Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral adapting
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-26
2003-11-18
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral adapting
C710S030000, C710S052000, C709S236000, C382S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651120
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading/displaying system, and more particularly, to an image data converting system transferring image data read, for example, by an image reading device to an information processing device, and converting the data within the information processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the popularization of portable information devices such as an electronic hand-held organizer, a personal computer, a personal word processor, etc., image data that is read by an image reading device such as an image scanner, etc. is transferred to an information processing device, and the data, for which the information processing device performs various processes, is used, as is often the case.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram exemplifying the conventional configuration of such an image reading system. In this figure, an image reading/displaying device
100
and an information processing device
101
are connected, for example, with a cable, so that a data transfer is made.
Data read by a reading unit on the side of the image reading/displaying device
100
is stored in an image data storing unit
103
by the control of a central processing unit
102
, displayed on a display unit of the image reading/displaying device
100
, and transferred from a data transferring unit
104
to the side of the information processing device
101
.
The transferred data is received by a data transferring unit
107
on the side of the information processing device
101
, and stored in an image data storing unit
106
by the control of a central processing unit
105
. As a result, the image data can be displayed or used on the side of the information processing device
101
.
For the data stored in the image data storing unit
106
on the side of the information processing device
101
, for example, its type is converted, etc. depending on need. A conventional example of data conversion from image data into character data with character recognition, the following document can be cited.
Document 1) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 5-12484: Optical Character Recognition Device, Y. Kajino.
As a conventional technique for converting facsimile image data into mail data, the following document can be cited.
Document 2) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-32667 Communications Terminal Device, Yasumoto
Additionally, as a data conversion technique for changing the resolution of output image data in an image scanner, the following document can be cited.
Document 3) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 5-108814 image Reading Device, Y. Ouchi
Furthermore, a conventional example of data conversion for merging a plurality of pieces of image data obtained, for example, from a copier depending on need, and for generating image data for one page, the following document can be cited.
Document 4) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 5-122501 Image Processing Device and Image Processing Method, K. Yoshihara, M. Sakai, and K. Hirooka
For example, in the conventional system explained by referencing
FIG. 1
demands two-stage operations: form a user data read by the image reading/displaying device is displayed on the display unit, and the user makes a suitable selection from among the image data displayed on the display unit, and transmits the selected data to the side of the information processing device; and the user operates for a process for converting the image data stored in the image data storing unit
106
into text data is performed on the side of the information processing device.
The above described conventional examples of data conversion disclose normal data conversion techniques within a single device. With these techniques, however, it is impossible to perform operations that do not impose a load on a user. By way of example, in
FIG. 1
, a user must select image data stored in the image data storing unit
103
within the image reading/displaying device on
100
the side of the information processing device
101
, and at the same time, the user must specify the type of data after being converted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an image data converting system with which a user selects, for example, image data stored on the side of an image reading/displaying device, and at the same time, the user specifies the type of transferred data after being converted, so that the operations required for converting data after the data transfer can be eliminated.
The image data converting system according to the present invention assumes a system configured by an image data obtaining device and an information processing device.
The information processing device comprises an operation instructing unit and a data converting unit.
The operation instructing unit receives, from a user, specification of image data to be transferred from the image obtaining device and specification of a conversion form of the image data, and instructs the side of the image data obtaining device to transfer the image data.
The data converting unit converts the image data transferred from the side of the image data obtaining device based on the conversion form received from the operation instructing unit. Examples of this image data conversion include conversion into text data, conversion into data in a mail form, conversion into data having a different resolution, conversion for merging a plurality of pieces of image data into one piece, etc.
The image data obtaining device comprises an image data transferring unit.
The image data transferring unit transfers the image data, which is specified by the user and instructed by the operation instructing unit, to the side of the information processing device.
Additionally, according to the present invention, not the information processing device but the image obtaining device may comprise the above described data converting unit so that converted data is transferred to the information processing device after image data is converted into a form based on user specification.
Furthermore, if the image data obtaining device is an image data obtaining/displaying device which comprises an image display capability, a data transfer is made from the information processing device to the image data obtaining/displaying device in addition to the data transfer from the image data obtaining/displaying device to the information processing device.
According to the present invention, image data is transferred and converted at the same time by simultaneously receiving the image data to be transferred and its conversion form, leading to a reduction in user workload and an improvement in user operability.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5442749 (1995-08-01), Northcutt et al.
patent: 6256107 (2001-07-01), Toda
patent: 6272530 (2001-08-01), Horiuchi et al.
patent: 6473153 (2002-10-01), Iguchi et al.
patent: 6493103 (2002-12-01), Toyoda et al.
patent: 6552743 (2003-04-01), Rissman
patent: 5-12484 (1993-01-01), None
patent: 5-108814 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 5-122501 (1993-05-01), None
patent: 10-32667 (1998-02-01), None
patent: 2000-201261 (2000-07-01), None
Chiba Hirotaka
Noda Tsugio
Sakai Kenichiro
Yamaguchi Nobuyasu
Fujitsu Limited
Gaffin Jeffrey
Mai Rijue
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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