JP2020025336A - Information processing system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the work load on a user in a service using an image reading function.SOLUTION: A server device 200 includes selecting means 251 for selecting any of a plurality of services, instruction means 252 for instructing image reading means 151 to perform image reading according to a predetermined setting regarding image reading when a predetermined service is selected by the selection means 251, and execution means 253 for executing processing corresponding to a service selected by the selection means 251 using the processing result by the image reading means 151.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

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

  A mechanism for managing books such as books and magazines by a computer is known. Patent Literature 1 searches an external bibliographic database and an internal bibliographic database and, if there is bibliographic information that matches both, associates the mark number and bibliographic identification code of the external bibliographic database with the bibliographic number to create a bibliographic integrated database. The registration mechanism is disclosed. Patent Document 2 discloses a mechanism for managing bibliographic information by linking a bibliographic database for collectively managing bibliographic information and a library database of each library.

JP 2004-234076 A JP-A-2002-16326

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing a user's work load in a service using an image reading function.

  An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus includes a service selection unit that selects one of a plurality of services in accordance with a user operation, and is connected to the image processing apparatus via a network. A server device, wherein the server device selects a predetermined service for each of the image processing devices according to the selection of the service selection device in the image processing device; and the image processing device When a predetermined service for the predetermined service is selected by the selection unit, an instruction to read an image according to a predetermined setting for the predetermined service is given to the image processing apparatus, and If a predetermined service for the processing device is not selected by the selection means, An instruction unit that does not perform the instruction regarding reading image, is an information processing system comprising a. An information processing system according to a second aspect is the configuration according to the first aspect, further comprising an execution unit that executes a process corresponding to the predetermined service using a processing result obtained by the image reading.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to the first or second aspect, an instruction from a user is not accepted with respect to the predetermined setting.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the information processing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the predetermined service is a book management service for managing an object using a read image or a read management service. A delivery monitoring service for monitoring a delivery status when delivering the selected image, wherein the instructing means performs a process of detecting a size of a medium to be read when the predetermined service is selected. Instruction to perform image reading at a predetermined size.

  The information processing system according to claim 5, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined service is a book management service for managing objects using a read image or a book management service. A delivery monitoring service for monitoring a delivery status when delivering the selected image, wherein the instruction unit is configured to, when the predetermined service is selected, read a monochrome image out of a color image and a monochrome image Instruct reading.

  The information processing system according to claim 6, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined service is a marker masking service that masks a predetermined color area, When the marker masking service is selected, the instruction means instructs color image reading out of color image reading and monochrome image reading.

  In the information processing system according to claim 7, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the predetermined service is a book management service that manages an object using a read image. When the book management service is selected, the instructing unit instructs to perform a process of removing a background of a medium to be read.

  In the information processing system according to claim 8, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the predetermined service is a book management service that manages an object using a read image. The instruction means instructs, when the book management service is selected, to perform a distortion correction process for correcting image distortion.

  In the information processing system according to claim 9, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the predetermined service is a marker masking service for masking a predetermined color area, When the marker masking service is selected, the instructing unit instructs monochrome output among color output and monochrome output of the read image.

  In the information processing system according to claim 10, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the predetermined service is a book management service that manages an object using a read image or a book management service. A delivery monitoring service for monitoring the delivery status when delivering the image, wherein the instruction means is used when the predetermined service is selected and when the size detection of the medium to be read is failed. The user is instructed to perform image reading at a predetermined size without displaying a screen for allowing the user to specify the size of the medium.

The program according to claim 11, wherein the computer is connected to a computer connected via a network to an image processing apparatus provided with a service selecting means for selecting one of a plurality of services in accordance with a user operation. A selecting step of selecting a predetermined service for each of the image processing apparatuses according to the selection of the service selecting unit;
When a predetermined service for the image processing apparatus is selected by the selection unit, an instruction to read an image according to a predetermined setting for the predetermined service is given to the image processing apparatus. On the other hand, when a predetermined service for the image processing apparatus is not selected by the selection unit, an instruction step of not performing the instruction regarding image reading to the image processing apparatus;
Is a program for executing.

According to the information processing system according to the first aspect, when a predetermined service is selected, compared with a case where the image reading unit does not instruct the image reading unit to perform the image reading according to the predetermined setting regarding the image reading, Work load of the worker is reduced.
According to the information processing apparatus of the second aspect, when a predetermined service is selected, a process corresponding to the predetermined service is executed using a processing result by the image reading.
According to the information processing system according to the third aspect, the work load on the user is reduced as compared with the case where the user receives an instruction regarding the predetermined setting.
According to the information processing system of the fourth aspect, the work load on the user is reduced in the book management service or the delivery monitoring service as compared with the case where the medium size detection processing is performed.
According to the information processing system of the fifth aspect, the work load of the user is reduced in the book management service or the delivery monitoring service as compared with the case where the monochrome image reading is not instructed.
According to the information processing system of the sixth aspect, when the marker masking service is used, the work load on the user is reduced as compared with the case where the image reading in color is not instructed.
According to the information processing system according to the seventh aspect, in the book management service, the work load of the user is reduced as compared with the case where the background removal processing is not instructed.
According to the information processing system of the eighth aspect, in the book management service, the work load of the user is reduced as compared with the case where the distortion correction processing is not instructed.
According to the information processing system of the ninth aspect, in the marker masking service, the work load of the user is reduced as compared with the case where the monochrome output is not instructed.
According to the information processing system of the tenth aspect, the work load of the user is reduced in the book management service or the delivery monitoring service as compared with a case where a screen for designating the size is displayed when the size detection fails. I do.
According to the program of the eleventh aspect, when the predetermined service is selected, compared with the case where the image reading unit does not instruct the image reading unit to perform the image reading according to the predetermined setting regarding the image reading, Work load is reduced.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server device according to the same embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a server device. It is a figure showing appearance of a book. It is a figure showing appearance of a magazine and a user card. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing system. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the image processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the image processing apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the basic operation | movement of the server apparatus in a book management service. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the image processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the image processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document.

1. Configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1000 is a system that provides users with various services such as a book management service, an in-house mail distribution service, and a marker masking service. The book management service is a service for managing books. The internal mail distribution service is a service for distributing internal mail. The in-house mail distribution service includes a delivery monitoring service for monitoring the delivery status when delivering data such as images. The marker masking service is a service for masking a region of a predetermined color.

  The information processing system 1000 includes, for example, an image processing device 100 installed in a building such as a library or an office building, a server device 200 operated by, for example, a library administrator or an in-house administrator, and a National Diet Library or bibliographic information. A bibliographic information storage device 300 managed by the provider of the providing site and a network 400 connecting these devices 100 to 300 are provided. The image processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus having an image reading function and an image forming function. The server device 200 analyzes the image read by the image processing device 100. When the book management service is used, the server device 200 executes processing related to book management by acquiring bibliographic information from the bibliographic information storage device 300 or the like. The processing related to book management includes processing for registering / deleting a book in the database in the server device 200, processing for updating the database for lending the book, or processing for updating the database for returning the lent book. At least one is included. When the in-house mail distribution service is used, the server device 200 distributes the read image by an in-house mail. When the in-house mail distribution service is used, the server device 200 monitors the delivery status when delivering the read image. When the marker masking service is used, the server device 200 analyzes the read image and masks an area filled with the marker.

  The bibliographic information storage device 300 is used when a book management service is provided. The bibliographic information storage device 300 is a Web server device that stores an enormous number of bibliographic information and provides these bibliographic information via the network 400. The network 400 includes various networks such as a LAN (Local Area Network), an intranet, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and the Internet.

  The numbers of the image processing apparatuses 100, the server apparatuses 200, and the bibliographic information storage apparatuses 300 are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. Note that the function of the server device 200 may be implemented by any of the image processing devices 100, or may be implemented by the information processing device 110 connected to any of the image processing devices 100 as a front-end device. Further, the functions of the server device 200 may be distributed to a plurality of server devices, and the respective server devices may cooperate to realize the same function as the server device 200. For example, a server device may be provided for each provided service. Further, the function of the server device 200 may be provided as a so-called cloud service. Further, configurations other than the bibliographic information storage device 300 (the image processing device 100, the server device 200, and the information processing device 110) may be implemented in one device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image processing apparatus 100. The image processing apparatus 100 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, an image forming unit 103, an image reading unit 104, a communication unit 105, and a UI (User Interface) unit 106. The control unit 101 is a unit that controls each unit of the image processing apparatus 100, and includes a control circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various memories. The storage unit 102 is a storage unit such as a hard disk, and stores a program executed by the CPU and data used in accordance with the execution of the program. The image forming unit 103 is a unit that forms an image on a medium by, for example, an electrophotographic method. The image forming unit 103 irradiates a laser beam onto an image carrier such as a photoconductor to form a latent image. Magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) are developed and transferred to a recording sheet or other medium, and the medium is discharged after a fixing process.

The image reading unit 104 is a unit that optically reads an image on a document and generates image data. The image reading unit 104 includes a platen glass on which a document is placed, recognizes the size of the document placed on the platen glass, and generates image data of the recognized size. The communication unit 105 is a unit for transmitting and receiving data, and communicates with the server device 200 via the network 400. The UI unit 106 is a unit for realizing a dialogue with the user. The UI unit 106 includes, for example, an operation unit such as a key and a touch sensor, and supplies an operation signal according to the operation of the user to the control unit 101. And a display unit that includes a liquid crystal drive circuit and displays an image under the control of the control unit 101.

  The storage unit 102 stores setting values for each function related to image reading. More specifically, for example, a setting value indicating whether to perform background removal processing when reading an image, a setting value indicating whether to perform distortion correction, and a setting value indicating whether image reading is performed in color or monochrome. And setting values for outputting the read image data in color or monochrome. The background removal processing is processing for removing the background of the document image. The distortion correction is processing for correcting the distortion of the document image due to the reading processing. For example, “ON” or “OFF” is set as the set value of the background removal function. When the setting value of the background removal function is “ON”, the control unit 101 performs the background removal processing on the read image data. On the other hand, when the set value is “OFF”, the control unit 101 does not perform the background removal processing.

  These setting values can be set by the user of the image processing apparatus 100 using the UI unit 106. The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 performs image processing according to the set value for each function stored in the storage unit 102 (or instructs the image reading unit 104). For example, when the setting value of the background removal processing is “ON”, the control unit 101 performs the background removal processing on the image data read by the image reading unit 104. When the setting value of whether to perform image reading in color or in monochrome is set to “color”, the control unit 101 instructs the image reading unit 104 to read an image with a car.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the server device 200. The server device 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a communication unit 230. The control unit 210 is a unit that controls the operation of each unit of the server device 200. The control unit 210 includes a control circuit such as a CPU and various memories, and controls the operation of each unit of the server device 200 by executing a program. The storage unit 220 is a unit that stores data used in the server device 200. The storage unit 220 is, for example, a hard disk, and stores a program executed by the control unit 210 and data used in accordance with the execution of the program. Here, the storage unit 220 stores a book DB (Data Base) 221, a magazine DB 222, a classification table 223, and a user DB 224. The communication unit 230 is a unit that transmits and receives data, and communicates with the image processing apparatus 100 and the bibliographic information storage device 300 via the network 400.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying a part of the contents of the book DB 221, the magazine DB 222, and the classification table 223. The book DB 221, the magazine DB 222, and the classification table 223 are referred to by the book management service. Books managed by the book management service are roughly classified into books and magazines. Books are books in one complete publication format written by one or more authors and editors, but also include large and complete books published in series. On the other hand, a magazine is a book that is regularly and continuously issued with the same title, and has a volume (volume), volume, part, serial number, and the like. Books are given an international standard number of ISBN (for example, 10 or 13 digits), and magazines are given an international standard number of ISSN (for example, 8 or 13 digits).

  In the book DB 221, the management number is identification information for identifying each book in the library. The title is the title of the book. When there are a plurality of books having the same title, different management numbers are assigned to the respective books. ISBN is an international standard number assigned to books. The book classification code is a standard classification based on the subject and content of the book, and in Japan, a so-called Japanese Decimal Classification (NDC9) is known. The call number (1) is a classification of books used in each library. As the request symbol (1), the above-mentioned Japanese decimal classification or a classification uniquely determined by a library is used. Generally, in a library, the location where books are arranged and the order in which they are arranged on a bookshelf are determined for each category of books. Therefore, this call number (1) specifies the location where books are arranged and the order in which books are arranged in a bookshelf. You. The call number (3) is a classification such as the number of volumes or the year of publication of each book in a large series of books published in a series. The billing symbol (3) is a serial number within the billing symbol (1). In the case of the same title, the same number is generally assigned. The lending flag is a flag indicating whether or not the book is being lent. The lending date is the lending date when the book is being lent. The user ID is identification information of the user who borrowed the book when the book is being lent.

  Each data included in the magazine DB 222 may be understood by reading “book” in the book DB 221 described above as “magazine”. Note that the magazine DB includes a prohibited period during which no lending is permitted from the date of publication of the magazine.

  The classification table 223 shows the correspondence between a book classification code, which is a standard book classification, and a call number (1), which is a library-specific book classification. This classification table makes it possible to convert a standard book classification code such as NDC9 into a billing symbol (1) used in libraries. The user DB 224 is a database including a user ID assigned to a user, an attribute of the user, and the like.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the appearance of a book. In the example of FIG. 5, a management barcode 11 indicating a management number is attached to the cover 1 of the book. As described above, the management barcode 11 is identification information capable of identifying each book. Furthermore, in the case of a book, the management number is, for example, "YB000123", and in the case of a magazine, the management number is, for example, "YM0000123". By using the identifier “YM” as a part of the management number, the book / magazine may be identified based on the management number. In this example, the management barcode 11 is affixed to the cover 1, but may be affixed to the back cover 2 or the spine 3.

  On the back cover 2 of the book, an ISBN barcode 21 indicating the ISBN assigned to the book or an ISSN barcode 21 indicating the ISN and a price barcode 22 indicating the price of the book are printed or affixed. A label 31 is attached to the spine 3. This label is displayed in a three-tiered structure, with the billing symbol (1) at the top and the plaque (3) at the bottom.

  In the case of a magazine, an out-of-bounds label 12 indicating an out-of-bounds period is attached to the cover 1 of the magazine (see FIG. 6). The lending of the book is performed only to the user who has the user card 4 shown in FIG. On the user card 4, a user ID barcode 41 indicating a user ID for identifying each user is printed or affixed. The format for expressing the various types of information does not need to be a barcode, but may be a code in which the information is encoded.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the appearance of a magazine and a user card. In the case of a magazine, an out-of-bounds label 12 indicating an out-of-bounds period is attached to the cover 1 of the magazine as shown in the figure. The publication of the book is performed only for the user who has the user card 4 shown in FIG. On the user card 4, a user ID barcode 41 indicating a user ID for identifying each user is printed or affixed. The format for expressing the various types of information does not need to be a barcode, but may be a code in which the information is encoded.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the information processing system 1000. The image processing apparatus 100 includes an image reading unit 151. The image reading unit 151 executes an image reading process with processing contents according to a set value for each function related to image reading. The server device 200 includes a selection unit 251, an instruction unit 252, and an execution unit 253. The selection unit 251 selects one of a plurality of services provided by the information processing system 1000. The instruction unit 252 instructs the image reading unit 151 to perform image reading according to a predetermined setting related to image reading when the predetermined service is selected by the selection unit 251. The execution unit 253 executes a process corresponding to the service selected by the selection unit 251 using the processing result of the image reading unit 151. The selection unit 251, the instruction unit 252, and the execution unit 253 are realized by software processing of the control unit 210. The control unit 101 and the image reading unit 104 are examples of the image reading unit 151.

2. Operation 2-1. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the UI unit 106 of the image processing apparatus 100. In the service selection screen G20 shown in FIG. 8, the user selects a desired service. When the user selects any service, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 selects a service according to the information output from the UI unit 106. Of the soft buttons with the services "General functions", "Book management", "In-house mail delivery" and "Marker masking", the "Book management" and "In-house mail delivery" soft buttons have URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), respectively. Associated. When the user selects one of the services of “book management”, “in-house mail distribution”, and “marker masking”, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 sends an HTTP (Hyper) to the URL associated with the selected service. Text Transfer Protocol) request.

2-2. Operation when General Function is Selected On the other hand, when “general function” is selected on the service selection screen G20 shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 101 displays a menu screen on which options such as copy, scan, and facsimile are listed. The data to be displayed is read from the storage unit 102, and the screen is displayed on the UI unit 106. The user selects a desired process on the displayed menu screen. The control unit 101 executes a process (copy, scan, facsimile, etc.) selected by the user according to the information output from the UI unit 106.

  For example, when “scan” is selected on the menu screen, the control unit 101 displays a setting screen for functions related to image reading (monochrome reading / color reading, etc.). The user makes various settings using the UI unit 106. The control unit 101 changes the set value for each function according to the information output from the UI unit 106. On the other hand, when the user does not change the setting, the user directly selects the “Start” button and instructs the scan processing. When the “start” button is selected, the control unit 101 performs image processing with processing contents according to the changed setting value. If the set value has not been changed, the control unit 101 performs image processing according to the default set value. For example, when the setting value of whether to perform image reading in color or in monochrome is “color”, the control unit 101 instructs the image reading unit 104 to perform color image reading. Further, for example, when the setting values of the “background removal function” and “distortion correction” are both “ON”, the control unit 101 instructs the image reading unit 104 to perform the background removal processing and the distortion correction processing.

  Further, in this example, the image processing apparatus 100 has a function of detecting the size of the medium placed on the platen glass, and is set in advance to detect the size of the medium when an image reading is instructed. I have. When reading an image, the image reading unit 104 detects the size of the medium placed on the platen glass and reads the image at the detected size. In order for the user to recognize the size of the medium, it is necessary to place the medium by aligning the end of the medium with a predetermined portion (for example, the upper left end) of the platen glass of the image reading unit 104. Here, for example, when a medium having a size different from the preset standard size, such as a book or an envelope, is to be read, when the medium is not set at a correct position, or when the image processing apparatus 100 fails in size detection. There is. When the detection of the size of the medium has failed, the control unit 101 displays on the display unit of the UI unit 106 that the size detection has failed, and displays a screen prompting the user to specify the size on the display unit.

  A screen G21 in FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the UI unit 106 when the size detection has failed. As illustrated, the control unit 101 displays a menu for selecting a size on the UI unit 106, for example, together with a message such as “The document size could not be detected. Please select the read size”. When the user specifies a size using the UI unit 106 while the screen G21 is displayed, the control unit 101 instructs the image reading unit 104 to read an image at the specified size. As described above, when the “general function” service is selected, the control unit 101 executes the image processing with the processing content according to the set value for each function related to image reading.

2-3. Operation when Book Management Service is Selected When “Book Management” is selected on the service selection screen G20 shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 101 transmits an HTTP request to the URL associated with this soft button. In this example, this URL is the URL of the server device 200. The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the HTTP request to receive a service selection. Then, the control unit 210 reads out the operation screen data corresponding to the HTTP request from the storage unit 220 and transmits the operation screen data to the image processing apparatus 100. The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 displays an operation screen corresponding to the received operation screen data on the UI unit 106.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the UI unit 106 of the image processing apparatus 100. In the process selection screen G1 shown in FIG. 9, the user selects a desired process. Among the soft buttons shown in FIG. 9 that indicate the processing of “borrow book”, “return book”, “copy document”, and “register book”, “borrow book”, “return book”, and “register book” Are associated with URLs, respectively. When the user selects any of the processes of “borrow book”, “return book”, and “register book”, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 stores the URL in the URL associated with the selected process. An HTTP request is sent to the server. On the other hand, when “document copy” is selected by the user, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 reads screen data for performing so-called copying from the storage unit 102, and displays a screen corresponding to the data in the UI unit. Displayed at 106. Note that not all of the above processing need be provided to all users. That is, some of all processes may be provided to all users, and other processes may be provided only to specific users. At that time, the user is authenticated before displaying the processing screen G1, and a method of displaying the processing screen G1 displaying the processing that can be used by the authenticated user, or initially, all users can use the processing screen G1. A method may be considered in which a processing screen G1 on which processing is displayed is displayed, authentication is performed, and processing that can be used by an authenticated user is displayed later. The display screen itself may be changed between a normal user and a specific user. For example, the process of “registering a book” can be provided only to a librarian. "Register book" is not displayed on the normal user processing screen G1, and after successful authentication using an ID and a password on the librarian login screen G2, the control unit 101 selects a librarian-specific processing selection. Data for displaying a screen is read from the storage unit 102, and a screen including a soft button labeled “register a book” is displayed on the UI unit 106.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a basic operation of the server device in the book management service. Here, an example will be described in which the user performs an operation of selecting one of “borrow a book”, “return a book”, and “register a book” in the image processing apparatus 100. In this case, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 transmits an HTTP request to the URL associated with the selected process. In this example, since all of these processes are performed in the server device 200, the URL is the URL of the server device 200. The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the HTTP request, thereby accepting the selection of the process (Step S101). Then, the control unit 210 reads the operation screen data corresponding to the HTTP request from the storage unit 220 and transmits the operation screen data to the image processing apparatus 100 (Step S102).

  The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 displays an operation screen corresponding to the received operation screen data on the UI unit 106. For example, when the library registers a newly obtained book, a registration screen G3 (FIG. 9) is displayed on the UI unit 106.

  FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating examples of other screens displayed on the UI unit 106 of the image processing apparatus 100. FIG. When the library borrows a book (a user borrows a book), a lending processing screen G5 (FIG. 11) is displayed on the UI unit 106, and when a user returns a book, a return processing screen G6 (FIG. 11) is displayed. It is displayed on the UI unit 106.

  When registering a book, the user sets the back cover 2 on which the ISB barcode 21 of the book is printed in the image reading unit 104 of the image processing apparatus 100, and furthermore, sets the back cover 2 in the input field provided on the registration screen G3. The user inputs necessary information and selects a soft button labeled "OK" (hereinafter, referred to as an OK button). As a result, the OK button identifier, its value information, and the information input in the input field are transmitted to the URL associated with the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) FORM tag on the registration screen.

  Further, in the case of lending or returning a book, the user has to cover the book cover 1 with the management barcode 11 affixed on the platen glass provided in the image reading unit 104 of the image processing apparatus 100 and his / her own user card 4 Is set on the surface on which the user ID barcode is printed, and the OK button on the lending process screen G5 or the return process screen G6 is selected. Thus, the image reading unit 104 reads a plurality of codes from one book on the platen glass by one scan. At this time, a plurality of books may be read on the platen glass at the same time by one scan from these books, or a code may be read from the user code on the platen glass with a user card. You may. On these screens, the OK button identifier and its value information are transmitted to the URL associated with the HTML FORM tag.

  On the registration screen G3, the lending processing screen G5, and the return processing screen G6, a setting button for a user to set various functions related to image reading may be displayed. In this case, when the user selects this setting button to change various settings, information indicating the changed contents is transmitted together with the OK button identifier and its value information. At this time, the control unit 101 may not accept a change instruction from the user for the set value of the monochrome reading / color reading, the set value of the background removal function, and the set value of the distortion correction. That is, the control unit 101 may not receive an instruction from the user regarding the predetermined setting regarding image reading. In this case, for example, if the user tries to set the distortion correction function setting value to “OFF” using the UI unit 106 before selecting the OK button, the control unit 101 issues a message such as “This setting cannot be changed”. May be displayed on the UI unit 106 and the setting may not be changed.

  The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives a process instruction by receiving information transmitted from the image processing device 100 (Step S103). Note that the hard button provided in the image processing apparatus 100 may receive the same instruction as the soft button. Alternatively, instead of displaying the soft buttons on the UI unit 106, the hard buttons of the image processing apparatus may substitute the functions of the soft buttons.

  The control unit 210 of the server device 200 transmits a scan instruction and transition destination screen designation information to the image processing device 100 (Step S104). The scan instruction includes parameters at the time of scanning such as a scanning resolution (for example, 300 dpi (dot / inch)), black and white / color, and an image format (for example, TIFF format), and a URL indicating a transmission destination of the scanned image data. The transition destination screen designation information is path information such as a URL indicating the storage destination of the screen data.

  In this example, the control unit 210 of the server apparatus 200 reads the image in a predetermined size (the entire platen glass, A3 size, etc.) without performing the process of detecting the size of the medium to be read in response to the scan instruction. , A parameter indicating that the image is to be read in monochrome (black and white), a parameter indicating that the background removal processing is to be instructed, and a parameter indicating that distortion correction is to be performed. That is, the control unit 210 instructs the image processing apparatus 100 not to perform the size detection processing in the image reading processing, and instructs the image processing apparatus 100 to perform monochrome image reading, background removal processing, and distortion correction processing. To instruct.

  The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 causes the image reading unit 104 to read an image according to the parameters included in the received scan instruction to generate scan image data. In this example, the control unit 101 performs image reading in monochrome at a predetermined size without detecting the size of the medium placed on the platen glass according to the parameters included in the received scan instruction. 104. Further, the control unit 101 controls the image reading unit 104 to perform a background removal process and a distortion correction process. More specifically, the control unit 101 controls the image reading unit 104 to perform pre-scan to check the density of the background, and to read the image using parameters corresponding to the checked density. As the distortion correction, for example, the control unit 101 recognizes the outer edge of the book by using a background sheet having a color different from the surface color of the book cover, and performs the distortion correction according to the recognition result. As described above, when the “book management” service is selected, the control unit 101 instructs the image reading unit 104 to read a monochrome image even when the user has not instructed to change the set value. At the same time, the image reading unit 104 is controlled to perform background removal processing and distortion correction processing.

  The control unit 101 transmits the generated scan image data to the specified destination. The control unit 101 adds meta information (authenticated user information, the address of the image processing apparatus, and the like) to the scanned image data, as necessary, in addition to the parameters at the time of scanning.

The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the scan image data transmitted from the image processing device 100 (Step S105). Then, the control unit 210 acquires information specified by the barcode included in the scan image data (Step S106). When a plurality of barcodes are included in the scanned image data, the control unit 210 acquires a plurality of pieces of information corresponding to each barcode. Then, the control unit 210 determines whether or not the process can be executed using the acquired information, and when it is determined that the process can be executed, the control unit 210 performs the process based on the acquired information. Execute (Step S107).

In step S107, the control unit 210 performs processing such as book registration processing, lending processing, return processing, and deletion processing. Specifically, first, the control unit 210 decodes one or a plurality of barcodes included in the scanned image data, and acquires one or a plurality of pieces of information specified from each barcode. The control unit 210 determines whether or not the information includes a character string indicating various information such as ISBN, ISSN, user ID, and book / magazine management number. In order to identify various types of information, a method of determining the information using each prefix can be considered. Further, the number of digits of each information or a so-called check digit may be used.

  When registering a book, the control unit 210 specifies bibliographic information using the obtained various information, assigns a management number, adds a new record to the book DB 221, and registers necessary information. In addition, when lending a book, the control unit 210 uses the obtained user ID and management number to set a lending flag, a renter ID, and a lending date for the management number registered in the book DB 221. Update to the contents of the loan. Regarding the return of the book, the lending flag, the user ID, and the lending date for the management number may be updated to the contents according to the return in the same procedure at the time of lending. In the case of deleting a book from the database, the control unit 210 refers to the management number obtained by decoding the barcode, and if the book is a book, the control unit 210 stores information corresponding to the management number in the book DB 221. Is deleted, and if the magazine is a magazine with reference to the management number, the information corresponding to the management number in the magazine DB 222 is deleted.

  Further, during steps S105 to S107, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 specifies the URL specified by the transition destination screen specification information and requests the server apparatus 200 for a status display screen. If the processing in step S107 is not completed (step S109; No), the control unit 210 of the server device 200 transmits the processing screen data (processing screen G4 in FIG. 9) to the image processing apparatus 100 (step S109). S108, S110). If the process of step S107 has been completed normally (step S109; Yes), the control unit 210 displays the normally completed screen data (the processing result screens G7 and G8 in FIG. 11 and the processing result screen G9 in FIG. 12). If an error has occurred, an error screen (processing result screens G10, G11, G12 in FIG. 12) is transmitted to the image processing apparatus 100 (step S111).

  By the way, in the ordinary scanning function, it is necessary to recognize the size of the document. This means that when the scanned data is saved, the saved data is checked later, and if the data is saved in a size not intended by the user, it takes time to rescan and edit. In some cases, performing the image processing based on the size information after the size is known has advantages such as obtaining a clear image and shortening the processing time. Therefore, as a result, it was more convenient for the user to correct the size recognition when reading the image. Therefore, the user needs to place the document by aligning the edge of the document with a predetermined portion (for example, the upper left end) of the platen glass of the image reading unit 104. If the document is not set correctly, the size of the document may not be recognized. Further, even if the end of the document is set in accordance with a predetermined portion of the platen glass, if the size of the document is a non-standard size, size recognition may not be performed. In particular, the size of a book to be read by the book management service is various, and if the size of the book is not recognized in this service, the user needs to specify the size using the UI unit 106, and the operation is performed. Was sometimes complicated.

  In contrast, in this embodiment, when the book management service is selected, the scan size is set to a predetermined size (for example, the entire platen glass) without performing the size detection process. This eliminates the need for the user to use the UI unit 106 to specify a size each time, thereby performing a complicated operation.

  When a book cover or the like is read in color, the color misregistration may be erroneously recognized as a barcode. In this embodiment, the book management service scans the image in black and white to obtain the barcode. False recognition is reduced.

Also, the cover of a book often has a background, and the barcode may be difficult to recognize. Further, when a user sets a book on the platen glass, a barcode may not be recognized due to distortion when reading an image depending on how the book is set. Since the distortion correction function takes a long time to process and rarely scans originals that are actually worrisome to distortion, it is usually set to be performed only when specified by the user. There is a case where the setting is bothersome. However, in book management, performing distortion correction increases the reliability of subsequent processing, and as a result, may lead to a reduction in time. In this embodiment, the barcode recognition rate is improved by performing the background removal processing and the distortion correction processing.
In the above example, an example in which the book management service executes a process related to book management has been described. However, the target is not limited to books, and any object may be used as long as it is associated with identification information such as a barcode. However, when the image reading unit of the image processing apparatus 100 is a fixed type, a fixed type image reading unit such as a compact disk or a digital video disk which is easy to put in a state where the identification information can be read is suitable.

  In the above example, the comparison with “scan” was described as a general function. However, even when “copy” was selected, the user who intended the correct size recognition when reading the original was determined to determine the size of the output paper. Easy to match things. As described above, the image processing apparatus 100 is functionally designed so that size detection can be correctly performed as a general function. Here, with respect to the image processing apparatus 100 having such a function design, a user or a service person who has a lot of knowledge about adequacy of the function may set a default function independently according to the user's preference. Yes, but this requires special knowledge and effort.

2-4. Operation when Internal Mail Distribution Service is Selected When the user selects the “internal mail” soft button on the service selection screen G20 shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 101 sets the URL associated with this soft button to the URL associated with the soft button. An HTTP request is sent to the server. In this example, this URL is the URL of the server device 200. The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the HTTP request to receive a service selection. Then, the control unit 210 reads out the operation screen data corresponding to the HTTP request from the storage unit 220 and transmits the operation screen data to the image processing apparatus 100. The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 displays an operation screen corresponding to the received operation screen data on the UI unit 106.

  On this operation screen, a setting button for the user to set various functions (distortion correction, background removal, etc.) related to image reading may be displayed. At this time, the control unit 101 may not receive a change instruction from the user for the set value of monochrome reading / color reading. In this case, for example, when the user attempts to change the image reading setting value to “color” using the UI unit 106, the control unit 101 displays a message such as “this setting cannot be changed” on the UI unit 106. At the same time, the setting value may not be changed.

  The user sets a document (medium) to be transmitted by e-mail on the image reading unit 104, and inputs necessary information (e-mail destination, etc.) in an input field provided on a screen displayed on the UI unit 106. Select the OK button. When the OK button is selected, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 transmits the identifier of the OK button, its value information, and the information input in the input field to the server device 200. When the user changes the setting content of the function related to image reading, information indicating the changed content is transmitted together with the identifier of the OK button and its value information.

  The control unit 210 of the server device 200 transmits a scan instruction and transition destination screen designation information to the image processing device 100. The scan instruction includes parameters for scanning in scan resolution, black / white / color, image format (TIFF format, etc.), and a URL indicating the destination of the scanned image data. In response to the scan instruction, the control unit 210 performs a monochrome image (black and white) image reading and a parameter indicating that the image is to be read at a predetermined size without performing the detection process of the size of the medium to be read. And a parameter indicating this. As the image reading size, for example, when the format of an in-house mail is predetermined, the control unit 101 may set an area slightly larger than the size of the format as the image reading target area. Further, the control unit 101 may set the entire surface of the platen glass as a target area for image reading. As described above, the control unit 210 instructs the image processing apparatus 100 not to perform the size detection processing in the image reading processing, and instructs the image processing apparatus 100 to perform monochrome image reading.

  The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 causes the image reading unit 104 to read an image according to the parameters included in the received scan instruction to generate scan image data. In this example, the control unit 101 performs image reading in monochrome at a predetermined size without detecting the size of the medium placed on the platen glass according to the parameters included in the received scan instruction. 104. As described above, when the “in-house mail” service is selected, the control unit 101 performs the image reading in the monochrome mode even when the user does not instruct the change of the monochrome / color setting value. This is performed by the unit 104.

  The control unit 101 transmits the generated scan image data to the specified destination. The control unit 101 adds meta information (authenticated user information, the address of the image processing apparatus, and the like) to the scanned image data as necessary, in addition to the parameters at the time of scanning. The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the scan image data transmitted from the image processing device 100, performs necessary processing (such as a file format conversion process) on the received scan image data, and performs the designated transmission. Email first.

  By the way, the medium read at the time of the in-house mail distribution service may be a size (for example, an envelope or the like) different from the preset standard size. In this case, in the conventional apparatus, the image processing apparatus 100 is In some cases, the detection has failed and the user has to set the reading size using the UI unit 106. In contrast, in this embodiment, the user does not need to perform complicated operations by setting the scan size to a predetermined size without performing size detection.

2-5. Operation when Marker Masking Service is Selected In the service selection screen G20 shown in FIG. 8, when the “Marker Masking” soft button is selected by the user, the control unit 101 transmits a URL associated with the soft button. To send an HTTP request. In this example, this URL is the URL of the server device 200. The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the HTTP request to receive a service selection. Then, the control unit 210 reads out the operation screen data corresponding to the HTTP request from the storage unit 220 and transmits the operation screen data to the image processing apparatus 100. The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 displays an operation screen corresponding to the received operation screen data on the UI unit 106.

  On this operation screen, a setting button for the user to set various functions (distortion correction, background removal, etc.) related to image reading may be displayed. At this time, the control unit 101 may not accept a change instruction from the user for the set value of monochrome reading / color reading or the set value of monochrome (or monochrome and red) output / color output. In this case, for example, when the user attempts to change the image reading setting value to “monochrome (or monochrome and red)” using the UI unit 106, the control unit 101 issues a message such as “this setting cannot be changed”. May be displayed on the UI unit 106 and the setting value may not be changed.

  The user sets an original (medium) for which marker masking is to be performed on the image reading unit 104, and selects an OK button provided on a screen displayed on the UI unit 106. In this document, an area to be masked is colored with a marker pen predetermined by the user.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document. As shown in the drawing, the document A1 has some areas a11, a12,... Colored with a predetermined marker pen. When the document is set on the image reading unit 104 and the OK button is selected on the screen displayed on the UI unit 106, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 displays the OK button identifier, its value information, and the input fields. The input information is transmitted to server device 200. When the user changes the setting content of the function related to image reading, information indicating the changed content is transmitted together with the identifier of the OK button and its value information.

  The control unit 210 of the server device 200 transmits a scan instruction and transition destination screen designation information to the image processing device 100. The scan instruction includes parameters for scanning in scan resolution, black / white / color, image format (TIFF format, etc.), and a URL indicating the destination of the scanned image data. The control unit 210 includes, in the scan instruction, a parameter indicating that image reading in color is to be performed and a parameter indicating output in monochrome (or monochrome and red).

  The control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 causes the image reading unit 104 to read an image and generate image data according to the parameters included in the received scan instruction. In this example, the control unit 101 causes the image reading unit 104 to perform color image reading in accordance with the parameters included in the received scan instruction, and transmits the generated scan image data to the designated destination. The control unit 101 adds meta information (authenticated user information, the address of the image processing apparatus, and the like) to the scanned image data as necessary, in addition to the parameters at the time of scanning.

  The control unit 210 of the server device 200 receives the scan image data transmitted from the image processing device 100 and analyzes the received scan image data. The control unit 210 performs a process of masking a predetermined color region according to the analysis result, and transmits image data indicating the processing result to the image processing apparatus 100. Upon receiving the image data from the server device 200, the image processing apparatus 100 causes the image forming unit 103 to output the received image data in monochrome (or monochrome and red). As described above, when the “marker masking” service is selected, the control unit 101 performs the image reading in color regardless of whether the user instructs the image reading or the change of the set value of the image output. The image forming unit 103 causes the reading unit 104 to perform image formation in monochrome (or monochrome and red).

  The document A2 in FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a result of the marker masking process performed by the image processing apparatus 100. As shown, the areas a21, a22,... Are masked and output.

  By the way, in the process of detecting an area colored with a predetermined color, if the image is read in monochrome, the colored area may not be recognized. Therefore, when performing marker masking, it is necessary to perform image reading in color. However, since the processing result of the marker masking is output in monochrome (or monochrome and red), the user may mistakenly set monochrome reading in the conventional apparatus. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the marker masking service is selected, color reading is performed, so that the mark recognition rate does not decrease.

3. Modifications The embodiment described above is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and may be modified as follows. Further, the above-described embodiment and each of the modifications described below may be implemented in combination as needed.

  The subject of the processing in the flow of FIG. 10 described above is not limited to those illustrated in the above-described embodiment. For example, the processing in steps S103 and S104 may be performed by the image processing apparatus 100 instead of the server apparatus 200.

In the book management service described above, the entire platen glass is to be read, but the method by which the image processing apparatus 100 reads a medium is not limited to this. For example, instead of reading the entire medium, the image processing apparatus 100 may read a barcode portion attached to the medium. In this case, for example, the image reading unit 104 of the image processing apparatus 100 may specify a barcode area by performing pre-scanning, and generate an image of the specified area as scanned image data.

  In the above-described embodiment, information for specifying the position and direction of the barcode may be added to the platen glass or book. For example, an image of a rectangular frame covering the barcode may be used as the information for specifying the position and direction of the barcode. In this case, the control unit 210 of the server device 200 analyzes the scan image data transmitted from the image processing device 100 and specifies that the area covered by the rectangular frame of a predetermined size is the barcode area. I do. The control unit 210 acquires information specified by the barcode from the specified area. According to this configuration, it is easier to specify the position and direction of the barcode than when there is no rectangular frame.

Further, as another example of the information for specifying the position and the direction of the barcode, for example, the position and / or the direction of the barcode is set at a predetermined position of the book or the platen glass (for example, the upper left end of the platen glass). Indicating information (for example, a QR code (registered trademark)) may be added. In this case, the control unit 210 of the server device 200 analyzes the scan image data transmitted from the image processing device 100, and performs the barcode image analysis based on the information indicating the position and / or direction included in the scan image data. The position specified above is specified, and information specified by the barcode is obtained from the specified position. According to this configuration, the position and direction of the barcode can be easily specified. Since the position of the barcode in the book is substantially constant in the book, the barcode may be preferentially searched for in that area. For example, the method may preferentially search for an area where a barcode was found in a previous scan. Alternatively, the outline of the book may be grasped by pre-scanning, and then the position of a candidate that the outline may be in this area may be preferentially searched. In this case, the candidates may be determined, for example, at two locations on a diagonal line of a rectangle. In addition, it is specified that the book is placed so that the barcode is a reference point of the position where the original is placed as much as possible, for example, near the left back of the platen glass, and the left back side of the platen glass is designated. May be preferentially searched for an area close to the position.

In the above-described embodiment, in the book management service and the in-house mail distribution service, the image processing apparatus 100 reads an image at a predetermined reading size without detecting the medium size. Instead, the image processing apparatus 100 may detect the size of the medium in the book management service and the in-house mail distribution service. In this case, if the detection of the medium size fails, the control unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 reads the image at a predetermined size without displaying a screen for allowing the user to specify the size. .
In the above-described embodiment, the service connected to the network has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image processing apparatus 100 may provide the service by itself. For example, book registration may not be performed, and only lending and borrowing of books may be managed using data stored in a memory in the apparatus.

  In the above-described embodiment, the services selected by the user include “general functions”, “book management”, “in-house mail distribution”, and “marker masking”, but the services selected by the user are the following. Not limited. For example, another service such as a storage service may be provided by a system including the image processing apparatus 100.

  The present invention can also be provided in the form of a program for causing a computer to function as an information processing device, or a recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Further, the program according to the present invention may be downloaded to a computer via a network such as the Internet.

  1 ... front cover, 2 ... back cover, 3 ... spine cover, 11 ... management barcode, 21 ... ISBN barcode, ISSN barcode, 22 ... price barcode, 31 ... ··· Label, 100: image processing device, 101: control unit, 102: storage unit, 103: image forming unit, 104: image reading unit, 105: communication unit, 106 ... UI unit, 110 ... Information processing device, 200 ... Server device, 210 ... Control unit, 220 ... Storage unit, 221 ... Book DB, 222 ... Magazine DB, 223 ... Classification table 230 230 Communication unit 300 Bibliographic information storage device 400 Network

Claims (11)

An image processing apparatus including a service selection unit that selects one of a plurality of services according to a user operation;
A server device connected to the image processing device via a network,
The server device,
Selecting means for selecting a predetermined service for each of the image processing apparatuses, according to the selection of the service selecting means in the image processing apparatus,
When a predetermined service for the image processing apparatus is selected by the selection unit, an instruction to read an image according to a predetermined setting for the predetermined service is given to the image processing apparatus. On the other hand, when a predetermined service for the image processing apparatus is not selected by the selection unit, an instruction unit that does not issue the instruction regarding image reading to the image processing apparatus;
An information processing system comprising: The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: an execution unit configured to execute a process corresponding to the predetermined service using a processing result of the image reading. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein an instruction from a user is not received with respect to the predetermined setting. The predetermined service is a book management service for managing objects using the read image or a delivery monitoring service for monitoring the delivery status when delivering the read image,
The instruction unit instructs, when the predetermined service is selected, to perform image reading at a predetermined size without performing a process of detecting a size of a medium to be image-read. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The predetermined service is a book management service for managing objects using the read image or a delivery monitoring service for monitoring the delivery status when delivering the read image,
The information according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instruction unit instructs, when the predetermined service is selected, image reading in monochrome among image reading in color and image reading in monochrome. Processing system. The predetermined service is a marker masking service for masking a predetermined color area,
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when the marker masking service is selected, the instruction unit instructs color image reading out of color image reading and monochrome image reading. . The predetermined service is a book management service that manages objects using read images,
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when the book management service is selected, the instruction unit instructs to perform a process of removing a background of a medium to be read. . The predetermined service is a book management service that manages objects using read images,
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instruction unit instructs, when the book management service is selected, to perform a distortion correction process for correcting image distortion. The predetermined service is a marker masking service for masking a predetermined color area,
The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when the marker masking service is selected, the instruction unit instructs a monochrome output among a color output and a monochrome output of the read image. The predetermined service is a book management service for managing objects using the read image or a delivery monitoring service for monitoring the delivery status when delivering the read image,
The instruction means, when the predetermined service is selected, displays an image for prompting the user to specify the size of the medium when the size detection of the medium to be read is failed. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which instructs to perform image reading at a predetermined size. In accordance with a user operation, a computer connected via a network to an image processing apparatus including a service selection unit for selecting any of a plurality of services,
A selection step of selecting a predetermined service for each of the image processing devices, according to the selection of the service selection unit in the image processing device;
When a predetermined service for the image processing apparatus is selected by the selection unit, an instruction to read an image according to a predetermined setting for the predetermined service is given to the image processing apparatus. On the other hand, when a predetermined service for the image processing apparatus is not selected by the selection unit, an instruction step of not performing the instruction regarding image reading to the image processing apparatus;
A program for executing

Images