Image processing apparatus, method of controlling the same, and storage medium

Abstract

To reduce time and effort of a user when setting a folder path including a plurality of hierarchies of a folder to which image data is transmitted.SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus includes a character recognition unit configured to perform character recognition processing for recognizing a character included in image data and acquiring character information, a display unit configured to display the character indicated by the character information acquired by the character recognition unit, a reception unit configured to receive a selection of the character displayed by the display unit by a user, a generation unit configured to generate a folder path based on the selected character, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the image data to a folder indicated by the folder path. The generation unit generates a folder path based on a character obtained by combining the selected characters, and the transmission unit transmits the image data to a folder indicated by the folder path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a control method therefor, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] An image processing device is disclosed that reads an image of a document, generates image data, performs character recognition processing on an area in the image designated in advance by a user, and sends the image data to a folder whose folder name is the character string obtained by the character recognition processing (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, the image processing device of Patent Document 1 executes character recognition processing in a specified area, searches for a folder having a character string obtained by the character recognition processing as a folder name, and transmits image data to that folder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-234708 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Entering the folder path of the folder to which image data is to be sent is time-consuming if you use the keyboard to enter each character one by one. Entering a folder path that spans multiple levels is even more time-consuming.

[0006] In the method of Patent Document 1, a character string for one layer can be set by specifying an area, but multiple layers cannot be specified.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to reduce the user's effort when setting a folder path consisting of multiple hierarchical levels of folders to which image data is to be sent. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The image processing device of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a character recognition means for performing character recognition processing to recognize characters contained in image data and acquire character information; a display means for displaying characters indicated by the character information acquired by the character recognition means; a reception means for accepting a user's selection of characters displayed by the display means; a generation means for generating a folder path based on the selected characters; and a transmission means for sending the image data to a folder indicated by the folder path; and the generation means generates a folder path based on a combination of each of the selected characters as the reception means accepts the selection of characters multiple times, and the transmission means sends the image data to the folder indicated by the folder path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] This reduces the user's effort when setting a folder path consisting of multiple hierarchical levels for a folder to which image data is to be sent. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reading system. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the MFP101 [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the PC 104. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation unit 205. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a one-touch transmission scan setting screen displayed on the display device 311. [Figure 6] Figure 10 shows an example of the settings editing screen for the button used to execute one-touch scan transmission. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an address selection screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a destination registration screen. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 shows an example of the folder structure of the file server 102 that is the file transmission destination. [Figure 10] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 11] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 12] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 13] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 14] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 15] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 16] An example of the screen displayed when performing one-touch scan transmission [Figure 17] A flowchart showing an example of the flow when the one-touch send button for file transmission is selected [Figure 18] Flowchart showing an example of character recognition processing [Figure 19] A flowchart showing an example of a flow in which the MFP 101 generates a text object. [Figure 20] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of character string processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the drawings. [Example]

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reading system according to the present invention. The reading system of this embodiment is composed of an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) 101, which is an example of an image processing device, and a file server 102, a mail server 103, and an online storage 106, which are information processing devices. The MFP 101, the file server 102, the mail server 103, and the online storage 106 are each connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 100. On the LAN 100, the MFP 101, the file server 102, the mail server 103, and a PC 104 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other via the network. The MFP 101 and the online storage 106 are also able to communicate with each other via the LAN 100 and the Internet 105.

[0013] The MFP 101 transmits image data generated by scanning an image of a document to the file server 102, the mail server 103, and the online storage 106. Note that the image data in this embodiment is not limited to electronic data obtained by converting an image into RAW data, but may also be electronic data in an image format such as TIFF or JPEG, or electronic data in PDF format. The file server 102 is a file server compatible with the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. The mail server 103 is a mail server compatible with the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). The online storage 106 is an online storage compatible with WebDAV (a file sharing protocol using HTTP). The PC 104 can access the web server provided in the MFP 101 using HTTP to refer to and update setting values. The LAN 100 may be configured as a wired LAN using Ethernet (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN.

[0014] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the MFP 101. The MFP 101 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a storage 204, an operation unit 205, a printer 206, a scanner 207, a network I / F (Interface) 208, and an external storage device I / F 209.

[0015] The CPU 201 controls various pieces of hardware 202 to 208 that make up the MFP 101, thereby realizing the various functions of the MFP 101. The CPU 201 sends signals to the various pieces of hardware via a bus line, realizing mutual data communication with other hardware.

[0016] Furthermore, the CPU 201 of the MFP 101 controls the operation of the MFP 101 in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 202. More specifically, the CPU 201 executes an operating system (OS) that controls the MFP 101 and a driver program for controlling the hardware. The application programs arranged on the OS then interact with each other to operate and control functions desired by the user. The OS and various programs are stored in the ROM 202 and are executed by being read out from the RAM 203.

[0017] The ROM 202 is a memory for storing programs and various data used by the CPU 201. The RAM 203 is a work memory for temporarily storing programs and data used for calculations by the CPU 201. The storage 204 is a storage device for storing various data, various programs, etc.

[0018] In this embodiment, flash memory is assumed as the storage 204, but auxiliary storage devices such as SSD, HDD, and eMMC may also be used. In the MFP 101, one CPU 201 executes each process shown in the flowcharts described below using one memory (RAM 203), but other configurations are also acceptable. For example, multiple CPUs, multiple RAMs, multiple ROMs, and multiple storages may work together to execute each process shown in the flowcharts described below. Furthermore, some of the processes may be executed using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0019] The operation unit 205 is a user interface, such as a touch panel, that allows the user to operate the MFP 101, and is a receiving unit that receives operations and inputs from the user. The operation unit 205 can also be used as a display unit that displays a screen or the like for operating the MFP 101.

[0020] The printer 206 is a unit that realizes a print function, and the CPU 201 controls the printer 206 to execute a print job received from the PC 104 and print an image on paper. Here, a print job is data that includes commands for causing the MFP 101 to execute a print process, image data, print setting information, and the like.

[0021] The scanner 207 is a unit that realizes a scanning function, and the CPU 201 controls the scanner 207 to optically read an image of an original and generate image data.

[0022] The network I / F 208 is a network I / F for performing wired LAN communication such as Ethernet. Note that the network I / F 208 may be a network I / F for performing wireless LAN communication, or may be a USB-LAN I / F or the like.

[0023] The external storage device I / F 209 is an I / F through which the MFP 101 communicates with the external storage device 210. The CPU 201 controls the external storage device I / F 209 to store image data in the external storage device 210. In this embodiment, a USB interface is assumed as the external storage device I / F 209, and a USB memory is assumed as the external storage device 210, but the external storage device I / F 209 may also be an SD card slot for communicating with an external storage device such as an SD card.

[0024] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the PC 104. The PC 104 includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, a HDD 304, a network I / F 305, an operation device I / F 306, and a display device I / F 307.

[0025] The CPU 301 controls various pieces of hardware 302 to 307 that make up the PC 104, thereby realizing the various functions of the PC 104. The CPU 301 sends signals to the various pieces of hardware via a bus line, realizing mutual data communication with other hardware.

[0026] Furthermore, the CPU 301 of the PC 104 controls the operation of the PC 104 in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 302. More specifically, the CPU 301 executes the OS and the like that controls the PC 104. The application programs arranged on the OS then operate mutually to perform the operation and control of functions desired by the user. The OS and various programs are stored in the ROM 302 and are executed by being read out from the RAM 302.

[0027] The ROM 302 is a memory for storing programs and various data used by the CPU 201. The RAM 303 is a work memory for temporarily storing programs and data used for calculations by the CPU 201. The HDD 304 is a storage device for storing various data, various programs, etc.

[0028] The network I / F 305 is a network I / F for performing wired LAN communication such as Ethernet. Note that the network I / F 305 may be a network I / F for performing wireless LAN communication, or may be a USB-LAN I / F or the like.

[0029] An operation device I / F 306 is an I / F for connecting an operation device 310 such as a keyboard or a mouse to the PC 104 .

[0030] The display device I / F 307 is an I / F for connecting the PC 104 to a display device 311 such as a liquid crystal monitor.

[0031] Although the PC 104 in this embodiment is connected to an external operating device and an external display device, the operating unit and the display unit may be built into the PC 104, for example.

[0032] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation unit 205. The operation unit 205 is configured with a touch panel 410, a Data LED 420, and an Error LED 430. A home screen 400, which is displayed immediately after the MFP 101 is started up, is displayed on the touch panel 410. The home screen 400 is a screen for instructing the execution of each function of the MFP 101. The home screen 400 displays frequently used setting buttons 401, scan buttons 402, menu buttons 403, address book buttons 404, medical questionnaire buttons 405, referral letter buttons 406, and the like. In addition, a power saving button 407, a home button 408, and a stop button 409 are always displayed on the home screen 400. The power saving button 407, home button 408, and stop button 409 may be provided on the operation unit 205 as hard keys.

[0033] A frequently used settings button 401 is a button for displaying an execution screen for a specific function with the settings set by the user input when selected by the user.

[0034] When selected, the scan button 402 executes a scan process to generate image data, and displays a screen for sending the generated image data by email, sending a file, or storing it in the external storage device 210. Here, sending by email means attaching the image data generated by scanning an original to an email and sending it. Sending a file means sending the data to the file server 102, PC 104, or the like using a communication protocol such as SMB or FTP.

[0035] A menu button 403 is a button for displaying a menu screen when selected by the user.

[0036] An address book button 404 is a button for displaying a screen that displays registered addresses (destination information) when selected by the user. The screen that displays addresses displays transmission types such as email transmission, SMB transmission, FTP transmission, and WebDAV transmission, as well as destination information such as email addresses, host names, and server information.

[0037] The medical questionnaire button 405 and the referral letter button 406 are one-touch send buttons. When selected by the user, the one-touch send button reads an image of a document using scan settings preset by the user, generates image data, and displays a screen for sending the image data using a transmission type preset by the user.

[0038] A power saving button 407 is a button for causing the MFP 101 to transition to a power saving state when selected by the user.

[0039] The home button 408 is a button for displaying the home screen 400 on the operation unit 205 when selected by the user.

[0040] The stop button 409 is a button for stopping execution of a job, such as a print job, that is being executed by the MFP 101 when selected by the user. Note that the stop button 409 may also be used to stop execution of a copy job or a transmission job when selected by the user.

[0041] The Data LED 420 and Error LED 430 notify the user of the status of the MFP 101. The Data LED 420 lights up while an e-mail or file is being transmitted, and the Error LED 430 lights up when an error occurs in the MFP 101.

[0042] The home screen 400 is a function selection screen that allows the user to select a function to use from a number of functions, including, for example, a copy function that prints based on image data, and a transmission function that can read a document, generate image data, and transmit the image data to an external device.

[0043] Here, if the folder path of the folder to which image data is to be sent is entered one character at a time using a keyboard, it is time-consuming to enter the folder path, and when entering a folder path that spans multiple hierarchical levels, it becomes even more time-consuming to enter the folder path.

[0044] In the method of Patent Document 1, a character string for one layer can be set by specifying an area, but multiple layers cannot be specified.

[0045] To address this issue, the following process can be performed to reduce the user's effort when setting a folder path consisting of multiple hierarchical levels for a folder to which image data is to be sent.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a one-touch transmission scan setting screen displayed on the display device 311. As shown in FIG.

[0047] The one-touch transmission scan setting screen 500 in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0048] The one-touch send scan setting screen 500 displays application information 501, a new registration button 502, items 503 to 506, a display / hide button 507, and a delete button 508.

[0049] Application information 501 is an area that displays the version of the application, and in FIG. 5, the version number 1.00 is displayed.

[0050] When selected by the user, new button registration button 502 is displayed on a screen displayed on operation unit 205, and is a button for newly registering a button for executing one-touch send scan. When new button registration button 502 is selected, setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 is displayed on display device 311. A detailed description of setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 will be given later.

[0051] An item 503 indicates the name of a button registered in the MFP 101 for executing one-touch scan-to-send.

[0052] An item 504 indicates a transmission type set for a button registered in the MFP 101 for executing one-touch transmission scan.

[0053] Item 505 indicates the display state of a button for executing one-touch send scan that is registered in MFP 101. Also displayed are a display / hide switch button 506 and a delete button 507 for changing the display state. For example, when the display state of the "letter of introduction" button is "displayed," the button is displayed on home screen 400 on touch panel 410, like referral button 406 in FIG. 4. Display / hide switch button 506 is a button that can be toggled to select between "display" and "hide" the button.

[0054] When the user selects the delete button 507, the information of the button registered in the MFP 101 is deleted.

[0055] An example of a button for executing one-touch send scan registered in the MFP 101 is a button named "Application A," whose send type is email and whose display state is hidden. Furthermore, not only when the new button registration button 502 is selected, but also when the button name "Application A" is selected, the setting edit screen 600 in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display device 311.

[0056] In FIG. 5, four buttons are registered: "Application Form A," "Application Form B," "Letter of Referral," and "Medical Questionnaire." The button display status for "Letter of Referral" and "Medical Questionnaire" is "displayed," so the buttons are displayed on the home screen 400. However, the display status for "Application Form A" and "Application Form B" is "hidden," so the buttons are not displayed on the home screen 400.

[0057] Fig. 6 shows an example of a button setting edit screen for executing one-touch send scan. The button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0058] The button setting edit screen 600 is displayed when the user selects the new button registration button 502 in Fig. 5 or the name of a button. When the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed when the user selects the button name, each item on the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed with the previously set value entered. When the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed when the new button registration button 502 is selected, each item on the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed with no value entered. Note that a default value may be entered in advance in each item on the button setting edit screen 600.

[0059] An input field 601 is an input field for setting the name of the one-touch send button. The character string "letter of introduction" is input into the input field 601. Here, the one-touch send button is a button that executes one-touch send scan when selected by the user.

[0060] The pull-down menu 602 is an object for setting a file name. The pull-down menu 602 allows selection of "Button Name" or "Automatic." If "Button Name" is selected, the button name entered in the input field 601 will be the name of the file to be sent. If "Automatic" is selected, an automatically determined character string will be the file name. For example, if the one-touch send button registered on the screen in FIG. 6 is selected and the date and time of scanning is used as the file name. Note that if the extension button 1501 on the medical questionnaire screen 1500 described below is selected and a character string indicating the extension is added, the file name will be assigned with priority given to the setting made by selecting the extension button 1500.

[0061] If the check box 603 is checked, the keyword is enabled when the file is output. The keyword will be explained in detail with reference to FIG.

[0062] The keyword string setting button 604 is a button for displaying a keyword string setting screen 700 shown in FIG. 7 when selected by the user.

[0063] Pull-down 605 is an object for setting how to sort or not sort files to be sent. In pull-down 605, one of "Do not sort," "Sorting (file)," "Sorting (folder)," and "Sorting (file and folder)" can be selected. If "Do not sort" is set, keywords will not be used. If "Sorting (file)" is set, keywords will be included in the output file name. If "Sorting (folder)" is set, keywords will be included in the name of the folder that stores the file. If "Sorting (file and folder)" is set, keywords will be included in the file name and the name of the folder that outputs the file. Detailed processing when each setting is set in this pull-down 605 will be explained in Figures 16 and 17.

[0064] A pull-down menu 606 is an object for selecting the type of transmission when transmitting the image data that has been read and generated. The pull-down menu 606 allows selection of "File," "Email," or "USB Memory." If "File" is selected and a switch button 607 is selected, the image data is transmitted to a folder on the PC 104 or to the file server 102 using a protocol such as SMB, FTP, WebDAV, or SFTP. If "Email" is selected, the image data is transmitted to the destination using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). If "USB Memory" is selected, the image data is stored in a USB memory, which is an external storage device 210 connected to the MFP 101.

[0065] A switch button 607 is a button for switching the setting of the transmission type to the transmission type displayed in the pull-down menu 606. Furthermore, when the switch button 607 is selected while a transmission type is selected in the pull-down menu 606, items corresponding to the selected transmission type are displayed in items 608, 609, etc.

[0066] Item 608 is an item where various settings can be input, such as read settings when scanning with one-touch send scan and send settings when sending. For example, item 609 includes settings such as the destination, scan size, file format, and document orientation.

[0067] Area 609 is an area for displaying the destination to which the scanned and generated image data is to be sent. The destination set here is a folder path to be combined with the character string of a text object, which will be described later. Area 609 is also a text area that cannot be input or edited, and displays the address selected on the address selection screen. The selected address will be described later.

[0068] When the user selects select from address book button 610, address selection screen 800 is displayed on which an address in the address book stored in MFP 101 can be selected.

[0069] A pull-down menu 611 is used to set the file format when image data generated by reading an image on a document is converted into a file. A file is generated in accordance with the format selected here.

[0070] The OK button 612 is a button for storing the one-touch send button settings set on the button setting edit screen 600 in the storage 204. When the OK button 612 is selected, the settings are stored in the storage 204. The cancel button 613 is a button for discarding the settings. When the OK button 612 or the cancel button 613 is pressed, the one-touch send scan setting screen 500 in FIG. 5 is displayed.

[0071] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an address selection screen. The address selection screen 700 is displayed when the select button 610 from the address book on the button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 is selected. The address selection screen 700 in Fig. 7 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0072] A pull-down menu 701 is a list for switching the type of address book displayed on the address selection screen 700. The pull-down menu 701 allows the user to select either "Best Members" or "Speed ​​Dial" (not shown).

[0073] A display switching button 702 is a button that, when selected by the user, changes the type of address book displayed on the address selection screen 700 to the type displayed in the pull-down menu 701 .

[0074] Area 703 is a display area where the name of the address book is displayed. List 704 is an area where a list of addresses is displayed, and is composed of selectable check boxes, numbers, types, names, and destinations. Check boxes are displayed in either of two types: checkable check boxes and uncheckable check boxes. Numbers display the management number of the address. Type is an area where icons are displayed, and the icons differ depending on the type of address. Name displays the name given to the address. Destination displays the address. Check boxes are displayed in either of two types: checkable check boxes and uncheckable check boxes.

[0075] When the checkbox is checked and an OK button 705 is selected, the address is displayed in the area 609. The MFP 101 also stores the address in the storage 204 as the address of the destination of the image data.

[0076] Here is some additional information about the display of checkable and uncheckable checkboxes. Figure 7 shows the display when "File" is selected in list 606 in Figure 6 and an address is selected from the "Best Members" address book, which has two addresses with a sending type of "Email" and two addresses with a sending type of "File." Addresses that match the type in pull-down 606 are displayed with checkable checkboxes. Specifically, uncheckable checkboxes are displayed for addresses numbered 01 and 02, and checkable checkboxes are displayed for addresses numbered 03 and 04.

[0077] The OK button 705 is a button for confirming the address selection with the contents set on the address selection screen. The Cancel button 706 is a button for discarding the settings. When the OK button 705 or the Cancel button 706 is selected, the button setting edit screen 600 in FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0078] Here, the settings of the medical questionnaire button 405 in this embodiment will be explained. The medical questionnaire button 405 is created by entering "medical questionnaire" in the input field 601, selecting "button name" in the pull-down menu 602, and checking the check box 603 on the button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6. The medical questionnaire button 405 is also created by selecting "sort (folder)" in the pull-down menu 605 and selecting "file" in the pull-down menu 606 on the button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6. The "medical questionnaire" button is created by selecting the destination number 04, "¥¥file server¥medical questionnaire," in Fig. 7.

[0079] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a destination registration screen. Destination registration screen 800 displays an input field 801, a pull-down menu 802, input fields 803, 804, 805, 806, an OK button 807, and a cancel button 808. Destination registration screen 800 is a screen for registering a destination when the transmission type is file transmission.

[0080] An input field 801 is an input field for inputting the name of the destination. A pull-down menu 802 is an object for selecting the protocol to be used when sending image data to the destination. The pull-down menu 802 allows selection of one of three types: SMB, FTP, or WebDAV.

[0081] An input field 803 is an input field for inputting the host name of the destination, a resolvable server name or IP address, and an input field 804 is an input field for inputting the folder path of the destination.

[0082] Input fields 805 and 806 are input fields for inputting a user name and password for accessing the server specified by the host name input in input field 803 .

[0083] When the user selects the OK button 807, the CPU 201 stores the input setting values ​​as a new destination in the storage 204. When the user selects the cancel button 808, the setting is discarded and the address book registration is canceled.

[0084] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the folder configuration of file server 102, which is the file transmission destination. A shared folder with MFP 101 is created in file server 102 for saving medical questionnaires. The configuration is such that medical questionnaire folder 901 is the top-level folder, with subfolders 902 to 904 for each patient ID, subfolders 905 and 906 for each medical department under each patient ID folder, and medical questionnaire files 907 to 909 with the date of examination as the file name under each medical department folder.

[0085] 10 to 16, an example will be described in which image data of the scanned and generated medical questionnaire is sent from the MFP 101 to the otolaryngology folder 906 on the file server 102 with the file name "2018-09-05.pdf."

[0086] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when one-touch transmission scanning is performed. The medical questionnaire screen 1000 in Fig. 10 is a screen to which transition occurs when the medical questionnaire button 405 is selected. Specifically, after the user places a document in an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) or the like (not shown), the medical questionnaire 405 button on the home screen 400 is selected, and an image of the document is read based on the settings of the medical questionnaire button 405, and image data is generated. Then, character recognition processing is performed on the generated image data, and the medical questionnaire screen 1000 is displayed on the operation unit 205.

[0087] The base destination information display box 1001 displays the base destination (host name) set in the questionnaire button 405. In the case of the questionnaire button 405 in this embodiment, "¥¥File Server¥Inquiry" is displayed. The user cannot change the base destination on the questionnaire screen 1000.

[0088] The destination display box 1002 is a box in which the destination entered or selected by the user is displayed as a character string. The displayed character string is updated according to the user's input or selection. The character string displayed in this destination display box 1002 is stored in the RAM 203 as the destination folder name.

[0089] A preview image 1003 is obtained by converting image data generated by reading an image of an original document into a RAW image for display.

[0090] The text object list 1004 is a list of text objects, each showing one character string per line (from "Date of Medical Examination" to "March 1, 1990"). A text object is a button on which a character string is displayed. As a result of the character recognition process, characters that are close together are interpreted as a single character string, and that character string is displayed as a text object. A method for generating text objects will be described with reference to FIG. 19. In this way, the characters displayed in the text object by the character recognition process may include numbers. Furthermore, the character string indicated by the currently displayed text object is associated with coordinates on the image of the original and stored in RAM 203. The user can select any text object from the text object list 1004. The character string indicated by the selected text object is set as the name of the folder one level below the folder path displayed in the base destination information display box 1001, and the character string indicated by the selected text object is displayed in the destination display box 1002. For example, if the user selects the text object 1005 that indicates the character string "123" that represents the patient ID, the medical questionnaire screen 1000 will be displayed as a medical questionnaire screen 1100 shown in FIG.

[0091] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when one-touch transmission scanning is performed. On the medical questionnaire screen 1100, the selected character string ("123") is displayed in the destination display box 1002. Also, the area indicated by the coordinate information associated with the character string indicated by the selected text object is highlighted on the preview image 1003 as in area 1101. Furthermore, the character string in the character string list 1004 is highlighted as in highlight 1102 to indicate that it has been selected.

[0092] When the selected character string is selected again or when a cancel button 1603 (described later) is selected, the display of the character string in the destination display box 1002 and each highlighted display are cancelled.

[0093] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user selects the text object by tapping it, but it is also possible to use a method such as dragging and dropping the text object onto the destination display box 602 .

[0094] Furthermore, if the medical questionnaire button 405 is selected and one-touch transmission scanning has been performed in the past, it is also possible to use the previous input history stored in the storage 204 to set the text object to a selected state and automatically display it in the destination display box 1002. The saving and use of the input history will be described in detail later in the description of FIG. 20.

[0095] The scroll bar 1103 is used to check and select text objects that cannot be displayed on the medical questionnaire screen 1100 .

[0096] The delimiter button 1104 is a button for adding a folder path delimiter to the destination display box 1002. When the delimiter button 1104 is selected in the state of FIG. 7, the delimiter "\" is added to the destination display box 1002, as shown in the medical questionnaire screen 1200 of FIG. 12. The delimiter can be used any number of times, but it cannot be used consecutively without a character string being displayed between the delimiters. If consecutive delimiters are selected, a warning screen (not shown) is displayed to inform the user that consecutive delimiters are not allowed.

[0097] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when one-touch transmission scan is performed. A medical questionnaire screen 1300 in Fig. 13 is a screen displayed when two types of text objects are selected.

[0098] When two text objects are selected, the character strings indicated by the text objects are displayed in the destination display box 1002 in the order they were selected, as in the medical questionnaire screen 1300. The medical questionnaire screen 1300 shows an example in which a text object indicating "123" is selected, followed by a text object indicating "ENT." The same processing as above is also performed when two or more text objects are selected. In other words, when characters (text objects) are selected multiple times, a folder path based on a combination of the selected characters is displayed in the destination information box 1002.

[0099] If two or more text objects are selected without selecting the delimiter button 1104, the selected character strings may be combined to form a single folder name, or the character strings that have already been selected and displayed may be deleted and replaced. Also, if two or more text objects are selected without selecting the delimiter button 1104, delimiters may be automatically added between the characters indicated by the text objects, and the characters of the text object selected later may be used as the name of the folder at a lower level.

[0100] Furthermore, even if multiple text objects are selected, each is highlighted in the same way.

[0101] The date button 1301 is a button for adding a character string indicating the date at the time of selection to the destination display box 1002. When the date button 1301 is selected on the medical questionnaire screen 1300, a screen like the medical questionnaire screen 1400 in FIG.

[0102] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when one-touch transmission scanning is performed.

[0103] Pop-up 1401 is a popup for specifying the format of the character string indicating the date (indicating yyyymmdd to mm-dd-yyyy). When the user selects a date format from the list displayed by popup 1401, the character string indicating the date expressed in the selected format is added and displayed in the destination display box 1002. On the medical questionnaire screen 1400, the text object 1402 of "yyyy-mm-dd" is selected.

[0104] An example of an additional display of a character string indicating the date is shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when one-touch transmission scanning is performed. Since the text object 1402 of "yyyy-mm-dd" is selected on the medical questionnaire screen 1400, the character string "2018-09-05" is additionally displayed after "123\Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic\". At this time, the character string indicating the folder path "123\Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic\2018-09-05" with the added character string "2018-09-05" is stored in RAM 203.

[0105] The date button 1301 can be used any number of times, so the date button 1301 will never change to a selected state.

[0106] In this embodiment, dates are often used as folder names or file names, so a dedicated button is provided to accept input, but if there are other frequently used character strings besides dates, a dedicated button for time, etc., can also be provided in addition to the date button 1301.

[0107] The extension button 1501 is a button for adding a character string representing an extension to the characters indicating the name of the folder at the lowest level of the folder path displayed in the destination display box 1002. When the extension button 1501 is selected on the medical questionnaire screen 1500, a screen like the medical questionnaire screen 1600 in FIG.

[0108] 16 shows an example of a screen displayed when one-touch send scan is executed. The destination display box 1002 on the medical questionnaire screen 1600 displays the file path "123\Otorhinolaryngology\2018-09-05" with ".pdf" added. In this case, the extension is added based on the file format set in the pull-down menu 611.

[0109] When the extension button is selected and a character string indicating the extension is added to the destination display box, it is highlighted as shown in highlighting 1601. If you want to cancel the selection, you can do so in the same way as the method for canceling the selection of a text object described above. Also, if you try to add a new character string while the extension button 1601 is selected, a warning screen (not shown) will be displayed to inform you that an extension has already been entered.

[0110] The character deletion button 1602 is a button that deletes the last character of the character string displayed in the destination display box 1002. For example, when the character deletion button 1602 is selected in the state of FIG. 16, the character string displayed in the destination display box 1002 becomes "123\Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic\2018-09-05.pd." Note that one character is also deleted from the character string stored as a folder path in the RAM 203 in the same way.

[0111] The cancel button 1603 is a button for erasing the character string that was previously input when selected. If the previous input method was "selecting an object from the text object list 1004" or "selecting the extension button 1501," the highlighting and selection on the preview image 1003 are also canceled. For example, if the cancel button 1603 is selected in the state of FIG. 16, the character string displayed in the destination display box 1002 becomes "123 ¥Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic ¥2018-09-05." If selected again, the character string displayed in the destination display box 1002 becomes "123 ¥Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic ¥."

[0112] When selected, the Confirm button 1604 combines the base destination character string with the character string displayed in the destination display box 1002, sets the folder indicated by the combined character string as the destination, and starts sending the image data.

[0113] The page forward button 1605 is a button for displaying, when selected, an image of another page of the document from which the preview image and text object list displayed on the medical questionnaire screen 1600 have been read.

[0114] As described above, the user can easily specify a destination across multiple hierarchical levels by simply selecting an object or button, without having to manually input a string of characters using a keyboard or the like.

[0115] Fig. 17 is a flowchart for realizing the processing described in Figs. 10 to 16, and is a flowchart showing an example of the flow when the one-touch transmission button for file transmission is selected. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 17 is realized by CPU 201 reading a program stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executing it. The flow in Fig. 17 starts when MFP 101 is powered on.

[0116] In S1701, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the one-touch send button has been selected. If it is determined that the one-touch send button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1702. If not, the process returns to S1701. Here, a case where the medical questionnaire button 405 has been selected as the one-touch send button will be described.

[0117] In step S1702 , the CPU 201 reads from the storage 204 the read settings corresponding to the medical questionnaire button 405 set on the settings edit screen 600 .

[0118] In step S1703, the CPU 201 controls the scanner to read the image of the document based on the read setting read in step S1402, and generates image data.

[0119] In step S1704, the CPU 201 executes character recognition processing using the generated image data. Details of the character recognition processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0120] 18 is a flowchart showing an example of character recognition processing. The CPU 201 reads a program stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executes it, thereby realizing the processing of the flowchart in FIG.

[0121] In step S1801, the CPU 201 generates binary image data using the image data generated in step S1703. The generated binary image data is stored in the RAM 203.

[0122] In S1802, the CPU 201 reduces the resolution of the binary image data generated in S1801. By reducing the resolution, it is possible to reduce the load of processing for searching for a character region from the binary image data.

[0123] In S1803, the CPU 201 searches for a text area in the image represented by the binary image data with reduced resolution. Here, the range in which the text area is searched may be the entire area of ​​the image data or an area set by the user.

[0124] In S1804, the CPU 201 performs character segmentation on the areas determined to be character areas in S1803. Character segmentation is a process of segmenting the circumscribed rectangle of each character as a character segmentation rectangle based on horizontal and vertical projections. This character segmentation process is performed on all areas determined to be character areas.

[0125] In S1805, the CPU 201 compares each character segmentation rectangle with dictionary data stored in the ROM 202 and obtains the character code of the most similar character and the coordinate information of the character segmentation rectangle. This dictionary comparison process is performed for all character segmentation rectangles. In addition to the character code and coordinate information, this process may also obtain font information, etc.

[0126] In step S1806, the CPU 201 stores the character code and coordinate information, which are the character information acquired in step S1805, in the RAM 203.

[0127] Now, returning to the explanation of the flow in Fig. 17, in S1705, the CPU 201 generates a text object using character information. The process of generating a text object will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 19.

[0128] Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow for generating a text object by MFP 101. The CPU 201 reads a program stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executes it to realize the processing of the flowchart in Fig. 19. The flow in Fig. 19 starts when character recognition processing for one page is completed in S1704.

[0129] In S1901, the CPU 201 acquires the character information stored in S1806. In S1902, the CPU 201 targets the character cutting rectangle at the coordinates of the top left corner of the image indicated by the image data and determines whether or not there is a character (character cutting rectangle) to the right of that character cutting rectangle. If it is determined that there is a character, the process proceeds to S1903. If not, the process proceeds to S1904.

[0130] In S1903, the CPU 201 determines whether the distance to the adjacent character (character cut rectangle) on the right is equal to or less than a threshold. If it is determined that it is equal to or less than the threshold, the process proceeds to S1907. If it is determined that it is greater than the threshold, the process proceeds to S1904.

[0131] In S1907, the CPU 201 generates a character string by combining the target character and the character immediately to the right of the target character, then selects the character immediately to the right as the target character, and returns to S1902.

[0132] In step S1904, the CPU 201 stores the single or combined character string in the RAM 203 as a single character string to be used in a text object.

[0133] In S1905, the CPU 201 generates a text object using the character string stored in the RAM 203 in S1904. Here, a text object is a button on which a character string is displayed.

[0134] In S1906, the CPU 201 determines whether or not all the character information has been checked. If it is determined that all the character information has been checked, the process ends. If not, the process proceeds to S1908.

[0135] In S1908, the CPU 201 selects the next character as the target and returns to S1602. When returning to S1902, the character to the right is selected as the next character, but after checking the rightmost character, the leftmost character on the line below is selected as the next character.

[0136] Now, returning to the explanation of the flow in Fig. 17, in S1706, it is determined whether the page on which the character recognition process and text object generation were performed is the image of the last page among the images read in S1703. If it is determined that it is the last page, the process proceeds to S1707. If not, the process returns to S1704 with the next page as the target.

[0137] In S1707, CPU 201 displays a screen for selecting a text object. The screen displayed here is the screen shown in FIG. 10. Note that the destination information box on the screen displayed here may automatically display a character string indicating a folder path based on the coordinate information, delimiter, and extension information stored in S1711 (described later). For example, if the text object "123" in FIG. 10 was selected in the previous process and a transmission process was executed, character recognition processing is executed on the area indicated by the coordinate information of "123," and the recognized character string is displayed in destination information box 1002. Furthermore, if a delimiter or extension was selected last time, the presence or absence of the delimiter and the insertion position are stored (in the case of FIG. 16, it is stored that the delimiter is added after "123" and "ENT" and the extension is added after "2018-09-05").

[0138] In S1708, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the enter button has been selected. If it is determined that the enter button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1710. If not, the process proceeds to S1709.

[0139] In step S1709, the CPU 201 executes character string processing, the details of which will be described with reference to FIG.

[0140] Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of character string processing. The CPU 201 reads a program stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executes it to realize the processing of the flowchart in Fig. 20. The flow in Fig. 20 starts when it is determined in S1708 that the Confirm button has not been selected.

[0141] In S2001, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the character deletion button 1602 has been selected. If it is determined that the character deletion button 1602 has been selected, the process proceeds to S2002. If not, the process proceeds to S2010.

[0142] In S2002, the CPU 201 deletes the last character of the character string displayed in the destination information box. The same process is performed on the characters stored in the RAM 203. Then, the process ends.

[0143] In S2010, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the character cancel button 1603 has been selected. If it is determined that the character cancel button 1603 has been selected, the process proceeds to S2011. If not, the process proceeds to S2020.

[0144] In step S2011, the CPU 201 deletes one character string displayed in the destination information box. The CPU 201 can also delete delimiters and extensions. The same process is performed on character strings stored in the RAM 203.

[0145] In S2012, the CPU 201 deletes the coordinate information, the presence or absence of delimiters, and the extension information stored in the storage 204 as the input history in accordance with the character string deleted in S2011, and then ends the process.

[0146] In S2020, the CPU 201 determines whether a text object has been selected from the text object list and whether an extension button has been selected. If a text object or an extension button has been selected, the process proceeds to S2021. If a text object or an extension button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S2030.

[0147] In S2021, the CPU 201 determines whether the selected object has already been selected. That is, it determines whether the selected text object has already been selected. The CPU 201 also determines whether the selected extension button has already been selected. If it is determined that the text object or extension button has already been selected, the process proceeds to S2022. If it is determined that the text object or extension button has not already been selected, the process proceeds to S2024.

[0148] In step S2022, the CPU 201 deletes the character string corresponding to the selected text object or extension button from the destination information box, as well as from the character string stored in the RAM 203.

[0149] In S2023, the CPU 201 deletes the coordinate information and extension information stored in the storage 204 as input history in accordance with the character string deleted in S2022, and then ends the process.

[0150] In S2024, CPU 201 determines whether the sum of the length of the character string displayed in the destination display box and the length of the character string selected by the user is less than or equal to the maximum length and whether the extension button has been selected. If it is determined that the sum of the lengths of the character strings is less than or equal to the maximum length and the extension button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S2025. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S2027. Here, the maximum length may be determined based on implementation constraints of MFP 101 or constraints related to the file path of file server 102, or may be set by the user.

[0151] In step S2025, the CPU 201 combines and displays the character string corresponding to the selected text object, or the extension if the extension button is selected, or the delimiter if the delimiter button is selected, at the end of the character string displayed in the destination information box. The character string is also stored in the RAM 203 at the end of the character string stored at that time.

[0152] In S2026, the CPU 201 stores in the storage 204 the input history corresponding to the character string added in S2025.

[0153] In step S2027, since the user's selection violates any of the restrictions on the maximum length, delimiters, or extensions, the CPU 201 displays a warning screen (not shown) according to the restriction that has been violated. In this embodiment, the method for ending the display of the warning screen is assumed to be a tap operation by the user, but the warning screen may also be automatically ended after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, one second).

[0154] In S2030, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the delimiter button has been selected. If it is determined that the delimiter button has been selected, the process proceeds to S2031. If not, the process proceeds to S2040.

[0155] In S2031, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the delimiters are selected consecutively. If it is determined that the delimiters are selected consecutively, the process proceeds to S2027. If not, the process proceeds to S2032.

[0156] In S2032, the CPU 201 determines whether the sum of the length of the character string displayed in the destination display box and the length of the character string selected by the user is equal to or less than the maximum length and whether the extension button has been selected. If it is determined that the sum of the character string lengths is equal to or less than the maximum length and the extension button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S2025. If not, the process proceeds to S2027.

[0157] In S2040, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the page forward button has been selected by the user. If it is determined that the page forward button has been selected, the process proceeds to S2041. If not, the date button has been selected, so the process proceeds to S2050.

[0158] In S2041, the CPU 201 displays the preview image to be displayed on the medical questionnaire screen and an image of another page of the document from which the text object list was read. When the right button is selected, the page immediately following the currently displayed page is displayed, and when the left button is selected, the page immediately preceding the currently displayed page is displayed. The process then ends.

[0159] In S2050, CPU 201 determines whether the sum of the length of the character string displayed in the destination display box and the length of the character string selected by the user is equal to or less than the maximum length and whether an extension button has been selected. If it is determined that the sum of the lengths of the character strings is equal to or less than the maximum length and an extension button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S2051. If not, the process proceeds to S2053.

[0160] In step S2051, since the date button 1301 and the pop-up 1401 are selected, the CPU 201 displays the date at the time of selection in the selected date format, concatenated to the end of the character string displayed in the destination information box. Similarly, in the RAM 203, the date is also stored concatenated to the end of the character string currently stored.

[0161] In S2052, the CPU 201 stores in the storage 204 the input history corresponding to the character string added in S2051.

[0162] In S2053, the CPU 201 executes the same process as in S2027.

[0163] Now, returning to the explanation of the flow in Fig. 17, in S1710, the CPU 201 acquires the host name (folder path) displayed in the base destination information box and stores it in the RAM 203. In the case of Fig. 16, it is "¥¥file server¥medical questionnaire".

[0164] In S1711, the CPU 201 combines the folder path acquired in S1711 with the character string stored in the RAM 203 in S1709, and sets the folder path as the destination of the image data generated in S1703. In the case of FIG. 16, the folder path is "¥¥File Server¥Questionnaire¥123¥Otolaryngology¥2018-09-05.pdf". In this case, "2018-09-05.pdf" is set as the file name, and the image data is sent to "¥¥File Server¥Questionnaire¥123¥Otolaryngology" with the file name "2018-09-05.pdf". Note that if a file name has not been set, the date, time, etc. may be automatically assigned as the file name.

[0165] In step S1712, the CPU 201 transmits the file generated by converting the image data to a file to the destination set in step S1711.

[0166] By performing the above process, it is possible to reduce the user's effort when setting a folder path consisting of multiple hierarchical levels of folders to which image data is to be sent.

[0167] In this embodiment, when the one-touch send button is selected, an image of a document is read, image data is generated, and character recognition processing and text object generation processing are performed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the MFP 101 may receive image data transmitted from an external device, perform character recognition processing and text object generation processing on the image data, and display a screen such as that shown in Fig. 10. Also, when the scan button 402 is selected, an image of a document may be read, image data is generated, and character recognition processing and text object generation processing are performed.

[0168] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which setting screens such as the button setting edit screen 600 are displayed on the display device 311 connected to the HTTP-connected PC 104, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, setting screens such as the button setting edit screen 600 may be displayed on the touch panel 410 on the operation unit 205 of the MFP 101 and may accept operations.

[0169] <Other embodiments> The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following process: a storage medium on which program code realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is stored is supplied to a system or device, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code constitutes the present invention.

[0170] The present invention also includes a case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer executing the program code that has been read out. In addition, the present invention also includes a case where an operating system (OS) running on a computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, thereby realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 101 MFP 104 PC 100 LAN 201 CPU 205 Operations Department

Claims

1. character recognition means for performing character recognition processing to recognize characters included in image data and acquire character information; a display means for displaying characters indicated by the character information acquired by the character recognition means; a receiving means for receiving a selection of characters displayed by the display means by a user; a generating means for generating a folder path based on the selected characters; a transmitting means for transmitting the image data to the folder indicated by the folder path; An image processing device characterized in that, when the accepting means accepts the selection of characters multiple times, the generating means generates a folder path based on a combination of each of the selected characters, and the transmitting means transmits the image data to the folder indicated by the folder path.

2. The computer further includes a second receiving unit for receiving an input of a folder path, The image processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitting means transmits the image data to a folder of a folder path that combines characters that are combinations of the selected characters at a level one level below the folder path that the second receiving means accepted as input.

3. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays a list of characters indicated by the character information acquired by the character recognition means.

4. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accepting unit is an operation unit provided in the image processing apparatus.

5. The image processing device further includes a reading means for reading an image of a document and generating image data; 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the character recognition means performs character recognition processing to recognize characters included in the image data and acquire character information.

6. further comprising a receiving means for receiving image data from an external device; 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the character recognition means performs character recognition processing to recognize characters included in the image data and acquire character information.

7. The image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the generating means generates a folder path by adding the selected characters to the next lower level for each selection, in accordance with the receiving means receiving multiple selections from the user.

8. An image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the receiving means receives multiple selections from the user and generates a folder path by adding the selected characters as the name of a folder at the same level for each selection.

9. a storage means for storing coordinate information corresponding to the selected character; The image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the character recognition means performs the character recognition process on an area indicated by the stored coordinate information, and the display means displays the characters indicated by the character information obtained by the character recognition process without the acceptance means accepting a user selection.

10. The method further includes adding means for adding an extension to characters indicating the name of the folder at the lowest level of the folder path generated by the generating means, The image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the transmitting means transmits a file generated by converting the image data into a file, the file having the characters with the extension added set as the file name.

11. 11. The image processing device according to claim 10, wherein the display means displays a screen indicating a warning when the accepting means accepts the selection of the characters after the adding means has added the extension.

12. The device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring a date, 12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generating unit generates a folder path in which characters indicating the date are added to the folder path one layer below.

13. 13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means updates the display every time the generating means generates a folder path.

14. 14. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays a screen indicating a warning when the length of the folder path generated by the generating means reaches or exceeds a predetermined length.

15. 15. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the character information includes at least a character code.

16. 16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits the image data using at least one of FTP, SMB, and WebDAV.

17. 17. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the characters include numbers.

18. a character recognition step of performing character recognition processing to recognize characters included in image data and acquire character information; a display step of displaying characters indicated by the character information acquired in the character recognition step; a receiving step of receiving a selection of the characters displayed by the display step by a user; a generating step of generating a folder path based on the selected characters; a transmitting step of transmitting the image data to the folder indicated by the folder path; An image processing device characterized in that, in accordance with the reception process receiving character selections multiple times, a folder path is generated in the generation process based on a combination of each of the selected characters, and the image data is sent to the folder indicated by the folder path in the transmission process.

19. 18. A program for causing a computer to execute each means of the image processing apparatus according to claim 1.

Images