Patents by Inventor Atsuhisa Morimoto

Atsuhisa Morimoto has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9268998
    Abstract: An image determining apparatus of the present invention includes an image type determining section (81) which determines whether an image is a scanned image or a captured image; and a compact PDF file generation determining section (82) which (a) extracts (i) a feature regarding a resolution from the scanned image or (ii) a feature regarding a blur from the captured image and (b) determines, on the basis of the extracted feature, whether or not the image is suitable for the conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohsuke Konishi, Atsuhisa Morimoto, Teruhiko Matsuoka, Daisaku Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20150093031
    Abstract: An image determining apparatus of the present invention includes an image type determining section (81) which determines whether an image is a scanned image or a captured image; and a compact PDF file generation determining section (82) which (a) extracts (i) a feature regarding a resolution from the scanned image or (ii) a feature regarding a blur from the captured image and (b) determines, on the basis of the extracted feature, whether or not the image is suitable for the conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohsuke KONISHI, Atsuhisa MORIMOTO, Teruhiko MATSUOKA, Daisaku IMAIZUMI
  • Patent number: 8941864
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus which (i) determines whether or not characters to be subjected to a character recognition process in image data have a size larger than a predetermined size, (ii) in a case where the characters is determined as larger than the predetermined size, reduces at least a region including the characters so that the size of the characters fits within the predetermined size, and (iii) performs a character recognition process of the characters with use of the reduced image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hirohata, Akihito Yoshida, Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi
  • Publication number: 20140337008
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus (3) includes: a translation section (32) carrying out a translation process of a language contained in image data; and a formatting process section (34) generating an image file, in accordance with the image data and a result of the translation process. The formatting process section (34) embeds, in the image file, a command for causing a computer to switch between a first display state in which the language and the translated word are displayed together and a second display state in which the language is displayed without the translated word in a case where a user gives, with respect to the image file, a switching instruction to switch between the first display state and the second display state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi, Hitoshi Hirohata, Akihito Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8848240
    Abstract: An object area containing a text or a graphic is extracted from a document image containing the text or the graphic. Then, on the basis of the extracted object area and stored size information, a cropping area is determined that surrounds the object area with given margins. Further, setting of margins is received. Then, on the basis of the object area and the received setting of the margins, the cropping area is determined. Then, the cropping area determined on the basis of the object area and the size information or alternatively the cropping area determined on the basis of the object area and the setting of the margins is cropped from the document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi, Hitoshi Hirohata, Akihito Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8780407
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is connected to an image reading apparatus which reads a read area set on a scanner platen in accordance with a size of a document placed on the scanner platen so as to create image data in which an image of the document is shown. The image processing apparatus includes a document detection section and an instruction section. The document detection section creates, based on the image data supplied from the image reading apparatus, document area information indicative of an area where the document is placed on the scanner platen. In a case where the area indicated by the document area information is not completely encompassed by the read area, the instruction section sets a reread area which completely encompasses the area indicated by the document area information and causes the image reading apparatus to read the reread area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Shiro Narikawa
  • Patent number: 8537443
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a document correction section and a display control section. The document correction section carries out rotation processing with respect to a document image so that a first reference direction from a reference side of a document to a side facing the reference side coincides with an upper-to-lower direction of the document image which has been subjected to the rotation processing. Further, before the rotation processing is carried out, the display control section causes the display apparatus to display an image in which the document and a mark indicating the reference side of the document to a user are shown in accordance with the document image. This allows a user to easily predict how the document shown in the document image will be oriented after the document image is subjected to the rotation processing, before the user inputs a command to carry out the rotation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8532434
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a division section for dividing input image data into portions; an orientation determining section for calculating reliabilities of directions of image data of each portion when the directions are regarded as orientations, and setting an orientation with the highest reliability as an orientation of each portion; a display control section for generating display image data including an image of a target portion whose reliability of an orientation is less than a predetermined value and images of designation regions from which a user's input to designate the orientation of the target portion is entered; and a character recognition section for recognizing characters of each portion in such a manner that the orientation is designated from the designation regions or set by the orientation determining section. This allows prompt recognition of characters of a portion whose reliability of orientation is low, in accordance with a right orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8406570
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which processes a scanned image in which a document image is shown, and includes a reliability determining section and a display control section. The reliability determining section determines reliability of coincidences of respective first through fourth directions with a first reference direction, the first through fourth directions being perpendicular to or reverse to each other, the first reference direction being an upward direction of the document image. The display control section creates markers indicating the respective first through fourth directions, and causes a display device to display a preview image in which the markers and the scanned image overlap each other. Further, the display control section causes the markers to be displayed in respective different ways by changing respective densities in accordance with the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi
  • Publication number: 20130033731
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a document correction section and a display control section. The document correction section carries out rotation processing with respect to a document image so that a first reference direction from a reference side of a document to a side facing the reference side coincides with an upper-to-lower direction of the document image which has been subjected to the rotation processing. Further, before the rotation processing is carried out, the display control section causes the display apparatus to display an image in which the document and a mark indicating the reference side of the document to a user are shown in accordance with the document image. This allows a user to easily predict how the document shown in the document image will be oriented after the document image is subjected to the rotation processing, before the user inputs a command to carry out the rotation processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuhisa MORIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8335010
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a reliability determining section which determines, with respect to each of the plurality of document images, reliability of coincidences of respective predetermined directions with a first reference direction, the first reference direction being a predetermined direction which points on a basis of an upward direction of or a downward direction of the information image; and a display control section (i) which divides the plurality of document images into groups so that document images, having a same direction whose reliability value is the highest, belong to a same group, and (ii) which causes a display device to display preview images for the respective groups, each of the preview images indicating at least one document image in each of the groups. In a case where one group contains a plurality of document images, a preview image containing the plurality of document images is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi
  • Patent number: 8310744
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a document correction section and a display control section. The document correction section carries out rotation processing with respect to a document image so that a first reference direction from a reference side of a document to a side facing the reference side coincides with as an upper-to-lower direction of the document image which has been subjected to the rotation processing. Further, before the rotation processing is carried out, the display control section causes the display apparatus to display a display image in which the document and a mark indicating the reference side of the document to a user are shown in accordance with the document image. This allows a user to easily predict how the document shown in the document image will be oriented after the document image is subjected to the rotation processing, before the user inputs a command to carry out the rotation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8300944
    Abstract: An image processing system according to the present invention includes: a management server in which related information set with respect to reference image data is stored; a similarity determination process section for determining whether or not there is a similarity between input image data and the reference image data; a related information obtaining process section for obtaining related information from a related information storage section if the similarity determination process section determines that there is a similarity between the input image data and the reference image data; and a control section for adding the related information obtained to the input image data. With the arrangement, it becomes possible for the image processing system to add appropriate related information to inputted image data, so as to realize an accurate search for the image data on the basis of the related information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohsuke Konishi, Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8295603
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus for determining whether input image data is identical with image data of a reference image or not and performing a process according to the result of the determination, input image data whose similarity to a reference image is not less than a predetermined first threshold value or encoded image data obtained by encoding the input image data is stored in an access limitation storage section to which only a specific user is accessible. This allows an administrator to easily check whether the result of the determination is appropriate or not, without requiring a larger and more complex structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Ohira, Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20120120444
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus which (i) determines whether or not characters to be subjected to a character recognition process in image data have a size larger than a predetermined size, (ii) in a case where the characters is determined as larger than the predetermined size, reduces at least a region including the characters so that the size of the characters fits within the predetermined size, and (iii) performs a character recognition process of the characters with use of the reduced image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hirohata, Akihito Yoshida, Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi
  • Patent number: 8107734
    Abstract: Pixels of a binary image obtained by binarizing an image are scanned in a predetermined direction, labels are assigned to the pixels according to binarization information about the respective pixels, information about the assigned labels is stored sequentially for each of a plurality of lines along the predetermined direction, information about coordinate values in the binary image of pixels assigned the same label is stored, a determination is made as to whether or not, in a current line among the plurality of lines, there is a pixel assigned the same label as a label assigned to a pixel contained in a line which was scanned immediately before the current line, when a determination is made that there is no pixel assigned the same label, a feature point in a connected component formed by connecting together pixels specified by the coordinate values is calculated based on the stored information about the coordinate values, a feature vector representing a feature of the image is calculated based on the calculat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Ohira, Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8103108
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a data obtaining section for obtaining input image data; a memory in which reference image data or features of a reference image is stored; and a similarity determination process section for performing a determination process in which it is determined whether the input image data is image data corresponding to the reference image or not. The similarity determination process section changes the determination process in accordance with related information of the input image data. Consequently, it is possible to realize an image processing apparatus capable of determining a similarity between input image data and a reference image and restricting a process on the input image data in accordance with the result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Masakazu Ohira
  • Publication number: 20110310414
    Abstract: An object area containing a text or a graphic is extracted from a document image containing the text or the graphic. Then, on the basis of the extracted object area and stored size information, a cropping area is determined that surrounds the object area with given margins. Further, setting of margins is received. Then, on the basis of the object area and the received setting of the margins, the cropping area is determined. Then, the cropping area determined on the basis of the object area and the size information or alternatively the cropping area determined on the basis of the object area and the setting of the margins is cropped from the document image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa MORIMOTO, Yohsuke KONISHI, Hitoshi HIROHATA, Akihito YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 8077146
    Abstract: A plurality of infrared-light-emitting areas are displayed in a display screen of a liquid crystal display apparatus in a method that allows each of the infrared-light-emitting areas to be distinguished. Then, an image in a direction of a pointed position is captured by an operating device. Based on a result of distinguishing each of the infrared-light-emitting areas and a position of each of the infrared-light-emitting areas, a pointed position on the display screen is calculated. This makes it possible to properly detect the pointed position on the display screen pointed by the operating device, regardless of (i) a distance between the operating device and the display apparatus and (ii) a rotation angle of the operating device around an axis in an image capture direction of the operating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Masakazu Ohira, Hitoshi Hirohata
  • Patent number: 8055079
    Abstract: Based on an area detection signal, a layer separation section outputs a text component of a document, to a feature point calculating section, and generates four layers from a pictorial component of the document to output the generated layers to the feature point calculating section. The feature point calculating section sums feature points extracted for each component. A features calculating section calculates a hash value based on the feature points. A vote processing section searches a hash table based on the hash value, and votes for a reference image associated with the hash value. Based on the voting result, a similarity determination processing section determines whether the document image is similar to any reference image, and then outputs the determination result. Thus, even if the document contains a photograph, accurate matching can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Masakazu Ohira