Method and system for registering and filing image data

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of storing image data representative of at least one document containing figures in an electronic filing system, said system having means for the storing image data representative of at least one document and key-words each corresponding to the image data representative of at least one document, means for searching the image data representative of at least one document stored in the storing means in response to search information including a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving vector data of figures contained in at least one document to be stored in said electronic filing system;

converting said vector data into image data representative of said at least one document; and

producing a key-word corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data indicating an attribute of said figures contained in said at least one document from said vector data.

2. The registering method according to claim 1, wherein:

said attribute is a file name of said vector data and said file name is extracted as said key-word corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data by said producing means.

3. The registering method according to claim 1, wherein:

said attribute is title information of said vector data and said title information is extracted as said key-word corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data by said producing means.

4. The registering method according to claim 1, wherein:

said attribute is a maximum length value of said figures and said maximum length value is extracted as said key-word corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data by said producing means.

5. The registering method according to claim 1, wherein:

said attribute is a primitive/topology of the figures and said primitive/topology is extracted as said key-word corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data by said producing means.

6. The registering method according to claim 1, wherein:

said attribute is an icon code and said icon code data is extracted as said key-word corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data by obtaining continuous line data from said vector data and reducing said continuous line data by said producing means.

7. The filing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said generating means generates said key-word by extracting continuous line information from said vector data as said data corresponding to said at least one predetermined attribute and reducing said continuous line information so as to produce an icon image of an icon code, said icon code being used as said key-word.

8. The filing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said icon code is stored in an icon code table of said storing means as a reference icon code.

9. A method of searching image data representative of at least one document containing figures being defined by vector data stored in an electronic filing means of an image filing system, wherein the electronic filing means stores the image data representative of at least one document containing the figures, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of prestored key-words, each key-word having been previously produced by extracting attribute data from said vector data and stored in corresponding relation to said image data representative of at least one document in said electronic filing means;

searching said image data representative of at least one document stored in said electronic filing means in response to said selected key-word; and

outputting image data representative of at least one document corresponding to said selected key-word as a result of said searching step.

10. An apparatus, for filing image data representative of at least one document containing figures, having means for storing the image data representative of at least one document with a key-word corresponding to each of the image data representative of at least one document, means for searching the image data representative of at least one document stored in the storing means by using a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving vector data corresponding to figures contained in at least one document;

means for converting said vector data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document to be stored in said storing means; and

means for generating a key-word to be stored with said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to at least one predetermined attribute from said vector data received by said receiving means.

11. The filing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said generating means generates said key-word by extracting title information from said vector data as said data corresponding to said at least one predetermined attribute.

12. The filing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

said generating means generates said key-word by extracting a maximum length value indicating a maximum length of the figures from said vector data as said data corresponding to said at least one predetermined attribute.

13. The filing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said generating means generates said key-word by extracting one of primitive elements included in the figures contained in at least one document or a topology of a plurality of primitive elements from said vector data as said data corresponding to said at least one predetermined attribute.

14. An image filing apparatus, for storing/searching image data representative of at least one document corresponding to vector data of figures contained in said at least one document generated by a computer aided design (CAD) system, including means for storing the image data representative of at least one document in an electronic filing means with a key-word corresponding to each of the image data representative of at least one document, means for searching the image data representative of at least one document stored in the electronic filing means in response to a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of at least one document and corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving vector data of figures contained in at least one document to be stored from said CAD system;

means for converting the vector data contained in at least one document received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document to be stored in the electronic filing means; and

means for generating a key-word to be registered in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to at least one predetermined attribute from the vector data contained in at least one document received by the receiving means.

15. The image filing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said generating means includes means for extracting a plurality of attribute data from the vector data and means for selecting data corresponding to said at least one predetermined attribute from said plurality of attribute data.

16. A method of filing image data representative of at least one document containing figures in corresponding relation with key-words in an electronic filing system, said system including means for storing image data representative of at least one document in corresponding relation with key-words, means for searching the image data representative of at least one document stored in the storing means in response to a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, said method comprising the steps of:

producing vector data of figures contained in at least one document to be filed;

converting said vector data produced in said producing step into image data representative of said at least one document;

indicating an attribute of said image data representative of said at least One document to be stored as a key-word in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document;

generating said key-word by extracting data corresponding to said attribute indicated in said indicating step from said vector data; and

storing the image data representative of said at least one document and the key-word generated in said generating step into the storing means.

17. The filing method according to claim 16, wherein:

said attribute indicated in said indicating step is a file name of said vector data and said data of said file name is extracted as said key-word from said vector data.

18. The filing method according to claim 16, wherein:

said attribute indicated in said indicating step is title information of said vector data and said title information is extracted as said key-word from said vector data.

19. The filing method according to claim 16, wherein:

said attribute indicated in said indicating step is a maximum length value indicating a maximum length of the figures and said maximum length value is extracted as said key-word from said vector data.

20. The filing method according to claim 16, wherein:

said attribute indicated in said indicating step is primitive elements or a topology of primitive elements of the figures and said primitive elements or said topology of primitive elements is extracted as said key-word from said vector data.

21. The filing method according to claim 16, wherein:

said attribute indicated in said indicating step is an icon code and said icon code data is extracted from said vector data by obtaining continuous line data from said vector data and reducing said continuous line data.

22. The filing method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of prestored key-words each prestored key-word having been previously generated by extracting data from vector data and stored in the storing means;

searching the image data representative of at least one document stored in the storing means in response to the selected key-word; and

outputting the image data representative of at least one document corresponding to said selected key-word as a result of the search by said searching step.

23. A filing system for filing image data representative of at least one document containing figures to be filed, comprising:

means for receiving vector data corresponding to the figures contained in at least one document to be filed through a transferring line;

means for converting said vector data receiving by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to a predetermined attribute from said vector data received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word generated by said generated means;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

24. The filing system according to claim 23, wherein:

said generating means generates said key-word by extracting title information from said vector data as said data corresponding to said predetermined attribute.

25. An image data filing system for filing and searching image data representative of at least one document containing figures produced by computer aided design, comprising:

computer aided design means for producing figures contained in a least one document to be filed as vector data;

means for receiving said vector data of the figures contained in said at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said computer aided design means;

means for converting said vector data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document of the figures contained in said at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to a predetermined attribute from said vector data received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

26. An image data filing system for filing image data representative of at least one documents comprising:

means for producing code data contained in at least one document to be filed as vector data;

means for receiving said vector data of said code data contained in said at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said producing means;

means for converting said vector data received by said receiving means into data representative of said at least one document of said code data contained in said at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to a predetermined attribute from said vector data received by said receiving means; and

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word.

27. The image data fling system according to claim 26, wherein:

said code data contained in said at least one document is character code data.

28. The image data filing system according to claim 26, further comprising:

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

29. The image data filing system according to claim 26, wherein:

said producing means is a computer connected to said transferring line.

30. The image data filing system according to claim 29, wherein:

said code data contained in said at least one document is character code data produced by said computer.

31. The image data filing system according to claim 30, further comprising:

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

32. The image data filing system according to claim 30, wherein:

said image data representative of said at least one document is character font data converted by said converting means.

33. An image data filing system for filing and searching image data representative of at least one document containing figures produced by computer aided design, comprising:

computer aided design means for producing figures contained in at least one document to be filed as vector data;

means for receiving said vector data of the figures contained in said at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said computer aided design means;

means for converting said vector data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document of the figures contained in said at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

34. The image data filing system according to claim 33, wherein:

said storing means is an optical disk apparatus.

35. An image data filing system for filing image data representative of at least one document, comprising:

means for producing code data contained in at least one document to be filed as vector data;

means for receiving said vector data of said code data contained in said at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said producing means;

means for converting said vector data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document of said code data contained in said at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document from said vector data received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

36. The image data filing system according to claim 35, wherein:

said storing means is an optical disk apparatus.

37. The image data filing system according to claim 35, wherein:

said code data contained in said at least one document is character code data produced by said producing means.

38. The image data filing system according to claim 35, wherein:

said producing means is a computer connected to said transferring line.

39. The image data filing system according to claim 38, wherein:

said code data contained in said at least one document is character code data produced by said computer.

40. A method of retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising the steps of:

inputting vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

storing said image data representative of said at least one document and key words corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document in the image database, said key words each including a portion of said vector data; and

retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said key words.

41. An apparatus for retrieving image representative of at least one document data from an image database comprising:

means for inputting vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

means or converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for storing said image data representative of said at least one document and key words corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said key words each including a portion of said vector data; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said key words.

42. A system for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

a computer for processing vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

means for inputting vector data from said computer;

means for converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for storing said image data representative of said at least one document and key words corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said key words each including a portion of said vector data; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said key words.

43. A method of retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising the steps of:

inputting character data contained in at least one document as code data;

converting said code data to image data representative of said at least one document;

storing said image data representative of said at least one document and key words corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said key words being stored as code data, and each key word including a portion of said character data contained in at least one document inputted as code data; and

retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said key words.

44. An apparatus for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

means for inputting character data contained in at least one document as code data;

means for converting said code data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for storing said image data representative of said at least one document and key words corresponding to said image data in said image database, said key words being stored as code data, and each key word including a portion of said character data contained in at least one document inputted as code data; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said key words.

45. A system for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

a computer for processing character data;

means for inputting character data contained in at least one document as code data;

means for converting said code data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for storing said image data representative of said at least one document and key words corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said key words being stored as code data, and each key word including a portion of said character data contained in at least one document inputted as code data; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said key words.

46. A method of storing image data representative of at least one document of characters in an electronic filing system, said system having means for storing image data representative of said at least one document and key-words corresponding to the image data representative of said at least one document, means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in the storing means in response to search information including a desired key-word and means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving character code of characters contained in at least one document to be stored in said electronic filing system;

converting said character code of said characters contained in at least one document into image data representative of said at least one document; and

producing key-words corresponding to said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data indicating an attribute of said characters contained in at least one document from said character code.

47. A method of searching image data representative of at least one document of characters being defined by character code stored in an electronic filing means of an image filing system, wherein the electronic filing means stores image data representative of said at least one document of the characters, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of prestored key-words, each key-word having been previously produced by extracting attribute data from said character code and stored in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in said electronic filing means;

searching said image data representative of said at least one document stored in said electronic filing means in response to said selected key-word; and

outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said selected key-word as a result of said searching step.

48. An apparatus, for filing image data representative of at least one document of characters, having means for storing image data representative of said at least one document with a key-word corresponding to each of the image data representative of said at least one document, means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in the storing means by using a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving character codes corresponding to said characters contained in said at least one document;

means for converting said character codes received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document to be stored in said storing means; and

means for generating a key-word to be stored with said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to at least one predetermined attribute from said character codes received by said receiving means.

49. An image filing apparatus, for storing/searching image data representative of at least one document corresponding to character codes of character contained in at least one document generated by a host computer, including means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document in an electronic filing means with a key-word corresponding to each of the image data representative of said at least one document, means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document registered in the electronic filing means in response to a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving character codes of characters to be stored from said host computer;

means for converting the character codes received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document to be stored in the electronic filing means; and

means for generating a key-word to be stored in corresponding relation with the image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to at least one predetermined attribute from the character codes received by the receiving means.

50. A method of filing image data representative of at least one document of characters contained in at least one document in corresponding relation with key-words in an electronic filing system, said system including means for storing image data representative of said at least one document in corresponding relation with key-words, means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in the storing means in response to a desired key-word, and means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to the desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means, said method comprising the steps of:

producing character codes of characters contained in at least one document to be filed;

converting said character codes produced in said producing step into image data representative of said at least one document;

indicating an attribute of said image data representative of said at least one document to be stored as a key-word in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document;

generating said key-word by extracting data corresponding to said attribute indicated in said indicating step from said character codes; and

storing the image data representative of said at least one document and the key-word generated in said generating step into the storing means.

51. A filing system for filing image data representative of at least one document corresponding to characters to be filed, comprising:

means for receiving character codes corresponding to the characters contained in at least one document to be filed through a transferring line;

means for converting said character codes received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to a predetermined attribute from said character codes received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word generated by said generating means;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

52. An image data filing system for filing and searching image data representative of at least one document corresponding to characters produced by a computer, comprising:

a computer for producing the characters contained in at least one document to be filed as character codes;

means for receiving said character codes of the characters to be filed via a transferring line from said computer;

means for converting said character codes received by said receiving means into image representative of said at least one document data of the characters contained in at least one document to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting data corresponding to a predetermined attribute from said character codes received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

53. An image data filing system for filing image data representative of at least one document, comprising:

means for producing code data to be filed as character data contained in at least one document;

means for receiving said code data of the character data contained in at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said producing means;

means for converting said code data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document by extracting code data from said code data received by said receiving means; and

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word.

54. An image data filing system for filing image data representative of at least one document, comprising:

computing means for producing code data to be filed as character data contained in at least one document;

means for receiving said code data of the character data contained in at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said computing means;

means for converting said code data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document of said code data to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document from said code data received by said receiving means;

means for storing the image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

55. An image data filing system for filing image data representative of at least one document, comprising:

means for producing code data to be filed as character data contained in at least one document;

means for receiving said code data of the character data contained in at least one document to be filed via a transferring line from said producing means;

means for converting said code data received by said receiving means into image data representative of said at least one document of said code data to be filed;

means for generating a key-word to be filed in corresponding relation with said image data representative of said at least one document from said code data received by said receiving means;

means for storing said image data representative of said at least one document converted by said converting means in corresponding relation with said key-word;

means for searching the image data representative of said at least one document stored in said storing means in response to a desired key-word; and

means for outputting image data representative of said at least one document corresponding to said desired key-word as a result of the search by the searching means.

56. A method of retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising the steps of:

inputting vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

generating title information based on said vector data;

storing said title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in the image database; and

retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

57. An apparatus for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

means for inputting vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

means or converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for generating title information based on said vector data;

means for storing said title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

58. A system for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

a computer for processing vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

means for inputting vector data from said computer;

means for converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for generating title information based on said vector data;

means for storing said title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

59. A method of retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising the steps of:

inputting character data contained in at least one document as code data;

converting said code data to image data representative of said at least one document;

generating title information based on said code data;

storing said title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said title information being stored as code data; and

retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

60. An apparatus for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

means for inputting character data contained in at least one document as code data;

means for converting said code data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for generating title information based on said code data;

means for storing said title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said title information being stored as code data; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

61. A system for retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising:

a computer for processing character data contained in at least one document;

means for inputting character data contained in at least one document as code data;

means for converting said code data to image data representative of said at least one document;

means for generating title information based on said code data;

means for storing said title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in said image database, said title information being stored as code data; and

means for retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

62. A method of retrieving image data representative of at least one document from an image database comprising the steps of:

inputting vector data of image information contained in at least one document;

converting said vector data to image data representative of said at least one document;

storing title information in corresponding relation to said image data representative of said at least one document in the image database, said title information including a portion of said vector data; and

retrieving desired image data representative of said at least one document from said image database using said title information.

63. An apparatus for retrieving image data representative of at lea