Image analysis – Image transformation or preprocessing – Image storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-05
2003-12-09
Mehta, Bhavesh M. (Department: 2625)
Image analysis
Image transformation or preprocessing
Image storage or retrieval
C382S248000, C382S239000, C382S236000, C382S209000, C358S453000, C358S449000, C358S403000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06661933
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for image data processing, more particularly to an apparatus for image data processing which permits the filing and fetching of document images
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An example of the prior art to which the present invention relates is an electronic filing system which, as has been proposed, involves inputting image data by image data inputting means such as a scanner, filing those image data on storage means such as magnetic disks, optical disks and photo-electromagnetic disks and fetching out the filed image data for printing as necessary.
In an image data processing apparatus described in the Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 62-219769, for example, image data are processed this way: image data inputted by image data inputting means is given an file name based on the document identification (ID) which can identify that image data. The document ID is converted into a bar code at the same time and this bar code is incorporated with the data by placing on the first page of the image data or in a specific space of a page with a particular image when the data is printed out into a marked original copy (which shall be referenced herein as marked sheet). The particular images include the title, user and filing date of the document image, for example.
To fetch out or print out the image data filed in the storage means, the first step is to read the bar code on the marked sheet and convert it into a document ID so that the object image data may be found out.
In addition, a digital multi-functional image data processor has been announced in recent years. This image data processor is a combination of digital imaging equipment such as a facsimile transmitter and printer with a digital copying machine. In this space-saving machine, too, the document ID is utilized in data processing steps such as filing and fetching out image data for printing out, facsimile transmission and transferring to a computer.
To read a bar code, however, the operator had to handle the bar code reader in the image data processor described in the Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 62-219769, and the identification of the image data could fail through faulty handling Furthermore, the position where the bar code was incorporated was fixed in many cases, and it could happen that the bar code was overwritten on the text of an important document, incurring an unintended but serious omission in the contents of the document.
Thus, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for image data processing which permits finding out image data without manual control more accurately and speedily.
A second object of the present invention lies in inscribing in a specific place or space of the printing paper a mark for identification of image data such as a bar code in a simple operation if human judgement is to be involved.
In the present invention, too, a bar code on the marked sheet is read by the bar code reader. While no problem arises as long as the bar code is clear enough, the bar code image can wear out and blur as it passes from duplication to duplication until it can no longer be read correctly by the bar code reader.
The applicants of the present invention have also applied patents in other countries for image data processors which involve filing image data in a storage means and “at the same time” outputting an image with an ID mark such as a bar code and a two-dimensional mark representing the document ID (on the first page of the image data or some other page where the title or the like is shown). The foreign patent applications filed are Japanese Patent Application No. H10-007712, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/034.999, E.P. Patent Application No. 9830148.9, and Chinese Patent Application No. 98106013.7. It is noted that in the Japanese Patent laid-open publication No. 62-219769, the filing and the outputting are performed not “at the same time.” To search for an image data according to those patent applications, the ID mark is read by original copy reading means used for inputting images. That also presents the wearing problem of the ID mark as the mark passes through many duplications.
The aforesaid marked sheet is required when an image data filed in the image data processor is to be fetched out. But no ID mark is needed when only information on the marked sheet should be duplicated without the ID mark or when document filing information needs to be protected against leakage through the ID mark
In addition, it is so arranged that the ID mark is made to show in preference to the document image. That is a problem when the original document image is needed and found to be missing in part.
Thus, it is a third object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for image data processing in which there will be no wearing of the ID mark on the mark sheet when the mark comes down through many duplications. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which permits outputting data with the ID mark erased when it is not needed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method in which the part of the original document image hidden by the ID mark space will not be lost.
The following solution can be thought of to the problem that the ID mark wears out so much that it is impossible to read: A series of digits or letters as a document ID is printed below the ID mark on the marked sheet, and the document ID is inputted directly from the keyboard or the like to search for and fetch out the object image data.
But the problem with such a method involving the displaying of the document ID itself is that the image data can be taken out with the document ID alone without using the marked sheet. Another problem with that method is that it amount to opening to the public the document ID—file management information—as output for printing out. The document ID's are usually given to documents in a logical sequence that makes it easy to build up a document file system. That is, an outside operator, who were interested in wrongfully getting access to a certain image data and in possession of marked sheets for other image data filed before and after the object data, could guess the document ID for the object image data from the document ID's printed on his or her own marked sheets.
Because of that low security feature, that method presented a serious problem in protecting image data against wrong hands.
Thus, it is a fourth object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for image data processing which protects image data against wrongful approach, ensuring the confidentiality thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
First, the present invention is built up on an apparatus for image data processing in which document images inputted by an original copy reading means
102
a
making up an image data inputting means
102
are filed, with a document ID given to it, in a storage means
105
and managed by a document image managing means
103
. This apparatus for image data processing is provided with an image outputting means
109
which outputs the aforesaid filed document with an ID mark inscribed therein—the ID mark corresponding to the document ID and generated by an encoding means
107
.
Furthermore, the aforesaid apparatus for image data processing can read that ID mark inscribed on the original copy, that is, a marked sheet, find out the corresponding image data by decoding the ID mark through the decoding means, and fetch out the found image data (for printing out, facsimile transmission etc.).
To Attain the First Object:
Built on that apparatus for image data processing, the present invention adopts the following means (see
FIGS. 1
to
4
).
To illustrate, when an image is to be filed in the storage means
105
, the original copy reading means
102
a
in the image data inputting means
102
converts an original digitally to generate an image data and at the same time an original copy size detection means
102
b
identifies the type
Hisatomi Kenji
Kuwano Hideyuki
Murata Kazuyuki
Okada Yuji
Takahashi Naoki
Kassa Yosef
McDermott & Will & Emery
Mehta Bhavesh M.
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