Plural Images Combined Into A Single Image Patents (Class 358/450)
  • Patent number: 8798360
    Abstract: A method of stitching an image to combine at least a first image and a second image in a digital image processing apparatus includes obtaining matching areas of the first image and the second image where the second image overlaps the first image, and changing gradations of an entire area of the second image to make a representative gradation of the matching area of the first image the same as a representative gradation of the matching area of the second image, wherein a change rate in changing at least one of the gradations of the entire area of the second image is set according to a level of a gradation of the second image before the changing the gradations of the entire area of the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Soon-min Bae
  • Patent number: 8792129
    Abstract: A printing apparatus wherein first image data corresponding to a first document is generated, second partial data corresponding to a partial range of a second document is generated in a state in which the first image data is stored in a storage portion, joint data in which first partial data and the second partial data are joined is generated, the first partial data being included in the first image data and corresponding to a partial range of the first document which is laid out side by side with respect to the partial range of the second document based on the second partial data in a state in which a first image based on the first image data and a second image based on second image data are laid out side by side in a scanning direction of a head, and an image based on the joint data is printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Quanhe Li
  • Patent number: 8787699
    Abstract: A system and method for capturing adjacent images includes an imaging device with a panorama manager that performs various procedures to manipulate one or more image parameters that correspond to adjacent frames of captured image data. An image-stitching software program may then produce a cohesive combined panorama image from the adjacent frames of image data by utilizing the manipulated image parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Edwards, Clay Fisher
  • Patent number: 8773733
    Abstract: A digital image capture device, comprising an image sensor and an optical system for capturing digital images, and a program memory storing instructions configured to cause a data processing system to implement a method for extracting textual information from a document containing text characters. The method includes capturing plurality of digital images of the document using the image sensor. Each of the captured digital images is automatically analyzed using an optical character recognition process to determine extracted textual data. The extracted textual data for the captured digital images are merged to determine the textual information for the document, wherein differences between the extracted textual data for the captured digital images are analyzed to determine the textual information for the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Andrew C. Blose, Peter O. Stubler
  • Patent number: 8773727
    Abstract: A image generating apparatus and method for scanning documents using multiple image sensors are disclosed. The image generation apparatus comprises a glass plate configured to hold a document placed upside down on the glass plate; a calibration pattern placed on the glass plate; a plurality of image sensors arranged under the glass plate, wherein each of the plurality of image sensors is configured to capture and generate a raw image, the raw image covers a portion of the document and a portion of the calibration pattern through the glass plate; and a processing unit capable of combining all raw images generated by the plurality of image sensors based on the portion of the calibration pattern in the raw image captured by each of the plurality of image sensors, and the processing unit is further configured to generate a complete image of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia-Chiang Tsai
  • Patent number: 8767252
    Abstract: A method of combining digital image data from two different images in a printer enables improved precision of alignment of the image data. The method includes copying a word of first image data into a memory buffer, shifting a word of image data by a predetermined bit offset, overwriting a portion of the first image data with shifted bits from the second word of image data, and copying the shifted word of image data into the memory buffer. The printer forms a line of a printed image using the first and second image data in the memory buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Lisa Schlachter
  • Patent number: 8760684
    Abstract: A system for producing continuous print jobs, which includes a printing unit which prints an image and a client computer having executable instructions for creating a print job for producing a continuous print job. The executable instructions include activating a continuous print mode from a list of print properties within a printer driver user interface, and wherein the continuous print mode stacks at least two print jobs in a print job queue until instructed to print; sending at least two print jobs to the print job queue; selecting a final print format for each of the at least two print jobs; processing and formatting each of the at least two print jobs into a single combined print job; and printing the single combined print job. The printing unit and the client computer are connected via a network and/or direct connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Ann Qiongying Feng, Xiaonong Zhan
  • Patent number: 8760723
    Abstract: An image processing device performs: setting a focal pixel among a plurality of pixels in an original image that is represented by original image data; setting a pixel near the focal pixel as a near pixel; acquiring a degree of difference in luminance for the focal pixel and the near pixel; determining, based on the degree of difference, at least one of: a size of a supplemental image; a shape of the supplemental image; color of the supplemental image; and luminance of the supplemental image; and generating edited image data by editing the original image data, the edited image data representing an edited image obtained by superimposing the supplemental image on the original image, the supplemental image being superimposed on an area around the focal pixel in the original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryohei Ozawa, Masaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 8760735
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image combining device includes a read unit and a control unit. The read unit includes a transparent holder and an image read section of flatbed type. The transparent holder holds a flat medium, and plural matching reference points are marked in an edge region. The image read section reads the medium placed on a reading window. A size of the medium is larger than the reading window. Each of the partial images, generated by the image read section, includes an image of a part of the medium and a part of the matching reference points. The matching reference points are arranged along a part of an edge of the image of the medium. The control unit combines the plural partial images based on the matching reference points included in the plural partial images, and generates a combined image including an image of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: NEC AccessTechnica, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuma Aoshima
  • Patent number: 8749571
    Abstract: An information processing section of a game apparatus executes a program for implementing a step S100 of acquiring a camera image; a step S200 of detecting a marker; a step S400 of calculating a position and an orientation of a virtual camera; a step S600 of generating an animation in which a hexahedron is caused to appear on the marker when the start of a game is requested; a step S800 of generating an animation in which the hexahedron is unfolded so as to position thereon virtual objects representing targets; a step S900 of mapping the photographed image on objects; a step S1000 of taking an image of the objects by means of the virtual camera; and a step S1100, S1200 of displaying the camera image and an object image which is superimposed on the camera image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd., Hal Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Noge
  • Patent number: 8736898
    Abstract: A method and printing device print a feedback form in response to activation of a customer feedback option of the printing device. The printing device and the feedback form instruct the user to supply feedback comments on the feedback form and cause the feedback form to be scanned using the printing device. The method and printing device identifying the feedback form in response to the scanning of the feedback form and capture the feedback form as a feedback form image. The method and printing device transmit the feedback form image from the printing device to a feedback collection entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew K. Balm, Gemma R. Lee
  • Patent number: 8736925
    Abstract: The invention relates to scanning linear image sensors with signal integration, in which an image of a line of points from an observed scene is reconstructed by the addition of successive images taken by a plurality of photosensitive lines which successively observe the same line of the scene as the scene moves across the sensor perpendicularly to the lines. The sensor according to the invention uses charge transfer pixels (Pm,i,j) grouped into M groups of N lines; an analog charge summation is carried out in each group; and the results of this summation are read by read circuits (READm) associated with each group, and then digitized and added to those of the other groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: E2V Semiconductors
    Inventors: Frederic Mayer, Vincent Hibon, Henri Bugnet, Joel Vaillant
  • Patent number: 8724176
    Abstract: As set forth herein, methods and systems facilitate the fusing of unassociated images into an original document image. An unassociated image is received into a set of unassociated images in computer memory by an associated scanning device, and the size for each unassociated image is determined. The size of each unassociated image is then compared to at least one other known image size, and a matching related unassociated image is retrieved from the set of unassociated images corresponding to each unassociated image based at least in part on an output of the comparison. The matches of related images are then aligned and fused to form an original document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Jones, Thomas Alan Silver, Jason Robert Croft
  • Patent number: 8724172
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including at least one processor that executes a program, includes an analysis unit configured to analyze a print job, an optimization unit configured to, based on a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit, combine a plurality of objects included in the print job into one object according to an upper limit number, which is different according to a type of the objects to be combined, an intermediate data generation unit configured to generate intermediate data based on the objects combined by the optimization unit, and an image data generation unit configured to generate image data from the intermediate data generated by the intermediate data generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenta Matsui
  • Patent number: 8724189
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to copy a two-sided card is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a user interface unit to adjust a layout for copying both sides of the two-sided card, an image reading unit to read the both sides of the two-sided card and generates scanned images, a controlling unit to generate image data where the scanned images are laid out on at least one page according to the adjusted layout, and an output unit to output the image data generated by the controlling unit. Accordingly, the both sides of the two-sided card may be laid out and output in various types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ilia V. Safonov, Sang-ho Kim, Ho-keun Lee
  • Patent number: 8717615
    Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus to request that an image be printed, where the image is stored in a mobile device, such as a cellular phone, which is able to capture the image. The method includes creating a markup document indicating a panoramic image in which a plurality of images are united, and requesting that the panoramic image be printed, by transmitting the created markup document. Accordingly, a panoramic image may be easily created even in a mobile device having an insufficient memory resource and low specification hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae-hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8717633
    Abstract: A printed image erasing system in an embodiment is configured to erase image information obtained by printing both characteristic identification information and document information or only the document information with an erasable color material on a printing medium, comprising: a printer unit configured to print the image information on the printing medium; an erasing unit configured to erase an image printed on the printing medium with the erasable color material; a reading unit configured to read the characteristic identification information on the printing medium to be erased by the erasing unit; and a document management unit configured to manage an erasability condition of the document information on the basis of the characteristic identification information and instruct the printer unit to output new document information according to the erasability condition of the document information that is contained in the characteristic identification information read by the reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Tomizawa, Akihiko Fujiwara, Shunichi Megawa, Masaaki Yasunaga
  • Patent number: 8711430
    Abstract: The data processing apparatus according to the present invention has the image data preparation unit that prepares various kinds of image data deriving from document data depending on various purposes of the document data; and the image synthesis instructing unit that instructs images to be synthesized based on the image data comprising a plurality of page portions on one sheet of paper for at least one kind of image data prepared by the image data preparation unit from various kinds of document data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomoko Otomaru
  • Patent number: 8711442
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus having a large depth of field and being compact in size. The image reading apparatus includes a light source, an imaging optics system, an image pickup device unit, a memory, and a processor. The imaging optics system has a plurality of cells each being an independent optics system arranged in a main scanning direction, and arranged in two rows in a sub-scanning direction. In each of the cells, a first reflective light-gathering optical element, a first plane mirror, an aperture, and a second reflective light-gathering optical element are arranged in this order from a document, and the aperture is arranged at the back focal point position of the first reflective light-gathering optical element to form a telecentric optics system at the side of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawano, Taku Matsuzawa, Tatsuki Okamoto, Tadashi Minobe, Tatsuya Kunieda
  • Patent number: 8705145
    Abstract: Systems and methods resume capture of a base image from an object by a mobile scanner operated by a user. An indication of an overlap area on a base image displayed within a computer display is received. A scan image is received from the mobile scanner positioned on the object at a location corresponding to the overlap area. A match between a segment of the scan image and a corresponding segment of the base image is determined, where the match defines a location and orientation of the mobile scanner relative to the base image. An indication that the scan has resumed is made to the user when the match is found, and images that are subsequently received from the mobile scanner are stitched to the base image based upon the determined location and orientation. The partially formed base image and the scanner image are concurrently displayed to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jizhang Shan, Weihua Xiong, Zhipeng Deng
  • Patent number: 8699822
    Abstract: A method and apparatus may include aligning a reference image and an input image through ROI-based image alignment; detecting an ROI associated with an incompletely aligned region in the aligned image; and blending the aligned reference image and input image by using a plurality of weights which are attenuated according to a spatial distance from a boundary of the detected ROI. In addition, the method and apparatus may include aligning a reference image and an input image through image alignment based on an nth region of interest (ROI) which is detected at a previous stage; detecting another ROI associated with an incompletely aligned region in the aligned image; and blending the aligned image in the other ROI and an (n+1)th blended image, which is input from a next stage, in a region outside the other ROI, and outputting the last blended image to the previous stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Chan Park, Hyun-Hwa Oh, Jae-Hyun Kwon, Seong-Deok Lee, Won-Hee Choe
  • Patent number: 8693043
    Abstract: A method and system for delineating document boundaries and identifying document types by analyzing digital images of one or more documents, automatically categorizing one or more pages or subdocuments within the one or more documents and automatically generating delineation identifiers, such as computer-generated images of separation pages inserted between digital images belonging to different categories, a description of the categorization sequence of the digital images, or a computer-generated electronic label affixed or associated with said digital images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kofax, Inc.
    Inventors: Mauritius A. R. Schmidtler, Scott S. Texeira, Christopher K. Harris, Sameer Samat, Roland Borrey, Anthony Macciola
  • Patent number: 8681391
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus capable of combining images using a ticket in order to lighten user's load concerning operations for setting an image composition process and for selecting a target process definition. The information processing apparatus processes an image read by an image reading unit according to a process definition described by combining one or more information processes. A first addition unit adds a process setting for combining images to the process definition. A combination unit combines the images according to the process definition that is added by the first addition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mario Ito
  • Patent number: 8675260
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the image processing apparatus includes a printing control unit, an image reading unit, an extracting unit, a difference image extracting unit, and a determination unit. The printing control unit controls printing of a plurality of pages on one sheet of paper according to a print setting information which indicates a printing form, and printing of a code indicating the print setting information on the paper. The image reading unit read the paper. The extracting unit extracts the code from the read image. The difference image extracting unit extracts a difference image between the printed image and the read image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeo Uchida, Taira Ashikawa, Satoshi Oyama, Katsuhito Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 8675259
    Abstract: A method for providing a double layer GlossMarkâ„¢ image includes providing a first layer text string for generating a patternink. The method further includes providing a second layer text string through the patternink. The first layer text string is visible as gloss variation between first character and background fields and the second layer text string is visible as a color difference between second character and background fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Chapman, Reiner Eschbach
  • Patent number: 8675241
    Abstract: A method implemented in a printer controller for printing oversized image data is described. During printing, a process is executed to determine whether the data to be printed have a page data size that exceeds the maximum printable area for the specified recording medium. The page data size of a given page is the total extent (width and height) of the data objects on the page. If the page data size exceeds the maximum printable area, the process determines whether the portions of the image that exceeds the maximum printable area are background data. If they are, a portion of the background data that exceeds the maximum printable area are cut off, and the document is printed without reducing the size of the non-background data. The method can also be implemented on a print driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Keiko Torikoshi
  • Patent number: 8657606
    Abstract: A remote art jurying system in which art jurors independently evaluate works of art at different locations, times and places. A central database presents information about each work of art and/or the artist to an individual juror. The database provides images of the artwork along with relevant information. Each juror can access the database independent of other jurors in terms of location, or time. The system provides enhanced voting methods. The juror can review or change their votes at any time prior to final submission. They can review all works of art, by categories of art, or by scores. The juror reviews artwork thumbnail images, which can be used to select high resolution images with extended information. Selected categories of art can be enhanced by eliminating the lowest scores to balance artwork finalists across multiple categories of art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Inventor: Paul Fisher
  • Publication number: 20140043658
    Abstract: An input apparatus having a scan function according to the disclosure includes a position detecting unit to acquire position information of each unit image of a scan target object; a unit image acquiring unit to acquire each unit image by using the position information of each unit image; and an object image acquiring unit to acquire an object image of the scan target object by merging the acquired unit images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Minwoo KIM, Jungyong LEE, Hyunsu PARK
  • Patent number: 8648871
    Abstract: An information processing section of a game apparatus executes a program for implementing a step S100 of acquiring a camera image; a step S200 of detecting a marker; a step S400 of calculating a position and an orientation of a virtual camera; a step S600 of generating an animation in which layed-flat surfaces of a hexahedron appear, and the hexahedron is folded so as to confine virtual objects representing targets therein when a stage is cleared; a step S800 of generating an animation in which the folded hexahedron is unfolded so as to position different virtual objects thereon; a step S900 of mapping the photographed image on objects; a step S1000 of taking an image of the objects by means of the virtual camera; and a step S1100, S1200 of displaying the camera image and an object image which is superimposed on the camera image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Noge
  • Publication number: 20140022606
    Abstract: A scanning apparatus for scanning a large scale document, includes a main body, a scanning sensor, and a document transferring apparatus. The main body includes a transparent document placing portion. The scanning sensor is slidably mounted below the document placing portion. A scale of the scanning sensor is smaller than a scale of the transparent document placing portion. The transparent document placing portion supports the document thereon. The scanning sensor moves in at least two dimensionalities below different portions of the transparent document placing portion to scan different portions of the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: PING-YI CHEN
  • Patent number: 8634112
    Abstract: A document processing apparatus comprises an image reader for scanning an original manuscript which is not updated to generate first image data on the original manuscript and for scanning an updated manuscript to generate second image data on the updated manuscript, a text information extraction part for extracting first text information from the first image data and extracting second text information from the second image data, an updated portion detector for detecting an updated portion of the updated manuscript on the basis of the first text information and the second text information, an electronic document generator for generating an electronic document of the updated manuscript on the basis of the second image data, and a storage controller for generating display data of the updated portion on the basis of a detection result on the updated portion and storing the display data into the electronic document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Matsuda, Kazumi Sawayanagi, Toshihiko Otake, Masao Hosono, Manabu Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8629883
    Abstract: A method and system for generating a cartoon are provided. The method includes receiving a digital image for processing at a server. The method includes executing a color structure coding procedure to produce a color-reduced interim image. The method includes generating a sketch from the digital image with a Difference of Gaussian procedure. The method includes combining the color-reduced interim image and the sketch into a processed cartoon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Befun Bilgi Teknologileri A.S.
    Inventors: Tolga Birdal, Mehmet Ozkanoglu, Abdi Tekin Tatar
  • Patent number: 8611696
    Abstract: Systems and methods for filling panoramic images having valid and invalid pixel regions are provided. An invalid region is identified in an initial panoramic image. Pixel data of invalid pixels in the initial panoramic image are replaced with pixel data of pixels from a valid region in at least one nearby panoramic image to obtain a valid fill region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Jiajun Zhu, Abhijit Ogale
  • Patent number: 8605324
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming device capable of performing overlay printing in which a desired image overlaps with a desired page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeaki Katoh
  • Patent number: 8599443
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming multiple copies of images on a medium having more than one divided area (N) by arranging the images in the divided areas, respectively. The image forming apparatus includes an input image data acquisition unit that acquires an input image data for one copy, an output image data generation unit that generates output image data in which the images are consecutively arranged on the divided areas without a blank divided area being provided between any of the copies by repeatedly using the input image data for one copy acquired by the input image data acquisition unit a number of times equal to the number of divided areas, and an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium based on the output image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 8593681
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a color image using a transparent toner and color toners based on received printing information includes a determination unit configured to determine whether a transparency attribute is set for an object included in the printing information, and a generation unit configured to generate a transparent object using the transparent toner on the object when the determination unit determines that the transparency attribute is set for the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunsuke Iguchi
  • Patent number: 8593650
    Abstract: A printer includes an optical sensor configured to image a surface of a medium, and a contact member configured to provide a unique concavo-convex shape by contacting the surface of the conveyed medium on an upstream side thereof. A calculation unit calculates the movement amount of the medium by pattern matching calculation using a correlation window between a plurality of image data acquired at different timings by an optical sensor with the conveyance of the medium. The calculation unit searches in image data first acquired for a unique pattern reflecting the unique concavo-convex shape, and set a region including the unique pattern as a correlation window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihisa Iio, Yohei Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8582167
    Abstract: When a plurality of test copies of an identical image are required, print data of the first page is created from the same image that is used in regular printing and is test-printed; the second and following pages are test-printed using a simplified image that is created by extracting only contour portions of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiko Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 8570569
    Abstract: When a user operates a control device which is connected to an image formation device, a first preview image corresponding to a mark-up text currently processed by a browser is displayed within a display area of a display device of the control device. When a user operation to a first item incorporated in the first preview image is detected, a second preview image of a second mark-up text which is linked to the first item is displayed in the display area. When an image formation with an image formation device is instructed, a composite image containing images corresponding to the first preview image and the second preview image is formed on a single output medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusaku Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8570610
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a document acceptance unit that accepts a plurality of documents; a reduction and display unit that reduces and displays the documents accepted by the document acceptance unit; a region designation unit that designates a region for one of the documents displayed by the reduction and display unit; a region image creation unit that creates an image corresponding to the region designated by the region designation unit for each of the documents accepted by the document acceptance unit based on a size of each of the documents displayed by the reduction and display unit; and a region image display unit that displays the images created by the region image creation unit in respective document positions corresponding to the documents displayed by the reduction and display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 8565552
    Abstract: A printer receives a plurality of image sections and corresponding image headers from the host as an image concatenation command. The plurality of image sections store the plurality of image sections in a print queue. The printer creates a virtual canvas representing a full image size. The printer determines how many lines of uniform data are present in a top border and a bottom border of the plurality of image sections. A variable formatting module of the printer crops a bottom border of a first image section to create a cropped first image section and a top border of a last image section to create a cropped last image section. The variable formatting module creates a first image frame in the virtual canvas corresponding to the first image section minus the bottom border and a last image frame corresponding to the last image section minus the top border.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Codonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Erica Anastasia Sommer, Jeremy Franklin Audino, Christopher Michael Harley
  • Patent number: 8564843
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a scanning unit, an image data synthesizing unit, and a printing unit is described. The scanning unit reads a first image, generates first image data representing the first image, reads a second image and generates second image data representing the second image. The image data synthesizing unit generates, on the basis of the first and second image data, synthesized image data representing a synthesized image of the first and second images arranged in a contact state where a first side which is one of four sides constituting an outer edge of the first image and a second side which is one of four sides constituting an outer edge of the second image are disposed immediately adjacent to each other or in a close state in which these sides are disposed parallel to and close to each other. The printing unit prints the synthesized image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taichiro Kimoto
  • Patent number: 8564821
    Abstract: Joint images are end portions of respective read images and are portions to be joined together. The joint images are stored with a compression ratio lower than that with which the read images are stored. Then, the read images are joined together at relative positions determined on the basis of the joint images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taketomo Naruse
  • Patent number: 8559025
    Abstract: A scanner connected to an external device through a network is provided. The scanner includes, a reading section that reads an image recorded on a sheet so as to generate image data, an image data group supply section that, in a case where a plurality of images recorded on a plurality of sheets are read by the reading section, sequentially generates an image data group every time a part of the plurality of sheets is read by the reading section, and sequentially supplies the generated image data group to the external device, a joint information generation section that generates joint information used to join two or more of the image data groups, the two or more of the image data groups representing the plurality of images; and a joint information supply section that supplies the joint information to the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Shimada
  • Patent number: 8559059
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a focal pixel setting unit, a near pixel setting unit, a calculating unit, a target pixel determining unit, and an editing unit. The focal pixel setting unit is configured to set a focal pixel among a plurality of pixels in an original image that is represented by original image data. The near pixel setting unit is configured to set a pixel near the focal pixel as a near pixel. The calculating unit is configured to calculate a characteristic value related to luminance of the focal pixel and luminance of the near pixel. The target pixel determining unit is configured to determine, as the target pixel, the focal pixel whose characteristic value satisfies a prescribed condition. The editing unit is configured to generate edited image data by editing the original image data. The edited image data represents an edited image having a supplemental image superimposed on the original image. The supplemental image is superimposed on an area encompassing the target pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryohei Ozawa, Masaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 8553275
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method to control an imaging device. One or more image transformations are received to apply to an image. The image transformation including one or more transformations of translation, rotation, scaling, and shear. At least one composite transformation matrix (CTM) is identified to carry the image transformation. The identified CTM is applied in at least one subsystem in an imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Roberts Conlon, Abu Saeed Islam
  • Patent number: 8553941
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods, circuits, devices, apparatuses and systems for analyzing, characterizing and/or rating the composition of images. Further embodiments of the present invention include methods, circuits, devices, apparatuses and systems for providing instructive feedback or automatic corrective actions, relating to the quality of the composition of an image, to a user of an imaging device (e.g. digital camera, camera phone, etc.)—Optionally while the user is preparing to acquire an image, i.e. in real time. Embodiments of the present invention may further include methods, circuits, devices, apparatuses and systems for extracting image composition related rules based on analysis of composition parameters of rated images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Inventor: Chanan Gabay
  • Patent number: 8553291
    Abstract: A combination of a latent-image pattern which forms a latent-image part and a background pattern that forms a background-image part is determined so that the latent-image part and background-image part have equal print densities. The determined latent-image pattern and background pattern, color information used to determine a color of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image, input image information as an image to be processed, copy-forgery-inhibited pattern basic information used to designate the latent-image part and background-image part, and camouflage region designation image information used to designate a camouflage region are input. A copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is generated on the basis of the input information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomochika Murakami
  • Patent number: 8553292
    Abstract: An image processing system comprises a first image reading apparatus which generates first image data by reading an image, transmits the first image data to a transmission destination via a network, and transmits, to a second image reading apparatus, information for combining image data which is transmitted by each of the first image reading apparatus and the second image reading apparatus to the transmission destination, the second image reading apparatus which generates second image data by reading an image, and transmits the second image data to the transmission destination via the network by using the transmitted information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiro Mihira
  • Patent number: 8547602
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a storage unit for storing image data; a readout unit for reading out the image data from the storage unit, while dividing the image data into a plurality of image data; image processing units for respectively performing image processing on the image data read out by the readout unit; an image combining unit for combining the received image data after deleting an unnecessary pixel; a control unit for shifting the plurality of image data, instructing the readout unit to read out image data to include an overlapping region such that the plurality of image data partially overlap each other, and instructing the image combining unit to delete the unnecessary pixel according to the shift; and an output unit for outputting the image data combined by the image combining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsunari Suzuki