Patents by Inventor Kouichi Ohmae

Kouichi Ohmae 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: 6888962
    Abstract: To provide an image processing device able to accurately discriminate a specified image in an input image data, the input image is converted to binary based on black and red color extraction blocks 6-1 and 6-2 in binary processing unit 1. These binary data are consolidated by an OR circuit and stored in storage device 2. Mark location detection unit 3 extracts a square mark from the image data stored in device 2. Pattern shape extraction unit 4 extracts another mark which is inside the square mark. Pattern matching unit 5 obtains and outputs the goodness of fit between the extracted marks and previously established marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Sonoda, Masahiro Akagi, Kouichi Ohmae, Masahito Yanagida, Masahiro Senga
  • Patent number: 6694050
    Abstract: To reliably and simply prevent the output of specified image data, a unit to detect a pattern is installed in one of the devices in a system consisting of an image scanner 1, control device 2 (a personal computer) and printer 3 which are connected consecutively. This pattern detection unit contains a unit which detects a specified pattern from the mass of image data representing a document. Once this pattern has been found, either the subsequent image data are altered before being output or output of the image data is interrupted. When the system starts up, the control unit for each device checks whether that device, or one of the other devices in the system, has a pattern detection unit as described above. If it determines that no device has such a unit, it halts operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Hiraishi, Tetsuya Miwa, Hitoshi Nakamura, Kiyoshi Imai, Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Souichi Matsushita, Minoru Inada
  • Patent number: 6298150
    Abstract: To provide an image processing device able to accurately discriminate a specified image in an input image data, the input image is converted to binary based on black and red color extraction blocks 6−1 and 6−2 in binary processing unit 1. These binary data are consolidated by an OR circuit and stored in storage device 2. Mark location detection unit 3 extracts a square mark from the image data stored in device 2. Pattern shape extraction unit 4 extracts another mark which is inside the square mark. Pattern matching unit 5 obtains and outputs the goodness of fit between the extracted marks and previously established marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Sonoda, Masahiro Akagi, Kouichi Ohmae, Masahito Yanagida, Masahiro Senga
  • Patent number: 6289125
    Abstract: An image processing device is disclosed which can reliably detect documents which may not be copied, which has a very small probability of false positives, and which can handle newly issued documents which may not be copied. In addition, an image processing scheme is disclosed which would accurately obtain the location of a pattern indicating a document to be detected; which would extract that pattern; which would determine correctly whether it is the right pattern; and which would make it difficult for anyone to tamper with the pattern. To achieve this, a specified pattern is imprinted before use on a document which may not be copied, and a previously specified number of positioning marks and dummy marks which identify the location of the pattern may also be imprinted. The device is able to detect a wide variety of documents and perform the required processing at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Katoh, Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Masahito Yanagida, Masanori Senga
  • Publication number: 20010009591
    Abstract: To reliably and simply prevent the output of specified image data, a unit to detect a pattern is installed in one of the devices in a system consisting of an image scanner 1, control device 2 (a personal computer) and printer 3 which are connected consecutively. This pattern detection unit contains a unit which detects a specified pattern from the mass of image data representing a document. Once this pattern has been found, either the subsequent image data are altered before being output or output of the image data is interrupted. When the system starts up, the control unit for each device checks whether that device, or one of the other devices in the system, has a pattern detection unit as described above. If it determines that no device has such a unit, it halts operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Publication date: July 26, 2001
    Inventors: Junji Hiraishi, Tetsuya Miwa, Hitoshi Nakamura, Kiyoshi Imai, Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Souichi Matsushita, Minoru Inada
  • Patent number: 6229914
    Abstract: To reliably and simply prevent the output of specified image data, a unit to detect a pattern is installed in one of the devices in a system consisting of an image scanner 1, control device 2 (a personal computer) and printer 3 which are connected consecutively. This pattern detection unit contains a unit which detects a specified pattern from the mass of image data representing a document. Once this pattern has been found, either the subsequent image data are altered before being output or output of the image data is interrupted. When the system starts up, the control unit for each device checks whether that device, or one of the other devices in the system, has a pattern detection unit as described above. If it determines that no device has such a unit, it halts operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Hiraishi, Tetsuya Miwa, Hitoshi Nakamura, Kiyoshi Imai, Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Souichi Matsushita, Minoru Inada
  • Patent number: 6188787
    Abstract: An image recognition method and device detects an object mark reliably even when the mark is defaced with a different color. RGB signals are transmitted to color extraction unit. The color extraction unit has a characteristic color extraction block to extract the characteristic color of the object mark. A binary image is generated from the extracted pixels which are the color of the mark and stored in storage device. A mark detection unit detects the location of the mark in the stored image data and an image extraction unit extracts the region where the mark is located and obtains a feature count. A matching unit compares the feature count with a reference pattern and finds the goodness of fit. A control unit subjects the goodness of fit value to threshold value processing to determine whether this is a nonreproducible document. If the mark has been defaced with black ink, the pixels constituting the mark are extracted by a likely color extraction block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Ikuo Kinoshita, Hitoshi Nakamura, Junji Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 6115494
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to detect marks of a specified shape and color on a document and to extract a specified pattern consisting of a number of these marks. An RGB color signal is sent, color by color, by way of image input unit 12 to binary processing unit 13. If the marks are yellow, the B signal for the pixels constituting the marks will be smaller than the other signals. The B signal is sent to mark shape extraction unit 13a and threshold processing is executed. Simultaneously, R, G and B are sent to mark color extraction unit 13b, and the fact that the marks are yellow is detected. AND element 13c finds the logical product of these processes, and a binary image is generated from which only the yellow pixels have been extracted. This binary image is transmitted to mark location detection unit 15 by way of storage unit 14. The shapes of the marks are matched against reference data and location data are extracted for the marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Sonoda, Masahiro Akagi, Kouichi Ohmae, Masahito Yanagida, Masahiro Senga
  • Patent number: 6052479
    Abstract: To reliably and simply prevent the output of specified image data, a unit to detect a pattern is installed in one of the devices in a system consisting of an image scanner 1, control device 2 (a personal computer) and printer 3 which are connected consecutively. This pattern detection unit contains a unit which detects a specified pattern from the mass of image data representing a document. Once this pattern has been found, either the subsequent image data are altered before being output or output of the image data is interrupted. When the system starts up, the control unit for each device checks whether that device, or one of the other devices in the system, has a pattern detection unit as described above. If it determines that no device has such a unit, it halts operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Hiraishi, Tetsuya Miwa, Hitoshi Nakamura, Kiyoshi Imai, Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Souichi Matsushita, Minoru Inada
  • Patent number: 5845008
    Abstract: An image processing device is disclosed which can reliably detect documents which may not be copied, which has a very small probability of false positives, and which can handle newly issued documents which may not be copied. In addition, an image processing scheme is disclosed which would accurately obtain the location of a pattern indicating a document to be detected; which would extract that pattern; which would determine correctly whether it is the right pattern; and which would make it difficult for anyone to tamper with the pattern. To achieve this, a specified pattern is imprinted before use on a document which may not be copied, and a previously specified number of positioning marks and dummy marks which identify the location of the pattern may also be imprinted. The device is able to detect a wide variety of documents and perform the required processing at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Katoh, Kouichi Ohmae, Shinya Sonoda, Masahito Yanagida, Masanori Senga