Image processing apparatus and method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image reader for reading an image. A display controller displays the read image on a display device. A determination unit receives an area specified by an operation performed on the image displayed on the display device so as to determine a processing area to be subjected to predetermined image processing. A setting unit sets an operation area for providing an instruction to execute the predetermined image processing on the processing area determined by the determination unit, the operation area being based on an end point of the area specified by the operation.

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
 an image reading unit adapted to read an image; 
 a display control unit adapted to display the read an image on a display device; 
 an area-specifying operation unit adapted to perform an area-specifying operation to specify an area for the image displayed on the displayed device by using an area having a starting point and an end point, the starting point and the end point being located at respective ends of a diagonal line specified by the area-specifying operation; 
 a determination unit adapted to determine a processing area to process the image by an area-specifying operation performed by the area-specifying operation unit; and 
 a setting unit adapted to set, within a display area of the display unit, an operation area for providing an instruction to execute predetermined image processing on the processing area determined by the determination unit, the operation area being set on a position based on the end point specified by the area-specifying operation performed by the area-specifying operation unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation area is substantially the same point as the end point. 
     
     
       3. The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation area is a button display area containing the end point. 
     
     
       4. The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the operation area is adjacent to the end point and does not contain the area specified by the area-specifying operation. 
     
     
       5. The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a displacing unit adapted to displace the operation area to a position based on a start point of the area-specifying operation when it is difficult to set the operation area because the end point of the area-specifying operation by the area-specifying operation unit is located near an edge of the image or an edge of a display area of the display device. 
     
     
       6. The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a processing-type specifying unit adapted to specify the type of image processing before receiving the area-specifying operation. 
     
     
       7. The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the display control unit controls the display device to display thereon the operation area set by the setting unit. 
     
     
       8. An image processing method comprising:
 reading an image; 
 displaying the read an image on a display device; 
 performing an area-specifying operation for specifying an area for the image displayed on the displayed device by using an area having a starting point and an end point, the starting point and the end point being located at respective ends of a diagonal line specified by the area-specifying operation; 
 determining a processing area to process the image based on the area-specifying operation; and 
 setting, within a display area of the display device, an operation area for providing an instruction to execute predetermined image processing on the processing area determined by the determination step, the operation area being set on a position based on the end point specified by the area-specifying operation. 
 
     
     
       9. The image processing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the operation area is substantially the same point as the end point. 
     
     
       10. The image processing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the operation area is a button display area containing the end point. 
     
     
       11. The image processing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the operation area is adjacent to the end point and does not contain the area specified by the area-specifying operation. 
     
     
       12. The image processing method according to  claim 8 , further comprising displacing the operation area to a position based on a start point of the area-specifying operation when it is difficult to set the operation area because the end point of the operation is located near an edge of the image or an edge of a display area of the display device. 
     
     
       13. The image processing method according to  claim 8 , further comprising specifying the type of image processing before receiving the area-specifying operation. 
     
     
       14. The image processing method according to  claim 8 , wherein the display control step controls the display device to display thereon the operation area set by the setting step. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for allowing a computer to execute steps of:
 reading an image; 
 displaying the read an image on a display device; 
 performing an area-specifying operation for specifying an area for the image displayed on the displayed device by using an area having a starting point and an end point, the starting point and the end point being located at respective ends of a diagonal line specified by the area-specifying operation; 
 determining, by receiving an area-specifying operation to be performed on the image displayed on the display device, a processing area to process the image by an area-specifying operation; and 
 setting, within a display area of the display device, an operation area for providing an instruction to execute predetermined image processing on the processing area determined by the determination step, the operation area being set on a position based on the end point specified by the area-specifying operation. 
 
     
     
       16. An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a processing-type specifying unit adapted to specify a type of image processing; 
 an image reading unit adapted to read an image; 
 a display control unit adapted to display the read an image on a display device; 
 an area-specifying operation unit adapted to perform an area-specifying operation to specify an area for the image displayed on the displayed device by using an area having a starting point and an end point, the starting point and the end point being located at respective ends of a diagonal line specified by the area-specifying operation; 
 a determination unit adapted to determine a processing area to process the image by an area-specifying operation performed by the area-specifying operation unit; and 
 a setting unit adapted to set, within a display area of the display device, an operation area for providing an instruction to execute image processing specified by the processing-type specifying unit on the processing area determined by the determination unit, the operation area being set on a position containing the end point specified by the area-specifying operation performed by the area-specifying operation unit, wherein the display control unit controls displaying the operation area set by the setting unit on the display device as a button. 
 
     
     
       17. An image processing method comprising:
 specifying a type of image processing; 
 reading an image; 
 displaying the read an image on a display device; 
 performing an area-specifying operation for specifying an area for the image displayed on the displayed device by using an area having a starting point and an end point, the starting point and the end point being located at respective ends of a diagonal line specified by the area-specifying operation; 
 determining a processing area to process the image by an area-specifying operation; and 
 setting, within a display area of the display device, an operation area for providing an instruction to execute specified image processing on the determined processing area, the operation area being set on a position containing the end point specified by the area-specifying operation, wherein the operation area set is displayed on the display device as a button. 
 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for allowing a computer to execute steps of:
 specifying a type of image processing; 
 reading an image; 
 displaying the read an image on a display device; 
 performing an area-specifying operation for specifying an area for the image displayed on the displayed device by using an area having a starting point and an end point, the starting point and the end point being located at respective ends of a diagonal line specified by the area-specifying operation; determining a processing area to process the image by an area-specifying operation; and 
 setting, within a display area of the display device, an operation area for providing an instruction to execute specified image processing on the determined processing area, the operation area being set on a position containing the end point specified by the area-specifying operation, wherein the operation area set is displayed on the display device as a button. 
 
     
     
       19. An editing apparatus comprising:
 a display control unit configured to cause a display device to display information for editing;   a specifying unit configured to specify a processing portion for editing the information in accordance with a user's operation;   a determining unit configured to determine an end point based on the user's operation for specifying the processing portion;   a setting unit configured to set an instruction portion, on the information displayed on the display device by the display control unit, for providing an instruction to execute editing on the specified processing portion in the information, the instruction portion being set on a position based on the end point determined by the determining unit; and   an editing unit configured to execute the editing on the specified processing portion in the information in accordance with a user's operation of the instruction portion set by the setting unit.   
     
     
       20. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the setting unit sets the instruction portion on the end point determined by the determining unit. 
     
     
       21. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the setting unit stores coordinates of the end point for setting the instruction portion. 
     
     
       22. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the setting unit sets the instruction portion near the end point determined by the determining unit. 
     
     
       23. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the specifying unit cancels the processing portion which has been specified in a case where a portion different from the instruction portion is operated by a user. 
     
     
       24. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the specifying unit is configured to initialize the specifying operation so as to be able to specify a new processing portion in a case where a portion different from the instruction portion is operated by a user. 
     
     
       25. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the specifying unit specifies the processing portion in accordance with a user's operation by using a pointing device. 
     
     
       26. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the specifying unit specifies the processing portion in accordance with a start point and the end point based on a user's operation. 
     
     
       27. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processing portion is a rectangular area. 
     
     
       28. The editing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the rectangular area has a diagonal line based on the start point and the end point. 
     
     
       29. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the editing unit corrects the information. 
     
     
       30. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the editing unit modifies the information. 
     
     
       31. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the editing unit executes the editing according to an editing method which is designated before the specifying unit specifies the processing portion. 
     
     
       32. The editing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the information is an image. 
     
     
       33. An editing method comprising:
 causing a display device to display information for editing;   specifying a processing portion for editing the information in accordance with a user's operation;   determining an end point based on the user's operation for specifying the processing portion;   setting an instruction portion, on the information displayed on the display device, for providing an instruction to execute editing on the specified processing portion in the information, the instruction portion being set on a position based on the determined end point; and   executing the editing on the specified processing portion in the information in accordance with a user's operation of the set instruction portion.   
     
     
       34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program, the program comprising:
 causing a display device to display information for editing;   specifying a processing portion for editing the information in accordance with a user's operation;   determining an end point based on the user's operation for specifying the processing portion;   setting an instruction portion, on the information displayed on the display device, for providing an instruction to execute editing on the specified processing portion in the information, the instruction portion being set on a position based on the determined end point; and   executing the editing on the specified processing portion in the information in accordance with a user's operation of the set instruction portion.   
     
     
       35. A processing apparatus comprising:
 a specifying unit configured to specify a processing portion, defined by a start point and an end point related to movement of a pointing device, in displayed information for executing a process; and   a setting unit configured to set an operation position to be operated by a user for executing the process, the operation position being set on a position based on the end point.   
     
     
       36. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the displayed information comprises an image. 
     
     
       37. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the processing portion comprises a rectangular area. 
     
     
       38. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the processing portion comprises a circular area. 
     
     
       39. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the process comprises image processing. 
     
     
       40. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the setting unit store positional information of the end point for setting the operation position. 
     
     
       41. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the operation position for providing an instruction to execute the process. 
     
     
       42. The processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the instruction is displayed at the operation position. 
     
     
       43. The processing apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the position is on or adjacent to the end point. 
     
     
       44. The processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the instruction is displayed near the end point. 
     
     
       45. The processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the instruction is displayed near the start point. 
     
     
       46. A processing method comprising:
 specifying a processing portion, defined by a start point and an end point related to movement of a pointing device, in displayed information for executing a process; and   setting an operation position to be operated by a user for executing the process, the operation position being set on a position based on the end point.   
     
     
       47. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program, the program comprising:
 specifying a processing portion, defined by a start point and an end point related to movement of a pointing device, in displayed information for executing a process; and   setting an operation position to be operated by a user for executing the process, the operation position being set on a position based on the end point.