JPH09222982A - Icon preparation system and icon identification system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To completely automatically prepare an icon suitably reflected with the attribute of information, to easily identify the attribute of information from the prepared icon and to guarantee the secrecy of attribute of the information expressed as the icon for the third person. SOLUTION: An attribute number corresponding to the contents of the attribute is inputted from an editor 1, a code for password corresponding to the attribute number is generated by a code retrieval control part 3, part items for icon corresponding to the code for password are retrieved from a parts data base 8 for icon by an icon preparation control part 4, and the icon is automatically prepared. On the other hand, the prepared icon is read by a scanner 11, the part items for icon coincident with the icon are retrieved from a parts data base 15 for icon by a pattern discrimination control part 14, and the contents of the attribute corresponding to the part items for icon are retrieved by an attribute retrieval control part 13 and displayed on an editor 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an icon creating system, and more particularly to an icon creating system and an icon identifying system for classifying various kinds of information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When classifying various types of information, it is common practice to give character information such as numbers and symbols as title names to individual information. A graphic pattern that characterizes the content of information separately from or in addition to character information (hereinafter referred to as "icon")
If is added to each piece of information, the user can intuitively understand the content of the information, and the information retrieval efficiency can be significantly improved.

As an example, assuming that a desired book is selected from the huge books held in a library or the like, a book for beginners is associated with an icon with a "laughing face" pattern, and it is for professionals. By associating the icons with the "angry face" pattern with the book, the user can easily search for the book using these icons as a guide, and the trouble of searching is greatly reduced. It is expected.

A conventional device for creating a visual icon to be added to individual information is, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
-7263, JP 3-147081, JP 6-44324, and JP 2-264364.
Some are described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No.

In the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-7263, an icon template file for storing icon templates and a file for defining template utilization rules (attributes) are prepared in advance. By automatically generating, and making changes to the modifiable parts using the editor, even if the developers are different, the icon design results will be almost equal,
There has been proposed an icon design support device capable of promoting standardization of correspondence between icon designs and functions used at least in the same manufacturer or in the same industrial field.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-147081, the figure is deformed in accordance with a closed area formed by the skeleton of a character desired to be a pictogram, and the deformed figure is fitted into the closed area to obtain high expressive power. There has been proposed a pictogram creation device in a graphic editing machine capable of creating a pictogram having a symbol.

Further, in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-44324, the data structure of a text image in a stored data such as a text image and a structure similar thereto are classified into categories to speed up data retrieval. There has been proposed an image storage / reproduction device in which attribute information and index information are accumulated in an integrated form, and an icon is displayed as a means for expressing these information, whereby visual discrimination can be easily performed.

Further, in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-264364, information classification using a graphic title can be efficiently selected by classifying data accumulated by using a graphic title into categories. A system has been proposed.

[0009]

However, the conventional devices and systems described in the above-mentioned respective publications have the following problems.
There are the following problems.

First, in the conventional apparatus described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-7263, the attribute information used is only one means for creating an icon, and most of the creation of the icon is final. Since it will be left to the user's hand, it is not always possible to create an icon that accurately represents the attribute, and if the meaning of the icon is not known in advance, the exact attribute you want to represent as an icon There is a problem that it is difficult to know. Moreover, since the attribute of each piece of information and the icon directly correspond to each other, there is a problem in that there is a high risk that the attribute will be known to a third party who does not want to know the secret.

In the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-147081, characters and pictures are combined into one icon by arranging a figure in the shape of the closed area of the character. There is a problem in that it is difficult for the icon to grasp the attribute of the icon because the user has arbitrarily set the item itself.

Further, in the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-44324, an icon is created by dividing an image read from the stored data into a plurality of frequency bands to create a correspondence between the icon and the information. However, since the icon itself is not created based on the attribute of individual information, there is a problem that it is an incomplete correspondence that the content of information cannot be known only from the icon.

Further, in the system described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-264364, a method of dividing information into categories is described, but a method of creating a figure title or the like is not described, so that There is a problem that it is not possible to create a typical icon.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to completely automatically create an icon in which information attributes are appropriately reflected and to easily perform all of the information attributes from the created icon. It is an object of the present invention to provide an icon creation system and an icon identification system that can be identified by the above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an icon creating system and an icon identifying system capable of guaranteeing the confidentiality of the attribute of information expressed as an icon to a third party.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes an attribute number corresponding to the attribute content of certain information as an input, and searches for an icon part corresponding to the input attribute number, One or a plurality of icons that are overlapped with the retrieved one or more icon parts to create an entire icon, and on the other hand, that the image data of the created icon is input and that match the image data of the input icon There is provided an icon creation system characterized by searching an attribute number corresponding to the icon component of (1) and outputting the attribute content corresponding to the searched attribute number.

Further, according to the present invention, means for inputting attribute contents of a certain information, first storing means for storing the attribute contents and attribute numbers in association with each other, and attributes by referring to the first storing means Means for converting the content into an attribute number, second storage means for storing the attribute number and the encryption code in association with each other, and means for converting the attribute number into the encryption code by referring to the second storage means A third storage means for storing the encryption code and the icon component in association with each other; a means for searching the icon component corresponding to the encryption code by referring to the third storage means; And a means for creating an entire icon by superimposing one or a plurality of icon components, and an icon creating system.

Further, the present invention is a means for inputting icon image data, a means for selecting an icon part candidate corresponding to the icon image data, a selected icon part candidate and icon image data. Means for checking whether or not is matched, first storing means for storing the icon component and the encryption code in association with each other, and the matching icon component by referring to the first storing means For generating an encryption code corresponding to the above, a second storage means for storing the encryption code and an attribute number in association with each other, and converting the encryption code into an attribute number by referring to the second storage means. Means, third storage means for storing the attribute number and the attribute content in association with each other, means for converting the attribute number to the attribute content by referring to the third storage means, and the converted attribute content. output Means that provides an icon identification system, which comprises a.

The principle and operation of the icon creating system and the icon identifying system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

According to the icon creating system of the present invention,
By storing the attribute content and the attribute number in the attribute content database 2 in a one-to-one correspondence in advance, the attribute number is generated from the attribute content and the individual icon part of the finally created icon is specified. It can be so.

Further, according to the icon creating system of the present invention, the attribute number and the encryption code are stored in the encryption code database 5 in a one-to-one correspondence in advance, and the attribute number coding unit 6 is used. In order to obtain the attribute number from the icon again by converting the attribute number into the encryption code, the same one as the encryption code database 5 must be used as the encryption code database for identification (encryption code database 16). Try not to make it so that the confidentiality of the finally created icon is increased.

Further, according to the icon creation system of the present invention, the icon creation control unit 4 searches the icon parts database 8 with the icon search tool 7, extracts the corresponding icon parts from the encryption code, and retrieves them. The icon parts are overlaid to complete the entire icon.

On the other hand, according to the icon identification system of the present invention, the pattern discrimination control means 14 stores the icon data read by the pattern recognition section 18 from the scanner 11 in the icon component database 15. The encryption code corresponding to the icon data read from the scanner 11 is found by checking whether or not there is a match with the data of each icon part.

According to the icon creating system and the icon identifying system of the present invention, the attribute content database 2 and the attribute content database 12, the encryption code database 5 and the encryption code database 16, the icon parts database 8 and the icon parts are provided. Database 15,
If the two are the same, the attribute of the icon can be known by reading and identifying the created icon.

[0025]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The present invention is a system (icon creating system) for creating an icon reflecting the attributes of individual information.
And a system that reads the icon printed on the paper and identifies the attribute of the icon (icon identification system)
Since these can be roughly divided into two, these two systems will be described in order below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an icon creating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an icon creating system according to an embodiment of the present invention is an editor 1 for displaying an attribute content and inputting an attribute number corresponding to the attribute content.
And an attribute content database 2 that stores the attribute content and the attribute number in association with each other, and a code search control unit that retrieves the attribute number corresponding to the attribute content from the attribute content database 2 in response to an inquiry about the attribute content from the editor 1. 3, an encryption code database 5 for storing attribute numbers and encryption codes in association with each other, and an attribute number coding unit 6 for converting the attribute numbers received via the code search control unit 3 into encryption codes. , An icon creation control unit 4 for controlling the creation of an icon from the encryption code, an icon parts database 8 for storing the encryption code and the icon parts in association with each other, and individual icon parts of the icon from the encryption code And an icon retrieval tool 7 for retrieving the icon parts forming the.

On the editor 1, attribute contents such as date, genre, and urgency that accompany many pieces of information visually represented as icons are displayed in a selection format. The editor 1 constantly inquires of the attribute content database 2 via the code search control unit 3 about the attribute number, and the attribute number corresponding to the selected attribute content is passed on the editor 1.

When the user performs a confirmation process on the attribute content selected on the editor 1, the code search control unit 3 causes the encoding unit 6 of the attribute number to convert it into a code for encryption. Make a request. The request for conversion to the encryption code is sequentially made for each attribute type (date, genre, etc.).

The attribute number encoding unit 6 refers to the encryption code database 5 to convert the attribute number into an encryption code and returns it to the code search control unit 3. In this case,
Not all the attribute contents are encrypted, but only the attribute contents set by the user as "confidential" are encrypted.

The code search control unit 3 passes the encryption code returned from the attribute number coding unit 6 to the icon creation control unit 4. The icon creation control unit 4 makes a request for icon parts to the icon search tool 7 for each encryption code for each attribute. The icon search tool
If the encryption code for "date" is sent, the icon part is decided. If the encryption code for "genre" is sent, the icon part is decided for each attribute type. To go.

The individual icon parts determined in this way are overlaid as icon parts by the icon creation control section 4 to form one completed icon. The created icon is sent to the editor 1 and displayed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an icon identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, an icon identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention controls a scanner 11 for converting an icon printed on a paper surface into electronic data information, and controls the scanner 11. Scanner control unit 10
And a pattern discrimination control unit 14 that collates the icon data read from the scanner 11 with the candidate icon component data and sends out the encryption code, and associates the icon component and the encryption code. The icon component database 15 to be stored as a pattern, the pattern recognition unit 18 for pattern matching whether the icon data read from the scanner 11 and the candidate icon component data match, and the pattern recognition unit 18 read from the scanner 11. The attribute search control unit 13 that retrieves the attribute content from the attribute number corresponding to the encrypted code that is collated when the data of the icon and the data of the candidate icon part match
And an encryption code database 16 for storing the encryption code and the attribute number in association with each other, an attribute number determination tool 17 for determining the attribute number from the encryption code, and the attribute number and the attribute content are stored in association with each other. The attribute content database 12 and the editor 9 for displaying and outputting the attribute content on a screen or the like.

The scanner 11 reads an icon printed on a paper surface or the like, and passes the read icon data to the editor 9 and the pattern discrimination control unit 14 by the scanner control unit 10.

The pattern discriminating control unit 14 includes the scanner 11
The icon data read from the icon component data and the candidate icon component data retrieved from the icon component database 15 are passed to the pattern recognition unit 18, and the pattern recognition unit 18 matches the candidate icon component data. When the notification to that effect is received, the code corresponding to the matching icon component is passed to the attribute search control unit 13. In addition,
The passed code is an encryption code retrieved from the icon component database 15.

The pattern recognition section 18 takes a difference between the icon data read by the scanner 11 and the icon part data retrieved from the icon part database 15 by the pattern discrimination control section 14 to obtain a predetermined pattern. Collation is performed, and when the candidate icon part data matches all and / or part of the icon data, the pattern determination control unit 14 is notified of the match.

The attribute search control unit 13 decodes the attribute number corresponding to the encryption code received from the pattern discrimination control unit 14, further searches the attribute content corresponding to the attribute number and passes it to the editor 9. First, the attribute search control unit 13 passes the encryption code received from the pattern determination control unit 14 to the attribute number determination tool 17, and uses the attribute number determination tool 17 to correspond to the encryption code from the encryption code database 16. The attribute number to be read is decrypted, and the decrypted encryption code is returned to the attribute search control unit 13. Next, the attribute search control unit 1
3 refers to the attribute content database 12 to search the attribute content corresponding to the attribute number received from the attribute number determination tool 17, and passes the retrieved attribute content to the editor 9.

By displaying the attribute contents passed to the editor 9 on the screen or the like together with the icon data read from the scanner 11 passed from the scanner control unit 10 in this manner, the user can use the scanner 11 It is possible to accurately grasp the attribute contents of the icon that is the target of reading. The attribute contents corresponding to the individual icon parts (icon parts) recognized by the attribute search control unit 13 may be stored one by one and the attribute contents may be passed to the editor 9 in a list format. .

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the manner in which icon parts are superimposed on each other in the icon creating system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, according to the icon creating system according to the embodiment of the present invention, a first icon portion 19 and a second icon portion 20 respectively expressing a plurality of attributes of individual information are formed. The icon parts to be reproduced are overlapped to create one complete icon 21 expressing a plurality of attribute contents.

As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by appropriately setting the attribute content database 2 and the icon component database 8, the icon component which allows the user to grasp the attribute of the information at a glance. You should be able to select.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the attribute content databases 2 and 12 are commonly used by a predetermined group, while the encryption code database 5 is used.
It is advisable to have both publicness and secrecy by having 16 on an individual basis with the person who wants to share the secret.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the authority to browse information is determined for each user with respect to the encryption code databases 5 and 16 so that only the person who has the authority to browse information can access the contents. You should be able to confirm.

Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by dividing the portions to be encrypted and the portions not to be encrypted in the encryption code databases 5 and 16, it is possible to determine what is in one icon as a whole. It is also possible to maintain confidentiality for some parts of the icon while expressing whether it is the icon or not to obtain detailed contents.

Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by introducing the concept of category into the association between the attribute number and the attribute content, it is possible to determine what the category of the attribute content is from the attribute number. You may

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for example, a seal stamp is also considered as a kind of icon in a broad sense, and a part of the Chinese character of the seal stamp is used as an icon portion to create each seal stamp. The situation when the stamp is stamped may be included as an attribute and used to identify whether the item is genuine or not. In this case, since each seal is encoded, a third party cannot understand the meaning of the seal itself, and the integrity of the seal can be satisfied. If you want to check whether the created seal is genuine or not, analyze the attributes of the seal (such as the situation when the seal is stamped) and confirm that all the conditions are the same. It suffices to recognize it as a seal, and by doing so, it becomes possible to significantly improve the credibility of the electronic seal as compared with a signature or a conventional seal.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a large number of pieces of information are categorized for each field of information and then made into icons, and a list of these icons is arranged on a paper or the like. As a result, the target information can be efficiently obtained only by searching the list on the paper.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and includes various embodiments according to the principle of the present invention.

[0050]

As described above, according to the icon creating system and the icon identifying system of the present invention, it is possible to automatically create an icon based on the attribute of each piece of information that the user wants to iconify. Moreover, since a characteristic icon is created for each information attribute, it is possible to further improve the visual identification effect and improve the information retrieval efficiency.

Further, according to the icon creating system and the icon identifying system of the present invention, since the icon is automatically created according to the predetermined rule, it is possible to reversely analyze the attribute of the corresponding information from the icon. , Anyone can easily know the attribute of the information represented by the icon.

Further, according to the icon creating system of the present invention, the created icon can be visually analyzed by anyone and its attributes can be analyzed. However, by using the code for encryption, the confidentiality can be maintained. It is possible to prevent information leakage. Since the icon is a picture and is different from the one in the form of code such as a bar code, it has an advantage that it is hard to be noticed and difficult to be recognized as a code by a third party.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an icon identification system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of superimposing icon parts in the icon creating system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Editor 2 Attribute Content Database 3 Code Search Control Section 4 Icon Creation Control Section 5 Cryptographic Code Database 6 Attribute Number Coding Section 7 Icon Search Tool 8 Icon Parts Database 9 Editor 10 Scanner Control Section 11 Scanner 12 Attribute Content Database 13 Attribute search control unit 14 Pattern determination control unit 15 Icon component database 16 Cryptographic code database 17 Attribute number determination tool 18 Pattern recognition unit 19 First icon portion 20 Second icon portion 21 Entire icon

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Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An attribute number corresponding to the attribute content of certain information is input, an icon part corresponding to the input attribute number is searched, and the searched one or more icon parts are overlaid. The entire icon is created, and on the other hand, the image data of the created icon is input, and the attribute number corresponding to one or a plurality of icon parts that match the input image data of the icon is searched, and the search is performed. An icon creation system, which outputs the attribute content corresponding to the specified attribute number. 2. The icon creating system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute number is once converted into an encryption code when searching for an icon component corresponding to the input attribute number. 3. A means for inputting the attribute content of certain information, a first storage means for storing the attribute content and the attribute number in association with each other, and an attribute number for the attribute content by referring to the first storage means. A second storage means for storing the attribute number and the encryption code in association with each other; a means for converting the attribute number to the encryption code by referring to the second storage means; Third storage means for storing the code and the icon part in association with each other, means for searching the icon part corresponding to the encryption code by referring to the third storage means, and one or more searched An icon creating system comprising: means for creating an entire icon by superimposing the icon parts of. 4. The icon creating system according to claim 3, wherein the second storage means stores only a part of the attribute numbers in association with the attribute numbers and the encryption codes. 5. A means for inputting icon image data, a means for selecting an icon part candidate corresponding to the icon image data, and the selected icon part candidate and the icon image data are the same. Means for verifying whether or not there is a first storage means for storing the icon parts and the encryption code in association with each other, and the encryption code corresponding to the matching icon parts by referring to the first storage means. Means for generating a code for encryption, a second storage means for storing the code for encryption and the attribute number in association with each other, a means for converting the code for encryption to the attribute number by referring to the second storage means, Third storage means for storing the attribute number and attribute content in association with each other, means for converting the attribute number into attribute content by referring to the third storage means, and means for outputting the converted attribute content Icon identification system, which comprises a. 6. The icon according to claim 5, wherein the means for inputting the image data of the icon is a means for converting an icon printed on a paper surface into electronic data information and inputting it. Identification system.