Image processing apparatus and method

• US 20030210803A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kato, Shinichi, Ishida, Yoshihiro, Hayashi, Junichi, Iwamura, Keiichi, Eguchi, Takami, Tamaru, Jun, Ohta, Ken-Ichi, Kaneda, Kitahiro
• Application Number:
  US10/396,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210803A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0061 Embedding of the watermark in each block of the image, e.g. segmented watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32219 involving changing the position of selected pixels, e.g. word shifting, or involving modulating the size of image components, e.g. of characters H04N1/32224 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32261 in binary data H04N1/32256 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32299 using more than one embedding method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32315 Selecting a particular method from amongst a plurality of methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark

Abstract

It is required to protect the copyrights and the like of partial images which form respective parts of an image obtained by reading an image, exchanged using a print as a medium, by an image scanner or the like. Input image data is divided into a plurality of image regions having different features, digital watermarks, which are embedded in the detected image regions by embedding methods corresponding to the features of the image regions, are extracted, and the availability of the input image is checked on the basis of the extracted digital watermarks.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input section, arranged to input digital image information;

a detector, arranged to recognize a predetermined image region included in the input image information;

a generator, arranged to generate authentication information required to control a process for the image region; and

an embedding section, arranged to embed the authentication information in the image region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generator and said embedding section generate and embed the authentication information for each predetermined image region.

3. A computer program product storing a computer readable medium having a computer program code, for an image processing method, the product comprising process procedure codes for:

inputting digital image information;

recognizing a predetermined image region included in the input image information;

generating authentication information required to control a process for the image region; and

embedding the authentication information in the image region.

4. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting digital image information;

receiving information that designates a predetermined region contained in the input image information;

compressing image information in the designated region;

converting the compressed image information into code data which is to replace the image information in the designated region; and

replacing the image information in the designated region by the code data.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of determining a type of image information in the designated region, adaptively selecting a compression method on the basis of the determined type, and appending information indicating the selected compression method to the code data.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of receiving input of authentication information required to reconstruct image information before compression from the code data, and appending the input authentication information to the code data.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of generating the code data includes a step of determining a type of image information in the designated region, and adaptively executing binarization or resolution conversion on the basis of the determined type, so as to reduce a data size of the code data to be generated to a value not more than a predetermined value.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the code data is image data in a bitmap format.

9. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting digital image information;

detecting a hidden image region included in the input image information;

extracting code data from the detected image region;

reconstructing an image by expanding the extracted code data; and

synthesizing the reconstructed image with the detected image region.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

extracting authentication information from the code data;

receiving input of authentication information; and

executing expansion when the extracted authentication information matches the input authentication information.

11. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input section, arranged to input digital image information;

a reception section, arranged to receive information that designates a predetermined region contained in the input image information;

a compressor, arranged to compress image information in the designated region;

a converter, arranged to convert the compressed image information into code data which is to replace the image information in the designated region; and

a replacement section, arranged to replace the image information in the designated region by the code data.

12. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input section, arranged to input digital image information;

a detector, arranged to detect a hidden image region included in the input image information;

an extractor, arranged to extract code data from the detected image region;

an expander, arranged to reconstruct an image by expanding the extracted code data; and

a synthesizer, arranged to synthesize the reconstructed image with the detected image region.

13. A computer program product storing a computer readable medium having a computer program code, for an image processing method, the product comprising process procedure codes for:

inputting digital image information;

receiving information that designates a predetermined region contained in the input image information;

compressing image information in the designated region;

converting the compressed image information into code data which is to replace the image information in the designated region; and

replacing the image information in the designated region by the code data.

14. A computer program product storing a computer readable medium having a computer program code, for an image processing method, the product comprising process procedure codes for:

inputting digital image information;

detecting a hidden image region included in the input image information;

extracting code data from the detected image region;

reconstructing an image by expanding the extracted code data; and

synthesizing the reconstructed image with the detected image region.

15. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a detector, arranged to divide an input image into a plurality of image regions having different features;

an embedding section, arranged to embed digital watermarks in the respective detected image regions by embedding methods according to the features of the image regions; and

an integrator, arranged to integrate the image regions embedded with the digital watermarks into one image.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an output section, arranged to output data which makes an image output device form an image on the basis of the integrated image.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image region includes a multi-valued image region and binary image region, and said detector divides the image region into the multi-valued image region and binary image region.

18. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a detector, arranged to divide an input image into a plurality of image regions having different features;

an extractor, arranged to extract digital watermarks embedded in the respective detected image regions by embedding methods according to the features of the image region; and

a determiner, arranged to determine availability of the input image on the basis of the extracted digital watermarks.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said determiner determines availability of an image process for each of the detected image regions.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a controller arranged to control an image input device used to acquire an image from a print.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the image region includes a multi-valued image region and binary image region, and said detector divides the image region into the multi-valued image region and binary image region.

22. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

dividing an input image into a plurality of image regions having different features;

embedding digital watermarks in the respective detected image regions by embedding methods according to the features of the image regions; and

integrating the image regions embedded with the digital watermarks into one image.

23. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

dividing an input image into a plurality of image regions having different features;

extracting digital watermarks embedded in the respective detected image regions by embedding methods according to the features of the image region; and

determining availability of the input image on the basis of the extracted digital watermarks.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the determining step includes a step of determining availability of an image process for each of the detected image regions.

25. A computer program product storing a computer readable medium having a computer program code, for an image processing method, the product comprising process procedure codes for:

dividing an input image into a plurality of image regions having different features;

embedding digital watermarks in the respective detected image regions by embedding methods according to the features of the image regions; and

integrating the image regions embedded with the digital watermarks into one image.

26. A computer program product storing a computer readable medium having a computer program code, for an image processing method, the product comprising process procedure codes for:

dividing an input image into a plurality of image regions having different features;

extracting digital watermarks embedded in the respective detected image regions by embedding methods according to the features of the image region; and

determining availability of the input image on the basis of the extracted digital watermarks.

27. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting digital image information;

recognizing a predetermined image region included in the input image information;

generating authentication information required to control a process for the image region; and

embedding the authentication information in the image region;

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the authentication information is generated and embedded for each predetermined image region.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the embedding step includes a step of embedding the authentication information as a digital watermark.

30. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

extracting information embedded in the predetermined image region; and

controlling the process for the image region on the basis of authentication information contained in the extracted information.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the process for the image region includes at least one of a charge, display, print, copy, and send processes.