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US 8,139,250 B2Granted
Image processing apparatus and image processing method for printing an acquired image
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsTadashi Honda, Naoki Kozuka, Hirofumi Horikawa, Yuuta Hamada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a copying operation, an MFP reads a code image printed on the paper, acquires a paper ID from the code image, acquires paper information associated with the paper ID, specifies an electronic document as a print source, and acquires the specified electronic document. The MFP prints a paper ID on the paper with the code image and the acquired electronic document, and stores paper information including a paper ID of a copy source in association with the paper ID. When a first MFP leaves an image processing system, respective information concerning electronic document acquisition managed by the first MFP is transferred to a second MFP.
Claims20
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a reading unit that acquires an image read from a first medium;
- a code acquiring unit that extracts a predetermined code image from the image acquired by the reading unit, and acquires medium identification information for identifying the first medium from the code image;
- an electronic-information control unit that manages electronic information that specifies a print object electronic document stored in an electronic-document storing unit and is stored in an electronic-information storing unit in association with electronic identification information for identifying the electronic information;
- an information control unit that manages medium information for specifying a medium and is stored in an information storing unit in association with medium identification information for identifying the medium information;
- a service-information storing unit that stores first service information including first control identification information for identifying the electronic-information control unit and second service information including second control identification information for identifying the information control unit;
- a service-information control unit that manages the first service information and the second service information stored in the service-information storing unit;
- and
- a printing unit that prints an image based on the image acquired by the reading unit on a second medium, wherein
- the reading unit acquires the second service information from the service-information control unit using the medium identification information acquired by the code acquiring unit, acquires the medium information from the information control unit using the second service information, acquires, using the medium information, the first service information specifying the electronic-information control unit that manages electronic information specifying the electronic document as a print source of the first medium, acquiring the electronic document from the electronic-information control unit using the first service information, and requests the printing unit to perform printing using the electronic document, and
- the image processing apparatus further comprises an information integrating unit that acquires at least one of the electronic information, the medium information, and the first service information and the second service information managed by another electronic-information control unit, another information control unit, and another service-information control unit included in another image processing apparatus and integrates the acquired information in the image processing apparatus, wherein
- the service-information storing unit further stores third service information including third control identification information for identifying the service-information control unit,
- the service-information control unit manages the third service information stored in the service-information storing unit, and
- the information integrating unit acquires the third service information including the third control identification information for identifying the other service-information control unit included in the other image processing apparatus and registers the third service information in the service-information storing unit.
10 more elements
An image processing method using an image processing apparatus that includes
- a reading unit that acquires an image read from a first medium,
- a code acquiring unit that extracts a predetermined code image from the image acquired by the reading unit, and acquires medium identification information for identifying the first medium from the code image,
- an electronic-information control unit that manages electronic information that specifies a print object electronic document stored in an electronic-document storing unit and is stored in an electronic-information storing unit in association with electronic identification information for identifying the electronic information,
- an information control unit that manages medium information for specifying a medium and is stored in an information storing unit in association with the medium identification information for identifying the medium information,
- a service-information storing unit that stores first service information including first control identification information for identifying the electronic-information control unit and second service information including second control identification information for identifying the information control unit,
- a service-information control unit that manages the first service information and the second service information stored in the service-information storing unit, and
- a printing unit that prints an image based on the image acquired by the reading unit on a second medium, the image processing method comprising:
- print requesting including
- acquiring the second service information from the service-information control unit using the medium identification information acquired by the code acquiring unit,
- acquiring the medium information from the information control unit using the second service information,
- acquiring, using the medium information, the first service information specifying the electronic-information control unit that manages electronic information specifying the electronic document as a print source of the first medium,
- acquiring the electronic document from the electronic-information control unit using the first service information, and
- requesting the printing unit to perform printing using the electronic document;
- information integrating including
- acquiring at least one of the electronic information, the medium information, and the first service information and the second service information managed by another electronic-information control unit, another information control unit, and another service-information control unit included in another image processing apparatus, and
- integrating the acquired information in the image processing apparatus;
- and further storing third service information including
- storing third service information including third control identification information for identifying the service-information control unit,
- managing the third service information stored in the service-information storing unit, and
- acquiring the third service information including the third control identification information for identifying the other service-information control unit included in the other image processing apparatus and registering the third service information in the service-information storing unit.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.