Image Processing Method and Image Processing Apparatus for Registering Additional Information of Image Information

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for registering additional information of an image in a storage unit reads additional information items of an input image, sets a check item condition for additional information, matches at least one of the additional information items against a corresponding additional information item registered in the storage unit according to the check item condition, and controls whether to register the additional information items in the storage unit depending on a result of the matching.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information processing method for registering additional information of an input image in a storage unit, the information processing method comprising:
 reading a plurality of additional information items of the input image;   matching the plurality of additional information items of the input image with corresponding additional information items registered in the storage unit;   controlling whether to register, in the storage unit, the input image based on a result of the matching of additional information items; and   displaying the result of the matching when the plurality of additional information items of the input image does not match with the corresponding additional information items registered in the storage unit.   
     
     
         2 . The information processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the result of the matching includes a cause of a failure related to the matching. 
     
     
         3 . The information processing method according to  claim 2 , wherein the failure related to registration and the cause of the failure are displayed when the plurality of additional information items of the input image does not match with the corresponding additional information items registered in the storage unit. 
     
     
         4 . The information processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein, the plurality of additional information items are not registered if one or more items of the plurality of additional information items and corresponding items of additional information items do not match each other. 
     
     
         5 . The information processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the input image is a medical image and the plurality of additional information items includes at least two of a patient ID, a patient name, a patient sex, and a patient birth date. 
     
     
         6 . The information processing method according to  claim 5 , wherein the corresponding additional information items includes at least one of patient ID, patient name, patient sex, and patient birth date. 
     
     
         7 . The information processing method according to  claim 6 , wherein, one or more items of corresponding additional information includes the patient name, the patient name is divided into strings by at least one delimiter, and matching is performed string by string. 
     
     
         8 . The information processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein, if the patient name includes a middle name, the patient name is divided into three strings by two delimiters, and the matching is performed string by string. 
     
     
         9 . The information processing method according to  claim 6 , wherein,
 if the corresponding additional information items includes the patient name; and if one or more of the plurality of additional information items matches a first set of the corresponding additional information items and the patient name associated with the plurality of additional information items does not match a patient name associated with the corresponding additional information items,   then the patient name associated with the plurality of additional information items overwrites the patient name associated with the corresponding additional information items.   
     
     
         10 . The information processing method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 restricting the corresponding additional information items to the one or more items of corresponding additional information items specified by a required check item conditions.   
     
     
         11 . The information processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a first set of the corresponding additional information items is all of the corresponding additional information items that matches one or more items of the plurality of additional information items specified by matching item conditions;   if
 (a) all of one or more items of the plurality of additional information items specified by the matching item conditions matches corresponding additional information, 
 (b) the plurality of additional information items includes a second set of information not specified by the matching item conditions, and 
 (c) one or more items of the second set of information do not match corresponding additional information items, 
 then the second set of information that do not match the corresponding additional information items overwrite the corresponding additional information items. 
   
     
     
         12 . The information processing method according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the one or more items of the second set of information overwrites the corresponding additional information items associated with the first set of pre-registered additional information if the second set of information is specified by the required check item conditions; and   the second set of information do not overwrite the corresponding additional information items if the second set of information is not specified by required check item conditions.   
     
     
         13 . The information processing method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving an overwrite check item condition specified by the user;   wherein the second set of information overwrites one or more items of the corresponding additional information items if one or more items of the second set of information is specified by required check item conditions and the overwrite check item condition is in a first state; and   wherein the second set of information does not overwrite items of the first set of corresponding information if none of the items in the second set of information are specified by the required check item conditions or the overwrite check item condition is in a second state.   
     
     
         14 . The information processing method according to  claim 11 , wherein the second set of information is the patient name. 
     
     
         15 . An information processing apparatus for registering additional information of an input image in a storage unit, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory;   wherein the processor is configured to read a plurality of additional information items of the input image;   wherein the processor is configured to match the plurality of additional information items of the input image with corresponding additional information items registered in the storage unit;   wherein the processor is configured to control whether to register, in the storage unit, the input image based on a result of the matching of additional information items; and   wherein the processor is configured to send instructions to display the result of the matching when the plurality of additional information items of the input image does not match with the corresponding additional information items registered in the storage unit.