JP5673334B2 - Image data processing apparatus, image data processing method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image data processing apparatus having a data communication function for transmitting an image, an image data processing method and a computer program for this type of apparatus. The image data processing apparatus includes an information device called an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) which is an image forming apparatus having an image transmission function or a multifunction peripheral.

  The MFP is used for inputting, storing, and transferring documents (documents) in addition to copying and network printing, which are uses as an image forming apparatus. The MFP has a built-in storage for storing document data, and can store a scanned image read from an original sheet and a document image input from an external device through network communication. The MFP prints a scanned image or document image on paper, converts it into facsimile data and transmits it, attaches it to an e-mail, transmits it, or transfers it to an external device in response to a user operation. To do.

  Regarding transmission / reception of image data, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228688 discloses a resolution of a scan image on the transmission side in order to reduce the amount of data so that a mail server is not burdened when a color scan image is attached to an e-mail. It describes that the process of lowering is performed. Further, in Patent Document 2, when transmitting to a device having a relatively small amount of receivable data such as a mobile phone, the image is divided into a plurality of blocks, and each block is assigned in descending order of priority. A technique for transmitting a divided image corresponding to a block is disclosed. On the receiving side, the received divided images are sequentially combined to reproduce the original image. The user of the device on the receiving side can display and browse at least a high-priority divided image (main part) of the original image even if the data amount of the original image is large.

JP 2002-94738 A JP 2005-57494 A

  As portable information terminals such as notebook and tablet personal computers (PCs) and smartphones have become widespread, an increasing number of users use MFPs as means for inputting image data to portable information terminals. For example, in a general company, an MFP is used when a printed matter such as a document or a manual is distributed to a portable information terminal owned by each employee so that the employee can refer to the document even when he / she is away from home.

  However, in a portable information terminal having a small screen size such as a smartphone, an image received from the MFP and captured is displayed in a small size according to the screen size. For this reason, the user of the portable information terminal has to enlarge the display or change the area to be enlarged, which sometimes makes it difficult to view the image.

  In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an image data processing apparatus useful for making it easy to view an image on a portable information terminal.

  An image data processing apparatus that achieves the above object is an image data processing apparatus that transmits an image. When a portable information terminal is specified as a transmission destination, an original image that is an image specified as a transmission target is A preview display unit that displays on the operation panel a simulated image indicating how the information terminal is displayed, and an image division setting state for dividing the original image is displayed on the operation panel. A division setting display unit to be reflected, a division setting change unit for changing the setting of the image division in accordance with an operation by a user, and the original image is divided into a plurality of partial images according to the determined setting of the image division; An upload unit that saves a plurality of partial images on a server, and a thumbnail of the original image are created, and each region corresponding to each of the plurality of partial images By applying a link information indicating the storage destination of the partial image corresponding to range, and an image transmitting unit that transmits the control information to the thumbnail to the portable information terminal.

  According to the present invention, an operator of image data processing can preview how an image provided from the image data processing device to the portable information terminal is displayed on the portable information terminal, and if necessary, The image division setting can be changed. Then, the operator of the image data processing apparatus divides the image into a plurality of partial images so as to follow the image division setting determined by the operator, stores the divided images on the server, and links the thumbnails of the images to the storage locations of the partial images. Information can be given and transmitted to the portable information terminal.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the information processing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an image transmission / reception procedure by a mobile support function included in an image forming apparatus serving as an image data processing apparatus. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first example of preview display by the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of preview display by the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third example of preview display by the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fourth example of preview display by the image forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows the mode of the browsing of the image in a portable information terminal. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the mobile assistance function in an image forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows the data structure of a destination table. It is a figure which shows the example of designation | designated of the preservation | save destination with respect to an original image. It is a figure which shows the example of the link information provided to the thumbnail of an original image. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an image transmission operation of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fifth example of preview display by the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a sixth example of preview display by the image forming apparatus.

  As an example of an image data processing apparatus that transmits an image, there is an information device called an MFP or a multifunction peripheral. The MFP is an image forming apparatus having many uses such as copying, network printing, image input (scanning), facsimile communication, e-mail transmission / reception, and document storage.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is connected to an external device such as a server machine 3, a plurality of portable information terminals 5, 6, and a plurality of personal computers 7, 8 via a network 9. The network 9 may be either a wireless network or a network in which wireless and wired are mixed, may be a LAN (Local Area Network), and is a wide area network including a mobile phone network provided by the Internet or a communication company. Also good. The image forming apparatus 1 operates in response to a direct operation by an operation panel 11 attached to the front side of the upper part of the housing and an access from an external device on the network 9.

  The server machine 3 has a Web server 2. The Web server 2 is a functional element realized by executing a predetermined server program. The Web server 2 responds to requests from Web browsers operating in the mobile information terminals 5 and 6 and the personal computers 7 and 8 respectively. Note that it is not always necessary to use the server machine 3 to provide the Web server 2, and the Web server 2 can be provided inside the image forming apparatus 1 as shown in FIG.

  The portable information terminals 5 and 6 are portable information devices on which various mobile computing applications such as a web browser are mounted. A cellular phone (so-called smartphone) capable of packet communication via a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) is a typical example of the portable information terminals 5 and 6.

  The image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a “mobile support function” related to transmission of image data to an external device. This mobile support function is a function for making viewing of images comfortable on a device having a small display screen size, such as a smartphone of the portable information terminals 5 and 6. An external device to be supported (hereinafter referred to as a support target device) is registered in the image forming apparatus 1 in advance. When a registered support target device is designated as a transmission destination, a user interface for optimally dividing and sending an image so as to be easily viewed on the support target device is an operator of the image forming apparatus 1 using a mobile support function. Provided to. The procedure for transmitting images by the mobile support function is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the web support function of the image forming apparatus 1 involves the Web server 2 and the support target device (in the example, the portable information terminal 5). When the image forming apparatus 1, the Web server 2, and the portable information terminal 5 as the support target device are given a transmission job specifying the portable information terminal 5 as an image transmission destination to the image forming apparatus 1, To work.

  Step S1: The image forming apparatus 1 prepares an original image G1 as a source of image data to be transmitted. When the transmission job is a job for reading an image from a document sheet and transmitting the image, the image forming apparatus 1 drives an image scanner to prepare a scanned image as an original image G1. One original image G1 is an image for one page. If the document is composed of a plurality of sheets or a double-sided document, a scanned image of one page is obtained for each surface to be read of the document, so that a plurality of original images are prepared for the one transmission job. become. When the transmission job is a job for transmitting an existing document, the image forming apparatus 1 reads document data from a built-in storage for storing the document, and prepares the document content as an original image G1 for each page. In the case of a multi-page document, a plurality of original images are prepared.

  Step S2: The image forming apparatus 1 divides the original image G1 into a plurality of partial images so that the portable information terminal 5 can divide and browse the original image G1. The operator of the image forming apparatus 1 can change the method (layout) of dividing the original image G1 by the user interface provided by the mobile support function. The user interface displays a simulated image on the operation panel 11 indicating how the original image G1 is displayed on the display of the portable information terminal 5. This preview display is useful for optimizing the division of the original image G1 within a range in which the change can be made so that the operator can easily view the user of the portable information terminal 5.

  Step S3: The image forming apparatus 1 transmits a set G10 of a plurality of partial images obtained by dividing the original image G1 to the Web server 2 instead of the portable information terminal 5, and requests storage / management of the plurality of partial images. . At this time, the image forming apparatus 1 designates a path (Path) indicating the location of each partial image in the Web server 2 to the Web server 2.

  Step S4: The Web server 2 stores the plurality of partial images received from the image forming apparatus 1 as resources specified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) including a designated path. At this time, a hierarchical structure including directories and folders corresponding to the path is created as necessary. Instead of the image forming apparatus 1 determining the path, the Web server 2 may determine the path in response to reception of the partial image and notify the image forming apparatus 1 of the path.

  Step S5: The image forming apparatus 1 creates a thumbnail TG1 in which the original image G1 is downsized. The thumbnail TG1 has information obtained by simplifying the visual information of the original image. For example, the thumbnail TG1 is obtained by reducing the resolution of the original image. Characters that are difficult to identify due to reduction may be uniformly replaced with simple figures to represent only the presence of the characters.

  Step S6: The image forming apparatus 1 gives links to a plurality of partial images corresponding to the original image G1 that is the original to the created thumbnail. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 adds URLs of a plurality of partial images stored in the Web server 2 to the thumbnail as link information LD. At this time, coordinate information indicating an area corresponding to the partial image managed by the URL in the thumbnail is associated with each of the plurality of URLs to be added.

  Step S7: The image forming apparatus 1 transmits the thumbnail TG1 to which the link information LD is added to the portable information terminal 5. The form of transmission depends on the transmission job. In the case of a transmission job sent as an attachment to an e-mail, the image forming apparatus 1 attaches a thumbnail TG1 to an e-mail to be sent to a mail server with an e-mail address corresponding to the portable information terminal 5 as a destination. In the case of a transmission job in which the image forming apparatus 1 and the portable information terminal 5 establish a connection and communicate like the WLAN communication, the image forming apparatus 1 sets destination information (for example, an IP address) corresponding to the portable information terminal 5. The thumbnail TG1 is incorporated into the included packet.

  Through the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 in steps S1 to S3 and S5 to S7 and the operation of the Web server 2 in step S4, the original image G1 can be viewed on the portable information terminal 5. Then, in the next steps S8 to S10, the user of the portable information terminal 5 views the original image G1.

  Step S8: The portable information terminal 5 displays the thumbnail TG1 transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1. For example, when the thumbnail TG1 is attached to an e-mail and transmitted, if the user performs an operation to open the attached file (thumbnail) on the portable information terminal 5 that has received the e-mail from the mail server, the file format of the thumbnail TG1 is supported. The image viewer is activated, and the entire thumbnail TG1 for at least one page is displayed on the display of the portable information terminal 5.

  Step S9: When the user of the portable information terminal 5 who browses the displayed thumbnail TG1 wishes to browse the original image G1, he / she designates a desired area in the thumbnail TG1. For example, when the user wants to browse the entire original image G1 from the beginning to the end, the user designates an area corresponding to the first partial image of the original image G1 in the thumbnail as the first area designation. If the portable information terminal 5 is a general portable information terminal capable of touch input, it is possible to designate the area simply by touching a desired area on the display surface. In response to an operation for designating an area in the thumbnail TG1, the portable information terminal 5 accesses the Web server 2 and acquires a partial image G11 corresponding to the area designated by the user from the Web server 2.

  Step S10: The portable information terminal 5 displays the partial image G11 acquired from the Web server 2. Then, when the display of the next partial image is instructed thereafter, the portable information terminal 5 displays the partial image of the next order of the displayed partial image G11 in accordance with the order determined in advance for the plurality of partial images. Obtained from the server 2 and displayed instead of the partial image G11 being displayed. The display of the partial images does not have to be in order, and the user of the portable information terminal 5 returns the display from the display of the partial image G11 to the display of the entire thumbnail, and again designates an arbitrary area of the thumbnail TG1 and corresponds to that area. The partial image to be displayed can be displayed.

  FIG. 3 shows a first example of preview display by the image forming apparatus 1. As described above, when a transmission job in which the support target device (in this example, the portable information terminal 5) is designated as the transmission destination is given, the image forming apparatus 1 displays the operation screen Q1 on the operation panel 11. A touch panel is assembled to the operation panel 11, and the display surface DS that displays the operation screen Q1 also serves as a touch input surface.

  The operation screen Q1 is displayed on the support target device in which the preview image F1 for one page indicating the original image and the original image of the page corresponding to the preview image F1 are designated as the transmission destination. And a simulated image H1 indicating whether or not. Normally, the simulated image H1 is smaller than the preview image F1 on the operation screen Q1. This is because the preview image F1 is displayed as large as possible on the screen layout so that the operator can easily confirm the contents, whereas the simulated image H1 is the display resolution and screen size in the support target device. This is because it is created so as to reproduce the display state close to the actual state in the support target device, taking into account the display ability determined by the above. In the present embodiment, the simulated image H1 is created based on the average display capability of a plurality of typical portable information terminals. However, the display capability may be stored for each model, and a simulated image closer to the actual may be displayed more strictly according to the model of the support target device. In the illustrated example, the simulated image H1 is arranged in the symbol HB representing the mobile phone type terminal so that the operator can easily see that the simulated image H1 shows the display state on the mobile phone type terminal. Yes. Further, a message sentence M1 indicating that the simulated image H1 is in the display state at the transmission destination is arranged above the simulated image H1.

  An operation procedure for the operator of the image forming apparatus 1 to optimize the division of the original image is as follows.

  On the operation screen Q1, page switching buttons 81 and 82 are arranged below the preview image F1. By operating these page switching buttons 81 and 82, the operator displays a preview image F1 of a desired page. In the state shown in the figure, since the preview image F1 is the first page of the plurality of pages, the page switching button 82 for returning the page is inactive. The content of the simulated image H1 also changes in conjunction with the page switching of the preview image F1. The operator can check how each of the plurality of pages is displayed on the support target device.

  Select buttons 71, 72, 73 corresponding to the three options of the image division layout are arranged at the lower right corner of the operation screen Q1. The options in the example are 2 × 1 division that divides the image up and down, 3 × 2 division that divides into 3 rows and 2 columns, and 3 × 2 division that divides the image into 4 rows and 3 columns. In the state of FIG. 3, 3 × 2 division is selected, and the select button 72 corresponding to 3 × 2 division is emphasized by light / dark reversal.

  In the preview image F1, a dividing line 51 extending in the vertical direction and dividing lines 52 and 53 extending in the horizontal direction are displayed in an overlapping manner. Similarly, in the simulated image H1, a dividing line 61 extending in the vertical direction and dividing lines 62 and 63 extending in the horizontal direction are displayed in an overlapping manner. These dividing lines 51, 52, and 53 and dividing lines 61, 62, and 63 indicate the current image division setting state.

  The operator of the image forming apparatus 1 touches any one of the six areas defined by the dividing lines 61, 62, and 63 in the simulated image H1, thereby partially browsing the original image on the support target device. Can be simulated. For example, in the state of FIG. 3, when the operator touches the upper left area (first row, first column area) in the simulated image H1, the partial image G11 is displayed as in the operation screen Q1b of FIG. The partial image G11 shows how the portion corresponding to the touched region in the simulated image H1 in the original image is displayed on the support target device. In a typical smartphone, the orientation of the display surface (portrait / location) is automatically set so as to display the image as large as possible, so the orientation of the symbol HB is changed to the location according to the partial image G11 that is long in the horizontal direction. Has been.

  If the operator of the image forming apparatus 1 determines that “the current image division setting state (in the example, 3 × 2 division) is optimal”, the operator may touch the OK button 85. Then, the current image division setting is confirmed, the original image of each page is divided according to the setting, and a predetermined number of partial images obtained by the division are sent to the Web server 2 as described above.

  When the operator wants to check how other parts of the original image are displayed on the support target device without changing the image division setting, the operator touches the select button 72 in the selected state. The simulated partial image G11 may be touched. If it does so, a display will return from the operation screen Q1b of FIG. 4 to the operation screen Q1 of FIG. 3, and it will become possible to touch the desired area | region in the simulation image H1 anew.

  When 3 × 2 division is the current setting as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the operator can touch the select button 71 or the select button 73 to change the image division setting. FIG. 5 shows the operation screen Q1c in a state where 2 × 1 division corresponding to the select button 71 is set. On the operation screen Q1c, a partial image G11b indicating how the upper half of the original image is displayed on the support target device is displayed. FIG. 6 shows the operation screen Q1d in a state where 4 × 3 division corresponding to the select button 73 is set. On the operation screen Q1d, a partial image G11c indicating how the upper left corner of the original image is displayed on the support target device is displayed.

  As can be seen from the comparison of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the partial images G11, G11b, G11c increase as the number of divisions of the original image increases (in this example, the number of 4 × 3 divisions 12 in FIG. 6 is the largest). When is displayed, the information of the original image is displayed larger. On the other hand, there is little information on the original image that appears in one partial image G11c. That is, when browsing on the support target device, it is advantageous to have a larger number of divisions in terms of ease of reading each partial image, and when browsing the original image, a plurality of partial images are sequentially ordered. It is advantageous that the number of divisions is small in terms of labor to display. Based on this, the operator of the image forming apparatus 1 supports the features of the original image itself (such as whether the characters are fine, easy to read even if reduced, or difficult to see when subdivided). An optimal image division is selected so that the user of the target device can easily view the original image.

  FIG. 7 shows a state of browsing images on the portable information terminal 5. In FIG. 7A, the thumbnail TG1 transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 is displayed on the portable information terminal 5. A division line indicating the division state of the original original image is added to the thumbnail TG1. As shown in FIG. 7B, the user of the portable information terminal 5 touches the area a1 of the thumbnail TG1 where the user wants to see details with the finger F. Then, the partial image G11 is displayed as shown in FIG. The partial image G11 is a portion corresponding to the area a1 of the thumbnail TG1 in the original image. In order to display the partial image G11, the portable information terminal 5 accesses the Web server 2 in response to the touch of the area a1, and acquires the partial image G11.

  The hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 is shown in FIG. The main controller 10 responsible for general control of the image forming apparatus 1 performs predetermined control in response to a user instruction from the operation panel 11 and an operation request from an external device communicating via the communication interface 18. The main controller 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 101 as a computer that executes control programs and various applications, a read only memory (ROM) 102 that stores control programs, and a random access memory (RAM) that is a work area for executing programs. ) 103. In a print job using the printer engine 15 among various jobs given to the image forming apparatus 1, the main controller 10 causes the printer controller 14 to control the printer engine 15 and generate print data suitable for the printer engine 15. Instruct.

  An ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 12 conveys a document sheet set on a document table to a reading position of the image scanner 13. The image scanner 13 optically reads image information recorded on a document sheet set at a reading position. The printer controller 14 is responsible for controlling the printer engine 15 and generating printing data suitable for the printer engine 15 in a print job. The printer engine 15 prints a monochrome or color image on one or both sides of the paper supplied from the multi-stage paper stocker 16. The facsimile unit 17 is responsible for data processing for facsimile transmission / reception using the telephone line or the network 9. The communication interface 18 connects the image forming apparatus 1 to the network 9 and a telephone line, and enables communication between the image forming apparatus 1 and an external device. The storage 19 is a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and is used for storing and temporarily storing various data including control data and user data. The storage 19 stores a mobile support program 200 that realizes a mobile support function.

  FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a mobile support function realized by the CPU 101 executing the mobile support program 200. The CPU 101 operates as a preview display unit 201, a division setting display unit 202, a division setting change unit 203, an upload unit 204, and an image transmission unit 205.

The preview display unit 201 captures the original image G1 from the image scanner 13 or the storage 19 in the transmission job, and displays a preview image for one page indicating what the original image G1 is on the display 112 of the operation panel 11. . Then, when the transmission destination specified by the transmission job is the support target device, the display 112 displays a simulated image indicating how the original image G1 is displayed on the support target device. In addition, the preview display unit 201 displays the selected area of the original image G1 in response to an operation of selecting one of the plurality of areas partitioned by the dividing line in the displayed simulated image H1. The division setting display unit 202 that displays the partial image corresponding to the corresponding part on the operation panel 11 displays the setting state of image division for dividing the original image G1 and partially displaying it on the support target device. Are reflected in the display of the simulated image H1. Specifically, the division setting display unit 202 displays the division lines 61, 62, and 63 so as to overlap the simulated image H1 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, even in the preview image F1, the division lines 51, 52, and 53 corresponding to the image division setting state are displayed in an overlapping manner by the division setting display unit 202.

  The division setting changing unit 203 changes a setting for determining an image division layout for the original image G1 according to an operation by a user (operator) of the image forming apparatus 1. The division setting changing unit 203 takes in the output of the touch input device 113 integrated with the display 112 and detects the operation of the select button and the OK button on the operation screen. For example, when the select button 71 or the select button 73 is operated in a state where the setting corresponding to the select button 72 is made as shown in FIG. 3, the division setting unit 203 sets the image division as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. To change. When an operation for touching the OK button 85 is performed, the division setting changing unit 203 determines the setting at that time, and notifies the upload unit 204 of the determined image division setting.

  Upon receiving the notification from the division setting change unit 203, the upload unit 204 divides the original image G1 into a plurality of partial images according to the image division setting. Then, the upload unit 204 causes the Web server 2 to store a plurality of partial image sets G10 as image data replacing the original image G1. At this time, the upload unit 204 or the Web server 2 determines the storage destination of each partial image in the Web server 2 so that the support target device can individually access each of the plurality of partial images.

  The image transmission unit 205 creates a thumbnail TG1 of the original image. Then, after the image division setting is confirmed, link information LD indicating the storage destination of the partial image corresponding to the area is assigned to each area corresponding to each of the partial images, and the thumbnail TG1 is displayed as a support target device (illustrated). Then, it transmits to the portable information terminal 5).

  FIG. 10 shows the data structure of the destination table T1. For convenience when an operator who gives a transmission job to the image forming apparatus 1 inputs a transmission destination, communication partner information is registered in the image forming apparatus 1 in advance. The illustrated destination table T1 is information for sending and receiving e-mail among the registered communication partner information. The destination table T1 has, as data items, a communication partner name 91, an e-mail address 92, and a device type 93. Among these data items, the device type 93 is used to determine whether or not the transmission destination designated in the transmission job corresponds to the support target device. In the present embodiment, the communication partner whose device type 93 data is “smartphone” is the support target device.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of designation of the storage destination for each partial image with respect to the original image. In the example of FIG. 11A, the original image G1, which is the page image of the first page of the document, is divided into six partial images G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, and G16 of 3 rows and 2 columns. Similarly, the original image G2 that is the page image of the second page is divided into partial images G21, G22, G23, G24, G25, and G26. As shown in FIG. 11B, a unique URL is determined as a storage destination for each of the partial images G11 to G16 and G21 to G26. Each URL has a part that specifies the Web server 2 and a part that indicates a path in the Web server 2 of the corresponding partial image.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of the link information LD given to the thumbnail TG1 of the original image G1. As shown in FIG. 12A, the thumbnail TG1 is divided into a plurality of areas in accordance with the division of the original image G1 according to the image division setting. As shown in FIG. 12B, the link information LD is composed of the coordinates of two diagonal points of each of the plurality of areas in the thumbnail TG1 and the storage location (URL) of the corresponding partial image.

  FIG. 13 shows the flow of the image transmission operation of the image forming apparatus 1. For example, in a job for reading an image from a document sheet and transmitting the image, the image forming apparatus 1 accepts a destination input by the operator (S11), and automatically conveys the document set on the ADF 12 to read the document image (S12). The image forming apparatus 1 checks whether or not the input destination corresponds to the support target device (S13). If the destination does not correspond to the support target device (NO in S13), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the input destination corresponds to the support target device (YES in S13), the mobile support function sets the scan image that is the original image as the target of division (S14).

  In step S15, the preview display unit 201 displays an operation screen Q1 as a preview screen in which the preview image F1 of the original image G1 and the simulated image H1 are incorporated (S15). At this time, the image division setting state indicated by the dividing line is a default setting state.

  After the operation screen Q1 is displayed, if there is an instruction to change the image division setting without a transmission instruction (NO in S16 and YES in S19), the division setting changing unit 203 changes the setting, and the preview display unit 201 changes the setting. The operation screen is reconfigured so as to show the subsequent setting state (S20). Then, the image forming apparatus 1 displays the reconfigured operation screen (S15).

  When an OK button 85 for confirming the image division setting is operated and transmission is instructed thereby, the upload unit 204 transmits a plurality of partial images corresponding to the original image to the Web server 2 (S17). The image transmission unit 205 transmits the thumbnail of the original image to the support target device designated as the destination (S18).

  14 and 15 show other examples of preview display by the image forming apparatus 1. As an additional function of the preview display unit 201, a function of automatically setting an image division layout according to the format of the original image can be provided.

  The format of the original image in FIG. 14 is “two columns” in which two left and right columns are arranged in the page. The operation screen Q1e in FIG. 14 includes three options of preview image F5 for one page of the original image, a simulated image H5 indicating how the original image is displayed on the support target device, and image division. Select buttons 71b, 72, and 73b corresponding to are arranged. Since the original image is “two columns”, any of the three options is image division that divides the original image into two columns. The select button 71b corresponds to 2 × 2 division that divides the image vertically and horizontally (2 rows and 2 columns), the select button 72 corresponds to 3 × 2 division that divides the image into 3 rows and 2 columns, and the select button 73b. Corresponds to a 4 × 2 partition divided into 4 rows and 2 columns. In the state of FIG. 14, 2 × 2 division is selected, and the select button 71b is emphasized by light / dark reversal. The setting state of the image division is indicated by the dividing lines 54 and 55 in the preview image F5 and the dividing lines 64 and 65 in the simulated image H5.

  The format of the original image in FIG. 15 is “vertical writing” in which the direction of the character string is the vertical direction of each character. The operation screen Q1f in FIG. 15 has three options of preview image F6 for one page of the original image, a simulated image H6 indicating how the original image is displayed on the support target device, and image division. Select buttons 74, 75, and 76 corresponding to are arranged. Since the original image is “vertical writing”, all of the three options are image divisions in which the number of left and right divisions is larger than the number of upper and lower divisions. The select button 74 corresponds to 1 × 4 division, which divides the image into 4 left and right, the select button 75 corresponds to 2 × 4 division divided into 2 rows and 4 columns, and the select button 76 corresponds to 2 rows and 8 columns. The 2 × 8 division to divide corresponds. In the state of FIG. 15, 1 × 4 division is selected, and the select button 74 is emphasized by light / dark reversal. The setting state of image division is indicated by the dividing lines 56, 57, and 58 in the preview image F6, and the dividing lines 66, 67, and 68 in the simulated image H6.

  If the original image is a page image created by the document creation software, the format of the original image including columnar or vertical writing is indicated by the metadata of the document file. When the original image is a scanned image, it is possible to determine whether it is at least a column or vertical writing by a known image recognition technique used for image attribute determination or optical character recognition.

  According to the above embodiment, it is possible to construct a new system that allows a page image of a paper document to be displayed on the display of the portable information terminals 5 and 6 and browsed. When the paper document is digitized to generate image data for browsing, the portable information terminals 5 and 6 having a small screen size can be easily browsed without performing complicated operations on the portable information terminals 5 and 6. Image segmentation suitable for browsing can be performed.

  According to the above-described embodiment, only the part designated by the user of the portable information terminals 5 and 6 in the original image may be downloaded to the portable information terminals 5 and 6, and the entire original image may be downloaded to the portable information terminals 5 and 6. There is no need to memorize. As a result, for example, it is possible to view documents on the portable information terminals 5 and 6 where the number of pages is enormous and the data amount exceeds the storage capacity of the portable information terminals 5 and 6.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is checked whether or not an e-mail address input as a destination includes a known character string unique to the mobile phone operator, and if the unique character string is included, the destination is supported May be considered.

  The layout of the division of the original image G1 is not limited to the example, and options can be increased or decreased as appropriate. One of the options may include non-split. Operation buttons may be arranged on the operation screen so that the division position can be finely adjusted according to the contents of the original image G1. The actual division position may be shifted from the displayed division line so that adjacent partial images partially overlap each other. The display of the setting state of the image division is not limited to the display of the dividing line, and any display can be used as long as it is understood that the division is performed for each section.

1 Image forming device (image data processing device)
2 Web server 5 Mobile information terminal 11 Operation panel G1 Original image G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16 Partial image H1, H5, H6 Simulated image 200 Mobile support program (computer program)
201 Preview display unit 202 Division setting display unit 203 Division setting change unit 204 Upload unit 205 Image transmission unit TG1 Thumbnail LD Link information

Claims (7)

An image data processing device for transmitting an image,
When a portable information terminal is specified as a transmission destination, a preview display that displays on the operation panel a simulated image indicating how an original image, which is an image specified as a transmission target, is displayed on the portable information terminal. And
A division setting display unit for reflecting a setting state of image division for dividing the original image on the display of the simulated image on the operation panel;
A division setting change unit for changing the image division setting according to a user operation;
An upload unit that divides the original image into a plurality of partial images according to the determined setting of the image division, and stores the plurality of partial images in a server;
A thumbnail of the original image is created, link information indicating a storage destination of the partial image corresponding to the area is assigned to each of the areas corresponding to the plurality of partial images, and the thumbnail is addressed to the portable information terminal. An image data processing apparatus comprising: an image transmission unit that transmits the image data. The preview display unit displays a partial image corresponding to a position specified in the simulated image of the original image in response to an operation of specifying a position in the simulated image displayed on the operation panel. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data processing apparatus is displayed on the operation panel. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preview display unit automatically sets a division position of the image division according to a format of the original image. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a Web server as the server. An image data processing method for browsing an image held by an image data processing apparatus with a portable information terminal,
When the image data processing apparatus receives a transmission instruction to the portable information terminal, a simulated image indicating how an original image, which is an image designated as a transmission target, is displayed on the portable information terminal Displayed on the operation panel,
The image data processing device reflects the setting state of image division for dividing the original image on the display of the simulated image on the operation panel,
The image data processing device changes the image division setting according to a user operation,
The image data processing apparatus divides the original image into a plurality of partial images according to the determined setting of the image division, and stores the plurality of partial images in a server;
The image data processing device creates a thumbnail of the original image, assigns link information indicating a storage destination of a partial image corresponding to the area to each of the areas corresponding to the plurality of partial images, and An image data processing method comprising: transmitting to the portable information terminal. The image data processing device displays a dividing line indicating a setting state of the image division superimposed on the simulated image on the operation panel,
In response to an operation in which the image data processing device designates a position in the simulated image displayed on the operation panel, a portion of the original image corresponding to the position designated in the simulated image is The image data processing method according to claim 5, wherein a partial image indicating how to be displayed on the portable information terminal is displayed on the operation panel. A computer program executed in an image data processing apparatus for transmitting an image,
When executed by a computer included in the image data processing device,
When a portable information terminal is specified as a transmission destination, a preview display that displays on the operation panel a simulated image indicating how an original image, which is an image specified as a transmission target, is displayed on the portable information terminal. And
A division setting display unit for reflecting a setting state of image division for dividing the original image on display of the simulated image on the operation panel;
A division setting change unit for changing the image division setting according to a user operation;
An upload unit that divides the original image into a plurality of partial images according to the determined setting of the image division, and stores the plurality of partial images in a server;
A thumbnail of the original image is created, link information indicating a storage destination of the partial image corresponding to the area is assigned to each of the areas corresponding to the plurality of partial images, and the thumbnail is addressed to the portable information terminal. A computer program for causing the computer to realize an image transmission unit for transmission.

Images