METHOD FOR REGISTERING IMAGE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS

Abstract

A method for registering an image data of an image of a registration object by storing in a storage device. The method may include: obtaining an image data of the image of the registration object; analyzing the obtained image data; specifying a kind of the image of the registration object, in accordance with an analyzed result; adding an image kind information, which indicates the specified kind of the image, as an attribute information to the image data of the image of the registration object; and storing the image data to which the attribute information is added, in the storage device. A kind of image is specified by a black pixel ratio of the image data, and the like, may be based on a histogram indicating a concentration distribution of the read image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of MFP (Multiple Function Peripheral) when an image processing apparatus according to one or more aspects of the present invention is applied to an MFP;

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are a flowchart showing a procedure of a main routine of a data registering process in the Embodiment 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of items of an attribute information that can be added to an image data;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of an image analyzing process that is included as a subroutine in a data registering process in the Embodiment 1;

FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C are histograms exemplifying a concentration distribution of an image;

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are a flowchart showing a procedure of a user information setting process that is included as a subroutine in the data registering process of the Embodiment 1;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing detailed setting items at setting of a user name as attribute information;

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are a flowchart showing a procedure of a storage destination setting process that is included as a subroutine in the data registering process of the Embodiment 1;

FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B and FIG. 9C are explanatory views showing a detail of a storage destination path information;

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are a flowchart showing a procedure of an image file generating process that is included as a subroutine in the data registering process of the Embodiment 1;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a detail displaying of a folder in which an image file is stored;

FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of the image processing apparatus according to one or more aspects of the present invention; and

FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B is a flowchart showing a procedure of a main routine of a data registering process in an Embodiment 2.

Claims

1. A method for registering an image data of an image of a registration object by storing in a storage device, comprising the steps of: obtaining an image data of the image of the registration object;analyzing the obtained image data;specifying a kind of the image of the registration object, in accordance with an analyzed result;adding an image kind information, which indicates the specified kind of the image, as an attribute information to the image data of the image of the registration object; andstoring the image data to which the attribute information is added, in the storage device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the image data of the registration object is obtained by: generating the image data of an image photographed by a photographing apparatus, as the image of the registration object;reading an image data of an image formed on an original document, as the image of the registration object;generating the image data of an image received through a facsimile communication, as the image of the registration object, orreceiving the image data of the registration object from an external apparatus.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising step of adding an identification information indicating a method from which the image data is obtained, as the attribute information to the image data.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the obtained image data analyzes the image data of the image of the registration object and obtains a concentration distribution of the image of the registration object, andthe step of specifying a kind of the image specifies a kind of the image of the registration object in accordance with the concentration distribution obtained by the step of analyzing the obtained image data.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of at least one kind of information among user information that enables an identification of a user who is allowed to use the image of the registration object, path information indicating a registration destination in which the image data is stored, and image quality information indicating an image quality of the image of the registration object; andaccepting setting of information among the stored information to be added to the image data of the registration object,wherein the step of adding attribute information adds at least one kind of the accepted information, as the attribute information to the image data.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising the step of specifying a hierarchy to be added to the image data of the registration object within the path information composed of a plurality of hierarchies.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the step of adding attribute information adds a plurality of user information.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of adding attribute information including the steps of: copying the image data to be registered, by the same number as the plurality of user information, andadding the plurality of user information to the plurality of copied image data, respectively.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of adding attribute information including the steps of: copying the image data to be registered, by the same number as the plurality of user information, andadding different user information among the plurality of user information to each of the plurality of copied image data, one by one.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of adding attribute information adds limit information to limit a treatment of the image data, in accordance with information added to the image data to be registered.

11. An image processing apparatus that registers an image data of an image of a registration object by storing in a storage device, comprising: an image data obtaining unit that obtains the image data of the image of the registration object;an image data analyzing unit that analyzes the image data obtained by the image data obtaining unit;an image kind specifying unit that specifies a kind of the image of the registration object, in accordance with a result analyzed by the image data analyzing unit;an attribute information adding unit that adds an image kind information, which indicates the kind of the image specified by the image kind specifying unit, as an attribute information to the image data of the image of the registration object; anda registering unit that stores the image data to which the attribute information is added by the attribute information adding unit, in the storage device.

12. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the image data obtaining unit obtains the image data of the registration object by: generating the image data of an image photographed by a photographing apparatus as the image of the registration object;reading an image data of an image formed on an original document as the image of the registration object;generating the image data of an image received through a facsimile communication as the image of the registration object, orreceiving the image data of the registration object from an external apparatus.

13. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the attribute information adding unit adds an identification information indicating a method from which the image data is obtained by the image data obtaining unit, as the attribute information to the image data.

14. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the image data analyzing unit analyzes the image data of the image of the registration object and obtains a concentration distribution of the image of the registration object, andthe image kind specifying unit specifies a kind of the image of the registration object in accordance with the concentration distribution obtained by the image data analyzing unit.

15. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising: an attribute information storage unit that can store a plurality of at least one kind of information among user information that enables an identification of a user who is allowed to use the image of the registration object, path information indicating a registration destination in which the image data is stored, and image quality information indicating an image quality of the image of the registration object; andan additional information setting unit that sets information to be added by the attribute information adding unit among the information stored in the attribute information storage unit,wherein the attribute information adding unit adds at least one kind of the information set by the additional information setting unit, as the attribute information to the image data.

16. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 15, further comprising a hierarchy specifying unit that specifies a hierarchy to be added by the attribute information adding unit within the path information composed of a plurality of hierarchies.

17. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the attribute information adding unit adds a plurality of user information.

18. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein the attribute information adding unit copies the image data to be registered, by the same number as the plurality of user information, and adds the plurality of user information to the plurality of copied image data, respectively.

19. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein the attribute information adding unit copies the image data to be registered, by the same number as the plurality of user information, and adds different user information among the plurality of user information to each of the plurality of copied image data, one by one.

20. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the attribute information adding unit adds limit information to limit a treatment of the image data, in accordance with information added to the image data to be registered.