Image processing apparatus and method

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an image reading device, a storage device, and a control unity. The image reading device reads an image on a sheet. The storage device stores information. The control unit that determines a detection area of an encoded image based on a teacher image which is an image read from a predetermined teacher sheet by the image reading device, records information indicating the detection area in the storage device, detects an encoded image in the detection area among the images read from a sheet to be read after the teacher sheet, and decodes the detected encoded image.

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 an image reading device configured to read an image including at least one encoded image on a plurality of sheets;   a control panel operable to receive an input selecting between a first setting and a second setting, wherein the second setting designates a different detection method of the at least one encoded image on the plurality of sheets than a detection method used in the first setting;   a storage device configured to store information; and   a control unit configured to:   in response to receiving a selection of the first setting, determine a detection area of an encoded image based on a teacher image read from a first sheet of the plurality of sheets, detect an encoded image in the determined detection area in each of the plurality of sheets, decode the detected encoded image, and record information indicating the detection area in the storage device, and   in response to receiving a selection of the second setting, detect an encoded image from an image read from each of the plurality of sheets, and decode the detected encoded image.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet providing the teacher image is a sheet different from a remainder of the plurality of sheets to be read. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet providing the teacher image is a part of the plurality of the sheets to be read. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit detects an encoded image from an area different from the detection area in the teacher image when the encoded image within the detection area may not be decoded. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the encoded image detected or decoded by the control unit comprises a barcode. 
     
     
         6 . A method performed by a computer of an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 receiving an input selecting between a first setting and a second setting, wherein the second setting designates a different detection method of the at least one encoded image on the plurality of sheets than a detection method used in the first setting;   in response to receiving the input corresponding to the first setting, determining a detection area of an encoded image based on a teacher image which is an image read from a predetermined teacher sheet by an image reading device that reads an image on a sheet; recording information indicating the detection area in a storage device; detecting an encoded image in the detection area among the images read from a sheet to be read after the teacher sheet; and decoding the detected encoded image; and   in response to receiving the input corresponding to the second setting, detecting an encoded image from an image read from each of the plurality of sheets; and decoding the detected encoded image.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 loading a document having at least two pages;   receiving a user selection in a control unit of the image processing apparatus;   reading the at least two pages in an image reading device of the image processing apparatus; and   saving images of the at least two pages into a memory device of the image processing apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the saved images include the teacher image. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the teacher image is read from a first page of the document. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the teacher image is compiled from two or more read pages of the document. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising saving the decoded encoded image to the memory device of the image processing apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein detecting the encoded image in the detection area among the images read from the sheet to be read after the teacher sheet is subsequent to receiving the user selection in the control unit. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the encoded image includes a barcode. 
     
     
         15 . An image processing apparatus, comprising:
 a control panel operable to receive an input from a user, the input selecting one of a first setting and a second setting, wherein the second setting designates a different detection method of the at least one encoded image on a plurality of sheets than a detection method used in the first setting;   a display operable to communicate one or more options to the user, including options to select between the first setting and the second setting;   an image reader having a document loader for loading at least one page of the plurality of sheets and an imaging unit for reading the at least one page into digital information;   a storage device operable to store the digital information; and   a processor operable to retrieve the digital information from the storage, in response to the input from the user, to process the digital information and identify an encoded image, and to decode the encoded image and save the decoded information in the storage device, wherein the processor operable to process the digital information includes determining, upon receiving a selection of the first setting from the input, a detection area based on a teacher image read from a first sheet of the plurality of sheets for identifying the encoded image; and upon receiving a selection of the second setting from the input, detecting the encoded image from at least one of the plurality of sheets for identifying the encoded image.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more option further includes a third option to process an entire area in a page without specifying a detection area, and wherein the processor operable to detect an encoded image from the entire area. 
     
     
         18 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further operable to apply a mask upon receiving the selection of the second setting, in the digital information of the at least one read page by using at least one mask variable determined from the detection area and extract the encoded image therein. 
     
     
         19 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the processor cancels the mask when the encoded image is not successfully extracted. 
     
     
         20 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the processor continues to process the at least one page until a last page is detected.