JPH09216451A - Data processing apparatus and printing method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily confirm the place of data to be printed by printing data by a second recording, agent visible by light under natural environment and printing the related data used in the data processing of the data by a first recording agent visible only by light of a specific wavelength. SOLUTION: A compsn. (text data) is formed and sound data, figure data and image data are put together thereto by paste to be stored as Filename, guidance and desk. When these data are printed at place other than content desired to be usually printed by changing printing density or printed on a part of paper, printing A is performed by using ink not usually read by the naked eye and detected when irradiated with special light such as near IR rays. By this constitution, the respective data of printed matter are made impossible to look when looked oridinarily but made possible to look when irradiated with special light such as near IR rays and made readable by an image reading device such as an image reader.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a text information including characters and numbers, tabular information, image information of a moving image or / and a still image, a point and a straight line in an information processing device alone or connected through a network or the like. , A curve, etc.
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that inputs and outputs graphic information such as AD and voice information including voice information, and a printing method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an information processing device is a central control device, an external shared storage device, a terminal such as a workstation, an external storage device, an external image reading device such as a printer or an image reader, an image input device such as a camera or a video, A voice input device such as a microphone can be connected. Personal computers and workstations are well known as information processing apparatuses. Information handled by such an information processing device alone or connected by a network or the like includes text information including alphanumeric characters and tabular information, image information composed of moving images and / or still images, points, straight lines, curves, etc. CAD information and voice information including voice information.

A typical method for processing and combining these pieces of information and transmitting the result to another person is to output the result on paper. In the case of outputting on paper, the information files such as text information, tabular information, image information, and graphic information that are finally produced are output, and the information on the progress or the original information before processing is not output.
Also, the voice information is only displayed as something like a marker on the text file.

[0004]

The fact that information is output to a paper by a printer means that there is no history of information such as progress and original information before processing is left, and it is finally produced. The information is output as information, and further, the output information is output not in the information format handled in the information processing device but in a form that can be recognized by humans. For example, a character is processed by a character code, but at the time of output, the character code is converted into an image showing the character and is visually output. Therefore, there is a drawback that the original information (character code) or the like cannot be received from the output itself (printed paper) as information that can be handled in the information processing apparatus. Further, there is a drawback in that it is difficult to further process the information received from the printed matter, or to perform such work. In addition, there is a drawback that it is not possible to directly know the names of the information items and where they are stored and stored, including the case of sharing the information via the network.

Therefore, in view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of recording file-related information of the information processing apparatus in a print result and a printing method thereof.

[0006]

In order to achieve such an object, the invention of claim 1 provides an information processing means for performing information processing and an object of the information processing or data obtained as a result of the information processing. A printing means capable of printing by selectively using a first recording agent that is printable and visible only with light of a specific wavelength and a second recording agent that is visible with light in a natural environment. It is characterized in that the data is printed with the second recording agent, and the related data used for information processing of the data is printed with the first recording agent.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the data to be printed with the second recording material is any one of text, draw, image and voice data, and the data to be printed with the first recording material is the second data. It is characterized by including the file name and the copyright of the data to be printed with the recording material.

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the data to be printed with the first recording material includes information indicating a file storage location of the data to be printed with the second recording material.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, image reading means capable of reading the data printed with the first recording material and the data printed with the second recording material respectively, and the read data are displayed. It further comprises a display means for displaying.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the data printed by the first recording material is data used for accessing the data printed by the second recording material, and the data is read by the image reading means. And a determination means for determining whether or not the data printed with the first recording material is present in the information processing device by using the data, and the result of the determination is It is characterized in that it is displayed by the display means.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the data printed by the first recording material is data used for accessing the data printed by the second recording material, and the data is read by the image reading means. Then, the data is stored in the information processing apparatus using the data, and the data to be printed by the second recording material is accessed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the data printed with the second recording material is bitmap image data and the data printed with the first recording material is a code for creating the bitmap image data. It is the encoded data, and the bit map image can be reproduced from the encoded data read by the image reading means.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the first data obtained as the information processing target of the information processing apparatus or the result of the information processing is printed on the printing paper with the first recording material which is visible in the natural environment, The second data related to the first data is printed on the printing paper with a recording material that is visible only with light of a specific wavelength.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the information processing apparatus is provided with an image reading device capable of reading the first data and the second data from the printing paper.

In the inventions of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8, data relating to data printed by the first recording agent and the second recording agent which are visible only with light of a specific wavelength, for example, a file name. By printing, the display of the print content of the second recording material is not hindered. Further, by reading the data printed with the first recording material, it is possible to obtain information necessary for accessing (reading / writing) the data, such as a file name.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the user can further know whether or not there is data to be printed and subject to printing.

According to the invention of claim 6, the data can be automatically accessed.

According to the invention of claim 7, the image file can be reconstructed by the encoded data.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the system configuration of an information processing apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 indicates a network. Reference numeral 2 is a central control device, and 3 is an external shared storage device such as a semiconductor memory for storing programs and various information, a magneto-optical disk, a hard disk and the like. Reference numeral 4 is a terminal such as a workstation, and 5 is an external storage device such as a semiconductor memory, a magneto-optical disk, or a hard disk. Reference numeral 6 is a printer, and 7 is an external image reading device such as a scanner or an image reader. Note that the printer 6 can perform normal printing as well as printing with ink that cannot be normally read by the naked eye. When using a conventional apparatus, one of the ink tanks of a color inkjet recording apparatus may be filled with the above ink.

Further, as the image reading device 7, the one having the light emitting element for irradiating the special light for reading the ink and the sensor for receiving the reflected light is used.
Known inks that can be identified by the special light (light that is visible at a specific wavelength) include IRG-003 (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) using a near-infrared absorbing dye and Ni dithiol complex.

Reference numeral 8 is an image input device such as a camera, video or still video, and 9 is a voice input device such as a microphone.

Usually, information handled by a personal computer or a workstation as an information processing device includes
From text information including letters and numbers used for document creation functions such as word processing, still image information obtained by an image reading device 7 such as a scanner for pictures and photographs, from an external image input device 8 such as a camera, a video, and a still video. Image information consisting of the obtained moving image and / or still image, further image-processed information obtained by performing image processing on the information, and CA including points, straight lines, curves, etc.
D, graphic information such as a graphic drawing, table format information used in tables and graphs, voice information input using the voice input device 9, and the like.

The central control unit 2 performs various kinds of information processing by using these pieces of information separately or simultaneously. The user may use these pieces of information alone on the central control unit 2 or may share the information in a database or the like via the network 1 and use it. The original information used and the information created from them are stored in the external storage device 5 or 3.
Stored in the external shared storage device of the.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Here, the voice information created in advance (here, the file identification name is Filename: ~ / tmp / guidance.sn)
d) and graphic information (file identification name is Filename)
e: ~ / tmp / home map. image information (file identification name is Filename: ~)
/ Imagefile / tmp / oldest daughter. eps) and a file that has undergone modification processing such as reduction and cutting (file identification name is Filename: tmp / oldest daughter.eps) are already stored in the external shared storage device 3.
Here, each of these pieces of information will be collectively referred to as a file.

Create a sentence (text information) on the terminal 4,
Filename is a file in which voice information, graphic information, and image information are put together by paste.
Guidance. It is stored in the external storage device 5 as wdesk. Before printing, the file name, creator, application name used (identified by the extension .wdesk here), information storage location in the device, and whether to print unique information at the same time 4 set by the user.

When the user sets "print", in addition to the contents (reference numeral (a) in FIG. 2) normally desired to be printed at the time of printing,
The above information is printed on the same sheet of paper as indicated by reference numeral (b) in FIG. In FIG. 2, the image to be printed originally and the print result of the information relating to the present invention are shown in the same density for convenience of explanation, but at this time, if the print density and the like are the same, it is difficult to distinguish, and it is rather an obstacle. Therefore, it is advisable to change the print density to a place other than the contents to be printed normally at the time of printing.
As this printing method, it is possible to print by using a plurality of ink heads at the same time or by feeding the paper several times as is done in a multicolor printer.

In addition, when printing the above information on a part of the paper, the ink is usually not readable by the naked eye, and is detected only when a special light such as near infrared rays is applied. IRG-00 using near infrared absorbing dye
3 (Nippon Kayaku) or an ink containing an Ni dithiol complex is used for printing. As a result, the printed information cannot be obtained by just looking at it, and the unique information such as the file name cannot be obtained. It looks like the left side (a) in Fig. 2, but it does not emit special light such as near infrared rays. When applied, it looks like the reference sign (b) reference sign b in FIG. 2 and can be read by the image reading device 7 such as an image reader or a scanner, and the file name, the storage location of the file located in the device, and unique information. Can be read and displayed, or can be returned to the information processing device 4.

A method of reading with the image reading device 7 such as an image reader and a scanner will be described with reference to FIG. The left diagram in FIG. 3 is the same as the right diagram in FIG. Here, the file name, the storage location of the file located in the device, and the unique information may be printed lighter than normal printing, or may be printed with ink that cannot be read by the naked eye.

When the left drawing is read by the image reading device 7 such as an image reader or a scanner, it is displayed on the display of the terminal 4 as shown in the right drawing. In the figure on the right, in addition to the file name, the storage location of the file located in the device, and unique information, the terminal device checks whether such information exists in the network based on the read information, It shall indicate the presence or absence. Here is a guide. wdes
The display portion 10a of the file k is [OffLine].
-Since it does not exist, it can be seen that it does not exist on the network. If the file exists on the network, [OnLine] is displayed. ~ / Tmp / guidance. snd, ~ / tmp / home map. draw, ~ / tmp / oldest daughter. The display parts 10b, 10c, and 10d of the file eps are [OnLine].
It means that it exists in the network. As shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 10
When the user clicks [OnLine] of c and 10d and gives an instruction to start the file, the terminal 4 starts an application for displaying each file as shown in (c) and (d) of FIG. Then, the corresponding file is displayed in a window opened on the display of the terminal 4.

Further, the display section 10a displays [OffLine].
When the floppy disk, magneto-optical disk, or other external memory for which information is present is newly connected to the system, the location is checked in the external memory. When it is confirmed, [OnLine] And inform the existence of information. When the user clicks the [OnLine] and gives an instruction, the file corresponding to the file is displayed in a window opened on the display of the terminal 4.

When the display section 10e is clicked to give an instruction, image information is displayed in a window opened on the display of the terminal 4 as shown in FIG. 4 (e).

The processing procedure of the terminal 4 for executing the above processing is shown in FIGS. FIG. 5 shows a printing procedure for printing the file related information. 6 and 7 show a processing procedure for image reading.

In FIG. 5, when a paste request is made while a document is being created by word processing software at the terminal 4 and the file name to be pasted is specified by the user via a keyboard (or mouse) not shown, the terminal In 4,
Whether the paste target is an image (image) or the other (text document or draw (figure)) is determined by an identifier of the file name or the like (steps S10 → S20, S30). When the paste target is an image, the image file indicated by the file name is copied and saved in the memory inside the device. Normally, images are not stored as bitmap images, but compressed (encoded) image data (see symbol (e) in FIG. 4).
This image data is copied because it has the form. The image data to be copied is temporarily stored in the memory in the terminal 4 together with the file name and the storage location name (hard disk, terminal name, etc.) (steps S20 → S25). Information such as a file name and a storage location in these pieces of information necessary for extracting the file and the image data are printed with special ink when a print instruction is given (step S1).
0->S60->S70-> S80, see FIG. 2 (b). The target of pasting is text or figures other than images (draw)
In this case, the file name and storage location information are temporarily stored in the internal memory for printing with the special ink (steps S20 → S30 → S40).

In this way, after the information for printing with the special ink is stored in the memory, the terminal 4 executes the paste process and the document process in which images, texts and the like are mixed as in the conventional case. (Step S50).

When a text or draw is created by new creation without using an existing file like the paste processing, the text and the file name of the draw,
Input of the storage location is accepted and stored in the memory (steps S60 → S40).

In this way, when the user gives a printing instruction after the document is created, the terminal device 4 gives an instruction to print the file name and storage location information temporarily stored in the memory. More specifically, these pieces of information and the information to be printed normally are converted into a bitmap image, and the bitmap image is printed together with the instruction of the ink to be used by the printer 6.
To send to. As a result, the printer 6 uses the designated ink to print as shown in FIG. FIG.
In (b), the code A is a special ink code B is a portion printed with normal ink.

When the user wants to know the storage location of the original file of the printed information, the user sets the print document to be read on the external image reading device 7 and executes the control procedure (program) of FIG. 6 on the terminal 4. Let

In the terminal 4, first, the external image reading device 7 is instructed to read in the visible light environment. As a result, the external image reading device 7 reads an image in the same visible light environment as the conventional one, and sends the read image data (bitmap data form, portion B in FIG. 2) to the terminal 4 ( Step S100).

The terminal 4 stores the image data (referred to as normal image data) in the internal memory, and then instructs the external image reading device 7 to read the image with special light (step S110).

In response to this, the external image reading device 7 reads the image printed with the special ink under the special light environment and sends the read image data to the terminal 4. The read image data (referred to as special image data) is stored in the memory in the terminal 4 (step S120).

The terminal 4 performs character recognition (also called OCR) on the special image data and converts the special image data into character code data. Further, it is determined from the character string indicated by the character code data whether the file type is text, draw, or image (step S13).
0).

Since the data converted into the character code indicates the file name, the copyright, the storage location, etc., the terminal 4 obtains the acquired file name from its own terminal, the central control unit 2 on the network 1 or the external shared storage unit. 3 is checked (step S140). This method is well known and will not require a detailed description.

The terminal 4 displays the acquired file name, copyright, storage location information, and presence / absence of a file as OnLine / OffL.
The message information indicated by ine and the normal image are combined and displayed on the display (steps S150 → S16).
0). Note that images such as photographs show "I" to that effect.
A message "imageData" is added and displayed (step S150-> 170, see reference numeral 10e in FIG. 3). The information printed with these special inks is changed in shade so as not to interfere with the display of a normal image, color color, etc. In this way, the location of the file and the presence or absence of the current file are displayed on the display screen of the terminal 4, so that the user can immediately retrieve the necessary file information such as text. You can

In this embodiment, in order to obtain a desired file by a simple operation, if a desired image among the images displayed in the above-mentioned processing is designated by the mouse, the file of the image can be obtained. I have to. FIG. 7 shows a processing procedure for acquiring an image by taking an image such as a photograph as an example.

When the mouse is operated, the terminal 4 acquires the position of the mouse cursor and confirms that the position is the position where an image such as a photograph is currently displayed (steps S200 → S210). Next, the file name and storage location corresponding to the displayed image are acquired from memory,
Next, the copy file is acquired from the storage destination. An application for information processing of the copy file, in this case, an image processing program is activated to display the copy file (step S220). Thereafter, the user can use the image processing program to modify the image or store the image on a floppy disk or the like as in the conventional case.

The image read from the original is "Of
Even in the case of "fLine", the image is stored, and when the floppy disk having the displayed file name is attached to the terminal 4, the terminal 4 reads the image file from the floppy disk and displays it.

By applying the above-mentioned processing to the draw data file or the text data file, it becomes possible to individually handle any image on the display screen.

In addition to this embodiment, the following example can be carried out.

1) In this embodiment, the information about the file name, the copyright, and the storage location is shown as the information to be printed with the special ink, but other information managed by the system such as the date and the history of the file capacity change is printed. May be.

2) It is also possible to convert the image data in the character / symbol form into a bitmap image and display it.

3) When the draw data is described in the PostScript language, the draw data itself may be printed with special ink as in the case of a photographic image.

4) In recent years, since voices can be included in created documents, data to be displayed with special ink is
Of course, a character / symbol string indicating voice data may be included. Further, in a terminal connectable to a video camera, an image input from the video camera may be printed with special ink.

5) When the user designates the normal print mode, the print mode using only the special ink, and the mixed mode of the normal print and the special ink print with the mouse or the like, and the image is printed in the designated mode, various purposes are obtained. Can handle.

For example, for a document requiring security, a password can be printed with special ink, and information can be processed by the terminal 4 so as to permit file access for the image described by this password.

6) Only the file-related data of the image written in the special ink may be read, and the bitmap image may be reconstructed from this data. This is suitable when the printed image is faded and the read image is dirty.

[0056]

As described above, as described above,
In the inventions of 3, 4, and 8, by printing the data related to the data printed by the second recording material with the first recording material that is visible only with the light of the specific wavelength, for example, the file name,
The display of the print content of the second recording material is not hindered.
In addition, by reading the data printed with the first recording material, the data such as the file name can be accessed (read / write).
You can get the information you need.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the user can further know whether or not there is data that is to be printed and is present.

According to the invention of claim 6, the data can be automatically accessed. In the invention of claim 7,
Image files can be reconstructed with encoded data.

Further, from these inventions, it is possible to easily confirm the location of the data to be printed from the printed matter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of a creation information file.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing contents of printing and image reading.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of individual display.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the terminal 4 according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the terminal 4 according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the terminal 4 according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Network 2 Central Control Device 3 External Shared Storage Device 4 Terminal 5 (External) Storage Device 6 Printer 7 (External) Image Reading Device 8 Image Input Device (Image Reading Device) 9 Voice Input Device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location H04N 1/44 G06F 15/20

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An information processing means for performing information processing, a first recording agent capable of printing an object of the information processing or data obtained as a result of the information processing and visible only with light of a specific wavelength, and a natural recording medium. A second recording agent which is visible under light in the environment and a printing unit capable of printing by selectively using the second recording agent, the data is printed with the second recording agent, and the information processing of the data is performed. An information processing apparatus, wherein related data used for printing is printed with the first recording material. 2. The data to be printed with the second recording agent is any one of text, draw, image and voice data, and the data to be printed with the first recording agent is printed with the second recording agent. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus includes a file name and a copyright of the data to be processed. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data printed with the first recording agent includes information indicating a file storage location of the data printed with the second recording agent. 4. An image reading means capable of reading the data printed with the first recording material and the data printed with the second recording material, and a display means for displaying the read data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: 5. The data printed with the first recording material is data used for accessing the data printed with the second recording material, and when the data is read by the image reading means, The image forming apparatus further includes a determining unit that determines whether or not the data printed with the first recording material is present in the information processing apparatus using the data, and displays the result of the determination by the display unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that. 6. The data to be printed with the first recording material is data used to access the data to be printed with the second recording material, and when the data is read by the image reading means, The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the data stored in the information processing apparatus using the data is accessed to access the data to be printed by the second recording material. 7. The data printed with the second recording material is bitmap image data, and the data printed with the first recording material is encoded data for creating the bitmap image data, The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a bitmap image can be reproduced from the encoded data read by the image reading unit. 8. The first data obtained as an information processing target of an information processing device or a result of the information processing is printed on a printing paper with a first recording material visible in a natural environment, and the first data is printed.
The second data related to the above data is printed on the printing paper with a recording material that is visible only with light of a specific wavelength. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information processing apparatus includes an image reading device capable of reading the first data and the second data from the printing paper. Printing method.