Information processing apparatus and method, and computer readable memory therefor

Claim 2

An information processing apparatus for managing entered document image data including one or more blocks of data, each of the blocks being a text block or a non-text block, comprising: layout analyzing means for obtaining layout data by analyzing layout of the entered document image data, wherein the layout data include position data and attribute data of each block in the document image, wherein the attribute data for the text block(s) and the non-text block(s) are different; character recognition means for character-recognizing character images in text blocks that have been analyzed by said layout analyzing means; language analyzing means for applying language analysis to results of character recognition performed by said character recognition means; creating means for creating other words from words obtained as results of language analysis performed by said language analyzing means; and storage means for storing the created other words in association with the corresponding layout data.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said storage means stores the created other words in association with the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said creating means has extraction means, wherein said extraction means extracts synonyms and equivalents of words obtained as results of language analysis.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said storage means preferably stores synonyms and equivalents, which are the results of extraction means, as individual words in a form linked to the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said creating means has conversion means, wherein said conversion means converts words obtained as the result of the language analysis to the other words.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 5 , which said storage means stores the created other words, which are results of conversion by said conversion means, in a form linked to the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said creating means has translation means, wherein said translation means translates sentences comprising words obtained as the result of language analysis to sentences comprising the other words in another language.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said storage means preferably stores results of translation by said translation means in a form linked to the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said storage means stores the entered document image data in association with the created other words and the corresponding layout data, and wherein said information processing apparatus further comprises retrieving means for retrieving desired document image data from the stored document image data by searching the stored other words based on an entered search condition.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising reproducing means for reproducing the document image data that has been translated into the other words, with the same layout based on the other words and the corresponding layout data stored in said storage means.

Claim 12

An information processing method for managing entered document image data including one or more blocks of data, each of the blocks being a text block or a non-text block, comprising: a layout analyzing step, of obtaining layout data by analyzing layout of the entered document image data, wherein the layout data include position data and attribute data of each block in the document image, wherein the attribute data for the text block(s) and the non-text block(s) are different; a character recognition step, of character recognizing character images in text blocks that have been analyzed in said layout analyzing step; a language analyzing step, of applying language analysis to results of character recognition performed in said character recognition step; a creating step, of creating other words from words obtained as results of language analysis performed in said language analyzing step; and a storage step, of storing, in a storage medium, the created other words in association with the corresponding layout data.

Claim 13

An information processing method for managing entered document image data including one or more blocks of data, each of the blocks being a text block or a non-text block, comprising: a layout analyzing step, of obtaining layout data by analyzing layout of the entered document image data, wherein the layout data include position data and attribute data of each block in the document image, wherein the attribute data for the text block(s) and the non-text block(s) are different; a character recognition step, of character recognizing character images in text blocks that have been analyzed in said layout analyzing step; a language analyzing step, of applying language analysis to results of character recognition performed in said character recognition step; a creating step, of creating other words from words obtained as results of language analysis performed in said language analyzing step; and a storage step, of storing, in a storage medium, the created other words in association with the corresponding layout data.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 11 , wherein said storage step includes storing, in the storage medium, the other created words in association with the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 11 , wherein said creating step includes performing an extraction step, of extracting synonyms and equivalents of the words obtained as results of the language analysis.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 13 , wherein said storage step preferably includes storing, in the storage medium, synonyms and equivalents, which are results of extraction in said extraction step, as individual words in a form linked to the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 11 , wherein said creating step includes performing a conversion step, of converting words obtained as the result of the language analysis to the other words.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 15 , wherein said storage step includes storing, in the storage medium, the created other words, which are results of conversion in said conversion step, in a form linked to the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 11 , wherein said creating step includes performing a translation step, of translating sentences comprising words obtained as the results of the language analysis to sentences comprising the other words in another language.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 17 , wherein said storage step preferably includes storing, in the storage medium, results of translation in said translation step in a form linked to the corresponding layout data and the corresponding character recognition result.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 11 , wherein said storage step includes storing the entered document image data in association with the created other words and the corresponding layout data, and wherein said information processing method further comprises a retrieving step, of retrieving desired document image data from the stored document image data by searching the stored other words based on an entered search condition.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 11 , further comprising a reproducing step, of reproducing the document image data that has been translated into the other words, with the same layout based on the other words and the corresponding layout data stored in the storage medium.

Claim 23

A computer readable memory storing program code for information processing for managing entered document image data including one or more blocks of data, each of the blocks being a text block or a non-text block, comprising: program code of a layout analyzing step, of obtaining layout data by analyzing layout of the entered document image data, wherein the layout data include position data and attribute data of each block in the document image, wherein the attribute data for the text block(s) and the non-text block(s) are different; program code of a character recognition step, of character recognizing character images in text blocks that have been analyzed in said layout analyzing step; program code of a language analyzing step, of applying language analysis to results of character recognition performed in said character recognition step; program code of a creating step, of creating other words from words obtained as the results of language analysis performed in said language analyzing step; and program code of a storage step, of storing, in a storage medium, the created other words in association with the corresponding layout data.

Claim 24

A computer readable memory storing program code for information processing for managing entered document image data including one or more blocks of data, each of the blocks being a text block or a non-text block, comprising: program code of a layout analyzing step, of obtaining layout data by analyzing layout of the entered document image data, wherein the layout data include position data and attribute data of each block in the document image, wherein the attribute data for the text block(s) and the non-text block(s) are different; program code of a character recognition step, of character recognizing character images in text blocks that have been analyzed in said layout analyzing step; program code of a language analyzing step, of applying language analysis to results of character recognition performed in said character recognition step; program code of a creating step, of creating other words from words obtained as the results of language analysis performed in said language analyzing step; and program code of a storage step, of storing, in a storage medium, the created other words in association with the corresponding layout data.