Patent ID: 7369704

Claim:
An image processing system, comprising: a plurality of data processing service devices that perform, on received data, respective data processing services that are different from each other, and return results of the data processing services; an image processing apparatus that performs image processing on an image including a character-string image, based on a result of data processing performed, by one of said plurality of data processing service devices, on either the character-string image or information extracted from the character-string image; and an information processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with the image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus including a communication section for communicating with the data processing service devices and the information processing apparatus, the image processing system further comprising: a service address search section that is provided in the information processing apparatus, and searches for an address of a data processing service device that is capable of performing a required kind of data processing on either the character-string image or the information extracted from the character-string image; a character-string data processing service request section that is provided in either the image processing apparatus or the information processing apparatus, and sends, to the address searched by the service address search section, (i) the character-string image or the information extracted from the character-string image, and (ii) information for requesting the data processing service on either the character-string image or the information extracted from the character-string image; and a process result receiving section that is provided in the image processing apparatus, and receives, from one of the data processing service devices, a result of the data processing service performed on either the character-string image or the information extracted from the character-string image.