Product Model Number”. The Also, a check box 911 is formed for each item. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 9B, the handwritten form 920 is titled “Bill”, and is provided with a description column of three items “Billing destination”, “Purchased item”, and “Billing amount”.

  In each item of the printed form 910 and the handwritten form 920 shown in the figure, “customer name” and “billing address”, “billing amount” and “billing amount”, “product model number” and “purchased item” correspond respectively. Shall. The item corresponding to “address” in the print form 910 does not exist in the handwritten form 920. However, the content of “address” as well as the content of “customer name” may be described in “bill-to party” of handwritten form 920.

  In the present embodiment, the print form 910 is output by the system shown in FIG. 1 using the electronic data of the print form 910 managed by the document server 20. Therefore, regarding the print form 910, information such as description contents of each item, description column of each item, and position of the check box 911 in the document image is managed in the document server 20. In addition, a code image as illustrated in FIG. 3 is printed on the print form 910. Therefore, by reading the code image printed on the print form 910 with the digital pen 60 and inquiring the obtained position information to the document server 20, the description column and check box 911 of each item in the print form 910 are individually identified. The The code image may be printed over the entire print form 910, or may be printed only for the description column and check box 911 of each item for which position information or the like needs to be acquired.

  On the other hand, the handwritten form 920 is, for example, a form for which the customer has specified the format uniquely. Accordingly, the handwritten form 920 is not necessarily output by the system shown in FIG. 1 using the designated format, and the handwritten form 920 prepared in advance by a customer or the like may be used. In such a case, the electronic data of the handwritten form 920 may not be managed by the document server 20, and the code image may not be printed on the handwritten form 920.

<Print form output processing>
Here, output processing of the print form 910 will be described.
FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing operations of the document server 20 and the identification information server 30 in the output process of the print form 910.
In the document server 20, the receiving unit 21 first receives a print request for an electronic document (electronic data of the print form 910) from the terminal device 10 (step 211). Among these, a print request for an electronic document includes a document ID and print settings. Here, as the document ID, for example, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) may be used, but other information may be used as long as the electronic document can be uniquely identified. The print setting includes settings such as a page, the number of copies, a paper size, an enlargement / reduction ratio, a function for outputting a plurality of pages in a single medium, and a margin.

  When receiving the information, the receiving unit 21 passes the information to the document storage unit 28a and the identification information acquiring unit 22. Then, the document storage unit 28a stores the electronic document, print settings, and document ID in association with each other. In addition, the identification information acquisition unit 22 passes the document ID and print settings of the received information to the transmission unit 29, and the transmission unit 29 transmits the information to the identification information server 30, thereby identifying the information. Information issuance is requested (step 212).

  Thereby, in the identification information server 30, the receiving unit 31 receives the document ID and the print setting (step 311). Then, the document ID and the print setting are transferred to the medium management unit 32, and the medium management unit 32 extracts unused identification information from the medium management information storage unit 33 (step 312). Here, the number of pieces of identification information to be extracted is determined according to print settings. In other words, basically, the number of pieces of identification information obtained by multiplying the number of pages to be printed by the number of copies is extracted. However, if the setting information includes designation of a function for outputting a plurality of pages collectively on a single medium, this is also taken into consideration. For example, when 10 pages of an electronic document are collectively printed on a single medium by two pages, 25 (= 10 ÷ 2 × 5) pieces of identification information are extracted.

  Next, the medium management unit 32 stores the identification information, the document ID, and the print setting in association with each other in the medium management information storage unit 33 (step 313). Then, the identification information issued in step 312 is transferred to the transmission unit 39, and the transmission unit 39 transmits the identification information to the document server 20 (step 314).

  As a result, in the document server 20, the receiving unit 21 receives the identification information (step 213). Then, the reception unit 21 passes the received identification information to the identification information acquisition unit 22. Then, the document server 20 generates a code image representing the identification information and the position information (Step 214). The generation of the code image is specifically performed by the following process.

  First, the identification information acquisition unit 22 passes the identification information acquired in step 213 to the identification code generation unit 25a, and the identification code generation unit 25a generates the identification code by encoding the identification information. Further, the position code generation unit 25b receives the print setting from the reception unit 21, and generates a position code by encoding position information in a range corresponding to the print setting. Thereafter, the code arrangement unit 25c arranges the identification code and the position code, and the code image generation unit 25e generates the code image using the pattern image stored in the pattern image storage unit 25d. To do.

  In the document server 20, the document image generation unit 26 generates a document image of the electronic document (step 215). At that time, the document image generation unit 26 receives the document ID acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 22 in step 211, and reads the target electronic document from a storage unit (not shown) based on the document ID. In addition, the print setting acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 22 in step 211 is received, and a document image is generated based on the print setting. Then, the image composition unit 27 synthesizes the code image generated in step 214 and the document image generated in step 215 to generate a composite image (step 216).

  Thereafter, the composite image is transferred to the transmission unit 29, and the transmission unit 29 transmits a print command for the composite image to the image forming apparatus 40 (step 217). Here, the composite image print command is transmitted, for example, in a PDL format in which the content to be printed as a code image is set as a PDL command to a PDL (Page Description Language) file including a sequence of print commands for document images. The

  Accordingly, the image forming apparatus 40 prints the document image on a medium using, for example, C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) toner. The code image is printed on a medium using, for example, K (black containing carbon) toner or special toner.

  Here, as the special toner, an invisible toner having a maximum absorption rate of 7% or less in the visible light region (400 nm to 700 nm) and an absorption rate of 30% or more in the near infrared region (800 nm to 1000 nm) is exemplified. . Here, “visible” and “invisible” are not related to whether they can be recognized visually. “Visible” and “invisible” are distinguished depending on whether or not an image in a printed document can be recognized by the presence or absence of color development due to absorption of a specific wavelength in the visible light region. Also, “invisible” includes those that have some color developability due to absorption of a specific wavelength in the visible light region but are difficult to be recognized by human eyes.

  In the present embodiment, the identification information server 30 also manages the address of the image forming apparatus 40 to which the document server 20 has transmitted the print command in step 217, including the medium management information. The address of the image forming apparatus 40 may be included in the print request received by the document server 20 in step 211, or the document server 20 or the identification information server 30 may select from a plurality of image forming apparatuses 40 according to some criteria. It may be determined.

<Posting procedure>
As described above, the electronic data of the print form 910 is managed by the document server 20, but the electronic data of the handwritten form 920 may not be managed by the document server 20. However, it may be necessary to associate the description of the print form 910 with the description of the handwritten form 920 for the purpose of supporting the operation of collating the description of the print form 910 and the description of the handwritten form 920. Therefore, in the present embodiment, handwritten character writing information described in the handwritten form 920 is acquired and the description is associated with the description of the corresponding printed form 910. Hereinafter, the procedure for associating the description of the handwritten form 920 with the printed form 910 will be described by taking the operation when the description of the printed form 910 is transferred to the handwritten form 920 as an example.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure when the description of the print form 910 is transferred to the handwritten form 920.
As shown in FIG. 11, when the description of the print form 910 is transferred to the handwritten form 920, the user first touches the description column of the item to be transferred (hereinafter referred to as the target item) with the digital pen 60 in the print form 910. (Step 1101). Thereby, the digital pen 60 reads the code image in the description column, and acquires the document ID and the position information. These pieces of information are sent to the terminal device 50 as an example of a management unit via the communication device 70 (step 1102).

  The terminal device 50 transmits the document ID and position information acquired from the digital pen 60 to the document server 20. Based on the received document ID and position information, and the document data and print settings corresponding to the document ID read from the document storage unit 28a, the document server 20 designates the specified position information of the document corresponding to the received document ID. The identification information (item name, etc.) and the value (description contents) of the item corresponding to the information described in (i.e., the target item) are obtained and transmitted to the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 acquires the identification information and value of the target item from the document server 20 (step 1103).

  Next, the user uses the digital pen 60 to copy the description content of the target item in the corresponding item description column of the handwritten form 920 (step 1104). At this time, the trajectory detection unit 90 of the digital pen 60 obtains handwriting trajectory information when the handwritten form 920 is handwritten with the digital pen 60. Then, the trajectory information is sent to the terminal device 50 via the communication device 70 (step 1105).

  After the user finishes copying the description for one item, the user checks the check box 911 provided for the target item with the digital pen 60 (step 1106). As a result, the digital pen 60 acquires the document ID and the position information of the check box 911 and transmits it to the terminal device 50 (step 1107).

  The terminal device 50 transmits the document ID and position information acquired from the digital pen 60 to the document server 20, and recognizes that the check box 911 is checked by a response from the document server 20 (step 1108). Then, the terminal device 50 associates the trajectory information acquired in step 1105 with the target item as the description content of the handwritten form 920 corresponding to the target item (step 1109). In other words, the trajectory information acquired in step 1105 is trajectory information acquired until the terminal device 50 recognizes that the check box 911 is checked in step 1108 after identifying the target item in step 1103. The association between the description of the print form 910 and the description of the handwritten form 920 may be performed using various existing means such as registration in a table.

  Thereafter, the terminal device 50 causes the display device to display the description content of the target item of the print form 910 acquired in step 1103 and the description content of the handwritten form 920 associated with the target item in step 1109 (step 1110). . Although the display mode is not particularly limited, these descriptions may be displayed side by side for each item.

  In the above operation example, the terminal device 50 recognizes that the transfer of the handwritten form 920 to the corresponding item has been completed by checking the check box 911 of the print form 910. On the other hand, after the user completes the transfer of the handwritten form 920 to the corresponding item, the user touches an appropriate place on the print form 910 (for example, the description column of the item to be transferred next), thereby You may make it recognize that the transfer of was completed.

<Other system configuration example 1>
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of the computer system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, this computer system is configured by connecting a terminal device 10, a document server 20, an identification information server 30, an image forming device 40, and a terminal device 50 to a network 80. Further, a digital pen 60 is connected to the terminal device 50 via the communication device 70, and an imaging device 100 as another example of the second acquisition unit is further connected.

  In the system shown in FIG. 12, the terminal device 10, the document server 20, the identification information server 30, the image forming device 40, and the terminal device 50 are the same as the respective devices shown in FIG. These devices are connected to the network 80 in the same manner as the respective devices in FIG. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those of the respective devices in the system configuration of FIG.

  The digital pen 60 and the communication device 70 may be devices having the same functional configuration as the digital pen 60 and the communication device 70 shown in FIG. The digital pen 60 only needs to be able to acquire writing information based on the code image, and may have a configuration that does not include the trajectory detection unit 90 for acquiring writing trajectory information using acceleration.

  The imaging apparatus 100 is realized by, for example, a face-up scanner or a camera, and captures an image of a handwritten form 920. The captured image is transmitted to the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 analyzes the image acquired from the imaging device 100 and extracts handwriting information of characters handwritten on the handwritten form 920.

  As a specific method, for example, an image before a character is written on the handwritten form 920 and an image after the character is written are captured by the imaging apparatus 100. Then, in the terminal device 50, the difference between these images is taken and handwriting information of handwritten characters is acquired. At this time, in order to obtain accurate handwriting information, it is necessary to perform image processing such as position correction and distortion correction. Image processing such as calculation of image differences and various corrections may be performed using various existing methods (algorithms).

Next, a procedure for a transfer operation from the print form 910 to the handwritten form 920 when the system shown in FIG. 12 is used will be described.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when the description of the print form 910 is transferred to the handwritten form 920.
As shown in FIG. 13, when the description of the print form 910 is transferred to the handwritten form 920, the user first touches the description column of the item to be transferred (hereinafter, the target item) with the digital pen 60 in the print form 910. (Step 1301). Thereby, the digital pen 60 reads the code image in the description column and acquires the document ID and the position information. These pieces of information are sent to the terminal device 50 via the communication device 70 (step 1302).

  When acquiring the information from the digital pen 60, the terminal device 50 causes the imaging device 100 to capture an image of the handwritten form 920 at that timing, and acquires the captured image from the imaging device 100 (step 1303). In addition, the terminal device 50 transmits the document ID and position information acquired from the digital pen 60 to the document server 20. Then, identification information (item name, etc.) and a value (description content) of an item (that is, a target item) corresponding to these pieces of information are acquired from the document server 20 (step 1304).

  Next, the user copies the description content of the target item in the corresponding item description column of the handwritten form 920 (step 1305). The writing instrument used at this time may be the digital pen 60 or another writing instrument. After the user finishes copying the description for one item, the user checks the check box 911 provided for the target item with the digital pen 60 (step 1306). As a result, the digital pen 60 acquires the document ID and the position information of the check box 911 and transmits it to the terminal device 50 (step 1307).

  The terminal device 50 transmits the document ID and position information acquired from the digital pen 60 to the document server 20, and recognizes that the check box 911 is checked by a response from the document server 20 (step 1308). At this timing, the image capturing apparatus 100 captures an image of the handwritten form 920, and the captured image is acquired from the image capturing apparatus 100 (step 1309).

  Next, the terminal device 50 acquires the handwriting information of the characters handwritten on the handwritten form 920 by calculating the difference between the image acquired in step 1303 and the image acquired in step 1309 (step 1310). Then, the obtained handwriting information is associated with the target item as the description content of the handwritten form 920 corresponding to the target item (step 1311). Thereafter, the terminal device 50 causes the display device to display the description content of the target item of the print form 910 acquired in step 1103 and the description content of the handwritten form 920 associated with the target item in step 1109 (step 1312). .

  In the above operation example, handwriting information of handwritten characters is extracted by acquiring images before and after the transfer operation to the handwritten form 920 and detecting these differences. On the other hand, an action of handwriting a character on the handwritten form 920 may be shot with a moving image, and the obtained moving image may be analyzed to extract handwriting information.

<Other system configuration example 2>
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing still another configuration example of the computer system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, this computer system is configured by connecting a terminal device 10, a document server 20, an identification information server 30, an image forming device 40, and a terminal device 50 to a network 80. In addition, a digital pen 60 is connected to the terminal device 50 via the communication device 70, and a pen tablet 110 as still another example of the second acquisition unit is connected.

  In the system shown in FIG. 14, the terminal device 10, the document server 20, the identification information server 30, the image forming device 40, and the terminal device 50 are the same as the respective devices shown in FIG. These devices are connected to the network 80 in the same manner as the respective devices in FIG. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those of the respective devices in the system configuration of FIG.

  The digital pen 60 and the communication device 70 may be devices having the same functional configuration as the digital pen 60 and the communication device 70 shown in FIG. The digital pen 60 only needs to be able to acquire writing information based on the code image, and may have a configuration that does not include the trajectory detection unit 90 for acquiring writing trajectory information using acceleration.

  The pen tablet 110 acquires handwriting information when writing with the digital pen 60. As a method for the pen tablet 110 to acquire handwriting information, various existing methods such as an electromagnetic induction method and a pressure-sensitive method may be used. However, depending on the method by which the pen tablet 110 acquires handwriting information, the digital pen 60 needs to be compatible with that method. By placing a handwritten form 920 on the pen tablet 110 and entering characters to be transferred with the digital pen 60, handwriting information of the characters handwritten on the handwritten form 920 is extracted. The operation procedure for associating the handwriting information acquired by the pen tablet 110 with the corresponding item of the print form 910 is the same as that in the flowchart shown in FIG.

<Hardware configuration of each device>
In each system shown in FIGS. 1, 12, and 14, the terminal device 10, the document server 20, the identification information server 30, and the terminal device 50 are realized by, for example, a computer. An example of a hardware configuration of a computer that realizes these devices will be described. The hardware configuration example of the image forming apparatus 40 has already been described with reference to FIG. 5, and the hardware configuration example of the digital pen 60 has been described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a computer that implements each device of the system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the computer 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 that is a computing means, a main memory 202 that is a storage means, and a magnetic disk device (HDD: Hard Disk Drive) 203. Here, the CPU 201 executes various types of software such as an OS (Operating System) and applications to realize the above-described functions. The main memory 202 is a storage area for storing various software and data used for execution thereof, and the magnetic disk device 203 is a storage area for storing input data for various software, output data from various software, and the like. .
The computer 200 further includes a communication I / F 204 for performing communication with the outside, a display mechanism 205 including a video memory and a display, and an input device 206 such as a keyboard and a mouse.

  The program for realizing the present embodiment can be provided not only by communication means but also by storing it in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. 1 and 12 is not necessarily realized by a separate computer 200. A configuration in which functions of several devices are realized by one computer may be employed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,50 ... Terminal device, 20 ... Document server, 30 ... Identification information server, 40 ... Image forming device, 60 ... Digital pen, 80 ... Network

Claims (9)

First acquisition means for acquiring the description content of the specified item from the document server when an operation for specifying the item is performed on the first document in which the item and the description content of the item are managed by the document server When,
Second acquisition means for acquiring the content of the handwritten character based on the locus of the handwritten character handwritten in the second document;
Management means for managing the contents of the handwritten character acquired by the second acquisition means after the item of the first document is specified as the description contents of the specified item in the second document. Information processing system.   The display content of the specified item of the first document acquired by the first acquisition unit is associated with the description content of the item managed by the management unit in the second document. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising output means for displaying. A pattern image representing position information on the medium is printed on the medium on which the first document is described,
The first acquisition means includes
Reading means for reading the pattern image;
Position information acquisition means for analyzing the pattern image read by the reading means and acquiring the position information;
Identification means for identifying the designated item based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means;
The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: The management means includes
After the pattern image printed at a specific location of the first document is read by the first acquisition unit, the pattern image printed at another specific location is read before the second image is read. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the content of the handwritten character acquired by the acquisition unit is associated with an item identified based on the pattern image.   5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second acquisition unit obtains a locus of the handwritten character based on a physical movement direction and a movement amount of the writing instrument. . The second acquisition means includes
Writing instruments,
An acceleration sensor provided in the writing instrument;
Calculation means for calculating a locus of the handwritten character based on movement of the writing instrument based on acceleration information obtained by the acceleration sensor;
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:   The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the reading unit of the first acquisition unit is the writing instrument of the second acquisition unit. The second acquisition means includes
Imaging means for photographing a medium in which the second document is described;
Extracting means for extracting a locus of the handwritten character from an image of the handwritten character of the second document photographed by the photographing means;
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: On the computer,
A function of accepting an operation of designating an item for the first document in which the item and the description content of the item are managed by the document server, and acquiring the description content of the specified item from the document server;
A function of acquiring the content of the handwritten character based on the locus of the handwritten character handwritten in the second document;
A function of managing the content of the handwritten character acquired by the function of acquiring the content of the handwritten character after the item of the first document is specified as the description content in the second document of the specified item;
A program that realizes

Images