Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masami Kugai

Tetsuomi Tanaka

Shugoro Ueno

The content utilizing method includes the steps of encrypting the encrypted requested content with a predetermined encrypting key and transmitted to a content processing apparatus, generating and transmitting license control information including usage right information having identification information, and condition of use of the selected content and user specific information together with a decrypting key corresponding to the encrypting key to a usage right control server controlling the usage right of the content. If the utilizing authorization of the content is verified, the usage right information and the decrypting key are transmitted from the authorizing server to the content processing apparatus, and the content is decrypted by the decrypting key in the content processing apparatus and the decrypted content is processed based on the usage right information. In this manner an arbitrary content distribution is enabled to protect the content by a copyright protection without requiring a special recording media.

Content utilizing method

A service providing method which uses a user terminal, a service providing apparatus, and an authentication apparatus is disclosed. In the method, authentication data is generated and encrypted by using an encryption key which is stored in the user terminal. The encrypted authentication data is transmitted from the authentication apparatus to the user terminal through the service providing apparatus. The encrypted authentication data is decrypted in the user terminal by using the encryption key. The decrypted authentication data is returned to the authentication apparatus through the service providing apparatus, and an authentication is executed in the authentication apparatus by comparing the decrypted authentication data transmitted from the user terminal with the authentication data before encryption. The service providing apparatus provides a service to the user in accordance with a result of the authentication.

Method and system for authenticating user and providing service

A technique for reversible compression of digital data enables lossless data compression at high speed while taking advantage of high-speed decompression. In the technique, a dictionary area is reserved and initialized, the dictionary area being constructed with first and second storage areas. A computer program and storage medium are provided as well.

Method, apparatus, computer program and storage medium for data compression

Image data representing a text-containing original image read by a scanner or the like is subjected to area partitioning processing and character recognition processing so as to be converted to icons and displayed (S,-S,). The icons include icons representing text and bitmap images, etc. When any icon is designated by a mouse (S,), image data that has undergone the area partitioning processing and character recognition processing and that corresponds to this icon is displayed (S,-S,).

Image processing apparatus and method

Character recognizing method and apparatus for recognizing a character in an input document image and outputting the document as a recognition result by a visible image. The apparatus comprises a feature extracter for extracting a feature vector from an input character image, a recognition dictionary for storing a standard pattern of a character including font information, and an output unit for outputting a character code of the identified standard pattern and color information corresponding to the font kind. The dictionary stores the standard pattern every font.

Character recognizing method and apparatus

An information recognition apparatus includes a first identification unit for performing first identification processing and a second identification unit for performing second identification processing, as units for identifying information. In this apparatus, the first identification unit and the second identification unit can perform identification processing in parallel. An information recognition method includes performing first identification processing and second identification processing as processing for identifying information. In this method, the first identification processing and the second identification processing can be performed in parallel.

Information recognition with transmission between character segmenting

In a character recognition apparatus, the determination processing of whether or not there exists a character line in a segment region is divided into two processes. The initial confirmation process determines the existence or nonexistence of a character line in a segment region having a first size using first determination means. The second confirmation process determines the existence of a character line in a segment region having a second size which is larger than the first size using second determination means. Hence, a noise image is determined to have no character line at a stage in which the segment region has been set to the second size, and a correct character recognition operation is therefore performed. Furthermore, when there is a plane image within the first region, it is determined that there is no character line at a stage in which the small segment region having the first size has been set. Hence, it is possible to shorten the time for the recognition processing.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Masami Kugai