Abstract: An information processing apparatus for estimating a line-of-sight direction of a person may include: an image acquiring unit configured to acquire an image containing a face of a person; an image extracting unit configured to extract a partial image containing an eye of the person from the image; and an estimating unit configured to input the partial image to a learning device trained through machine learning for estimating a line-of-sight direction, thereby acquiring line-of-sight information indicating a line-of-sight direction of the person from the learning device.

Abstract: A character recognition device comprising: a storage means storing a plurality of dictionary databases corresponding to each of a plurality of degradation levels, said databases being generated from images wherein an original character image has been degraded using a plurality of different degradation levels; an image input means that receives input of images; an extraction means that extracts character images from said images; a usage order determination means that determines an usage order for dictionary databases on the basis of degradation degrees for extracted character images; and a character recognition means that uses dictionary databases in accordance with said usage order, recognizes characters included in the extracted character image and, if recognition results for the character recognition fulfill prescribed conditions, outputs the recognition results without performing recognition using the dictionary database next in said usage order.

Abstract: A character recognition device comprising: a storage means storing a plurality of dictionary databases corresponding to each of a plurality of degradation levels, said databases being generated from images wherein an original character image has been degraded using a plurality of different degradation levels; an image input means that receives input of images; an extraction means that extracts character images from said images; a usage order determination means that determines an usage order for dictionary databases on the basis of degradation degrees for extracted character images; and a character recognition means that uses dictionary databases in accordance with said usage order, recognizes characters included in the extracted character image and, if recognition results for the character recognition fulfil prescribed conditions, outputs the recognition results without performing recognition using the dictionary database next in said usage order.

Abstract: An image processing device for performing a preprocessing of an image recognition process to an input image is provided, which includes: a generation element for generating a histogram of luminance values of the input image; a determination element for determining a reference value for the luminance values on the basis of the histogram, and determining a high luminance pixel that is a pixel having a luminance value greater than the reference value; and a conversion element for converting the luminance value of the high luminance pixel into a luminance value that is lower than or equal to the reference value. Thus, even when a high luminance region is present in the input image due to specularly reflected light or the like, high-accuracy character recognition can be performed.

Abstract: When there is a possibility that a third character region is redundantly selected in both a case where the line extraction process is performed starting from a first character region and a case where the line extraction process is performed starting from a second character region located in a line different from a line containing the first character region, the line recognition unit determines which line to incorporate the third character region in, by comparing a case of incorporating the third character region into the line starting with the first character region, with a case of incorporating the third character region into the line starting with the second character region.

Abstract: A key word detection device and a method for detecting a search key word from a target image in order to perform a search with a search engine on the internet, the key word detection device comprising: a processor configured to operate as a feature point detector configured to detect a feature point of a specific character string from the target image, the specific character string prompting a user to perform the search; a key word recognition unit configured to recognize a character string existing in surroundings of the feature point detected by the feature point detector as the search key word in the target image; and a storage for storing character information and data of the target image used by the processor.

Abstract: When there is a possibility that a third character region is redundantly selected in both a case where the line extraction process is performed starting from a first character region and a case where the line extraction process is performed starting from a second character region located in a line different from a line containing the first character region, the line recognition unit determines which line to incorporate the third character region in, by comparing a case of incorporating the third character region into the line starting with the first character region, with a case of incorporating the third character region into the line starting with the second character region.

Abstract: A key word detection device and a method for detecting a search key word from a target image in order to perform a search with a search engine on the internet, the key word detection device comprising: a processor configured to operate as a feature point detector configured to detect a feature point of a specific character string from the target image, the specific character string prompting a user to perform the search; a key word recognition unit configured to recognize a character string existing in surroundings of the feature point detected by the feature point detector as the search key word in the target image; and a storage for storing character information and data of the target image used by the processor.

Abstract: An attribute of image data can accurately be discriminated. An image attribute discrimination apparatus includes a heterogeneous region extracting unit that specifies a heterogeneous region from image data. The heterogeneous region includes a heterogeneous matter whose attribute is different from that of a content originally produced by the image data. An image attribute discrimination apparatus further includes a scene discrimination unit that discriminates the attribute of the image data based on a feature quantity extracted from a pixel group except each pixel in the heterogeneous region in each pixel of the image data.

Abstract: A character string detection device for detecting a character string including at least one character in an image has a clustering unit that defines at least one cluster including at least a fixed number of pixel groups having similar colors based on color information included in each pixel configuring the image, a clipping unit that partitions the image into a region of the pixel groups belonging to the cluster defined by the clustering unit and a region of other pixel groups, and generating a clipped image excluding the region of the other pixel groups from the image, and a character string detection unit that detects each character in a detection target character string to be detected so as to detect the detection target character string in the clipped image generated by the clipping unit.

Abstract: A word recognition method in which as a result of a recognition process performed on an image of a character string, one or more character candidates are obtained for each of characters forming the character string, according to which a word corresponding to the character string is recognized using a word database having registered therein a plurality of words includes setting a predetermined number of words included in the word database, as initial word candidates, performing a process in which the characters forming the recognition target character string are set as processing targets, one character by one character, and every time a processing target character is set, word candidates present at a time of the setting are narrowed down to words in which character candidates obtained for the processing target character are arranged at a same location as a location where the processing target character is arranged in the recognition target character string, and identifying, when a narrowing-down process perfor

Abstract: A character string detection device for detecting a character string including at least one character in an image has a clustering unit that defines at least one cluster including at least a fixed number of pixel groups having similar colors based on color information included in each pixel configuring the image, a clipping unit that partitions the image into a region of the pixel groups belonging to the cluster defined by the clustering unit and a region of other pixel groups, and generating a clipped image excluding the region of the other pixel groups from the image, and a character string detection unit that detects each character in a detection target character string to be detected so as to detect the detection target character string in the clipped image generated by the clipping unit.

Abstract: An image processing method includes sensing a sound or a frame, in an interested information sensing step, which constitutes a moving image. The sound or frame includes a feature quantity matched with an interested feature quantity. The interested feature quantity is extracted from interested information indicating an item in which a user is interested. The method includes specifying a slot, in an interested scene specifying step, including a reference time point as the interested scene on a reproducing time axis of the moving image. The reference time point is a time of the sound or frame. The sound or frame is sensed in the interested information sensing step. The method includes degrading image quality of a slot, in a low-image quality moving image producing step, except the interested scene specified in the interested scene specifying step in the moving image and producing a low-image-quality moving image of the moving image.

Abstract: An attribute of image data can accurately be discriminated. An image attribute discrimination apparatus includes a heterogeneous region extracting unit that specifies a heterogeneous region from image data. The heterogeneous region includes a heterogeneous matter whose attribute is different from that of a content originally produced by the image data. An image attribute discrimination apparatus further includes a scene discrimination unit that discriminates the attribute of the image data based on a feature quantity extracted from a pixel group except each pixel in the heterogeneous region in each pixel of the image data.

Abstract: Reduction of a processing load, and shortening of a processing time, is realized by performing character string sensing processing on an image. A character string sensing device senses a character string including at least one character from an image. The character string sensing device includes a character information storage unit in which an evaluation value, expressing difficulty of false sensing of the character, is stored in each character. The character string sensing device also includes a search sequence determining unit that determines a search sequence of each character based on the evaluation value of each character included in a keyword input to the character string sensing device as the character string to be sensed. The evaluation value is stored in the character information storage unit. A character search unit searches each character included in the keyword according to the determined search sequence.

Abstract: A word recognition method in which as a result of a recognition process performed on an image of a character string, one or more character candidates are obtained for each of characters forming the character string, according to which a word corresponding to the character string is recognized using a word database having registered therein a plurality of words includes setting a predetermined number of words included in the word database, as initial word candidates, performing a process in which the characters forming the recognition target character string are set as processing targets, one character by one character, and every time a processing target character is set, word candidates present at a time of the setting are narrowed down to words in which character candidates obtained for the processing target character are arranged at a same location as a location where the processing target character is arranged in the recognition target character string, and identifying, when a narrowing-down process perfor

Abstract: At the time of installing an image processing apparatus using a stereo camera, the plane estimation process cannot be executed in the case where the reference plane is crowded with moving objects. The three-dimensional moving vector of a plurality of feature points extracted from an object moving on the plane is used to determine the normal vector on the plane and calculate the parameter describing the relation between the plane and the camera.