Image processing apparatus eliminating redundancy in scanned text data

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a contact glass and scanning optics for optically reading image information from a document on the contact glass to create image data;
• a display, the display including a touch panel for receiving user-input instructions;
• and
• a control unit electrically connected to the scanning optics, the touch panel, and the display, the control unit including a processor and memory storing at least first duplication-deletion process and second duplication-deletion process control programs, and a controller-control program through the execution of which the control unit functions as a controller for executing a character conversion process on the image data created by the scanning optics to extract information on any character strings included in the image data, and based on the extracted character-string information, creating first document data corresponding to any extracted character strings;
• wherein
• the controller causes the display to display a setting screen through which either the first or the second duplication-deletion process control program is user-selected via the touch panel, and
• when the first document data includes a first character string and at least one second character string in succession with and identical to the first character string,
• if the first duplication-deletion process control program is user-selected, utilizing the first document data the controller automatically, without user instruction, creates second document data in which document data corresponding to the second character string has been deleted from the first document data, and
• if the second duplication-deletion process control program is user-selected, utilizing the first document data the controller causes the display to display the first character string and the at least one second character string, and thereafter when an instruction to delete the at least one second character string is input to the touch panel, the controller creates second document data in which document data corresponding to the second character string has been deleted from the first document data.