Information processing device and program

Abstract

To provide an image processing apparatus that can store an electronic file including a mask area with an appropriate name.SOLUTION: A CPU 211 of an MFP 110 displays a preview of a scan image on a display of an operating unit 220, receives designation of a mask area where masking is performed on the scan image, receives designation of a character area including character information used for storage of the scan image, and when there is an overlap area where the mask area and the character area overlap each other, displays the preview so that a user can recognize the overlap area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to information processing equipment reference and programs, and particularly relates to a technique for masking a scanned image for printing or transmitting it to a cloud service or the like for storage.

Background Art

[0002] There are cases where electronic data of a scanned image generated by reading a document with a scanner is shared with others. In such a case, when the scanned image is of a document containing personal information or secrets such as identity documents, application forms, contracts, design drawings, etc., masking (so-called blacking out) may be performed to cover a part (for example, confidential matters) in the scanned image with black so that it cannot be seen.

[0003] As a method for masking a part of a scanned image generated by reading a document with a scanner, there are a method of masking at a preset position and a method of specifying the position to be masked manually. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing apparatus that performs a masking process on the electronic data of N documents (N≧2) based on mask position designation information specifying a mask position in units of pages, and generates N electronic files divided for each number of pages included in the mask position designation information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] MFPs (multifunction printers) are known to have a function that allows them to link with cloud services as a destination for saving scanned images generated by a scanner as electronic files. Users can send electronic files created with the MFP to a cloud service of their choice. One of the purposes of sending scanned image electronic files to a cloud service is to change the storage and sharing of documents from traditional printed materials to electronic files. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to easily retrieve desired electronic files from a large number of saved electronic files, and one method to achieve this is to use the document information contained in the electronic file as the file name. For example, it is conceivable to use the information contained in the document within the electronic file as the file name or folder name, such as using text strings or barcode information from the scanned image.

[0006] In this case, whether or not it is permissible to use information from under the masked area (hereinafter referred to as the "masked area") in the filename of an electronic file of a scanned image that includes the masked area depends on the intended use of the electronic file. In other words, if you share an electronic file with someone you do not want to disclose the information under the masked area to, or if you disclose the location where the electronic file is saved to such someone, you cannot use information from under the masked area in the filename or folder name. On the other hand, if it is for personal storage purposes, using information from under the masked area in the filename can increase convenience. The same considerations apply to folder names when storing electronic files in folders.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and makes it possible to save an electronic file including a mask region with an appropriate name. information The objective is to provide a processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a display control means for displaying a scanned image on a display means, a mask area setting means for setting a mask area for filling in a part of the scanned image, and the scanned image The filename used for the file generated based on this is for use in the file. Textual information From the aforementioned scan image The system includes a character recognition area setting means for setting a character recognition area to be acquired by character recognition processing, and a setting means for setting a character recognition area to be filled in by the character recognition area setting means, wherein the setting means sets the area to be filled in using positional information of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting means. The area to be filled in is: The information of the position of the character recognition area is used to set case and set by the mask region setting means Depending on the situation , different colors Show It is characterized by being. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to save an electronic file including a mask region with an appropriate name. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of the image processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the MFP. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of external storage. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional blocks (software configuration) of an MFP. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the processes performed by the MFP. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a masking method selection screen. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a preset selection screen. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a scan screen. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart for the area selection process. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing an example of a preview screen. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing an example of area information stored in the MFP. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing an example of a name input screen and a save destination setting screen. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing an example of a process selection screen. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing an example of an execution confirmation screen. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing an example of preset information stored in the MFP.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image processing system including an image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image processing system is configured by communicably connecting the MFP 110 and the external storage 120 via the Internet. The MFP 110 is connected to an external storage 120, which is a cloud service that provides various services on the Internet, via a LAN (not shown) (see FIG. 2). The external storage 120 is not limited to one unit, and there may be a plurality of units.

[0013] The MFP 110 is a multifunction device having a plurality of functions such as a scanner and a printer, and is an example of an image forming apparatus. It has a function of scanning a document to generate an image file and transferring the generated image file to an external storage service or the like capable of file storage. The external storage 120 stores various data such as image files received via the Internet, and also executes a service for acquiring various data from an external device via a web browser.

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the MFP110. The MFP110 includes a control unit 210, an operation unit 220, a printer unit 221, a scanner unit 222, and a modem 223. The control unit 210 includes a CPU 211, ROM 212, RAM 213, HDD 214, operation unit I / F 215, printer I / F 216, scanner I / F 217, modem I / F 218, and network I / F 219.

[0015] The CPU 211 controls the overall operation of the MFP 110 by reading control programs stored in the ROM 212 and HDD 214 into the RAM 213 and executing them, thereby performing various functions of the MFP 110 such as reading, printing, and communication. The ROM 212 stores programs such as the OS that the CPU 211 executes to control the operation of the MFP 110, as well as parameters necessary for program execution. The RAM 213 is used as a temporary storage means for the CPU 211's main memory and work area. In this embodiment, one CPU 211 executes each process shown in the flowchart described later using one storage means (RAM 213 or HDD 214). However, the processing is not limited to this configuration, and for example, each process may be executed by having multiple CPUs and multiple RAMs or HDDs cooperate.

[0016] HDD214 is a large-capacity storage unit that stores image data and various programs. The operation unit I / F215 is an interface that connects the operation unit 220 and the control unit 210. The operation unit 220 has a display device such as an LCD monitor with a touch panel, a keyboard, etc., and accepts user input and notifies the CPU 211 of instructions corresponding to the input.

[0017] The printer interface 216 connects the printer unit 221 and the control unit 210. Print data is transferred from the control unit 210 to the printer unit 221 via the printer interface 216, and printed on a recording medium such as paper of a predetermined size in the printer unit 221. The scanner interface 217 connects the scanner unit 222 and the control unit 210. The scanner unit 222 reads a document set on a document glass (not shown) or an automatic document feeder (ADF) to generate image data, and inputs it to the control unit 210 via the scanner interface 217. The MFP110 can make copies of the image data generated by the scanner unit 222 and output them as printed materials from the printer unit 221, and can also send files externally or send them via email.

[0018] The modem interface 218 connects the modem 223 and the control unit 210. The modem 223 transmits and receives image data via facsimile communication with a facsimile machine (not shown) on the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). The network interface 219 connects the control unit 210 (MFP110) to the LAN. The MFP110 can transmit image data and information to various services on the Internet using the network interface 219, and can also receive various types of information.

[0019] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the external storage 120. The external storage 120 has a control unit 310. The control unit 310 has a CPU 311, ROM 312, RAM 313, HDD 314, and network I / F 315.

[0020] The CPU 311 controls the overall operation of the external storage 120 by reading the control program stored in the ROM 312 into the RAM 313 and executing it. The ROM 312 stores programs that the CPU 311 can execute, as well as parameters necessary for program execution. The RAM 313 is used as a temporary storage means for the CPU 311's main memory and work area. The HDD 314 is a large-capacity storage device that stores image data and various programs. The network I / F 315 is an interface that connects the external storage 120 to the internet. The external storage 120 performs processing such as sending, receiving, and saving various information in response to requests notified from external devices such as the MFP 110 via the network I / F 315.

[0021] Figure 4 shows the functional blocks (software configuration) of the MFP110. The functional blocks of the MFP110 can be broadly divided into two parts: the native functional unit 410 and the additional functional unit 420. Each functional unit is realized when the CPU 211 reads a program stored in the ROM 212 or HDD 214 into the RAM 213 and executes it.

[0022] The scan execution unit 411, image data storage unit 412, and print execution unit 413 included in the native function unit 410 are standard features of the MFP110. The additional function unit 420 includes a display control unit 421, a scan instruction unit 422, an image processing unit 423, a data management unit 424, a print instruction unit 425, a data conversion unit 426, and an external storage access unit 427. Each unit included in the additional function unit 420 is an application installed in addition to the MFP110. The additional function unit 420 is a Java®-based application, and therefore, adding functions to the MFP110 can be easily done. Note that other additional applications (not shown) may be installed on the MFP110.

[0023] This section explains the functions of each functional block of the MFP110, primarily using the generation, processing, saving, and printing of scanned images as examples.

[0024] The display control unit 421 displays a UI screen on the display device, which is an element of the operation unit 220, to accept user operations. For example, the display control unit 421 displays a UI screen on the display device of the operation unit 220 to accept operations such as scan settings, scan start, scan image preview, specification of mask area (area to be masked) described later, output settings, and output start.

[0025] The scan instruction unit 422 requests the scan execution unit 411 to perform a scan according to the scan settings entered from the UI screen. When the scan execution unit 411 receives a scan request including the scan settings from the scan instruction unit 422, it drives the scanner unit 222 according to the scan request to optically read the document and generate a scanned image (image data). The generated scanned image is sent to the image data storage unit 412, which saves the scanned image received from the scan execution unit 411 to the HDD 214. At that time, the scan execution unit 411 sends an image identifier that uniquely identifies the scanned image to be saved to the scan instruction unit 422. The image identifier consists of a number, symbol, alphabet, etc., to uniquely identify the scanned image in the MFP 110.

[0026] The image processing unit 423 performs, for example, analysis and processing on the scanned image. Specifically, the image processing unit 423 receives an image identifier from the scan instruction unit 422 and retrieves the scanned image corresponding to the image identifier from the image data storage unit 412. The image processing unit 423 performs recognition processing on the retrieved scanned image, such as character area analysis, optical character recognition (OCR), barcode area analysis, and image rotation and tilt correction. The image processing unit 423 also generates a mask composite image (data) by compositing a mask image onto the scanned image according to the area specification processing corresponding to the mask area entered from the UI screen, and instructs the image data storage unit 412 to save it. The area specification processing will be described later with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9 and related attached drawings. The image processing unit 423 then transmits the image identifier to the print instruction unit 425, the data conversion unit 426, and the external storage access unit 427 according to the output settings set for the mask composite image.

[0027] The data management unit 424 stores information such as coordinates, file names, and save locations specified in the area designation process, associating them with the image identifier. The data management unit 424 also saves the coordinates, file names, and save locations specified in the area designation process as preset information on the HDD 214.

[0028] The print instruction unit 425 transmits a print processing request corresponding to the print settings entered from the UI screen and an image identifier received from the image processing unit 423 to the print execution unit 413. The print execution unit 413 receives the print processing request and image identifier transmitted from the print instruction unit 425, retrieves the image data (scanned image or mask composite image) corresponding to the image identifier from the image data storage unit 412, and generates print data according to the print processing request. The print execution unit 413 transmits the generated print data to the printer unit 221 via the printer I / F 216, and the printer unit 221 prints the scanned image or mask composite image onto the recording medium.

[0029] The data conversion unit 426 retrieves image data (scanned images or masked composite images) corresponding to the image identifier received from the image processing unit 423 from the image data storage unit 412 and converts it to a file format according to the output settings entered from the UI screen. The data conversion unit 426 also retrieves the file name corresponding to the image identifier received from the image processing unit 423 from the data management unit 424, sets it as the file name of the converted file, and sends the converted file and its corresponding image identifier to the data management unit 424. The data management unit 424 stores the file received from the data conversion unit 426, associating it with the image identifier.

[0030] The external storage access unit 427 sends processing requests to cloud services and other services that provide storage functions (storage services). Cloud services generally save files to cloud storage using protocols such as REST and SOAP, and expose various interfaces for retrieving saved files from external devices. The external storage access unit 427 operates the cloud service using the exposed interfaces of the cloud service. The external storage access unit 427 also obtains the file and transmission information corresponding to the image identifier received from the image processing unit 423 from the data management unit 424. Then, using the transmission information obtained from the data management unit 424, the external storage access unit 427 sends the file obtained from the data management unit 424 to the external storage 120 via the network interface.

[0031] Next, we will explain the processes performed by the MFP110. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process flow in which the MFP110 combines a mask image with a scanned image, creates a file, and sends it to the external storage 120 (cloud storage). Each process (step) indicated by the S number in this flowchart is realized by the CPU 211 reading the control program stored in the ROM 212 and HDD 214 into the RAM 213 and comprehensively controlling the operation of each part of the MFP110. Since the CPU 211 acts as each of the functional units shown in Figure 4 for each process in this flowchart, we will explain each process with the CPU 211 as the executing entity.

[0032] Before starting S501, the CPU 211 displays a main screen (not shown) on the display device of the operation unit 220, which has buttons for running applications provided by the MFP 110. An additional application (hereinafter referred to as the "masking application") that masks a portion of the scanned image and sends it to the cloud service becomes available by additional installation on the MFP 110. Once the masking application is installed on the MFP 110, a button for instructing the CPU 211 on the specifications of the masking application is displayed on the main screen, and when the CPU 211 detects that the button has been pressed, it starts processing S501.

[0033] In S501, the CPU 211 starts (loads and executes) the masking application. In S502, the CPU 211 displays the masking method selection screen, which is the initial screen of the masking application, on the display device of the operation unit 220. Figure 6 shows an example of the masking method selection screen. The masking method selection screen 600 in Figure 6 has a preset selection button 601 and a manual selection button 602. The preset selection button 601 is a button that displays a list of settings registered as presets on the display device of the operation unit 220. A preset here is a function that saves settings such as scan settings, mask areas, and file saving information that have been set once to the HDD 214 for reuse. The manual selection button 602 is the initial value of the masking application and is a button for manually setting various settings.

[0034] In S503, the CPU 211 determines whether the preset selection button 601 was pressed (selected) on the mask method selection screen 600. If the CPU 211 determines that the preset selection button 601 was pressed (Yes in S503), it executes the process in S504. On the other hand, if the CPU 211 determines that the preset selection button 601 was not pressed, that is, that the manual selection button 602 was pressed (No in S503), it executes the process in S505.

[0035] In S504, the CPU 211 displays the preset list screen on the display device of the operation unit 220. Figure 7 shows an example of the preset list screen. The preset list screen 700 shown in Figure 7 includes at least one preset button 701 and a back button 702. The preset button 701 is represented by the registered document name, etc. The CPU 211 uses the setting value stored in association with the button ID of the pressed preset button 701 in subsequent processing. The button ID is an ID generated by the data management unit 424 when the preset button 701 is registered, and consists of a number, symbol, alphabet, etc. to uniquely identify the registered setting value group. The back button 702 is a button for returning from the preset list screen 700 to the mask method selection screen 600.

[0036] In S505, CPU211 displays the scan screen. Figure 8 shows an example of the scan screen. The scan screen 800 in Figure 8 includes an output settings field 801, a file format specification field 802, a scan settings field 803, a scan button 804, a page count display area 805, a back button 806, and a next button 807.

[0037] The output settings section 801 is a button that specifies how the masked scanned image will be output, allowing you to select either print, save, or both. The file format specification section 802 is active when output including "save" (i.e., "print and save" or "save only") is set in the output settings section 801, and is a button that specifies the file format when saving the masked composite image. The scan settings section 803 is a group of buttons for setting the scanning conditions of the original document, and accepts changes to the settings for "original size," "color," "double-sided," and "advanced settings." In "advanced settings," you can change and set the resolution, image quality, mixed original sizes, density, etc.

[0038] The scan button 804 is used to perform a scan of the document according to the conditions set in the scan settings section 803. The page count display area 805 displays the number of scanned pages of the document. The back button 806 is used to return to the previous screen. When the back button 806 is pressed, the display switches to either the mask method selection screen 600 in Figure 6 or the preset list screen 700 in Figure 7, depending on the route taken to S505. The next button 807 is used to transition to a UI screen for analyzing the scanned image, and becomes active when the document scan is complete.

[0039] For example, if the S503 determination is 'No', the CPU 211 displays the scan screen 800 with the output settings and scan settings to be retained as initial values ​​for the masking application set in the output settings field 801, file format specification field 802, and scan settings field 803. On the other hand, for example, if "Insurance Card" is selected from the preset buttons 701, the CPU 211 reads the settings associated with the button ID of "Insurance Card". Then, the CPU 211 displays the scan screen 800 with the read settings reflected in the output settings field 801, file format specification field 802, and scan settings field 803.

[0040] When the user places the document to be scanned on the document glass or ADF and presses the scan button 804, the CPU 211 starts processing S506. In S506, the CPU 211 performs the scan and generates a scanned image, which is image data of the document digitized. It also generates an image identifier that uniquely identifies the generated scanned image and saves the generated scanned image and image identifier in association with each other on the HDD 214. Each time the generation of a scanned image for one page is completed, the number of scanned pages displayed in the page count display area 805 is incremented.

[0041] After the scanning of the document to be scanned is complete, when the user presses the Next button 807, the CPU 211 starts processing S507. In S507, the CPU 211 performs the scanning image analysis process. The scanning image analysis process is performed by the CPU 211 functioning as the image processing unit 423. The image processing unit 423 analyzes the character areas present in the image and saves the analysis results, including the coordinates of the character areas and the characters within them, to the HDD 214, associating them with the image identifier. If a region determined to be a two-dimensional barcode or a three-dimensional barcode is detected during the scanning image analysis process, the CPU 211 obtains the coordinates of the barcode and the information corresponding to the barcode, includes them in the analysis results, and saves them to the HDD 214, associating them with the image identifier.

[0042] In S508, CPU211 executes region specification processing. Here, we will explain the region specification processing in detail. Figure 9 is a flowchart of the region specification processing. The content of the region specification processing changes depending on whether "Preset" is selected on the mask method selection screen 600 and whether an output including "Save" is selected in the output setting field 801 of the scan screen 800. Therefore, the following explanation will be divided into cases as appropriate.

[0043] In S901, CPU211 determines whether an output including "Save" was selected in the output settings field 801 of the scan screen 800 (i.e., whether "Print and Save" or "Save Only" was selected). If CPU211 determines that an output including "Save" was selected (Yes in S901), it executes process S902. The following explanation will cover the case where "Print and Save" was selected in S901.

[0044] In S902, CPU211 determines whether "Preset" was pressed (selected) on the mask method selection screen 600. If CPU211 determines that "Manual" was pressed (No in S902), it executes the process in S904. Next, assuming that the process proceeds from S902 to S904, the processes in S905 to S911 will be explained, and the case where the determination in S902 is 'Yes' and the process in S903 is executed will be described later.

[0045] In S904, the CPU 211 displays the preview screen on the display device of the operation unit 220. Figure 10(a) shows an example of the preview screen displayed with the initial settings of the masking application. The scanned image obtained in S506 is displayed as the preview image 1002 in the preview area 1001 of the preview screen 1000 in Figure 10(a).

[0046] The preview screen 1000 has a delete button 1003, a zoom out button 1004, a full display button 1005, a zoom in button 1006, a previous page button 1007, a page display area 1008, a next page button 1009, a color selection button 1010, and a transparency display button 1011.

[0047] The delete button 1003 is used to delete the selected mask area or OCR area on the preview image 1002. The zoom out button 1004 is used to reduce the display magnification of the preview image 1002 and display it in a reduced size. The full display button 1005 is used to change the display magnification of the preview image 1002 to the maximum magnification that fits within the preview area 1001 and display it. The zoom in button 1006 is used to increase the display magnification of the preview image 1002 and display it in a magnified size. Note that if the display magnification is changed to a larger value than that set by the full display button 1005 by operating the zoom in button 1006, a portion of the preview image 1002 will no longer be displayed in the preview area 1001. At this time, although not shown in the illustration, a scroll bar will be displayed in the preview area 1001 to move the display area of ​​the preview image 1002 within the preview area 1001.

[0048] The previous page button 1007 is used to display the scanned image of the previous page as a preview image 1002 when there are multiple pages of scanned images. The page display area 1008 displays the page number of the currently displayed scanned image and the total number of pages. The next page button 1009 is used to display the scanned image of the next page as a preview image 1002 when there are multiple pages of scanned images.

[0049] The color selection button 1010 is used to specify the color (masking color) to be applied to the mask area. The transparency display button 1011 is used to display the mask area semi-transparently on the preview image 1002. By enabling semi-transparency display, the preview image 1002 is displayed in a way that allows the user to see the text and other elements beneath the mask area.

[0050] The preview screen 1000 has five mode switching buttons 1012 to 1016. These five mode switching buttons 1012 to 1016 are used to add or select various areas within the preview screen 1000, and they switch exclusively, allowing only one to be selected at a time.

[0051] The first mode switching button 1012 is for switching to a mode that allows you to select a mask area that has already been added (configured) to the preview image 1002. The second mode switching button 1013 is for switching to a mode that allows you to add a new mask area to the preview image 1002. The third mode switching button 1014 is for switching to a mode that allows you to specify a character area on the preview image 1002 that will be used for file names and folder names. The fourth mode switching button 1015 is for switching to a mode that allows you to specify a barcode area on the preview image 1002 that will be used for file names and folder names. The fifth mode switching button 1016 is for switching to a mode that allows you to insert an image that has been pre-registered in the MFP 110 as a mask.

[0052] When one of the second to fourth mode switching buttons 1013 to 1015 is selected, the addition or specification of various areas can be performed by the user touching the preview area 100 with their finger or the like. For example, when the CPU 211 detects a touch operation within the preview area 1001, it starts drawing a rectangle starting from the touch position. After the user moves their finger while touching the screen (touch panel) of the operation unit 220, the CPU 211 detects that the finger has left the screen and displays a rectangle ending at that point. The area of ​​this rectangle becomes the newly added mask area, the newly specified character amount area, or the barcode area.

[0053] In the mode for adding a mask area, the color set by the color selection button 1010 is reflected in the inserted rectangle, and the coordinates and color of the start and end points of the rectangle are stored in the HDD 214. In the mode for specifying a text area, the CPU 211 obtains and stores the string and its coordinates contained within the coordinates of the inserted rectangle from the analysis results of the scanned image performed by S507. At this time, the selected string may be displayed to the user in an easily understandable way, such as by drawing a line around the corresponding string on the preview image 1002. In the mode for specifying a barcode area, the CPU 211 obtains and stores the coordinates of the barcode contained within the coordinates of the inserted rectangle and the value (number, string, etc.) read from the barcode from the barcode, from the analysis results of the scanned image performed by S507. At this time, the selected barcode may be displayed to the user in an easily understandable way, such as by drawing a line around the corresponding barcode on the preview image.

[0054] When the CPU 211 detects that the fifth mode switching button 1016 has been pressed, it displays a screen (not shown) on the display device of the operation unit 220 showing a list of images registered as masks. When the CPU 211 detects that the user has selected any image, it inserts the selected image into the preview area 1001. Once the image insertion is complete, the first mode switching button 1012 is automatically enabled, allowing the user to move and resize the image.

[0055] The preview screen 1000 includes a save location display area 1017 that displays the external storage 120 and folder path set as the save location for scanned images, etc., in the MFP 110. As will be explained in more detail later, the folder name of the save location folder path can use strings or barcode values ​​obtained from scanned images. The save location display area 1017 also includes an edit button 1018 for displaying an editing screen on the display device of the operation unit 220, which is used to set or change the external storage and folder path of the save location.

[0056] The preview screen 1000 is provided with a file name display area 1019 that displays the file name set for the scanned image (masked composite image). Similar to folder names, the file name can use strings or barcode values ​​from the scanned image. The file name display area 1019 is provided with an edit button 1020 for displaying an editing screen for setting or changing the file name on the display device of the operation unit 220.

[0057] The preview screen 1000 has a back button 1021 for returning to the previous scan screen 800 and a next button 1022 for completing the operation on the preview screen 1000 and proceeding to the next process.

[0058] Figure 10(b) is an example screen showing the state in which mask areas and text areas have been specified for preview image 1002, and shows the state in which mask areas 1023 to 1026 have been specified for preview image 1002 by the user. Mask areas 1023 to 1026 are displayed as rectangles filled with the arbitrary color specified as the mask color. In addition, labels "Mask 1" to "Mask 4" (speech bubble illustration and text description) are displayed adjacent to each of the mask areas 1023 to 1026 to distinguish each area. Furthermore, the text area 1027 that overlaps with the mask area of ​​Mask 4 is labeled "OCR1" to indicate that it is a text area.

[0059] The mask area 1023 is the selected mask area in the mode in which the first mode switching button 1012 is selected. The mask area 1023 is highlighted, such as by displaying a thicker border, so that the user can easily recognize its selection status. The color of the border indicating the selected mask area can be changed using the color selection button 1010. In addition, square icons are displayed on all four sides and corners of the mask area 1023 to let the user know that the mask area can be re-edited. When the user drags one of the square icons, the point or line on the diagonal where the square is displayed becomes the starting point, and the mask area can be expanded or contracted in the direction from which it was moved. Therefore, the user can adjust the shape and size of the mask area by dragging the square icons. If a mask area other than the selected mask area (a mask area that is not highlighted) is dragged, that mask area will move according to the drag operation while maintaining its current size.

[0060] When the delete button 1003 is pressed while a masked area is selected, the masking of the selected masked area is released. The display mode of the delete button 1003 may be controlled so that it is only enabled when a masked area is selected. For example, when the CPU 211 detects that the delete button 1003 has been pressed in the state shown in Figure 10(b), it removes the mask color and highlighting applied to the masked area 1023, and deletes the coordinate information stored corresponding to the masked area.

[0061] In masked areas 1023-1026, it is possible to see information such as text within each area. This is because the transparency button 1011 is enabled (selected). When the transparency button 1011 is deselected, the user will no longer be able to see the text or other information within masked areas 1023-1026.

[0062] The text area 1027 in the preview image 1002 contains the string in the mask area 1026 specified by the mode selected by the third mode switching button 1014. Unlike the mask area, the text area is displayed with a border that does not have a fill color. At this time, a label such as "OCR1" is displayed in addition to "Mask 4" etc. to distinguish the text area from the mask area. The color of the border indicating the text area can be changed using the color selection button 1010.

[0063] Figure 11(a) is a diagram showing the region information, such as coordinates, that is held for each region specified in the preview screen 1000 of Figure 10(b). The region information 1100A in Figure 11(a) consists of ID 1101, type 1102, start point 1103, end point 1104, and value 1105.

[0064] ID 1101 is a value that uniquely identifies the information of each region. Type 1102 indicates the type of region, which can be a mask, text, barcode, image, etc. Start point 1103 is a value that indicates the start point of the region, and is represented by coordinates (X,Y) indicating the horizontal and vertical positions with the top left corner of the preview image 1002 as the origin. End point 1104 is a value that indicates the end point of the region, and is represented by the coordinates of the bottom right point of the region. Therefore, each region is represented by a rectangle with the coordinates of the start point 1103 as the top left point and the coordinates of the end point 1104 as the bottom right point.

[0065] The value 1105 represents information related to each area: in the case of a mask area, it is the mask color (color code); in the case of a text area, it is the string obtained by OCR; in the case of a barcode area, it is the string obtained from the barcode; and in the case of an image inserted from elsewhere, it is the path of the image used. Figure 11(a) shows that four mask areas (MSK1~4) and one text area (OCR1) corresponding to the area information of preview area 1001 in Figure 10(b) are stored. Figure 11(b) will be discussed later.

[0066] Next, the method for setting the file name of the scanned composite image will be explained. When the CPU 211 detects that the file name editing button 1020 has been pressed, it transitions the preview screen 1000 to the name input screen. Figure 12(a) shows an example of the name input screen. The name input screen 1230 in Figure 12(a) has a display area 1231 that displays the set file name. The name input screen 1230 corresponds to the preview screen 1000 in Figure 10(b).

[0067] The name input screen 1230 displays the first to fourth input assistance areas 1232 to 1235 used for entering file names. The first input assistance area 1232 has a group of buttons for entering fixed text, allowing users to enter arbitrary text or pre-defined delimiters (hyphens, underscores, spaces, etc.) into the file name. For example, if "Text" is selected, a text input keyboard (not shown) is displayed on the display device of the operation unit 220, allowing the user to enter arbitrary text.

[0068] The second to fourth input assistance areas 1233 to 1235 are provided with groups of buttons for inputting variable values ​​into the file name, the values ​​of which change depending on the scan date and time and information obtained from the scanned image. The second input assistance area 1233 is provided with buttons for inputting the scan date and time information into the file name, and it is possible to easily input the date and time information into the file name by using the "year / month / day / hour / minute / second" buttons.

[0069] The third input assistance area 1234 is provided with buttons for inputting character information obtained from the character area specified in the preview area 1001 into the file name. Here, the string in character area 1027 in Figure 10(b) is displayed as a single button, and the button displays a number corresponding to the label of the character area as identification information. When the button displayed in the third input assistance area is pressed, the string in the button (in this case, 987654321) is added to the file name. Note that if there are multiple character areas in the third input assistance area 1234, the number of buttons will be displayed accordingly, and if there are no character areas, "No area specified" will be displayed.

[0070] The fourth input assistance area 1235 is provided with a button for inputting character information obtained from the barcode area specified in the preview area 1001 into the file name. Note that in Figure 12(a), "No area specified" is displayed, indicating that no area has been specified, and the button is not displayed. This is because, although the barcode area in the preview screen 1000 in Figure 10(b) is the mask area 1025 of "Mask 3", it is not a barcode area specified for the purpose of obtaining character information, as shown in Figure 11(b) later. When the button is displayed in the fourth input assistance area 1235, it will be a button containing the number corresponding to the label of the barcode area and the string obtained from the barcode, similar to the third input assistance area 1234.

[0071] The name input screen 1230 has a name route display area 1236 that shows which buttons were used to input the name from the first to fourth input assistance areas 1232 to 1235. In the name route display area 1236, text entered from the first input assistance area 1232 is displayed as is, but input from buttons displayed in the second to fourth input assistance areas 1233 to 1235 is displayed in the format [variable name]. The "variable name" contains information related to the name of each button. In the example in Figure 12(a), it can be seen that information other than fixed values ​​(here, "Scan" and "_") was used, including "year", "month", and "day" from the second input assistance area 1233 and "[1]" from the third input assistance area 1234.

[0072] The name input screen 1230 is provided with a delete button 1237 for deleting the string entered in the file name. The delete button 1237 deletes characters one by one from the end of the file name string, but if the target of deletion is not a fixed value, the string corresponding to [variable name] in the name root display area 1236 will be deleted all at once with a single deletion. For example, in the example in Figure 12(a), when the delete button 1237 is pressed, the string "987654321" corresponding to [OCR1] will be deleted all at once. At that time, [OCR1] corresponding to the deleted string will also be deleted from the name root display area 1236.

[0073] The name input screen 1230 is equipped with a cancel button 1238 and a confirm button 1239. The cancel button 1238 cancels the editing on the name input screen 1230, closes the name input screen 1230, and redisplays the preview screen 1000. The confirm button 1239 confirms the editing on the name input screen 1230, saves the input content, closes the name input screen 1230, and redisplays the preview screen 1000. The confirmed file name is displayed in the file name display area 1019 of the preview screen 1000. The information in the name root display area 1236 is stored as the setting value of the preset button 701 when the information is registered to the preset button 701. Therefore, when a preset is selected when using the masking application on a scanned image of another document, the setting value corresponding to the variable value changes according to the scan date and time of the other document and the information obtained from the scanned image. Thus, by using the preset information, it is possible to easily set a file name that makes use of the information of the scanned document.

[0074] Next, the method for setting the file save location will be explained. When the CPU 211 detects that the edit button 1018 is pressed on the preview screen 1000, it transitions the preview screen 1000 displayed on the display device of the operation unit 220 to the save location setting screen. Figure 12(b) shows an example of the save location setting screen. The save location setting screen 1240 in Figure 12(b) has a save location setting field 1241, a root folder setting area 1242, first to third sorting folder areas 1243 to 1245, a cancel button 1246, and an OK button 1247.

[0075] In the destination settings section 1241, you can set the external storage to which scanned images will be sent, and in this case, "Cloud A" is selected.

[0076] In the root folder setting area 1242, you can set the root folder under the external storage configured in the save destination setting field 1241. The path of the currently set root folder and a browse button for selecting the root folder are displayed. When the CPU 211 detects that the browse button in the root folder setting area 1242 has been pressed, it starts connecting to the external storage configured in the save destination setting field 1241. If authentication is required to access the external storage configured in the save destination setting field 1241, the authentication screen (not shown) is displayed. Once authentication is complete, a list of folders that can be used under the external storage configured in the save destination setting field 1241 is displayed, and the user can select the desired folder to change the root folder. In the example in Figure 12(b), it can be seen from the root folder setting area 1242 that the "Application Documents" folder directly under the "Cloud A" service is set as the root folder.

[0077] The first to third folder distribution areas 1243 to 1245 are areas for setting the folder distribution route. Each of the first to third folder distribution areas 1243 to 1245 displays an area for displaying the configured folder name and an edit button.

[0078] In the first distribution folder area 1243, "Distribution Folder 1" is set to the name of the folder directly under the root folder set in the root folder setting area 1242. In the second distribution folder area 1244, "Distribution Folder 2" is set to the name of the folder directly under "Distribution Folder 1". In the third distribution folder area 1245, "Distribution Folder 3" is set to the name of the folder directly under "Distribution Folder 2". Therefore, starting from the root folder in the root folder setting area 1242, it is possible to set up a folder distribution route with three levels in the first to third distribution folder areas 1243 to 1245.

[0079] The settings for each folder in the first to third sorting folder areas 1243 to 1245 can be configured using the edit buttons provided in each area. When the CPU 211 detects that an edit button in any of the first to third sorting folder areas 1243 to 1245 has been pressed, it displays a name input screen on the display device of the operation unit 220 that is equivalent to the name input screen 1230 in Figure 12(b). The explanation of the name input screen displayed here is the same as the explanation of the name input screen 1230, so it will be omitted here. The folder names for each folder in the first to third sorting folder areas 1243 to 1245 can be easily set using information from the scanned document by combining variable values ​​entered from the second to fourth input assistance areas 1233 to 1235. In the example in Figure 12(b), the state in which "[Year]" is set for "Sorting Folder 1" is shown.

[0080] The cancel button 1246 cancels (discards) the contents of the save destination settings screen 1240, closes the save destination settings screen 1240, and redisplays the preview screen 1000 on the display device of the operation unit 220. The confirm button 1247 confirms and saves the contents of the save destination settings screen 1240, closes the save destination settings screen 1240, and redisplays the preview screen 1000. When the CPU 211 detects that the confirm button 1247 has been pressed, it saves the settings on the save destination settings screen 1240 and displays the set information in the save destination display area 1017. At this time, in order to make the save destination path easy for the user to understand, the CPU 211 displays the storage name, root folder path, and distribution folder name concatenated into one.

[0081] Let's return to the explanation of the flowchart in Figure 9. Once the settings for the preview screen 1000 in S904 are complete and the next button 1022 is pressed, the CPU 211 in S905 checks the positional relationship between the character area, barcode area and mask area. Specifically, the CPU 211 determines whether or not there are overlapping areas (hereinafter referred to as "overlapping areas") between the character area, barcode area and mask area. For example, in the area information of Figure 11(a), since "OCR1" is the character area, it is checked whether or not there are overlapping areas between the "OCR1" area and the other mask areas, "MSK1~4".

[0082] The presence or absence of overlapping regions can be determined by comparing the coordinates of the start and end points. Specifically, if the start coordinates of one region are (Xa1, Ya1) and the end coordinates are (Xa2, Ya2), and the start coordinates of the other region are (Xb1, Yb1) and the end coordinates are (Xb2, Yb2), then equations 1 to 4 below are compared. As a result, if one or more X coordinate values ​​and one or more Y coordinate values ​​are satisfied in equations 1 to 4 below, it can be seen that there is an overlapping region. In other words, an overlapping region exists when the entire character region is contained within the mask region, when a part of the character region overlaps with the mask region, when the entire barcode region is contained within the mask region, or when a part of the barcode region overlaps with the mask region. The reverse comparison is performed using equations 5 to 8 below. If one or more X coordinate values ​​and one or more Y coordinate values ​​are satisfied in equations 5 to 8 below, it can be seen that there is an overlapping region.

[0083]

number

[0084] In the example shown in Figure 11(a) (Figure 13(a)), the coordinates of the start and end points of "OCR1" fall within the coordinate range of "MSK4," indicating that MSK4 overlaps and covers the entire OCR1. Note that the above method for determining the presence or absence of overlapping areas is just one example and is not limited to this method; other methods may be used to determine the presence or absence of overlapping areas.

[0085] In S906, CPU211 determines whether one or more overlapping areas have been found based on the results of S905. If CPU211 determines that overlapping areas have been found (Yes in S906), it executes process S907. If it determines that no overlapping areas have been found (No in S906), it executes process S909. In the example in Figure 11(a), OCR1 and MSK4 overlap, so the result of the determination in S906 is 'Yes', and process S907 is executed.

[0086] In S907, the CPU 211 displays a processing selection screen on the display device of the operation unit 220. Figure 13(a) is a diagram showing an example of a processing selection screen corresponding to the area information in Figure 11(a). The processing selection screen 1300A in Figure 13(a) has a preview area 1301 that shows the character area and barcode area that have overlapping areas. Labels are displayed only in the character area, barcode area and mask area that have overlapping areas, so that the user can easily recognize the overlapping areas. At this time, it is desirable to make it easier for the user to notice the overlapping areas by displaying the mask area on which the label is displayed in a transparent color, for example.

[0087] The processing selection screen 1300A has a region count display area 1302 that shows the number of overlapping regions found, and display areas for the first to third options 1303 to 1305 for selecting the processing to be performed on the overlapping regions. The first option 1303 is an option that does not perform any processing, assuming that there is no problem with the current state of the overlapping regions and maintaining the mask region and character region. The second option 1304 is an option that instructs the system to release the mask region designation for the overlapping region. Note that the file name does not change whether the first option 1303 or the second option 1304 is selected.

[0088] The third option 1305 is an option that instructs the system to deactivate the use of the character area (or barcode area) below the mask area. When the process for the third option 1305 is executed, the use of character information in folder names and file names is deactivated, and the display area for the third option 1305 also displays the file names and folder names after the execution of the third option 1305. This allows the user to decide whether or not to execute the process for the third option 1305. In the case of the processing selection screen 1300A, when the process for the third option 1305 is executed, the entire area of ​​"OCR1" is deactivated.

[0089] In this embodiment, the configuration is such that the processing for the overlapping area is selected using the first to third options 1303 to 1305, but the content of the displayed options may be changed by the settings of the masking application. For example, if you want to prohibit the use of the string under the masked area in the file name, you may set it to hide the first option 1303 separately.

[0090] The process selection screen 1300A is provided with a cancel button 1306 and a confirm button 1307. The cancel button 1306 cancels (discards) the content displayed on the process selection screen 1300A, closes the process selection screen 1300A, and redisplays the preview screen 1000 in Figure 10(b). The confirm button 1307 is a button that executes the process selected from the first to third options 1303 to 1305.

[0091] The processing selection screen 1300A shows an example where one overlapping area is found. If multiple overlapping areas are found, for example, if two overlapping areas are found and the first one is displayed in the preview area 1301, the area count display area 1302 will display "Processing Selection (1 / 2)". Then, by changing the confirmation button 1307 to buttons such as "Next" and "Previous", it becomes possible to select the processing for the overlapping areas in order. In this case, on the screen for selecting the processing for the last overlapping area, the confirmation button is not displayed or the next button is not selectable. This makes it possible to see that the selected processing has been executed for all overlapping areas.

[0092] When CPU211 detects that one of the first to third options 1303 to 1305 has been selected and the confirmation button 1307 has been pressed, it executes process S908. In S908, CPU211 executes the selected process and updates the area information, save location, and file name information.

[0093] In the S909, the CPU 211 saves information such as coordinates and values ​​of the character area, barcode area, and mask area to the HDD 214 as the final result. Here, in addition to the case where the entire character area is included in the mask area, as shown in the processing selection screen 1300A in Figure 13(a), we will also explain an example where the character area and the mask area partially overlap. Figure 13(b) is a diagram showing another example of the processing selection screen. Figure 11(b) is a diagram showing the processing selection screen in Figure 13(b) and the corresponding area information.

[0094] The region information 1100B in Figure 11(b) shows that the region of "OCR1" and the region of "MSK4" partially overlap, as shown in the preview area 1301 of the processing selection screen 1300B in Figure 13(b). In this case, the process of deactivating the use of character information under the mask region of the third option 1305 is executed only for the overlapping region. Therefore, of the string "987654321" in the character region of "OCR1", "321", which does not overlap with the mask region of "MSK4", will not have its information deactivated even if the third option 1305 is executed. Specifically, the X coordinate of the starting point of "OCR1" becomes the value of the X coordinate of the ending point of "MSK4". Then, in Figure 11(b), when the processing of the third option 1305 is executed, the X coordinate of the starting point of the "OCR1" region information changes from "330" to "471", and the value also changes from "987654321" to "321". In addition, as shown in conjunction with the third option 1305, the character information "321" remains in the file name.

[0095] On the processing selection screen 1300B, an option 1308 is provided to expand the mask area of ​​a partially overlapping region to the entire overlapping region, that is, to expand the mask area to the entire area of ​​the character region (and barcode region). Option 1308 is displayed only when a partially overlapping region is to be processed; therefore, it is displayed on the processing selection screen 1300B in Figure 13(b) but not on the processing selection screen 1300A in Figure 13(a).

[0096] Although not shown in the diagram, when an option is selected on the processing selection screen 1300B in Figure 13(b) (when the checkbox for option 1308 is checked), the area of ​​"Mask 4" is expanded to encompass the entire area of ​​"OCR1". In this case, in Figure 11(b), the X coordinate of the endpoint of "MSK4" becomes the same as the X coordinate of the endpoint of "OCR1". Specifically, the X coordinate of the endpoint of MSK4 changes from "471" to "509", and consequently, when the third option 1305 is executed, the displayed file name changes to one with "321" removed.

[0097] The following effects can be obtained from the processing in S905 to S909 described above. Specifically, by displaying the processing selection screens 1300A and 1300B when there is overlapping area, the user can be made aware of errors in setting the mask area or the setting of using information under the mask area. In addition, the user can select and execute the appropriate processing while viewing the preview area 1301 on the processing selection screens 1300A and 1300B. If it is determined in S906 that there is no overlapping area (No in S906), the processing in S907 and S908 will not be executed, and the current area information will be saved to HDD214 as the final result in S909.

[0098] Once the area information is finalized in S909, CPU211 generates a folder path from the configured information in S910. CPU211 generates a file name in S911. In S912, CPU211 overlays (overwrites) the specified mask area of ​​the scanned image with an image of the specified color, saves it to HDD214, and then terminates this process, thereby ending the process in S508. The processes in S913 to S916 will be described later.

[0099] Let's return to the explanation of the flowchart in Figure 5. Once the area specification process in S508 is complete, in S509 the CPU 211 displays an execution confirmation screen on the display device of the operation unit 220. Figure 14 shows an example of the execution confirmation screen. The execution confirmation screen 1400 in Figure 14 has a print setting display area 1401, a confirmation display area 1402, an option selection 1403, a back button 1404, and an execute button 1405.

[0100] The print settings display area 1401 is displayed when an item including "Print" is selected in the output settings section 801. In the print settings display area 1401, you can set the number of copies to print, and by pressing the "Other Print Settings" button, you can change settings such as double-sided printing, paper size, and imposition.

[0101] The confirmation display area 1402 is displayed when an item including "Save" is selected in the output settings field 801. The confirmation display area 1402 displays the save location and file name settings configured in the preview screen 1000. The option selection 1403 has checkboxes, and by checking these checkboxes, the various areas and settings information for this operation can be registered as a preset. The back button 1404 is a button to return to the preview screen 1000. The execute button 1405 is a button to execute printing, saving, or registering a preset.

[0102] When the execute button 1405 is pressed, the CPU 211 determines in S510 whether or not to register a preset. S510 determines that a preset should be registered if the checkbox for option 1403 is checked. If the CPU 211 determines that a preset should be registered (Yes in S510), it executes the process in S511; if it determines that a preset should not be registered (No in S510), it executes the process in S513.

[0103] In S511, the CPU 211 displays a preset name setting screen (not shown) on the display device of the operation unit 220 and accepts the user's input of a preset name. At this time, the user can register the contents to be registered as a preset with any preset name. Once a preset name is entered, in S512, the CPU 211 associates the various settings, such as the various areas, setting information, and preset name, with the button ID of the preset button 701 and saves it to the HDD 214.

[0104] Figure 15 shows an example of preset information saved to HDD214 in S511. The preset information 1500 in Figure 15 includes the button ID 1501 of the preset button 701, the preset name 1502 entered by the user in S511, and the output method 1503 and scan settings 1504 set on the scan screen 800.

[0105] Furthermore, preset information 1500 contains area information 1505 and save settings 1506 set in the preview screen 1000, as well as print settings 1507. Area information 1505 stores coordinate information for mask areas, text areas, etc. However, since the text information obtained from text areas etc. varies depending on the document, no information is registered in the "value" of area information 1505. Save settings 1506 stores the name root and folder path root, but since the text information obtained from text areas etc. varies depending on the document, no specific value (string) is registered. Print settings 1507 stores the contents of the print settings on the execution confirmation screen 1400. In this way, by registering various areas and settings that have been set once as presets, subsequent processing of documents with the same format using the masking application can be easily performed by using the presets.

[0106] In S513, CPU211 determines whether or not the system is configured to print. If CPU211 determines that the system is configured to print (Yes in S513), it executes process S514. If it determines that the system is not configured to print (No in S513), it executes process S515. In S514, CPU211 executes the printing process for the mask composite image.

[0107] In S515, CPU211 determines whether or not the setting to save is enabled. If CPU211 determines that the setting to save is enabled (Yes in S515), it executes the process in S516. If it determines that the setting to save is not enabled (No in S515), it terminates this process.

[0108] In S516, the CPU 211 executes the process of saving the mask composite image, and then terminates the process. At this time, the mask composite image is converted to the file format specified on the scan screen 800. The mask composite image is also sent to the save location specified on the preview screen 1000 (for example, external storage 120) with the specified file name, and saving at the save location is completed. Once the masking application process is completed, the CPU 211 executes the screen switching process of the display device of the operation unit 220. The new screen at this time may be the mask method selection screen 600 for the next scan, or it may be the main screen (not shown).

[0109] Next, we will explain the case where, in S902 of the area specification process in S508, it is determined that "Preset" was pressed on the mask method selection screen 600. If the CPU 211 determines that "Preset" was pressed in S902 (Yes in S902), it executes the process in S903. The following explanation of the processes in S903 to S912 will focus on the differences from the case where it is determined that "Manual" was pressed on the mask method selection screen 600.

[0110] In S903, CPU211 retrieves area information and setting information for the button ID selected on the preset list screen 700. In S904, CPU211 displays a preview screen reflecting the settings retrieved in S903. For example, if the preset information shown in Figure 15 is used, the preview screen will be displayed with various selected areas and setting information reflected as shown in Figure 10(b). Therefore, unlike when "Manual" is selected in S902, it is possible to save the trouble of specifying areas and saving settings.

[0111] For example, when CPU211 detects that the Next button 1022 is pressed in Figure 10(b), it executes the processes from S905 onwards. The processes from S905 to S912 in this case are the same as those when "Manual" is selected in S902 as described above, so the explanation is omitted.

[0112] When the flowchart in Figure 9 is completed, that is, when the area specification process in S508 is completed, in S509 the CPU 211 displays the execution confirmation screen 1400 on the display device of the operation unit 220, reflecting the print settings associated with the button ID. At this time, the option 1403 for whether or not to register the settings on the execution confirmation screen 1400 as a preset may be hidden if there were no changes in the area specification process in S508. When the CPU 211 detects that the execution button 1405 has been pressed on the execution confirmation screen 1400, it determines in S510 whether or not to register the preset. If there are no changes to the contents to be preset, the result of the determination in S510 is "No", and thereafter the printing and saving processes (S513~516) are executed as described above.

[0113] Next, we will explain the case in S901 of the area selection process in S508 where it is determined that "Print only" was selected in the output settings field 801 of the scan screen 800. If the CPU 211 determines in S901 that no item including "Save" was pressed, that is, that "Print only" was pressed (No in S901), it executes the process in S913.

[0114] In S913, CPU211 determines whether "Preset" was pressed (selected) on the mask method selection screen 600. If CPU211 determines that "Preset" was pressed (Yes in S913), it executes process S914. If it determines that "Manual" was pressed (No in S913), it executes process S915.

[0115] In the S914, CPU211, like in the S903, retrieves area information and other data related to the button ID selected on the preset list screen 700.

[0116] At S915, CPU211 displays the preview screen 1000. At this time, although not shown, the items used for saving—the third mode switching button 1014, the fourth mode switching button 1015, the save destination display area 1017, the edit button 1018, the file name display area 1019, and the edit button 1020—are hidden (not shown). Therefore, the process of determining whether or not there is overlapping area (S906~S908), as would be the case when an item containing "Save" is selected, is not performed.

[0117] When the Next button 1022 on the preview screen 1000 is pressed, in S916 the CPU 211 stores the mask area information, similar to S909. Then, in S912 the CPU 211 composites the specified mask area with an image of the specified color on the scanned image and saves it to the HDD 214. Once the area specification process in S508 is completed, in S509 the CPU 211 displays the execution confirmation screen 1400 on the display device of the operation unit 220. At this time, although not shown, the confirmation display area 1402 related to the save process is not needed and is therefore hidden. When the CPU 211 detects that the Execute button 1405 on the execution confirmation screen 1400 has been pressed, it executes the processes in S510 to S515.

[0118] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. When saving data suitable for a scanned image using character information obtained from a scanned image that requires masking, it is necessary to be careful whether it is acceptable to use the character information of the masked area in the scanned image as the file name or folder name. In this embodiment, the masked area and the character area and barcode area used for the file name and folder name are displayed simultaneously on the preview screen of the scanned image. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of mistakenly using information under the masked area in the scanned image.

[0119] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even if the user is unaware that the masked area overlaps with the text area or barcode area (i.e., there is an overlapping area), the processing selection screen will be displayed to make the user aware of the overlapping area. This allows the user to save a scanned image with masking applied, using only information that is safe to share with others in the file name.

[0120] This embodiment includes the following configuration and program. (Configuration 1) Display control means for displaying a scanned image on a display means, mask area setting means for setting a mask area for filling in a part of the scanned image, and the scanned image The filename used for the file generated based on this is for use in the file. Textual information From the aforementioned scan image The system includes a character recognition area setting means for setting a character recognition area to be acquired by character recognition processing, and a setting means for setting a character recognition area to be filled in by the character recognition area setting means, wherein the setting means sets the area to be filled in using positional information of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting means. The area to be filled in is: The information of the position of the character recognition area is used to set case and set by the mask region setting means Depending on the situation , different colors Show An information processing device characterized by being performed. (Configuration 2) Display control means for displaying the scanned image on a display means; mask area setting means for setting a mask area for filling in a portion of the scanned image; character recognition area setting means for setting a character recognition area for acquiring character information in the scanned image by character recognition processing; and the character recognition area setting means in Set character recognition area and the area specified by the user to be filled in. The system includes a setting means for setting the area to be filled in, and the setting means is the character recognition area setting means in Information about the location of the set character recognition area and the above designation Using this, the area to be filled is set, and the area to be filled is determined by the position information of the character recognition area. and the above designationThe colors differ depending on whether the setting is done using the method described above or by the mask area setting means. Show An information processing device characterized by being performed. (Composition 3) The information processing apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that the aforementioned designation is made by the user selecting an object to fill in the character recognition area. (composition 4 The information processing device according to configuration 2, characterized in that the character information is character information to be used in the file name used for a file generated based on the scanned image. (composition 5 )The information processing device further comprises: a character recognition area storage means for storing information about the position of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting means; and a storage means for, after the information about the position of the character recognition area has been stored by the character recognition area storage means, assigning a file name to a file generated based on a different scan image from the scan image, which includes information about characters obtained from the character recognition area indicated by the stored position information of the other scan image, and saving it. 4 An information processing device described in any one of the following. (Configuration 6) The information processing device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the mask area setting means sets a mask area at a position specified by the user. (Configuration 7) The information processing device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the character recognition area setting means sets the character recognition area at a position specified by the user. (Composition 8) before The mask area set by the mask area setting means is displayed on the display means in such a way that the user cannot see the image within the mask area in the scanned image, and the position information of the character recognition area is displayed. and the above designation The configuration is characterized by displaying the area to be filled using the method on the display means so that the user can view the image within the area to be filled in the scanned image. 2 ~ 4 An information processing device described in any one of the following. (Composition 9) before Information about the location of the character recognition area and the above designation The information processing device according to configuration 8, characterized in that the area to be filled using is displayed on the display means so that the user can visually perceive the character information of the image within the area to be filled in the scanned image. (Configuration 10) The character recognition area set to be filled in can be repositioned by the user through a drag-and-drop operation on the character recognition area, and is characterized by configurations 1 to 4 An information processing device described in any one of the following. (Configuration 11) Information of the position of the character recognition area and the above designation The frame of the fill area set using and the frame of the mask area are set to different colors. Show A configuration that makes it possible to do so. 2 ~ 4 An information processing device described in any one of the following. (Configuration 12) The information processing device receives information on the positions of the mask region and the character recognition region set in the scanned image. and the above designation The configuration further includes a masking means that performs a masking process to fill in the area to be filled using the set method. 2 ~ 4 An information processing device described in any one of the following. (Configuration 13) The masking processing means receives information on the position of the mask area and the character recognition area. and the above designation The area to be filled using ru The information processing apparatus according to configuration 12, characterized by painting over an image in the scanned image to make it invisible. (Configuration 14) The information processing device is Note Skidding process We did The information processing apparatus according to configuration 13, further comprising a storage control means for storing a file generated based on a scanned image in a storage means. (composition 15 The information processing device performs the masking process We did The information processing apparatus according to configuration 13, further comprising a printing means for printing scanned images. (composition 16 The information processing apparatus according to configuration 12, characterized in that the masking means is capable of filling with a color specified by the user. (composition 17 ) Information of the position of the character recognition area and the above designationThe area to be filled using and the mask area set by the mask area setting means are on the scanned image displayed by the display control means. 、 Characterized by being shown in different colors Configuration 2 ~ 4 An information processing device described in any one of the following. (composition 18 ) Information on the position of the character recognition area, indicated in a different color on the scanned image displayed by the display control means. and the above designation The fill area set using and the mask area set by the mask area setting means are used to generate a file based on the scanned image. 、 Or in at least one of the documents printed based on the scanned image 、 A configuration characterized by being shown in the same color. 17 The information processing device described above. (Composition 19) The information processing apparatus according to configuration 14, characterized in that the storage control means assigns a file name containing the character information obtained from the character recognition area to the file and saves it. (Composition 20) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting means receives an instruction from a user to fill in a character recognition area and performs the setting for said filling. (Program 1) A display control procedure for a computer to display a scanned image on a display means, a mask area setting procedure for setting a mask area to fill in a part of the scanned image, and the scanned image The filename used for the file generated based on this is for use in the file. Textual information From the aforementioned scan image A program that executes a character recognition area setting procedure for setting a character recognition area to be acquired by character recognition processing, and a setting procedure for setting to fill in the character recognition area set in the character recognition area setting procedure, wherein the setting procedure sets the area to be filled in using the position information of the character recognition area set in the character recognition area setting procedure, The area to be filled in is: The information of the position of the character recognition area is used to set cases and , set in the mask area setting procedure Depending on the situation , different colors Show A program characterized by being performed. (Program 2) A display control procedure for the computer to display the scanned image on the display means; a mask area setting procedure for setting a mask area to fill in a part of the scanned image; a character recognition area setting procedure for setting a character recognition area to acquire character information in the scanned image by character recognition processing; and the character recognition area set in the character recognition area setting procedure. and the area specified by the user to be filled in. A setting procedure for setting up a character recognition area to fill in, and a program for executing the setting procedure, wherein the area to be filled in is set using the position information of the character recognition area set in the character recognition area setting procedure and the specification, and the area to be filled in is the position information of the character recognition area and the above designation The colors differ depending on whether the setting is done using the method described above or by the mask area setting procedure. Show A program characterized by being performed. (Program 3) The program according to Program 2, characterized in that the aforementioned designation is made by the user selecting an object to fill the character recognition area. (program 4 The program according to Program 2, characterized in that the character information is character information to be used in the file name used for a file generated based on the scanned image. (program 5 ) Procedure for setting the character recognition area by Program 1 to further comprises: a character recognition area saving procedure for saving information about the position of the set character recognition area; and a saving procedure for saving a file generated based on a different scan image, after the information about the position of the character recognition area has been saved by the character recognition area saving procedure, to a file that includes a file name containing character information obtained from the character recognition area indicated by the saved position information of the other scan image. 4 The program listed in one of the following. (Program 6) The program according to any one of Programs 1 to 4, characterized in that the mask area setting procedure sets a mask area at a position specified by the user. (Program 7) The program according to any one of Programs 1 to 4, characterized in that the character recognition area setting procedure sets the character recognition area at a position specified by the user. (Program 8) In the display control procedure, the mask area set in the mask area setting procedure is displayed on the display means in such a way that the user cannot see the image within the mask area in the scanned image, and the position information of the character recognition area is displayed. and the above designationA program characterized by displaying the area to be filled using the method on the display means so that the user can view the image within the area to be filled in the scanned image. 2 ~ 4 The program listed in one of the following. (Program 9) In the display control procedure, the information of the position of the character recognition area and the above designation The program according to Program 8, characterized in that the area to be filled using is displayed on the display means so that the user can visually perceive the character information of the image within the area to be filled in the scanned image. (Program 10) The character recognition area set to be filled can be repositioned by the user through a drag-and-drop operation on the character recognition area, and is characterized by the fact that the position of the character recognition area can be changed by the user. 4 The program listed in one of the following. (Program 11) Information of the position of the character recognition area and the above designation The frame of the fill area set using and the frame of the mask area are set to different colors. Show A program according to any one of programs 2 to 4, characterized in that it is possible to do so. (Program 12) Information of the positions of the mask region and the character recognition region set in the scan image and the above designation A program characterized by further having a masking procedure that performs a masking process to fill in an area to be filled using a set method. 2 ~ 4 The program listed in one of the following. (Program 13) In the masking process described above, the positional information of the mask area and the character recognition area is used. and the above designation The area to be filled using ru The program according to program 12, characterized by painting over an image in the scanned image so that it is not visible. (Program 14) Masking process in the masking procedure described above We didThe program according to program 13, further comprising a storage control procedure for saving a file generated based on a scanned image to a storage means. (program 15 ) The masking process We did The program according to program 13, further comprising a printing procedure for printing a scanned image. (program 16 ) The program according to program 12, characterized in that the masking procedure allows filling with a color specified by the user. (program 17 ) Information of the position of the character recognition area and the above designation A program characterized in that the fill area set using and the mask area set in the mask area setting procedure are shown in different colors on the scanned image displayed in the display control procedure. 2 ~ 4 The program listed in one of the following. (Program 18) The display control procedure by Information about the position of the character recognition area, indicated by a different color on the displayed scanned image. and the above designation The fill area set using and the mask area set in the mask area setting procedure are used to generate a file based on the scanned image. 、 Or in at least one of the documents printed based on the scanned image 、 A program characterized by being shown in the same color. 17 The program described above. (Program 19) The program according to Program 14, characterized in that the save control procedure saves the file with a file name that includes the character information obtained from the character recognition area. (Program 20) The program according to any one of programs 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting procedure involves receiving instructions from the user to fill in a character recognition area and performing the settings for said filling.

[0121] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the embodiments described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0122] For example, the image processing system in Figure 1 consists of an MFP 110 and external storage 120, but the image processing system according to the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, some of the functions and processing of the MFP may be performed on another server located on the internet or LAN. Also, the external storage may be located on the LAN instead of the internet. Furthermore, the external storage may be replaced with a mail server or the like, and scanned images may be attached to emails and sent. The MFP may also be configured to have the storage function of the external storage.

[0123] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0124] 110 MFP 120 External storage 210 Control Unit 211 CPU 220 Operation section 222 Scanner section 411 Scan execution unit 421 Display Control Unit 422 Scan instruction unit 423 Image Processing Unit 424 Data Management Department 600 Masking Method Selection Screen 700 Preset List Screen 800 scan screen 1000 Preview screen

Claims

1. A display control means for displaying scanned images, A mask area setting means for setting a mask area to fill in a portion of the scanned image, A character recognition area setting means for setting a character recognition area for obtaining character information to be used in the file name used for the file generated based on the scanned image through character recognition processing, The system includes setting means for setting the character recognition area to be filled in by the character recognition area setting means, The setting means sets the area to be filled in using the position information of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting means. The information processing device is characterized in that the area to be filled is shown in different colors depending on whether it is set using the position information of the character recognition area or set by the mask area setting means.

2. A display control means for displaying scanned images, A mask area setting means for setting a mask area to fill in a portion of the scanned image, A character recognition area setting means for setting a character recognition area for acquiring character information in the scanned image by character recognition processing, The system includes a setting means for setting a character recognition area that has been set by the character recognition area setting means and has been designated by the user to be filled in, The setting means sets the area to be filled in using the position information of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting means and the designation. The information processing device is characterized in that the area to be filled is shown in different colors depending on whether it is set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, or set by the mask area setting means.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the designation is made by the user selecting an object for filling in the character recognition area.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the character information is character information to be used in the file name used for a file generated based on the scanned image.

5. The aforementioned information processing device is A character recognition area storage means for storing information about the position of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting means, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a storage means that, after the location information of the character recognition region has been stored by the character recognition region storage means, assigns a file name to a file generated based on a different scan image, which is different from the scan image, and saves the file name containing character information obtained from the character recognition region indicated by the stored location information of the other scan image.

6. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mask area setting means sets a mask area at a position specified by the user.

7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the character recognition area setting means sets the character recognition area at a position specified by the user.

8. The mask area set by the mask area setting means is displayed on the display means in such a way that the image within the mask area in the scanned image cannot be seen by the user. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the area to be filled, set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, is displayed on the display means so that the image within the filled area in the scanned image can be viewed by the user.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the area to be filled in, set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, is displayed on the display means so that the character information of the image within the filled area in the scanned image can be viewed by the user.

10. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the character recognition area set to be filled can be repositioned by a user through a drag-and-drop operation on the character recognition area.

11. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that it is possible to display the frame of the area to be filled, which is set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, and the frame of the mask area in different colors on the display means.

12. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising masking processing means for performing a masking process that fills in a region to be filled using the positional information of the mask region and the character recognition region set in the scanned image and the designation.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the masking means fills in the image in the scanned image that is included in the area to be filled, which is set using the position information of the mask area and the character recognition area and the designation, so that it is not visible.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a storage control means for storing a file generated based on the masked scanned image in a storage means.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a printing means for printing the scanned image that has undergone the masking process.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the masking means is capable of filling with a color specified by the user.

17. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the area to be filled using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, and the mask area set by the mask area setting means are shown in different colors on the scanned image displayed by the display control means.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the area to be filled, set using the position information of the character recognition area shown in a different color on the scanned image displayed by the display control means and the designation, and the mask area set by the mask area setting means are shown in the same color in at least one of the file generated based on the scanned image or the document printed based on the scanned image.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the storage control means assigns a file name containing the character information obtained from the character recognition area to the file and stores it.

20. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting means receives an instruction from a user to fill in a character recognition area and performs the setting for said filling.

21. On the computer, A display control procedure for displaying scanned images on a display device, A procedure for setting a mask area to fill in a portion of the scanned image, A character recognition area setting procedure for setting a character recognition area for obtaining character information to be used in the file name used for the file generated based on the scanned image through character recognition processing, A program that performs a setting procedure for setting up the character recognition area to be filled in, as set in the character recognition area setting procedure, In the above setting procedure, the area to be filled is set using the position information of the character recognition area set in the above character recognition area setting procedure. The program is characterized in that the area to be filled is shown in different colors depending on whether it is set using the position information of the character recognition area or set using the mask area setting procedure.

22. On the computer, A display control procedure for displaying scanned images on a display device, A procedure for setting a mask area to fill in a portion of the scanned image, A character recognition area setting procedure for setting a character recognition area for acquiring character information in the scanned image by character recognition processing, A program that performs a setting procedure for filling in a character recognition area that has been set in the character recognition area setting procedure and has been specified by the user to be filled in, In the above setting procedure, the area to be filled is set using the position information of the character recognition area set in the above character recognition area setting procedure and the above specification. The program is characterized in that the area to be filled is shown in different colors depending on whether it is set using the position information of the character recognition area and the specification, or set using the mask area setting procedure.

23. The program according to claim 22, characterized in that the designation is made by the user selecting an object for filling the character recognition area.

24. The program according to claim 22, characterized in that the character information is character information to be used in the file name used for a file generated based on the scanned image.

25. A character recognition area saving procedure for saving information about the position of the character recognition area set by the character recognition area setting procedure, The program according to any one of claims 21 to 24, further comprising: a saving procedure which, after the location information of the character recognition region has been saved by the character recognition region saving procedure, saves a file generated based on a different scan image, which is different from the scan image, with a file name that includes character information obtained from the character recognition region indicated by the saved location information of the other scan image.

26. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the mask area setting procedure sets the mask area at a position specified by the user.

27. ​​The program according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the character recognition area setting procedure sets the character recognition area at a position specified by the user.

28. In the above display control procedure, The mask region set in the mask region setting procedure is displayed on the display means in such a way that the image within the mask region in the scanned image cannot be seen by the user. The program according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the area to be filled, set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, is displayed on the display means so that the image within the filled area in the scanned image can be viewed by the user.

29. The program according to claim 28, characterized in that the display control procedure displays the area to be filled in, which is set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, on the display means so that the user can visually confirm the character information of the image within the area to be filled in the scanned image.

30. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the character recognition area set to be filled can be repositioned by a user through a drag-and-drop operation on the character recognition area.

31. The program according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that it is possible to display the frame of the area to be filled and the frame of the mask area, which are set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, in different colors on the display means.

32. The program according to any one of claims 22 to 24, further comprising a masking process that performs a masking process to fill in a region set using the positional information of the mask region and the character recognition region set in the scanned image and the designation.

33. The program according to 32, characterized in that the masking procedure involves filling in the image in the scanned image that is included in the area to be filled, which is set using the positional information of the mask area and the character recognition area and the designation, so that it is not visible.

34. The program according to claim 33, further comprising a storage control procedure for storing a file generated based on a scanned image that has undergone masking in the masking procedure in the aforementioned masking procedure in a storage means.

35. The program according to claim 33, further comprising a printing procedure for printing the scanned image that has undergone the masking process.

36. The program according to claim 32, characterized in that the masking procedure allows filling with a color specified by the user.

37. The program according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the area to be filled, set using the position information of the character recognition area and the designation, and the mask area set in the mask area setting procedure are shown in different colors on the scanned image displayed in the display control procedure.

38. The program according to claim 37, characterized in that the fill area set using the position information of the character recognition area shown in a different color on the scanned image displayed by the display control procedure and the designation, and the mask area set in the mask area setting procedure, are shown in the same color in at least one of the file generated based on the scanned image or the document printed based on the scanned image.

39. The program according to claim 34, characterized in that the saving control procedure saves the file with a file name that includes the character information obtained from the character recognition area.

40. The program according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the setting procedure receives an instruction from the user to fill in the character recognition area and performs the setting for said filling.

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