Patents by Inventor Tetsuya Suwa

Tetsuya Suwa 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).

  • Publication number: 20150055876
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of accurately determining an inclination of an original even in the case where an original of a white sheet is read with a white sheet as a background is provided. For this, the image processing apparatus extracts a fiber section having a feature of paper fiber from image data, analyzes a direction of fiber in the fiber section, and calculates an inclination of an original at the time of reading the original based on the direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Yugo Mochizuki, Takashi Nakamura, Tetsuya Suwa
  • Publication number: 20150022863
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus executes color conversion so that when printing is performed based on image data compressed and decompressed with a lossy compression method, the image data reproduces expected colors of the image data before compression. More specifically, a range of a signal value of a black image affected by compression of image data, such as black character to be printed with black ink, is obtained, and a color separation table is generated such that color ink is not used but black ink is used within this range. This allows the image data to reproduce expected colors of the image data before compression when printing is performed based on the image data compressed and decompressed with a lossy compression method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Hiroyuki Sakai, Tetsuya Suwa, Yusuke Hashii, Akitoshi Yamada, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 8934140
    Abstract: A color gamut of image data is appropriately subjected to a smoothing processing to print an image of favorable color reproduction and gradation reproduction. Specifically, when an average lightness is equal to or lower than a blacking lightness, the object pixel is not subjected to the smoothing processing. This can conserve the signal value of the object pixel to prevent a pixel originally having a signal value higher than the blacking lightness from being converted by the gamut compression to a black point. In this manner, a pixel for which the object pixel has the average lightness equal to or lower than the blacking lightness is blacked and a pixel having a signal value higher than the blacking lightness is not compressed to the black point. The resultant image has no deteriorated gradation characteristic when being macroscopically observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ayumi Hori, Fumihiro Goto, Yusuke Hashii, Tetsuya Suwa, Fumitaka Goto
  • Patent number: 8873112
    Abstract: A signal value representing at least one of a plurality of types of optical characteristics are calculated for each pixel from the read signal obtained and output by reading light reflected by a document placed on a document table and a document table cover while the document is covered with the cover. It is determined, based on the signal value calculated, whether or not a target pixel is a pixel in a document region. A document region is detected from the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Minako Kato, Yugo Mochizuki, Takashi Nakamura, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 8837007
    Abstract: An image processing method in which the image of a document is extracted from an image including the image of the document on a document positioning table, acquired by a line sensor scanning the document placed on the document positioning table while illuminating the document from the upstream side or the downstream side of the scanning includes extracting the edge of the image on the document positioning table to set a provisional document area based on the edge, detecting a bright area where light incident on the line sensor is excessive, at the illuminated edge on the upstream side or the downstream side in the scanning direction from the image of the provisional area, and determining the area of the document by removing the area where light is excessive from the provisional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Iguchi, Nobutaka Miyake, Hiromitsu Akiba, Yusuke Hashii, Tetsuya Suwa
  • Patent number: 8830539
    Abstract: A signal value representing at least one of a plurality of types of optical characteristics are calculated for each pixel from the read signal obtained and output by reading light reflected by a document placed on a document table and a document table cover while the document is covered with the cover. It is determined, based on the signal value calculated, whether or not a target pixel is a pixel in a document region. A document region is detected from the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Minako Kato, Yugo Mochizuki, Takashi Nakamura, Masao Kato
  • Publication number: 20140198354
    Abstract: A frequency distribution of luminances is acquired from an image data acquired by optically reading a document. A frequency distribution of luminances of a background of the document is generated using the maximum frequency of the acquired frequency distribution as the maximum frequency of the frequency distribution of the luminances of the background of the document. A difference between the generated frequency distribution of the luminances of the background of the document and the acquired frequency distribution of the luminances is acquired, and the frequency distribution of the luminances of the background of the document is corrected based on the acquired difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Akiba, Tetsuya Suwa, Nobutaka Miyake, Ryosuke Iguchi, Yusuke Hashii
  • Publication number: 20140010454
    Abstract: A method includes a state determination step of determining the quality of an object in image data, an extraction step of extracting feature information from the object, and a registration step of registering, in a dictionary, the feature information extracted in the extraction step. In the registration step, when the quality of the object determined in the determination step is lower than a predetermined reference, registration of the feature information of the object in the dictionary by the registration step is not performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Hiroyasu Kunieda, Tetsuya Suwa, Takashi Nakamura, Kiyoshi Umeda, Yusuke Hashii, Hiroyuki Sakai, Naoki Sumi
  • Publication number: 20140010415
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises, a management unit configured to classify a face feature information of a face region of an object extracted from image data into a predetermined category in accordance with similarity, and manage the face feature information in a dictionary, a condition setting unit configured to set category determination conditions for classifying the face feature information into the category in accordance with individual information representing at least one of an age and sex of the object and a determination unit configured to determine, based on the category determination conditions set by the condition setting unit, a category to which the face feature information belongs in the dictionary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kunieda, Tetsuya Suwa, Takashi Nakamura, Takashi Fujita, Kiyoshi Umeda, Yusuke Hashii, Hiroyuki Sakai, Naoki Sumi
  • Publication number: 20140010458
    Abstract: An apparatus extracts feature information from an object of image data. The apparatus registers the extracted feature information in a dictionary. The apparatus refers to the dictionary and determines a similarity between feature information registered in the dictionary and the extracted feature information. The apparatus does not use, of feature information to be registered in the dictionary, feature information not satisfying a predetermined evaluation criterion in similarity determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Hiroyasu Kunieda, Tetsuya Suwa, Takashi Fujita, Kiyoshi Umeda, Yusuke Hashii, Hiroyuki Sakai, Naoki Sumi
  • Publication number: 20140010442
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for processing image data obtained by reading a document and a background image outside the document, and method of controlling the apparatus. The apparatus determines a degree of similarity between a color of the background image and a color of a marginal region of the document from the image data, sets a region extraction parameter based on the determined degree of similarity, and determines a document region by using the region extraction parameter from the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Minako Kato, Tetsuya Suwa, Takashi Nakamura, Yugo Mochizuki, Masao Kato
  • Publication number: 20140010450
    Abstract: This invention provides a technique which can enhance personal recognition precision in personal recognition processing of a face in an image. To this end, a management unit classifies feature patterns each including feature information of a plurality of parts of a face region of an object extracted from image data, and manages the feature patterns using a dictionary. A segmenting unit determines whether or not feature information of each part of the face region of the object is segmented, and segments the feature information of the part of interest into a plurality of feature information as new feature information. A registration unit registers a feature pattern as a combination of the new feature information of the part of interest and feature information of parts other than the part of interest in the dictionary as a new feature pattern of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Hiroyasu Kunieda, Yusuke Hashii, Naoki Sumi, Takashi Nakamura, Takashi Fujita, Kiyoshi Umeda, Hiroyuki Sakai
  • Patent number: 8610980
    Abstract: There is provided an image copying apparatus provided with a scanner and a printer, the image copying apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit which obtains image data by causing the scanner to scan an image of an original; a correction unit which performs correction processing that adds, to saturation, a value corresponding to a difference between lightness before and after performing predetermined editing processing on the image data, with respect to a region where a correction is performed designated near the maximum saturation of a color gamut of the printer; and a control unit which causes the printer to print the image data corrected by the correction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Yusuke Hashii, Fumihiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8498016
    Abstract: Image data can be subjected to a smoothing processing to improve a color reproduction characteristic and an image free from a deteriorated gradation characteristic can be printed. Specifically, the smoothing processing improves the color reproduction characteristic. This smoothing processing may cause a color originally not having the lightness equal to or lower than blacking lightness to be converted to a color having lightness equal to or lower than the blacking lightness. To solve this, such a color is subjected to a gradation adjustment processing to convert the color to the color having the lightness higher than blacking lightness. A gamut mapping does not map such a color on a black point, thus preventing such a color from being broken by the blacking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumihiro Goto, Tetsuya Suwa, Fumitaka Goto, Yusuke Hashii, Ayumi Hori
  • Patent number: 8482804
    Abstract: A pixel in a photograph region image to be subjected to blacking is subjected to a brightness modulation processing so that the pixel is modulated to any of “a pixel having the brightness to be subject to blacking” and “a pixel having the brightness not to be subject to blacking”. Specifically, the modulation by noise addition converts some pixels for which original pixel values are to be subjected to blacking to a pixel having the brightness not subjected to blacking. Thereby, “a pixel having the brightness not to be subject to blacking” thus converted has no change in brightness in the blacking processing. Consequently, a pixel at which the blacking processing is not generated can be caused to exist in the photograph image. As a result, even when the blacking processing set for character/line region is similarly set for the photograph region, the effect of the blacking can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Hashii, Fumihiro Goto, Tetsuya Suwa, Fumitaka Goto, Ayumi Hori
  • Patent number: 8472079
    Abstract: For a printing apparatus which saves on a color material, an image processing apparatus is realized which enables a user to incur printing costs only for necessary information and necessary areas in a print product. For this purpose, there is provided an image processing apparatus including a separation unit configured to analyze and separate print information into text, photograph, and graphic constituent elements, a display unit configured to display information about a color material used amount to be used in printing for each of the separated constituent elements, and a setting unit configured to allow a user to set a change in the color material used amount for each of the separated constituent elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobutaka Miyake, Yusuke Hashii, Makoto Torigoe, Ryosuke Iguchi, Tetsuya Suwa, Minako Kato, Hiromitsu Akiba
  • Patent number: 8441701
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit, a determination unit, a setting unit, and a processing unit to perform an image edge intensifying processing. The obtaining unit obtains image data by reading a document. The determination unit determines an image edge direction. The setting unit sets an edge intensifying processing intensity based on the image data and a processing intensity determined corresponding to a difference between resolution in a main scanning direction and resolution in a sub-scanning direction. The processing unit performs the image edge intensifying processing according to the set intensity. In response to the resolution of the image data being higher in the sub-scanning direction than in the main scanning direction, the setting unit sets a higher intensity of the edge intensifying processing in response to the edge direction being along the sub-scanning direction than in response to the edge direction being along the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumitaka Goto, Tetsuya Suwa, Fumihiro Goto, Yusuke Hashii, Masao Kato, Kentaro Yano
  • Publication number: 20130100504
    Abstract: A signal value representing at least one of a plurality of types of optical characteristics are calculated for each pixel from the read signal obtained and output by reading light reflected by a document placed on a document table and a document table cover while the document is covered with the cover. It is determined, based on the signal value calculated, whether or not a target pixel is a pixel in a document region. A document region is detected from the determination result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Minako Kato, Yugo Mochizuki, Takashi Nakamura, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 8390870
    Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises a writing unit adapted to write data on a recording medium, a selection unit adapted to select data to be written on the recording medium from a storage medium configured to store a plurality of data, and a display control unit adapted to cause a display device to display a display screen concerning printing before the data selected by said selection unit is copied from the storage medium onto the recording medium, wherein said display control unit causes the display unit to display the display screen if there is a restriction on the number of times of copying of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akitoshi Yamada, Mitsuhiro Ono, Masao Kato, Fumihiro Goto, Tetsuya Suwa, Fumitaka Goto, Yusuke Hashii, Arata Miyagi
  • Patent number: RE45267
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus which applies an adjusting process to an image that includes a pixel to be processed. The image processing apparatus extracts an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed. The apparatus calculates a variation associated with the pixel to be processed from signal values of pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates a variation time count in the image area from the signal values of the pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe from the variation time count and the variation using a definition unit which defines correspondence among the variation time count, the variation, and the adjusting levels, and applies an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed by the calculated adjusting levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumitaka Goto, Kentaro Yano, Fumihiro Goto, Masao Kato, Akitoshi Yamada, Tetsuya Suwa, Mitsuhiro Ono, Arata Miyagi, Yusuke Hashii