Image processing apparatus that extracts necessary character string from source image, and image forming apparatus including same

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a character string file storage device for storing a character string file in which a character string representing a question item, and a character string representing a response to the question item are registered in association with each other;
• an operation device that receives an input;
• a document reading device that reads an image of a source document;
• and
• a control device including a processor, and configured to act, when the processor executes a control program, as a controller that:
• analyzes a source image acquired through a reading operation by the document reading device;
• detects, on a basis of predetermined format information indicating a response input field in which a response to be extracted from the source image is written, and the question item corresponding to the response input field, the response input field and the question item contained in the source image;
• extracts the character string representing the response written in the response input field;
• and
• additionally writes the extracted character string, in the character string file already stored in the character string file storage device and designated by a user through the operation device, in association with the character string representing the question item, recorded in the character string file,
• wherein the controller further merges the character string files, by additionally writing, in one character string file optionally selected from the plurality of character string files, selected by the user through the operation device and in which the recorded question items accord with each other, the character string representing the response to the question item recorded in the other character string files, in association with the character string representing the question item recorded in the optionally selected character string file.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a character string file storage device for storing a character string file in which a character string representing a question item, and a character string representing a response to the question item are registered in association with each other;
• an operation device that receives an input;
• a document reading device that reads an image of a source document;
• a control device including a processor, and configured to act, when the processor executes a control program, as a controller that:
• analyzes a source image acquired through a reading operation by the document reading device;
• detects, on a basis of predetermined format information indicating a response input field in which a response to be extracted from the source image is written, and the question item corresponding to the response input field, the response input field and the question item contained in the source image;
• extracts the character string representing the response written in the response input field;
• and
• additionally writes the extracted character string, in the character string file already stored in the character string file storage device and designated by a user through the operation device, in association with the character string representing the question item, recorded in the character string file;
• a format information storage device in which the format information is stored;
• and
• a display device,
• wherein the controller further causes the display device to display an original source image that serves as a base of the format information, and stores information indicating the response input field and the question item included in the original source image designated by the user through the operation device, in the format information storage device, as the format information.