Patent Application
20060271502
The invention relates to information processing apparatus for processing document and/or data.
Information processing apparatus (computer-based system) for processing business have been wildly used. Traditionary, to make an electronic document such as slip, ledger, journal), all, format particulars of a document must be coded on a coding sheet according to a programming language such as COBOL. This method requires, however, familiarity with the coding programming language on the part of a user and involves complicated coding procedure with low flexibility of formatting.
More recent information processing apparatus with advanced semi conductor devices are object-oriented. They incorporate a user friendly architecture and software, and makes an electronic document primarily based on a display-driven system.
Some of the recent information processing apparatus receive ruled lines and/or character strings entered by keyboard and mouse operation on a display screen. The entered data are regarded as specifying format requirements of a document to be made. Thus, the apparatus formats an electronic document according to the entered data.
In some information processing apparatus, an input equipment such as mouse is operated to enter rule lines into a screen and select a desired field and domain. Then, a display window presenting a list of attributes or items associated with the designated field appears on the screen. A desired item in the list is selected to specify a format requirement of that field.
Such prior art information apparatus for processing document still requires a complicated procedure and a voluminous manual to be learned by users, yet limited in flexibility of variably specifying format requirements. In addition, the entered information pieces on the screen are all regarded as specifying format particulars of a document to be made. Therefore, the prior art document information processing apparatus have the disadvantages in several respects. For example, information pieces not related with the document format, such as command, branch name, telephone number etc., cannot be entered as document contents. A considerable time is consumed to specify format particulars of document to be made since it involves sequential invoking of windows on the screen. The entire format requirements of a document cannot be confirmed at once.
In view of the above problems, an object of the invention is to improve object-oriented features and to provide an information processing apparatus and method capable of making a desired document based on simplified operation by a user.
Another object of the invention is to provide an information processing apparatus and method capable of making a desired document by entering characters, symbols and/or graphicals into a document.
A further object of the invention is to provide a document information processing apparatus and method capable of entering document contents as well as format particulars thereof.
A further object of the invention is to provide a document information processing apparatus and method capable of entering data-managing as well as document formatting requirements.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a document information processing apparatus and method capable of confirming input requirements of a document at once.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus in which written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals written in a document are entered as descriptors for specifying format requirements of a document to be made. According to the descriptors, the desired document is formatted. In another mode of the invention, written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals written in a document are entered as descriptors for specifying desired document data management requirements. According to the descriptors, a desired document is formatted and data-managed.
The descriptors of the invention comprise descriptor-dedicated written signs for dedicately constructing descriptors. The descriptor-dedicated written signs are qualified with predetermined attributes which are distinct from those of ordinary writings representative of document contents. The descriptor-dedicated written signs may directly be written within an area or domain having an object of descriptors. The descriptors may also include those ordinary written items which are designated in a predetermined manner. Such ordinary written items may be signed by predetermined descriptor-designated written signs. The written sign entering means uses a common input system to enter the ordinary writings representative of document contents and descriptors for specifying document requirements as an image or from a display screen.
The descriptor recognizing means recognizes from written signs entered by the written-sign entering means descriptors that specify a desired document format and document data managing. The descriptor recognizing means recognizes from an entered image of document writings descriptor-dedicated written signs having predetermined attributes. The descriptor recognizing means may recognize from descriptor-dedicated written signs, those marks having predetermined characters, symbols and/or graphicals as descriptor elements. From the entered information, the descriptor recognizing means may identify ordinary written items representative of document contents and determine ordinary written signs as predetermined descriptors when they are designated by predetermined descriptor element written signs. From the entered information, characters and graphicals are recognized for all descriptor-dedicated written signs and those ordinary written items associated therewith only. As a result of the recognition, document element records are created for respective descriptor-dedicated written signs and associated ordinary written items.
The descriptor recognizing means executes commands of edit-document descriptors, the object of which is specified by an already entered ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicated written sign. As a result, the ordinary written sign and/or descriptor-dedicated written sign is changed, moved, copied or deleted. The descriptor recognizing means may be responsive to a command of requesting for classifying an already entered written sign into either an ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicated written sign to execute the command to thereby classify the written sign into either an ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicate written sign. As a result of the execution, the ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicate written sign is changed, moved, copied or deleted.
The formatting means formats a desired document, or data manages and formats a desired document according to the descriptors recognized by the descriptor recognizing means.
The formatting means may first execute those descriptors pertaining to an edit-document group to edit-process written signs in the document and then execute those descriptors pertaining to a format-document group to specify a format of written signs in the document.
In accordance with the invention, written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals additionally written in a document are entered to specify desired descriptors which are then utilized to make a desired document. Such written signs may be very familiar to users so that users can easily make a desired document with a simple operation. If desired, already-entered ordinary written items can be converted into written signs for desired descriptors, thus facilitating document making with high efficiency.
Using the edit-document feature, already-entered descriptors can freely be changed, moved, copied and/or deleted, thus providing great flexibility of document making with high efficiency.
The invention will now be described in more detail with respect to an embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The color image scanner 10 is used to read a source document sheet carrying characters, symbols and/or graphicals thereon as a colored image. The internal storage 16 and external storage 18 store electronic dictionaries, character fonts etc., as well as programs for controlling CPU 24.
When the “CONFIGURE SYSTEM” button is clicked from the “MAIN MODE MENU SCREEN”, the system enters a configure system mode, presenting “CONFIGURE SYSTEM MODE SCREEN” shown in
In
As shown in
The relation between descriptors and written signs may be preset in the system. In the alternative it may be user-programmable in a display-driven system. In either case, for implementation of the descriptors-to-written signs table shown in
As shown in
In accordance with the embodiment, descriptor elements for document definition are indicated and specified by written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals. Such written signs may also be used as ordinary written items representative of document contents. When written signs are used for descriptor elements, they are qualified with a special attribute (by color, for example) to distinguish from ordinary written items representative of document contents. In doing so, a user can uses familiar written signs or symbols as ordinary written items representative of document contents or as marks for descriptors by qualifying them with unique attributes.
A make document feature of the present system will now be described.
Then, using a color writing instrument, a user may write in the source document sheet those written signs for descriptors of data-managing and formatting document, according to the relation between descriptor elements and written signs (
Special colors are used to qualify additional written signs for descriptor elements according to their group. For example, additional written signs for descriptor elements pertaining to the “MANAGE DOCUMENT” group are entered in blue whereas additional written signs for descriptor elements pertaining to the “FORMAT DOCUMENT” and “EDIT DOCUMENT” groups are entered in red.
In the source document shown in
The character string “MONTH” within “<MONTH>” has a blue color attribute and is thus qualified as an additional written sign descriptor element which is distinguishable from a black colored character string of “MONTH” as an ordinary written item or writing.
Similarly, character strings “GROUP” and “PRODUCT CODE” in the context of blue colored written signs “<GROUP>” and “<PRODUCT CODE>” also serve for descriptor elements. These written signs “<GROUP>” and “<PRODUCT CODE>” are connected via respective links “−” to respective field marks “□” that extend along ruled lines of left and right columns below a black colored ordinary written item “ARTICLE.” The written sign combinations “□−<GROUP>” and “□−<PRODUCT CODE>” each constructs a document data-managing descriptor which indicates that within the field “□”, data of data item “GROUP” (or “PRODUCT CODE”) are to be filled. On the right of the “ARTICLE” column, black colored ordinary writing “QUANTITY” is bracketed by a blue colored mark “< >” as “<QUANTITY>” to define the “QUANTITY” as a data item. An area below the “<QUANTITY>” is enclosed by a blue colored field mark “□”. No link “−” exists for connecting the “<QUANTITY>” to the “□”. In absence of link “−”, the data item “< >” and the field “□” are aligned in the same column or row. In such a case, the embodiment system recognizes association or connection between them as default, as will be described in “RECOGNIZE DESCRIPTORS.”
A descriptor written sign, such as the data item designating mark “< >”, in the example above, may mark or designate a black colored ordinary writing, such as the “QUANTITY”, to thereby qualify or define the ordinary writing “QUANTITY” as a descriptor written sign in the context of the “<QUANTITY>.”
Therefore, if a user wishes to define an ordinary writing originally written or printed in the source document as a data item, he or she simply marks or brackets it by a “< >”. To add a new data item, the user may simply enters the name of the new data item, such as the “GROUP” in the example above, together with a bracket mark “< >” using a blue color as a descriptor qualifier.
Entered in the tabular bottom cell included in the field “□” of “<QUANTITY>” are an ordinary writing (black) “Σ” (which is enclosed by a search-dictionary written sign (blue) “◯”) and a small field mark (blue) of “□” right. As in the case of the “<QUANTITY>” the original writing “Σ” is qualified as a written sign for descriptor. The combination of the “Σ” enclosed by the blue “◯” with the “□” constitutes a data-managing descriptor which indicates that numeric data to be filled in the field of “QUANTITY” is to be summed and the resultant sum data is to be filled in the field “□” next to the “Σ.”
As in the case of the “<QUANTITY>” column, right columns of “PRICE” and “SALES” include similar written signs “< >”, “◯” and “□” all entered in blue for document data-managing. In these columns, black colored ordinary writings “” and “K
” are enclosed by respective “SEARCH DICTIONARY” written signs “◯”, thus qualifying the ordinary writings as descriptor elements. The descriptor-qualified writings “
” and “K
” indicate that numerical (money) data to be filled in tabular cells of the field of this data item must be expressed in unit of “yen” or “1000 yens”, respectively.
Entered in the “<SALES>” field “□” are character strings “5 FIGURES” and “ROUND DOWN”, both written in blue. These are written signs for document data-management and indicate that numerical data (of money) to be filled in respective cells of the sales field must be expressed in five significant figures and rounded down.
Entered in the right bottom area of the source document is a black colored ordinary writing “SALES=PRICE×QUANTITY” which is enclosed by a blue colored “search-dictionary” written sign “◯” and in which each term “SALES”, “PRICE”, “QUANTITY” is bracketed by a blue colored “data item designating” written sign “< >.” Added with such written signs, the arithmetic formula of the ordinary writings is now qualified for a data managing descriptor which indicates that data of the data item “<SALES>” must be obtained by multiplying data of the data item <price> by data of the data item “<SALES>.”
The source document of
A red colored written sign “C” for a centering descriptor element or “R” for a right justification descriptor element is marked within each data item field. This indicates that a data character string to be filled in respective tabular cells within each data item field must be centered or right justified.
The source document of
The description now turns to features for making an electronic document from the source document with additional written signs for descriptors in
The color image scanner 10 reads a source document with descriptor written signs, such as the one shown in
The clicked operation enables the image scanner 10 to read the source document image of
The recognize characters and graphical block 34 recognizes from each colored image component of black, blue and red from the document image storage block 32, individual characters and graphical elements. The graphical element refers to simple graphical symbols such as line, rectangle, circular loop etc., having a shape which is easy to be pattern-recognized.
In connection with the image pattern-recognition, an image convention record, such as the one shown in
The recognize characters and graphicals block 34 recognizes individual characters and graphical elements based on stroke analysis which strokes constituting a character or graphical are found. Any suitable prior stroke analysis may be employed. For example, a group of dots having a specific color is first located. Then a nearby or surrounding area is searched to find an extending direction of the dot group. The process of the dot group tracing repeats until the stroke drawn by such dot group terminates. In the tracing, when the stoke has changed suddenly, the point is identified as a deflection or vertex.
Each stroke is classified into one of predetermined stoke patterns, depending on shape and size. In the embodiment, the pattern dictionary 36 for characters and graphicals, as an electronic dictionary, has stored stroke features and special relationship between constituent strokes for respective characters and graphical elements. The recognize characters and graphicals block 34 repeats matching process involving matching a combination of adjacent strokes found in the stroke analysis against entries in the pattern dictionary 36 to thereby recognize individual characters, symbols and graphicals.
In the character recognition, when a plurality of adjacent characters having a similar character height within allowable character size variation and within allowable character to character pitch variation are found, these characters are recognized as a characters string as syntax unit. Their character size or height is adjusted to a normalized height. The measured character-to-character pitch is normalized to an equal pitch as default. In the character string, if the character-to-character size variation falls within the allowable limit, the characters forming the character string are adjusted to a common character size.
Ruled lines of the document table are recognized as follows. At first, the stroke analyzer recognizes straight lines. If such a straight line is much longer than an ordinary line and generally extends horizontally (X axis) or vertically (Y-axis), the line is considered a horizontal or vertical ruled line. The direction of the found ruled line is adjusted in parallel to a horizontal or vertical line. In the case when a ruled line end is found close to an end or point of another ruled line within a predetermined limit, the ruled line end is considered meeting or coinciding another ruled line end or point and the ruled line location is adjusted correspondingly.
Ruled lines of the tabular document form individual rectangular blocks or cells in which data is to be filed. Such tabular cells may be identified using any suitable prior art method for searching all ruled lines.
The recognize characters and graphicals block 34 recognizes characters and graphicals from respective colored image data (black, blue, red) of the entered source document, as mentioned above, to thereby create document element records of character, character string, graphical element, mark, cell etc., according to the data format shown in
In this manner, the recognize characters and graphicals block 34 recognizes individual characters (character strings), symbols and graphicals included in the entered source document image and makes document element records thereof. The collection of the document element records are stored into the storage 38 as a document element file. Those image entries of written signs or items whose elements have been recognized into document element records may be deleted from the document image storage 32.
The display document image block 40 may display, on the screen 20a of the display unit 20, an image of the entered source document based on the image data in the document image storage 32. It may also display an image of the entered source document from the document element file storage 38 by reconstructing image data from the stored document element records.
Having completed the document element file, the embodiment system informs the user of the completion of the create document element file job via the display screen 20a.
Then, the user may clicks the “MODE” button normally presented at bottom left of the display screen 20a to select “DEFINE” mode. This invokes a specify descriptor group attributes screen shown in
In
Having entered the descriptor group attributes, the user may select either “RECOGNIZE DESCRIPTORS” or “RECOGNIZE ASSOCIATION” to terminate the mode of “SPECIFY DESCRIPTOR GROUP ATTRIBUTES.” Since, in the above, the recognize characters and graphicals has been completed, the user will select the “RECOGNIZE DESCRIPTORS” button.
As a response, the system makes descriptor group attribute records, such as one shown in
Having made the group attribute records (
To create descriptor element records, the system first searches for those document element records pertaining to “MANAGE DOCUMENT” group having a blue color qualifier. In the search, if a written sign “<” has been found, the system searches for another written sign “>” to be paired, thus identifying a descriptor element written sign “< >” indicative of a data item name descriptor element pertaining to the “manage document” group. A descriptor group code and a descriptor element code have now been determined and pointers to document element records of “<” and “>” in the document element file storage have also been determined.
Similarly, those descriptor element records pertaining to red color qualified “FORMAT DOCUMENT” and “EDIT DOCUMENT” groups may be created from corresponding document elements records.
The descriptor element records from the create descriptor elements block 42 are stored into the storage 44 as a descriptor element file.
Then, the create descriptor commands block 46 creates or constructs descriptor records, from the descriptor element data (
The process of creating descriptors by the block 46 involves creating “MANAGE-DOCUMENT” descriptors, “FORMAT-DOCUMENT” descriptors and “EDIT-DOCUMENT” descriptors in the order.
The descriptors pertaining to “MANAGE-DOCUMENT” group are created according to the flow chart of
The field descriptor record is constructed as follows. First, the system searches through descriptor element file 44 data for a descriptor element (link) record of a blue colored written sign “−.” Using the link descriptor element record's pointer, the system retrieves from the document element file the “−” document element record to find the location of the link mark “−.” Then, using data item and field descriptor element records, the system finds out associated written signs “< >” and “□” that locate near the written sign “−.” Written sign location data in the document element records are sequentially examined to locate the associated written signs.
Then, from the locations of the written signs “<” and “>” for designating data item name, a character or character string placed between the written signs “<” and “>”, indicative of the data item name, is searched. The search for the data item name character string also involves sequentially examining location data in document element records. The address of the document element record storing the data item character string is set into the data item name pointer.
Then, the system searches for association of a field written sign “□” with a data item name designating written sign “< >” in which the association is made as default without any link written sign “−.” This search also involves sequentially matching the location data in “the field” written sign “□” against location data in data item name written signs “< >.” In this connection, if a field and a data item name character string are located in the same column or row, it is determined that they are associated with each other. The found data item name character string document element record's address information is used as the data item name pointer.
In this manner, a basic portion of the field descriptor records has been determined by finding the association between the field and the data item character string, as mentioned above.
Next, the system retrieves field attribute written signs, such as “ROUND DOWN” and “5 FIGURES”, and field format written sign, such as “C for centering” and “R” for right justification, and proceeds as follows.
At first, the system searches through a link descriptor element records of written sign “−” and field descriptor element records of written sign “□” and locates a field attribute written sign and/or field format written sign that is connected to the field written sign “□” via the link written sign “−.” (no such example found in
When a field attribute written sign, field format written sign and field written sign “□” have been found associated each other, the field descriptor record (
Next, the system picks up the field descriptor record (
Having created sort descriptor, the system creates “SUM DESCRIPTOR”, “ARITHMETIC DESCRIPTOR” and “UNIT DESCRIPTOR.”
According to the convention of descriptors/written signs employed in the embodiment, certain data-managing written signs, meaning of which must be determined by the system, such as arithmetic formula and unit name character strings etc., are each enclosed by a “SEARCH APPLICATION DICTIONARY” written sign “◯” or entered in a specified color. The create descriptor commands block 46 searches through the descriptor element file 44 data for those descriptor element records of a data-managing character string marked by “SEARCH APPLICATION DICTIONARY” written sign “◯” or entered in a specified color and matches such a character string against entries in the application dictionary 52 to find a matched entry. Depending on the matched entry a corresponding descriptor record is created.
In
The create arithmetic descriptor routine decomposes an arithmetic formula character string into data item character strings of operand and operator marks sequentially from the top and sets them into the arithmetic descriptor shown in
At bottom cell of the quantity field, a blue colored “SEARCH APPLICATION DICTIONARY” written sign “◯” encloses “Σ.” As a result of search application dictionary 52, the written sign “Σ” is identified as a sum command. Thus the system branches into a create sum descriptors routine.
The create sum descriptors routine retrieves a field written sign “ε”, a link written sign “−”, and a blue colored written sign “Σ” or black colored written sign “Σ” enclosed by a blue colored “SEARCH DICTIONARY” written sign “◯.” From the three marks of “□”, “−” and “Σ” in which the field “□” is connected to the “Σ” via the link “−”, the routine determines association of the “□” with the “Σ.” Without a link “−”, it finds out a field “□” that is associated with the “Σ” according to default association criteria.
In the “PRICE” column, a blue colored “SEARCH DICTIONARY” written sign “◯” encloses a written sign “.” In this case, the document element record of the written sign “
” is found and matched against the application dictionary 52, so that the written sign “
” is identified as a unit name command. Thus system executes a create unit descriptors routine.
The create unit descriptors routine searches for a field to which the unit is applied. To this end, the routine sequentially examines locations of the unit name character string (or character), field mark “□” and data item name character string written sign. If the unit name character string is located in a field “□”, the unit specified by the unit name character string is considered field unit attribute of that field “□.” If a tabular cell includes a data item name as well as the unit name character string, the unit is considered field unit attribute of the field “□” of that data item name. This is the case of “” in the <PRICE> cell and “K
” in the <SALES> cell. If the unit name character string is connected to a field “□” or a data item character string via a link “−”, the unit is considered as the field unit attribute of that field “□” or the field “□” of that data item character string.
Having determined the field that is associated with the unit written mark the system picks up the field descriptor (
Unlike arithmetic descriptor or sum descriptor, the unit descriptor does not constitute an independent descriptor record. The unit descriptor is incooperated into a field descriptor record of a field 5c (to which the unit is applied) as part thereof, specifically as a field unit attribute thereof.
The description now turns to creating descriptor records pertaining to the “FORMAT DOCUMENT” group.
At first, the system retrieves, from the descriptor element file storage 44, those descriptor element records pertaining to “FORMAT DOCUMENT” group sequentially and identifies them. The retrieved descriptor element record's pointer is used to retrieve a document element record corresponding thereto from the document element file storage 38. Each “FORMAT DOCUMENT” descriptor written sign is analyzed to find the object and domain.
For object identification, from an object marking descriptor element “> <”, the system searches through the document element file data for a character string or graphical located between the written signs “>” and “<”. The found character string or graphical is determined as the object of the written signs. The system also searches for a character (character string) or graphicals that is connected to a “FORMAT DOCUMENT” written sign via a link “−”, or located in the vicinity of the format document written sign. The character string or graphical, thus found, is identified as the object of the format-document written sign.
For domain identification, the system searches for {circle around (1)}margin, tab, {circle around (2)}field and {circle around (3)}tabular cell in this priority order of domain which is connected to the format-document written sign via a link “−” or includes that document-format written sign. When a margin or tab is found, the margin or tab is identified as domain of the format-document written sign even if the format-document written sign is located in a field or tabular cell at the same time. In the case when no margin or tab is found but a field including the format-document written sign is found, that field is identified as the domain of the format-document written sign even if the format-document written sign is located within a tabular cell at the same time.
The descriptors pertaining to the format-document group are classified into “DOMAIN DESCRIPTOR” class, such as “TAB” and “MARGIN”, for specifying domain of a document and/or writings and “LAYOUT DESCRIPTOR” class, such as “CENTERING” and “RIGHT JUSTIFICATION”, for specifying layout of written signs and/or writing. The “LAYOUT DESCRIPTOR” class is further subdivided into those descriptors for layout of an already entered written items and those for layout of a to-be-entered writing.
The system represents the object and domain identified for each written sign as follows. According to the data format shown in
According to the data format shown in
For representation of the layout descriptor class for specifying layout of nonexistent object, the system stores the layout code into the layout data field of a field descriptor record (
The object of a descriptor pertaining to the “EDIT DOCUMENT” group is also identified in a similar manner by retrieving an “EDIT-DOCUMENT” descriptor element and corresponding written sign (=, V, →etc.,) and searching for associated written signs that are located in the vicinity of the edit-document descriptor written sign or connected thereto via a link while exploring through the document element file, as done in the object identification of the “FORMAT-DOCUMENT” descriptor written sign.
FIGS. 34 to 36 show a data format of delete descriptor record, insert descriptor record, and move descriptor record, respectively, as examples of edit-document descriptor.
In
In
In
In this manner, all descriptor records including data-managing and formatting document descriptors have been created from the source document with descriptor written signs, such as one shown in
In the above example, the source document writings are entered using the color image scanner. Other input equipments, such as keyboard 12, mouse 14 and digitizer 15, can be used to enter the source document writings. The writing information entered by the keyboard 12 is received by the input characters and graphical elements block 37 (
The display-driven system of input equipments 12, 14 and 15 enters descriptor written signs as follows. The user selects from the screen 20a the “MENU” button which always appears on the bottom left of the screen 20a. This switches the screen to a “MENU SCREEN” shown in
With the display-driven feature, the user can color-qualify any writing entries any time, before or after the entering. For example, before entering characters or ruled lines, the user may call the color menu screen to select desired color button in the color menu. In the alternative, the user may specify the desired portion of the writing entries that have been entered in a standard color and then select a desired color button.
When a written sign has been entered from the display screen, the input characters and graphicals elements block 37 (
Like the sheet carried writings entered as an image, the writing information (character string, mark, graphical) entered from the display screen is represented by document element records (FIGS. 15 to 19) in the system. For example, when a color command is entered in the color menu mode, the selected color code is set into the appropriate document element records.
It is practically advantageous to use the display-driven entering system together with the image entering system. Since within the system the writing information entered via the document image and writing information entered by commands from display screen are commonly represented in the form of document element records, either the image entering system or the display-driven entering system can be used to enter desired written signs or symbols any time whether it is an original document writing (ordinary written item) or an additional written sign for a descriptor. Therefore, the user may first enter a source documents with basic document writings only, such as the one shown in
In another entering procedure, the user may first enter by the image scanner all writings of the source document, such as one shown in
In still another procedure of entering, the user may enter or add written signs for descriptors by inputting commands from the displayed screen to the source document that has been entered by the image scanner. For example, at first, the source document with basic writings thereon, such as the one shown in
In the “DEFINE” mode, the user may select and click an item “QUANTITY” (as an ordinary written item) in the displayed source document shown in
For the sake of description,
The system reads a command entered by the user in the manner as described, locates and picks up in the element document file storage 38 a document element record corresponding to the document element that is clicked on the screen and creates a required descriptor record from the picked document element record and the entered command.
The user may also change or cancel an already entered descriptor by entering an edit-document command from the screen while marking the descriptor written sign to be edited.
An example is shown in
The user may enter a command of “MOVE” or “COPY” on the screen for a format-document descriptor written sign entered in a field, for example, “C” for centering. This results in change or extension of descriptor object. To this end, the system reads the entered command “MOVE” or “COPY” and picks up data records of the written sign “C.” In the case of “MOVE”, the system updates the appropriate descriptor element record and descriptor record with respect to location. In the case of “COPY”, the system creates a new descriptor element record and descriptor for a written sign “C” to be newly entered written in the destination.
As stated, entering commands using a display-driven system enables making or updating descriptors. To this end, the system includes an enter commands block 60 and an execute commands block 62 as shown in
Using the menu driven system, the user may enter a delete command such that a delete written sign “=” is written over an ordinary written item “SALES LEDGER” and a format-document written sign “∇” for tab to delete the “SALES LEDGER” and “tab” descriptor written sign of “∇.” To this end, when executing edit-document descriptor commands (to be described), the system deletes, from the document element storage file 38, a document element record of the ordinary written item “SALES LEADER” and deletes a document element record, descriptor element record and a format-document descriptor each corresponding to the descriptor written sign “∇” from the document element file storage 38, descriptor element file storage 44 and manage-document file storage 54, respectively.
In this manner, the system processes writings and written signs of source document, such as characters, symbols, and graphicals, into document element records, descriptor element records and finally descriptor records to thereby define required document data management and document format.
It is desirable at this time to execute commands of format-document descriptors and edit-document descriptors to specify the format of document for those characters, character strings etc., already entered in the document. These descriptor commands are executed by an executed commands of descriptors block 64 in
The execute commands of descriptors block 64 successively retrieves edit-document descriptors from the edit-document file storage 58 and performs required processing (delete, insert, move etc.,) of the required (pointer-specified) object (character strings etc.) according to the retrieved edit-document descriptors. Finally the block 64 updates the document element file storage 38 for those document element records corresponding to the processed object (character strings etc.).
The execute commands of descriptor block 64 executes an “INSERT” descriptor command as follows. The block 64 picks up an insert descriptor record (
The block 64 executes a format-document descriptor similarly. It retrieves a format-document descriptor from the format-document file storage 56, processes the appropriate (pointer-specified) object (e.g., character string) according to the retrieved format-document descriptor and updates appropriate document element record in the document element file storage 38.
For example, the block 64 executes a centering descriptor corresponding to the blue colored written sign “C” entered in the tabular cell of “PRICE” in the document of
Having executed commands of “FORMAT-DOCUMENT” descriptors and “EDIT-DOCUMENT” descriptors, the embodiment system may display the black colored ordinary writings only whereas inhibiting the blue and red written signs for descriptors from the screen. To this end, the display document image block 40 in the system excludes the red or blue colored document element records (FIGS. 15 to 19) from the image objects to be displayed and processes the black colored document element records only into an image signal which is displayed on the screen 20a as a monochromatic document image. In the case of
The description now turns to a data output function feature of the embodiment system for posting data from a source data file to the electronic document and for outputting the resultant document.
The embodiment system performs the data output process after creating the descriptors or after executing the commands of “EDIT-DOCUMENT” descriptors and “FORMAT-DOCUMENT” descriptors after having created the descriptors. In the alternative, the document requirements data may be saved into an external storage for document file. Then the saved document-requirements data are loaded into the internal storage 16. From the loaded document-requirements data, an electronic document is made and displayed on the screen 20a (
The data output process is carried out in the mode of “OUTPUT DATA.” When the “MODE” button (
At the beginning of the output data process, an external system for managing the source database sends a group of source data records with a file header to the communication interface 26 which stores the received source data into the source data file storage 70. The header describes the data format or structure of the source data.
The translate data items block 72 looks up the data item translation table 80 (
The execute manage document block 74 receives source data records from the translate data items block 72, identifies those data records of a particular month, for example, October and data-manages them according to the manage-document file 54 storing manage-document descriptors, such as field descriptors, sort descriptor, arithmetic descriptor, etc.
In the case of the document of ”, “K
” with the required rounding. As a result, each file record meets the required data format, as shown in
The system looks up the unit conversion table 82, such as the one shown in ” which is followed by the conversion rate of “1.” Then via a separator, a unit name character string of “YEN” and conversion rate of “1” succeeds. After a second separator, another unit name character string of “K
” and a corresponding conversion rate of “1000” follows.
The convert data to document element block 78 retrieves from the output data file storage 76 data records and convert each data item in each data record to document element data. In doing so, a product code of, say, “TV” in a data record from the output data file storage 76 is converted into a document element record of character string (
The block 78 looks up the data-to-character conversion table 84 for the required conversion into document element such as character string record (
The document element records from the convert data to document element block 78 are stored into the document element file storage 38 together with those document element records created in the “CREATE DOCUMENT” or “DEFINE” mode. Thus, the display document image block 40 retrieves from the document element file storage 38 all document element records having the color attribute of black of the ordinary writings and convert them into an image frame of an output document so that an output document image, such as the one shown in
In this manner, a desired output document is created from a source data file and displayed by the process of output data. Conversely, the output document data may be used to enter data into the source file.
In the above example, to distinguish written signs for descriptors from ordinary writings on a source document and/or to distinguish a different groups of descriptor written signs from each other, the user color-qualifies them in the “CREATE DOCUMENT” mode, in particular “SPECIFY DESCRIPTOR GROUP ATTRIBUTE” mode (
However, for descriptor group qualification, other attributes such as “LINE TYPE”, “LINE WIDTH”, “HAND WRITTEN/PRINTED” etc., may be used, as shown in
For descriptor group qualification by “LINE WIDTH” or weight, the user may qualify the ordinary writings by writing with a pencil and qualify written signs for descriptors by writing with a felt-tip pen. In this case, the line stroke analyzer in the system evaluate the width of a line as measured in a direction normal to the stroke trace and compares it with a reference for line width classification.
In the case of “HAND-WRITTEN/PRINTED”, the user may qualify ordinary writings by the printed and qualify written signs for descriptors by the hand-written. The system distinguishes the hand-written entries from the printed entries as follows. For graphicals such as circle, line, etc., the system evaluates the stroke trace direction or angle to determine whether it is handwritten or printed. For characters, the system checks character size variation between adjacent characters or compares a location and proportion of character constituent strokes with those of a standard printed character and based on the comparison error determines whether it is handwritten or printed.
In the above example, the user has assigned a blue color to the “MANAGE-DOCUMENT” group written signs, and a red color to the “FORMAT-DOCUMENT” group written signs and “EDIT-DOCUMENT” group written signs for color-qualification of respective descriptor groups. This makes it easy for the system to identify a descriptor group to which a written sign pertains to. In addition, a common written sign, such as link written sign “→” is employed for different descriptor groups (
In this manner, the user can easily specify attributes of written signs for respective descriptor groups by entering a plurality of qualifiers thereof. The entered results are held in the system as attribute specifying records for respective descriptor groups (
In the above example, the original writings (ordinary writings) in a source document sheet (
Unlike the handwritten source document, a printed source document is formed by normalized written items (in particular ruled lines) with respect to size, location etc. In this case, the recognize characters and graphicals block 34 may recognize those characters and graphicals only with respect to blue or red colored written signs for descriptors and those ordinary written items associated with the descriptor written signs such as those marked by descriptor written signs of “< >”, “◯” etc. This recognition process is called when the “RECOGNIZE ASSOCIATIONS” in the defined menu is selected in the “DEFINE” mode after the source document image has been read.
As a result, the document element file storage 38 stores document element records covering all written signs for descriptors having a blue or red color attribute, those document element records of ordinary writings which are associated with the written signs for descriptors, those document element records (if any) which are subsequently entered on a display-driven system and those document element records which correspond to data of respective data items to be filled in document tabular cells. The most of the image-entered, black colored ordinary writings are not transformed into document element records but stores in the document image storage 32 as image per se.
For outputting a desired document with data, the display document image block 40 retrieves from the document image storage 32 the image of ordinary writings that has not been processed in the characters/graphicals recognition and displays such ordinary writings on the screen 20a in normalized size and location as in the source document. At the same time, the display document image block 40 retrieves from the document element file storage 32 the document element records covering the black colored written items, converts them into an image and superimposes it on the screen 20a in such a manner that such written items have a normalized size and are located at normalized positions, as specified by the descriptors. As the result of the superimposition, a desired document image output (or print out thereof) similar to the one shown in
In the above example, to distinguish written signs for descriptors from ordinary writings or distinguish written signs in a descriptor group from written signs in any other descriptor group, qualifiers such as color, line type and/or line width of written signs have been employed. However, in a simplified descriptor system in which no duplication exists between written signs for descriptors and ordinary writings, there is no need for qualifying written signs for descriptors by specifying attributes thereof. In such a case, the system looks up only descriptors/written sign table (
Whereas the above embodiment has been applied to composing a tabular document according to manage-document and format-document descriptors, the invention can also be applied to making any document which is to be formatted, data-managed and/or edited.
The invention uses programs or software for implementing the features of the invention. The software may be installed in a system of the invention by any medium with which the software is recorded or by an on-line system. Therefore, selling a medium in which the software of the invention is recorded or installing the software into a system on an on-line basis without authority may constitute practice of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 317319/1995 | Nov 1995 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 08747399 | Nov 1996 | US |
| Child | 09429168 | Oct 1999 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09429168 | Oct 1999 | US |
| Child | 10682936 | Oct 2003 | US |
