Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Kawatani

Hirokazu Kawatani 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: 9160884
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, line detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a line candidate detector for extracting a line candidate from the extracted edge pixels by using Hough transformation, and a line detector for detecting a line from edge pixels within a predetermined distance from the line candidate by using the least square method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka, Hiroyasu Goto
  • Patent number: 9092869
    Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus, a region determining method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can appropriately determine a cutting off region from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a region detector for detecting a subject region surrounded by connected edge pixels among the edge pixels, a straight line detector for detecting a plurality of straight lines within the subject region, a rectangle region detector for detecting a rectangle region formed of four straight lines where two straight lines each are substantially at right angles to each other among the plurality of straight lines, and a region determination module for determining the rectangle region as a cutting off region from the input image when the rectangle region and the subject region are substantially the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka
  • Patent number: 8897574
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, line detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image which includes a document, a grouping unit for forming mutually adjoining edge pixels in the extracted edge pixels into a group, and an approximated line detector for detecting a line which connects edge pixels which are positioned at the two ends in a horizontal direction and vertical direction among edge pixels which are included in the group as a line which approximates an end of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka, Hiroyasu Goto
  • Publication number: 20140294303
    Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus, a region determining method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can appropriately determine a cutting off region from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a region detector for detecting a subject region surrounded by connected edge pixels among the edge pixels, a straight line detector for detecting a plurality of straight lines within the subject region, a rectangle region detector for detecting a rectangle region formed of four straight lines where two straight lines each are substantially at right angles to each other among the plurality of straight lines, and a region determination module for determining the rectangle region as a cutting off region from the input image when the rectangle region and the subject region are substantially the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka
  • Patent number: 8849042
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, rectangle detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a line extractor for extracting a plurality of lines from the extracted edge pixels, a rectangle candidate extractor for extracting a plurality of rectangle candidates each of which is comprised of four lines, and a rectangle selector for, for each of the plurality of rectangle candidates, finding a number of edge pixels within a predetermined distance of each side of the rectangle candidate, using a distribution of edge pixels as the basis to find a corner likeness of each corner, and using the number of edge pixels and degree of corner likeness as the basis to select a rectangle from the plurality of rectangle candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka, Hiroyasu Goto
  • Publication number: 20130121595
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, rectangle detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a line extractor for extracting a plurality of lines from the extracted edge pixels, a rectangle candidate extractor for extracting a plurality of rectangle candidates each of which is comprised of four lines, and a rectangle selector for, for each of the plurality of rectangle candidates, finding a number of edge pixels within a predetermined distance of each side of the rectangle candidate, using a distribution of edge pixels as the basis to find a corner likeness of each corner, and using the number of edge pixels and degree of corner likeness as the basis to select a rectangle from the plurality of rectangle candidates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka, Hiroyasu Goto
  • Publication number: 20130121594
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, line detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a line candidate detector for extracting a line candidate from the extracted edge pixels by using Hough transformation, and a line detector for detecting a line from edge pixels within a predetermined distance from the line candidate by using the least square method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka, Hiroyasu Goto
  • Publication number: 20130120806
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, line detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image which includes a document, a grouping unit for forming mutually adjoining edge pixels in the extracted edge pixels into a group, and an approximated line detector for detecting a line which connects edge pixels which are positioned at the two ends in a horizontal direction and vertical direction among edge pixels which are included in the group as a line which approximates an end of the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawatani, Kiyoto Kosaka, Hiroyasu Goto