JPH06203080A - Picture retrieval system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] The present invention retrieves image data filed on an optical disk of an image filing device from a remote place using a general facsimile device without a dedicated communication terminal device or the like. However, the purpose is to be able to obtain the image data. According to the present invention, an image including a search conditional expression is transmitted from a remote facsimile machine 3 via a public line 2 to an image filing apparatus 1, and the image filing apparatus 1 displays the search conditional expression in the transmitted image. Character recognition is performed, an image corresponding to the recognition result is searched from the optical disc 20, and the image is transmitted to the facsimile device 3 of the request transmission source via the public line 2.
The facsimile machine 3 prints out the retrieved image.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image retrieving system including a facsimile device connected via a public line and an image filing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image such as a large amount of documents is read by a scanner (two-dimensional scanning device), the read image is stored in an optical disk, and any stored image is searched and read out. Output it to an output device, eg C
2. Description of the Related Art An image filing device which outputs an RT display device or a recording device in a visually recognizable state has been put into practical use.

In order to retrieve the image data recorded on the optical disk of such an image filing device from a remote location and obtain the image data, a dedicated communication terminal device or the like is required.

Therefore, even if there is no dedicated communication terminal device or the like, the image data stored in the optical disk of the image filing device is retrieved from a remote place using a general facsimile device and the image data is obtained. What could be done was desired.

[0005]

As described above, the image data stored in the optical disk of the image filing device can be remotely recorded by using a general facsimile device without a dedicated communication terminal device or the like. There is a demand for a device that can retrieve and obtain that image data. Even if there is no dedicated communication terminal device, etc., it can be used from a remote place to an optical disk of an image filing device by using a general facsimile device. An object of the present invention is to provide an image search system capable of searching stored image data and obtaining the image data.

[0006]

An image search system of the present invention comprises first and second devices connected via a public line, wherein the first device has a search condition expression written therein. Reading means for reading the original, first transmitting means for transmitting the read image read by the reading means to the second device, first receiving means for receiving the search image from the second device
And a print output unit that prints out the search image received by the first receiving unit, and the second device stores a plurality of images together with search information corresponding to each of the images. Means, above first
Second receiving means for receiving a transmission image from the device, recognizing means for recognizing the search conditional expression from the transmission image received by the second receiving means, and an image corresponding to the search conditional expression recognized by the recognizing means. From the storage means, and second transmission means for transmitting the search image searched by the search means to the first device.

The image retrieval system of the present invention comprises a facsimile device connected via a public line and an image filing device, wherein the facsimile device connects a line to the image filing device. Means, reading means for reading an original document in which a search condition expression is written, and a first image for transmitting the read image read by the reading means and destination information to the image filing apparatus connected by the first line connecting means. The image filing apparatus includes a plurality of transmitting means, a first receiving means for receiving the search image from the image filing apparatus, and a print output means for printing out the search image received by the first receiving means. Means for storing each image of the image together with the search information corresponding to each of the images, the facsimile device Corresponding to the search condition expression recognized by the recognition means for recognizing the retrieval condition expression and the destination information from the transmission image received by the second reception means. A search means for searching an image from the storage means, a second line connection means for connecting a line to the facsimile device using the destination information recognized by the recognition means, and a search image searched by the search means. It is composed of second transmitting means for transmitting to the facsimile machine connected by the second line connecting means.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in the first and second devices connected via the public line, the first device reads an original document in which a retrieval conditional expression is described, and the read image is read. To the second device, and the second device
Receiving the search image from the device, printing out the received search image, the second device stores the plurality of images in the storage means together with the search information corresponding to each of the images, and the first image is stored. The transmission image from the device is received, the search conditional expression is recognized from the received transmission image, the image corresponding to the recognized search conditional expression is searched from the storage means, and the searched search image is searched for in the first search image. It is configured to be transmitted to the first device.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an image retrieval apparatus of the present invention, for example, an image filing apparatus and a facsimile apparatus connected via a public line.

That is, the image filing apparatus 1 is connected to the facsimile apparatus 3 via the public line 2. The facsimile apparatus 3 reads a document (document) or the search condition sheet C two-dimensionally and transmits it to another device via the public line 2, or transmits from another device via the public line 2. Image is printed out. For example, the key input unit 3a, the scanner unit 3
b, a print unit 3c, a compression / expansion circuit 3d, a character generator 3e, a transmission / reception unit 3f, and a CPU 3g for controlling each unit. Key input part 3a
Is a key input for a FAX number of a transmission destination and a start instruction.

The scanner unit 3b scans a document (document) or the search condition sheet C two-dimensionally to scan the document,
Alternatively, the electric signal (image data) corresponding to the image on the search condition sheet C is obtained. Print part 3c
Is to print out the received image or the like on the paper P (hard copy; print out). Compression / expansion circuit 3
d is the MH (Modified Huffman) method or the MR (Modified Huffman) method.
Bandwidth compression or bandwidth expansion is performed using the ifiedRead) method or the like. The character generator 3e generates a character pattern corresponding to the FAX number of this device.

The transmission / reception unit 3f transmits an image in which a character pattern corresponding to the FAX number (source information) of this apparatus is added to the read image read by the scanner unit 3b via the public line 2 or the public line 2 The search image supplied via the.

The CPU 3g controls each of the above-mentioned units, and adds a character pattern read from the character generator 3e corresponding to the FAX number (source information) of the apparatus to the read image read by the scanner unit 3b. It creates an image.

On the search condition sheet C, search condition formulas are described in a formatted state, and as shown in FIG. 2, "image search device" is described. The position in which the search condition expression is written may be a specified position or an arbitrary position.

In the case of the retrieval condition sheet C, a "retrieval sheet" is described as shown in FIG. The original A is an original because no characters are written. The type may be indicated by a color or a number.

The image filing device 1 includes a control module 10, a memory module 12, an image processing module 14, a communication control module 16, a scanner device (reading means) 18, an optical disk (storage means) 20, an optical disk device 22, and a keyboard 23a. Mouse 23b, CR
T display device 24, printer device 25, magnetic disk 26 and magnetic disk device 27, character recognition unit (recognition means) 29, system bus 30, and image bus 32.
It is composed by.

The control module 10 is a CPU 34 which performs various controls for storing, retrieving and editing images.
And optical disk device 22, magnetic disk device 27 and C
The interface circuit 36 connects the PU 34. Further, the CPU 23 has a keyboard 23a.
And a mouse 23b is connected.

The memory module 12 is a main memory 38 for storing various control programs for image storage, retrieval, editing, etc., and management information, and an image memory having a storage capacity corresponding to several pages of an A4 size document. Page memory 40, a display memory 42 as a display interface, and a display controller 44. A buffer memory area 40a is provided in a part of the page memory 40. The page memory 40 is a memory that temporarily stores, for example, an image stored in the optical disc 20 or an image read from the optical disc 20.

The display memory 42 is for temporarily storing an image displayed by the CRT display device 24. In the display memory 42, an image actually displayed in the display window of the CRT display device 24, for example, an image from the page memory 40 or an image from the buffer memory 40a is enlarged, reduced, rotated, inserted or inserted. An image subjected to black-and-white reversal or the like is stored.

The image processing module 14 includes an enlarging / reducing circuit 46 for enlarging and reducing an image, a vertical / horizontal converting circuit 48 for rotating an image, and an encoding process for compressing an image (reducing redundancy). A compression / decompression circuit (CODEC) 50 for performing a decoding process for applying and decompressing (recovering reduced redundancy), a scanner interface 52 for the scanner device 18, a printer interface 54 for the printer device 25, and scaling. The internal bus 56 connects the circuit 46 and the vertical / horizontal conversion circuit 48 with the compression / expansion circuit 50, the scanner interface 52, and the printer interface 54.

The compression / expansion circuit 50 includes an MH (Modified Huff).
The band compression or band expansion is performed by using the man (man) system, the MR (Modified Read) system, or the like, and is the same system as the compression / expansion circuit 3d in the facsimile apparatus 3, for example.

The communication control module 16 is composed of a communication interface 58 such as a UCP (Universal Communication Processor) connected to a facsimile machine (FCP; facsimile connection mechanism). Not only the facsimile machine but also an external device such as a personal computer may be connected. In addition, the communication control module 16 is a BCP connected to the LAN via an interface.
(Bus Communication Processor) may be provided.

The character recognition unit 29 detects and cuts out image data (image data) read by the scanner device 18 for each character, and the detected and cut out character pattern and the character pattern stored in a dictionary (not shown). Character recognition is performed by comparison with.

The system bus 30 is a bus for control signals of various devices and connects the control module 10 with the memory module 12, the image processing module 14, and the communication control module 16. The image bus 32 is an image bus, and connects the memory module 12, the image processing module 14, and the communication control module 16.

The scanner device 18 is a two-dimensional scanning device which obtains an electric signal (image data) corresponding to an image on the original by scanning the original (document) two-dimensionally with a laser beam.

The optical disk device 22 is the scanner device 18
The images of the document A read in step 1 are sequentially stored in the optical disc 20. Further, the optical disk 20 is searched for an image corresponding to the search code specified by the keyboard 23a or the like, or an image corresponding to the search conditional expression specified by the transmitted search sheet C.

The keyboard 23a is for inputting a unique search code corresponding to an image stored in the optical disk 20 and various operation commands for storage, search, edit processing and the like. In addition, the mouse 23b arbitrarily moves a cursor (not shown) displayed on the display window of the CRT display device 24 in the vertical and horizontal directions,
(Various operation modes, area designation or icon for image editing, etc.) are selected or instructed.

The CRT display device (cathode ray tube display device) 24 displays the image read by the scanner device 18 and the image retrieved from the optical disk 20. Icons and the like are displayed at the top, bottom, and right ends of this display window.

The printer device 25 prints out (hardcopy) the image read by the scanner device 18, the image retrieved from the optical disk 20, or the image displayed on the CRT display device 24.

The magnetic disk device 27 stores various control programs on the magnetic disk 26 mounted on the magnetic disk device 27, and also stores a search code input from the keyboard 23a and an image corresponding to the search code. The search data (search information) including the storage address on the optical disk 20 and the image size is stored.

The search data is managed by a document management table. As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, the document management table includes a title management table 26a and page management. It is composed of a table 26b and a record management table 26c. As shown in FIG. 3A, the title management table 26a stores one document number corresponding to each search code (image name) composed of a plurality of search keys.
In the page management table 26b, as shown in FIG. 3B, record numbers are stored page by page of one document, and one record number is stored corresponding to each page. ing. As shown in FIG. 3C, the record management table 26c stores a storage address (storage start position) of an image on the optical disc 19 and a document size (image size) for each record number. The storage address is a logical address, and the physical track address and the physical sector address are calculated from this at the time of access.

Next, in such a configuration, the corresponding image is retrieved from the image filing apparatus 1 according to the image data of the retrieval condition sheet C from the facsimile apparatus 3,
Regarding the search processing for outputting the search image by the facsimile device 3 by transmitting to the facsimile device 3,
This will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

For example, the search condition sheet C in which the search conditions are entered is set in the facsimile device 3, the FAX number of the image filing device 1 as the other party is input, and the start is instructed (ST1). Then, the facsimile apparatus 3 starts reading (two-dimensionally scanning and photoelectrically converting) the search condition sheet C by the scanner unit 3b, and dials the public line 2 to make a dial transmission to the image filing apparatus of the other party. The line with 1 is connected (ST2). The facsimile apparatus 3 compresses the read content of the search condition sheet C by the scanner unit 3b by the compression / expansion circuit 3d and transmits it to the communication interface 58 of the image filing apparatus 1 via the public line 2 (ST3).

At this time, the facsimile apparatus 3 reads a character pattern corresponding to the date and time of the call, the name of the sender, and the FAX number of the call facsimile apparatus from the character generator 3e and adds it to a predetermined position of the image data to be transmitted, for example, the upper left portion. I am sending it.

When the image data from the facsimile apparatus 3 is received by the communication interface 58 of the image filing apparatus 1, the received image data is expanded by the compression / expansion circuit 50, and then the bus 32.
Is stored in the page memory 40 via (ST4). That is, image data for each scanning line obtained by compressing the two-dimensional image from the facsimile device 3 is supplied to the compression / expansion circuit 50, subjected to band expansion processing, and sequentially stored in the page memory 40.

Next, the CPU 34 makes the page memory 40
The contents stored in the upper right corner of the image stored in
The recognition result is stored in the main memory 38 (ST5). Further, the CPU 34 determines the type based on the recognition result stored in the main memory 38.
In this case, it is determined that the image on the search sheet C has been read (ST6).

Based on this determination, the CPU 34 selects the image search mode, further recognizes the characters stored in the other area (the area other than the upper right part) of the page memory 40 by the character recognition unit 29, and recognizes the character. Results in main memory 38
(ST7).

Further, the CPU 34 stores the FAX number in the recognition result of the upper left end portion of the image stored in the page memory 40 in the main memory 38 as the FAX number of the facsimile apparatus for which the search request is made (ST8).

Further, the CPU 34 has the page memory 40.
The search condition expression is judged from the recognition results other than the left and upper right end portions stored in the above. In this case, "image search device" is determined as the search condition expression (ST9).

The CPU 34 sequentially compares and compares the determined search condition expression "image search device" with the search code stored in the title management table 26a of the magnetic disk 26, and a search that matches the input search condition expression. It is sequentially checked whether or not the code is stored and the corresponding document number is extracted. As a result, the CPU 34 stores the extracted candidate document numbers in the main memory 38 (ST10).

Then, when there is one candidate document (ST11), the CPU 34 refers to the candidate document number in the main memory 38, and sets the record number corresponding to the document number to the page management table 26b of the magnetic disk 26. Is read out, the logical address corresponding to the read record number is read from the record management table 26c in the magnetic disk 26, the physical track address and the physical sector address corresponding to this address are calculated, and by these addresses The image including the search code from the optical disc 20 is reproduced by the optical disc device 22 (ST12).

Further, the CPU 34 sequentially supplies the image (compression information) for each scanning line supplied from the optical disk device 22 to the page memory 40. As a result, the search image is stored in the page memory 40 (ST13).

Next, the CPU 34 causes the main memory 38 to
The FAX number of the facsimile device for which the search request is stored and the line connection instruction are stored in the communication interface 5
8 (ST14). Communication interface 58
Dials the public line 2 to connect the line with the facsimile device 3 of the other party (ST1
5). Further, the CPU 34 outputs a transmission request for the search image data in the page memory 40 to the communication interface 58. The communication interface 58 is the page memory 40.
The search image data of is transmitted to the facsimile apparatus 3 via the public line 2 (ST16).

When the facsimile apparatus 3 receives the retrieved image data from the image filing apparatus 1, the received image data is decompressed by the compression / decompression circuit 3b and then printed on the paper P by the printing unit 3c. Is output (ST17).

When there are a plurality of candidate documents in step 11, the CPU 34 refers to the candidate document number in the main memory 38, and manages the search code (image name) corresponding to the document number. The character pattern corresponding to the read search code is read from the table 26a, read from the character generator 3a, and sequentially supplied to the page memory 40. As a result, a list of a plurality of candidate documents is created on the page memory 40 as image data (ST18).

Next, the CPU 34 controls the main memory 38.
The FAX number of the facsimile device for which the search request is stored and the line connection instruction are stored in the communication interface 5
8 (ST19). Communication interface 58
Dials the public line 2 to connect the line with the facsimile device 3 of the other party (source) (ST20). Further, the CPU 34 uses the page memory 4
The transmission request of the list data of the search document of 0 is output to the communication interface 58. The communication interface 58 transmits the list data of the search document in the page memory 40 to the facsimile apparatus 3 via the public line 2 (ST2
1).

When the facsimile apparatus 3 receives the list data of the search document from the image filing apparatus 1, the received image data is expanded by the compression / expansion circuit 3b and then printed on the paper P by the printing unit 3c. It is output and output (ST22). After that, the search data is added and a request to send the search data again is made.

As described above, the image including the search condition expression is transmitted from the remote facsimile machine 3 through the public line 2 to the image filing apparatus 1, and the image filing apparatus 1 searches the search condition expression in the transmitted image. Character recognition is performed, an image corresponding to the recognition result is searched from the optical disc 20,
The request image is transmitted to the facsimile device 3 which is the source of the request via the public line 2, and the retrieved image is printed out by the facsimile device 3.

As a result, even if there is no dedicated communication terminal device or the like, a general facsimile device can be used to
It is possible to retrieve the image data filed on the optical disc of the image filing device and obtain the image data.

In the above embodiment, the case where the database in which the search data is stored is a magnetic disk has been described, but an area other than the area in which the image of the optical disk is stored is set as the database in which the search data is stored. You can Further, various conditions may be instructed using the mouse and the icon of the CRT display device.

The case where the compression / expansion method of the image filing apparatus and the facsimile apparatus is the same has been described.
The invention is not limited to this, and the image filing apparatus and the facsimile apparatus may have different compression / decompression methods. In this case, the image data retrieved from the optical disk of the image filing apparatus is decompressed, then compressed by a compression / decompression method suitable for the facsimile apparatus and transmitted to the facsimile apparatus.

[0052]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
An image search that allows you to search for image data stored in an optical disk of an image filing device from a remote location using a general facsimile device without using a dedicated communication terminal device, etc. System can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an image filing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition sheet of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a storage example of a document management table stored in the magnetic disk of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a search process of outputting a search image.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a search process for outputting a search image.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Image filing device, 2 ... Public line, 3 ... Facsimile device, C ... Search condition sheet, P ... Paper, 20 ... Optical disc, 58 ... Communication interface.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first and a second connected via a public line
In the image retrieval system including the device, the first device includes a reading unit that reads an original document in which a search condition expression is described, and a first image that is transmitted by the reading unit to the second device. And a print output unit that prints out the search image received by the first receiving unit; and a second output unit that prints out the search image received by the first receiving unit. The device receives a plurality of images by a storage means for storing the plurality of images together with the search information corresponding to each of these images, a second receiving means for receiving the transmission image from the first device, and a second receiving means. Recognizing means for recognizing the retrieval condition expression from the transmitted image, retrieving means for retrieving the image corresponding to the retrieval condition expression recognized by the recognizing means from the storage means, and retrieval retrieved by the retrieving means Image retrieval system characterized by an image equipped with a second transmission means for transmitting to said first device. 2. An image retrieval system comprising a facsimile device connected via a public line and an image filing device, wherein the facsimile device comprises a first line connection means for connecting a line to the image filing device, and a search. Reading means for reading a document in which a conditional expression is written, and first sending means for sending the read image read by the reading means and destination information to the image filing apparatus connected by the first line connecting means. And a print output unit that prints out the search image received by the first receiving unit, and a print receiving unit that prints out the search image received by the first receiving unit. Storage means for storing each image together with the search information corresponding to each of the images, and the transmission image from the facsimile device. It corresponds to the second receiving means for receiving the image, the recognizing means for recognizing the search condition expression and the destination information from the transmission image received by the second receiving means, and the search condition expression recognized by the recognizing means. Retrieval means for retrieving an image from the storage means, second line connection means for connecting a line to the facsimile machine using the destination information recognized by the recognition means, and a retrieval image retrieved by the retrieving means And a second transmitting means for transmitting to the facsimile apparatus connected by the second line connecting means.