Patent ID: 8422811

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a first image data processing unit that processes an image quality of image data output from an image reading unit so that the image quality matches with a predetermined unified standard, generates input image data with a predetermined image quality and auxiliary information thereof, and comprises a central processing unit (CPU) operating according to a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium; a memory unit that accumulates the input image data and the auxiliary information; a second image data processing unit that processes the input image data and the auxiliary information to generate output image data suitable for a target output unit; and an external interface unit that connects a client information processing apparatus via a network, wherein the second image data processing unit includes an image recognizing unit and a reflecting unit that comprise at least one of a CPU operating according to a program stored in a non-transitory computer-usable medium, a digital signal processor (DSP) operating according to a program downloaded in a non-transitory computer-usable medium, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the image recognizing unit performs a recognition process in which the image recognizing unit recognizes a state of the input image data and outputs the recognition result, the reflecting unit performs a reflection process in which the recognition result is reflected on the input image data, the second image data processing unit further includes a switching unit that comprises a CPU operating according to a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that switches whether to perform the recognition process or to perform no recognition process based on a configuration of the image processing apparatus, switches whether to perform the reflection process or not to perform any process to reflect the recognition result on the input image data based on the recognition result and/or the configuration of the image processing apparatus, switches whether to perform the recognition process and/or the reflection process by the CPU, the DSP, or the ASIC based on the configuration of the image processing apparatus, and/or switches a procedure of the recognition process based on the auxiliary information, and the switching unit includes a unit that switches a procedure of the recognition process according to whether the auxiliary information includes separated data with a character and a non-character area separated from the input image data so as to cause the image recognizing unit to extract character areas from the input image data when the auxiliary information does not include the separated data, and to cause the image recognizing unit not to extract character areas from the input image data when the auxiliary information includes the separated data.