Determining Amount An Image Is Rotated Or Skewed Patents (Class 382/289)
  • Patent number: 8537430
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image by performing exposure scanning of an image carrier is provided. The apparatus includes: a unit for storing image data having a height in a sub-scanning direction equivalent to a certain number of amounts of the image data obtained by a single main scan; a unit for, in a case where a block in which is located a scan line of image data that is the scanning target has moved in a sub-scanning direction, storing a block position and a moving direction; a unit for, based on the skew information, converting image data of the main scan line and outputting an amount of image data that is obtained by a single main scan; and a unit for, when a block unit has been processed, replacing the processed block unit with another block unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kanako Kaneda
  • Patent number: 8532434
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a division section for dividing input image data into portions; an orientation determining section for calculating reliabilities of directions of image data of each portion when the directions are regarded as orientations, and setting an orientation with the highest reliability as an orientation of each portion; a display control section for generating display image data including an image of a target portion whose reliability of an orientation is less than a predetermined value and images of designation regions from which a user's input to designate the orientation of the target portion is entered; and a character recognition section for recognizing characters of each portion in such a manner that the orientation is designated from the designation regions or set by the orientation determining section. This allows prompt recognition of characters of a portion whose reliability of orientation is low, in accordance with a right orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8526762
    Abstract: A method of determining the amount of mis-alignment in one direction of an image of a scene, the image captured by a first camera is described. The method comprising the steps of: defining a line between a first point in the image and a second point in the image, the line extending in the direction of mis-alignment; defining a reference section in the scene to which the image is to be aligned, the reference section of the scene having a reference image characteristic; identifying an image characteristic at different points along the line in the image; and comparing the image characteristic at each point along the line with the reference image characteristic, and determining the amount of mis-alignment by determining the distance between the position of the reference image characteristic of the reference section captured in the image and the defined reference section in the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Jared Cooper
  • Patent number: 8510617
    Abstract: To suppress deterioration in image quality even if skew occurs during conveyance of a medium, an apparatus, which is configured to record on the medium conveyed in a direction that intersects an array direction of a plurality of recording elements using a recording head on which the recording elements are arranged, includes a table in which the recording elements are divided into a plurality of groups, and which includes correction information corresponding to the recording elements for each group, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire position information about the medium in the array direction, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the correction information based on the position information and the table, and a correction unit configured to correct image data based on the correction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hironori Naka
  • Patent number: 8509540
    Abstract: A perimeter around a detected object in a frame of image data can be generated in a first coordinate system. The perimeter can be converted from the first coordinate system into a second coordinate system having the same aspect ratio as the first coordinate system. A first metadata entry can include dimensions of image data in the second coordinate system. A second metadata entry can provide a location and dimensions of the converted perimeter in the second coordinate space. Additional metadata can indicate matching objects between frames, position of an object relative to other objects in a frame, a probability that an object is correctly detected, and a total number of objects detected across multiple frames of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David William Singer, Courtney Ann Kennedy
  • Patent number: 8508811
    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: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ilia V. Safonov, Sang-ho Kim, Ho-keun Lee
  • Patent number: 8509566
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses, including computer program products, are provided for re-layout of composite images. In some implementations, a method includes identifying geometric transformations corresponding to multiple images from a collection of images, where a geometric transformation reorients a corresponding image in relation to a common reference frame when applied and identifying a reference image for the multiple images in the collection of images. The method also includes determining overlapping image regions for the multiple images starting from the reference image, the determining based on the identified geometric transformations, determining additional transformations of a specified type for the multiple images based on the overlapping image regions, where an additional transformation lays out a corresponding image in relation to the reference image when applied, and making the additional transformations available for further processing and output with respect to the collection of images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Hailin Jin, Jen-Chan Chien
  • Patent number: 8503742
    Abstract: A basic component of Computer-Aided Detection systems for digital mammography comprises generating candidate mass locations suitable for further analysis. A component is described that relies on filtering either the background image or the complementary foreground mammographic detail by a purely signal processing method on the one hand or a processing method based on a physical model on the other hand. The different steps of the signal processing approach consist of band-pass filtering the image by one or more band pass filters, multidimensional clustering, iso-contouring of the distance to centroid of the one or more filtered values, and finally candidate generation and segmentation by contour processing. The physics-based approach also filters the image to retrieve a fat-corrected image to model the background of the breast, and the resulting image is subjected to a blob detection filter to model the intensity bumps on the foreground component of the breast that are associated with mass candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Agfa HealthCare NV
    Inventors: Piet Dewaele, Samar Mohamed, Gert Behiels
  • Patent number: 8503766
    Abstract: A depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. A human target in the depth image may then be scanned for one or more body parts such as shoulders, hips, knees, or the like. A tilt angle may then be calculated based on the body parts. For example, a first portion of pixels associated with an upper body part such as the shoulders and a second portion of pixels associated with a lower body part such as a midpoint between the hips and knees may be selected. The tilt angle may then be calculated using the first and second portions of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Zsolt Mathe, Charles Claudius Marais
  • Publication number: 20130195376
    Abstract: An electronic device and method use a camera to capture an image of an environment outside the electronic device followed by identification of regions, based on pixel intensities in the image. At least one processor automatically computes multiple values of an indicator of skew in multiple regions in the image respectively. The multiple values are specific to the multiple regions, and thereafter used to determine whether unacceptable skew is present across the regions, e.g. globally in the image as a whole. When skew is determined to be unacceptable, user input is requested to correct the skew, e.g. by displaying on a screen, a symbol and receiving user input (e.g. by rotating an area of touch or rotating the electronic device) to align a direction of the symbol with a direction of the image, and then the process may repeat (e.g. capture image, detect skew, and if necessary request user input).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Qualcomm Incorporated
  • Patent number: 8494307
    Abstract: A method of determining misalignment between a first image and a second image, the first and second images being viewable stereoscopically, the method comprising: determining a feature position within the first image and a corresponding feature position within the second image; defining, within the first image and the second image, the optical axis of the cameras capturing said respective images; and calculating the misalignment between at least one of scale, roll or vertical translation of the feature position within the first image and the corresponding feature position within the second image, the misalignment being determined in dependence upon the location of the feature position of the first image and the corresponding feature position of the second image relative to the defined optical axis of the respective images is described. A corresponding apparatus is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Richard Thorpe, Sarah Elizabeth Witt
  • Patent number: 8488203
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a skew correcting unit that performs skew correction by dividing an input image that has undergone a halftone process into image data in a predetermined skew correction area in a main scanning direction and by shifting the image data in the skew correction area in a sub-scanning direction; an edge detecting unit that detects whether a pixel at a division position is an edge pixel based on concentrations of a set of pixels including the pixel at the division position; a correction area determining unit that, if detected that the pixel at the division position is the edge pixel, determines a correction area that is an area of pixels including the edge pixel to be subjected to concentration correction within the skew correction area; and an edge correcting unit that corrects concentrations of the pixels within the correction area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Higashiyama, Yoshiaki Kawai, Shingo Nishizaki, Tomohide Kondoh, Masashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8477390
    Abstract: An image processor includes a control unit, wherein the control unit includes an image obtaining unit that obtains an image including a document area corresponding to a document read by an image reader, an edge coordinate detecting unit that detects coordinate values of edge candidate pixels, a tilt calculating unit that calculates a tilt of the document area, or a tilt obtaining unit that obtains the tilt of the document area detected by a predetermined sensor, an edge end coordinate extracting unit that extracts a coordinate value of an edge end candidate pixel, a straight line calculating unit that calculates a straight line corresponding to the edge, and either one or both of a tilt correcting unit that corrects the tilt of the document area by rotating the document area, and an area clipping unit that clips the document area from the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Akira Iwayama
  • Patent number: 8472751
    Abstract: An image processing device that executes deformation of an image. A candidate area setting unit sets candidate areas, each of which includes a specific image, on a target image used as a target for a deformation process. An exclusion determination unit, when there is a candidate area that partially extends off a cropped image that is clipped from the target image through predetermined cropping, excludes the candidate area, which at least partially extends off the cropped image, from the target for the deformation process. A deformation processing unit performs deformation of an image on the candidate areas other than the excluded candidate areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Yamazaki, Goro Ishida, Kosuke Shingai
  • Patent number: 8463073
    Abstract: A “Transform Invariant Low-Rank Texture” (TILT) Extractor, referred to as a “TILT Extractor” accurately extracts both textural and geometric information defining regions of low-rank planar patterns from 2D images of a scene, thereby enabling a large range of image processing applications. Unlike conventional feature extraction techniques that rely on point-based features, the TILT Extractor extracts texture regions from an image and derives global correlations or transformations of those regions in 3D (e.g., transformations including translation, rotation, reflection, skew, scale, etc.). These image domain transformations inherently provide information relative to an automatically determinable camera viewing direction. In other words, the TILT Extractor extracts low-rank regions and geometric correlations describing domain transforms of those regions relative to arbitrary camera viewpoints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yi Ma, Zhengdong Zhang, Xiao Liang
  • Patent number: 8457370
    Abstract: A method of authenticating users is provided that includes capturing biometric authentication data of a user and processing the captured biometric data into an image. Moreover, the method includes determining a region of interest of the image and a gray scale image from the image, determining an optimum transformation parameter set within the region of interest, and aligning the gray scale image with an enrollment gray scale image generated during enrollment of the user using results of the optimum transformation parameter set determination. Furthermore, the method includes extracting biometric feature data from the gray scale image and verifying an identity of the user with extracted biometric feature data included in a region of agreement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Daon Holdings Limited
    Inventor: Nicolas Jacques Jean Sezille
  • Patent number: 8452082
    Abstract: A method of processing a digital image having a predetermined color pattern, includes converting the predetermined color pattern of the digital image into a converted digital image having a different desired color pattern; and using algorithms adapted for use with the desired color pattern for processing the converted digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Russell J. Palum, Bruce H. Pillman
  • Patent number: 8442356
    Abstract: Methods of analyzing three dimensional data sets obtained from a sample over time are provided. The methods include aligning first and second volume intensity projection (VIP) images based on at least one landmark in the first and second VIP images. The first and second VIP images are obtained from a first three dimensional data set obtained from the sample at a first time and a second three dimensional data set obtained from the sample at a second time, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Bioptgien, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric L. Buckland, William J. Brown, Joseph A. Izatt
  • Patent number: 8437537
    Abstract: A method estimates a 3D pose of a 3D specular object in an environment. In a preprocessing step, a set of pairs of 2D reference images are generated using a 3D model of the object, and a set of poses of the object, wherein each pair of reference images is associated with one of the poses. Then, a pair of 2D input images are acquired of the object. A rough 3D pose of the object is estimated by comparing features in the pair of 2D input images and the features in each pair of 2D reference images using a rough cost function. The rough estimate is optionally refined using a fine cost function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ju Yong Chang, Amit Kumar Agrawal, Ashok N. Veeraraghavan, Ramesh N. Raskar, Jay E. Thorton
  • Patent number: 8437576
    Abstract: An image forming method includes receiving an image, detecting a text area from the image, transforming the detected text area into a binary image and calculating an asymmetry parameter of the binary image, and detecting orientation of the image based on the calculated asymmetry parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sergei V. Efimov
  • Patent number: 8422811
    Abstract: Characteristics of image data from a reading unit are unified for storage. The state of the image data is recognized and retained as auxiliary information. The auxiliary information is checked, and an image skew and the like are detected according to a target output format to perform a correction process. At that time, an optimum image processing path is selected for processing according to the state of implementation of hardware and software. A simple process can be performed at an image processing apparatus, while a complex process is performed at a network-connected PC. Since a unit configuration can be selected according to the purpose of image processing, processing can be performed with a simple configuration at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Akira Murakata
  • Patent number: 8417059
    Abstract: A motion vector calculation unit calculates inter-frame movement amounts. A masked region specification unit separates the entire edge image of frame feature data into (i) an edge image showing relatively large movement amounts and (ii) an edge image showing relatively small movement amounts. The masked region specification unit then specifies the edge image showing relatively large movement amounts as a region to be masked. This way, a correction parameter is detected from a region other than the masked region. When the correction parameter is a slang angle, a slant correction unit performs slant correction on a frame picture obtained by an image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 8417057
    Abstract: A method of compensating for distortion in text recognition is provided, which includes extracting a text region from an image; estimating the form of an upper end of the extracted text region; estimating the form of a lower end of the extracted text region; estimating the form of left and right sides of the extracted text region; estimating a diagram constituted in the form of the estimated upper end, lower end, left and right sides, and including a minimum area of the text region; and transforming the text region constituting the estimated diagram into a rectangular diagram using an affine transform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Industry Foundation of Chonnam National University
    Inventors: Sang-Wook Oh, Seong-Taek Hwang, Hyun-Soo Kim, Sang-Ho Kim, Guee-Sang Lee, Soo-Hyung Kim, Hyung-Jeong Yang, Eui-Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 8417016
    Abstract: An acceptor device for sheet objects such as banknotes, comprises a sensor to derive data corresponding to a spatial array of data samples from a face of a sheet object, said data being configured in a sampling frame that lies within a range of positional relationships to a reference frame. The acceptor device also comprises a processor operable to process the data to determine the relationship between the reference frame and the sampling frame for the sensed data, and being operable to transform pre-selected regions of the sensed data from the sampling frame so as to correspond to data in the reference frame, and to make a comparison of the transformed data with reference data corresponding to the pre-selected regions in the reference frame and to the sheet object depending on the outcome of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Money Controls Limited
    Inventors: Malcolm Reginald Hallas Bell, Kevin Charles Mulvey, Andrew William Barson, John Ashby
  • Patent number: 8411161
    Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for automatically estimating the tilting angle in tilted images enables level correction of the images. A preferred orientation of objects in an image and the deviation of the current orientation from the preferred orientation is determined by tilt image analysis without object recognition. Tilt image analysis includes several steps such as gradient feature computation, line segment tracking, line segment estimation and orientation deviation estimation. Once the tilt angle is determined, the image can be corrected so that an object or scene is not tilted or is tilted by only the appropriate amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Liangyin Yu, Ming-Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 8411997
    Abstract: An image capture device includes a capture unit configured to capture an image of an object, an object detection unit configured to detect the object in the image captured by the capture unit, an angle detection unit configured to detect an angle of the object detected by the object detection unit, and a control unit configured to perform a predetermined control operation for the image capture device based on the angle of the object detected by the angle detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 8406568
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an image-processing system is capable of receiving an image containing text, applying optical character recognition to the image, and then audibly reproducing the text via text-to-speech synthesis. Prior to optical character recognition, an orientation corrector is capable of detecting an amount of angular rotation of the text in the image with respect to horizontal, and then rotating the image by an appropriate amount to sufficiently align the text with respect to horizontal for optimal optical character recognition. The detection may be performed using steerable filters to provide an energy versus orientation curve of the image data. A maximum of the energy curve may indicate the amount of angular rotation that may be corrected by the orientation corrector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Oscar Nestares
  • Patent number: 8405736
    Abstract: Techniques for reducing the amount of time a camera device requires to automatically adjust focus and/or exposure settings prior to image capture are described. As disclosed, sensor data is used to identify the camera device's orientation. Once known, face detection operations are performed for only that orientation thereby dramatically reducing the amount of processing time required to perform the face detection. The result of the face detection operations may be used to automatically adjust the image capture device's focus and/or exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph Brunner
  • Patent number: 8406570
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which processes a scanned image in which a document image is shown, and includes a reliability determining section and a display control section. The reliability determining section determines reliability of coincidences of respective first through fourth directions with a first reference direction, the first through fourth directions being perpendicular to or reverse to each other, the first reference direction being an upward direction of the document image. The display control section creates markers indicating the respective first through fourth directions, and causes a display device to display a preview image in which the markers and the scanned image overlap each other. Further, the display control section causes the markers to be displayed in respective different ways by changing respective densities in accordance with the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuhisa Morimoto, Yohsuke Konishi
  • Patent number: 8401338
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus for performing image processing of image data in which information specifying, on a first coordinate system, a position of a portion of interest in an image is recorded, including an image processing unit configured to perform rotation processing of the image data using a second coordinate system having an origin different from that of the first coordinate system, and a change unit configured to change the information specifying the position of the portion of interest in accordance with a rotation amount of the image data by the rotation processing such that an image of the portion of interest specified by the information specifying the position of the portion of interest after the rotation processing matches that before the rotation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuhei Konno
  • Patent number: 8400678
    Abstract: Disclosed are FIFO type methods, systems and apparatus for electronically registering image data relative to a raster or other marking device. According to an exemplary method, a FIFO type data queuing configuration is provided, where the length of data memory segments associated with the FIFO are selected to correspond to the number of raster lines from the most upstream point of the physical raster to the point where the given pixel column intersects the physical raster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Loce, Jess R. Gentner, Kenneth R. Miller, Beilei Xu
  • Patent number: 8395672
    Abstract: An imaging device capable of detecting and correcting, with high accuracy, the motion (image rotation) in the rolling direction of the image caused by the camera shake during imaging without being influenced by the individual variation, temperature characteristic, and variation with time of the sensor. To correct the motion (image rotation) in the rolling direction of the image caused by the camera shake during imaging, the result of detection of the angle of inclination of the device by an angle sensor (8a) is corrected with the result of detection of the angle of inclination of the image on the basis of the feature of the captured image by an image inclination detecting section (7), and the imaging device (3) is rotated around the optical axis or an axis parallel to the optical axis according to the corrected angle of inclination of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Masanobu Tanaka, Atsuo Ochi, Hiroya Kusaka, Hideyuki Hashi
  • Patent number: 8391542
    Abstract: Provided is an iterative method of estimating the pose of a moving PTZ camera. The first step is to use an image registration method on a reference image and a current image to calculate a matrix that estimates the motion of sets of points corresponding to the same object in both images. Information about the absolute camera pose, embedded in the matrix obtained in the first step, is used to simultaneously recalculate both the starting positions in the reference image and the motion estimate. The recalculated starting positions and motion estimate are used to determine the pose of the camera in the current image. The current image is taken as a new reference image, a new current image is selected and the process is repeated in order to determine the pose of the camera in the new current image. The entire process is repeated until the camera stops moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: DVTel, Inc.
    Inventor: Nir Avrahami
  • Patent number: 8391560
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system for image identification and identification result output, which determines a location coordinate with respect to an image and a rotating angle based on at least one direction of the image according to features of the image. The image is compared to a plurality of sample images stored in a database according to the rotating angle so as to obtain at least one identification result. By means of the method and the system of the present invention, identification can be achieved with respect to various rotating angles and distances so as to improve the identification rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ya-Hui Tsai, Yu-Ting Lin, Kuo-Tang Huang, Chun-Lung Chang, Tung-Chuan Wu
  • Patent number: 8379956
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an improved system and method for image file header configuration. Certain embodiments of the method include retrieving one or more criterion for configuration of an image orientation parameter, configuring the image orientation parameter based on the one or more criterion, obtaining image data, and storing the image data in an image file. The image file has a header portion including the image orientation parameter. In an embodiment, the image orientation parameter may be modified from a default configuration. The one or more criterion may include user preference, modality restriction, system preference, and/or rule, for example. The method may further include saving the image file with the configured image orientation parameter. Additionally, the method may include displaying an image according to the configured image orientation parameter. The image may be automatically oriented for display based on the configured image orientation parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jon C. Omernick, Tabb A. Patz, Tammy Michael Merisotis
  • Patent number: 8368942
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a multi-cropping function that automatically crops the scanned images of a plurality of original sheets placed on a platen of an image reading apparatus all at one pass. The desired number of cropped images is input by the user, and the number of cropped images detected when cropping the image of the original sheets placed on the platen, are compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Hattori
  • Patent number: 8363261
    Abstract: Methods, software, circuits and apparatuses for detecting a malfunction in an imaging device. The methods generally comprise orienting an image at an angle on an image detecting device; detecting the image; determining an error in the image; and correlating the error to a malfunction in the imaging device. Software instructions can be adapted to determine an orientation angle of an image; analyze the image to detect an error; and calculate a location of a malfunction in the imaging device. The circuits generally include a memory element; logic configured to calculate the orientation of an image; a processor configured to analyze the image and locate a fault; and logic configured to determine a location of the fault in the image and correlate the fault to a malfunction in an imaging device. The present invention advantageously provides a lower cost technique for detecting a malfunction in a high resolution imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Gary D. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8358871
    Abstract: A skewed image data detecting and correcting device includes a skew angle detecting module, and an image rotating correction module. A skewed image data detecting and correcting method includes the following steps. Firstly, a binary digitizing operation is performed to obtain a binary image data. The binary image data is rotated by multiple different rotating angles, thereby obtaining multiple rotated binary image data. The pixel numbers of all horizontal rows of the rotated binary image data are totalized, thereby obtaining multiple horizontal pixel number distribution curves. A high-pass filtering procedure is performed to filter off low-frequency noise, thereby obtaining multiple high-frequency signal curves. The square sums of respective high-frequency signal curves are calculated, thereby obtaining multiple index values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: AVerMedia Information, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien-Hui Tu, Cheng-Yueh Lo, De-Wei Huang, Yung-Hsi Wu
  • Patent number: 8346071
    Abstract: A camera system includes a detection unit that detects fitting errors of a camera as displacement quantities in a first direction, a second direction and an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera, a selection unit that selects a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction from plural rotation correction maps prepared in advance, a computation unit that computes the correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction respectively based on the detected displacement quantities in the first direction and the second direction using linear equations; and a correction unit that corrects the displacements in the first direction, the second direction and the optical axis rotating direction of the picked up image based on the selected rotation correcting quantity and the computed correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Higashibara, Daisuke Sugawara, Kazuhiko Sakai, Akihiro Kanaoka
  • Patent number: 8346018
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus obtains registration information associated with an information processing apparatus at a transmission destination to which an image read by an image reader is to be transmitted. Based on the registration information, the image processing apparatus determines whether the information processing apparatus requires executing image rotation at the image processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Tomita
  • Patent number: 8340433
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus include: a storage unit storing an image of a processing target; a tangent calculating unit extracting contours as a bent lines represented by sets of contour points from an image read from the storage unit and computing tangents to the extracted contour; a projecting unit projecting computed tangents to axes in directions orthogonal to the corresponding tangents, and computing coordinates of intersections where the tangents intersect the axes; and a rectangle calculating unit selecting intersections with maximum values and minimum values of coordinates among intersections computed by the projecting unit for each direction of the axis, and computing a rectangle formed by a pair of parallel tangents passing through two intersections with maximum values and minimum values selected for a first axis and another pair of tangents passing through two intersections with maximum values and minimum values selected for a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohisa Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8331738
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for reducing a size of a memory buffer used by an electronic registration correction system performing an electronic registration correction on a digital image. The present method uses column address segmentation to identify blocks of scanlines within a spatially mapped array of image pixels comprising a digital image. Advantageously, the present system and method reduces scanline buffer memory by a factor of 2n-1, where n is the number of column address segments. Buffering can be performed at almost any upstream location in the image path. The present method is well suited for high resolution imaging equipment where memory is constrained by design, cost, or space limitations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Hosier, Jess R. Gentner, Kenneth R. Miller
  • Patent number: 8331736
    Abstract: An image processing device is provided which generates an easily reusable electronic document from an input image in which different page sizes are mixed. The image processing device generates a plurality of pieces of display information from a plurality of document images, and, depending on the size and the direction of each of the images, converts the pieces of display information into electronic documents. That is, the plurality of pieces of display information are divided into a plurality of groups, depending on the size and the direction of each of the images, and the display information included in each of the groups is converted into a separate electronic document. Further, sequence information based on the input order of the plurality of document images is stored on an electronic document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiko Nakanishi, Makoto Enomoto, Taeko Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8331725
    Abstract: A wireless device or camera phone device that is adapted to create in the device a larger, panoramic image of two photographic images provided the two images have a common overlapping region. The panoramic image can be created even if the two images are at different rotations or perspectives. The device corrects for any rotational differences prior to creating the panoramic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Babak Forutanpour
  • Patent number: 8326083
    Abstract: An image processing circuit includes: a memory that stores the location and pixel values that compose graphical images; a calculation unit that calculates the difference between a target location to which the graphical images is aligned in binary image data and an initial location designated in the graphical images; an output unit that outputs pixel values at locations distanced from the locations of the pixel values by an amount equivalent to the calculated difference; a first multiplier that multiplies the output pixel value with the pixel value included in the binary image data; an inverter that inverts the pixel value in the binary image data; a second multiplier that multiplies the pixel values in the binary image data or the pixel values included in background image data with the inverted pixel values; and an adder that adds the result of the multiplications performed by the first and second multipliers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Ono, Takashi Sawasaki, Akira Saito
  • Patent number: 8326085
    Abstract: The present invention enables inclination detection by detecting an inclination of a document image based on a feature of a document area. In order to achieve this, reduction processing is performed on document image data including the document area so as to generate a reduced document image corresponding to the document area that has been extracted. Thereafter, filter processing is performed on the reduced document image so as to generate an edge image by extracting at least one edge of the document area. Then, a straight line adjoining an edge of the edge image is detected using a Hough transformation so that the inclination of the document image is determined based on an inclination of the straight line. Consequently, inclination detection with high accuracy can be performed based on the feature of the document area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8320708
    Abstract: A reading machine that operates in various modes includes image correction processing is described. The reading device pre-processes an image prior to optical character recognition processing by detect distortion in an image of a page by measuring an extent to which page boundaries in the image deviate from a simple rectangular shape and correcting for the optical distortion by transforming the image to restore the page to a rectangular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond C. Kurzweil, Paul Albrecht, Lucy Gibson, Lev Lvovsky
  • Patent number: 8320644
    Abstract: A perimeter around a detected object in a frame of image data can be generated in a first coordinate system. The perimeter can be converted from the first coordinate system into a second coordinate system having the same aspect ratio as the first coordinate system. A first metadata entry can include dimensions of image data in the second coordinate system. A second metadata entry can provide a location and dimensions of the converted perimeter in the second coordinate space. Additional metadata can indicate matching objects between frames, position of an object relative to other objects in a frame, a probability that an object is correctly detected, and a total number of objects detected across multiple frames of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David William Singer, Courtney Ann Kennedy
  • Patent number: 8300982
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus for carrying out an information registration process to register preference information of a user for an item determined in advance. The information processing apparatus including: image feature quantity extraction means; an object image feature quantity database; an object image preference information database; matching image detection means; and preference information acquisition means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Koike
  • Patent number: 8295642
    Abstract: A first line sensor optically reads a first surface of an original in a main scanning direction to obtain first line image data. A second line sensor arranged in parallel to the first line sensor at a predetermined distance optically reads a second surface of the original to obtain second line image data. A tilt detecting unit detects main-scanning coordinates of a first edge and a second edge from the first line image data, detects main-scanning coordinates of a third edge and a fourth edge from the second line image data, and detects a tilt of the original with respect to a sub-scanning direction based on the detected main-scanning coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Fumio Yoshizawa