JPH03245268A - Image information storing retrieving system for image information storage - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store and retrieve the document images with no input of a retrieving key code by storing the document images into a storage medium in relation to the registered store information and reading them out of the storage medium based on the store information. CONSTITUTION:An image input/output control part 3 receives the input instructions for retreving images and the document images and inputs these images via an image input device 4 to store them in a memory 6 and also to display them on a CRT display 9. Then an area is designated in an image via a mouse 10. An area name converting part 16 stores the area information and an area name corresponding to each other into an area name file 15 in response to the information received from a control part 1. Then the part 1 encodes the image stored in the memory 6 and stores it in a retrieving image file 13. At the same time, the part 1 also encodes the document image stored in the memory 6 and stores it in an optical disk device 8. When a document image is retrieved out of the device 8, the part 1 inputs the document image via the device 8 based on the chain information and decodes the input image to display it on the display 9.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image information storage/retrieval method in an image information storage device, and in particular to image information that can store image information, retrieve it as needed, and output it. This invention relates to an image information storage/retrieval method in a storage device.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of image information storage device collectively captures information such as characters, pictures, graphs, etc. written on paper as an image (hereinafter referred to as a document image), and uses laser light and CC
D (Charge Coupled l')ev
A two-dimensional scanning device that uses photoelectric conversion technology using an ice) element is used to decompose a document image into pixels and convert it into an image signal, and this image signal is stored as image information in a storage medium of an image information storage device. . At this time, the stored document image is also given a search title consisting of a search key code representing the document image and stored. This results in
By inputting a search key code as necessary, the document image corresponding to the search key code is searched and can be retrieved as a hard copy using a two-dimensional scanning device.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional image information storage device described above stores a document image with a search title consisting of a search key code, etc., and when necessary, by inputting a search key code, a document corresponding to the search key code can be retrieved. Since the method is to search for images, there are two issues: - You cannot search unless a search key code is assigned to the document image, - You cannot obtain the intended document image if you do not enter the search key code correctly, - The search key code and There are drawbacks such as the inability to search for the intended document image unless the correspondence with the document image is known.

In view of the above-mentioned points, an object of the present invention is to perform storage processing and search processing of document images by simply specifying an arbitrary position within an area in a search image using a position specifying means without being aware of a search title. An object of the present invention is to provide an image information storage/retrieval method in an image information storage device that enables the following.

[Means to solve the problem]

The image information storage/retrieval method in the image information storage device of the present invention stores a document image together with a search code including a search key code, and searches for the document image by searching for the search key code. an image display means for displaying search images and document images, and specifying an area in the search image displayed on the image display means or any position within the area in the search image displayed on the image display means; a position specifying means for specifying a position, and a position specifying means for assigning a unique area name to the position information of the area specified by the position specifying means and registering it in an area name file, and an area including the position specified by the position specifying means; an area name converting means for searching the area name from the area name file; and an area name converting means for registering the area name given by the area name converting means and document image storage information in a search title, A search title access means for extracting storage information of a document image from a search title that registers a searched area name; and a search title access means that stores the document image in a storage medium in association with the storage information registered in the search title. and control means for reading the document image from the storage medium according to the stored information retrieved by the search title access means.

[Effect]

In the image information storage/retrieval method in the image information storage device of the present invention, the image display means displays the search image and the document image, and the position specification means specifies an area in the search image displayed on the image display means. The area name conversion means assigns a unique area name to the position information of the area specified by the position specification means. Search the area name file for the area name of the area that is registered in the area name file or includes the position specified by the position specifying means, and the search title access means searches the area name and document image given by the area name conversion means. The control means registers the storage information in the search title, registers the area name searched by the area name conversion means, extracts the storage information of the document image from the search title, and registers the storage information in the search title by the search title access means. The document image is stored in the storage medium in association with the stored information, or the document image is read out from the storage medium in accordance with the stored information retrieved by the search title access means.

〔Example] Next, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image information storage device to which an image information storage/retrieval method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. This image information storage device includes a control unit 1 that performs overall control, a keyboard 2 that inputs operator instructions, a search image R, and a document image Bm (m is a positive integer).
an image input/output control section 3 that controls the input/output of the image input/output controller 3; an image input device 4 that inputs the search image R and the document image Bm; an image output device 5 that outputs the search image R and the document image Bm; The memory 6 in which the search image R or document image Bm to be searched is placed, and the search image R and document image Bm
an image conversion unit 7 that performs encoding and decoding; an optical disk device 8 that stores the encoded document image Bm; and a CRT (Cathode Ray) as an image display means that displays the search image R and the document image Bm. Tu
b) Specify area #n (n is a positive integer) in the search image R displayed on the display 9 and the CRT display 9, or specify an arbitrary position for area #n in the search image R. a mouse 10 as a position specifying means, and a search title file 1 that stores a search title Tm.
1, a search title access unit 12 that inputs and outputs the search title Tm to and from the search title file 11, a search image file 13 that stores the encoded search image R, and a search title access unit 12 that inputs and outputs the search title Tm to the search title file 11; Search image R
The search image access unit 14 inputs and outputs the search image access unit 14, the area name file 15 that stores the area @An of area #n in the search image R and the area name Nn in correspondence, and the area name file 15. The area name conversion unit 16 inputs and outputs area information An and area name Nn.

Next, the operation of the image information storage/retrieval method in the image information storage device of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained with reference to FIG.

+11 First, the case where the search image R is stored in the image information storage device will be described.

First, the operator issues an input instruction for the search image R from the keyboard 2 .

Then, the control unit 1 instructs the image input/output control unit 3 to input the search image R.

The image input/output control unit 3, which has received an instruction to input the search image R, inputs the search image R1 from the image input device 4, for example, the search image R shown in FIG. The search image R is displayed on the display 9 (hereinafter, the search image R refers to the search image R shown in FIG. 2 unless otherwise specified).

Next, the operator specifies a rectangular area #n in the search image R displayed on the CRT display 9 using the mouse 10. For example, assume that areas #1 to #8 surrounded by thick lines are specified.

Then, the control unit 1 controls the area #n specified by the mouse 10.
(n=1 to 8) area information (area #
The area name conversion unit 16 is notified of the position of the starting point of n and the vertical and horizontal lengths An.

The area name conversion unit 16 automatically generates a unique area name Nn for the notified area information A and n, associates the notified area information An with the area name Nn, and creates an area name file 1.
Store in 5. This is repeated from area #1 to area #8.

Next, the control section 1 encodes the search image R stored in the memory 6 using the image conversion section 7 and gives a storage instruction to the search image access section 14 .

The search image access unit 14 stores the encoded search image R in the search image file 13 according to the storage instruction.

Through the above processing, the search image R is stored in the image information storage device.

(2) Next, a case will be described in which the document image Bm is stored in the image information storage device.

First, the operator issues an instruction to store the document image Bm from the keyboard 2.

Then, the control section 1 instructs the image input/output control section 3 to input the document image Bm.

The image input/output system section 3 that receives the instruction to input the document image Bm inputs the document image Bm from the image input device 4 and stores it in the memory 6.
The data is stored in the memory and displayed on the CRT display 9.

Next, the operator checks the document image Bm displayed on the CRT display 9, and if the document image Bm is in a satisfactory state, issues a storage execution instruction from the keyboard 2. Furthermore, if the condition is not satisfactory, an instruction to store the document image Bm is issued again from the keyboard 2.

In response to a storage execution instruction from the operator, the control unit 1 instructs the search image access unit 14 to display the search image R.

The search image access unit 14 inputs the search image R from the search image file 13 in response to an instruction to display the search image R, decodes it in the image conversion unit 7, and displays it on the CRT display 9.

Next, with respect to the search image R displayed on the CRT display 9, the operator moves the mouse 1 to an arbitrary position within area #k (1≦to≦8) in which the document image Bm is to be stored.
Specified by 0.

The control unit 1 notifies the area name conversion unit 16 of positional information Pk of an arbitrary position within area # in the search image R specified with the mouse 10.

The area name conversion unit 16 reads area information An (n=1 to 8) from the area name file 15, compares it with the position information Pk notified by the control unit 1, and determines area information Ak that includes the position information Pk. Find the corresponding area name N
Read k. Once the area name Nk is known, the area name converter 16 notifies the controller 1 of the area name Nk.

On the other hand, the control section 1 encodes the document image Bm stored in the memory 6 using the image conversion section 7 and stores it in the optical disk device 8 . Then, the control unit 1 controls the area name conversion unit 1
The search title access unit 12 is notified of the area name Nk notified from 6 and the chain information @Ck m to the document image Bm stored in the optical disk device 8, and instructs the search title access unit 12 to register the document image Bm. conduct.

The search title access unit 12 retrieves the notified area name Nk.
and chain information Ckm are stored in the search title file 11 as part of the search title 1 2 Tm. Note that at this time, the operator may input a search key code or the like to the search title Tm from the keyboard 2 or the like.

Through the above processing, the document image Bm is stored in the image information storage device.

(3) Next, a case will be described in which the document image Bm is retrieved from the image information storage device.

First, the operator issues a search instruction for the document image Bm from the keyboard 2.

Then, the control unit 1 instructs the search image access unit 14 to display the search image R.

The search image access unit 14 inputs the search image R from the search image file 13 in response to an instruction to display the search image R, decodes it in the image conversion unit 7, and displays it on the CRT display 9.

Next, the operator uses the mouse 10 to specify an arbitrary position within the area # in which the document image Bm to be searched is stored for the search image R displayed on the CRT display 9.

The control unit 1 notifies the area name conversion unit 16 of positional information Pk of an arbitrary position within area # in the search image R specified with the mouse 10.

The area name conversion unit 16 reads area information An (n=1 to 8) from the area name file 15, compares it with the position information Pk notified by the control unit 1, and determines w4 area information that includes the position information Pk. Find Ak and read the area name Nk corresponding to it. Once the area name Nk is known, the area name conversion section 6 notifies the control section 1 of the area name Nk.

The control unit 1 passes the notified area name Nk to the search title access unit 12 and issues a search instruction for the search title Tm.

The search title access unit 12 reads the search title Tm from the search title file 11 and searches for the search title Tm in which the area name Nk is registered. Then, the search title access unit 12 reads out the chain information Ckm to the document image Bm stored in the optical disc device W8 registered in the search title 1mm along with the area name Nk, and notifies the control unit 1 of the chain information Ckm.

The control section 1 inputs the document image Bm from the optical disk device 8 according to the notified chain information @Ckm, decodes it in the image conversion section 7, and displays it on the CRT display 9.

Further, the control section 1 causes the image output device 5 to output the document image Bm as a hard copy using the memory 6 and the image input/output control section 3 as necessary.

Note that when a plurality of search titles Tm in which area names Nk are registered are found from the search title file 11, the control unit 1 turns over the pages of the document images Bm in order according to the chain information Ckm. Alternatively, a title list of the document images Bm may be displayed on the CRT display 9 as a menu to allow the operator to select the document image Bm to be actually displayed on the CRT display 9.

Through the above processing, it is possible to perform the storage process and search process for the document image Bm by simply specifying an arbitrary position within the area #n in the search image R using the mouse 10 without being aware of the search title Tm. Become.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the number of search images R is one, but it goes without saying that there may be a plurality of search images R. In particular, it is easily possible to register search images hierarchically so that document images Bm can be searched in sequentially subdivided ranges.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides a position for specifying an area in a search image displayed on an image display means or specifying an arbitrary position within an area in a search image displayed on an image display means. a specifying means, an area name converting means for registering the positional information of the specified area in an area name file with a unique area name, and for searching the area name of the area including the specified position from the area name file; A search title access means for registering a given area name and document image storage information in a search title and extracting document image storage information from a search title that registers a searched area name; 5 6 By providing a control means for storing document images in a storage medium in association with stored information and reading out document images from the storage medium in accordance with retrieved stored information, document image storage processing and retrieval processing can be performed easily. This can be done by simply specifying any position within the search image without having to be aware of the title. - Document images can be stored and searched without having to enter a search key code. Therefore, there is no need to remember the correspondence between search key codes and document images, and operations are simplified because processing can be performed using only the position specification method, without using a keyboard, etc., which can be troublesome for input. There is.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image information storage device to which an image information storage/retrieval method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a search image used in the search method. In the figure, 1... Control unit, 2... Keyboard, 3... Image input/output control unit, 4... Image input device, 5... Image output device, 6... Memory, 7. ...Image conversion section, 8.. Optical disk device, 9.. CRT display, 10.. Mouse, 11.. Search title file, 12.. Search title access section, 13.. Image file for search, 14. . . . Image access unit for search; 15. Area name file; 16. Area name conversion unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An image display for displaying a search image and a document image in an image information storage device that stores a document image together with a search title including a search key code and searches for the document image by searching for the search key code. means, and position specifying means for specifying an area in the search image displayed on the image display means or specifying an arbitrary position within the area in the search image displayed on the image display means; The positional information of the area specified by this position specifying means is assigned a unique area name and registered in an area name file, and the area name of the area including the position specified by the position specifying means is searched from the area name file. and a search title that registers the area name given by the area name conversion means and document image storage information in the search title, or registers the area name searched by the area name conversion means. a search title access means for retrieving stored information of a document image from a search title; 1. An image information storage/retrieval method in an image information storage device, characterized in that the image information storage device has a control means for reading document images from a storage medium according to stored information.