Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Shigeo Komizo

Mikio Fujita

Atsuharu Yamamoto

Toyoki Kawahara

Toru Asano

Hiroaki Kotera

Kunio Yoshida

Hiroyoshi Tsuchiya

Katsuo Nakazato

Kunio Sannomiya

Kuinio Yoshida

An image input section enters a document image including a bar code, and converts the document image into a binary image. A small pattern removing section removes small patterns from a binary image sent from the input section. A labeling section separates the binary image into labeled regions and calculates the feature quantity including a center position of each labeled region. A region detecting section makes a group of labeled regions spaced at a predetermined positional relationship based on their feature quantities and detects a bar code candidate region. A decoding section decodes the bar code based on the feature quantity involved in the bar code candidate region.

Bar code image processing apparatus

An image input section enters a document image including a bar code, and converts the document image into a binary image. An image memory section memorizes the binary image supplied from the image input section. A mask judging section performs a scanning operation using an M.times.M pixel window for detecting an alternate pattern from the binary image supplied from the image input section. A small pattern removing section removes small patterns from a binary image sent from the mask judging section. An expanding section expands a pattern involved in a binary image by an amount equivalent to k1 pixels when this binary image is sent from the small pattern removing section. A contracting section contracts a pattern involved in a binary image by an amount equivalent to k2 pixels when this binary image is sent from the expanding section. A region detecting section obtains the feature quantity of each pattern involved in a binary image sent from the contracting section, and detects a bar code candidate region based on the detected feature quantity. And, a decoding section decodes a detected bar code by reading a specific image region from the image memory section when the specific image region corresponds to the bar code candidate region detected by the region detecting section.

Bar code image processing apparatus capable of identifying position and

A portable terminal apparatus provided with an image processing function permitting automatic image-pickup without manual focusing which includes an optical system for forming an optical image of a surface of a subject, a two-dimensional photoelectric conversion element for performing photoelectric conversion onto the formed optical image, a signal conversion device for converting an output signal of the photoelectric conversion element into a digital signal, a memory device for temporarily storing the two-dimensional image signal digitized by the signal conversion device, a subject position detecting device storing the optimum image-formation distance of the optical system in advance and for detecting the distance between the subject and the optical system, and an image inputting device including an electronic shutter device which supplies a video signal on the two-dimensional photoelectric conversion element to the memory device to hold the video signal in the memory device instantaneously when the subject position detecting device detects that the subject is located at an image-forming distance.

Portable information terminal apparatus having image processing function

Disclosed is a document generator which comprises a memory unit for storing a digital picture signal obtained by picking up an image of a surface of a distributed object in which code information such as an ID number peculiar to the distributed object is provided by a notation tool including a bar code, a code information reading unit for selectively reading code information from the picture signal, and a retry unit for code information reading.

Document generator including a pickup means for detecting picture

An apparatus for receiving input data values representing an array of picture elements of a source image containing one or more bar code regions, whereby the input data values are converted to bi-level values representing black or white states which are stored in an image memory, while in addition the bi-level values are processed to obtain data representing an image in which a 'skeleton' central portion of the bar code region appears as an all-black region, while background black regions are eliminated. A central position and the slope of a central axis of the bar code region are computed based on that 'skeleton' region, and data values in the image memory which conform to the central axis are then read out, to read the bar code data.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shigeo Komizo