DOCUMENT COMPUTERIZING APPARATUS, METHOD THEREOF, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR EXECUTING THE METHOD

Abstract

A document computerizing apparatus which scans a document is disclosed. The document computerizing apparatus includes a scanning condition managing unit for managing plural scanning conditions to be applied to the document based on a category of the document, a scanning request obtaining unit for obtaining a scanning request for the document via a network, a document category determining unit for determining the category of the document which document is an object of the scanning request, and a scanning condition determining unit for determining a scanning condition which is to be applied to the document, which is the object of the scanning request, on the basis of the category determined by the document category determining unit and the scanning conditions managed by the scanning condition managing unit. The document is scanned based on the scanning condition determined by the scanning condition determining unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a scanning system in a document computerizing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing hardware of a scanner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of the scanner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a first sequence chart showing processes to execute a scanning job in the scanning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a second sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a request message for executing the scanning job according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a definition example of category information according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a scanning condition setting screen on an operating panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a functional diagram of a scanner according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a first sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a second sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a request message for executing the scanning job according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a first example of a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a second example of a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a third example of a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a scanning system in a document computerizing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a functional diagram of a scanner shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a first sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a second sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a functional diagram of a scanner according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a first sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a second sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a third sequence chart showing processes to execute the scanning job in the scanning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a first example of a request message for executing the scanning job according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a definition example of category information according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a first example of a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a second example of a request message for executing the scanning job according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a second example of a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a third example of a request message for executing the scanning job according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a third example of a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 31 is a definition example of category information according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 32 is a request message for executing a scanning job according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 33 is a scanning condition setting screen on the operating panel according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 34 is a flowchart showing processes to display a scanning condition setting screen according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A document computerizing apparatus which scans a document, comprising: a scanning condition managing unit for managing a plurality of scanning conditions to be applied to the document based on a category of the document;a scanning request obtaining unit for obtaining a scanning request for the document via a network;a document category determining unit for determining the category of the document which document is an object of the scanning request; anda scanning condition determining unit for determining a scanning condition which is to be applied to the document, which is the object of the scanning request, on the basis of the category determined by the document category determining unit and the scanning conditions managed by the scanning condition managing unit; whereinthe document is scanned based on the scanning condition determined by the scanning condition determining unit.

2. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a scanning condition displaying unit for displaying the scanning condition determined by the scanning condition determining unit.

3. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a condition inputting unit for enabling a user to input another scanning condition; whereinthe condition inputting unit, based on a result determined by the scanning condition determining unit, replaces the part of the scanning condition in the scanning condition to be applied to the document, which is the object of the scanning request, with the other scanning condition.

4. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the scanning condition determining unit gives priority to another scanning condition included in the scanning request compared to the scanning condition managed in the scanning condition managing unit when at least a part of another scanning condition is included in the scanning request.

5. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the scanning condition determining unit gives priority to another scanning condition included in the scanning request when it is defined to give priority to the other scanning condition included in the scanning request in the scanning conditions managed by the scanning condition managing unit.

6. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a machine signature generating unit for generating a first digital signature for a scanned image by using a secret key proper for the document computerizing apparatus.

7. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the machine signature generating unit generates the first digital signature when attaching the first digital signature is requested at least either in one of the scanning conditions managed by the scanning condition managing unit or in another scanning condition in the scanning request.

8. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a user signature generating unit for generating a second digital signature for a scanned image by using a secret key proper for a user of the document computerizing apparatus.

9. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the user signature generating unit generates the second digital signature when attaching the second digital signature is requested at least either in one of the scanning conditions managed by the scanning condition managing unit or in another scanning condition in the scanning request.

10. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a timestamp obtaining unit for obtaining a timestamp for a scanned image via a network; whereinthe timestamp obtaining unit obtains the timestamp when attaching the timestamp is requested at least either in one of the scanning conditions managed by the scanning condition managing unit or in another scanning condition in the scanning request.

11. A document computerizing apparatus which scans a document, comprising: a scanning request obtaining unit for obtaining a scanning request for the document via a network; anda scanning condition obtaining unit for obtaining a scanning condition to be applied to the document which document is an object of the scanning request; whereinthe document is scanned based on the scanning condition obtained by the scanning condition obtaining unit.

12. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a scanning condition displaying unit for displaying the scanning condition obtained by the scanning condition obtaining unit.

13. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a condition inputting unit for a user to input another scanning condition; whereinthe condition inputting unit permits changing to include the other scanning condition within the scanning condition obtained by the scanning condition obtaining unit.

14. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a machine signature generating unit for generating a first digital signature for a scanned image by using a secret key proper for the document computerizing apparatus.

15. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein: the machine signature generating unit generates the first digital signature when attaching the first digital signature is requested in the scanning request.

16. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a user signature generating unit for generating a second digital signature for a scanned image by using a secret key proper for a user of the document computerizing apparatus.

17. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein: the user signature generating unit generates the second digital signature when attaching the second digital signature is requested in the scanning request.

18. The document computerizing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a timestamp obtaining unit for obtaining a timestamp for a scanned image via a network; whereinthe timestamp obtaining unit obtains the timestamp when attaching the timestamp is requested in the scanning request.

19. A document computerizing method in a document computerizing apparatus which scans a document, comprising the steps of: managing a plurality of scanning conditions to be applied to the document based on a category of the document;obtaining a scanning request for the document;determining the category of the document which document is an object of the scanning request; anddetermining the scanning condition to be applied to the document which document is the object of the scanning request which determined scanning condition is based on the determined category and is selected from the managed scanning conditions; whereinthe document is scanned based on the determined scanning condition.

20. A program product for executing a document computerizing method of a document computerizing apparatus, comprising: the method as claimed in claim 19.