Abstract: An image processing apparatus detects boundaries from an image; extracts straight-line segments from the boundaries; detects a region where differences between pixel values of near pixels located across the segments are larger than, or at least a predetermined first value; classifies the segments in the region into four sides of quadrangles; detects colors or densities in outer areas of the four sides; selects combinations that differences between the colors or the densities corresponding to the segments in the combinations are no more than, or smaller than a predetermined second value, from the combinations of the four sides that possibly form the quadrangles; detects coordinates of four vertexes obtained when the segments in the combinations are extended, and a combination that an area of a quadrangle formed by the corresponding four coordinates satisfies a predetermined condition; and corrects the quadrangle formed by the combination to a rectangle.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a first image and a second image each of which includes a character string, an extraction unit that extracts feature points included in each of the first image and the second image, a setting unit that sets partial regions including characters which are continuously arranged in an arrangement direction of the character string in each of the first image and the second image, and a specification unit that compares positions of the feature points included in the partial regions set in the first image with positions of the feature points included in the partial regions set in the second image so as to specify the partial regions set in the second image corresponding to the partial regions set in the first image, and specifies corresponding points in each of the specified partial regions.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus detects boundaries from an image; extracts straight-line segments from the boundaries; detects a region where differences between pixel values of near pixels located across the segments are larger than, or at least a predetermined first value; classifies the segments in the region into four sides of quadrangles; detects colors or densities in outer areas of the four sides; selects combinations that differences between the colors or the densities corresponding to the segments in the combinations are no more than, or smaller than a predetermined second value, from the combinations of the four sides that possibly form the quadrangles; detects coordinates of four vertexes obtained when the segments in the combinations are extended, and a combination that an area of a quadrangle formed by the corresponding four coordinates satisfies a predetermined condition; and corrects the quadrangle formed by the combination to a rectangle.

Abstract: An information image includes a first, second, third, fourth and fifth pixel series which represent first, second, third, fourth and fifth information, respectively. The first and second information are successions of binary numbers 0 or 1. The first and third pixel series are series of pixel lumps arranged continuously as rows in a rectangle. The second and fourth pixel series are series of pixel lumps arranged continuously as columns in the rectangle. The row of the third pixel series is at a predetermined position with respect to that of the first pixel series. The column of the fourth pixel series is at a predetermined position with respect to that of the second pixel series. The fifth pixel series is a series of pixel lumps arranged in an area other than the rows and the columns of the first, second, third and fourth pixel series are arranged.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a first image and a second image each of which includes a character string, an extraction unit that extracts feature points included in each of the first image and the second image, a setting unit that sets partial regions including characters which are continuously arranged in an arrangement direction of the character string in each of the first image and the second image, and a specification unit that compares positions of the feature points included in the partial regions set in the first image with positions of the feature points included in the partial regions set in the second image so as to specify the partial regions set in the second image corresponding to the partial regions set in the first image, and specifies corresponding points in each of the specified partial regions.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an information converting unit and an output unit. The information converting unit converts information into an information expression image formed by a dot arrangement pattern in which information is expressed by arranging a given number or less of dots in a unit display area which is an information unit. The output unit arranges the converted information expression image. The output unit superimposes the converted information expression image on image information. The output unit outputs the superimposed information expression image. In the dot arrangement pattern, the arrangement of the dots is determined so that the number of the dots denoting 1 or 0 of a bit sequence of a given error correction code word is a subset equal to or smaller than the given number, and the dot arrangement pattern is readable by a machine.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image information acquiring unit, a quality determining unit, a positional information acquiring unit, and a panoramic image information generating unit. The image information acquiring unit acquires plural pieces of image information. The quality determining unit determines whether or not the quality of each of the plural pieces of image information meets predetermined criteria. The positional information acquiring unit acquires, on the basis of the plural pieces of image information, positional information indicating the positional relationship among the plural pieces of image information. The panoramic image information generating unit generates, on the basis of a determination result obtained by the quality determining unit, the positional information, and the plural pieces of image information, panoramic image information representing a panoramic image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image accepting unit that accepts an image; a pixel addition unit that specifies a reference pixel for reference based a demarcation, with each area of object within the image accepted by the image accepting unit or each sub-area into which the area is divided as the demarcation, and that adds a pixel at a position independent from a cluster of pixels within the image on the basis of the reference pixel; and an output unit that outputs the image to which the pixel is added by the pixel addition unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit, a partial information detecting unit and an embedding unit. The image acquiring unit acquires an image in which first additional information is embedded so that pieces of first partial information obtained by dividing the first additional information are coded and embedded in respective unit areas obtained by dividing the image. The partial information detecting unit detects the pieces of first partial information, which are embedded in the respective unit areas of the image acquired by the image acquiring unit. The embedding unit codes and embeds, in the respective unit areas, pieces of second partial information obtained by dividing second additional information which is different from the first additional information so that a sum of differences between corresponding pairs of (i) the pieces of detected first partial information and (ii) the newly embedded pieces of second partial information become minimum.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a recognition unit that recognizes a layout of a line including a character string in an image read from an original; a determination unit that determines a size of a region in which additional information is embedded so as to include at least a part of a line including a character string in the region, based on the layout recognized by the recognition unit; a dividing unit that divides the image read from the original based on the size of the region determined by the determination unit; and an embedding unit that embeds the additional information in the image divided by the dividing unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an arrangement unit and a restriction unit. The arrangement unit puts images representing codes of an object code string in areas of an object image. The areas correspond to positions of the codes in the object code string. If a first code string and a second code string associated with the first code string are present in the object code string in a certain positional relationship and if satisfied is a condition regarding whether or not codes of the first code string are decodable by a decoder from an image obtained by putting the code images representing the codes of the first code string, which is present in the object code string, the restriction unit restricts the arrangement unit from putting images representing respective codes of the second code string, which is present in the object code string, in the object image.

Abstract: There is provided a printing system including a reading unit that reads paper identification information of a paper sheet, a first controller that implements control for, when instructed to print document data, causing the reading unit to read the paper identification information of the paper sheet used for printing and transmitting a request for a document containing the read paper identification information, and a second controller that implements control for, when printing document data containing the paper identification information received in response to the request for the document on the paper sheet, causing the reading unit to read the paper identification information of the paper sheet used for printing and, if the read paper identification information and the received paper identification information contained in the document data do not match, inhibiting printing of the document data.

Abstract: A watermarked image generation apparatus embeds target data in an original image to generate a watermarked image. The watermarked image generation apparatus includes a target-data embedding unit and a marker-image embedding unit. The target-data embedding unit embeds the target data in respective plural embedding areas contained in the original image, to generate a watermarked image. The marker-image embedding unit embeds in the watermarked image a plurality of marker images used for identifying the plurality of embedding areas.

Abstract: An information image includes a first, second, third, fourth and fifth pixel series which represent first, second, third, fourth and fifth information, respectively. The first and second information are successions of binary numbers 0 or 1. The first and third pixel series are series of pixel lumps arranged continuously as rows in a rectangle. The second and fourth pixel series are series of pixel lumps arranged continuously as columns in the rectangle. The row of the third pixel series is at a predetermined position with respect to that of the first pixel series. The column of the fourth pixel series is at a predetermined position with respect to that of the second pixel series. The fifth pixel series is a series of pixel lumps arranged in an area other than the rows and the columns of the first, second, third and fourth pixel series are arranged.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit, a partial information detecting unit and an embedding unit. The image acquiring unit acquires an image in which first additional information is embedded so that pieces of first partial information obtained by dividing the first additional information are coded and embedded in respective unit areas obtained by dividing the image. The partial information detecting unit detects the pieces of first partial information, which are embedded in the respective unit areas of the image acquired by the image acquiring unit. The embedding unit codes and embeds, in the respective unit areas, pieces of second partial information obtained by dividing second additional information which is different from the first additional information so that a sum of differences between corresponding pairs of (i) the pieces of detected first partial information and (ii) the newly embedded pieces of second partial information become minimum.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image capturing section, a marker-image defecting section, a judging section and an output section. The image capturing section captures at least a part of a target image, which includes a plurality of marker images and a recognition target range defined by the plurality of marker images, to acquire a captured image. The marker-image detecting section detects the marker images from the captured image. The judging section judges based on a detection result, whether or not the recognition target range is included in the captured image. When the judging section judges that the recognition target range is not included in the captured image, the output section outputs guidance for capturing the recognition target range.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an information acquiring portion that acquires information on image process conditions for processing image data, a creating portion that creates additional image data, serving as a watermark image, with additional information to be embedded into the image data on the basis of the information on the image process conditions acquired, and a merging portion that merges the image data with the additional image data to create composite image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an information converting unit and an output unit. The information converting unit converts information into an information expression image formed by a dot arrangement pattern in which information is expressed by arranging a given number or less of dots in a unit display area which is an information unit. The output unit arranges the converted information expression image. The output unit superimposes the converted information expression image on image information. The output unit outputs the superimposed information expression image. In the dot arrangement pattern, the arrangement of the dots is determined so that the number of the dots denoting 1 or 0 of a bit sequence of a given error correction code word is a subset equal to or smaller than the given number, and the dot arrangement pattern is readable by a machine.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an arrangement unit and a restriction unit. The arrangement unit puts images representing codes of an object code string in areas of an object image. The areas correspond to positions of the codes in the object code string. If a first code string and a second code string associated with the first code string are present in the object code string in a certain positional relationship and if satisfied is a condition regarding whether or not codes of the first code string are decodable by a decoder from an image obtained by putting the code images representing the codes of the first code string, which is present in the object code string, the restriction unit restricts the arrangement unit from putting images representing respective codes of the second code string, which is present in the object code string, in the object image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a recognition unit that recognizes a layout of a line including a character string in an image read from an original; a determination unit that determines a size of a region in which additional information is embedded so as to include at least a part of a line including a character string in the region, based on the layout recognized by the recognition unit; a dividing unit that divides the image read from the original based on the size of the region determined by the determination unit; and an embedding unit that embeds the additional information in the image divided by the dividing unit.