The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 14, 1998
Mikio Fujita, Yokohama, JP;
Atsuharu Yamamoto, Kawasaki, JP;
Toyoki Kawahara, Kawasaki, JP;
Kunio Yoshida, Kawasaki, JP;
Toru Asano, Sagamihara, JP;
Shigeo Komizo, Tokyo, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
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.