Abstract: A screen plug extracts screen image data of a display screen from a target application and acquired data to be linked from the screen image data. The acquired data is output to a linkage application. Thus the screen plug realizes data linkage between the linkage application and the target application.

Abstract: A biometrics authentication system detect body characteristics, verify the characteristics against registered biometrics data to perform individual authentication. In 1:n authentication, a plurality of different type biometrics database sets of a user are registered in a database, and at the time of verification of one type biometrics data set with one type registered biometrics data set, the control unit judges whether similar biometrics data sets of other person are registered, and if other person's similar biometrics data sets are registered, performs verification of each of the another type biometrics data sets of the plurality of similar biometrics data sets with the detected another type biometrics data set, and identifies the individual in question.

Abstract: An illumination controller for controlling an illumination device that irradiates an object to be photographed with illumination light. The illumination controller includes an introducing unit that introduces ambient light emitted to the object from a light source other than the illumination device; a processing unit that processes the ambient light introduced by the introducing unit to have a same characteristic as that of the illumination light; and an irradiation controlling unit that controls the ambient light processed by the processing unit so as to irradiate the object therewith as illumination, from a same path as the irradiation path of the illumination light.

Abstract: An edge detecting method detects edge segments by searching all of the search lines forming an image from an end of the image in a direction perpendicular to the edges. If a line whose edge segment cannot be detected exists, a search is made in all of the search lines from the vicinity of the center of the image toward the end of the image, whereby edge segments are detected. A linear edge is determined from edge segments. A plurality of edge candidates are obtained from the edge segments for all of the search lines, and an optimum candidate is selected from among the edge candidates. Ruled lines are extracted from the source document in the image, and an optimum candidate is selected based on a comparison with a ruled line. As a result, an edge of the source document can be detected with high accuracy even if an image on a background side is unstable, or if materials of the background and the source document are similar.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to improve the compression ratio of a color image and to clearly display the outlines of characters and the like. A hue cluster classifying/unifying unit reduces the number of hue values of each pixel in a color image, based on a hue histogram, allocates the number-reduced hue value to each pixel and classifies pixels with the same hue value into one cluster. Furthermore, the unit unifies clusters whose hue values are below a predetermined value. The unit also traces the outline of a cluster whose size is below a reference value and determines that a cluster that has a lot of change points belongs to a character area. An encoding unit determines the characteristic of each cluster, based on both an area determined by an area determining unit and whether the cluster belongs to a ruled line area or a character area, and encodes pixels in each cluster by a coding method suitable for the characteristic of the cluster.

Abstract: A biometrics authentication device uses biometrics information to perform individual authentication. Primary and secondary verification of biometrics characteristic data from an image capture device are performed by a control unit and IC card. The biometrics character data is scrambled and transmitted between devices. The second registration data which is more important to authentication is stored within the IC card, and first registration data is registered in the IC card in a scrambled state. Security is improved, and moreover the load on the CPU of the IC chip in the IC card is reduced.

Abstract: A method for identifying payment forms accurately identifies types of forms without adding special form identification data. A payment form discrimination method for discriminating payment forms which state a payee account number and a payment amount includes a step of acquiring an image of the form, a step of making a search for the payee account number in the image in accordance with an account number searching rule, and a step of discriminating the type of form based on the searched payee account number. Types of forms can be identified accurately and fast without adding special form identification data, because the form identification is performed using easily searchable account numbers.

Abstract: An illumination controller for controlling an illumination device that irradiates an object to be photographed with illumination light. The illumination controller includes an introducing unit that introduces ambient light emitted to the object from a light source other than the illumination device; a processing unit that processes the ambient light introduced by the introducing unit to have a same characteristic as that of the illumination light; and an irradiation controlling unit that controls the ambient light processed by the processing unit so as to irradiate the object therewith as illumination, from a same path as the irradiation path of the illumination light.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a feature emphasis unit for extracting first image frequency information from image data for each first unit area, a boundary provisional determination unit for defining a value obtained by adding a predetermined weight to the first image frequency information as representative feature information, and provisionally determining as a boundary a first unit area whose variance from the representative feature information of the adjacent area is at or higher than a predetermined level, and a boundary determination unit for extracting the second image frequency information for each second unit area smaller than the first unit area in the range of a provisionally determined position and the vicinity, and generating boundary information using as the boundary a second unit area whose value based on the variance from the second image frequency information of the adjacent area is at or higher than a predetermined level.

Abstract: The present invention is a character recognition apparatus, which comprises a background discriminating section, a non-character line discriminating section, a first non-character line removed image creating section that creates a first non-character line removed image, which is an original image from which the non-character line is removed, a first character area discriminating section, an enlarged image creating section, a second non-character line removed image creating section, an interference judgment section that judges whether or not the character and the non-character line interfere with each other in the original image, a character image restoring section that restores the character image, a second character area discriminating section, and a character recognizing section that digitizes the character area recognized by the second character area discriminating section and recognizes the character, thereby characters written on a color form are recognized at a high accuracy.

Abstract: A biometrics authentication system detect body characteristics, verify the characteristics against registered biometrics data to perform individual authentication. In 1:n authentication, a plurality of different type biometrics database sets of a user are registered in a database, and at the time of verification of one type biometrics data set with one type registered biometrics data set, the control unit judges whether similar biometrics data sets of other person are registered, and if other person's similar biometrics data sets are registered, performs verification of each of the another type biometrics data sets of the plurality of similar biometrics data sets with the detected another type biometrics data set, and identifies the individual in question.

Abstract: In a verification system which verifies individual input data against registered data to perform individual authentication, the verification program is checked for alteration. Programs for verification in a processing unit are checked for alteration by a check program in the tamper-proof environment of a lower-level storage unit. Hence illicit use of the verification system through program alteration can be prevented.

Abstract: A picture displaying apparatus comprises a storing unit storing a plurality of pictures, a displaying unit displaying the picture, an aimed region designating unit designating a partial region on the picture as an aimed region, an image cutting-out unit cutting-out the aimed region from each of the pictures as an aimed region picture, and a display controlling unit displaying the aimed region picture on the displaying unit. The display controlling unit comprises a superposed picture forming unit superposing a plurality of the aimed region pictures to form a superposed picture, and a visual effect controlling unit displaying each of the aimed region pictures forming the superposed picture at a predetermined transparency on the displaying unit. Even when a specific picture is retrieved in a large amount of pictures in the same or almost the same form, visual retrieval is possible readily and certainly without decreasing the retrieval efficiency.

Abstract: The invention relates to a document discriminating apparatus and a discriminating method for use in processing documents at financial institutions. A characteristic portion inherent in an optional format is cut out from image data read from a document in the optional format. Color constituents of the cut out image data are analyzed, and a color constituent exhibiting characteristics is selected from the constituents, and a color separation parameter is set for the selected color constituent. Data information is prepared which is related to the image data cut out based upon the color separation parameter. On the other hand, data information is prepared from image data obtained by reading a document to be discriminated based on the color separation parameter. Then, the data information is compared for determination with the data information stored in the document discriminating dictionary unit, whereby the document is discriminated.

Abstract: When receiving prescribed entry data from an input device, a data entry device issues an authenticate request to a biological authentication device. Upon receipt of the authenticate request, the biological authentication device authenticates the biological information transmitted from the input device by collating it with each piece of biological information stored in a biological authentication DB, and returns the authentication result to the data entry device. The data entry device registers, accesses entry data and executes PKI signature, based on the authentication result transmitted from the biological authentication.

Abstract: A biometrics authentication device uses biometrics information to perform individual authentication. Primary and secondary verification of biometrics characteristic data from an image capture device are performed by a control unit and IC card. The biometrics character data is scrambled and transmitted between devices. The second registration data which is more important to authentication is stored within the IC card, and first registration data is registered in the IC card in a scrambled state. Security is improved, and moreover the load on the CPU of the IC chip in the IC card is reduced.

Abstract: Collation can be carried out at a high speed without reducing the accuracy thereof, whereby processing of identifying documents is accurately performed at a high speed. To this end, characteristic data of a predetermined pattern is registered in advance. Characteristic data in a first area greater than an area of the predetermined pattern registered in advance in an image to be identified is compared and collated with characteristic data of the predetermined pattern. A second area smaller than the first area is cut out from the first area based on the result of comparison, so that characteristic data of an image in the second area is compared and collated with the characteristic data of the predetermined pattern, thus making it possible to identify the predetermined pattern contained in the image based on the result of comparison.

Abstract: In a verification system which verifies individual input data against registered data to perform individual authentication, the verification program is checked for alteration. Programs for verification in a processing unit are checked for alteration by a check program in the tamper-proof environment of a lower-level storage unit. Hence illicit use of the verification system through program alteration can be prevented.

Abstract: An edge detecting method detects edge segments by searching all of the search lines forming an image from an end of the image in a direction perpendicular to the edges. If a line whose edge segment cannot be detected exists, a search is made in all of the search lines from the vicinity of the center of the image toward the end of the image, whereby edge segments are detected. A linear edge is determined from edge segments. A plurality of edge candidates are obtained from the edge segments for all of the search lines, and an optimum candidate is selected from among the edge candidates. Ruled lines are extracted from the source document in the image, and an optimum candidate is selected based on a comparison with a ruled line. As a result, an edge of the source document can be detected with high accuracy even if an image on a background side is unstable, or if materials of the background and the source document are similar.

Abstract: An application linking technology enables data formatted among many-to-many applications to be communicated. From a window displayed by at least one first application, a necessary information item for an operation of at least one second application is collected. When the collected information items contain items not matching the data format of the second application, data conversion is performed on an unmatched information item to a data format of the second application. A matching information item and a data-converted information item whichever is necessary to the second application is transmitted. A processing result transmitted from the second application is received. Data conversion is performed on an unmatched processing result to a predetermined format when a processing result contains data not matching the predetermined format.