Image reading apparatus and image processing system
AssigneeCanon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYohei Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A change-over part of an image reading apparatus changes over the function of an operation part disposed on the main body of the image reading apparatus between functioning as an operation part for a connection apparatus and functioning as an operation part for the main body of the image reading apparatus. By this arrangement, it is possible for the user to perform the various kinds of processing operations at the setting place of the image reading apparatus without coming and going between the image reading apparatus and a personal computer.
Claims38
An image reading apparatus for performing a reading action of reading image information from a predetermined medium, said image reading apparatus comprising:
- a connection unit capable of connecting a connection apparatus having a predetermined function to said image reading apparatus;
- an operation unit adapted to give instruction for an action of the connection apparatus connected by said connection unit and an instruction for the reading action;
- and
- a switching unit adapted to, on the basis of a connection state of said connection unit or a state of the connection apparatus connected by said connection unit, switch a function of said operation unit between functioning for giving the instruction for an action of the connection apparatus and functioning for giving the instruction for the reading action.
An image processing system composed of a plurality of connection apparatuses which are communicatably connected to one another, at least one of the plurality of connection apparatuses being an image reading apparatus for performing a reading action of reading image information from a predetermined medium, and comprising a connection unit adapted to connect a connection apparatus having a predetermined function to said image reading apparatus, an operation unit adapted to give an instruction for an action of the connection apparatus connected by said connection unit and an instruction for the reading action, and a switching unit adapted to, on the basis of a connection state of said connection unit or a state of the connection apparatus connected by said connection unit, switch a function of said operation means between functioning for giving the instruction for an action of the connection apparatus and functioning for giving the instruction for the reading action.
An operation control method for performing a reading action of reading image information from a predetermined medium and outputting the image information, comprising:
- a switching step of, on the basis of a state indicative of whether a connection apparatus having a predetermined function is connected or a state of the connection apparatus having the predetermined function as connected, switching over a function of an operation part between a function for giving an instruction for an action of the connection apparatus and a function for giving an instruction for the reading action;
- and
- a control step of performing an operation control based on an operation state of the operation part the function of which has been switched over by said switching step.
An image reading apparatus, comprising:
- a scanning unit capable of obtaining image data by scanning an image formed on a recording medium;
- and
- scanning-condition setting unit capable of setting a condition for scanning the image by said scanning unit on the basis of a an instruction from a host computer connected to said image reading apparatus or an instruction inputted from an operation part disposed on said image reading apparatus,
- wherein, after the host computer has started an image scanning operation, said scanning-condition setting unit sets the condition in accordance with the instruction from the host computer, irrespective of the instruction inputted from the operation part.
An image reading apparatus, comprising:
- a scanning unit adapted to obtain image data by scanning an image formed on a recording medium;
- and
- a scanning-condition setting unit capable of setting a condition for scanning the image by said scanning unit on the basis of an instruction from a host computer connected to said image reading apparatus or an instruction inputted from an operation part disposed on said image reading apparatus,
- wherein, if it is possible to change the condition even after the host computer has started an image scanning operation, said scanning-condition setting unit changes the condition in accordance with the instruction inputted from the operation part.
An image reading method for obtaining image data by causing an image reading apparatus to scan an image formed on a recording medium, said image reading method comprising the steps of:
- causing a scanning-condition setting unit to set a condition for scanning the image by said scanning unit on the basis of an instruction from a host computer connected to said image reading apparatus or an instruction inputted from an operation part disposed on said image reading apparatus;
- and
- after the host computer has started an image scanning action, causing said image reading apparatus to scan the image in accordance with the instruction from the host computer, irrespective of the instruction inputted from the operation part.
An image reading method for obtaining image data by causing an image reading apparatus to scan an image formed on a recording medium, said image reading method comprising the steps of:
- causing a scanning-condition setting unit to set a condition for scanning the image by the scanning unit on the basis of an instruction inputted from a host computer connected to said image reading apparatus or an instruction inputted from a an operation part disposed on said image reading apparatus;
- and
- if it is possible to change the condition even after the host computer has started an image scanning operation causing said image reading apparatus to change the condition in accordance with the instruction inputted by the operation part.
An image reading apparatus having an image display screen and arranged to display, on the image display screen, an image formed on a recording medium and to scan the image so as to form image data, said image reading apparatus comprising:
- an operation part for setting a condition relating to scanning of the image;
- and
- a setting-content information unit capable of transmitting a content set by said operation part to a host computer which is externally connected to said image reading apparatus.
An image reading system composed of:
- an image reading apparatus comprising an image data forming unit capable of displaying, on an image display screen, an image formed on a recording medium and capable of scanning the image to form image data, an operation part for setting a condition relating to scanning of the image, and a setting-content information unit capable of for transmitting a content set by said operation part to a host computer which is externally connected to said image reading apparatus;
- and
- said host computer for controlling a scanning action of said image reading apparatus on the basis of information transmitted from said setting-content information unit.
An image reading method using an image reading apparatus having an image display screen and arranged to display, on the image display screen, an image formed on a recording medium and to scan the image so as to form image data, said image reading method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a content set by an operation part for setting a condition relating to scanning of the image, to a host computer which is externally connected to said image reading apparatus;
- and
- causing said host computer to control a scanning action on the basis of information of the transmitted content.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.