Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an image acquisition module, an elevation-angle acquisition module, a character deformation specification module, a character detection dictionary storage, a character detection dictionary selector and a character detector. The elevation-angle acquisition module is configured to acquire an elevation angle of a photographic device assumed when the photographic device has obtained an acquired image. The character deformation specification module is configured to specify how an appearance of the character in the acquired image is deformed, based on the acquired elevation angle.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, processing circuitry of an apparatus for managing articles acquires a check image by capturing labels including label information of a character string. The processing circuitry also acquires plan data including a plurality of plan areas indicating installation positions of the labels in the shelf and the label information of the labels assigned to each of the plan areas. The processing circuitry detects a character area of the character string displayed on each of the labels from the check image and recognizes characters in the character areas. The processing circuitry positions and superimposes the check image and the plan data and associates the character areas and the plan areas. The processing circuitry compares the label information of the associated plan areas and the recognition information of the character areas and assigns attributes to the character areas or the plan areas.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit and a processing unit. The acquiring unit acquires an image including a plurality of character strings. The processing unit carries out a detecting operation, a receiving operation, an extracting operation, and a generating operation. The detecting operation includes detecting a plurality of image regions concerning the plurality of character strings from the image. The receiving operation includes receiving an input of coordinate information concerning coordinates in the image. The extracting operation includes extracting, out of the plurality of image regions, designated regions designated by the coordinate information. The generating operation includes generating, on the basis of the coordinate information, corrected regions obtained by correcting at least one of a number and a size of the designated regions.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a nip member, a heater, a reflecting member, a load receiving member, and a protective member. The endless belt has end portions in the first direction and a middle portion defined between the end portions. The nip member is configured to contact an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The heater is disposed inside the endless belt. The reflecting member is entirely disposed on a nip-member side with respect to the heater and is configured to reflect radiant heat emitted from the heater toward the inner circumferential surface. The protective member is disposed between the middle portion of the endless belt and the heater and on a side opposite to the nip member with respect to the heater, and is configured to allow light to pass therethrough. The protective member is fastened to the load receiving member.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a hardware processor and a controller. The hardware processor detects a first region in an image that includes a character and detects a second region in the image that includes a text-line including at least a particular number of first regions. The controller causes the hardware processor to detect the second region in the image when a variation of a camera is less than or equal to a threshold. The controller changes a setting of the hardware processor associated with the detection of at least one of the first and second region and causes the hardware processor to detect the second region in the image when the second region is not detected.

Abstract: A light emitting portion (104) of a light emitting panel (100) is configured to have a polygonal shape. A first light-emitting-side terminal (150) extends along one side of the light emitting portion (104), and a second light-emitting-side terminal (160) extends along the other side of the light emitting portion (104). The length of each of the first light-emitting-side terminal (150) and the second light-emitting-side terminal (160) is, for example, equal to or greater than 50% of the length of one side of the light emitting portion (104). The length of the connection portion (308) is equal to or greater than 10% of the length of one side of the light emitting portion (104).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data processor includes an image acquisition module, a degradation evaluation module, a first output module and a display module. The first output module is configured to output a first trigger for performing a process for detecting the image area when the possibility is high as a result of evaluation by the degradation evaluation module, the first output module is configured to output a command for displaying the image as it is on a display when the possibility is low as a result of the evaluation.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a nip member, a heater, a reflecting member, a load receiving member, and a protective member. The endless belt has end portions in the first direction and a middle portion defined between the end portions. The nip member is configured to contact an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The heater is disposed inside the endless belt. The reflecting member is entirely disposed on a nip-member side with respect to the heater and is configured to reflect radiant heat emitted from the heater toward the inner circumferential surface. The protective member is disposed between the middle portion of the endless belt and the heater and on a side opposite to the nip member with respect to the heater, and is configured to allow light to pass therethrough. The protective member is fastened to the load receiving member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: an endless belt; a heater; a nip plate; a backup member, a reflective plate, a stay and a heat insulating member, wherein the heat insulating member includes: an upstream support face, which supports the nip plate; and a downstream support face, which is disposed separated downstream in the conveyance direction from the upstream support face and supports the nip plate, and wherein a gap in the conveyance direction between the upstream support face and the downstream support face at a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat insulating member is smaller than a gap in the conveyance direction between the upstream support face and the downstream support face at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat insulating member.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an information processing device includes: a first division unit divides an image into a text containing region and a background region other than the text containing region; a second division unit divides a text containing region into a character region constituted by lines forming characters and a character background region other than the character region; a calculator calculates a first representative value of an attribute of the character region, a second representative value of the attribute of the character background region, and a third representative value of the attribute of the background region; a modification unit makes modification so that a first difference based on the first and third representative values, a second difference based on the first and second representative values, and a third difference based on the second and third representative values become larger; and an output unit outputs a modified image.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus for discriminating speech/non-speech of a first acoustic signal includes a weight assignment unit, a feature extraction unit, and a speech/non-speech discrimination unit. The first acoustic signal includes a user's speech and a reproduced sound. The reproduced sound is a system sound having a plurality of channels reproduced from a plurality of speakers. The weight assignment unit is configured to assign a weight to each frequency band based on the system sound. The feature extraction unit is configured to extract a feature from a second acoustic signal based on the weight of each frequency band. The second acoustic signal is the first acoustic signal in which the reproduced sound is suppressed. The speech/non-speech discrimination unit is configured to discriminate speech/non-speech of the first acoustic signal based on the feature.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus for discriminating speech/non-speech of a first acoustic signal includes a weight assignment unit, a feature extraction unit, and a speech/non-speech discrimination unit. The weight assignment unit is configured to assign a weight to each frequency band, based on a frequency spectrum of the first acoustic signal including a user's speech and a frequency spectrum of a second acoustic signal including a disturbance sound. The feature extraction unit is configured to extract a feature from the frequency spectrum of the first acoustic signal, based on the weight of each frequency band. The speech/non-speech discrimination unit is configured to discriminate speech/non-speech of the first acoustic signal, based on the feature.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: an endless belt; a heater; a nip plate; a backup member, a reflective plate, a stay and a heat insulating member, wherein the heat insulating member includes: an upstream support face, which supports the nip plate; and a downstream support face, which is disposed separated downstream in the conveyance direction from the upstream support face and supports the nip plate, and wherein a gap in the conveyance direction between the upstream support face and the downstream support face at a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat insulating member is smaller than a gap in the conveyance direction between the upstream support face and the downstream support face at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat insulating member.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an information processing device includes: a first division unit divides an image into a text containing region and a background region other than the text containing region; a second division unit divides a text containing region into a character region constituted by lines forming characters and a character background region other than the character region; a calculator calculates a first representative value of an attribute of the character region, a second representative value of the attribute of the character background region, and a third representative value of the attribute of the background region; a modification unit makes modification so that a first difference based on the first and third representative values, a second difference based on the first and second representative values, and a third difference based on the second and third representative values become larger; and an output unit outputs a modified image.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an image acquisition module, an elevation-angle acquisition module, a character deformation specification module, a character detection dictionary storage, a character detection dictionary selector and a character detector. The elevation-angle acquisition module is configured to acquire an elevation angle of a photographic device assumed when the photographic device has obtained an acquired image. The character deformation specification module is configured to specify how an appearance of the character in the acquired image is deformed, based on the acquired elevation angle.

Abstract: In an image-forming apparatus an image-forming portion performs a printing operation in which an image is formed on a sheet. A heater thermally fixes the image on the sheet. A processor is configured to: determine whether a temperature detected by a detector is higher than a threshold value before the image-forming portion performs the printing operation; drive a fan at a first speed following start of the printing operation when the temperature is higher than the threshold value; and drive the fan at a second speed lower than the first speed for a prescribed period of time following the start of the printing operation when the temperature is lower than the threshold value or equal to the threshold value, and subsequently drive the fan at the first speed; control a temperature of the heater based on the temperature detected by the detector while the image-forming portion performs the printing operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a fixing device, and a fan. The fixing device includes a heating member, a pressing member, and a frame. The heating member includes a heater configured to generate heat, a cylindrical member storing the heater therein, and first and second support terminals disposed at first and second ends of the heater, respectively, in a longitudinal direction of the heater, the first and second support terminals supporting the heater. The frame is made of resin, and includes a first support terminal supporting portion supporting the first support terminal of the heater and a second support terminal supporting portion supporting the second support terminal of the heater. The frame further includes a duct portion disposed proximate to the first support terminal supporting portion, the duct portion through which air flows to the fan.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a character detection apparatus includes a feature extractor, a determiner and an integrator. The feature extractor extracts a feature value of an image including character strings. The determiner determines each priority of a plurality of different character detection schemes in accordance with character detection accuracy with respect to an image region having a feature corresponding to the feature value. The integrator integrates text line candidates of the character detection schemes, and selects, as a text line, one of the text line candidates detected by the character detection scheme with the highest priority if a superimposition degree indicating a ratio of a superimposed region among the text line candidates is no less than a first threshold value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a television apparatus includes a speech input unit, an indication input unit, a speech recognition unit, and a control unit. The speech input unit is configured to input a speech. The indication input unit is configured to input an indication to start speech recognition from a user. The speech recognition unit is configured to recognize the user's speech inputted after the indication is inputted. The control unit is configured to execute an operation command corresponding to a recognition result of the user's speech. The control unit, if a volume of the television apparatus at a timing when the indication is inputted is larger than or equal to a threshold, temporarily sets the volume to a value smaller than the threshold while the speech recognition unit is recognizing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a fixing device, and a fan. The fixing device includes a heating member, a pressing member, and a frame. The heating member includes a heater configured to generate heat, a cylindrical member storing the heater therein, and first and second support terminals disposed at first and second ends of the heater, respectively, in a longitudinal direction of the heater, the first and second support terminals supporting the heater. The frame is made of resin, and includes a first support terminal supporting portion supporting the first support terminal of the heater and a second support terminal supporting portion supporting the second support terminal of the heater.