Image processing apparatus and image processing method

An image processing apparatus which adds a visible electronic signature to image data, comprising at least one central processing unit which executes a program, wherein the at least one central processing unit functions as:

• a character image extraction unit that extracts character image data from the image data;
• a determination unit that determines whether or not a region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and a region of the extracted character image data overlap with each other;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates character image layer data in which only the character image data overlapped on the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged is described in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other;
• and
• a file generating unit that generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature and the image data in that order from an upper position of the layered structure in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other.

An image processing apparatus which adds a visible electronic signature to image data, comprising at least one central processing unit which executes a program, wherein the at least one central processing unit functions as:

• a region separating unit that extracts a character region except a header and/or footer and an image region from the image data;
• a selection unit that selects at least one of translucency processing of the visible electronic signature and generation of character image layer data in which the character image data of the extracted character region is described on a transparent background according to a preset priority in a case where both of the image region and the extracted character region overlap with the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged;
• a translucence unit that processes the visible electronic signature to be translucent in a case where said selection unit selects translucency processing of the visible electronic signature;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates character image layer data in which the character image data is described on a transparent background in a case where said selection unit selects generation of character image layer data, wherein the character image data is visible;
• and
• a file generation unit that generates an electronic file having the image data to which the translucent processed visible electronic signature is added in a case where said selection unit selects the translucency processing of the visible electronic signature and otherwise generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature, and the image data, in that order from the upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said selection unit selects the generation of the character image layer data.

An image processing apparatus which adds a visible electronic signature to image data, comprising at least one central processing unit which executes a program, wherein the at least one central processing unit functions as:

• a region separating unit that extracts a character region and an image region from the image data;
• a first determination unit that determines whether or not the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and at least one of the extracted character region and the image region overlap with each other;
• and
• a second determination unit that determines whether or not the visible electronic signature can be processed not to be overlapped with any of the extracted character region or the extracted image region by performing at least one of reducing or transferring the visible electronic signature in a case where overlapping is determined by said first determination unit, wherein
• a third determination unit that determines whether the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged overlaps with the extracted character region, the extracted image region or both of the extracted character region and the extracted image region in a case where said second determination unit determines that the visible electronic signature cannot be processed not to be overlapped with any of the extracted character region or the extracted image region, wherein
• a selection unit that selects at least one of translucency processing of the visible electronic signature and generation of character image layer data in which the character image data of the extracted character region is described on a transparent background according to a preset priority in a case where both of the image region and the extracted character region overlap with the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged;
• a translucence unit that processes the visible electronic signature to be translucent in a case where said selection unit selects translucency processing of the visible electronic signature;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates a character image layer data in which the character image data is described on a transparent background in a case where said selection unit selects generation of character image layer data;
• a file generation unit that generates an electronic file having the image data to which the translucent processed visible electronic signature is added, in a case where said third determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged overlaps with the extracted image region or in a case said selection unit selects the translucency processing of the visible electronic signature, and that generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature, and the image data, in that order from the upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said third determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged overlaps with the extracted character region or in a case where said selection unit selects the generation of the character image layer data, and that generates an electronic file having the image data to which the either reduced or transferred visible electronic signature is added in a case where said second determination unit determines that the visible electronic signature can either be reduced or transferred.

An image processing method which adds a visible electronic signature to image data, comprising:

• a character image extraction step of extracting character image data except a header and/or footer from the image data;
• a determination step of determining whether or not a region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and a region of the extracted character image data overlap with each other;
• a character image layer generating step of generating character image layer data in which the extracted character image data is described on a transparent background, in a case where said determination step determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the extracted character image data overlap with each other, wherein the character image data is visible;
• and
• a file generating step of generating an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature and the image data, in that order from an upper position of the layered structure in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other.

An image processing method which adds a visible electronic signature to image data, comprising:

• a region separating step of extracting a character region except a header and/or footer and an image region from the image data;
• a selection step of selecting at least one of translucency processing of the visible electronic signature and generation of character image layer data in which the extracted character image data of the character region is described on a transparent background according to a preset priority, in a case where both of the image region and the extracted character region overlap with the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged;
• a translucence step of processing the visible electronic signature to be translucent, in a case where said selection step selects translucency processing of the visible electronic signature;
• a character image layer generating step of generating character image layer data in which the character image data is described on a transparent background, in a case where said selection step selects generation of character image layer data, wherein the character image data is visible;
• and
• a file generation step of generating an electronic file having the image data to which the translucent processed visible electronic signature is added, in a case where said selection step selects the translucency processing of the visible electronic signature, and otherwise generating an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature, and the image data, in that order from the upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said selection step selects the generation of the character image layer data.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing at least one central processing unit to function as

• a character image extraction unit that extracts character image data except a header and/or footer from image data;
• a determination unit that determines whether or not a region where a visible electronic signature is to be arranged and a region of the extracted character image data overlap with each other;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates a character image layer data in which the extracted character image data is described on a transparent background, in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the extracted character image data overlap with each other, wherein the character image data is visible;
• and
• a file generating unit that generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature and the image data in that order from an upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing at least one central processing unit to function as

• a character image extraction unit that extracts character image data from image data;
• a determination unit that determines whether or not a region where a visible electronic signature is to be arranged and a region of the extracted character image data overlap with each other;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates character image layer data in which only the character image data overlapped on the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged is described, in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other;
• and
• a file generating unit that generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature and the image data in that order from an upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing at least one central processing unit to function as

• a region separating unit that extracts a character region except a header and/or footer and an image region from image data;
• a selection unit that selects at least one of translucency processing of a visible electronic signature and generation of character image layer data in which the character image data of the extracted character region is described on a transparent background according to a preset priority, in a case where both of the image region and the extracted character region overlap with the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged;
• a translucence unit that processes the visible electronic signature to be translucent in a case where said selection unit selects translucency processing of the visible electronic signature;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates character image layer data in which the character image data is described on a transparent background, in a case where said selection unit selects generation of character image layer data, wherein the character image data is visible;
• and
• a file generation unit that generates an electronic file having the image data to which the translucent processed visible electronic signature is added, in a case where said selection unit selects the translucency processing of the visible electronic signature and otherwise generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature, and the image data, in that order from the upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said selection unit selects the generation of the character image layer data.

A non-transitory computer readable storing medium storing a program for causing at least one central processing unit to function as

• a region separating unit that extracts a character region and an image region from image data;
• a first determination unit that determines whether or not a region where a visible electronic signature is to be arranged and at least one of the extracted character region and the image region overlap with each other;
• a second determination unit that determines whether or not the visible electronic signature can be processed not to be overlapped with any of the extracted character region or the extracted image region by performing at least one of reducing or transferring the visible electronic signature in a case where overlapping is determined by said first determination unit;
• a third determination unit that determines whether the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged overlaps with the extracted character region, the extracted image region or both of the extracted character region and the extracted image region in a case where said second determination unit determines that the visible electronic signature cannot be processed not to be overlapped with any of the extracted character region or the extracted image region;
• a selection unit that selects at least one of translucency processing of the visible electronic signature and generation of character image layer data in which the character image data of the extracted character region is described on a transparent background according to a preset priority in a case where both of the image region and the extracted character region overlap with the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged;
• a translucence unit that processes the visible electronic signature to be translucent in a case where said selection unit selects translucency processing of the visible electronic signature;
• a character image layer generating unit that generates a character image layer data in which the character image data is described on a transparent background in a case where said selection unit selects generation of character image layer data;
• and
• a file generation unit that generates an electronic file having the image data to which the translucent processed visible electronic signature is added, in a case where said third determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged overlaps with the extracted image region or in a case said selection unit selects the translucency processing of the visible electronic signature, and that generates an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature, and the image data, in that order from the upper position of the layered structure, in a case where said third determination unit determines that the region where the visible electronic signature is to be arranged overlaps with the extracted character region or in a case where said selection unit selects the generation of the character image layer data, and that generates an electronic file having the image data to which the either reduced or transferred visible electronic signature is added in a case where said second determination unit determines that the visible electronic signature can either be reduced or transferred.