Image processing device and image processing program

Abstract

To provide an image processing device and an image processing program for enabling a user to grasp the time required for image processing to be updated by changing settings related to the image processing.SOLUTION: An image processing device comprises a processor. The processor estimates a first period of time which is a time in a case where image processing is performed on image information which is a target of the image processing with current settings of settings related to the image processing, and provides a user with the first period of time, candidate settings changeable from the current settings, and a second period of time which is a time in a case where the image processing is performed on the image information with the candidate settings.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0007] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique that enables a user to easily grasp when a cooperative process that executes a plurality of processes in cooperation starts and when it ends.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In image processing, even if a setting is pre-set, the setting may be changed to another setting. In this case, a new setting related to image processing is determined by arbitrarily selecting a setting from candidates for settings such as character recognition and skew correction.

[0005] Here, the user may not be aware that the image processing time changes due to the change to a new setting. Therefore, depending on the changed new setting, the user may be unexpectedly made to wait until the end of image processing, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable a user to grasp the image processing time updated by changing a setting related to image processing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The image processing apparatus in the first embodiment includes a processor, the processor estimates a first time which is the time it takes to perform the image processing on image information to be processed using the current settings for the image processing, and presents the user with the first time, candidate settings which can be changed from the current settings, and a second time which is the time it takes to perform the image processing on the image information using the candidate settings.

[0008] The second embodiment of the image processing apparatus is the same as the first embodiment, wherein the processor presents the user with at least one of the candidate settings in which the second time is earlier than the first time and the candidate settings in which the second time is later than the first time.

[0009] The third embodiment of the image processing apparatus is the same as the second embodiment, wherein, if there are multiple candidate settings in which the second time is earlier than the first time, the processor preferentially presents to the user the candidate setting in which the second time is earlier.

[0010] The fourth embodiment of the image processing apparatus is the third embodiment of the image processing apparatus, wherein the processor causes the candidate setting with the earliest second time to be displayed adjacent to the current setting.

[0011] The fifth embodiment of the image processing apparatus is the same as the first embodiment, wherein the processor presents the user with a plurality of candidate settings with different configurable contents, and accepts the user's selection of whether or not to apply each of the plurality of candidate settings.

[0012] The sixth embodiment of the image processing apparatus is the fifth embodiment of the image processing apparatus, wherein the processor preferentially presents to the user, among a plurality of candidate settings, a candidate setting that has a greater effect on shortening the image processing time compared to a candidate setting that has a less significant effect on shortening the processing time.

[0013] The seventh embodiment of the image processing apparatus is the fifth or sixth embodiment of the image processing apparatus, wherein the processor causes each of the multiple candidate settings to display information indicating the effect of shortening the image processing time.

[0014] The eighth embodiment of the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus according to any of the first to seventh embodiments, wherein the processor accepts changes to the current settings from the start to the end of the reading of the image information.

[0015] The ninth embodiment of the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus of any of the first to eighth embodiments, wherein the processor specifies the range of the image information to be processed in the candidate settings.

[0016] The image processing program in the tenth embodiment causes the computer to estimate a first time, which is the time it would take to perform the image processing on the image information to be processed using the current settings for the image processing settings, and to present to the user the first time, candidate settings that can be changed from the current settings, and a second time, which is the time it would take to perform the image processing on the image information using the candidate settings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the first and tenth embodiments, the user can understand the time required for image processing, which is updated by changing the settings related to image processing.

[0018] According to the second embodiment, by changing the settings related to image processing, the user can be aware of at least one of the shortened image processing time and the extended image processing time.

[0019] According to the third embodiment, compared to presenting multiple candidate settings in a common manner, the user's attention to the setting of the candidate with the earliest second time can be increased.

[0020] According to the fourth aspect, the moving distance of the user's line of sight from the current setting to the setting of the candidate with the earliest second time is shorter than when the setting of the candidate with the earliest second time is displayed without being adjacent to the current setting.

[0021] According to the fifth aspect, the user can grasp the image processing time corresponding to the candidate setting selected by the user.

[0022] According to the sixth aspect, compared with the case where a plurality of candidate settings are presented in a common manner, the degree of attention of the user to the candidate setting with a greater effect of shortening the image processing time can be increased.

[0023] According to the seventh aspect, the user can grasp the effect of shortening the image processing time for each of the plurality of candidate settings.

[0024] According to the eighth aspect, the image processing time can be adjusted during the reading of the image information.

[0025] According to the ninth aspect, the image processing time for the specified range of the image information can be adjusted.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a first flowchart showing the flow of control processing by the image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a second flowchart showing the flow of control processing by the image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] It is a first display example displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 5] It is a second display example displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 6] It is a third display example displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 7] It is a fourth display example displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 8] This is a fifth example of a display shown on the display unit of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 9] This is a sixth example of a display shown on the display unit of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between file size and image processing time. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The following describes an image forming apparatus 20, which is an example of an image processing apparatus according to this embodiment. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 20 includes a control unit 30 that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 20. This control unit 30 has a CPU (=Central Processing Unit) 31, a ROM (=Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (=Random Access Memory) 33, and an input / output interface (=I / O) 34 that are interconnected via a bus 35 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0029] The CPU 31 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various parts. Specifically, the CPU 31 reads a program from the ROM 32 or the storage unit 36 ​​(described later) and executes the program using the RAM 33 as a working area. The CPU 31 controls each of the above components and performs various calculations according to the program stored in the ROM 32 or the storage unit 36. The ROM 32 or storage unit 36 ​​stores at least an image processing program for executing the control processing described later. The image processing program may be pre-installed in the image forming apparatus 20, or it may be stored in a non-volatile storage medium or distributed via a network and installed in the image forming apparatus 20 as appropriate. Examples of non-volatile storage media include CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, HDDs (=Hard Disk Drives), DVD-ROMs, flash memory, and memory cards. The CPU 31 is an example of a "processor".

[0030] ROM32 stores various programs and data. RAM33 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area.

[0031] The I / O 34 is connected to the storage unit 36, display unit 37, operation unit 38, document reading unit 39, image forming unit 40, and communication unit 41. Each of these units can communicate with the CPU 31 via the I / O 34.

[0032] The storage unit 36 ​​is composed of a storage device such as an HDD, SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory, and stores various programs and various data.

[0033] The display unit 37 may use, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (=Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 37 has an integrated touch panel.

[0034] The control unit 38 is equipped with various operation keys, such as a numeric keypad or a start key.

[0035] The display unit 37 and the operation unit 38 receive various instructions from the user of the image forming apparatus 20. These instructions include, for example, instructions to start scanning a document and instructions to start copying a document. The display unit 37 displays various information such as the results of the processing performed in response to the instructions received from the user, and notifications regarding the processing.

[0036] The document reading unit 39 takes in documents one by one from the paper feed tray of an automatic document feeder (not shown) located at the top of the image forming apparatus 20, and obtains image information by optically reading the taken documents. Alternatively, the document reading unit 39 obtains image information by optically reading a document placed on a platen glass or the like.

[0037] The image forming unit 40 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper, based on image information obtained by reading by the document reading unit 39, or image information obtained from an external personal computer (PC) connected via a network.

[0038] The communication unit 41 is an interface for communicating with other devices. For such communication, a wired communication standard such as Ethernet® or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi® may be used.

[0039] When executing the above image processing program, the image forming apparatus 20 uses the above hardware resources to perform processing based on the image processing program.

[0040] Figures 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the flow of control processing for controlling the display content of the display unit 37 by the image forming apparatus 20. The control processing is performed when the CPU 31 reads an image processing program from the ROM 32 or storage unit 36, loads it into the RAM 33, and executes it.

[0041] In step S10, the CPU 31 calculates the expected start time of the job. In this embodiment, the job of the image forming apparatus 20 is a scan job that performs scan transmission. For example, the expected start time of the scan job is calculated by referring to the expected end times of jobs that are currently performing scan transmission and jobs that are waiting to perform scan transmission. Then, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0042] In step S11, the CPU 31 accepts settings related to image processing (hereinafter referred to as "image processing settings"). For example, the CPU 31 accepts image processing settings from the user on a settings screen for performing image processing settings. Then, the process proceeds to step S12. Here, the image processing settings may include, for example, character recognition (so-called OCR (=Optical Character Reader)), skew correction, automatic uprighting, whether or not to use image compression, and changes to the resolution.

[0043] In step S12, the CPU 31 determines whether or not it has received an instruction to start scanning the document. If it determines that it has received the instruction (step S12: YES), it proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if the CPU 31 determines that it has not received an instruction to start scanning the document (step S12: NO), it returns to step S10. As an example, the CPU 31 determines that it has received an instruction to start scanning the document when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 38 for scanning and sending.

[0044] In step S13, the CPU 31 starts scanning the document and acquires image information to be processed. In this embodiment, multiple documents placed on the paper feed tray of the automatic document feeder are scanned. The image information acquired by the CPU 31 is stored in the storage unit 36. Then, the process proceeds to step S14. In this embodiment, the time when the document scanning starts becomes the start time of the scan job.

[0045] In step S14, the CPU 31 estimates the expected completion time of the scan job as the time it would take to perform image processing on the image information of the document scanned in step S13 using the current image processing settings accepted in step S11. As an example, the CPU 31 estimates the expected completion time of the scan job using the start time of the scan job and the expected processing time until the scan transmission is completed, which is estimated from the image feature quantities contained in the image information acquired in step S13 using known techniques. Then, the process proceeds to step S15. The expected completion time when performing image processing with the current settings is an example of "first hour".

[0046] In step S15, the CPU 31 updates the display content of the display unit 37. Specific examples of this display content will be described later, but here, the CPU 31 updates the estimated completion time of the scan job displayed on the display unit 37. Then, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0047] In step S16, the CPU 31 determines whether or not it has accepted the change to the current setting. If it determines that the change has been accepted (step S16: YES), it proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if the CPU 31 determines that it has not accepted the change to the current setting (step S16: NO), it proceeds to step S19. As an example, the CPU 31 determines that it has accepted the change to the current setting if a setting different from the current setting is selected on the reading screen described later.

[0048] In step S17, the CPU 31 estimates the expected completion time of the scan job by performing image processing on the image information of the document scanned in step S13 using the candidate settings that can be changed from the current settings, which were accepted as changes in step S16. Then, the process proceeds to step S18. The expected completion time when performing image processing with the candidate settings is an example of "second time".

[0049] In step S18, the CPU 31 updates the display content of the display unit 37. Specific examples of this display content will be described later, but here, the CPU 31 updates the estimated completion time of the scan job displayed on the display unit 37. Then, the process proceeds to step S19.

[0050] In step S19, the CPU 31 determines whether or not all documents have been scanned. If it determines that scanning is complete (step S19: YES), the process proceeds to step S20 as shown in Figure 3. On the other hand, if the CPU 31 determines that scanning of all documents is not complete (step S19: NO), the process returns to step S13. As an example, the CPU 31 determines that scanning of all documents is complete when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after all of the multiple documents placed on the paper tray of the automatic document feeder have been fed.

[0051] In step S20 shown in Figure 3, the CPU 31 updates the display content of the display unit 37. Specific examples of this display content will be described later, but in the first step S20, the CPU 31 displays the estimated completion time of the scan job, estimated using the flowchart shown in Figure 2, on the display unit 37. In subsequent steps S20, the CPU 31 updates the estimated completion time of the scan job displayed on the display unit 37. Then, the process proceeds to step S21.

[0052] In step S21, the CPU 31 performs image processing on the image information of the original document stored in the memory unit 36. The image processing in step S21 enables the scan to be sent to the destination of the scan job. Then, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0053] In step S22, the CPU 31 determines whether image processing of all documents has been completed. If it determines that image processing is complete (step S22: YES), the control process ends. On the other hand, if the CPU 31 determines that image processing of all documents has not been completed (step S22: NO), the process returns to step S20.

[0054] Next, we will explain an example of a display based on the control process shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 4 shows a first example of the display shown on the display unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 38 for setting image processing settings, the CPU 31 displays the setting screen shown in Figure 4 on the display unit 37.

[0055] The settings screen shown in Figure 4 displays an information display unit 45 and a settings display unit 50. The information display unit 45 is the part that displays information corresponding to each screen of the image forming apparatus 20. In Figure 4, the information displayed in the information display unit 45 is omitted from the illustration, but the information display unit 45 displays information corresponding to the setting screen.

[0056] The settings display section 50 is the part that shows information for setting image processing settings. For example, the settings display section 50 displays a setting button 51, a confirmation button 52, an undo button 53, and message information 54.

[0057] The setting button 51 indicates a setting that can be included in the image processing settings. For example, the setting button 51 includes setting button 51A indicating that the setting is processing A, setting button 51B indicating that it is processing B, setting button 51C indicating that it is processing C, setting button 51D indicating that it is processing D, setting button 51E indicating that it is processing E, and setting button 51F indicating that it is processing F. In Figure 4, among the multiple setting buttons 51, the setting indicated by the black setting button 51 is included in the image processing settings, while the setting indicated by the white setting button 51 is not included in the image processing settings. In other words, the setting screen shown in Figure 4 indicates that the setting indicated by setting button 51A is included in the image processing settings.

[0058] Furthermore, in the settings screen, the CPU 31 prioritizes displaying setting buttons 51 that have a greater effect on accelerating the estimated completion time compared to setting buttons 51 that have a less significant effect. In Figure 4, as a method of prioritizing display, setting buttons 51 that have a greater effect on accelerating the estimated completion time are placed higher on the display unit 37 and their dimensions are larger.

[0059] Furthermore, the CPU 31 displays information on the settings screen for each of the setting buttons 51 indicating the effect of speeding up the expected completion time. In Figure 4, this information is displayed as (Large) for setting buttons 51A and 51B, (Medium) for setting buttons 51C and 51D, and (Small) for setting buttons 51E and 51F.

[0060] The confirmation button 52 is used to confirm the image processing settings on the settings screen. The undo button 53 is used to return the image processing settings to their predetermined default settings.

[0061] Message information 54 displays various messages to the user. For example, in Figure 4, message information 54 displays "With these settings, it will take XX seconds per page." Thus, the message information 54 shown in Figure 4 indicates that if image processing is performed using the image processing settings in the settings screen, the estimated processing time per page will be XX seconds.

[0062] Figure 5 shows a second display example shown on the display unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, the CPU 31 displays the reading screen shown in Figure 5 on the display unit 37 when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 38 for performing a scan transmission.

[0063] The reading screen shown in Figure 5 displays an information display unit 45 and a setting change unit 60. Although the information displayed in the information display unit 45 is not shown in Figure 5, the information display unit 45 displays information corresponding to the reading screen.

[0064] The settings change section 60 is the part that displays information for changing the image processing settings. As an example, the settings change section 60 shown in Figure 5 displays setting information 61, a confirmation button 62, and message information 63.

[0065] The configuration information 61 displays the current image processing settings configured on the settings screen, and candidate settings that can be changed from the current settings, in a table format. The configuration information 61 includes record 61A, which shows the current settings, and records 61B, 61C, and 61D, which show the candidate settings. In addition, the configuration information 61 has items corresponding to each of the above records: "checkbox", "name", "processing content", and "expected completion time".

[0066] The "checkbox" item is the part that accepts user changes to image processing settings. In this embodiment, one checkbox is selectable. In the reading screen shown in Figure 5, a check mark is placed on the checkbox for record 61C. This indicates that the image processing settings set on the settings screen have been changed to the candidate settings shown in record 61C.

[0067] The "Name" field displays the name of the image processing setting for each record. The "Processing Details" field displays the image processing settings for each record. In Figure 5, the "Processing Details" field shows whether or not Process A and Process B are applied, but it may also display whether or not other processes such as Process C and Process D are applied.

[0068] The "Estimated Completion Time" field displays the estimated completion time when image processing is performed in the image processing settings for each record.

[0069] In Figure 5, the candidate settings include records 61C and 61D, which are candidates whose predicted completion time is earlier than when image processing is performed with the current settings, and record 61B, which is a candidate setting with a later predicted completion time. Also, in Figure 5, the records are arranged from top to bottom of the display unit 37 in order of the latest predicted completion time. Specifically, in Figure 5, the records are arranged from top to bottom of the display unit 37 in the order of record 61B, record 61A, record 61C, and record 61D.

[0070] The confirmation button 62 is used to confirm changes to the image processing settings on the scanning screen.

[0071] Message information 63 displays various messages to the user. For example, in Figure 5, message information 63 displays "With these settings, the process will finish around 14:55." Thus, the message information 63 shown in Figure 5 indicates that if image processing is performed with the candidate settings shown in record 61C, the process will finish around 14:55.

[0072] Furthermore, in the scanning screen shown in Figure 5, when a record with a check mark in the checkbox is changed, the estimated completion time displayed in message information 63 is changed accordingly. Specifically, in this case, the estimated completion time of the image processing settings shown in the checked record becomes the content displayed in message information 63. In addition, in the scanning screen, the estimated completion time displayed in setting information 61 and message information 63 is changed each time multiple documents are scanned one by one. Specifically, in this case, each time a document is scanned, the estimated processing time for that scanned document is added to the previous estimated completion time, and a new estimated completion time is displayed as the content of setting information 61 and message information 63.

[0073] Here, the example of the reading screen display is not limited to that shown in Figure 5; for example, it may be displayed as follows. Note that we will omit explanations of parts that overlap with Figure 5.

[0074] Figure 6 shows a third example of the display shown on the display unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 20. The reading screen shown in Figure 6 displays an information display unit 45 and a setting change unit 60. The setting change unit 60 displays setting information 61, a confirmation button 62, and message information 63.

[0075] Here, the number of records contained in the setting information 61 shown in Figure 6 is greater than that in Figure 5, and cannot be displayed on a single screen of the reading screen. In this case, for example, by performing a scroll operation or page-turning operation on the records, the records displayed on a single screen of the reading screen will change.

[0076] Furthermore, in Figure 6, among the multiple candidate settings, the setting with the earliest estimated completion time for image processing is displayed preferentially. In Figure 6, as a preferential display method, record 61D, which represents the candidate setting with the earliest estimated completion time, is displayed adjacent to and below record 61A, which represents the current setting. As a result, in Figure 6, records 61A, 61D, 61C, and 61B are displayed in that order from top to bottom of the display unit 37. This arrangement places record 61A, which represents the current setting, at the top, and below it, records 61B, 61C, and 61D, which represent candidate settings, are arranged in order of earliest estimated completion time.

[0077] Furthermore, in Figure 6, as a preferred display method, record 61D, which indicates the candidate setting with the earliest estimated completion time, is displayed in a different manner from records 61B and 61C. In Figure 6, this different manner is represented by hatching, but it may also be represented by differences in color, font size, etc., instead or in addition to hatching.

[0078] Figure 7 shows a fourth example of the display shown on the display unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 20. The reading screen shown in Figure 7 displays an information display unit 45 and a settings change unit 60. As an example, the settings change unit 60 displays a confirmation button 62, a setting button 64, a page selection button 65, an undo button 66, a time before change 67, and a time after change 68.

[0079] The setting button 64 indicates candidate settings that can be changed from the current setting. For example, the setting button 64 includes setting button 64A indicating that the candidate setting is process A, setting button 64B indicating that it is process B, setting button 64C indicating that it is process C, setting button 64D indicating that it is process D, setting button 64E indicating that it is process E, and setting button 64F indicating that it is process F. In Figure 7, the white-filled setting button 64 indicates that the candidate setting indicated by the white setting button 64 is not included in the image processing settings. In other words, the reading screen shown in Figure 7 indicates that the image processing settings do not include the candidate settings indicated by each setting button 64. Furthermore, the reading screen accepts the user's selection of whether or not to apply each of the multiple setting buttons 64, and the setting button 64 selected to apply is displayed in black.

[0080] Furthermore, on the reading screen, the CPU 31 prioritizes displaying setting buttons 64 that have a greater effect on accelerating the predicted completion time compared to setting buttons 64 that have a less significant effect. In Figure 7, as a method of prioritizing display, setting buttons 64 that have a greater effect on accelerating the predicted completion time are placed higher on the display unit 37 and their dimensions are larger. Note that this method of prioritizing display is not limited to the above, and setting buttons 64 that have a greater effect on accelerating the predicted completion time may be indicated by a change in color instead or in addition.

[0081] Furthermore, the CPU 31 displays information on the reading screen indicating the effect of speeding up the expected completion time on each of the setting buttons 64. In Figure 7, this information is displayed as (Large) on setting buttons 64A and 64B, (Medium) on setting buttons 64C and 64D, and (Small) on setting buttons 64E and 64F. Note that the text content displayed as this information is not limited to the above, and symbols may be displayed instead of or in addition to text to indicate this information.

[0082] The page selection button 65 is used to specify the page of the image information to be processed in the modified image processing settings. When the page selection button 65 is pressed, the CPU 31 displays a screen (not shown) for specifying the page of the image information on the display unit 37, and accepts the user's page selection on that screen. The page of the image information is an example of the "range of image information".

[0083] The Undo button 66 is used to revert the modified image processing settings back to the settings configured on the settings screen.

[0084] The pre-change time 67 indicates the estimated completion time when image processing is performed using the image processing settings configured on the settings screen. For example, in Figure 7, the pre-change time 67 is displayed as "around 15:00".

[0085] The modified time 68 indicates the estimated completion time when image processing is performed with the modified image processing settings. For example, in Figure 7, the modified time 68 is displayed as "around 14:50".

[0086] In the scanning screen shown in Figure 7, when the application status of each setting button 64 is changed, the estimated completion time displayed in the changed time 68 is changed accordingly. Specifically, in this case, the more setting buttons 64 selected as "apply," the later the estimated completion time displayed in the changed time 68 becomes, and the fewer setting buttons 64 selected as "apply," the earlier the estimated completion time displayed in the changed time 68 becomes. In addition, in this scanning screen, the estimated completion times displayed in the pre-change time 67 and changed time 68 are changed each time multiple documents are scanned one by one. Specifically, in this case, each time a document is scanned, the estimated processing time per scanned document is added to the previous estimated completion time, and a new estimated completion time is displayed in the pre-change time 67 and changed time 68.

[0087] Next, we will explain an example of the display after the confirmation button 62 is operated on any of the reading screens shown in Figures 5 to 7.

[0088] Figure 8 shows a fifth display example shown on the display unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, the CPU 31 displays the job information screen shown in Figure 8 on the display unit 37 when the confirmation button 62 is operated on any of the reading screens shown in Figures 5 to 7.

[0089] The job information screen shown in Figure 8 displays an information display unit 45 and a job display unit 70. Although the information displayed in the information display unit 45 is not shown in Figure 8, the information display unit 45 displays information corresponding to the job information screen.

[0090] The job display unit 70 is a section that displays summary information showing an overview of the job that has been accepted for execution. For example, the job display unit 70 displays job display unit 70A and job display unit 70B.

[0091] The job display unit 70A shows the following summary information: "Scan transmission in progress. Estimated completion time: around 14:50." Thus, the job display unit 70A indicates that the job is a scan job that performs a scan transmission, that the scan job is currently running, and that the estimated completion time for the scan job is around 14:50.

[0092] The job display unit 70B shows the following summary information: "Scan transmission, waiting to be executed, estimated completion time: around 15:00". Thus, the job display unit 70B indicates that the job is a scan job that performs a scan transmission, that the scan job is waiting to be executed, and that the estimated completion time for the scan job is around 15:00.

[0093] Furthermore, the job display unit 70A and the job display unit 70B also function as buttons for displaying detailed information showing the details of a job. When either the job display unit 70A or the job display unit 70B is operated, the CPU 31 displays a job details screen showing detailed information on the display unit 37.

[0094] Figure 9 shows a sixth display example shown on the display unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, when the job display unit 70A is operated on the job information screen shown in Figure 8, the CPU 31 displays the job details screen shown in Figure 9 on the display unit 37.

[0095] The job details screen shown in Figure 9 displays an information display unit 45 and a job display unit 80. Although the information displayed in the information display unit 45 is not shown in Figure 9, the information display unit 45 displays information corresponding to the job details screen.

[0096] The job display unit 80 is the part that displays detailed information about the job corresponding to the job display unit 70 operated on the job information screen shown in Figure 8. For example, the job display unit 80 includes a job name display unit 81, a user name display unit 82, a start time display unit 83, and an estimated end time display unit 84.

[0097] The job name display unit 81 is the part that shows the job name, which is the name of the job. For example, in Figure 9, the job name display unit 81 displays "Job name Scan 123".

[0098] The username display section 82 shows the username of the user who instructed the job to run. As an example, in Figure 9, the username display section 82 displays "Username User A".

[0099] The start time display section 83 shows the start time when the job execution began. For example, in Figure 9, the start time display section 83 displays "Start time 14:45".

[0100] The estimated completion time display unit 84 shows the estimated completion time of the job. As an example, in Figure 9, the estimated completion time display unit 84 displays "Estimated completion time: around 14:50".

[0101] Here, the job display unit 70 on the job information screen and the job display unit 80 on the job details screen display the estimated completion time when image processing is performed using the image processing settings set on the scanning screen. Subsequently, the estimated completion time displayed in the job display unit 70 and the job display unit 80 changes each time the image information of the scanned documents is scanned and sent one page at a time. Specifically, in this case, each time the image information is scanned and sent one page at a time, a new estimated completion time is displayed in the job display unit 70 and the job display unit 80, which is calculated by adding the difference between the processing time per page and the estimated processing time to the estimated completion time.

[0102] In the image forming apparatus 20, after scanning multiple documents with the automatic document feeder, image processing is performed on the image information of those documents. Therefore, there is a time lag between when the documents are released and when the scan transmission is completed. In addition, even if image processing settings are pre-configured in the image forming apparatus 20, the settings may be changed from those settings to different image processing settings. In this case, the new image processing settings are determined by selecting an arbitrary setting from a list of candidate settings such as character recognition and skew correction.

[0103] In this case, users may not be aware that changing to new image processing settings will alter the image processing time, for example, the estimated completion time. Therefore, depending on the changed image processing settings, users may be made to wait unexpectedly until the scan transmission is complete, and there is room for improvement.

[0104] Therefore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 estimates the expected completion time when image processing is performed on the image information to be processed with the current settings. The CPU 31 then presents the user with the estimated completion time, candidate settings that can be changed from the current settings, and the estimated completion time when image processing is performed on the image information with the candidate settings (see Figures 5, 6, and 7). As a result, according to the image forming apparatus 20, the user can understand the estimated completion time which will be updated by changing the image processing settings.

[0105] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 presents the user with candidate settings where the predicted completion time is earlier than the predicted completion time when image processing is performed with the current settings, and candidate settings where the predicted completion time is later than the predicted completion time when image processing is performed with the current settings (see Figures 5 and 6). As a result, with the image forming apparatus 20, the user can understand which predicted completion times will be earlier and which will be later by changing the image processing settings.

[0106] Furthermore, if there are multiple candidate settings whose predicted completion time is earlier than the predicted completion time when image processing is performed with the current settings, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 prioritizes presenting the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time to the user (see Figure 6). As a result, the image forming apparatus 20 can increase the user's attention to the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time compared to presenting multiple candidate settings in a common manner.

[0107] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 displays the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time adjacent to the current setting (see Figure 6). As a result, with the image forming apparatus 20, the distance the user's gaze travels from the current setting to the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time is shorter compared to when the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time is not displayed adjacent to the current setting.

[0108] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 presents the user with multiple candidate settings, each with different configurable options. The CPU 31 then accepts the user's selection of whether or not to apply each of the candidate settings (see Figure 7). As a result, with the image forming apparatus 20, the user can understand the estimated completion time corresponding to the candidate setting they have selected.

[0109] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 prioritizes presenting the user with the candidate settings that have a greater effect in accelerating the expected completion time compared to the candidate settings that have a less significant effect (see Figure 7). As a result, the image forming apparatus 20 can increase the user's attention to the candidate settings that have a greater effect in accelerating the expected completion time compared to when multiple candidate settings are presented in a common manner.

[0110] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 displays information indicating the effect of shortening the expected completion time for each of the multiple candidate settings (see Figure 7). This allows the user to understand the effect of shortening the expected completion time for each of the multiple candidate settings according to the image forming apparatus 20.

[0111] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 accepts changes to the current settings from the start to the end of image information reading. This allows the image forming apparatus 20 to adjust the expected completion time while image information is being read.

[0112] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 specifies the page of image information to be processed in the candidate settings. This allows the image forming apparatus 20 to adjust the expected completion time for the specified page of image information.

[0113] (others) Next, we will explain the relationship between file size and image processing time using Figure 10. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between file size and image processing time. In Figure 10, as an example, the image processing time is defined as the OCR processing time. The vertical axis of Figure 10 shows "OCR processing time (seconds)," and the horizontal axis shows "file size of the original document (MB)." In Figure 10, data d1, indicated by a diamond (◇), shows data where there is a correlation between file size and OCR processing time, while data d2, indicated by a black square (■), shows data where there is no correlation between file size and OCR processing time.

[0114] As shown in Figure 10, generally speaking, the larger the file size, the longer the OCR processing time tends to be.

[0115] Here, if the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 20 finds that the image information of the scanned document does not correlate well with the file size and the OCR processing time, it may perform preprocessing on the image information before performing image processing. Examples of cases where such characteristics are found include when at least a part of the document contains a photograph, when the document has background blur, and when at least a part of the document contains a table. In this case, the CPU 31, for example, removes the background blur from the image information through preprocessing, and then performs image processing on the image information. As a result, the image forming apparatus 20 can improve the correlation between the file size and the OCR processing time and reduce the error between the expected completion time and the actual completion time compared to when image processing is performed without preprocessing.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the image processing settings configured on the settings screen (see Figure 4) were used as the current settings. However, the system is not limited to this, and the initial settings of a predetermined set of image processing settings may be used as the current settings without providing a settings screen.

[0117] In the above embodiment, the user was presented with candidate settings where the expected completion time was earlier or later than the expected completion time when image processing was performed with the current settings (see Figures 5 and 6). However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the user may be presented with either a candidate setting where the expected completion time is earlier or later than the expected completion time when image processing was performed with the current settings.

[0118] In the above embodiment, record 61D, which shows the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time, is displayed below and adjacent to record 61A, which shows the current setting (see Figure 6). However, the direction of adjacency is not limited to below; the candidate setting with the earliest predicted completion time may be displayed above, to the left, or to the right of the current setting.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the page of the image information was used as an example of the "range of the image information," but it is not limited to this, and it is also possible to specify an area within a single page of the image information as the "range of the image information."

[0120] In the above embodiment, the estimated completion time when image processing is performed with the current settings was used as an example of "first hour." However, the "first hour" may not be limited to this, and the estimated processing time until image processing is completed with the current settings may also be used as an example of "first hour."

[0121] In the above embodiment, the estimated completion time when performing image processing with the candidate settings was used as an example of "second time". However, the "second time" may not be limited to this, and the estimated processing time until image processing is completed with the candidate settings may also be used as an example.

[0122] In each of the embodiments described above, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0123] Furthermore, the processor operations in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0124] 20 Image forming apparatus (an example of an image processing apparatus) 31 CPUs (Examples of Processors)

Claims

1. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, A first time is estimated, which is the time it takes to perform the image processing on the image information to be processed using the current settings of the image processing settings. The user is presented with the first time, a candidate setting that can be changed from the current setting, and a second time which is the time it takes to perform the image processing on the image information using the candidate setting. The user is presented with a candidate setting in which the second time is later than the first time. Image processing device.

2. The aforementioned processor, The user is presented with a candidate setting in which the second time is earlier than the first time. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned processor, If there are multiple candidate settings where the second time is earlier than the first time, the candidate setting with the earliest second time will be presented to the user first. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned processor, The setting of the candidate with the earliest second time is displayed adjacent to the current setting. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned processor, The user is presented with multiple candidate settings, each with different configurable options. For each of the multiple candidate settings, the user can choose whether or not to apply them. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned processor, Among the multiple candidate settings, the candidate setting that has a greater effect on reducing the image processing time is presented to the user with priority over the candidate setting that has a less significant effect on reducing the processing time. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned processor, For each of the multiple candidate settings, information indicating the effect of reducing the image processing time is displayed. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The aforementioned processor, From the start to the end of reading the aforementioned image information, the system accepts changes to the current settings. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The aforementioned processor, The range of the image information to be processed is specified in the above candidate settings. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. On the computer, A first time is estimated, which is the time it takes to perform the image processing on the image information to be processed using the current settings of the image processing settings. The user is presented with the first time, a candidate setting that can be changed from the current setting, and a second time which is the time it takes to perform the image processing on the image information using the candidate setting. The user is presented with a candidate setting in which the second time is later than the first time. An image processing program to execute the processing.

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