Abstract: Computing a scale factor to insert a first set of shapes into a second set of shapes to form a combined image includes receiving the two sets of shapes, using a processor to convert the first set of shapes into a set of rectangles and the second set of shapes into a set of intervals and computing the scale factor for either the set of intervals or the set of rectangles to generate the combined image by iteratively inserting the set of rectangles into the set of intervals and updating the scale factor in response to a residual area or an overflow area until all the rectangles in the set of rectangles have been inserted into the set of intervals and the residual area in the set of intervals is below a threshold, and storing the combined image in memory.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the present embodiment provide segmenting of connected components of markings found in document images. Segmenting includes detecting aligned text. From this detected material an aligned text mask is generated and used in processing of the images. The processing includes breaking connected components in the document images into smaller pieces or fragments by detecting and segregating the connected components and fragments thereof likely to belong to aligned text.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus which can suppress degradation of an image quality in a recording material save mode processing and obtain an effect of consumption amount reduction of recording material desired by a user at low costs. A recording material consumption amount at the time of applying first color conversion processing unit is predicted corresponding to inputted image data. The setting of a second color conversion processing is changed from a prediction value and a target value of the recording material consumption amount.

Abstract: A method of detecting streaks in printed documents comprises, with an imaging device, capturing an image of a printed document, transmitting the image data representing the printed document to a computing device, with the computing device, dividing the image data into a number of rectangles horizontally across the image data so that the rectangles overlap in the horizontal direction, and with the computing device, determining if a rectangle comprises a streak. A system for detecting and evaluating streaks in printed document comprises a printing device that prints a document based on image data received from a computing device, an imaging device that captures an image of the printed document, and a streak detector that detects streaks within the captured image of the printed document.

Abstract: A character recognition apparatus and method based on a character orientation are provided, in which an input image is binarized, at least one character area is extracted from the binarized image, a slope value of the extracted at least one character area is calculated, the calculated slope value is set as a character feature value, and a character is recognized by using a neural network for recognizing a plurality of characters by receiving the set character feature value. Accordingly, the probability of wrongly recognizing a similar character decreases, and a recognition ratio of each character increases.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus which reads a first ticket and a second ticket and performs processing extracted from information on the tickets includes a ticket generation unit configured to extract, from a processing instruction sheet serving as an original document which describes a processing target region in a processing target original document, information regarding the processing target region in order to generate a ticket, and to generate a ticket's contents of processing to be performed on the processing target region in a format. The ticket generation unit further extracts information regarding contents of processing instructed to be performed on a region in which a change in contents of processing instructed by the processing instruction sheet to be performed thereon is permitted, and generates a second ticket.

Abstract: A device and method for identifying text pixels that are erroneously classified as non-text pixels, includes accessing an image region containing a non-text component. For each non-text component within the image region component, only one determines if there are any long line structures within the bounding box defined by the non-text component. If the long line structures are greater than a predefined percentage of the span of the dimension of the bounding box parallel to the line structure, then the line structure is removed. Any remaining non-text pixels within the bounding box are reclassified as text-pixels.

Abstract: A text recognition server is configured to recognize text in a sparse text image. Specifically, given an image, the server specifies a plurality of “patches” (blocks of pixels within the image). The system applies a text detection algorithm to the patches to determine a number of the patches that contain text. This application of the text detection algorithm is used both to estimate the orientation of the image and to determine whether the image is textually sparse or textually dense. If the image is determined to be textually sparse, textual patches are identified and grouped into text regions, each of which is then separately processed by an OCR algorithm, and the recognized text for each region is combined into a result for the image as a whole.

Abstract: Methods and systems for segmenting printed media pages into individual articles quickly and efficiently. A printed media based image that may include a variety of columns, headlines, images, and text is input into the system which comprises a block segmenter and an article segmenter system. The block segmenter identifies and produces blocks of textual content from a printed media image while the article segmenter system determines which blocks of textual content belong to one or more articles in the printed media image based on a classifier algorithm. A method for segmenting printed media pages into individual articles is also presented.

Abstract: A method for deriving a representation of an image is described. The method involves processing signals corresponding to the image. At least one region of the image that is representative of the image is identified. In one embodiment, each identified region corresponds to a feature of the image. For each identified image region, a two dimensional function of at least part of the image region is derived and processed to obtain an intermediate representation of the at least part of the image region. A representation of the image is derived from the intermediate representation of at least one of the image regions.

Abstract: In various embodiments, old flood maps may be compared to new flood maps to determine which areas of the flood map have changed. These changed areas may be correlated against geographic area descriptions that are within changed areas of the flood map. The changed areas may also be analyzed to determine whether each area has had a change in status (e.g., from a high risk flood zone to a non-high risk flood zone or vice versa) or a change in zone within a status (e.g., from one flood zone to another flood zone). The information on type of change (or no change) may be used to populate a database that includes geographic area description identifiers. In some embodiments, detection of certain types of changes may initiate a manual comparison of the old and new flood maps to verify the change.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the present embodiment provide segmenting of connected components of markings found in document images. Segmenting includes detecting aligned text. From this detected material an aligned text mask is generated and used in processing of the images. The processing includes breaking connected components in the document images into smaller pieces or fragments by detecting and segregating the connected components and fragments thereof likely to belong to aligned text.

Abstract: According to a radiographic apparatus of this invention, an image correcting unit corrects offset for every pixel relative to a detection value outputted from a radiation detector having pixels for detecting radiation arranged in a two-dimensional array. In addition, the image correcting unit corrects the offset while holding noise components contained in the detection value. Thus, upon quantitative evaluation of the noises contained in the detection values outputted from the radiation detector, the noises of not only positive values but also negative values can be considered. Consequently, accurate evaluation may be achieved.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for extracting information from digital documents, including physical documents that have been converted to digital documents. For example, some embodiments are configured to extract information from a field in a digital document by identifying a block of tokens before (i.e., a prior block) and a block of tokens after (i.e., a post block) the field from which the information is to be extracted, where both the prior block and post block are known to be associated with the field type of the field (e.g., name, address, phone number, etc.).

Abstract: Images from checks may be compared with each other to detect a twice-deposited or represented check. An image of a check may be parsed into regions or tiles, for example. In an implementation, values for regions or tiles over a predetermined area (e.g., an area from a character in the magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line at the bottom of the check to the dollar sign symbol) may be compared. In an implementation, a virtual overlay of two check images may be performed and a correlation may be determined.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed include methods for connected component labeling including labeling groups of raw data as one or more regions, the labeling including designating one or more data structures as containing information about the one or more regions; designating one or more of the regions as one or more subregions to expose a spatial distribution of one or more region features; and arranging at least one memory array with a 1:1 correspondence to a data array associated with the raw data to enable one or more data structures to include feature labels of the one or more subregions, the 1:1 correspondence enabling acquisition of the one or more region features with a controllable precision.

Abstract: An image processing device is provided. The image processing device includes a scanner to scan an image formed on a sheet, a first image obtainer to read and obtain a first image being a processible image formed in a first area, the first area being allocated on the sheet, a second image obtainer to read and obtain a second image formed in a second area, the second area being allocated on the sheet separately from the first area, a judging unit to judge as to whether the second image obtained by the second image obtainer is qualifies a predetermined authentication criteria and is identical to a predetermined identifying image, and a function controller to activate a predetermined function of the image processing device, which processes the processible image obtained by the first image obtainer, when the judging unit judges that the second image is identical to the predetermined identifying image.

Abstract: Various embodiments pertain to image correction techniques that automatically estimate and correct vignetting based upon a single image. In various embodiments, a local gradient is estimated and the radial component of the gradient is ascertained. Radial components of gradients are correlated with a radius of the pixel from the optical center of the image, and can be utilized to estimate an attenuation due to vignetting. In some embodiments, a tangential component of a difference of gradients is also ascertained and correlated with the radius for use in estimating the attenuation. Attenuation due to vignetting can be calculated through the application of a polynomial regression to a plot of the radial components versus radius. In various embodiments, the image can be corrected by inverting the attenuation in the image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for detecting paragraphs in a textual image includes an input component for receiving an input image in which textual lines and words have been identified and a page classification component for classifying the input image as a first or second page type. The apparatus also includes a paragraph detection component for classifying all textual lines on the input image as a beginning paragraph line or a continuation paragraph line. The apparatus is also provided with a paragraph creation component for creating paragraphs that include textual lines between two successive beginning paragraph lines, including a first of the two successive beginning paragraph lines. The paragraphs that have been identified may be classified by the type of alignment they exhibit. For instance, paragraphs may be classified according to whether they are left aligned, right aligned, center aligned or justified.

Abstract: To shift an image in order to prevent the image from overlapping with a finishing position, the amount of shift for preventing the overlap may be increased and a desired result of layout may not be obtained. In addition, if the image is not shifted in order to obtain the desired result of layout, the image may overlap with the finishing position and toner or the like may come off. When it is determined that a position where the finishing process is to be executed overlaps with a content data placement area, an avoidance area where printing is not performed is placed at a position in which the position where the finishing process is to be executed overlaps with the content data placement area without changing the position and size of the content data placement area.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method, an image capturing apparatus, and a program which make it possible to crop an image with an optimal composition even for a subject other than a person. A composition pattern setting section 33 sets a composition pattern corresponding to an input image, on the basis of the number of salient regions to which attention is directed in the input image, and the scene of the input image. On the basis of the composition pattern set by the composition pattern setting section 33, a composition analyzing section 34 determines a crop region in the input image which is optimal for an image to be cropped in the composition pattern from the input image. The present invention is applicable to, for example, an image processing apparatus that adjusts the composition of a captured image.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including: a grouping preference unit configured to register user preference information on a storage device based on a user operation, the user preference information indicating how objects within an image are to be classified into groups; an image analysis unit configured to detect the objects within the image; and a grouping unit configured to read the user preference information from the storage device and classify the objects detected within the image into the groups indicated in the read user preference information.

Abstract: An image processing device connected with an image formation device configured to output image on a recording medium, includes a data obtaining unit configured to obtain map image data representing a basic map image showing a user-designated geographic area at a user-designated scale, an area identifying unit configured to identify a basic image formation area and a surplus area, the basic map image being formed on the basic image formation area, the surplus area being an area within the image forming area but the basic map image is not formed. The image processing device further includes an additional data obtaining unit configured to obtain map image data necessary for covering an enlarged image formation area including the basic image formation area and at least part of the surplus area, from the map image data provider. The map image can be formed based on the updated map image data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a processor-implemented method for processing image data using an image processing apparatus. The processor is configured to receive a PDL file of image data and raster image process (RIP) the PDL file to determine pixels representing text. The ripped file is then segmented to determine at least any pixels representing text that were not initially indicated or identified by the ripped file. The results are combined to determine locations for marking onto a substrate by the output device using substantially colorless marking material over text pixels (to coat marked text pixels). In some instances, locations for covering text pixels with substantially colorless marking material can be tagged during segmenting image data, using a tag plane.

Abstract: The invention enables creating a mark-able document for a user to mark, and recognizing and processing the user-marked mark-able document to generate an accurate user-readable result that has broad application. The application program used to create, process, and generate a printed output based on the processing includes an array of functionality to create a wide variety of mark-able documents.

Abstract: In various embodiments, old flood maps may be compared to new flood maps to determine which areas of the flood map have changed. These changed areas may be correlated against geographic area descriptions that are within changed areas of the flood map. The changed areas may also be analyzed to determine whether each area has had a change in status (e.g., from a high risk flood zone to a non-high risk flood zone or vice versa) or a change in zone within a status (e.g., from one flood zone to another flood zone). The information on type of change (or no change) may be used to populate a database that includes geographic area description identifiers. In some embodiments, detection of certain types of changes may initiate a manual comparison of the old and new flood maps to verify the change.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus analyzes an image of a document to thereby extract a heading region from the image. The image processing apparatus detects candidates for the heading region from the image, and defines a predetermined range in the image as a range to be processed. The apparatus further groups the candidates in the range to be processed, based on a feature quantity corresponding to a feature in terms of style of a character string. The apparatus selects a representative group from the resultant groups, and divides the range to be processed, at the position of a candidate belonging to the representative group. The apparatus newly defines each of the portions generated by the division as a range to be processed.

Abstract: An image inspection apparatus that compares a reference image with an inspection image obtained by scanning a printed medium on which the reference image has been printed, to determine whether the printed medium is acceptable is provided. The image inspection apparatus includes a first inspecting unit that compares the reference image exclusive of an edge in the reference image with the inspection image exclusive of an edge in the inspection image to perform inspection; a line-image detecting unit that detects a line image that contains the edge from each of the reference image and the inspection image; a second inspecting unit that compares the line image detected from the reference image with the line image detected from the inspection image to perform inspection; and a determining unit that determines whether the printed medium is acceptable based on results of these inspections.

Abstract: An image generating device and a method thereof are disclosed in the present invention. The image generating device and method may find out true motion for static text strings. The image generating device and method detect static text angles from consecutive frames and use a 3D-static text filter to recover correct motion vector fields. After our Static Text Detector fixing, the static text strings like subtitles can get more accurate motion vector and improve video quality.

Abstract: An automated method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text documents includes color masking of highlight regions, extracting text from highlighted regions, recognizing the characters in extracted text optically and inserting the recognized characters to new document in order to easily identify highlighted text in scanned images. Using a two-layer multi-mask compression technology configured in a scanned export image path, edges and text regions can be extracted and together with the use of mask coordinates and associated mask colors, all highlighted texts can be easily identified and extracted. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can then be utilized to appropriate summarization of different extracted highlighted texts.

Abstract: A system for extracting data from a document may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The processor may identify one or more landmarks based on predefined characteristics that are associated with known landmarks. After one or more landmarks are defined, business rules may indicate one or more areas that may contain data to be extracted. The business rules may also indicate the type of data in the area and processing methods that may be used to extract the data. After determining the business rules, the processor may determine whether the data is in the area and/or extract the data.

Abstract: The present invention relies on the two-dimensional information in documents and encodes two-dimensional structures into a one-dimensional synthetic language such that two-dimensional documents can be searched at text search speed. The system comprises: an indexing module, a retrieval module, an encoder, a quantization module, a retrieval engine and a control module coupled by a bus. Electronic documents are first indexed by the indexing module and stored as a synthetic text library. The retrieval module then converts an input image to synthetic text and searches for matches to the synthetic text in the synthetic text library. The matches can be in turn used to retrieve the corresponding electronic documents. In one or more embodiments, the present invention includes a method for comparing the synthetic text to documents that have been converted to synthetic text for a match.

Abstract: This invention relates to creating a narrative description of media content. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method describes content of a group of images. The group of images includes a first image and a second image. A first object in the first image is recognized to determine a first content data. A second object in the second image is recognized to determine a second content data. Finally, a narrative description of the group of images is determined according to a parameterized template and the first and second content data.

Abstract: A method is provided for authenticating an image printed at a predefined print resolution or in accordance with a predetermined print grid. The method includes the steps of scanning the image to produce digital data and segmenting the data into first and second groups corresponding, respectively, to first and second predefined sections of the image. Next, a determination is made concerning the anticipated spatial position of select columns of digital data from each of the first and second groups of data. By examining the data, differences may be identified between the anticipated and actual spatial position of the columns, to determine the authenticity of the image. The identified differences which may include (i) a rotary/linear displacement in the actual spatial position of the select columns. (ii) a change in beat frequency between sections of the image, and/or (iii) a phase shift in a beat frequency.

Abstract: To handle static text and logos in stabilized images without destabilizing the static text and logos, a method of handling overlay subpictures in stabilized images includes separating an existing overlay subpicture from an input image to generate a separated overlay subpicture and a separated input image. The separated input image is stabilized to form a stabilized image. The separated overlay subpicture is then merged with the stabilized image to obtain an output image.

Abstract: Sketch and tagging based image search may include receiving a sketch query input and identifying an object in a desired image. The object or objects of the sketch query may be tagged with a text, and searching performed based on the objects. Certain implementations include indexing patches of the images, where the patches represent the objects. Relevant images can be returned based on the index of the patches.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided and includes: a memory that stores discrimination information and a setting value group associated with the discrimination information, the setting value group including a plurality of first setting values for carrying out processing and; a setting unit that sets second setting values needed for image processing, in which a portion of the first setting values in the setting value group associated with the discrimination information is set as at least a portion of the second setting values; and a processing unit that carries out image processing according to the second setting values.

Abstract: An image processing device connected with an image formation device configured to output image on a recording medium, includes a data obtaining unit configured to obtain map image data representing a basic map image showing a user-designated geographic area at a user-designated scale, an area identifying unit configured to identify a basic image formation area and a surplus area, the basic map image being formed on the basic image formation area, the surplus area being an area within the image forming area but the basic map image is not formed. The image processing device further includes an additional data obtaining unit configured to obtain map image data necessary for covering an enlarged image formation area including the basic image formation area and at least part of the surplus area, from the map image data provider. The map image can be formed based on the updated map image data.

Abstract: There are provided an image processing device, an image processing method and a program that generate an electronic document in a format specification that is optimal for many purposes of electronic documents. A table region is discriminated from an input image, and a table structure in the table region is analyzed. A table line determination is made on the analyzed table structure as to whether or not each ruled line is representable in the format, and ruled line information and a vector line object are created according to the determination result. The created ruled line information and vector line object are used to generate the electronic document.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which includes a storage unit configured to store original data; a determining unit configured to determine whether or not a user who gives an instruction to transmit the original data to another apparatus is the creator of the original data when the original data is transmitted to the other apparatus; and a transmitting unit configured, as a result of the determination by the determining unit, if the user is the creator of the original data, to transmit the original data in a data format that allows editing by the other apparatus; and if the user is not the creator of the original data, to transmit the original data in a data format that disables editing by the other apparatus.

Abstract: An image processing device includes an additional image formation unit configured to form an additional image having a first predetermined density. At least a part of the additional image is overlaid with a main image having a second predetermined density, the main image being formed on an image formation medium. A boundary image formation unit is configured to form a boundary image which is formed in an area defined in the vicinity of an overlaid area where the additional image is overlaid with the main image. A density of the boundary image is lower than both the first predetermined density and the second predetermined density. A synthesized image formation unit is configured to synthesize the main image, additional image and the boundary image to form a synthesized image.

Abstract: Information on at least one object specified by a user is obtained from an external apparatus. In accordance with attribute information included in the object information, at least one object is retrieved from among objects registered in an object storage unit. Then, an order of display of at least one retrieved template is determined. Thereafter, the retrieved template is transmitted to the external apparatus in the determined display order.

Abstract: Images from checks may be compared with each other to detect a twice-deposited or represented check. An image of a check may be parsed into regions or tiles, for example. In an implementation, values for regions or tiles over a predetermined area (e.g., an area from a character in the magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line at the bottom of the check to the dollar sign symbol) may be compared. In an implementation, a virtual overlay of two check images may be performed and a correlation may be determined.

Abstract: A system resizes content within a document that includes a document segmenter that receives a document that contains content. The document segmenter analyzes the content within the document and segments the content into a plurality of object types. An object priority applicator determines a class value associated with each object type. A location scaler identifies a datum point for each object type within the document, wherein each datum point maintains a relative location to one another regardless of document resizing. An object sizing component resizes each object based at least in part upon the class value.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, including a user input unit which receives a first user command to initiate a printing operation, a display unit which displays information relating to the printing operation, a printing unit which performs printing with respect to printing data, and a controller which controls the display unit to display reference information of the printing data before the printing, and which controls the printing unit to perform the printing according to a second user command.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for image processing are disclosed, each of which obtains a mark from image data, detects additional information in the mark, determines whether the mark is detected in the mark to generate a determination result, and controls processing performed by an image processing apparatus with respect to the image data based on the determination result.

Abstract: A test pattern containing plurality of patches recorded using small dot patterns and large dot patterns is printed. The dot sizes arranged in the patches are different between patches. Then the test patterns are read. The detection rate and average density of additional information embedded in each large dot pattern are obtained. A large dot pattern whose detection rate and average density fall within a reference range and are closest to ideal values is determined. The average density of each small dot pattern is obtained. A small dot pattern whose average density falls within a reference range and is closest to the average density of the determined large dot pattern is determined. A copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is generated using these dot patterns and combined with a print target image.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a data reading unit that reads data from a storage device that can store pieces of data, the data reading unit being connectable to the storage device, an input panel that accepts an input a password used to decrypt encrypted data stored in the storage device, a password storing unit that stores the input password, a data decrypting unit that decrypts the encrypted data by using the stored password, a decrypted data storing unit that temporarily stores the decrypted data, and a re-decrypting unit that decrypts other encrypted data stored in the storage device by using the stored password.

Abstract: Noise does not occur even if an image of an object region extracted from an input image and a background image are stored separately, and then displayed or printed, at a boundary portion of the object region. A boundary region is set at the inner side of the object region of the input image, and a pixel value of an adjacent pixel at the outer side of the boundary of the object region is written to a corresponding pixel in the boundary region. Even if a difference occurs between the background image and the object image, when a document file is displayed or printed, since the pixel value of the pixel at the outer side of the object region is assigned to the pixel in the boundary region, noise due to average color does not occur.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a main body casing, a cover configured to be openable and closable with respect to the main body casing, a sensing unit configured to sense an opening-closing operation of the cover, a forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a detecting unit configured to perform a detecting operation to detect a deviation of an image forming position of the image to be formed by the forming unit, an accepting unit configured to accept a print request, and a control unit configured to control the detecting unit to perform the detecting operation in response to the print request being accepted when the sensing unit senses an opening-closing operation of the cover after execution of a previous detecting operation, and thereafter to control the forming unit to form the image in the image forming position corrected to cancel the deviation detected in the detecting operation.