Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image processing method

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image input apparatus for obtaining image data of a document by reading the document;
• an image processing apparatus for performing, on the basis of the image data of the document, a character recognition process of recognizing a character contained in the document;
• and
• an image forming section for forming an image on a recording material in accordance with the image data of the document,
• the image processing apparatus including:
• a character image data generation section for generating character image data indicative of respective character images of characters recognized in the character recognition process;
• an image composition section for generating composite image data, the composite image data generated in such a manner that the image data of the document is combined with the character image data so that each of the character images indicated by the character image data is partially superimposed on a corresponding image of a character in the document;
• and
• a display control section for causing a display device to display an image in accordance with the composite image data,
• the character image data generation section determining a color of each of the character images in such a manner that character images with different attributes are displayed with different colors.

An image processing method for performing, on the basis of image data of a document, a character recognition process of recognizing a character contained in the document, the image processing method comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating character image data indicative of respective character images of characters recognized in the character recognition process;
• (b) generating composite image data, the composite image data generated in such a manner that the image data of the document is combined with the character image data so that each of the character images indicated by the character image data is partially superimposed on a corresponding image of a character in the document;
• and
• (c) causing a display device to display an image in accordance with the composite image data,
• in the step of (a), a color of each of the character images being determined in such a manner that character images with different attributes are displayed with different colors.

A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing an image processing apparatus to operate, the image processing apparatus being for performing, on the basis of image data of a document, a character recognition process of recognizing a character contained in the document,

• the program being for causing a computer to function as:
• a character image data generation section for generating character image data indicative of respective character images of characters recognized in the character recognition process, the character image data generation section determining a color of each of the character images in such a manner that character images with different attributes are displayed with different colors;
• an image composition section for generating composite image data, the composite image data generated in such a manner that the image data of the document is combined with the character image data so that each of the character images indicated by the character image data is partially superimposed on a corresponding image of a character in the document;
• and
• a display control section for causing a display device to display an image in accordance with the composite image data.