Image processing device, control method thereof, and program

Abstract

To reduce user's time and effort during setting a folder path by using a character string in a document.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, an image processing device includes character recognition means for performing character recognition processing for recognizing characters included in image data to acquire character information, display means for displaying the characters shown by the character information acquired by the character recognition means, and transmission means for transmitting the image data to a folder with a character selected by a user among the characters displayed by the display means as a name.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-234708 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Entering a folder path by typing each character one by one using the keyboard is time-consuming.

[0005] If the method of Patent Document 1 is used, once an area is specified, there is no need to input the folder path character by character; however, if the original contains a character string that the user wants to use as the name of the destination folder, but the intended character string cannot be set as the folder path if it is not written in the specified area.

[0006] In particular, since the position of the character string within a document often differs depending on the document being read, it is necessary to set the area for each document, which is troublesome.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to reduce the user's effort when setting a folder path using character strings in a document. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The program of the present invention executes the process according to the area and folder path specified by the user. and file name settings a registration step of registering a plurality of combinations of the above; and a selection step of selecting, from the plurality of registered combinations, a combination to be used for setting a storage destination for input image data based on an instruction from a user. a file name setting step of setting a file name of a file generated based on image data generated by scanning to a file name including a character string obtained from an area in the image data, the area being the selected combination, based on the file name setting of the selected combination; The image data is stored in a folder based on a character string obtained from the area of ​​the selected combination and a folder path of the selected combination. The file with the specified file name and an execution step of executing a process for storing the information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] This reduces the user's effort when setting a folder path using character strings in the manuscript. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reading system. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the MFP101 [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the PC 104. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on an operation unit 205. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a one-touch transmission scan setting screen displayed on the display device 311. [Figure 6] Figure 10 shows an example of the settings editing screen for the button used to execute one-touch scan transmission. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a keyword string setting screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an address selection screen. [Figure 9] Figure showing an example of the button settings editing screen when the sending type is email [Figure 10] Figure showing an example of the button settings editing screen when the transmission type is USB memory [Figure 11] An example of the character recognition area setting screen [Figure 12] A diagram showing an example of a screen for registering an address in the address book. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an address registration screen. [Figure 14] A flowchart showing an example of the flow when the one-touch send button for file transmission is selected on the MFP 101 [Figure 15] Flowchart showing an example of character recognition processing [Figure 16] A flowchart showing an example of a flow in which the MFP 101 generates a text object. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 shows an example of a selection screen 1700. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 shows an example of the screen transition when the referral button 406 is selected on the MFP 101. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when the user selects the referral button 406. [Figure 20] Flowchart showing an example of file name assignment processing DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0043] Here, when an image of a document is read in which the character string that the user wants to use as the name of the destination folder is not written in a certain area, image data is generated, and the image processing device of Patent Document 1 has the following problems.

[0044] Entering a folder path by typing each character one by one using the keyboard is time-consuming.

[0045] If the method of Patent Document 1 is used, once an area is specified, there is no need to input the folder path character by character; however, if the original contains a character string that the user wants to use as the name of the destination folder, but the intended character string cannot be set as the folder path if it is not written in the specified area.

[0046] In particular, since the position of the character string within a document often differs depending on the document being read, it is necessary to set the area for each document, which is troublesome.

[0047] To address this issue, the following process can be performed to reduce the user's effort when setting a folder path using character strings in the manuscript.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a one-touch transmission scan setting screen displayed on the display device 311. As shown in FIG.

[0049] The one-touch transmission scan setting screen 500 in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0050] The one-touch send scan setting screen 500 displays application information 501, a new registration button 502, items 503 to 505, a display / hide button 506, and a delete button 507.

[0051] Application information 501 is an area that displays the version of the application, and in FIG. 5, the version number 1.00 is displayed.

[0052] When selected by the user, new button registration button 502 is displayed on a screen displayed on operation unit 205, and is a button for newly registering a button for executing one-touch send scan. When new button registration button 502 is selected, setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 is displayed on display device 311. A detailed description of setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 will be given later.

[0053] An item 503 indicates the name of a button registered in the MFP 101 for executing one-touch scan-to-send.

[0054] An item 504 indicates a transmission type set for a button registered in the MFP 101 for executing one-touch transmission scan.

[0055] Item 505 indicates the display state of a button for executing one-touch send scan that is registered in MFP 101. Also displayed are a display / hide switch button 506 and a delete button 507 for changing the display state. For example, when the display state of the "letter of introduction" button is "displayed," the button is displayed on home screen 400 on touch panel 410, like referral button 406 in FIG. 4. Display / hide switch button 506 is a button that can be toggled to select between "display" and "hide" the button.

[0056] When the user selects the delete button 507, the information of the button registered in the MFP 101 is deleted.

[0057] An example of a button for executing one-touch send scan registered in the MFP 101 is a button named "Application A," whose send type is email and whose display state is hidden. Furthermore, not only when the new button registration button 502 is selected, but also when the button name "Application A" is selected, the setting edit screen 600 in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display device 311.

[0058] In FIG. 5, four buttons are registered: "Application Form A," "Application Form B," "Letter of Referral," and "Medical Questionnaire." The button display status for "Letter of Referral" and "Medical Questionnaire" is "displayed," so the buttons are displayed on the home screen 400. However, the display status for "Application Form A" and "Application Form B" is "hidden," so the buttons are not displayed on the home screen 400.

[0059] Fig. 6 shows an example of a button setting edit screen for executing one-touch send scan. The button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0060] The button setting edit screen 600 is displayed when the user selects the new button registration button 502 in Fig. 5 or the name of a button. When the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed when the user selects the button name, each item on the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed with the previously set value entered. When the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed when the new button registration button 502 is selected, each item on the button setting edit screen 600 is displayed with no value entered. Note that a default value may be entered in advance in each item on the button setting edit screen 600.

[0061] An input field 601 is an input field for setting the name of the one-touch send button. The character string "letter of introduction" is input into the input field 601. Here, the one-touch send button is a button that executes one-touch send scan when selected by the user.

[0062] A pull-down menu 602 is an object for setting a file name. In the pull-down menu 602, "Button Name" or "Automatic" can be selected. If "Button Name" is selected, the button name entered in the input field 601 will be the name of the file to be sent. If "Automatic" is selected, an automatically determined character string will be the file name. For example, if the one-touch send button registered on the screen in FIG. 6 is selected, the date and time of scanning will be used as the file name.

[0063] If the check box 603 is checked, the keyword is enabled when the file is output. The keyword will be explained in detail with reference to FIG.

[0064] The keyword string setting button 604 is a button for displaying a keyword string setting screen 700 shown in FIG. 7 when selected by the user.

[0065] Pull-down 605 is an object for setting how to sort or not sort files to be sent. In pull-down 605, one of "Do not sort," "Sorting (file)," "Sorting (folder)," and "Sorting (file and folder)" can be selected. If "Do not sort" is set, keywords will not be used. If "Sorting (file)" is set, keywords will be included in the output file name. If "Sorting (folder)" is set, keywords will be included in the name of the folder that stores the file. If "Sorting (file and folder)" is set, keywords will be included in the file name and the name of the folder that outputs the file. Detailed processing when each setting is set in this pull-down 605 will be explained in Figures 16 and 17.

[0066] A pull-down menu 606 is an object for selecting the type of transmission when transmitting the image data that has been read and generated. The pull-down menu 606 allows selection of "File," "Email," or "USB Memory." If "File" is selected and a switch button 607 is selected, the image data is transmitted to a folder on the PC 104 or to the file server 102 using a protocol such as SMB, FTP, WebDAV, or SFTP. If "Email" is selected, the image data is transmitted to the destination using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). If "USB Memory" is selected, the image data is stored in a USB memory, which is an external storage device 210 connected to the MFP 101.

[0067] A switch button 607 is a button for switching the setting of the transmission type to the transmission type displayed in the pull-down menu 606. Furthermore, when the switch button 607 is selected while a transmission type is selected in the pull-down menu 606, items corresponding to the selected transmission type are displayed in items 608, 609, etc.

[0068] Item 608 is an item where various settings can be input, such as read settings when scanning with one-touch send scan and send settings when sending. For example, item 609 includes settings such as the destination, scan size, file format, and document orientation.

[0069] Area 609 is an area for displaying the destination to which the scanned and generated image data is to be sent. The destination set here is a folder path to be combined with the character string of a text object, which will be described later. Area 609 is a text area that cannot be input or edited, and displays the address selected on the address selection screen.

[0070] When the user selects select from address book button 610, address selection screen 800 is displayed on which an address in the address book stored in MFP 101 can be selected.

[0071] A pull-down menu 611 is used to set the file format when image data generated by reading an image on a document is converted into a file. A file is generated in accordance with the format selected here.

[0072] The OK button 612 is a button for storing the one-touch send button settings set on the button setting edit screen 600 in the storage 204. When the OK button 612 is selected, the settings are stored in the storage 204. The cancel button 613 is a button for discarding the settings. When the OK button 612 or the cancel button 613 is pressed, the one-touch send scan setting screen 500 in FIG. 5 is displayed.

[0073] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a keyword string setting screen. The keyword string setting screen 700 is displayed when the keyword string setting button 604 is selected on the button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6. The keyword string setting screen 700 in Fig. 7 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0074] A pull-down menu 701 is an object for selecting the type of keyword string, which can be selected from either "numbers only" or "alphanumeric characters."

[0075] The input field 702 is an input field for setting the number of characters in the keyword string. In this embodiment, the maximum number of characters that can be set is 16. By setting the number of characters in the keyword string here, if the character string recognized in the set character recognition area differs from the character string desired by the user, the different character string can be prevented from being displayed as the recognition result. Note that this keyword string setting is reflected when the area specification button 706 is selected and an area is specified on the character recognition area setting screen 1100 in FIG. 11.

[0076] An input field 703 is an input field for inputting a character string to be displayed when entering a keyword string. The maximum number of characters that can be set is 64.

[0077] A pull-down menu 704 is an object for selecting whether or not to execute OCR processing, which is character recognition processing.

[0078] Area 705 is an area for displaying information indicating whether a character recognition area has been specified. The initial value is "No specification," and when area specification button 706 is selected and a rectangular area is specified on character recognition area setting screen 1100 in Fig. 11, "Specify" is displayed. Also, when clear button 1102 is selected on character recognition area setting screen 1100 to delete the rectangular area, and then confirm button 1103 is selected, "Not specified" is displayed in area 705.

[0079] FIG. 11 shows an example of a character recognition area setting screen, which is displayed when the area specification button 706 in FIG. 10 is selected. Note that this character recognition area setting screen 1100 may be displayed for each document size, such as A4 or A3, and may be set for each size. The character recognition area setting screen 1100 in FIG. 11 is displayed, for example, on a display device 311 connected to a PC 104 that accesses the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication. The character recognition area setting screen 1100 displays an area specification canvas 1101 with an aspect ratio corresponding to the reading paper size set in item 608. The user can specify the start and end points of the rectangular area with a pointer. The start and end coordinates are converted to real-space distances and temporarily stored. Specific setting values ​​can be set in millimeters, such as start point (X,Y) = (10,10) and end point (X,Y) = (50,20). Selecting the clear button 1102 resets the character recognition area settings to their initial values. When the Confirm button 1103 is selected, the coordinate information of the two temporarily held points is set in the character recognition area 705. In other words, the coordinate information is stored as the character recognition area in the storage 204. After the Clear button 1102 or the Confirm button 1103 is selected, the screen returns to the keyword string setting screen 700 in FIG.

[0080] The OK button 707 is a button for storing the contents set on the keyword string setting screen 700 in the storage 204. The cancel button 708 is a button for discarding the set contents. When the OK button 707 or the cancel button 708 is pressed, the button setting edit screen 600 in FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0081] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an address selection screen. Address selection screen 800 is displayed when select button 610 from address book on button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6 is selected. Address selection screen 800 in Fig. 8 is displayed on display device 311 connected to PC 104, which is accessing the web server of MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0082] A pull-down menu 801 is a list for switching the type of address book displayed on the address selection screen 800. The pull-down menu 801 allows the user to select either "Best Members" or "Speed ​​Dial" (not shown).

[0083] A display switching button 802 is a button that, when selected by the user, changes the type of address book displayed on the address selection screen 800 to the type displayed in the pull-down menu 801 .

[0084] Area 803 is a display area where the name of the address book is displayed. List 804 is an area where a list of addresses is displayed, and is composed of selectable check boxes, numbers, types, names, and destinations. Check boxes are displayed in either of two types: checkable check boxes and uncheckable check boxes. Numbers display the management number of the address. Type is an area where icons are displayed, and the icons differ depending on the type of address. Name displays the name given to the address. Destination displays the address. Check boxes are displayed in either of two types: checkable check boxes and uncheckable check boxes.

[0085] When the checkbox is checked and an OK button 805 is selected, the address is displayed in the area 609. The MFP 101 also receives the address from the PC 104 via HTTP communication and stores it in the storage 204 as the address of the destination of the image data.

[0086] A further explanation of the display of checkable and uncheckable checkboxes is provided. Figure 8 shows the display when "File" is selected in list 606 in Figure 6 and an address is selected from the "Best Members" address book, which has two addresses with a sending type of "Email" and two addresses with a sending type of "File." In this way, on address selection screen 800, destinations corresponding to the set sending type can be selected using checkable boxes. Checkable checkboxes are displayed for addresses that match the type in pull-down 606. Specifically, uncheckable checkboxes are displayed for addresses numbered 01 and 02, and checkable checkboxes are displayed for addresses numbered 03 and 04.

[0087] The OK button 805 is a button for confirming the address selection with the contents set on the address selection screen. The Cancel button 806 is a button for discarding the settings. When the OK button 805 or the Cancel button 806 is selected, the button setting edit screen 600 in FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0088] Here, the setting of the medical questionnaire button 405 in this embodiment will be described. The medical questionnaire button 405 is registered in the button setting edit screen 600 of Fig. 6 with "medical questionnaire" entered in the input field 601, "button name" selected in the pull-down menu 602, and a check mark in the check box 603. The medical questionnaire button 405 is also registered in the button setting edit screen 600 of Fig. 6 with "sort (folder)" selected in the pull-down menu 605 and "file" selected in the pull-down menu 606. Furthermore, the medical questionnaire button 405 is also registered in the keyword string setting screen 700 of Fig. 7 with "numbers only" selected in the pull-down menu 701, "7" entered in the input field 702, and "please enter your patient number" entered in the input field 703. In addition, "Yes" is selected in the pull-down menu 704, the area specification button 706 is not selected, and the destination number 04 "￥￥File Server￥Questionnaire" is selected and registered on the address selection screen 800 in Figure 8.

[0089] Next, the setting of the referral letter button 406 in this embodiment will be described. The referral letter button 406 is created by entering "referral letter" in the input field 601, selecting "button name" in the pull-down menu 602, and checking the check box 603 on the button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6. The medical questionnaire button 405 is created by selecting "sort (files and folders)" in the pull-down menu 605 and selecting "files" in the pull-down menu 606 on the button setting edit screen 600 in Fig. 6. The referral letter button 406 is created by selecting "numbers only" in the pull-down menu 701, entering "7" in the input field 702, and entering "please enter patient number" in the input field 703 on the keyword string setting screen 700 in Fig. 7. Also, the area is created by selecting "Yes" in the pull-down menu 704, selecting the area specification button 706, and setting "start point (X,Y) = (10,10), end point (X,Y) = (50,20)." Also, the introduction button 406 is registered when the destination number 03 "¥¥file server¥introduction" is selected on the address selection screen 800 in Figure 8.

[0090] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a button settings edit screen when the transmission type is email. The button settings edit screen 900 in Fig. 9 will be described using the settings of the Application Form A button as an example. The button settings edit screen 900 in Fig. 9 is displayed on a display device 311 connected to a PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0091] The input fields, pull-down menus, and buttons 901 to 906 are similar to the input fields, pull-down menus, and buttons 601 to 606 in FIG. 6, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] When E-mail is selected from the pull-down menu 906 and a switch button 907 is selected, the sending setting items displayed in the item 908 are displayed as in the button setting edit screen 900.

[0093] An input field 909 is an input field for inputting the email address of the destination to which the generated image data is to be sent.

[0094] The add button 910 is a button for adding the email address entered in the entry field 909 to the destination list 911 when selected by the user.

[0095] The destination list 911 is a text display area that can be selected on an email address basis. The destination list 911 displays the field name and email address when sending an email. When sending an email, one of three field names, To, Cc, or Bcc, is displayed. Note that when an email address is added to the destination list 911, the default field name is To.

[0096] The select from address book button 912 is a button for displaying the screen 800 for selecting an email address to be added to the destination list 911 from the address book when selected by the user.

[0097] When selected by the user, the To / Cc / Bcc switch button 913 cycles through the fields of the email addresses selected in the destination list in the order of To→Cc→Bcc→To.

[0098] When the user selects the delete button 914, the email address selected in the destination list is deleted from the destination list.

[0099] An input field 915 is an input field for inputting the subject of the email to be sent. When an add button name button 916 is selected, the button name input in the input field 901 is input into the input field 915.

[0100] The input field 917 is an input field for inputting the text of the email to be sent. When the button name addition button 917 is selected, the button name input in the input field 901 is input into the input field 917.

[0101] An OK button 919 and a cancel button 920 are similar to the OK button 612 and the cancel button 613. When the one-touch send button with an email sending type is selected, character recognition processing is not performed.

[0102] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a button settings edit screen when the transmission type is USB memory. The button settings edit screen 1000 in Fig. 10 will be described using the settings of the Application Form B button as an example. The button settings edit screen 1000 in Fig. 10 is displayed on a display device 311 connected to a PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0103] The input fields, pull-down menus, and buttons 1001 to 1006 are similar to the input fields, pull-down menus, and buttons 601 to 606 in FIG. 6, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0104] When a USB memory is selected in a pull-down menu 1006 and a switch button 1007 is selected, the transmission setting items displayed in an item 1008 are displayed as in the button setting edit screen 1000. In the item 1008, it is possible to set reading settings such as the reading size, color settings, and format of the file to be generated when scanning an original and generating image data.

[0105] When the transmission type is USB memory, the image data generated by reading the image of the document is stored in the USB memory.

[0106] Next, the screen for registering an address displayed on the address selection screen 800 in FIG. 8 will be described.

[0107] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for registering an address in the address book. The screen in Fig. 12 is displayed on the display device 311 connected to the PC 104 when the PC 104 accesses the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP using a web browser.

[0108] 12A is a diagram showing an example of an address registration screen 1200. An address book selection area 1201, check boxes 1202, an OK button 1203, and a cancel button 1204 are displayed on the address registration screen 1200.

[0109] "Favorites" and "Speed ​​Dial" can be selected in the address book selection area 1201. Figures 12(A), (B), and (C) will be used to explain the case where "Favorites" is selected.

[0110] The type of destination to be registered can be selected using checkbox 1202. When selected by the user, OK button 1203 displays destination registration screen 1210 or 1220 shown in Fig. 12(B) that reflects the selected type of destination.

[0111] A cancel button 1204 is a button for discarding the settings and canceling the address book registration when selected by the user.

[0112] 12(B) is a diagram showing an example of a destination registration screen. Destination registration screen 1210 displays an input field 1211, a pull-down menu 1212, input fields 1213, 1214, 1215, 1216, an OK button 1217, and a cancel button 1218. Destination registration screen 1210 is a screen for registering a destination when the transmission type is file transmission.

[0113] An input field 1211 is an input field for inputting the name of the destination. A pull-down menu 1212 is an object for selecting a protocol to be used when transmitting image data to the destination. The pull-down menu 1212 allows selection of one of three types: SMB, FTP, and WebDAV.

[0114] An input field 1213 is an input field for inputting the host name of the destination, a resolvable server name or IP address, and an input field 1214 is an input field for inputting the folder path of the destination.

[0115] Input fields 1215 and 1216 are input fields for inputting a user name and password for accessing the server specified by the host name input in input field 1213 .

[0116] When the user selects the OK button 1217, the CPU 201 stores the input setting values ​​as a new destination in the storage 204. When the user selects the Cancel button 1218, the setting is discarded and the address book registration is canceled.

[0117] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an address registration screen. An input field 1301, an input field 1302, an OK button 1303, and a cancel button 1304 are displayed on the address registration screen 1300. The address registration screen 1300 is a screen for registering an address when the transmission type is e-mail. The address registration screen 1300 in Fig. 13 is displayed on a display device 311 connected to a PC 104 that is accessing the web server of the MFP 101 via HTTP communication, for example.

[0118] An input field 1301 is an input field for inputting the name of the address, and an input field 1302 is an input field for inputting the email address of the destination.

[0119] When the user selects the OK button 1303, the CPU 201 stores the input setting values ​​as a new address in the storage 204. When the user selects the Cancel button 1304, the setting is discarded and the address book registration is canceled.

[0120] This concludes the description of the process for registering buttons in advance. Next, we will explain the process when a user uses a registered button. Note that some or all of the screens described above may be displayed and operations may be accepted on the operation unit 205 of the MFP 101, or on the PC 104 connected to the MFP's web server.

[0121] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow when the one-touch send button for file transmission is selected on MFP 101. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 14 is realized by CPU 201 reading a program stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executing it. The flow in Fig. 14 is started when MFP 101 is powered on. Note that the flow in Fig. 14 is executed when the transmission type of the one-touch send button is file transmission, and when the transmission type is email or USB memory, character recognition processing may not be executed as in Fig. 14.

[0122] In S1401, CPU 201 determines whether or not the one-touch send button has been selected. If it is determined that the one-touch send button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1402. If not, the process returns to S1401. Here, a case where medical questionnaire button 405 has been selected as the one-touch send button will be described.

[0123] In step S1402 , the CPU 201 reads the read settings set on the settings edit screen 600 from the storage 204 .

[0124] In S1403, the CPU 201 controls the scanner to read the image of the document and generate image data based on the read setting read in S1402.

[0125] In step S1404, the CPU 201 executes character recognition processing using the generated image data. Details of the character recognition processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0126] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of character recognition processing. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 15 is realized by CPU 201 reading a program stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executing it. The flow in Fig. 15 starts when "Perform character recognition" is set in pull-down menu 704 in Fig. 7 and CPU 201 reads an image of a document and generates image data in S1403.

[0127] In step S1501, the CPU 201 generates binary image data using the image data generated in step S1403. The generated binary image data is stored in the RAM 203.

[0128] In S1502, the CPU 201 reduces the resolution of the binary image data generated in S1501. By reducing the resolution, it is possible to reduce the load of processing for searching for a character region from the binary image data.

[0129] In S1503, the CPU 201 searches for a text area in the image represented by the binary image data with reduced resolution. Here, the range in which the text area is searched may be the entire area of ​​the image data or an area set by the user.

[0130] In S1504, the CPU 201 performs character segmentation on the areas determined to be character areas in S1503. Character segmentation is a process of segmenting the circumscribed rectangle of each character as a character segmentation rectangle based on horizontal and vertical projections. This character segmentation process is performed on all areas determined to be character areas.

[0131] In S1505, the CPU 201 compares each character segmentation rectangle with dictionary data stored in the ROM 202 and obtains the character code of the most similar character and the coordinate information of the character segmentation rectangle. This dictionary comparison process is performed for all character segmentation rectangles. In addition to the character code and coordinate information, this process may also obtain font information, etc.

[0132] In step S1506, the CPU 201 stores in the RAM 203 the character code and coordinate information, which are the character information acquired in step S1505.

[0133] Now, returning to the explanation of the flow in Fig. 14, in S1405, the CPU 201 generates a text object using character information. The process of generating a text object will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 16.

[0134] Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow for generating a text object by MFP 101. The CPU 201 reads a program stored in ROM 202 into RAM 203 and executes it to realize the processing of the flowchart in Fig. 16. The flow in Fig. 16 starts when character recognition processing for one page is completed in S1404.

[0135] In S1601, the CPU 201 acquires the character information stored in S1506. In S1602, the CPU 201 targets the character cutting rectangle at the coordinates of the top left corner of the image indicated by the image data and determines whether or not there is a character (character cutting rectangle) to the right of that character cutting rectangle. If it is determined that there is a character, the process proceeds to S1603. If not, the process proceeds to S1604.

[0136] In S1603, the CPU 201 determines whether the distance to the adjacent character (character cut rectangle) on the right is equal to or less than a threshold. If it is determined that it is equal to or less than the threshold, the process proceeds to S1607. If it is determined that it is greater than the threshold, the process proceeds to S1604.

[0137] In S1607, the CPU 201 generates a character string by combining the target character and the character immediately to the right of the target character, then selects the character immediately to the right as the target character, and returns to S1602.

[0138] In S1604, the CPU 201 stores the single or combined character string in the RAM 203 as a single character string to be used in the text object.

[0139] In S1605, the CPU 201 generates a text object using the character string stored in the RAM 203 in S1604. Here, a text object is a button on which a character string is displayed.

[0140] In S1606, the CPU 201 determines whether or not all the character information has been checked. If it is determined that all the character information has been checked, the process ends. If not, the process proceeds to S1608.

[0141] In S1608, the CPU 201 selects the next character as the target and returns to S1602. When returning to S1602, the character to the right is selected as the next character, but after checking the rightmost character, the leftmost character on the line below is selected as the next character. The position of the next character to be selected may be changed according to the writing direction of the document.

[0142] Now, returning to the explanation of the flow in Fig. 14, in S1406, it is determined whether the page on which the character recognition process and text object generation were executed is the image of the last page among the images read in S1403. If it is determined that it is the last page, the process proceeds to S1407. If not, the process returns to S1404 with the next page as the target.

[0143] In S1407, the CPU 201 displays a screen for selecting a text object. An example of the selection screen displayed here is shown in FIG.

[0144] 17 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen 1700. An area 1701 displays the folder path selected on the address selection screen 800. A preview image 1702 is an image of the scanned document.

[0145] List 1703 is a list for displaying, for example, the text objects generated in S1605. In this list, the text objects corresponding to the character cut rectangles at the top left are displayed from the top right.

[0146] Area 1704 is an area for displaying the character string indicated by the text object selected from list 1703. The character string indicated by the selected text object is stored in RAM 203. In FIG. 17, text object 1705 is selected, so "123" indicated by text object 1705 is displayed in area 1704. The selected text object is also highlighted, as in text object 1705. The character string on the preview image is also highlighted, as in area 1710.

[0147] A previous button 1706 is a button for switching the displayed preview image and list to those corresponding to the previous page when selected.

[0148] A next button 1707 is a button for switching the displayed preview image and list to those corresponding to the next page when selected.

[0149] When the confirm button 1708 is selected, it sends the generated image data to a folder path that combines the character strings currently displayed in areas 1701 and 1704. Specifically, the image data is sent to a folder indicated by a folder path that adds a folder with the name of the character string displayed in area 1704 to the level one level below the folder path indicated in area 1701.

[0150] A clear button 1709 is a button for deleting the character string displayed in the area 1704 from the area 1704 and the RAM 203 .

[0151] 14. In S1408, CPU 201 determines whether a text object in list 1703 has been selected, that is, whether the characters indicated by the text object have been selected. If it is determined that the text object has been selected, the process proceeds to S1409. If not, the process proceeds to S1420.

[0152] In S1409, CPU 201 highlights the selected text object and the character string on the preview image that corresponds to that text object. By highlighting the character string on the preview image, the user can easily recognize which part of the character string on the document is selected. For example, by looking at the preview image, the user can easily recognize whether the title of the document or the value of a specific item such as a patient ID is selected.

[0153] In S1410, the CPU 201 stores in the RAM 203 the character string indicated by the selected text object.

[0154] In S1411, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the enter button 1708 has been selected. If it is determined that the enter button 1708 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1412. If not, the process proceeds to S1430.

[0155] In step S1412, the CPU 201 acquires the host name (folder path) displayed in the area 1701. In the case of Fig. 17, the host name (folder path) is "\\file server\medical questionnaire\".

[0156] In S1413, the CPU 201 combines the folder path acquired in S1412 with the character string stored in S1410, and sets the combined folder path as the destination of the image data generated in S1403. In the case of Fig. 17, the combined folder path is "¥¥file server¥medical questionnaire¥123".

[0157] In step S1414, the CPU 201 generates a file based on the generated image data and assigns a file name to the file. Details of this process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0158] Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of file name assignment processing. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 20 is realized by the CPU 201 reading a program stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing it. The flow in Fig. 20 starts when the processing of S1413 is completed. The flow in Fig. 20 also starts when the processing of S1911, which will be described later, is completed.

[0159] In step S2001 , the CPU 201 obtains information indicating the settings made in the pull-down menu 602 on the button settings editing screen 600 from the storage 204 and stores the information in the RAM 203 .

[0160] In step S2002 , the CPU 201 acquires information indicating the settings set in the checkboxes 603 on the button settings editing screen 600 from the storage 204 and stores the information in the RAM 203 .

[0161] In step S2003 , the CPU 201 acquires information indicating the settings made in the pull-down menu 611 on the button settings editing screen 600 from the storage 204 and stores the information in the RAM 203 .

[0162] In S2004, the CPU 201 determines whether file allocation is set. If "Allocation (file)" or "Allocation (file and folder)" is set on the button settings edit screen 600, it is assumed that file allocation is to be performed, and the process proceeds to S2005. On the other hand, if "Do not allocate" or "Allocation (folder)" is set on the button settings edit screen 600, it is assumed that file allocation is not to be performed, and the process proceeds to S2006.

[0163] In S2005, the CPU 201 determines whether or not to use a keyword (character string of the selected text object) to determine the file name based on the information acquired in S2002. Specifically, if the check box 603 is checked, it is assumed that a keyword will be used, and the process proceeds to S2006. If the check box 603 is not checked, it is assumed that a keyword will not be used, and the process proceeds to S2007.

[0164] In step S2006, the CPU 201 stores in the RAM 203 a flag indicating that the keyword is to be included in the file name.

[0165] In S2007, the CPU 201 stores a flag indicating that the file name does not include a keyword in the RAM 203. Note that in this process, no flag may be stored.

[0166] In S2008, the CPU 201 determines whether or not to use the button name to determine the file name based on the setting acquired in S2001. Specifically, if "Button Name" is set in the pull-down menu 602, it is assumed that the button name will be used, and the process proceeds to S2009. If "Automatic" is set in the pull-down menu 602, it is assumed that the button name will not be used, and the process proceeds to S2010.

[0167] In step S2009, the CPU 201 stores in the RAM 203 a flag indicating that the button name is to be included in the file name.

[0168] In S2010, the CPU 201 stores a flag indicating that the button name is not included in the file name in the RAM 203. Note that in this process, no flag may be stored.

[0169] In step S2011, the CPU 201 obtains the current date and time and stores them in the RAM 203.

[0170] In S2012, the CPU 201 checks the flag stored in the RAM 203 and determines a file name based on the flag and the current date and time stored in S2011. Note that, although the process described above includes a keyword and a button name in the file name, this is not limiting, and for example, only the current date and time may be obtained and added to the file name.

[0171] Now, returning to the explanation of the flow in Fig. 14, in S1415, the CPU 201 transmits the file created in S1414 to the destination set in S1413.

[0172] In S1420, the CPU 201 determines whether or not an instruction to switch between the preview image and the list has been accepted by selecting the previous button 1706 or the next button 1707. If it is determined that an instruction has been accepted, the process proceeds to S1421. If not, the process returns to S1408.

[0173] In step S1421, the CPU 201 displays a preview image of the page corresponding to the selected button and a list of text objects.

[0174] In S1430, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the clear button 1709 has been selected. If it is determined that the clear button 1709 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1431. If not, the process returns to S1411.

[0175] In step S1431 , the CPU 201 deletes the character string displayed in the area 1704 from the area 1704 and the RAM 203 .

[0176] By performing the above processing, the user's workload can be reduced in an image processing device that reads an image of a document, generates image data, and then performs character recognition processing on the image to send the image data to a destination folder based on the character string obtained.

[0177] In this embodiment, when the one-touch send button is selected, an image of a document is read, image data is generated, and character recognition processing and text object generation processing are performed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the MFP 101 may receive image data transmitted from an external device, perform character recognition processing and text object generation processing on the image data, and display a screen such as that shown in Fig. 17. Also, when the scan button 402 is selected, an image of a document may be read, image data is generated, and character recognition processing and text object generation processing are performed.

[0178] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which setting screens such as the button setting edit screen 600 are displayed on the display device 311 connected to the HTTP-connected PC 104, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, setting screens such as the button setting edit screen 600 may be displayed on the touch panel 410 on the operation unit 205 of the MFP 101 and may accept operations. [Example]

[0179] In the first embodiment, a selection screen such as that shown in Fig. 17 is displayed, and a process for determining the destination of image data by selecting a text object on the selection screen is described. In this embodiment, an example is described in which an area for character recognition processing is specified in advance, and a character string recognized within that area is determined as the destination of the image data.

[0180] Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the transition of the screen when the referral button 406 is selected on the MFP 101. Fig. 18 is a diagram explaining the flow when transmitting image data generated by reading an image of an original document with a scanner, and the screen shown in Fig. 18 is a screen displayed on the touch panel 410 of the operation unit 205.

[0181] After the user places a document on the scanner 207, the user selects the referral button 406 on the home screen 400. When the referral button 406 is selected, scanning of the document begins based on the scanning settings previously registered for the button on the screen of FIG. 6 . Character recognition of the scanned document is performed in the area set on the character recognition area setting screen 1100, based on the character type and character count restrictions. Only character strings matching the character type set in the pull-down menu 701 of FIG. 7 are extracted from the area set on the character recognition area setting screen 1100 and stored in RAM 203. Then, from the character strings stored in RAM 203, character strings matching the number of characters entered in area 702 of FIG. 7 are displayed on a screen such as the referral button screen 1800. If two or more character strings satisfying the above two conditions are extracted, the recognized character string at the top of the set area may be displayed preferentially. In area 1804 of the referral button screen 1800, the character string "Please enter the patient number" entered in the input field 703 of FIG. 7 is displayed. An input field 1801 for entering a patient number is also displayed. The patient number determined by character recognition is automatically entered in this input field 1801. At this time, by limiting the type of characters using the pull-down menu 701 in Figure 7, the search range is narrowed, and recognition errors are reduced, allowing for highly accurate and quick processing. Recognition accuracy can also be further improved by limiting the number of characters in area 702. For example, with regard to the character string "d," if the number of characters is one, recognition errors such as recognizing "cl" as "d" will not occur. Furthermore, if a character recognition area is set, there is no need to process the entire area of ​​the document, allowing for quick processing.

[0182] If the user selects the "No" button 1803, the user will return to the home screen. If the user selects the "Yes" button 1802, and the patient number ("0123456" in Figure 18) meets the conditions for character type and number of characters, the image data will be sent to the destination set on the button setting edit screen. If not, a warning pop-up screen will be displayed. This screen flow allows the user to send data with a minimum of two touch operations.

[0183] Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed when the user selects the letter of introduction button 406. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 19 is realized by the CPU 201 reading a program stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing it. The flow in Fig. 19 is started when the home screen 400 is displayed on the touch panel 410 of the operation unit 205 of the MFP 101 and the one-touch send button is selected on that home screen. Note that this flow will be described taking the processing performed when the letter of introduction button 406 is selected as an example.

[0184] In S1901, the CPU 201 determines whether the character recognition setting is set to "Yes" in the pull-down menu 704 on the keyword string setting screen 700 for the letter of introduction button 406. If it is set to "Yes," the process proceeds to S1902. If not, the process proceeds to S1920.

[0185] In S1902, the CPU 201 controls the scanner to read an image of the document. In S1903, the CPU 201 generates image data based on the image read in S1902 and in accordance with the read settings set in the referral button 406.

[0186] In S1920, the CPU 201 displays the letter of introduction button screen 1800 of FIG. 18, which is a keyword input screen, on the touch panel 410 of the operation unit 205.

[0187] In S1921, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the user has selected the "No" button 1803 on the referral button screen 1800. If it is determined that the "No" button 1803 has been selected, the process returns to S1901. If the "Yes" button 1802 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1912.

[0188] In S1922, the CPU 201 determines whether the character string entered in the input field 1801 satisfies the number of characters and the type of characters set on the keyword string setting screen 700. If it is determined that the character string satisfies the number of characters and the type of characters set on the keyword string setting screen 700, the process proceeds to S1902. If not, the process returns to S1920.

[0189] In S1904, the CPU 201 determines whether the character recognition setting is set to "Yes" on the setting edit screen 600 for the letter of introduction button 406. If it is set to "Yes", the process proceeds to S1905. If not, the process proceeds to S1910.

[0190] In S1905, the CPU 201 determines the area for character recognition (OCR) processing as the area set on the character recognition area setting screen 1100 in Fig. 11. Note that if there is no setting on the character recognition area setting screen 1100 ("Not specified"), the entire area of ​​the document image is determined as the area to be recognized.

[0191] In step S1906, the CPU 201 executes character recognition processing in the area determined in step S1905. The character recognition processing is similar to that in step S1404, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0192] In S1907, the CPU 201 checks whether the character string (keyword) indicated by the character information acquired in S1906 satisfies a character count condition, and if the number of characters in the recognized character string is greater than the condition value (7 in FIG. 7), it deletes characters from the end until the number of characters reaches the condition value. Note that this condition is not limited to the number of characters, and may also be the type of characters. For example, it may be a condition as to whether or not numbers are included, or whether or not English characters are included. Note that a recognized character string without this condition may also be used as a keyword.

[0193] In S1908, the CPU 201 displays a referral letter button screen 1800, in which the character string recognized in S1905 is entered in the input field 1801 in Fig. 18, on the touch panel 410 of the operation unit 205. If there is an error in character recognition, the user can change the patient number on this screen.

[0194] In S1909, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the user has selected the "No" button 1803 on the referral button screen 1800. If it is determined that the "No" button 1803 has been selected, the process returns to S1901. If it is determined that the "Yes" button 1802 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1909.

[0195] In S1910, the CPU 201 determines whether the patient number entered by the user when the referral letter button screen 1800 was displayed satisfies the conditions for the type of characters and the number of characters. If it is determined that the conditions are met, the process proceeds to S1910. If not, the process returns to S1908.

[0196] In step S1911, the CPU 201 sets a folder path that combines a host name and a keyword as a destination in the same manner as in step S1413.

[0197] In S1912, the CPU 201 executes the same process as in S1414.

[0198] In S1913, the CPU 201 controls the network I / F, and the network I / F transmits the image data to the destination set in S1911. Note that the destination set here may be stored in association with the button, and from the next time the button is selected, the image data may be transmitted to the stored destination without executing the character recognition process.

[0199] By performing the above process, the character recognition process result can be automatically set as part of the folder path, saving the user time and effort. Also, by setting conditions such as the number of characters in the keyword, it is possible to prevent incorrectly recognized character strings from being used as the destination.

[0200] <Other embodiments> The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following process: a storage medium on which program code realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is stored is supplied to a system or device, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code constitutes the present invention.

[0201] The present invention also includes a case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer executing the program code that has been read out. In addition, the present invention also includes a case where an operating system (OS) running on a computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, thereby realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0202] 101 MFP 104 PC 100 LAN 201 CPU 205 Operation section

Claims

1. a registration step of registering a plurality of combinations of settings of an area, a folder path, and a file name designated by a user; a selection step of selecting, from the plurality of registered combinations, a combination to be used for setting a storage destination for input image data based on an instruction from a user; a file name setting step of setting a file name of a file generated based on image data generated by scanning to a file name including a character string obtained from an area in the image data, the area being the selected combination, based on the file name setting of the selected combination; and an execution step of executing a process to store the file having the set file name in a folder based on a character string obtained from the area of ​​the selected combination and the folder path of the selected combination, the area being within the image data.

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein in the selecting step, the combination is selected based on an instruction for using the combination.

3. 3. The program according to claim 1, further comprising a display step of displaying an object for allowing a user to specify a combination to be used to set a storage destination for input image data from among the plurality of combinations.

4. A program described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the computer is further made to execute a generation process of generating a file based on the image data generated by the scan.

5. 5. The program according to claim 4, further causing the computer to execute a step of setting whether or not to set the file name of the file generated in the generating step based on the image data to a file name including the character string.

6. A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the execution process, a process is executed to store the file in a folder of a folder path that combines a string obtained from the area of ​​the selected combination with the folder path of the selected combination.

7. 7. The program according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the designation of the area from a user.

8. 7. The program according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the area specification from an external device.

9. 9. The program according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the folder path setting from a user.

10. 9. The program according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the folder path setting from an external device.

11. a registration step of registering a plurality of combinations of settings of an area, a folder path, and a file name designated by a user; a selection step of selecting, from the plurality of registered combinations, a combination to be used for setting a storage destination for input image data based on an instruction from a user; a file name setting step of setting a file name of a file generated based on image data generated by scanning to a file name including a character string obtained from an area in the image data, the area being the selected combination, based on the file name setting of the selected combination; An information processing method comprising an execution step of executing a process to store the file having the set file name in a folder in an area within the image data, the folder path of the selected combination and a character string obtained from the area of ​​the selected combination.

12. 12. The information processing method according to claim 11, wherein in the selecting step, the combination is selected based on an instruction for using the combination.

13. 13. The information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising a display step of displaying an object for allowing a user to indicate which of the plurality of combinations is to be used to set a storage destination for input image data.

14. An information processing method described in any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that it further comprises a generation step of generating a file based on the image data generated by the scanning.

15. 15. The information processing method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of setting whether or not a file name of the file generated in the generating step based on the image data is to be set to a file name including the character string.

16. An information processing method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that in the execution step, a process is executed to store the file in a folder of a folder path in which a string obtained from the area of ​​the selected combination is combined with the end of the folder path of the selected combination.

17. 17. The information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the designation of the area from a user.

18. 17. The information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the designation of the area from an external device.

19. 19. The information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the folder path setting from a user.

20. 19. The information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising a receiving step of receiving the folder path setting from an external device.

21. a registration means for registering a plurality of combinations of settings of an area, a folder path, and a file name designated by a user; a selection means for selecting, from the plurality of registered combinations, a combination to be used for setting a storage destination for input image data based on an instruction from a user; a file name setting means for setting a file name of a file generated based on image data generated by scanning to a file name including a character string obtained from an area of ​​the image data that is in the selected combination, based on the file name setting of the selected combination; An information processing device characterized by having an execution means for executing a process to store the file having the set file name in a folder based on a character string obtained from the area of ​​the selected combination and a folder path of the selected combination, which is an area within the image data.

Images