Data output system, data output method, and program

Abstract

A data output system, an information processing system, a data output method, and a program for outputting the results of OCR processing on a predetermined area of ​​image data are provided. [Solution] A data system in which an apparatus 20 and an information processing system 10 communicate with each other, the information processing system 10 including a communication unit 19 that receives image data from the apparatus, an area identification unit 67 that identifies an OCR area based on an area in which predetermined information is detected from the image data, and a file output unit 66 that outputs data that has been OCR processed for the OCR area based on the identified OCR area and the image data.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a data output system, a data output method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In the daily work of an organization such as a company or an association, there are many cases where documents such as expense reports, invoices, and purchase orders are processed. Personnel in the organization perform daily tasks such as extracting and tallying transaction dates, case numbers, and amounts from documents.

[0003] A technology for digitizing such forms has been devised (for example, see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an image reading device in which a multifunction device scans a form on which a user has marked areas to be masked, and registers the form with the masked areas in a core system or the like. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional technology has a problem in that it is not possible to output the results of OCR processing to a specified area of ​​image data. For example, when a user in an organization settles expenses, he or she writes the expenses on an expense settlement form and submits it to the general affairs department. Even if a multifunction device reads this form and digitizes it into image data, the person in charge still needs to read data such as dates and expenses from a specified area of ​​all image data from each user and record it in a file.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a data output system capable of outputting the results of OCR processing on a predetermined area of ​​image data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a method for acquiring image data. No. 1 An acquisition unit; a detection unit that detects a marking area included in first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit; , The marking area Create area information based on No. 1 a creating unit; and a receiving unit that receives setting information indicating an order of data to be used in a file name; The image data acquired by the first acquisition unit is different from the first image data. In the second image data, based on the OCR processing result in the area corresponding to the first area information among the area information Corresponding to the above data The first data is based on an OCR processing result in a region of the region information corresponding to the second region information. Corresponding to the above data Acquire the second data, respectively Second an acquisition unit, the first data, and the second data of , the setting information Used in the order shown File with file name of and a second creation unit that creates the image. Effect of the Invention

[0007] It is possible to provide a data output system capable of outputting the results of OCR processing on a predetermined area of ​​image data. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the process or operation of the data output system for creating a file using data acquired from a form. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an example of a data output system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing system and a terminal device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a device, a terminal device, and an information processing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of application processing information stored in an application processing information storage unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a series of processes performed by an application. [Figure 8]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a method for marking an area on a form. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a region registration screen displayed by the device when registering region information. FIG. [Figure 10] 11 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure in which an information processing system acquires area information from a form on which an administrator has marked areas, and creates a setting file. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of detection of an area from image data; [Figure 12] 13 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure in which an administrator sets information in columns F to K of a configuration file. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence between a setting file and a form. [Figure 14] 13 is an example of a screen displayed by the terminal device regarding association between an application and area information. [Figure 15] 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process in which an administrator associates an application with a configuration file. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the association screen. [Figure 17] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a selection screen for some applications. [Figure 18] 13 is an example of a screen operated by an administrator when duplicating an application. [Figure 19] 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a procedure in which the information processing system registers a copy of an application. [Figure 20] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of transition of screens displayed by a device. [Figure 21] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a file stored in an external service system; [Figure 22] 13 is an example of a sequence diagram in which the information processing system receives a PDF file including image data of a form from a device and acquires data from an area. [Diagram 23] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of correction of an OCR processing result. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a file list screen of an external service system displayed on a terminal device. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an output data display screen displayed by the device. [Figure 26] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of forms and an output file. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A data output system and a data output method performed by the data output system will be described below as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] <Outline of processing or operation> Organizations such as companies and groups often process documents such as expense reports, invoices, and purchase orders. Personnel within the organization extract and tally up dates, case numbers, amounts, and other information from documents on a daily basis. Processed documents are filed and then stored, but the storage space also incurs costs. While the digitization of documents is gradually progressing, it is time-consuming for personnel to rename the file names that are automatically assigned to document files.

[0011] Although there are systems and services that automate billing and order processing, many of them are expensive, and not many small and medium-sized enterprises can afford to invest in them. As a result, they are forced to process these forms manually.

[0012] In this embodiment, based on area information registered in advance using forms with marked areas, the information processing system can acquire data from areas of forms that are generated daily and output it as an electronic file.

[0013] The process or operation performed by the data output system will be outlined with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the process or operation in which the data output system 100 creates a file using data acquired from a form. Fig. 1(a) is a diagram for explaining the setting of area information in a form, and Fig. 1(b) is a diagram for explaining the acquisition of data from a form using area information.

[0014] (1) The data output system 100 can cooperate with the external service system 40. The data output system 100 cooperates with the external service system 40 via an application. An application that runs on the data output system 100 may be simply called an "application," and an application that runs on the external service system 40 may be called a cooperation destination application. In this case, the application IDs of the application and the cooperation destination application are associated with each other, and the data output system 100 stores the correspondence.

[0015] (2) The administrator 8 of the data output system 100 uses a form 7 that is used daily by users in the organization to specify which area of ​​the form 7 data should be acquired. For example, the area of ​​the form 7 may be filled in or circled with a marker pen. The device 20 reads the form 7 with the area marked, and transmits the generated image data to the information processing system 10. Note that the form 7 to be marked may have characters or the like written in the items, may only have the items, or may be blank.

[0016] (3) The information processing system 10 saves area information of the area designated by the marker pen in a setting file. The area information is, for example, the coordinates of the diagonal vertices of a rectangular area in the image data. The information processing system 10 saves the setting file in the external service system 40.

[0017] (4)-1 The administrator connects the terminal device 30 to the external service system 40, downloads a setting file, and completes the setting file with the language of the form and the date and time format.

[0018] (4)-2 In addition, the administrator connects the terminal device 30 to the information processing system 10 and performs an operation to associate the application ID of the application with the setting file. The administrator can associate any number of application IDs with setting files. This associates an icon for accepting application selection with area information for performing image processing.

[0019] (5) When a user 6 in an organization submits a form 7 to the organization for expense settlement or the like, the user presses the icon of the app that corresponds to the form 7 on the device 20. The app can be easily selected from multiple form names, etc. The user has the device 20 read a form on which the necessary information has been handwritten or a printed out form. The device 20 reads the app ID of the app and the form and generates image data (e.g., a PDF file) to the information processing system 10.

[0020] (6) The information processing system 10 identifies the setting file by the application ID, and acquires (e.g., cuts out) from the image data the area of ​​the area information contained in the setting file acquired from the external service system 40. Thus, the area of ​​the form registered by the administrator is acquired.

[0021] (7) The information processing system 10 performs OCR (Optical Character Reader) processing only on this area to convert it into data. That is, the data written in the area (character codes for characters, etc.) is obtained.

[0022] (8) The information processing system 10 outputs the data to an electronic file (for example, a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file) and transmits the file and image data to the external service system 40. If the information processing system 10 specifies the application ID of the linked application, the file and image data can be transmitted by specifying the linked application.

[0023] (9) The external service system 40 registers the image data and the file in a folder (or directory) designated by the administrator. The file contains the information necessary for settlement, so the person in charge can process the settlement.

[0024] As described above, in the data output system of this embodiment, the device 20 reads a form with a marked area, and stores the area information for each form. The information processing system 10 then acquires only the area from the image data of the form transmitted from the device, performs OCR processing, and outputs the data resulting from the OCR processing to a file. This makes it possible to associate an area for image processing with each of any number of icons, and the user can perform image processing (e.g., OCR processing) on ​​the desired area of ​​the image data generated by scanning, simply by selecting an icon according to the type of form, for example.

[0025] <Terminology> The administrator is a system administrator on the client side of the data output system, who sets up the data output system for general users. The user is a general user on the client side. Since general users may also perform the work of the administrator, there is no need to distinguish between the two.

[0026] OCR (Optical Character Recognition / Reader) is a technology that converts handwritten or printed characters into electrical signals using photosensitive elements, thereby converting them into digital character codes that can be used by a computer. It is also called character recognition processing, character conversion processing, digitization, etc. The data obtained through OCR processing is diverse, including Japanese, English, numbers, symbols, and figures.

[0027] A form is a general term for ledgers, slips, etc. It is also called office paper with blank spaces for users to fill in. In this embodiment, forms are mainly described, but the name of the original is not important as long as it is readable by device 20. For example, documents, papers, reports, newspapers, magazines, etc. are also included. Note that forms may not be printed out on paper media (there may be cases where device 20 does not need to read forms).

[0028] The type of image data to be subjected to OCR processing may be any type, including PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, and the like.

[0029] The information on the OCR region is information for identifying the OCR region by the information processing system 10. In this embodiment, it will be described using the term region information.

[0030] In this embodiment, the "setting file" is a file in which area information is set, and the "file" is a file to which data is output. A file is a group of data that is a basic unit of data managed by a computer.

[0031] Outputting data means making the data visible to the user. In this embodiment, the data is output to a file, for example.

[0032] An icon is a shape that symbolizes instructions, commands, document files, etc. given to a computer in an easy-to-understand way. A button is a shape that is clicked with a mouse to give a command to software. Both icons and buttons can have the contents of the operation or command written on them.

[0033] <System configuration example> First, the system configuration of the data output system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an example of the data output system 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0034] The data output system 100 shown in Fig. 2 includes an information processing system 10 and a device 20, which are communicatively connected via a wide area network N1 such as the Internet. The data output system 100 communicates with an external service system 40, which is an external system. In addition, any terminal device 30 can communicate with the information processing system 10 via the networks N1 and N2.

[0035] The information processing system 10 is realized by one or more information processing devices, and provides various services realized by a series of processes in cooperation with an external service system 40 such as a cloud service via a network N1. Specific examples of services provided by the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described later. The information processing system 10 may be realized by cloud computing, or may be realized by a single information processing device. Cloud computing refers to a form of use in which resources on a network are used without being aware of specific hardware resources. The information processing system 10 may exist on the Internet or on-premise. Note that a series of processes is provided by one application, and the series of processes is also called a "processing flow" or "workflow."

[0036] The device 20 is various electronic devices used by a user. The device 20 is, for example, an image processing device such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), an image forming device, a PC (Personal Computer), a projector, an electronic whiteboard, a digital camera, etc. The device 20 is connected to a network N2. The user can use the device 20 to utilize various services provided by at least one of the information processing system 10 and the external service system 40.

[0037] In the following description, when the multiple devices 20 are to be distinguished from one another, they will be referred to using suffixes such as "device 201" and "device 202."

[0038] The terminal device 30 is, for example, a desktop PC (personal computer), a notebook PC, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc., used by an administrator or a user. Alternatively, the terminal device 30 may be any device capable of running a web browser. The terminal device 30 is connected to a network N2. The administrator or user can operate the terminal device 30 to use various services provided by the information processing system 10 or the external service system 40, and can further configure linked applications or applications.

[0039] For convenience of explanation, the device 20 and the terminal device 30 will be explained separately, but the device 20 and the terminal device 30 may be collectively referred to as the device.

[0040] In the following description, when the multiple terminal devices 30 are to be distinguished from one another, they will be referred to using subscripts such as "terminal device 301" and "terminal device 302."

[0041] The external service system 40 is one or more information processing devices that provide a service by executing a link target application via the network N1. The link target application is executed to manage or process data, and the data itself or the processing result becomes the service.

[0042] Examples of the external service system 40 include a cloud service, an ASP (Application Service Provider), and the like, and may include various external services provided via a network. In this embodiment, a storage service will be described as an example of a service. The external service system 40 may exist on the Internet or on-premise.

[0043] In the following description, when distinguishing between the multiple external service systems 40, the illustrated "external service system 401" will be referred to as external service system 40A, the "external service system 402" will be referred to as external service system 40B, and so on.

[0044] <Hardware configuration example> The hardware configurations of the information processing system 10 and the terminal device 30 included in the data output system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0045] <<Information processing system and terminal device>> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing system 10 and the terminal device 30 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing system 10 and the terminal device 30 are constructed by a computer, and include a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, an HD 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0046] Among these, the CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the information processing system 10 and the terminal device 30. The ROM 502 stores a program such as an IPL used to drive the CPU 501. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data from the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, a character, or an image. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a printer. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the network N2. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3.

[0047] Moreover, the keyboard 511 is a type of input means having a plurality of keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513 as an example of a removable recording medium. Note that this is not limited to DVD-RW, and may be DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515 such as a flash memory.

[0048] <<Equipment>> 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus, which is an example of the device 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950.

[0049] Of these, the controller 910 has a CPU 901 which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907 which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909 which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0050] Among these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus. The NB 903 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0051] The MEM-P 902 is composed of a ROM 902a which is a memory for storing programs and data for implementing the various functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b which is used for developing the programs and data, and as a drawing memory during memory printing, etc. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD in the form of an installable or executable file.

[0052] The SB904 is a bridge for connecting the NB903 to a PCI device and a peripheral device. The ASIC906 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing purposes having hardware elements for image processing, and plays the role of a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, the PCI bus 922, the HDD controller 908, and the MEM-C907. The ASIC906 is composed of a PCI target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C907, a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that rotate image data using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the scanner unit 931, the printer unit 932, and the facsimile unit via the PCI bus 922. The ASIC906 may be connected to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394 (IEEE1394) interface.

[0053] The MEM-C907 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD909 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD909 under the control of the CPU901. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphic processing, and by directly accessing the MEM-P902 at high throughput, the graphics accelerator card can be made faster.

[0054] Further, the short-range communication circuit 920 is provided with a short-range communication circuit antenna 920a. The short-range communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0055] Furthermore, the engine control unit 930 has a scanner unit 931, a printer unit 932, and a facsimile unit 933. The operation panel 940 has a panel display unit 940a such as a touch panel that displays current setting values ​​and a selection screen, etc., and receives input from an operator, and hard keys 940b consisting of a numeric keypad that receives setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density setting conditions, and a start key that receives a copy start instruction. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and input from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 includes an image processing unit such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

[0056] The image forming apparatus can sequentially switch among the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. When the document box function is selected, the mode becomes document box mode, when the copy function is selected, the mode becomes copy mode, when the printer function is selected, the mode becomes printer mode, and when the facsimile mode is selected, the mode becomes facsimile mode.

[0057] The network I / F 950 is an interface for performing data communication using the network N2. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I / F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via a PCI bus 922.

[0058] <About the function> Next, the functional configuration of the data output system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the device 20, the terminal device 30, and the information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0059] <<Equipment>> First, the device 20 has a second communication unit 21, a display control unit 22, an operation acceptance unit 23, an image data generation unit 24, a facsimile processing unit 25, and an email processing unit 26. Each of these functional units is a function or means realized by the CPU 901 executing instructions included in one or more programs installed in the device 20. For example, the second communication unit 21, the display control unit 22, and the operation acceptance unit 23 are realized by a Web browser, and the others are realized by individual applications (native apps).

[0060] The second communication unit 21 transmits and receives various information to and from the information processing system 10. In this embodiment, the second communication unit 21 receives screen information of an application list screen and the like from the information processing system 10, and transmits image data of a form, an application ID, and the like to the information processing system 10.

[0061] The display control unit 22 interprets screen information of various screens and displays it on the panel display unit 940a. The operation receiving unit 23 receives various operations by the user on the various screens displayed on the panel display unit 940a.

[0062] When the application selected by the operation receiving unit 23 generates image data, the image data generating unit 24 scans an original with the scanner unit 931 to generate image data. The image data generating unit 24 has a scanning function. The image data generating unit 24 converts the image data into a PDF file. Alternatively, the image data may remain as image data (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, etc.) without conversion. The facsimile processing unit 25 performs processing related to the reception and transmission of facsimiles by the facsimile unit 933, and requests the information processing system 10 to execute an application that has been associated with the facsimile in advance when the facsimile is received. An application corresponding to the sender of the facsimile (FAX number) may be requested.

[0063] The email processing unit 26 performs processing related to sending and receiving emails, and when an email is received, requests the information processing system 10 to execute an application that is associated with the email in advance. Note that an application that corresponds to the sender (email address) of the email may be requested.

[0064] <<Terminal Device>> The terminal device 30 has a first communication unit 31, a display control unit 32, and an operation reception unit 33. Each of these functional units is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 executing instructions included in one or more programs installed in the terminal device 30. The program may be a Web browser or dedicated software for communicating with the information processing system 10.

[0065] The first communication unit 31 (an example of a second communication unit) transmits and receives various types of information between the information processing system 10 or the external service system 40. In this embodiment, the first communication unit 31 receives various types of screen information and the like from the information processing system 10 or the external service system 40, and transmits information set by an administrator or a user to the information processing system 10 or the external service system 40.

[0066] The display control unit 32 interprets screen information of various screens and displays it on the display 506. The operation receiving unit 33 receives various operations on the various screens displayed on the display 506 by the user.

[0067] <<Information Processing System>> The information processing system 10 includes an application data service unit 11, a setting reception unit 12, an authentication service unit 14, a Web service processing unit 15, an input / output service unit 16, a component 18, and a communication unit 19. Each of these functional units is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 executing instructions included in one or more programs installed in the information processing system 10. Note that, for convenience of illustration in FIG. 5, one information processing system 10 includes each functional unit, but each functional unit may be distributed and arranged in a plurality of information processing devices.

[0068] The communication unit 19 transmits and receives various information between the terminal device 30 and the device 20. The setting reception unit 12 provides a setting site to the terminal device 30 and receives settings for the setting site. The site may refer to a web page or a web application, or may refer to a server-side system that provides a web page or a web application to the terminal device 30. The setting reception unit 12 has a terminal screen providing unit 42, which provides an initial screen, an application list screen, a correspondence screen, and the like that allow an administrator to set information required for executing an application. The terminal screen providing unit 42 generates screen information written in HTML, XML, CSS (Cascade Style Sheet), JavaScript (registered trademark), and the like in response to an HTTP request from the terminal device 30, and transmits the screen information to the terminal device 30 as an HTTP response.

[0069] The application data service unit 11 has an application data management unit 41. The application data management unit 41 manages application data 43 of applications purchased by customers such as companies for each customer. The application data 43, for example, associates an application with the above-mentioned area information. The application data 43 is stored in the application data storage unit 13. Note that an organization such as a customer as viewed from the data output system 100 is called a tenant.

[0070] The Web service processing unit 15 provides screen information to the device 20 and accepts application execution from the device 20. The Web service processing unit 15 has an application execution unit 46 and a device screen providing unit 47. The application execution unit 46 accepts application execution from the device 20 and requests the input / output processing unit 48 to execute the application. The device screen providing unit 47 uses screen information 54 to provide screen information of an application list screen or an application screen to the device 20.

[0071] The input / output service unit 16 inputs and outputs data using the authentication service unit 14, the application processing information storage unit 17, and the component 18. The input / output service unit 16 has an input / output processing unit 48 and an application management unit 49. The input / output processing unit 48 executes an application requested by the application execution unit 46. During execution, the input / output processing unit 48 refers to the application processing information 53 and requests the component 18 to perform each process included in the application. The application management unit 49 manages the application processing information 53 and screen information 54 of the application stored in the application processing information storage unit 17. The application processing information 53 sets which process and in what order the application performs (for example, a process request is made to the external service system 40 after OCR). The screen information 54 is information on a screen displayed by the device 20, such as an icon of each application, an application list screen, and each application screen. The application processing information storage unit 17 stores the application processing information 53 and the screen information 54 for each application.

[0072] The authentication service unit 14 performs processing related to authentication of users (including an administrator) and devices 20. The authentication service unit 14 has a user management unit 44 and a device management unit 45. The user management unit 44 manages information related to users. For example, it holds authentication information such as a user name and a password. The authentication information includes information for the information processing system 10 and information for the external service system 40. The device management unit 45 manages devices 20 associated with tenants. In other words, it manages the identification information of the tenant and the device 20 in association with each other, and when the device 20 is identified, the tenant is also identified.

[0073] The component 18 is a collective term for individual functions that actually perform each process. One block in the component 18 corresponds to one process. The component 18 has, for example, an authentication processing unit 61, an external service processing unit 62, a judgment unit 63, a PDF processing unit 64, an area detection unit 65, a file output unit 66, an area specification unit 67, an OCR processing unit 68, and an OCR correction unit 69. The authentication processing unit 61 is a component 18 that requests the authentication service unit 14 to perform a process related to authentication. The external service processing unit 62 is a component 18 that requests a processing request to the external service system 40. In other words, the external service processing unit 62 is a function for cooperating with the external service system 40. The external service processing unit 62 is prepared for each type of external service system 40. The judgment unit 63 makes various judgments and controls the branching of the process flow. The PDF processing unit 64 performs processes related to PDF files, for example, extracting image data from a PDF file and creating a PDF file with transparent text. This is because the device 20 transmits image data in the form of a PDF file. The area detection unit 65 detects a rectangular area marked with a marker pen or the like from the image data, and creates coordinates (area information) of the rectangular area. The file output unit 66 creates a setting file including the area information, and also outputs a file including the OCR processing result (data acquired from the area of ​​the form). The area identification unit 67 identifies an area from the image data based on the area information. The area identification unit 67 acquires the identified area (e.g., it may cut it out). The OCR processing unit 68 performs OCR processing on only the area and on the entire image data. The OCR correction unit 69 corrects the OCR processing result. Note that in addition to those shown in the figure, components such as translation may be included.

[0074] [Table 1] Table 1 shows an example of application processing information stored in the application processing information storage unit 17. The application processing information storage unit 17 stores a list of applications purchased (licensed) for each tenant. The information shown in Table 1 is a list of applications that perform image processing on a part of received image data described in this embodiment among the applications included in the list stored in the application processing information storage unit, and has the following items: application ID, application name, screen information, application processing information, shared application, and external service system 40. The application ID is identification information that identifies the application. The application name is the name of the application given by the administrator. In addition, the application is associated with screen information 54 (described in HTML or the like) that is used when the device 20 displays the icon or setting screen of the application. Since the content and order of a series of processes (processing flow) are defined for the application, each application is associated with application processing information 53. As will be described later, the flow information is the same for the duplicated applications. The shared application indicates that, while a general application is given a usage authority for each user, the shared application is an application that can be used in common by users of the tenant. In Table 1, the expense report application is the shared application. This is because it is used in common by each user. The item "external service system 40" is the external service system 40 with which each application cooperates. There are also applications that do not cooperate with the external service system 40.

[0075] When an administrator or a user logs in, the application management unit 49 obtains a list of applications for which the administrator or user has been granted permission to use from the application processing information storage unit 17, and provides the list to the device 20. Furthermore, when an application is specified from the list of applications, the application management unit 49 specifies screen information and application processing information associated with the application.

[0076] [Table 2] Table 2 shows an example of information about a user managed by the user management unit 44. Table 2(a) has items of user ID, user name, email address, password, available apps, and external service system information in the information processing system 10 as information about the user. The user ID, at least one of the user name and email address, and the password are authentication information for the user to log in to the information processing system 10. The available apps are apps for which the user has been given permission to use. The permission to use is given by the administrator assigning apps for which licenses have been purchased by specifying the number of users, etc., to each user. Available apps include personal apps and shared apps. Both personal apps and shared apps are used by multiple users, but the personal app uses authentication information for an external service of an individual user, and the shared app uses authentication information of the administrator for an external service by multiple users. In Table 2(a), app003, which is common to U001 to U003, is a shared app. The others are personal apps. In the case of a personal app, it is necessary to register authentication information for the external service system for each user. The external service system information is an external service system 40 for which the user has already set up a link.

[0077] Incidentally, the link setting is completed means that the user desires to link with the external service system 40 and has confirmed that he or she can log in using the authentication information of the external service system 40. The user inputs the authentication information of the external service system 40 from the setting site, and if the user is able to log in, the identification information of the external service system is set in the external service system information in Table 2(a). Also, the authentication information of the external service system 40 is registered in Table 2(b).

[0078] Table 2(b) is information about the external service system of each user, and has the following items: user ID, external service system 40, user ID, and password. Table 2(b) registers authentication information for the external service system 40 that the user has set up to link. The authentication information for the external service system 40 is authentication information for the user to log in to the external service system 40. As in the case of user U002, authentication information may differ for each external service system 40. For this reason, authentication information for the external service system 40 is associated with each user of the data output system 100. The information processing system 10 identifies authentication information for the linked external service system 40 according to authentication information such as the user ID and password of the information processing system 10 acquired from the device 20.

[0079] In addition, the authentication information may be authentication information of the external service system 40 or authentication information required for linking with the external service system 40, and may be, in addition to a user ID and password, a token obtained from the external service system 40 when setting up linkage with the external service system 40.

[0080] Table 2(c) shows authentication information for a shared application. The identification information of the shared application is associated with the external service system 40 and authentication information. Since the authentication information of the shared application is that of the administrator, the identification information of the administrator is registered.

[0081] [Table 3] Table 3 shows an example of application data 43 stored in application data storage unit 13. Application data 43 associates applications with setting files (area information). The association is performed by an administrator. · applicationId...The ID of the application to be linked. ·applicationName...The name of the app. fileId: Identification information of the setting file created by the information processing system 10. · fileName: The file name of the setting file created by the information processing system 10. The setting file is saved in the external service system 40, and the file name is set together with the folder. For example, a URL may be used. · Upload destination folder: The external service system 40 in which the setting file is saved and the folder therein. For example, a URL may be used. Set by the administrator.

[0082] [Table 4] Table 4 shows an example of the setting file 9 stored in the external service system 40. The setting file 9 is a file that has area information to be subjected to OCR processing. The setting file is in a table format (e.g., CSV format), and the position of each cell is specified by a column number and a row number. The items in columns A to L are explained below. Note that the item name in the first row of the setting file is set by the information processing system 10 when the setting file is created. · ID: Identification information for the area information. It is assigned automatically, so administrators and users do not need to be aware of it. Start point X coordinate, start point Y coordinate, end point X coordinate, end point Y coordinate...area information. Represents the diagonal vertices of the rectangular area of ​​the marked form. The coordinates of one point, the width and the height may be specified. The unit of coordinates may be, for example, cm or pixels.

[0083] The above information is automatically set by the information processing system 10. The following information is input by the administrator. Format: The data format of the area. For example, date (YYYY / MM / DD) or numeric value (NUMERIC). By knowing the data format, the OCR processor 68 can perform OCR processing with higher accuracy. The format is a pull-down menu. In this way, the data type is set for each area. · CSV column name: Name given to the area. In the case of a form, the title of the rectangular frame is entered, but the administrator can enter any value. The CSV column name is output to the file along with the data. · CSV position (column)...Specifies which column of the file the information processing system 10 writes the data extracted from the area into. · CSV position (start row): Specifies which row of the file the information processing system 10 writes the data extracted from the area to. The row number increases each time a form is read, so the "start row" is set when no data is entered in the file. For example, data obtained from the first form is set to the second row, while data obtained from the second form is set to the third row. In contrast, the column position can be fixed. ·OCR language: The language in which the area is written is set. By knowing the language, the OCR processor 68 can perform OCR processing with higher accuracy. The OCR language is set in a pull-down menu. In this way, the type of data is set for each area. · Order used in file name: In this embodiment, this is used in the file name of the file in which the data obtained from the areas is output. The order used in the file name is the order in which the data is used in the file name of the file output by the information processing system 10. For example, if "Document Name" is number 1 and "Application Date" is number 2, the file name will be "Expense Report_20201010.csv" based on the data obtained from each area (Expense Report, 20201010).

[0084] <Application processing information> Next, details of the application processing information will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the application processing information 53 stored in the application processing information storage unit 17.

[0085] The application processing information 53 shown in FIG. 6 is information related to a series of processes for implementing a service of requesting "external service system B" to process image data generated by scanning with the device 20.

[0086] The application processing information 53 includes a flow ID 1201A indicating identification information of the application processing information 53, a flow name 1202A indicating the name of the application processing information 53, and flow details 1203A indicating the processing contents of a series of processes. The flow name 1202A also serves as the name of the application.

[0087] Furthermore, the detailed flow 1203A includes processing content 1223A indicating a processing request to be made to "external service system B."

[0088] In the processing content 1223A, the component ID "ExService_B" of the component 18 that executes processing in cooperation with "external service system B", and the parameters "AppId" and "Folder" are specified. "ExService_B" corresponds to the external service processing unit 62 for the external service system B. "AppId" stores the linked application ID (the correspondence between the application and the linked application is predetermined), and "Folder" stores the folder where the file is to be saved (upload destination folder) (the upload destination folder set by the administrator is set). This enables the information processing system 10 to save the scanned image data in "external service system B".

[0089] In addition, in the case of an application that does not cooperate with a cooperation target application, "AppId" is omitted. The parameters shown in the figure are only a part, and the application processing information may include more parameters.

[0090] In FIG. 6, for the sake of simplicity, only one component is specified, but in the application process information 53, a series of process contents 1223A to be performed by the application are registered for each process (component).

[0091] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a series of processes performed by an application. Fig. 7(a) shows a series of processes of an application that creates a setting file (for example, an OCR area designation application). One block corresponds to the processing content 1223A. Details of each process will be described in Fig. 10.

[0092] 7B shows a series of processes of an application that outputs data from a form area (for example, an expense report application). One block corresponds to the process content 1223A. Details of each process will be described in FIG.

[0093] <Specifying the area, acquiring the area, and creating the configuration file> Next, the designation of an area by an administrator, acquisition of an area, and creation of a setting file will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0094] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method for marking an area on a document. In Fig. 8(a), a colored portion 601 is formed by applying a color other than black and white (having saturation) with a marker pen. The color of the colored portion 601 corresponds to predetermined information. In other words, the color applied with the marker pen is determined in advance. The area detection unit 65 detects pixels other than black and white, and detects a circumscribing rectangle of the pixels other than black and white (color attachment portion 601). A marker pen other than black and white is used so that the area detection unit 65 can easily detect the area, and a black marker pen may be used. In this case, the area detection unit 65 detects a circumscribing rectangle of black pixels having a certain height and area or more.

[0095] 8(b), a frame 602 surrounding the region is formed with a marker pen other than black and white. The region detection unit 65 detects pixels other than black and white, and detects a circumscribing rectangle of the pixels other than black and white (frame 602).

[0096] The method of marking an area is not limited to the method shown in Fig. 8. For example, an area may be specified by a double line, or may be specified by a range enclosed by predetermined symbols (%, $, #, △, etc.). The above-mentioned predetermined information may be information on the color painted with a marker pen, or may be information on shapes such as circles and squares drawn with a black pen instead of a marker pen, as long as it indicates the OCR area. In this case, the user draws a circle or square with a black pen to surround the OCR area. Also, the OCR area may be an area filled with a marker pen, or may be an area surrounded by the color of the marker pen.

[0097] FIG. 9 is an example of an area registration screen 610 displayed by the device 20 when registering area information. The administrator logs into the information processing system 10 from the device 20 and selects an OCR area designation application. The area registration screen 610 has a message 611 saying "Please set a document with a frame surrounding the area to be OCRed and press 'Start'", a reading setting field 612, and a start button 613. The user sets the document (document) on the contact glass and presses the start button 613. If necessary, reading conditions (color / black and white, single-sided / double-sided, orientation, resolution, etc.) may be set in the reading setting field 612. Note that color / black and white should preferably be fixed to color so that the user does not mistakenly set it to black and white.

[0098] 9, the administrator should be able to specify the file name of the setting file. This is to make it easier to find the setting file from the external service system 40. In addition, it is also preferable that the user be able to set the folder in which the setting file is to be saved.

[0099] FIG. 10 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure in which the information processing system 10 acquires area information from a form on which an administrator has marked areas, and creates a setting file.

[0100] S1: The administrator operates the device 20 to log in to the information processing system 10, and selects an OCR area designation application from a list of applications displayed on the initial screen. This causes the display control unit 22 of the device 20 to display the area registration screen 610. The administrator places the form with the area marked on the contact glass and presses the start button 613. The image data generation unit 24 generates image data of the form and converts it into a PDF file.

[0101] S2: The second communication unit 21 of the device 20 transmits the PDF file to the information processing system 10 together with a request to execute the OCR area designation application.

[0102] S3: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives the PDF file. The application execution unit 46 specifies the application ID of the OCR area designation application and requests the input / output processing unit 48 to execute it. The input / output processing unit 48 executes the application by referring to the application processing information 53 associated with the application ID of the OCR area designation application. First, the input / output processing unit 48 specifies the PDF file and requests the PDF processing unit 64 to extract image data. The PDF processing unit 64 extracts image data of the form from the PDF file.

[0103] S4: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 requests acquisition of an area together with the image data to the area detection unit 65. The area detection unit 65 acquires an area from the image data based on color information of the image data.

[0104] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining detection of an area from image data. As shown in FIG. 11(a), the RGB values ​​of a colored portion 601 specified by a marker pen are not black and white. Since the RGB of black is (0,0,0) and the RGB of white is (255,255,255), the area detection unit 65 detects the colored portion 601 having RGB of (1,1,1) to (254,254,254), for example. If the color of the marker pen is fixed, the developer can narrow the RGB range according to the color, and the colored portion 601 can be detected with higher accuracy. For example, even if the form is in color, if a marker pen of a color not present on the form is used, the area detection unit 65 can detect the colored portion 601 from the colored form.

[0105] Fig. 11(b) shows the detected color attachment portion 601. The area detection unit 65 sets a circumscribing rectangle 620 of the detected color attachment portion 601. Then, margins are set on the top, bottom, left, and right of the circumscribing rectangle 620, and an area 621 including the margins is determined. In Fig. 11(b), a [mm] is set on the left and right, and b [mm] on the top and bottom. The margins are set to prevent positional deviations and the like from occurring when the device 20 reads a document. The coordinates of the upper left corner 622 in Fig. 11(b) are the start X coordinates and start Y coordinates of the area information, and the coordinates of the lower right corner 623 are the end X coordinates and end Y coordinates of the area information (area information).

[0106] 11(c), the area detection unit 65 may detect an outer frame 625 of the color attachment portion 601 detected based on RGB. The area detection unit 65 searches for black pixels vertically outward from the color attachment portion 601 (circumscribing rectangle 620), and when a black pixel is found, traces the black pixel, and when it returns to the original position, determines that the outer frame 625 has been detected. In this way, the maximum area in which data is written can be detected, and the area identification unit 67 can easily identify the data even if the device 20 is misaligned when reading the form. The administrator can set how much margin the area detection unit 65 provides for the area specified by the marker pen. Details of Fig. 16 will be explained in the correspondence screen 640-2. The area detection unit 65 sets area information based on the settings in the correspondence screen 640-2.

[0107] S5: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 designates the image data in which the area is designated with the marker pen, and requests the external service processing unit 62 to upload the image data to the external service system 40.

[0108] S6: The external service processing unit 62 acquires the administrator's authentication information in the external service system 40 from the user management unit 44. As a result, the external service processing unit 62 logs into the external service system 40 and saves the image data in the administrator's top folder (or a folder designated by the administrator). If the administrator specifies a file name for the setting file on the area registration screen 610, the external service processing unit 62 assigns the same file name to the image data file. If a file name is not set, the current date and time, etc., becomes the file name.

[0109] S7: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 specifies the area information detected by the area detection unit 65, and requests the file output unit 66 to create a setting file. The file output unit 66 assigns an ID, places the area information in a specific column of the CSV file, and generates a setting file. At this point, information is entered in columns A to E of Table 4.

[0110] S8: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 designates the setting file and requests the external service processing unit 62 to upload it to the external service system 40.

[0111] S9: Since the external service processing unit 62 has already logged in to the external service system 40, it saves the setting file in the administrator's top folder (or a folder specified by the administrator). If the administrator specifies a file name for the setting file on the area registration screen 610, the external service processing unit 62 assigns this file name to the setting file. If a file name is not set, the current date and time, etc., becomes the file name. Since the image data and the setting file have the same file name, the administrator can easily determine which image data generated the setting file.

[0112] <Register other information in the configuration file> Setting in columns F to K in the setting file will be described with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. Fig. 12 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure in which an administrator sets information in columns F to K in the setting file.

[0113] S11: After registering the setting file in the external service system 40, the administrator operates the terminal device 30 to connect the terminal device 30 to the external service system 40. The administrator inputs his / her own authentication information and logs in to the external service system 40.

[0114] S12: Since the external service system 40 is a storage service, it transmits a list of files registered by the administrator to the terminal device 30. For example, a list of files in the top folder is transmitted. If the files are not in the top folder, the administrator specifies a layer. The list of files also includes setting files and image data files registered by the administrator from the device 20.

[0115] S13: The administrator selects a setting file in order to check the contents of the setting file and set information in columns F to K. The operation reception unit 33 of the terminal device 30 receives the selection, and the first communication unit 31 designates the file ID of the setting file and requests the setting file from the external service system 40.

[0116] S14: The communication unit 19 of the external service system 40 receives the request for the setting file and transmits the setting file to the terminal device 30.

[0117] S15: The administrator checks the contents of the setting file and sets information in columns F to K. The operation reception unit 33 of the terminal device 30 receives the setting.

[0118] S16: When the administrator performs an operation to upload a setting file, for example, the first communication unit 31 transmits to the information processing system 10 the setting file in which information is set in columns A to K.

[0119] In this manner, the setting file is registered in the external service system 40.

[0120] Figure 13 is a diagram explaining the correspondence between the setting file and the form. As explained in Table 4, the administrator sets the format, CSV column name, CSV position (column), CSV position (row), OCR language, and the order used in the file name. Note that it is not necessary to set all columns.

[0121] In the example of FIG. 13, the data obtained from the area information with ID=1 is set to correspond to the CSV column name "Document Name." "Document Name" is used as the first character in the file name. The data obtained from the area information with ID=2 is set to correspond to the CSV column name "Application Date." Furthermore, since the CSV position of the application date is set to column 3, row 2, the data obtained from the area information with ID=2 is written out to column 3, row 2 of the file. Furthermore, "Application Date" is used as the second character in the file name. The data obtained from the area information with ID=3 is set to correspond to the CSV column name "Amount." Furthermore, since the CSV position of the amount is set to column 4, row 2, the data obtained from the area information with ID=3 is written out to column 4, row 2 of the file.

[0122] <Associating apps with area information> Next, the association between the application and the area information will be described with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. Fig. 14 shows an example of a screen displayed by the terminal device 30 regarding the association between the application and the area information. The administrator operates the terminal device 30 to cause the terminal device 30 to communicate with the information processing system 10.

[0123] 14A shows an initial screen 630 that is displayed when an administrator logs in to the information processing system 10. A menu of operations permitted to the administrator is displayed. In order to associate an application with a configuration file, the administrator selects an icon 631 that displays a list of applications.

[0124] As shown in Table 2, the user management unit 44 registers apps and external service system information that can be used by each user, so the information processing system 10 can provide the terminal device 30 with a list of apps that the administrator can use for each external service system 40.

[0125] FIG. 14(b) shows an example of an application list screen 632. The application list screen 632 displays a list of applications that the administrator can use. From the application list screen 632, the administrator selects an application 633 (e.g., an expense report application) to be associated with the setting file registered in the external service system 40. When the operation reception unit 33 receives the selection of the application 633, an association screen 640 shown in FIG. 14(c) is displayed. The association screen 640 has an external service system selection field 641, an upload destination folder field 642, and a setting file field 643. External service system selection field 641: This field allows the administrator to set the external service system 40 as the destination for saving the file to which the data obtained from the area is written. Therefore, the administrator can change the external service system 40 that is associated with the application in advance or set a new one. Upload destination folder field 642: This is a field for the administrator to set a destination folder in the external service system 40 to which the file to which the data obtained from the area is written is to be saved. When the administrator presses the folder selection button 642a, the information processing system 10 logs into the external service system 40 using the authentication information of the administrator in the external service system 40, and the top folders in the external service system 40 that the administrator can access are displayed on the terminal device 30. The administrator can select any folder. Setting file field 643: A field for the administrator to select a setting file to be associated with the application. When the administrator presses the Select File button 644, the information processing system 10 logs into the external service system 40 using the authentication information of the administrator in the external service system 40, and a top folder in the external service system 40 that the administrator can access is displayed on the terminal device 30. The top folder (or a folder set by the administrator) contains setting files registered by the information processing system 10 and updated by the administrator. If there is no setting file in the top folder, the administrator can search for the setting file in the folders below the top folder.

[0126] Fig. 15 is an example of a sequence diagram explaining a process in which an administrator associates an application with a configuration file via the screen of Fig. 14. The process of Fig. 15 starts from a state in which the screen of Fig. 14(a) is displayed.

[0127] S21: The administrator logs in to the information processing system 10, and inputs an operation to display an application list from the initial screen 630 to the terminal device 30. The operation acceptance unit 33 of the terminal device 30 accepts the operation, and the first communication unit 31 requests the information processing system 10 for the application list.

[0128] S22: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives the request for the application list, and the terminal screen providing unit 42 acquires applications associated with the administrator's user ID from the user management unit 44. The terminal screen providing unit 42 creates screen information of an application list screen including applications that the administrator can use for each external service system 40. The communication unit 19 transmits the screen information of the application list screen to the terminal device 30.

[0129] S23: The administrator selects an application to which the setting file is to be associated. The operation acceptance unit 33 of the terminal device 30 accepts the selection. Thereafter, the terminal device 30 displays the association screen 640 as described above.

[0130] S24: The administrator presses the Select File button 644 on the association screen 640. The operation reception unit 33 receives the press, and the first communication unit 31 transmits a request for a list of files stored in the external service system 40 set on the association screen 640 to the information processing system 10.

[0131] S25: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives the request for the file list, and the application execution unit 46 requests the file list from the input / output processing unit 48 by specifying the external service system 40. The input / output processing unit 48 requests the file list from the external service processing unit 62 corresponding to the external service system 40. The external service processing unit 62 acquires authentication information for the administrator in the external service system 40 (which is associated with the application or set by the user on the association screen) from the user management unit 44, and transmits the request for the file list to the external service system 40.

[0132] S26: The external service system 40 permits the administrator to log in based on the administrator's authentication information, and obtains a list of files associated with the administrator. The list of files is sent to the terminal device 30. Note that, in FIG. 15, it is assumed that the external service system 40 in which the setting file is saved is the same as the external service system 40 in which the data file acquired from the area is saved, but the two may be different. In this case, the administrator selects the setting file and then changes the external service system 40 on the association screen 640.

[0133] S27: The display control unit 32 of the terminal device 30 displays a list of files. The administrator selects a setting file to be associated with the application. The operation acceptance unit 33 of the terminal device 30 accepts the selection.

[0134] S28: The first communication unit 31 of the terminal device 30 transmits a request to associate the setting file with the application to the information processing system 10 by specifying the identification information of the setting file, the identification information of the application, the external service system 40, and the upload destination folder.

[0135] S29: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives the request to associate the setting file with the application, and the application data management unit 41 registers the setting file and the application in the application data 43 in association with each other. That is, the applicationId, applicationName, fileId, fileName, and upload destination folder are registered in association with each other. The external service system 40 is registered in the application processing information 53.

[0136] In this way, the application and the setting file are associated with each other. After that, a general user can output the data in the area of ​​the form to a file by simply pressing the icon on the device 20.

[0137] In addition, in FIG. 15, a method in which the administrator associates the application with the area information on the association screen 640 has been described, but the application and area information may be associated when the area information is registered.

[0138] In this case, for example, a field for inputting an application name is displayed on the area registration screen 610 in Fig. 9. The administrator inputs the application name of the application to which the setting file is to be associated. After creating the setting file, the information processing system 10 can associate the application with the input application name and the setting file. In other words, if the administrator sets the application name and has the form read, a setting file is generated and the link source file and the setting file are associated with each other. Furthermore, the administrator can set the expansion width of the area on the association screen 640 shown in Fig. 14(c). Fig. 16 shows a modified example of the association screen 640. Note that the explanation of Fig. 16 will mainly focus on the differences from Fig. 14(c). 16 has an area expansion width setting field 645. In the area expansion width setting field 645, the administrator can set how much the area information (OCR area) is to be expanded beyond the area specified by the marker pen. As a result, the area information in Table 4 becomes wider than the area colored with the marker pen, and even if the area specified by the administrator with the marker pen is narrower than the area that should be marked, or if the user writes beyond the area of ​​the form, the OCR processing unit 68 can perform OCR processing on the characters in the area. However, this is not limited to the example, and the administrator may set on the correspondence screen 640-2 whether to include only the area surrounded by the marker (for example, if the OCR area is surrounded by a marker, the marker portion is not included in the area) or the area includes the marker portion. Furthermore, the administrator may specify in what format the area is to be designated by the administrator, and may receive information such as color, pen type, and shape on the association screen 640-2. For example, the administrator may specify a rectangle with a yellow marker, a circle with a red pen, or fill in the area with a green marker.

[0139] <App duplication> Since forms have various shapes, the location of the area where the user writes data also varies depending on the form. Therefore, in this embodiment, the administrator can register area information according to the shape of each form. As one method of registering area information for each form, a method in which the administrator duplicates an application will be described.

[0140] 17 shows a selection screen 650 for several applications. As an example, if there is a statement application, a payment slip application, and an OCR designated area application, the statement area information is associated with the statement application, and the payment slip area information is associated with the payment slip application in the application data 43. When a user wants to obtain data from the statement area, the user can output data of the expected area by starting the statement application and scanning the statement. When a user wants to obtain data from the payment slip area, the user can output data of the expected area by starting the payment slip application and scanning the payment slip.

[0141] The process performed by each application is described in the application process information 53, and although the process performed by the statement application and the payment slip application differs in the file save destination, upload destination folder, and setting file, the components executed are the same. Therefore, if the administrator duplicates the statement application or the payment slip application, the information processing system 10 can create an application corresponding to any form by specifying an area, acquiring an area, creating a setting file, and associating the setting file with the duplicated application.

[0142] The duplication of an application will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 shows an example of a screen operated by an administrator when duplication of an application. Fig. 18(a) shows an initial screen 630 displayed by the terminal device 30 when the administrator logs in to the information processing system 10. A setting button 651 for the administrator to make various settings is displayed on the initial screen 630.

[0143] 18(b) shows an application management screen 652 that is displayed after pressing a setting button 651. A group name 653 in which some applications are grouped is displayed on the application management screen 652. Note that the screen transition is an example for the purpose of explanation, and the illustrated screens may be omitted, or new screens may be added.

[0144] A list of apps belonging to this group is displayed to the right of the group name 653. The apps displayed in the list of apps are those for which the administrator has been granted permission to use. Some apps are exclusive to the administrator, while others are used by other users. The administrator presses a settings button 654 for the app to be copied. Pressing the settings button 654 displays a menu that includes a copy button 655.

[0145] When the administrator presses the copy button 655, a copy application setting screen (pop-up screen) 660 shown in FIG. 18(c) is displayed. The copy application setting screen 660 has an application name setting field 661, an icon list field 662, and a copy request button 663. In the application name setting field 661, the administrator inputs an arbitrary application name for the new application created by copying. The application name may be arbitrary, but duplicate application names are eliminated or a branch number such as "~(2)" is added. In addition to the application name, it may be called an icon name or a setting name.

[0146] In the icon list field 662, a list of icons is displayed. The administrator can select a desired icon. It is also possible to display another icon by pressing the reference button 664. When the administrator presses the copy request button 663, the application ID, application name, and icon of the application to be copied are transmitted to the information processing system 10. The information processing system 10 receives them, and the application management unit 49 registers a new application using the application processing information 53 and screen information 54 of the application to be copied. In the application processing information 53, the application ID is numbered so that it does not overlap, and the application name entered by the administrator is set as the application name. The screen information is the same as the application to be copied, but among them, the icon is selected by the administrator. The items of the application processing information, the shared application, and the external service system 40 are the same as those of the application to be copied. For example, if the user can identify the application by the application name, etc., it is not necessary to set a different icon for every application.

[0147] In addition, in this embodiment, a new image processing area setting is added as a result of duplicating the app, but instead of duplicating the app, an administrator may add a setting or add an icon to associate the addition of a new image processing area with identification information that accepts selection on the device.

[0148] FIG. 19 is an example of a sequence diagram showing a procedure in which the information processing system 10 registers a copy of an application.

[0149] S31: The administrator inputs authentication information for the information processing system 10 into the terminal device 30. The operation reception unit 33 of the terminal device 30 receives the input of the authentication information, and the first communication unit 31 transmits the authentication information to the information processing system 10, thereby logging in the administrator to the information processing system 10.

[0150] S32: By logging in, the terminal screen providing unit 42 of the information processing system 10 transmits screen information of the initial screen to the terminal device 30 via the communication unit 19. Thereafter, in response to an operation by the administrator, the terminal screen providing unit 42 transmits screen information of the screen shown in FIG.

[0151] S33: The administrator inputs the application name and the like into the terminal device 30, and the operation receiving unit 33 receives the input.

[0152] S34: The first communication unit 31 of the terminal device 30 transmits to the information processing system 10 the application ID, the application name, and the icon of the application that is the source of the duplication.

[0153] S35: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives these, and the application management unit 49 uses the application processing information 53 and the screen information 54 of the application from which the application is to be copied to register the new application.

[0154] In this way, the administrator can duplicate an application. The administrator can associate a setting file with a new application created by duplication, and obtain data from a specified area of ​​a desired form.

[0155] The administrator can create multiple new applications from one application that has been copied, and the information processing system 10 can accept the selection of a different setting file for each of the multiple new applications. Since it is sufficient to assign some kind of identification information to the same processing flow, copying an application is only an example, and identification information may be assigned to the same processing flow in the form of adding an icon or adding settings.

[0156] <Acquisition of data from reports using association between apps and configuration files> After the application and the setting file have been associated with each other, the user can have the device 20 read the form, so that the information processing system 10 can obtain data from the form.

[0157] Acquisition of data from a form will be described with reference to Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a screen displayed by the device 20.

[0158] (1) As shown in FIG. 20(a), a user causes the device 20 to display an application list screen. For example, when the user wants to settle expenses, the user selects an icon of an expense settlement report application. Although the user knows which document corresponds to which application, it is preferable that the application name displayed on the application icon 690 and the name of the document (original) match. This application name may be called an icon name or a setting name. In other words, it is preferable that the icon 690 includes the name of the document. Furthermore, it is preferable that the icon 690 includes a thumbnail of the document. This makes it easier to prevent the user from selecting an icon that does not correspond to the document. Alternatively, a thumbnail of the document may be displayed when the user presses the icon 690. The user can check the icon 690 by enlarging or partially displaying the thumbnail.

[0159] A link may be embedded in the icon 690. The link may have, for example, a URL including an application ID, or a URL associated with the application ID on the information processing system side. When the icon 690 is pressed, the device 20 connects to the URL, thereby notifying the information processing system of the application ID.

[0160] Also, when the user selects a form that does not correspond to the icon 690, the device 20 may warn the user. For example, the device 20 compares the image data of the read form with the image data associated with the icon 690, and when the two are different, asks the user by displaying a message asking whether to continue the process. The comparison of the image data may be performed by the information processing system 10. Note that, as a comparison method, for example, the device 20 or the information processing system 10 may perform pattern matching on the image data of the form read with the image data associated with the icon 690. Also, when an application ID is printed on the form by a barcode or the like, the device 20 or the information processing system 10 may compare this application ID with the application ID associated with the icon 690.

[0161] Also, what is selected by the user may be an icon, and what is transmitted from the device 20 to the information processing system 10 may be a character string such as an application ID or a setting number. In other words, the selected item itself does not have to be an application ID (identification information).

[0162] (2) When the device 20 scans an expense report, the user prepares the expense report (FIG. 20(b)). The expense report may be prepared by the user by hand, or may be printed out by the device 20. It does not have to be something that the user printed out (such as an officially issued document or a document sent from another company).

[0163] (3) The application selected by the user displays the screen of Fig. 20(c) based on the screen information 54. The screen of Fig. 20(c) is the same as that of Fig. 9. The user places the printed expense statement on the contact glass and presses the start button 613 to have the device 20 read it.

[0164] Image data of the form is sent to the information processing system 10, and a file is output by the process described below.

[0165] Fig. 21 is a diagram explaining files stored in the external service system 40. Fig. 21(a) shows an example of an upload destination folder in the external service system 40. That is, the file output by the information processing system 10 is saved in the upload destination folder set by the administrator in Fig. 14. The file hierarchy of "My Drive>Expense Report Storage" in Fig. 21(a) is one example, and the administrator can specify a folder to which he or she has access rights.

[0166] Figure 21(b) shows two files saved in the upload destination folder. Two files are generated by one read operation. A. CSV file 681 in which data obtained from the report area is saved. B. PDF file 682 containing image data of the form.

[0167] CSV files created by the same app will be separate with each read operation. The application date is included in the file name, so files will not be overwritten. On the other hand, there are cases where data obtained by the same app will want to be added to the same CSV file even if the read operation is performed at a different time. This method will be described later. In this way, general affairs staff and other personnel can perform settlements and other procedures for each employee's data simply by accessing a single CSV file.

[0168] <<When Device 20 does not scan documents>> 20, the expense report is scanned by the device 20, but the information processing system 10 can receive image data of the form from the terminal device 30 or the like and obtain the data from the image data area. In this case, the terminal device 30 transmits image data of the form to the information processing system 10 as follows.

[0169] The user displays the expense report in a word processor running on the terminal device 30 and inputs the necessary information. Therefore, the necessary information is in character code. The user connects the terminal device 30 to the information processing system 10, logs in, and displays a list of applications. The screen of the terminal device 30 becomes similar to the screen in FIG. 20(a), and the user selects the desired application. The terminal screen providing unit 42 of the information processing system 10 transmits screen information capable of accepting the expense report to the terminal device 30. When the user selects a PDF file or the like containing image data of the expense report on this screen, the terminal device 30 can transmit the PDF file to the information processing system 10.

[0170] Therefore, the information processing system 10 can obtain data from the form without the user having to print out the form. In this case, the processing of the device 20 in the processing of FIG.

[0171] <Operation procedure> FIG. 22 is an example of a sequence diagram in which the information processing system 10 receives a PDF file including image data of a form from the device 20 and acquires data from an area.

[0172] S41: The user who has printed out the form operates the device 20 to input his / her own authentication information for the information processing system 10. The operation acceptance unit 23 of the device 20 accepts the input of the authentication information, and the second communication unit 21 transmits the authentication information to the information processing system 10. This allows the user to log in to the information processing system 10. After logging in, the display control unit 22 of the device 20 displays a list of apps that the user has permission to use (FIG. 20(a)). The user selects, for example, an app with a name that matches the name on the printed out form. The operation acceptance unit 23 accepts the selection.

[0173] S42: The second communication unit 21 of the device 20 transmits an application screen acquisition request to the information processing system 10 by specifying the application ID.

[0174] S43: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives the application screen acquisition request, and the device screen providing unit 47 acquires screen information 54 of the application identified by the application ID from the application management unit 49. The screen information of the application screen of the application is transmitted to the device 20. As a result, the display control unit 22 of the device 20 displays the application screen (FIG. 20(c)).

[0175] S44: The user places the printed out form on the contact glass and presses the start button 613. The operation reception unit 23 of the device 20 receives the press, and the image data generation unit 24 generates image data of the form and converts this image data into a PDF file.

[0176] S45: The second communication unit 21 of the device 20 requests the information processing system 10 to execute the application, specifying the application ID of the application and the PDF file.

[0177] S46: The communication unit 19 of the information processing system 10 receives the request to execute the application, and the application execution unit 46 starts executing the application. The application execution unit 46 designates the application ID and requests the input / output service unit 16 to execute the application. The input / output service unit 16 acquires application processing information 53 via the application management unit 49. As a result, the processing flow of the application is obtained. Furthermore, the input / output processing unit 48 acquires application data 43 associated with the application ID from the application data storage unit 13. As a result, the setting file associated with the application can be identified.

[0178] Based on the application data 43 and the application processing information 53, the input / output processing unit 48 requests the external service processing unit 62 to acquire the setting file.

[0179] S47: The external service processing unit 62 connects to the URL of the fileName item registered in the application data 43, and acquires the setting file from the external service system 40. If the application requested to be executed is not a shared application, the external service processing unit 62 logs in to the external service system 40 with the user's authentication information in the external service system 40, and if the application requested to be executed is a shared application, the external service processing unit 62 logs in to the external service system 40 with the administrator's authentication information in the external service system 40.

[0180] S48: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 requests the file output unit 66, based on the application processing information 53, to obtain area information from the setting file.

[0181] S49: The file output unit 66 acquires all area information from predetermined rows and columns of the setting file, and returns it to the input / output processing unit 48.

[0182] S50: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 specifies image data and area information based on the application processing information 53, and requests the area specifying unit 67 to acquire (cut out) an area from the image data.

[0183] S51: The area identification unit 67 identifies and acquires an area specified by the area information from the image data, and returns an image of the area to the input / output processing unit 48. Note that the area identification unit 67 does not have to acquire (cut out) an area from the image data. In this case, the OCR processing unit 68 can simply perform OCR processing on the area of ​​the image data identified by the area information.

[0184] Steps S52 to S55 are repeatedly executed for the number of regions.

[0185] S52: The input / output processing unit 48 specifies an image of the region based on the application processing information 53, and requests the OCR processing unit 68 to perform OCR processing of the region. At this time, the input / output processing unit 48 may specify a format and an OCR language acquired from the setting file in association with the region.

[0186] S53: The OCR processing unit 68 performs OCR processing on the region using a recognition engine that corresponds to the format and OCR language. The OCR processing unit 68 returns the data converted into character codes (OCR processing result) to the input / output processing unit 48.

[0187] The recognition engine is an identification machine that uses training data consisting of a set of character images and character codes to learn the correspondence between the two, and outputs OCR processing results (character codes) from the images. The simpler the training data is, such as Japanese only, English only, numbers only, or dates only, the higher the identification accuracy of the identification machine. On the other hand, if the training data contains a mixture of Japanese, English, numbers, and dates, it becomes possible to recognize a variety of data, but the identification accuracy tends to decrease. Therefore, the recognition accuracy can be improved by using a recognition engine that is compatible with the format and OCR language.

[0188] Here, machine learning is a technology that allows a computer to acquire human-like learning capabilities, and refers to a technology in which a computer autonomously generates algorithms necessary for judgments such as data identification from training data that is previously loaded, and applies these to new data to make predictions. The learning method for machine learning may be any of supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and deep learning, or may be a combination of these learning methods. Any learning method for machine learning is acceptable. In addition, the recognition engine does not have to be one generated by the learning effect of machine learning.

[0189] S54: Next, based on the application processing information 53, the input / output processing unit 48 specifies the data obtained from the area, the CSV column name, the CSV position, and the file name (obtained from the configuration file), and requests the file output unit 66 to output a file containing the data.

[0190] S55: The file output unit 66 writes the CSV column name at the beginning of the column, writes the data in the cell of the CSV file specified by the CSV position, and returns the OCR processing result (CSV file) to the input / output processing unit 48. The specified file name is given to the CSV file. Note that the format of the output file is not limited to a CSV file, and may be any file in a table format, a text file, or a file of another application.

[0191] S56: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 requests the OCR correction unit 69 to correct the OCR processing result by specifying the OCR processing result (CSV file), format, and OCR language based on the application processing information 53. This format is obtained from the setting file shown in Table 4 and is set by the administrator.

[0192] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining correction of OCR processing results. If a format is set in the configuration file, the OCR correction unit 69 can correct the OCR processing results. The OCR correction unit 69 defines rules for specified character strings and conversion characters as shown in FIG. 23. Conversion rule 2201 in FIG. 23 is a rule when the format is NUMERIC. For example, since I, B, and Z are not included in numerical values, they are corrected to 1, 8, and 2, respectively. Conversion rule 2202 in FIG. 23 is a rule when the language is English. For example, since 1, 2, and 8 are not included in English, they are corrected to I, B, and Z, respectively.

[0193] S57: The OCR correction unit 69 returns the corrected OCR processing result (CSV file) to the input / output processing unit .

[0194] Steps S58 to S61 are executed as many times as the number of CSV files. The number of CSV files created in one read operation may be one regardless of the number of forms, or the same as the number of pages in the forms. Which is adopted is set in the application.

[0195] S58: Next, the input / output processing unit 48 requests the external service processing unit 62 to upload the OCR processing result (CSV file) based on the application processing information 53. The upload destination folder is set in the application data 43.

[0196] S59: The external service processing unit 62 saves the CSV file in the upload destination folder of the external service system 40.

[0197] S60: If the metadata can be set, step S60 is executed. If the external service system 40 supports the setting of metadata (items set by the user on the external service system, such as character strings and dates), the user can set the metadata to be linked to the CSV file to be uploaded. The user can input the metadata from a screen displayed by the device 20. The input / output processing unit 48 requests the external service processing unit 62 to upload the metadata. The upload destination folder is the same as the CSV file.

[0198] S61: The external service processing unit 62 saves metadata in an upload destination folder of the external service system 40.

[0199] S62: When multiple forms data are read, the user may want to save them in separate files. In this case, the input / output processing unit 48 requests the PDF processing unit 64 to divide the data into pages together with the image data of multiple pages based on the application processing information 53. This process may be omitted, in which case the input / output processing unit 48 may save the multiple data as one file.

[0200] S63: The PDF processing unit 64 returns the PDF file divided into pages to the input / output processing unit 48.

[0201] S64: The input / output processing unit 48, based on the application processing information 53, requests the OCR processing unit 68 to perform OCR processing by specifying a PDF file.

[0202] S65: The OCR processor 68 performs OCR processing on the PDF file, and sets the character code generated by the OCR processing in the PDF file as transparent text.

[0203] Steps S66 to S69 are executed the same number of times as the number of PDF files.

[0204] S66: The input / output processing unit 48 requests the external service processing unit 62 to upload the text-added PDF file based on the application processing information 53. The upload destination folder is set in the application data 43.

[0205] S67: The external service processing unit 62 saves the PDF file with text in the upload destination folder of the external service system 40.

[0206] S68: If the external service system 40 supports the above metadata (items set by the user on the external service system, such as character strings and dates), the user can input the metadata from the screen displayed by the device 20. The input / output processing unit 48 requests the external service processing unit 62 to upload the metadata. The upload destination folder is the same as the PDF file.

[0207] S69: The external service processing unit 62 saves the metadata in the upload destination folder of the external service system 40.

[0208] As a result of the above, the CSV file and a PDF file separate from the CSV file are registered in the upload destination folder of the external service system 40.

[0209] <Displaying CSV and PDF files registered in external service systems> When a company employee calculates expenses for employees, the employee operates the terminal device 30 to connect to the external service system 40. The employee is notified of the upload destination folder, so the employee can obtain the CSV file and the PDF file on the terminal device 30.

[0210] Fig. 24 is an example of a file list screen 670 of the external service system 40 displayed by the terminal device 30. As shown in Fig. 24(a), a PDF file 671 and a CSV file 672 are saved in the upload destination folder. Fig. 24(b) shows the contents of the CSV file 672 displayed by the terminal device 30. That is, Fig. 24(b) shows data output from a form. In Fig. 24(b), data acquired from two areas is saved. The CSV column name set in the setting file is also set for each column, allowing the user to determine what data each column represents.

[0211] It is also preferable that the device 20 also displays the processing results, as shown in Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is an example of an output data display screen 691 displayed by the device 20. The output data display screen 691 displays the name 692 of the executed application and a list 693 of files output by the application. These are transmitted from the information processing system 10 to the device 20. The CSV file contains the contents of the CSV file, and when the user presses the CSV file, the device 20 can display data 694 obtained from the area of ​​the form and saved in the CSV file.

[0212] By checking the file name and data, a user can determine whether the report was processed correctly.

[0213] In addition, in FIG. 22, the image data to be processed is a PDF file, but the image data may be in any format, such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or BMP.

[0214] <If multiple documents are scanned> A case where multiple forms are read in one reading operation will be described with reference to Fig. 26. Fig. 26 is a diagram showing multiple forms and output files. As shown in Fig. 26(a), multiple forms are read in one reading operation when the application is executed. One reading operation refers to a case where the start button 613 is pressed only once. The device 20 reads the multiple forms in sequence, and the information processing system 10 acquires multiple data from the same area of ​​the image data of each form.

[0215] 26(b) shows a CSV file when multiple forms are read in a single read operation. The first line is the data obtained from the first form, and the second line is the data obtained from the second form. In this way, multiple data from multiple forms are compiled into a single CSV file, making it easier for the person in charge to tally up and graph the data.

[0216] When multiple forms are read in one read operation, the file output unit 66 increments the CSV position (start line) of the setting file by 1. In other words, data is written to the line below for each form.

[0217] When multiple forms are read in one reading operation, the information processing system 10 can output CSV files for each of the forms.

[0218] In addition, when multiple forms are read by multiple reading operations (when read at different times), the information processing system 10 can output the data to one and the same CSV file. There are cases where the external service system 40 merges the data and cases where the information processing system 10 merges the data.

[0219] When the external service system 40 performs merging, the external service processing unit 62 requests the external service system 40 to merge the CSV files. If the application is the same, the file names of the CSV files contain the same character string (for example, expense report), so the external service processing unit 62 can request merging of the CSV files by specifying the file name. The external service system 40 adds data of the same column number of the CSV file requested to be merged to the same column number of the already saved CSV file.

[0220] When the information processing system is merging, the external service processing unit 62 designates a file name and downloads a CSV file from the external service system 40. The external service processing unit 62 adds data of the same column number of the newly created CSV file to the same column number of the acquired CSV file. The external service processing unit 62 uploads the merged CSV file to the external service system 40.

[0221] In this way, the information processing system obtains the same area from the multiple image data received, the OCR processing unit 68 performs OCR processing on the same area in the multiple image data, and the file output unit 66 can output the multiple data generated from the same area in the multiple image data to a single file.

[0222] <Major Effects> As described above, in the data output system of this embodiment, the device 20 reads forms with marked areas and stores the area information for each form. Then, only the areas are obtained from the image data of the form sent from the device, OCR processing is performed, and the data resulting from the OCR processing is output to a file. This makes it possible to easily create a file in which only specific areas are extracted from multiple forms of the same type.

[0223] <Other application examples> The above describes the best mode for carrying out the present invention using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0224] For example, in this embodiment, the data acquired from the area of ​​the form is output to a file, but it may be sent by email instead of being converted into a file, or may be displayed on the device 20.

[0225] Furthermore, in this embodiment, OCR processing is performed on the designated area, but other image processing (masking processing, image extraction processing, etc.) may also be performed.

[0226] Moreover, the configuration examples in Fig. 5 and the like are divided according to main functions in order to facilitate understanding of the processing by the terminal device 30, the device 20, and the information processing system 10. The present invention is not limited by the manner in which the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. The processing by the terminal device 30, the device 20, and the information processing system 10 can be divided into even more processing units depending on the processing content. Also, it can be divided so that one processing unit includes even more processes.

[0227] Additionally, the devices described in the examples are merely illustrative of one of several computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the information processing system 10 includes a plurality of computing devices, such as a server cluster, configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, and the like, and to implement the processes disclosed herein.

[0228] Furthermore, the information processing system 10 can be configured to share the processing steps disclosed in this embodiment, such as those shown in FIG. 22, in various combinations. For example, a process executed by a specific unit can be executed by multiple information processing devices included in the information processing system 10. Also, the information processing system 10 may be integrated into one server device, or may be divided into multiple devices.

[0229] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and a device such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0230] 10. Information Processing Systems 20 equipment 30 Terminal Equipment 100 Data Output System [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0231] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-212575 A

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires image data; a detection unit that detects a marking area included in first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit; a first generation unit that generates area information based on the marking area; a reception unit that receives setting information indicating an order of data to be used in a file name; a second acquisition unit that acquires, in second image data different from the first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit, first data corresponding to the data based on an OCR processing result in a region corresponding to first region information among the region information, and second data corresponding to the data based on an OCR processing result in a region corresponding to second region information among the region information; a second creation unit that creates a file having a file name using the first data and the second data in an order indicated by the setting information; A data output system comprising:

2. an output unit that outputs a file including the first data and the second data; an external service processing unit that stores the file in an external service system; 2. The data output system according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. A data output system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a file including the first data and the second data is output as a file separate from the second image data.

4. an OCR processing unit that performs OCR processing on an area corresponding to the area information; an area specifying unit that specifies a same area from the plurality of second image data acquired by the second acquisition unit; having The OCR processing unit performs OCR processing on the same area for each of the plurality of second image data, The data output system according to claim 2, characterized in that the output unit outputs a plurality of data generated by performing ORC processing on the same area for each of the plurality of second image data to a single file.

5. When the second acquisition unit receives a plurality of pieces of the second image data at different times from a device, The region identification unit identifies the same region for each of the plurality of second image data acquired by the second acquisition unit at different times, The OCR processing unit performs OCR processing on the same area for each of the plurality of second image data, The data output system according to claim 4 , wherein the output unit outputs a plurality of data generated by performing ORC processing on the same region for each of the plurality of second image data to a same file.

6. The data output system according to claim 4 , wherein the external service processing unit stores the setting information in an external service system.

7. In the setting information, a type of the data is set for each of the areas, 7. The data output system according to claim 6, wherein the OCR processing unit performs OCR processing on the area according to a type of the data.

8. In the setting information, a type of the data is set for each of the areas, 8. The data output system according to claim 6, further comprising an OCR correction section for correcting the data obtained by the OCR processing section in accordance with the type of the data.

9. The marking area includes a colored area in the first image data, the first creation unit creates the region information by detecting the colored region in the first image data; 2. The data output system according to claim 1.

10. The first creation unit creates the area information based on the colored and surrounded area by detecting the colored area in the first image data.

10. The data output system according to claim 9.

11. A process in which a first acquisition unit acquires image data; A process in which a detection unit detects a marking area included in first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit; A process in which a first creation unit creates area information based on the marking area; A process in which a reception unit receives setting information indicating an order of data to be used in a file name; a process in which a second acquisition unit acquires, from second image data different from the first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit, first data corresponding to the data based on an OCR processing result in a region corresponding to first region information among the region information, and second data corresponding to the data based on an OCR processing result in a region corresponding to second region information among the region information; a process in which a second creation unit creates a file to which a file name is assigned by using the first data and the second data in the order indicated by the setting information; A data output method comprising the steps of:

12. Information processing system, A first acquisition unit that acquires image data; a detection unit that detects a marking area included in first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit; a first generation unit that generates area information based on the marking area; a reception unit that receives setting information indicating an order of data to be used in a file name; a second acquisition unit that acquires, in second image data different from the first image data among the image data acquired by the first acquisition unit, first data corresponding to the data based on an OCR processing result in a region corresponding to first region information among the region information, and second data corresponding to the data based on an OCR processing result in a region corresponding to second region information among the region information; a second creation unit that creates a file to which a file name is assigned using the first data and the second data in the order indicated by the setting information; A program to function as a

Images