Processing Or Analysis Of An Uncoded Or Decoded Image Patents (Class 358/426.04)
  • Patent number: 11244190
    Abstract: Images in bitonal formats often include watermarks, stamps, or other patterns and artifacts. These patterned artifacts may be represented as a series of geometric points, dots, and/or dashes in the general shape of the original pattern. These patterned artifacts make other processes such as optical character recognition (OCR) difficult or impossible when items or pixels of interest are also found within the pattern of such artifact(s). Current patterned artifact removal solutions use methods of erosion to minimize the unwanted patterned artifact. However, such methods also erode the pixels/items of interest which, in turn, cause failures in other processes, such as OCR, that are desired to be carried out on or with the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Revenue Management Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Jay Wagner
  • Patent number: 10579316
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus that performs rendering processing for forming an image by a scan line method, including: a span processing unit configured to generate span data corresponding to a span demarcated by a contour of an object existing on a scan line; an elimination unit configured to perform elimination processing of an object unnecessary for drawing in the span for the generated span data; and a generation unit configured to generate a bitmap image in units of pages by using pixel data necessary for drawing of each span based on the span data after the elimination processing, wherein the generation unit generates, in a case where a part of a specific image object within a page is eliminated by the elimination processing, the pixel data necessary for drawing of each span is generated by acquiring the pixel data corresponding to the part from a FIFO memory and then discarding the acquired pixel data corresponding to the part in accordance with instructions to read and discard the part included in th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Mori
  • Patent number: 10503981
    Abstract: A method of determining similarity of objects in images. Feature vectors are determined for objects in images captured by cameras operating in a training domain. Feature vectors are determined for the objects in images captured by cameras operating in a target domain, the cameras of the target domain operating with different environmental factors to the cameras of the training domain. A mapping is determined for a difference in the feature vectors of the training domain and the target domain. The difference in the feature vectors of the training domain and the target domain is converted to a matching space by applying the determined mapping to the feature vectors of the training domain and the target domain. A classifier is determined using data associated with the feature vectors of the training domain in the matching space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Getian Ye, Ka Ming Leung
  • Patent number: 10460414
    Abstract: A detecting device divides image data into a plurality of areas, wherein the image data is projected by a projecting device and the image data has a plurality of sets of watermark information, in each of which frequency and amplitude are constant and in each of which phase is reversed depending on whether first-type information or second-type information is indicated, and the plurality of sets of watermark information are embedded in the image data in a synchronized manner. The detecting device extracts amplitude of the watermark information included in the areas and identifies, as a target area for extraction, successive areas in which the extracted amplitude of the watermark information is constant. The detecting device extracts the watermark information which is overlapping in the target area for extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Keizo Kato, Kensuke Kuraki, Ryuta Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10455117
    Abstract: A binary image of an input image is generated, and a character region within the binary image and a region surrounding each character are acquired as character segmentation rectangle information. A thinning process is executed on a region within the binary image which is identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information to acquire a thinned image. An edge detected image of the region identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information is acquired. Whether each character identified based on the character segmentation rectangle information is a character to be separated from a background by the binarization process or not is determined based on a result of a logical AND of the thinned image and the edge detected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Reiji Misawa, Koya Shimamura
  • Patent number: 10223590
    Abstract: Techniques and systems are provided for processing video data. For example, techniques and systems are provided for performing content-adaptive morphology operations. A first erosion function can be performed on a foreground mask of a video frame, including setting one or more foreground pixels of the frame to one or more background pixels. A temporary foreground mask can be generated based on the first erosion function being performed on the foreground mask. One or more connected components can be generated for the frame by performing connected component analysis to connect one or more neighboring foreground pixels. A complexity of the frame (or of the foreground mask of the frame) can be determined by comparing a number of the one or more connected components to a threshold number. A second erosion function can be performed on the temporary foreground mask when the number of the one or more connected components is higher than the threshold number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Lei Wang, Jinglun Gao, Ning Bi
  • Patent number: 10129559
    Abstract: A method for compressing images includes identifying a set of image blocks from a plurality of digital images. For each image block from the set, image features of the image block are extracted. The set of image blocks is sorted into an ordered sequence of image blocks based on an average image feature difference between sequentially sorted image blocks. The set of image blocks is compressed into compressed image data based on inter block correlations between image blocks in the ordered sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Juuso Gren
  • Patent number: 9836631
    Abstract: In general, in some aspects, the subject matter of the present disclosure can be embodied in methods for confirming identity, in which the methods include: outputting a parameter by a reading device, the reading device adapted to read an image displayed on a display of a display device; receiving the parameter output by the reading device by the display device; generating a fractal image at least in accordance with the received parameter by the display device; displaying the generated fractal image on the display of the display device; imaging the displayed fractal image by the reading device; comparing the imaged fractal image to an expected fractal image generated by the reader at least in accordance with the parameter; and confirming that the imaged fractal image and the expected fractal image do not differ by more than a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: AIC Innovations Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Hanina, Lei Guan
  • Patent number: 9584821
    Abstract: A method of decoding an image in which wherein, when a prediction mode is an inter prediction mode, not an intra prediction mode, a size of at least one prediction unit in the coding unit is determined independently from a size of at least one transformation unit in the coding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min-su Cheon, Woo-jin Han, Hae-kyung Jung, Il-koo Kim, Tammy Lee, Jianle Chen
  • Patent number: 9363422
    Abstract: An example embodiment may involve obtaining (i) an a×b attribute macro-cell, and (ii) a×b pixel macro-cells for each of a luminance plane, a first color plane, and a second color plane of an input image. The a×b pixel macro-cells may each contain 4 non-overlapping m×n pixel cells. The example embodiment may also involve determining 4 attribute-plane output values that represent the 4 non-overlapping m×n attribute cells, 1 to 4 luminance-plane output values that represent the a×b pixel macro-cell of the luminance plane, a first color-plane output value to represent the a×b pixel macro-cell of the first color plane, and a second color-plane output value to represent the a×b pixel macro-cell of the second color plane. The example embodiment may further involve writing an interleaved representation of the output values to a computer-readable output medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Michael M. Chang, Kenneth A. Schmidt, Dongpei Su, Sheng Li, Kendrick Wong, Larry Lubman
  • Patent number: 8873107
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first attribute image generation unit; a second attribute image generation unit; and a foreground image generation unit. The first attribute image generation unit is configured to determine a first attribute value from an input image to generate a first attribute image. The second attribute image generation unit is configured to determine a second attribute value from the input image to generate a second attribute image. The foreground image generation unit is configured to generate a foreground image expressing color information in the specific region according to the input image, the first attribute image, and the second attribute image. Further, the foreground image generation unit is configured to switch a method of determining a pixel value of a target pixel of the foreground image according to contents of the first attribute image and the second attribute image in a reference region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuaki Kuwano
  • Patent number: 8817346
    Abstract: First storage stores code data each of which is formed by arranging identification at head of line code data obtained by coding image in a line unit, from first to last line of the image. Second storage recognizes the identification from the code data read by First reader to store the code data in a line unit. Third storage stores decoded image obtained by decoding the code data read from the second storage by Second reader in a line unit. When the image is rotated 180 degrees, First reader reads the code data from First storage from the last to the first line and reads each line from an end to a head of the line, Second reader reads the code data from Second storage from the identification to the end of the line, and Third reader reads the decoded image from the end to the head of the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Naoto Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8805099
    Abstract: An image decoding method is an image decoding method of decoding coded image data, including selecting, based on a type of a decoding target signal, an arithmetic decoding method that is used to decode the decoding target signal, from among a plurality of arithmetic decoding methods that include: a first arithmetic decoding method which is performed based on a symbol occurrence probability obtained according to a context, and which involves update of the symbol occurrence probability according to a decoding symbol; and a second arithmetic decoding method which is performed based on a symbol occurrence probability obtained according to a context, and which maintains the symbol occurrence probability that is other than 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Hisao Sasai, Takahiro Nishi, Youji Shibahara, Toshiyasu Sugio, Kyoko Tanikawa, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada
  • Patent number: 8665472
    Abstract: A method of making a digital image file from a visible first digital image and from a visible second digital image of a machine-readable optical code, wherein the machine-readable optical code encodes information associated with or derived from the first digital image includes using a scanner to scan the visible first digital image and using the scanner to scan the visible second digital image and using a processor to make the digital image file by storing in a memory the scanned first digital image in an image portion and storing the scanned second digital image in retrievable association with the first digital image in an information portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
    Inventor: Ronald Steven Cok
  • Patent number: 8488204
    Abstract: Various types of ink corresponding to non-overlapping wavelength domains in absorbing lights are utilized on a pattern displaying medium for marking coordinate dots and data dots of a plurality of data blocks. While a scanning device is utilized for scanning the pattern-displaying medium, the marked coordinate dots and data dots are precisely recognized and read. While the pattern displaying medium is to be marked, the coordinate dots are marked in advance, and then the data dots are marked according to the marked coordinate dots for preventing positioning errors. Besides, at least one locality dot is used in each data block. While the scanning device is utilized for scanning the pattern displaying medium, a reading direction of each data block is indicated by the at least one locality dot so as to precisely read dots of each data block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Shou-Te Wei, Cho-Yi Lin, Yao-Ching Hsu
  • Patent number: 8405851
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus configured to read a document at a second resolution based on a result of reading the document at a first resolution generates image data with low data amount having small data amount from image data-for-save that has been read at the second resolution and transfers the image data with low data amount taking priority over the image data-for-save to an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus is configured to notify a user that next reading processing is acceptable when receiving of the image data with low data amount is completed. The image processing apparatus is configured to receive and store the image data-for-save according to the next reading processing instructed by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8384972
    Abstract: An image input/output control apparatus includes a control device for controlling input/output of image data with an external apparatus, plural image processing devices for performing predetermined image processes to the image data, and plural data transfer devices for connecting each of the plural image processing devices and the control device like a ring and performing data transfer among them. The plural image processing devices and the control device are composed respectively on different units, whereby the structure of the apparatus can be easily changed, and a decrease in processing speed due to the competition for buses can be reduced without increasing the number of parts necessary for bus control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Fujiwara, Atsushi Date
  • Patent number: 8386675
    Abstract: There is disclosed a data transmitting apparatus for transmitting data including a plurality of data elements, each of which is a bit sequence of a plurality of bits. At least one bit in the bit sequence of a first one of the kinds of data elements that most frequently occurs has the same value as a bit at a corresponding place in the bit sequence of a second one of the kinds of data elements that second most frequently occurs. The data-block generating portion generates a data block, by rearranging the bit sequences of the data elements of the raw data such that bits at the same place in the respective bit sequences as each of the at least one bit are arranged in a series in the data block. The data compressing portion creates a compressed file. The transmitting portion transmits the compressed file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Murashima
  • Patent number: 8379280
    Abstract: An image processing device to generate coded image data, which represents an image to be printed in a printing apparatus, is provided. The image processing device includes a data generator to downscale tone values of pixels included in the image, the tone values of pixels being included in a predetermined scale range, and assign a plurality of types of codes having different lengths to the downscaled tone values to generate image data, and a data transmitter configured to transmit the coded image data to the printing apparatus. The data generator downscales the tone values of pixels by classifying each tone value of pixels into one of segments, which are unevenly delimited by predetermined thresholds within the predetermined scale range and include a larger segment and a smaller segment, and assigning a code with a shorter bit length to the tone value classified into the larger segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Patent number: 8363954
    Abstract: A technique that improves image analysis efficiency by reducing the number of computations needed to detect constant regions. Constant region detection according to the present techniques includes determining whether an image analysis window at a current position contains a constant region by analyzing a new line of pixels in the image analysis window if a pixel at a predetermined location in the image analysis window in the current position has a value equal to a pixel at the predetermined location from a previous position of the image analysis window. Analyzing only the new line of pixels saves the computational time that would otherwise go into analyzing all of the pixels in the image analysis window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell International Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Jay Shoen
  • Patent number: 8290160
    Abstract: A novel and unique method, program and apparatus for secured facsimile transmission. It converts the image pixels into 8 bit ASCII characters, encrypting the data and reconverting the encrypted data back into a scrambled image, which is then compressed and transmitted according to international standard of facsimile transmission regulation (CCITT) over an insecure public telephone line to the recipient. The scrambled image is saved in a special memory area of the receiving machine and may be de-scrambled upon an input of a password by the intended recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Appalachian Technologies Corporation of Pennsylvania
    Inventor: Gerd Matthias Steeger
  • Patent number: 8284435
    Abstract: A data storage controlling device including: a data dividing section for dividing target data made by a set of elements, each element being expressed in multiple values, into groups of partial data made by a set of elements, each element being expressed in two values, or dividing target data made by a set of elements, each element being expressed in two values, to partial data made by a subset of the elements; a compression section for generating compressed data blocks by means of reversibly compressing the partial data and of dividing the compressed data into predetermined size of blocks; an identifier assigning section for assigning an identifier for identifying partial data from which the compressed data block is generated to each compressed data block; and a storage processing section for reserving a storage area being smaller than the size of the target data and being common to the partial data and storing the generated compressed data block into the storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Namera
  • Patent number: 8264715
    Abstract: An approach is provided for implementing locked printing on a printing device with remote unlock. The printing device includes a locked print process that is configured to examine print data received by the printing device and determine whether locked printing is to be used for the print data. Print data designated for locked printing is stored on the printing device. The printing device also includes a Web application configured to generate Web pages that define a Web-based graphical user interface. When processed at a client device, the Web pages allow a user to enter authorization data that is transmitted to the Web application on the printing device. The locked print process verifies the authorization data and if the authorization data is successfully verified, allows the user access to locked print data on the printing device. The approach may also be implemented using a common repository to store print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jayasimha Nuggehalli
  • Patent number: 8237980
    Abstract: A serial I/F has: a FIFO portion to which m- or n-bit (m<n) parallel data is written based on PCLK; a FIFO reader that reads the parallel data written to the FIFO portion m bits at a time based on FCLK; a parallel/serial converter that converts the m-bit parallel data read by the FIFO reader into 1-bit serial data based on PLLCLK; a PLL circuit that produces PLLCLK by multiplying PCLK by a factor of m or n; and a frequency divider circuit that produces FCLK by dividing the frequency of PLLCLK by m. Here, the multiplication factor of the PLL circuit is so controlled as to be changed according to the number of bits of the parallel data written to the FIFO portion. This makes it possible to flexibly deal with parallel inputs having different bus widths without unduly increasing a device scale and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Murata, Masayu Fujiwara, Tomoki Yamamoto, Takeshi Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8224096
    Abstract: A technique that improves image analysis efficiency by reducing the number of computations needed to detect constant regions. Constant region detection according to the present techniques includes determining whether an image analysis window at a current position contains a constant region by analyzing a new line of pixels in the image analysis window if a pixel at a predetermined location in the image analysis window in the current position has a value equal to a pixel at the predetermined location from a previous position of the image analysis window. Analyzing only the new line of pixels saves the computational time that would otherwise go into analyzing all of the pixels in the image analysis window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell International Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Jay Shoen
  • Patent number: 8204271
    Abstract: A digital watermark embedding apparatus includes: an extractor configured to extract a specific frequency component from each of N kinds of scaled images about an input image signal to generate N kinds of extracted signals; a generator configured to compress the amplitude of the respective extracted signals on the basis of N kinds of to-be-embedded information corresponding to the N kinds of extracted signals to generate watermark image signals by shifting the predetermined phases; and a superimposer configured to add the N kinds of watermark image signals to the input image signal to generate an output image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nakada Kogure, Tomoo Yamakage
  • Patent number: 8203732
    Abstract: Even if there are many printed images similar to a query image, this invention can effectively use a display window with a limited size and support to specify the print request source of each similar image by classifying and displaying the images according to additional information containing information indicating the print request source which has issued a print request for the image. Therefore, when a query image is input and images similar to the query image are found, the similar images are classified according to the user names of users who have printed them. The numbers of times of printing of the similar images and maximum similarities are displayed for the respective user names.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Shiiyama
  • Patent number: 8189856
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for evaluating the reliability of a watermarking technique for a video sequence, said system and apparatus comprising: a) a calibrating means adapted to calibrate said system and apparatus using a test original video sequence and a test attacked video sequence in compliance with predetermined degrees of quality; b) an attacking means adapted to attack embedded watermark in said video sequence, said attack selected from a group of attacks; and c) an evaluating means including a comparator means for comparing the test original video sequence with test attacked video sequence and the watermark in the test original video sequence with the watermark in the test attacked video sequence to evaluate the reliability of a watermarking technique to give a reliability score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
    Inventors: Chattopadhyay Tanushyam Sibnath, Pal Arpan Dipak Kumar
  • Patent number: 8184335
    Abstract: An overall processing time to rasterize, at the first device, the electronic document to be rendered is computed. Also, a rendering time to render, at the first device, the electronic document to be rendered is computed. When the overall processing time to rasterize at the first device is greater than the rendering time to render at the first device, the electronic document to be rendered is parsed into a first document and sub-documents. A productivity capacity of each node is determined, the productivity capacity being a measured of the processing power of the node and the communication cost of exchanging information between the first device and the node. A sub-document is rasterized at a node when a productivity capacity of the node reduces the processing time to rasterize the electronic document to be rendered to be less than the computed overall processing time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Hua Liu, Steven J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 8134742
    Abstract: An output device which outputs pixel data corresponding to a color material used by a printing unit to the printing unit includes an image buffer which stores image data, a generation unit which generates density data corresponding to the color material based on image data read out from the image buffer, a print buffer which stores density data generated by the generation unit, and a conversion unit which converts density data read out from the print buffer into pixel data corresponding to the resolution of the printing unit synchronously with the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 8102544
    Abstract: A terminal is provided with an image obtaining portion that obtains an image including a code representing a location of a web page, a web page obtaining portion that obtains the web page based on the code included in the image, a calculation portion that compares the image except the code with the web page to calculate a degree of relevance between the image except the code and the web page, and a print controller that issues a command to print the image with the code excluded if the degree of relevance is lower than a predetermined threshold, and to print the image without excluding the code if the degree of relevance is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonari Yoshimura, Atsushi Ohshima, Masami Yamada
  • Patent number: 8077908
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image analysis method for analyzing an image. By inputting starting point coordinates and ending point coordinates of individual image blocks contained in the image, an image block arrangement table is created. The image is analyzed according to the image block arrangement table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Chi-Jen Liao, Tung-Hsuan Pai
  • Patent number: 7983494
    Abstract: A pixel data compression/decompression system, medium, and method, including determining the similarity between a first pixel data and a second pixel data adjacent to the first pixel data, selecting one of a first compression mode, where a difference between a compression ratio of the first pixel data and a compression ratio of the second pixel data is high, and a second compression mode, where a difference between a compression ratio of the first pixel data and a compression ratio of the second pixel data is low, based on the similarity, and compressing the first pixel data and the second pixel data based on the selected compression mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shi Hwa Lee, Hye Yun Kim, Sang Jo Lee, Do-Hyung Kim, Doo Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 7957038
    Abstract: This invention facilitates an operation required to restore a desired file from code information. To accomplish this, a printing apparatus prints code information generated by encoding a file on a first sheet set, and prints identification information required to identify the sheet on which the code information corresponding to the file is printed. A restoration apparatus scans the first and second sheet sets. The restoration apparatus specifies, based on the identification information on the second sheet set, a sheet on which code information corresponding to a desired file is printed. Furthermore, the restoration apparatus restores the desired file by decoding the code information printed on the specified sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamasuka, Fumio Shoji
  • Patent number: 7881538
    Abstract: A technique that improves image analysis efficiency by reducing the number of computations needed to detect constant regions. Constant region detection according to the present techniques includes determining whether an image analysis window at a current position contains a constant region by analyzing a new line of pixels in the image analysis window if a pixel at a predetermined location in the image analysis window in the current position has a value equal to a pixel at the predetermined location from a previous position of the image analysis window. Analyzing only the new line of pixels saves the computational time that would otherwise go into analyzing all of the pixels in the image analysis window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Marvell International Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Jay R. Shoen
  • Patent number: 7835037
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus for creating an electronic file from a paper document with the use of an optical reading device, a detecting part detecting a code included in image data read by means of the optical reading device; a data creating part decoding the code to obtain identification information, obtaining related information identified by the identification information, and obtaining character information from the related information, and creating character data from the character information; and a file creating part creating a document file storing the character data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Koide
  • Patent number: 7826616
    Abstract: A system and method comprise defining a current rectangular region of the image bitmap, quantifying spectral characteristics of the current rectangular region, dividing the current rectangular region into four rectangular sub-regions in response to the spectral characteristics being greater than a predetermined threshold value, tagging the current rectangular sub-region as a terminal rectangular region in response to the spectral characteristics being less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, tagging each rectangular sub-region as a terminal rectangular region in response to a size of the rectangular sub-region being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold size, defining one of the non-terminal rectangular sub-regions as the current rectangular region and repeating the above until all rectangular regions are tagged terminal, and determining color characteristics for each of the terminal rectangular regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Novell, Inc.
    Inventor: Kasman Ellis Thomas
  • Patent number: 7792374
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method decodes interceded image data, even if reference image data is lost. The apparatus and method perform first coding that codes input image data by transforming the input image data into frequency components in units of blocks and coding the frequency components by adaptively using an intracoding mode and an interceding mode, second coding that codes frequency components obtained by limiting the frequency components for reference image data for use in the interceding mode, and outputting combined data obtained by combining the image data coded in the second coding with the image data coded by the first coding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Ohira
  • Patent number: 7738722
    Abstract: Reduction in the blockiness of a simulated film grain block can be achieved either by the use of adaptive downscaling or adaptive deblocking filtering to adjust the intensity of the pixels at the block edge in accordance with at least one film grain block parameter, such as film grain size, intensity and texture. Performing such adaptive downscaling or adaptive deblocking filtering achieves improved performance at lower computational cost by avoiding modification of film grain block pixels in lesser affected areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Cristina Gomila, Joan Lllach, Jeffrey Allen Cooper
  • Patent number: 7589859
    Abstract: A print apparatus comprises a memory for storing compressed print information of at least two or more pages transmitted from a host computer, and executes image formation by extracting the compressed print information read from the memory. When nonconformity between an image size of the page to which the print apparatus is executing the image formation and a paper size fed for the relevant page is detected, the compressed print information, for the page in execution of the image formation, subsequent to the read address on the memory at a point of time of the nonconformity detection is read from the memory, and then extracted and abandoned. Thus, the read address on the memory indicates the head of a page subsequent to the page in execution of the image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masami Kurimoto
  • Publication number: 20090080785
    Abstract: It is desirable to provide a bitstream format for compressed data that would allow multiple processors to access and decompress different parts of the data in parallel. Compressed images are usually defined in terms of macroblocks that have a width less than the image width and a height less than the image height. Thus, an image is divided several bands of multiple lines, and each band of multiple lines is divided into a macroblock. The set of macroblocks that define a band is called herein a macroblock rasterscan. The bit stream format includes, for each image, a picture header followed by image scan data. The image scan data includes data corresponding to a plurality of macroblock rasterscans. The data for each macroblock rasterscan includes data for a plurality of macroblocks for a band of lines in the image followed by padding. The padding ensures that data for each macroblock rasterscan terminates on a data boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventor: Michel Rynderman
  • Patent number: 7505045
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for decoding, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, audio/video data using a table of encoded pixel parameter values, wherein each pixel is represented by an entry including a dominant pixel color component and by scaling a set of segment reference pixels comprised of segment reference pixel values according to each entry in the table of encoded pixel parameter values to produce decoded pixels comprised of decoded pixel parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Adams Platform Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Adam Leslie Clark
  • Patent number: 7440635
    Abstract: A method to remove ringing artifacts from locations near dominant edges of an image reconstructed after compression. The image is decomposed into blocks small enough so that each would contain only one significant edge. A significant edge is tested as to whether it is a dominant edge of the image. If there is no dominant edge, the block is not processed. In the remaining blocks, the exact pixels that include the dominant edges are output without filtering. The direction of the dominant edges is inferred, and then the remaining pixels are filtered with a directional de-ringing filter. The de-ringing filter has a main direction that is perpendicular with the direction of the edge, and thus also with an inherent direction of the ringing artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yap-Peng Tan, Wenjun Zeng, Shawmin Lei
  • Patent number: 7436539
    Abstract: At the image processing time for an image data, a storage area to be secured is reduced, and moreover, the number of access processing times for the storage area which is required until the image processing result is obtained is sharply reduced, thereby shortening the processing time. Consequently, an image correction processing portion is characterized by a configuration wherein the image correction processing portion secures an image correction buffer to store the image data for at least M+(N?1) lines, and when it is determined that an image correction processing requires decoding processing, the address of an image correction buffer is set as a decoding destination, and the image correction processing for the image data is performed within the set storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Hirokazu Ishii
  • Patent number: 7433519
    Abstract: It is desirable to provide a bitstream format for compressed data that would allow multiple processors to access and decompress different parts of the data in parallel. Compressed images are usually defined in terms of macroblocks that have a width less than the image width and a height less than the image height. Thus, an image is divided several bands of multiple lines, and each band of multiple lines is divided into a macroblock. The set of macroblocks that define a band is called herein a macroblock rasterscan. The bit stream format includes, for each image, a picture header followed by image scan data. The image scan data includes data corresponding to a plurality of macroblock rasterscans. The data for each macroblock rasterscan includes data for a plurality of macroblocks for a band of lines in the image followed by padding. The padding ensures that data for each macroblock rasterscan terminates on a data boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Avid Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michel Rynderman
  • Patent number: 7421134
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is adapted to a surveillance camera system, and a CPU included in the surveillance camera system divides a plurality of continuous screens of an image signal into a plurality of blocks by each screen, and detects a specific object, which is an object with movement, from a luminance change of a Y signal found by a movement detection circuit. In addition, the CPU specifies the block in which a movement of the object is detected, and sets the specified block as an area to be noticed by taking advantage of an ROI function of a JPEG 2000. Next, a JPEG 2000 CODEC is instructed to compress an image of a movement-detected block into a high quality image by an alarm compression rate, and compress the image of a movement-not-detected block by a normal compression rate having a higher compression rate than the alarm compression rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7409098
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided that can define the change amount of a quantizing parameter by suitably reflecting the complexity of image data in the case, when the quantizing parameter is increased a predetermined unit amount, the coarseness the image data of motion picture is quantized becomes r times. An activity computing circuit generates an activity Nactj serving as a complexity of the image data. A ?Q computing circuit defines a corresponding relationship between activity Nactj and change amount data ?Q such that the change amount data ?Q of quantizing parameter increases 1 as the activity Nactj becomes 1.12 times, to thereby acquire change amount data ?Q corresponding to the activity Nactj generated by the activity computing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushi Sato, Osamu Sunohara, Kuniaki Takahashi, Teruhiko Suzuki, Yoichi Yagasaki
  • Patent number: 7362471
    Abstract: A controller for a four-drum printer eliminates a need for an expensive inter-drum delay memory, which has been conventionally used, to print an RGB image and allows a multifunction machine, printer, and the like to be provided at low cost. An image ring interface reads an image data containing the same tile, which is stored in a tile pattern in a RAM, four times with a delay corresponding to a delay (10 lines of tiles) of image formation between image forming sections, and sequentially transfers the image data to four image output interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Date
  • Patent number: 7359671
    Abstract: A wireless audio distribution system may have a wireless transmitter, responsive to a plurality of audio input channels, for transmitting signals carrying the audio, a receiver, responsive to the transmitted signals for selecting one or more of the audio input channels to be reproduced in accordance with local setting selectors at the receiver. An additional audio source, such as a microphone, can be selectively used by for example the driver to talk on the cell phone or to make announcements to passengers via the wireless audio distribution system in accordance with a master settings selector which may be used to override local settings such as audio channel or volume selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: UnWired Technology LLC
    Inventors: Lawrence Richenstein, Michael A. Dauk, Robert J. Withoff
  • Patent number: 7336852
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, an image reading apparatus, an image forming apparatus and a computer-readable recording-medium for storing an image processing program are disclosed. The image processing apparatus can synthesize coded data encoded in accordance with JPEG 2000 standard from source and target images at a higher speed with less use of a memory. The image processing apparatus includes a search part and an objective block synthesis part. The search part searches coded data of the source image per predetermined independently processable block for an objective block corresponding to a designated synthesis area. The objective block synthesis part synthesizes detected coded data of the objective block of the source image and coded data of the objective block of the target image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Nomizu, Hiroyuki Sakuyama, Junichi Hara, Nekka Matsuura, Takanori Yano, Taku Kodama, Toshio Miyazawa, Yasuyuki Shinkai, Takayuki Nishimura