JP2011257453A - Learning support device, learning support method using the same, learning support program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a learning support device, a learning support method using the same, a learning support program and a recording medium which is capable of simplifying an input operation for creating a mask image.SOLUTION: In a learning support device 20, a character recognition section 22 recognizes each character in a document image. A character position recognition section 26 recognizes a character display region on a display screen. In the character display region, each character recognized by the character recognition section 22 is arranged. A position designation input section 27 is for inputting position designation information 40 which designates a position on the display screen. A designated position determining section 28 determines whether or not the designated position by the position designation information 40 is inside the character display region.

Description

  The present invention relates to a learning support apparatus that supports learning, a learning support method using the same, a learning support program, and a recording medium.

  FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic textbook 1 which is a learning support apparatus according to the prior art. As a learning support apparatus according to the prior art, an image acquisition unit 2 that reads a document as an image, a display unit 3 that displays the read image, an operation unit 4 that is stacked on the display unit 3 and allows operation input, There is known an electronic textbook 1 including mask data creating means for creating mask data for masking image display on the display unit 3 based on an input operation to the operation unit 4.

  In the electronic textbook 1, when a figure forming a closed curve is input via the operation unit 4, the coordinate information input by pressing the operation unit 4 is detected as a press signal by the press signal detection unit 5. Thus, mask data for masking the area surrounded by the closed curve is created by the mask data creating means 6. In this electronic textbook 1, the image read by the image acquisition unit 2 and the mask data created by the mask data creation unit 6 are superimposed and displayed on the display unit 3.

JP 2007-34047 A

  In the electronic textbook 1 in the prior art, in order to designate a masked area, an input operation must be performed so that a closed curve is drawn, and an input operation for instructing the mask area to the mask data creating means 6 is performed. There is a problem that it is complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a learning support apparatus, a learning support method using the same, a learning support program, and a recording medium that can simplify the mask region input operation for creating a mask image.

The present invention provides an image reading unit that reads a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image;
A character recognition unit for recognizing each character included in the document image;
A display unit having a display screen and displaying the document image on the display screen;
A character position recognition unit for recognizing an area on the display screen where each character recognized by the character recognition unit is arranged as a character display area;
A position designation input unit for inputting position designation information for designating a position on the display screen;
A designated position determining unit that determines whether or not the position specified by the position specifying information is included in the character display area;
When the position designated by the position designation input unit is included in the character display area, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation information is masked when determined by the designated position determination unit. A mask area recognition unit for recognizing as a mask area to be performed;
A mask image generation unit for generating a mask image for masking the character display area recognized as the mask area;
A superimposed image generating unit that generates a superimposed image formed by superimposing the document image and the mask image;
And a display control unit configured to control the display unit and display the superimposed image on the display unit.

The present invention is an image storage unit that stores one or more document images and one or more superimposed images,
One or a plurality of mask images generated by superimposing the one or a plurality of mask images on the one document image when one or a plurality of the mask images are generated by the mask image generation unit corresponding to one document image And an image storage unit that stores the superimposed image and the one document image in association with each other.

The present invention further includes a selection command input unit for inputting selection command information for selecting any one of the document image and the superimposed image,
The display control unit displays the selected document image or superimposed image on the display unit in accordance with the selection command information.

  According to the present invention, the image storage unit displays selection history information indicating that a document image or a superimposed image selected by the selection command information from the document image and the superimposed image is selected by the selection command information. It is characterized by being given and stored.

The present invention further includes a date information acquisition unit for acquiring date information,
The image storage unit stores date / time information acquired by the date / time information acquisition unit when the image reading unit reads each document image as reading date / time information of each read document image, and the display unit The date and time information acquired by the date and time information acquisition unit when displaying the document image or each superimposed image is stored as display date and time information of each displayed document image or each superimposed image.

Further, according to the present invention, when one of the document image and the superimposed image is selected by inputting the selection command information, the date / time information acquisition unit acquires when the selection command information is input. The obtained date / time information is acquired as the current date / time, and the reading date / time information of the selected document image or the reading date / time information of the selected superimposed image is compared with the current date / time to calculate a temporal difference value. It further includes a time difference calculator,
The display control unit determines whether the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined time length, and the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined time length. Is determined,
When the selection command information is information for selecting one document image, information on whether or not one or a plurality of superimposed images associated with the one document image is stored in the image storage unit;
If a superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit, one of the superimposed images is displayed on the display unit, and if a superimposed image associated with the one document image is not stored in the image storage unit, One document image is displayed on the display unit.

Further, the present invention provides a character string extraction unit that recognizes a plurality of characters arranged in the mask region arranged continuously as a series of character strings;
A word recognition unit for recognizing at least some characters of the series of character strings as words;
A related information storage unit for storing a word recognized by the word recognition unit and related information associated with the word;
A related image generation unit that generates a related image for displaying the related information;
The display control unit superimposes a document image or a superimposed image on which the series of character strings are arranged and the related image to be displayed on the display unit.

The present invention also uses the learning support device,
An image reading step of reading a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image by the image reading unit;
A character recognition step of recognizing each character included in the document image by the character recognition unit;
A display step of displaying the document image on the display screen by the display unit;
A character position recognition step for recognizing an area on the display screen as a character display area in which each character recognized in the character recognition step is arranged by the character position recognition unit;
A position designation input step of inputting position designation information for designating a position on the display screen by the position designation input unit;
A designated position determination step for determining whether or not the position designated in the position designation input step is included in the character display area by the designated position determination unit;
When the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area, the position designated in the position designation input process is determined by the mask area recognition unit when determined in the designated position determination process. A mask area recognition step for recognizing the character display area including the mask area to be masked;
A mask image generating step for generating a mask image for masking the character display area recognized as the mask area by the mask image generating unit;
A superimposed image generation step of generating a superimposed image formed by superimposing the document image and the mask image by the superimposed image generation unit;
A display control step of controlling the display unit by the display control unit and displaying the superimposed image on the display unit.

The present invention also includes an image reading unit that reads a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image, a display unit that has a display screen, and displays the document image on the display screen;
A computer connected to a position designation input unit for inputting position designation information for designating a position on the display screen;
A character recognition unit for recognizing each character included in the document image;
A character position recognizing unit that recognizes an area on the display screen where each character recognized by the character recognizing unit is arranged as a character display area;
A designated position determination unit that determines whether or not the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area;
When the position designated by the position designation input unit is included in the character display area, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation information is masked when determined by the designated position determination unit. A mask area recognition unit for recognizing as a mask area to be performed,
A mask image generation unit for generating a mask image for masking the character display area recognized as the mask area;
A superimposed image generating unit that generates a superimposed image formed by superimposing the document image and the mask image, and a display control unit that controls the display unit and causes the display unit to display the superimposed image. Is a learning support program characterized by

  Further, the present invention is a recording medium on which the learning support program is recorded so as to be readable by a computer.

  According to the present invention, in the learning support device, the character position recognition unit recognizes the area on the display screen where the character is arranged as the character display area. Each character recognized by the character recognition unit is arranged in the character display area. The position designation input unit is a part for inputting position designation information, and the position designation information designates a position on the display screen. The designated position determination unit determines whether or not the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area. When the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area, the mask area recognition unit, when determined by the designated position determination unit, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation information, Recognize as a mask area. The mask area is an area to be masked. The mask image generation unit generates a mask image. The mask image masks the character display area recognized as the mask area. The superimposed image generation unit generates a superimposed image. The superimposed image is an image formed by superimposing a character image and a mask image. The display control unit controls the display unit to display a superimposed image on the display unit.

  Thereby, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation input unit can be designated as the mask area. Therefore, if at least one point is specified in the character display area, a mask image for masking characters included in the character display area can be generated. Since the character display area is recognized by the character recognition unit, the position of the edge that defines the character display area is automatically recognized. Accordingly, the boundary line between the mask area and the area adjacent to the mask area and different from the mask area can be automatically positioned between the adjacent character display areas instead of directly inputting the boundary line. . Therefore, the character string desired to be masked can be specified so that the character string is traced with the marker pen on the paper, instead of surrounding the character string desired to be masked separately from the character strings in other areas. As a result, the input operation for creating the mask image can be simplified.

  According to the present invention, the learning support apparatus further includes an image storage unit. The image storage unit stores one or more document images and one or more superimposed images. The image storage unit is formed by superimposing one or more mask images on the one document image when one or more mask images corresponding to one document image are generated by the mask image generating unit. A plurality of superimposed images and the one document image are stored in association with each other. Accordingly, the character image and the superimposed image can be displayed a plurality of times by repeatedly reading from the image storage unit. Therefore, the confirmation work can be performed a plurality of times, the review can be easily performed, and the learning support can be effectively performed.

  According to the invention, the learning support device further includes a selection command input unit. The selection command input unit is a portion for inputting selection command information. The selection command information is information for selecting one of the document image and the superimposed image. The display control unit causes the display unit to display the selected document image or superimposed image in accordance with the selection command information. Thus, either the document image or the superimposed image can be displayed on the display unit by the selection command input unit. Therefore, it is possible to repeatedly perform the work of remembering the characters to be masked in the mask area, and to learn efficiently.

  According to the invention, the image storage unit assigns and stores selection history information to the document image or the superimposed image selected by the selection command information from the document image and the superimposed image. The selection history information indicates that the selection history information is selected. As a result, it is possible to record whether or not there is a history of displaying the document image and the superimposed image, measuring the number of times of display, and the time when the display was performed. Therefore, it is possible to give priority to the document image according to the presence / absence of the display history, the number of display times, or the display time. As a result, the display order of the document image and the superimposed image can be changed according to the priority order. Therefore, effective learning support can be performed.

  According to the invention, the learning support apparatus further includes a date / time information acquisition unit, and the date / time information acquisition unit acquires the date / time information. The image storage unit stores the date and time information acquired by the date and time information acquisition unit when the image reading unit reads each document image as reading date and time information of each read document image. The image storage unit stores the date information acquired by the date information acquisition unit when the display unit displays each document image or each superimposed image as display date information of each displayed document image or each superimposed image. Accordingly, it is possible to give priority to the document image and the superimposed image according to the time when the document image is read and the time when the document image or the superimposed image is displayed. Therefore, it is possible to change the display order according to whether the document image or the superimposed image is old or new.

  According to the present invention, the learning support device further includes a time difference calculation unit. When one of the document image and the superimposed image is selected by the input of the selection command information, the time difference calculation unit obtains the date / time information acquired by the date / time information acquisition unit when the selection command information is input. Get as date and time. The time difference calculation unit compares the reading date / time information of the selected document image or the reading date / time information of the selected superimposed image with the current date / time, and calculates a temporal difference value. The display control unit determines whether the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit is equal to or longer than a predetermined time length. When it is determined that the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit is equal to or longer than a predetermined time length, the display control unit is associated with the one document image when the selection command information is information for selecting one document image. Information on whether or not one or more superimposed images are stored in the image storage unit is acquired. If the superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit, the display control unit causes the display unit to display one of the superimposed images. If the superimposed image associated with the one document image is not stored in the image storage unit, the one document image is displayed on the display unit.

  Thus, when the selection command information is information for selecting one document image, the selected one document image is read in the past at a time longer than a predetermined time length, and this If a superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit for one document image, the superimposed image can be displayed with priority over the display of the single document image. Therefore, it is possible to preferentially support review learning using a superimposed image in which a mask image is superimposed on appropriate content that has already been learned.

  According to the present invention, the learning support device further includes a character string extraction unit, a word recognition unit, a related information storage unit, and a related image generation unit. The character string extraction unit recognizes a plurality of characters arranged in a continuously aligned mask area as a series of character strings. The word recognition unit recognizes at least some characters of the series of character strings as words. The related information storage unit stores related information. The related information is associated with the word recognized by the word recognition unit and the word. The related image generation unit generates a related image for displaying related information. The display control unit superimposes the document image or superimposed image on which a series of character strings are arranged and the related image, and causes the display unit to display the superimposed image.

  Thereby, the related information related to the masked character string can be displayed as a related image. Therefore, it is possible to display information different from the character image including the character string via the masked character string. Thereby, effective learning support can be performed.

  According to the present invention, in the character support step in the learning support method, the area on the display screen where the character is arranged is recognized as the character display area. Each character recognized by the character recognition unit is arranged in the character display area. In the position designation input process, position designation information is input, and the position designation information designates a position on the display screen. In the designated position determination step, it is determined whether or not the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area. In the mask area recognition step, when the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation information is determined by the designated position determination unit, Recognize as a mask area. The mask area is an area to be masked. In the mask image generation step, a mask image is generated. The mask image masks the character display area recognized as the mask area. In the superimposed image generation step, a superimposed image is generated. The superimposed image is an image formed by superimposing a character image and a mask image. In the display control step, the display unit is controlled to display a superimposed image on the display unit.

  Thereby, the character display area including the position designated in the position designation input process can be designated as the mask area. Therefore, if at least one point is specified in the character display area, a mask image for masking characters included in the character display area can be generated. Since the character display area is recognized by the character recognition unit, the position of the edge that defines the character display area is automatically recognized. Accordingly, the boundary line between the mask area and the area adjacent to the mask area and different from the mask area can be automatically positioned between the adjacent character display areas instead of directly inputting the boundary line. . Therefore, the character string desired to be masked can be specified so that the character string is traced with the marker pen on the paper, instead of surrounding the character string desired to be masked separately from the character strings in other areas. As a result, the input operation for creating the mask image can be simplified.

  The learning support program causes the computer to function as a character recognition unit, a character position recognition unit, a position designation input unit, a designated position determination unit, a mask area recognition unit, a mask image generation unit, a superimposed image generation unit, and a display control unit. Thus, the learning support device can be realized by a configuration including a computer.

  The learning support program is recorded on the recording medium so as to be readable by a computer. Thus, the learning support program can be provided by a computer-readable recording medium.

It is a block diagram showing the structure of the learning assistance apparatus 20 which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing each process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the structure of the learning assistance apparatus 20 which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the structure of the learning assistance apparatus 20 which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the structure of the learning assistance apparatus 20 which concerns on 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the accumulated information stored in association with each superimposed image in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of the display by the display screen in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the content of the mask information 56 of the learning assistance apparatus 20 which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the content of the position specification information 40 of the learning assistance apparatus 20 which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the process of the learning assistance method which concerns on 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the relevant information memorize | stored in the relevant information storage part 49 in 7th Embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the structure of the electronic textbook 1 which is a learning assistance apparatus which concerns on a prior art.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, parts corresponding to items already described in the forms preceding each form may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those described in the preceding section. Not only the combination of the parts specifically described in each embodiment, but also the embodiments can be partially combined as long as the combination does not hinder. Moreover, each embodiment is illustrated in order to embody the technique which concerns on this invention, and does not limit the technical scope of this invention. The technical contents according to the present invention can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims. Hereinafter, descriptions of the learning support device 20, the learning support program, and the learning support method are included.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a learning support apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The learning support apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment reads a document as a document image, displays the document image, displays the document image in a masked state, or displays the document image in a masked state. Or an electronic device that supports learning. In the learning support device 20, a character is recognized from the image, and a designated character region is extracted from the character recognition result and the coordinate position information pointed on the display unit 24. Furthermore, it is possible to display the specified character area while masking it, or to combine and display information related to the result of character recognition.

  The learning support device 20 includes an image reading unit 21, a character recognition unit 22, a display unit 24, a character position recognition unit 26, a position designation input unit 27, a designated position determination unit 28, and a mask area recognition unit 32. The mask image generation unit 33, the superimposed image generation unit 34, and the display control unit 36 are included. The image reading unit 21 reads a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image. The character recognition unit 22 recognizes each character included in the document image. The display unit 24 has a display screen, and the display unit 24 displays a document image on the display screen.

  The character position recognition unit 26 recognizes an area on the display screen where the character is arranged as a character display area. Each character recognized by the character recognition unit 22 is arranged in the character display area. The position designation input unit 27 is a part for inputting position designation information 40 (see FIG. 14), and the position designation information 40 designates a position on the display screen. The designated position determination unit 28 determines whether or not the position designated by the position designation information 40 is included in the character display area.

  The mask area recognizing unit 32, when the position designated by the position designation information 40 is determined by the designated position determination unit 28 when the position designated by the position designation information 40 is included in the character display area, the character including the position designated by the position designation information 40 The display area is recognized as a mask area. The mask area is an area to be masked. The mask image generation unit 33 generates a mask image. The mask image masks the character display area recognized as the mask area. The superimposed image generation unit 34 generates a superimposed image. The superimposed image is an image formed by superimposing a character image and a mask image. The display control unit 36 controls the display unit 24 and causes the display unit 24 to display a superimposed image.

  The image reading unit 21 is an image acquisition unit such as a scanner or a camera. The display control unit 36 is realized including a central processing unit (abbreviated as “CPU”), and may include a RAM (random access memory) or the like. The display unit 24 is realized including, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The position designation input unit 27 includes a transparent sheet-like component attached on the display screen of the display unit 24, and is a pointing device realized by, for example, a touch panel. When pressed, the touch panel detects a pressing signal, detects the coordinates of the pressed position, and outputs the coordinates as coordinate information.

  However, the position designation input unit 27 is not limited to the touch panel, and can be realized using a pointing device such as a mouse, a trackball, or a trackpad. If the display unit 24 is a liquid crystal panel with a built-in optical sensor, position information can be input by, for example, bringing a finger or the like close to the display screen to shield light from the outside.

  In addition, the character recognition unit 22, the character position recognition unit 26, the designated position determination unit 28, the mask area recognition unit 32, the mask image generation unit 33, and the superimposed image generation unit 34 are realized by the CPU in the same manner as the display control unit 36. The Among these, the character recognition by the character recognition unit 22 can be realized by a technique such as optical character reader (abbreviated as “OCR”). In addition, it is possible to determine the top and bottom of the document image based on the character orientation, and to determine the top and bottom of the document image. Also, it is possible to specify the direction in which characters are arranged in the document image, such as the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. it can.

  The learning support device 20 includes an image storage unit 38. The image storage unit 38 stores one or more document images and one or more superimposed images. The image storage unit 38 is formed by superimposing one or a plurality of mask images on the one document image when one or a plurality of mask images are generated by the mask image generation unit corresponding to the one document image. Alternatively, a plurality of superimposed images and the one document image are stored in association with each other. The image storage unit 38 is realized including, for example, a hard disk and a hard disk drive, a memory card, a card reader, and the like.

  The learning support device 20 includes a selection command input unit 39. The selection command input unit 39 is a portion for inputting selection command information. The selection command information is information for selecting one of the document image and the superimposed image. The display control unit 36 causes the display unit 24 to display the selected document image or superimposed image in accordance with the selection command information.

  The image storage unit 38 assigns and stores selection history information to the document image or superimposed image selected by the selection command information from the document image and the superimposed image. The selection history information indicates that the selection history information is selected.

  The selection command input unit 39 may be realized by including, for example, a button that is different from the position designation input unit 27, and displays an instruction icon in a specific area in the display screen, and points this with a pointing device. Thus, selection command information can be input. The display control unit 36 functions as an image calling unit for the image storage unit 38, and searches, acquires, and transfers information stored in the image storage unit 38, or outputs information to the display unit 24 and the like. Can be performed.

  Among the learning support devices 20, the character recognition unit 22, the character position recognition unit 26, the designated position determination unit 28, the mask area recognition unit 32, the mask image generation unit 33, the superimposed image generation unit 34, and the display control unit 36 are performed by a computer. The computer is realized and connected to the image reading unit 21, the display unit 24, and the position designation input unit 27. The learning support program causes the computer to function as the character recognition unit 22, the character position recognition unit 26, the designated position determination unit 28, the mask area recognition unit 32, the mask image generation unit 33, the superimposed image generation unit 34, and the display control unit 36. . In the first embodiment, the computer is further connected to an image storage unit 38, a selection command input unit 39, and the like. The learning support program is recorded on a recording medium in a state readable by a computer. As a result, supply by a recording medium becomes possible.

  According to the first embodiment, the character position recognition unit 26 in the learning support device 20 recognizes the character display area on the display screen. Each character recognized by the character recognition unit 22 is arranged in the character display area. The position designation input unit 27 is a part for inputting the position designation information 40, and the position designation information 40 designates a position on the display screen. The designated position determination unit 28 determines whether or not the position designated by the position designation information 40 is included in the character display area.

  The mask area recognizing unit 32, when the position designated by the position designation information 40 is determined by the designated position determination unit 28 when the position designated by the position designation information 40 is included in the character display area, the character including the position designated by the position designation information 40 The display area is recognized as a mask area. The mask area is an area to be masked. The mask image generation unit 33 generates a mask image. The mask image masks the character display area recognized as the mask area. The superimposed image generation unit 34 generates a superimposed image. The superimposed image is an image formed by superimposing a character image and a mask image. The display control unit 36 controls the display unit 24 and causes the display unit 24 to display a superimposed image.

  Thereby, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation input unit 27 can be designated as the mask area. Therefore, if at least one point is specified in the character display area, a mask image for masking characters included in the character display area can be generated. Since the character display area is recognized by the character recognition unit 22, the position of the edge that defines the character display area is automatically recognized.

  Accordingly, the boundary line between the mask area and the area adjacent to the mask area and different from the mask area can be automatically positioned between the adjacent character display areas instead of directly inputting the boundary line. . Therefore, the character string desired to be masked can be specified so that the character string is traced with the marker pen on the paper, instead of surrounding the character string desired to be masked separately from the character strings in other areas. As a result, the input operation for creating the mask image can be simplified.

  Further, even when the distance between adjacent characters in the character image is narrow, the mask region can be easily specified and the mask image can be generated without enlarging the character image. Therefore, even when the characters displayed on the display screen are small or when the line spacing is clogged, it is not necessary to extract with a closed curve. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an unintended mask area from being designated, such as extracting a plurality of character lines. Furthermore, since character recognition is performed, it is also possible to perform processing using the character code of the character recognition result 41 (see FIG. 11B and FIG. 13A).

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the learning support device 20 is configured to further include the image storage unit 38. The image storage unit 38 stores one or more document images and one or more superimposed images. The image storage unit 38 is formed by superimposing one or a plurality of mask images on the one document image when one or a plurality of mask images are generated by the mask image generation unit corresponding to the one document image. Alternatively, a plurality of superimposed images and the one document image are stored in association with each other. Accordingly, the character image and the superimposed image can be displayed a plurality of times by repeatedly reading from the image storage unit 38. Therefore, the confirmation work can be performed a plurality of times, the review can be easily performed, and the learning support can be effectively performed.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the learning support device 20 is configured to further include the selection command input unit 39. The selection command input unit 39 is a portion for inputting selection command information. The selection command information is information for selecting one of the document image and the superimposed image. The display control unit 36 causes the display unit 24 to display the selected document image or superimposed image in accordance with the selection command information. As a result, either the document image or the superimposed image can be displayed on the display unit 24 by the selection command input unit 39. Therefore, it is possible to repeatedly perform the work of remembering the characters to be masked in the mask area, and to learn efficiently.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the image storage unit 38 assigns and stores selection history information to the document image or the superimposed image selected by the selection command information from the document image and the superimposed image. The selection history information indicates that the selection history information is selected. As a result, it is possible to record whether or not there is a history of displaying the document image and the superimposed image, measuring the number of times of display, and the time when the display was performed. Therefore, it is possible to give priority to the document image according to the presence / absence of the display history, the number of display times, or the display time. As a result, the display order of the document image and the superimposed image can be changed according to the priority order. Therefore, effective learning support can be performed.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing each process of the learning support method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The learning support method according to the first embodiment is a method of supporting learning using the learning support device 20 described above. The learning support method according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an image reading process, a character recognition process, a display process, a character position recognition process, a position designation input process, a designated position determination process, and a mask area recognition process. And a mask image generation step, a superimposed image generation step, and a display control step.

  In the image reading step, the image reading unit 21 reads a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image. In the character recognition step, each character included in the document image is recognized by the character recognition unit 22. A display screen is formed on the display unit 24. In the display step, the display unit 24 displays the document image on the display screen. In the character position recognition step, the character display area on the display screen is recognized by character position recognition. Each character recognized by the character recognition unit 22 is arranged in the character display area.

  In the position designation input process, the position designation information 40 is input by the position designation input unit 27. The position designation information 40 designates a position on the display screen. In the designated position determination step, the designated position determination unit 28 determines whether or not the position designated in the position designation input step is included in the character display area. In the mask area recognition process, when the position designated by the mask area recognition unit 32 in the position designation input process is included in the character display area, it is designated by the position designation information 40 when it is judged by the designated position judgment unit 28. The character display area including the designated position is recognized as a mask area.

  The mask area is an area to be masked. In the mask image generation process, the mask image generation unit 33 generates a mask image. The mask image masks the character display area recognized as the mask area. In the superimposed image generation step, the superimposed image generation unit 34 generates a superimposed image. The superimposed image is an image formed by superimposing a character image and a mask image. In the display control step, the display control unit 36 controls the display unit 24 to display a superimposed image on the display unit 24.

  After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step a1 to determine whether or not to end the learning support. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. If selection command information for ending learning support is input, this processing is terminated. When the image input is not finished, the process proceeds to the next image reading process at step a2, and the document image is read. Next, the process proceeds to a character recognition process in step a3, where characters included in the read document image are recognized. Next, the process proceeds to the display step of step a4, and the read document image is displayed. The order of the character recognition process in step a3 and the display process in step a4 may be reversed.

  Next, the process proceeds to a character position recognition process in step a5, where the position of each character on the display screen is recognized. This sets a rectangular area circumscribing each character, and detects the coordinates of at least two points on the diagonal line among the four vertices forming the rectangle. At this time, the coordinates of the four vertices in the rectangle may be detected.

  Next, the process proceeds to the position designation input process of step a6, and the position designation information 40 is input. At this time, the learning support apparatus 20 determines whether or not the position designation information 40 has been input. If the determination result indicates that the input has not been performed, the process proceeds to step a1. When the position designation information 40 is input, the position designated by the position designation information 40 is represented by coordinates. Next, the process proceeds to the designated position determination step of step a7, and it is determined whether or not the position designated by the position designation information 40 is a position included in any one of the character display areas on the display screen. At this time, if it is determined that the position designated by the position designation information 40 is not included in any character display area on the display screen, the process proceeds to the position designation input step of step a6.

  In the designated position determining step, when it is determined that the position designated by the position designation information 40 is a position included in any of the character display areas on the display screen, the process proceeds to the mask area recognizing process in step a8. Then, a character display area including this position is detected, and this character display area is recognized as a mask area. Next, the process proceeds to a mask image generation process in step a9, and a mask image is generated.

  Next, the process proceeds to the superimposed image generation step of step a10, and the superimposed image is generated by superimposing the character image and the mask image. In this case, the superimposed image may be generated while maintaining the information that the character image and the mask image are different layers, or may be generated as an image that cannot be separated by integrating the layers. Next, the process proceeds to the display control step of step a11. In the first embodiment, in the display control step, the display unit 24 displays a superimposed image. After the display control process in step a11, the process proceeds to step a1, where it is determined whether or not the learning support is to be ended. If selection command information for ending the learning support is input, this processing is ended.

  Thereby, the character display area including the position designated in the position designation input process can be designated as the mask area. Therefore, if at least one point is specified in the character display area, a mask image for masking characters included in the character display area can be generated. Since the character display area is recognized by the character recognition unit 22, the position of the edge that defines the character display area is automatically recognized.

  Accordingly, the boundary line between the mask area and the area adjacent to the mask area and different from the mask area can be automatically positioned between the adjacent character display areas instead of directly inputting the boundary line. . Therefore, the character string desired to be masked can be specified so that the character string is traced with the marker pen on the paper, instead of surrounding the character string desired to be masked separately from the character strings in other areas. As a result, the input operation for creating the mask image can be simplified.

  Further, even when the distance between adjacent characters in the character image is narrow, the mask region can be easily specified and the mask image can be generated without enlarging the character image. Therefore, even when the characters displayed on the display screen are small or when the line spacing is clogged, it is not necessary to extract with a closed curve. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an unintended mask area from being designated, such as extracting a plurality of character lines. Furthermore, since character recognition is performed, it is possible to perform processing using the character code of the character recognition result 41.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of the learning support method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the second embodiment are similar to the learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences of the second embodiment from the first embodiment. The explanation will be focused on.

  In the learning support method according to the second embodiment, it is possible to select which image to be displayed on the display unit 24 among the image read by the image reading unit 21 and the image stored in the image storage unit 38. . After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step b1 to determine whether or not to read an image stored in the image storage unit 38. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. When the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is read, the process proceeds to the stored image display process in step b2, and the image specified by the selection command information is read.

  After the stored image display process, the process proceeds to step b3, where it is determined whether or not to end the image display. Also in this step, if the selection command information from the selection command input unit 39 is judged by the display control unit 36 and the selection command information means that the image display is not finished, the image display is continued and the image storage unit 38 is continued. The display of the image stored in is continued. At this time, if the selection command information means a command to end the display of the image being displayed, the process proceeds to step b1. If it means switching to another image among the images stored in the image storage unit 38, it is determined in step b1 that another accumulated image is read out, and display can be performed accordingly.

  If it is determined in step b1 that the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is not read, the process proceeds to step b4. In step b4, it is determined whether or not to end the learning support. Steps b4 to b14 are the same as the steps a1 to a11 in the first embodiment. After the display control process of step b14, the process proceeds to the superimposed image storage determination process of step b15, and it is determined whether or not to store the superimposed image. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. At this time, if it is determined not to store the superimposed image, the process proceeds to step b4. If it is determined to store the superimposed image, the process proceeds to the superimposed image storing process in the next step b16.

  In the superimposed image storage step b16, the superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit 38. At this time, a mask image can be stored separately from the superimposed image. Since each superimposed image and each mask image correspond to one document image, they are stored in a state associated with the document image. After the superimposed image storing step of step b16, the process proceeds to step b4, where it is determined whether or not the learning support is to be ended, and if the selection command information for ending the learning support is input, this processing is ended. .

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the steps of the learning support method according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the third embodiment are similar to the learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences of the third embodiment from the first embodiment. The explanation will be focused on. In the third embodiment, one of the document image and the superimposed image of the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is displayed according to the selection command information from the selection command input unit 39.

  After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step c1 to determine whether or not to read an image stored in the image storage unit 38. This process is the same as step b1 in the second embodiment. At this time, if it is determined that the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is to be read, the process proceeds to step c2 to determine which of the document image and the superimposed image is to be displayed. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39.

  Here, any one of the plurality of document images and the plurality of superimposed images may be selected by inputting the selection command information. However, in order to support learning, after displaying the document image, Since there is a different meaning between the order of displaying the superimposed image corresponding to the image and the order of displaying the document image corresponding to this after displaying the superimposed image, if there is no other designation, the superimposed image is It is preferable to display the document image earlier than the document image.

  In the third embodiment, when it is determined in step c2 that the document image is to be displayed, the process proceeds to a document image display process in step c3, and the document image is displayed. If it is determined in step c2 that the superimposed image is to be displayed, the process proceeds to the superimposed image display step in step c4, and after displaying one superimposed image, the document image superimposed on the superimposed image is displayed.

  After step c3 and step c4, the process proceeds to step c5 to determine whether or not to end the image display. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. If it is determined in step c5 that the image display is not finished, the process proceeds to step c2. If it is determined in step c5 that the image display is to be terminated, the present process is terminated. If it is determined in step c1 that the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is not to be read, the process proceeds to step c6 to determine whether or not to end the learning support. The processes after step c6 are the same as the processes after step b4 in the second embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the steps of the learning support method according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The learning support apparatus 20 and the learning support method according to the fourth embodiment are similar to the learning support apparatus 20 and the learning support method according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences of the fourth embodiment from the first embodiment. The explanation will be focused on. In the fourth embodiment, after inputting the document image, the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is displayed along the selection command information from the selection command input unit 39.

  After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step d1 and steps d1 to d10 for determining whether or not to end the learning support are the same as steps a1 to a10 in the first embodiment. After the superimposed image generation step of step d10, the process proceeds to step d11 to determine which of the document image and the superimposed image is to be displayed. Steps d11 to d13 are the same as steps c2 to c4 in the third embodiment. However, the document image and the superimposed image handled in steps d11 to d13 are not yet stored in the image storage unit 38 and are read by the image reading unit 21 and the superimposed image created based on the document image. It is.

  After the document image display process in step d12 and the superimposed image display process in step d13, the process proceeds to step d14, and whether or not to store the document image and the superimposed image handled in steps d11 to d13 in the image storage unit 38. Judgment is made. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. At this time, if it is determined not to store, the process proceeds to step d1, and if it is determined to store, the process proceeds to step d15. In step d15, the document image read by the image reading unit 21 and the superimposed image created based on the document image are stored in the image storage unit 38. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step d1.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the learning support apparatus 20 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the steps of the learning support method according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the fifth embodiment are similar to the learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the fourth embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences of the fifth embodiment from the fourth embodiment. The explanation will be focused on. In the fifth embodiment, when saving a document image and a superimposed image, date and time information is assigned to each image and saved.

  The learning support apparatus 20 further includes a date / time information acquisition unit 42, and the date / time information acquisition unit 42 acquires date / time information. The image storage unit 38 stores the date and time information acquired by the date and time information acquisition unit 42 when the image reading unit 21 reads each document image as reading date and time information of each read document image. Further, the image storage unit 38 stores the date information acquired by the date information acquisition unit 42 when the display unit 24 displays each document image or each superimposed image as display date information of each displayed document image or each superimposed image. To do.

  After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step e1 to determine whether or not to end the learning support. Steps e1 to e14 are the same as steps d1 to d14 of the fourth embodiment. If it is determined in step e14 that the document image read by the image reading unit 21 and the superimposed image created based on the document image are stored in the image storage unit 38, the process proceeds to step e15, and the date / time information acquisition unit Date / time information representing the current date / time is acquired from 42. Next, the process proceeds to step e16, where the date and time information is given to the document image and the superimposed image as the storage date and stored together with the document image and the superimposed image. As for the document image, a date / time method may be acquired from the date / time information acquisition unit 42 when read by the image reading unit 21, and the document image may be given and stored as reading date / time information of the document image. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step e1. If it is determined in step d14 that the document image or the superimposed image is not stored in the image storage unit 38, the process proceeds to step e1.

  In the fifth embodiment, prior to inputting a character image, a document image or a superimposed image stored in the image storage unit 38 may be displayed as in the third embodiment. In this case, priority may be given to the document image and the superimposed image according to the time when the document image is read and the time when the document image or the superimposed image is displayed. Further, the display order may be changed according to whether the document image or the superimposed image is new or old.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the learning support apparatus 20 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the steps of the learning support method according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the sixth embodiment are similar to the learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the fifth embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences of the sixth embodiment from the fifth embodiment. The explanation will be focused on. In the sixth embodiment, when saving a document image and a superimposed image, the date and time information is assigned to each image and saved, and when the document image or the superimposed image is displayed, it is given to the document image and the superimposed image. The display is controlled based on the date information.

  The learning support device 20 further includes a time difference calculation unit 44. The time difference calculation unit 44, when one of the document image and the superimposed image is selected by the input of the selection command information, the date information acquired by the date information acquisition unit 42 when the selection command information is input. Is acquired as the current date and time. The time difference calculation unit 44 compares the reading date / time information of the selected document image or the reading date / time information of the selected superimposed image with the current date / time, and calculates a temporal difference value. The display control unit 36 determines whether the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit 44 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time length.

  When it is determined that the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit 44 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time length, the display control unit 36 determines that the one document image is selected when the selection command information is information for selecting one document image. Information about whether or not one or more associated superimposed images are stored in the image storage unit 38 is acquired. If the superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit 38, the display control unit 36 causes the display unit 24 to display one of the superimposed images. If the superimposed image associated with the one document image is not stored in the image storage unit 38, the one document image is displayed on the display unit 24.

  When it is determined that the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit 44 is less than the predetermined time length, the display control unit 36 displays the document image and the superimposed image according to the selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. This is done by controlling the display unit 24. When it is determined that the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit 44 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time length and the selection command information is information for selecting a superimposed image, the superimposed image is displayed according to the selection command information. It is determined that the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit 44 is greater than or equal to a predetermined time length, the selection command information is information for selecting one document image, and a plurality of superimposed images are stored in the image storage unit 38. For example, a superimposed image having a storage date and time close to the current date and time may be displayed with priority over a superimposed image having a storage date and time far from the current date and time.

  After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step f1 to determine whether or not to read an image stored in the image storage unit 38. This process is the same as step b1 in the second embodiment. At this time, if it is determined that the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is to be read, the process proceeds to step f2, and it is determined whether or not the storage date / time information is more than a predetermined length of time from the current date / time. judge. That is, it is determined whether or not the storage date is older than a predetermined reference. At this time, when it is determined that it is less than a predetermined time length, that is, it is relatively new, the process proceeds to step f3, and a document image or a superimposed image is displayed according to the selection command information. If it is determined in step f2 that the length is equal to or longer than the predetermined time length, that is, it is relatively old, the process proceeds to step f4 to preferentially display the superimposed image. After displaying the superimposed image, a document image corresponding to the superimposed image may be displayed.

  After step f3 and step f4, the process proceeds to step f5 to determine whether or not to end the image display. This step is performed when the display control unit 36 determines selection command information from the selection command input unit 39. The display control unit 36 may determine that the selection command information is an end command when a command signal is input, and may determine that the command is a continuation command when there is no command signal. If it is determined in step f5 that the image display is not finished, the display of the selected image or the superimposed image is continued. In step f5, it is determined that the image display is finished, and the process proceeds to step f1.

  If it is determined in step f1 that the image stored in the image storage unit 38 is not displayed, the process proceeds to step f6. Step f6 and subsequent steps are the same as step e1 and subsequent steps in the fifth embodiment.

  In the sixth embodiment, when the selection command information is information for selecting one document image, the selected one document image is read in the past at a time longer than a predetermined time length. If the superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit 38 for the one document image, the superimposed image can be displayed with priority over the display of the single document image. Therefore, it is possible to preferentially support review learning using a superimposed image in which a mask image is superimposed on appropriate content that has already been learned.

(Seventh embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the learning support apparatus 20 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. The learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the seventh embodiment are similar to the learning support device 20 and the learning support method according to the sixth embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences of the seventh embodiment from the sixth embodiment. The explanation will be focused on. In the seventh embodiment, a related information storage unit 49 that stores related information related to the contents of a document image is provided to display an image based on the related information.

  The learning support device 20 further includes a character string extraction unit 46, a word recognition unit 48, a related information storage unit 49, and a related image generation unit 51. The character string extraction unit 46 recognizes a plurality of characters arranged in a continuously aligned mask area as a series of character strings. A series of character strings recognized by the character string extraction unit 46 may be referred to as a “key character string” (54). The word recognition unit 48 recognizes at least some characters of the series of character strings as words. The related information storage unit 49 stores related information. The related information is associated with the word recognized by the word recognition unit 48 and the word. The related image generation unit 51 generates a related image for displaying related information. The display control unit 36 causes the display unit 24 to superimpose a document image or superimposed image on which a series of character strings are arranged and a related image.

  Thereby, the related information related to the masked character string can be displayed as a related image. Therefore, it is possible to display information different from the character image including the character string via the masked character string. Thereby, effective learning support can be performed.

  FIG. 11 is an example of accumulated information stored in association with each superimposed image in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the seventh embodiment, the word recognition unit 48 includes a word dictionary portion 52. The word dictionary part 52 stores a plurality of words represented by one or more characters. The word recognition unit 48 is a word character string that matches the word 55 based on a plurality of words 55 stored in the word dictionary portion 52 from a plurality of characters arranged in a character display area continuously arranged on the display screen. Recognize When the series of character strings extracted by the character string extraction unit 46 is less than the word character string, the mask area recognition unit 32 recognizes the character display area of the word character string including the series of character strings as a mask area. .

  Thus, the boundary line between the mask area and the area adjacent to and different from the mask area is automatically positioned between the word character string representing the word 55 and another character string adjacent thereto. be able to. Therefore, even when a part of the word character string constituting the word 55 deviates from the mask area designated by the position designation input unit 27, a part of the deviating character string is masked to be masked. Can be included in the area. Thereby, compared with the case where the word character string is not recognized by the word recognition unit 48, the input work for creating the mask image can be simplified.

  In another embodiment similar to the seventh embodiment, the mask area recognition unit 32 includes a series of character strings extracted by the character string extraction unit 46 and another series of character strings having a predetermined number of characters or less. It may be determined whether or not the character area is separated from the mask area. At this time, if it is determined that the character display areas are separated by a predetermined number of characters or less, the mask area recognition unit 32 separates the series of character strings from the other series of character strings. Is also recognized as a mask region. For example, one character or two characters are set as the predetermined number of hours.

  As a result, when a series of character strings is designated as a mask area, even if there is a omission in the designation, the omission of the designation can be interpolated to designate the mask area. As a result, the input operation for creating the mask image can be simplified as compared with the case where the mask area is not specified by interpolation.

(Example)
FIG. 12 is an example of display on the display screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12A shows a state where the position designation information 40 by the pointing device is not input, and FIG. 12B shows a state where the position designation information 40 by the pointing device is input. In FIG. 12B, the character display areas “6”, “4”, and “5” are respectively designated by the position designation information 40.

  FIG. 13 shows the contents of the mask information 56 of the learning support apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 shows the contents of the position designation information 40 of the learning support apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. For example, in the case of the character recognition result 41 in FIG. 13A, the mask information 56 becomes the coordinate information in FIG. 13B. The mask information 56 is the character of FIG. 13A including the coordinates of FIG. 13 when the coordinate position information pointed to as shown in FIG. 12 is the coordinates of the 645 part, that is, the information as shown in FIG. The recognition result coordinates are searched, and the character recognition result coordinates including the coordinate position of the pointed coordinate position information are set as the coordinates of the mask information 56.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the steps of the learning support method according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step g1, and it is determined whether or not to read the stored image stored in the image storage unit 38. If it is determined in step g1 that the stored image is read, the process proceeds to step g2. Steps g2 to g6 are the same as steps f2 to f6 in the sixth embodiment. Steps g6 to g13 in the seventh embodiment are the same as steps a1 to a8 in the first embodiment. After the mask area recognition step of step g13, the process proceeds to step g14, and related information stored in relation to the character string to be masked located in the mask area is retrieved and read out from the related information storage unit 49. . Next, the process proceeds to a mask image generation process in step g15. This is the same as step a9 in the first embodiment. Next, the process proceeds to the related image generation step of step g16 to generate a related image based on the related information.

  Next, the process proceeds to the superimposed image generation step of step g17 to generate a superimposed image. A document image, a mask image, and a related image are superimposed on this. Next, the process proceeds to the display control step of step g18. This step of step g18 is the same as step a11 in the first embodiment. Next, the process proceeds to step g19, and after step g19, the process proceeds to step g20. Steps g19 and g20 are the same as steps c17 and c18 in the third embodiment.

  The biggest difference between the learning support method according to the seventh embodiment and the first to sixth embodiments is that in step g14, a step of searching for related information stored in the related information storage unit 49 is added. It is. Here, the related information storage unit 49 is searched using the character string masked in the area recognized as the mask area in step g13 as a keyword.

  FIG. 16 is an example of related information stored in the related information storage unit 49 in the seventh embodiment. The key character string 54 and detailed information 58 related to the key character string 54 are associated with each other, and more detailed information can be extracted from the key character string 54. For example, in the case of related information relating to the history field, detailed information 58 on historical events is obtained from the year, for example, and portrait image data of the person is obtained from historical persons. The detailed information 58 may be associated with a character string recognized by the word recognition unit 48 as a character string in the mask area 56 or a word 55 supplemented by interpolation instead of the key character string 54.

  Since this is not a database, it is stored not in the related information storage unit 49 but in the image storage unit 38. The accumulated information includes, for example, the coordinates of the mask, the storage date and time when the image was stored, the priority order between the document image and the superimposed image, and related information obtained from the related information storage unit 49. Regarding the priority order of the document image and the superimposed image, for example, “mask display ON” indicates that the priority of the superimposed image is set high, and “mask display OFF” indicates that the priority of the document image is set high. expressed.

  Such accumulated information may be additionally appended with the latest browsing date and time information indicating the final display date and time. The related information storage unit 49 may be used by connecting a storage device outside the learning support device 20 to the learning support device 20.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Learning support apparatus 21 Image reading part 22 Character recognition part 24 Display part 26 Character position recognition part 27 Position designation input part 28 Designated position determination part 32 Mask area recognition part 33 Mask image generation part 34 Superimposed image generation part 36 Display control part 38 Image storage unit 39 Selection command input unit 42 Date and time information acquisition unit 44 Time difference calculation unit 46 Character string extraction unit 48 Word recognition unit 49 Related information storage unit 51 Related image generation unit 52 Word dictionary portion

Claims (10)

An image reading unit that reads a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image;
A character recognition unit for recognizing each character included in the document image;
A display unit having a display screen and displaying the document image on the display screen;
A character position recognition unit for recognizing an area on the display screen where each character recognized by the character recognition unit is arranged as a character display area;
A position designation input unit for inputting position designation information for designating a position on the display screen;
A designated position determining unit that determines whether or not the position specified by the position specifying information is included in the character display area;
When the position designated by the position designation input unit is included in the character display area, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation information is masked when determined by the designated position determination unit. A mask area recognition unit for recognizing as a mask area to be performed;
A mask image generation unit for generating a mask image for masking the character display area recognized as the mask area;
A superimposed image generating unit that generates a superimposed image formed by superimposing the document image and the mask image;
And a display control unit that controls the display unit and causes the display unit to display the superimposed image. An image storage unit that stores one or more document images and one or more superimposed images,
One or a plurality of mask images generated by superimposing the one or a plurality of mask images on the one document image when one or a plurality of the mask images are generated by the mask image generation unit corresponding to one document image The learning support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image storage unit that stores the superimposed image and the one document image in association with each other. A selection command input unit for inputting selection command information for selecting any one of the document image and the superimposed image;
The learning support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display the selected document image or superimposed image in accordance with the selection command information.   The image storage unit assigns and stores selection history information indicating that a document image or a superimposed image selected by the selection command information from the document image and the superimposed image is selected by the selection command information. The learning support apparatus according to claim 3. A date and time information acquisition unit for acquiring date and time information;
The image storage unit stores date / time information acquired by the date / time information acquisition unit when the image reading unit reads each document image as reading date / time information of each read document image, and the display unit 5. The date and time information acquired by the date and time information acquisition unit when a document image or each superimposed image is displayed is stored as display date and time information of each displayed document image or each superimposed image. The learning support apparatus according to 1. When one of the document image and the superimposed image is selected by inputting the selection command information, the date / time information acquired by the date / time information acquisition unit when the selection command information is input is A time difference calculating unit that acquires the date and time, compares the reading date and time information of the selected document image or the reading date and time information of the selected superimposed image and the current date and time, and calculates a temporal difference value; Including
The display control unit determines whether the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined time length, and the calculation result by the time difference calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined time length. Is determined,
When the selection command information is information for selecting one document image, information on whether or not one or a plurality of superimposed images associated with the one document image is stored in the image storage unit;
If a superimposed image is stored in the image storage unit, one of the superimposed images is displayed on the display unit, and if a superimposed image associated with the one document image is not stored in the image storage unit, The learning support apparatus according to claim 5, wherein one document image is displayed on the display unit. A character string extraction unit for recognizing a plurality of characters arranged in the mask region continuously arranged as a series of character strings;
A word recognition unit for recognizing at least some characters of the series of character strings as words;
A related information storage unit for storing a word recognized by the word recognition unit and related information associated with the word;
A related image generation unit that generates a related image for displaying the related information;
The display control unit causes the display unit to superimpose a document image or a superimposed image on which the series of character strings are arranged and the related image to be displayed on the display unit. The learning support apparatus according to 1. Using the learning support device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An image reading step of reading a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image by the image reading unit;
A character recognition step of recognizing each character included in the document image by the character recognition unit;
A display step of displaying the document image on the display screen by the display unit;
A character position recognition step for recognizing an area on the display screen as a character display area in which each character recognized in the character recognition step is arranged by the character position recognition unit;
A position designation input step of inputting position designation information for designating a position on the display screen by the position designation input unit;
A designated position determination step for determining whether or not the position designated in the position designation input step is included in the character display area by the designated position determination unit;
When the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area, the position designated in the position designation input process is determined by the mask area recognition unit when determined in the designated position determination process. A mask area recognition step for recognizing the character display area including the mask area to be masked;
A mask image generating step for generating a mask image for masking the character display area recognized as the mask area by the mask image generating unit;
A superimposed image generation step of generating a superimposed image formed by superimposing the document image and the mask image by the superimposed image generation unit;
A display control step of controlling the display unit by the display control unit and displaying the superimposed image on the display unit. An image reading unit that reads a document in which one or more characters are described as a document image, a display unit that has a display screen, and displays the document image on the display screen;
A computer connected to a position designation input unit for inputting position designation information for designating a position on the display screen;
A character recognition unit for recognizing each character included in the document image;
A character position recognizing unit that recognizes an area on the display screen where each character recognized by the character recognizing unit is arranged as a character display area;
A designated position determination unit that determines whether or not the position designated by the position designation information is included in the character display area;
When the position designated by the position designation input unit is included in the character display area, the character display area including the position designated by the position designation information is masked when determined by the designated position determination unit. A mask area recognition unit for recognizing as a mask area to be performed,
A mask image generation unit for generating a mask image for masking the character display area recognized as the mask area;
A superimposed image generating unit that generates a superimposed image formed by superimposing the document image and the mask image, and a display control unit that controls the display unit and causes the display unit to display the superimposed image. A learning support program characterized by   A recording medium in which the learning support program according to claim 9 is recorded in a computer-readable manner.