Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer product

• US 20060067561A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsubara, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0057 Compression invariant watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency 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 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3217 using wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32187 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected frequency coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32277 Compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a determining unit that determines at least one embed area in an area that is not accessed by an application in an image. An embedding unit embeds at least one piece of embed information into the embed area. A quantizer quantizes the image embedded with the embed information. An encoder encodes the image quantized.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a determining unit to determine at least one embed area in an area that is not accessed by an application in an image;

an embedding unit to embed at least one piece of embed information into the embed area determined by the determining unit;

a quantizer to quantize the image embedded with the embed information; and

an encoder to encode the image quantized by the quantizer.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines the embed area based on a size of the image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines the embed area based on a size of the embed information.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a transforming unit to transform a space of the image, wherein

the determining unit determines the embed area in the space subjected to space transformation by the transforming unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the transforming unit wavelet transforms the image.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the encoder encodes the image based on JPEG2000.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit rewrites a size of an encoding area stored in an Image Header Box of a file format prescribed in IS15444-1 JPEG2000 Part1 into a size of an encoding area including the embed area.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the determining unit rewrites a size in a horizontal direction (Xsiz) of the encoding area including the embed area.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the determining unit rewrites a size in a vertical direction (Ysiz) of the encoding area including the embed area.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines an area surrounding the image as the embed area.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a tiling unit to tile the image, wherein

the determining unit determines an area at a right side of the image tiled by the tiling unit as the embed area.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a tiling unit to tile the image, wherein

the determining unit determines an area at a bottom side of the image tiled by the tiling unit as the embed area.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a tiling unit to tile the image, wherein

the determining unit determines as the embed area, a square area having an origin (XTOsiz, YTOsiz) of a tiling in an upper area of the tiled image and an end point (XOsiz+XOsiz−

1, YOsiz) of an image offset as vertexes, as prescribed in IS15444-1 JPEG2000 Part1.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a tiling unit to tile the image, wherein

the determining unit determines as the embed area, a square area having an origin (XTOsiz, YTOsiz) of a tiling in a left area of the tiled image and an end point (XOsiz+XOsiz−

1, YOsiz) of an image offset as vertexes, as prescribed in IS15444-1 JPEG2000 Part1.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines plural physically separated areas into which the embed information is to be embedded by dividing the embed information, as the embed areas, and

the embedding unit embeds the embed information into the physically separated embed areas by dividing the embed information.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising

an acquiring unit to acquire division information indicating whether the embed information can be divided, wherein

when the determining unit judges that the embed information can be divided based on the division information acquired by the acquiring unit, the determining unit determines plural physically separated areas as the embed areas, and

the embedding unit embeds the embed information by dividing the embed information into the embed areas determined by the determining unit.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

when the embed information has a larger size than a size of information that can be stored in a predetermined area, the determining unit determines plural physically separated areas as the embed areas, and

the embedding unit embeds the embed information by dividing the embed information into the embed areas determined by the determining unit.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

when the embedding unit embeds plural pieces of embed information, the determining unit determines the physically separated areas into which the plural pieces of embed information are to be embedded, as the embed areas, and

the embedding unit embeds the plural pieces of information into the embed areas.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines an area in which information is less easily deleted by quantization by the quantizer compared to other areas, as the embed area.

20. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the image includes plural color components, and

the determining unit determines an area of a brightness component as the embed area.

21. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising

a transforming unit to transform a space of the image based on a wavelet transform system, wherein

the determining unit determines an area of a low-frequency subband out of plural subband areas, as the embed area.

22. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising

a transforming unit to transform a space of the image based on a hierarchical wavelet transform system, wherein

the embed area determining unit determines an area of a higher hierarchical wavelet coefficient out of plural hierarchical areas, as the embed area.

23. The image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the determining unit shifts up the embed area to a maximum value of a bit plane based on a MAXSHIFT system prescribed in IS15444-1 JPEG2000 Part1.

24. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the quantizer post quantizes the image based on a bit plane quantization, and

the determining unit determines a higher bit plane area out of plural bit planes as the embed area.

25. The image processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

the determining unit determines an area on a predetermined bit plane as the embed area, and

the encoder continuously encodes bits contained in the bit plane determined as the embed area by the determining unit.

26. The image processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising

a dividing unit the divide a bit plane into plural coding paths, wherein

the quantizer post quantizes the image based on a bit plane quantization, and

the determining unit determines a higher coding path area out of the coding paths obtained by the dividing unit, as the embed area.

27. The image processing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

the determining unit determines an area on a predetermined coding path as the embed area, and

the encoder continuously encodes bits contained in the coding path determined as the embed area by the determining unit.

28. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the embedding unit embeds the embed information in a gray code.

29. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines an area where a starting point of the embed information coincides with a boundary of an encoding area, as the embed area.

30. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines an area where a starting point of the embed information coincides with a boundary of an access area in each subband coefficient, as the embed area.

31. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines an area where a starting point of the embed information coincides with a boundary of a code block, as the embed area.

32. The image processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein

the determining unit determines an area where a starting point of each of plural pieces of embed information coincides with a boundary of each code block, as the embed area corresponding to each piece of embed information.

33. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a tiling unit that tiles the image, wherein

the determining unit determines an area where a starting point of the embed information coincides with a boundary of tiles obtained by the tiling unit, as the embed area.

34. The image processing apparatus according to claim 33, wherein

the determining unit determines an area where a starting point of each of plural pieces of embed information coincides with a boundary of each tile, as the embed area corresponding to each piece of embed information.

35. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit determines an area adjacent to an access area, as the embed area.

36. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determining unit has a delimiter disposed between an access area and the embed area.

37. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an importance-obtaining unit to obtain importance of the embed information, wherein

the determining unit determines the embed area based on the importance obtained by the importance-obtaining unit.

38. The image processing apparatus according to claim 37, wherein

the determining unit determines an area in which information having higher importance cannot be easily deleted by quantization carried out by the quantizer, as the embed area.

39. The image processing apparatus according to claim 38, wherein

the image includes plural color components, and

the determining unit determines an area of a brightness component as the embed area into which information having higher importance is to be embedded.

40. The image processing apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising

a transforming unit to transform a space of the image based on a wavelet transform system, wherein

the determining unit determines an area of a low-frequency subband out of plural subband areas, as the embed area into which information having higher importance is to be embedded.

41. The image processing apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising

a transforming unit to transform a space of the image based on a hierarchical wavelet transform system, wherein

the embed area determining unit determines an area of a higher hierarchical wavelet coefficient out of plural hierarchies, as the embed area into which information having higher importance is to be embedded.

42. The image processing apparatus according to claim 38, wherein

the quantizer post quantizes the image based on a bit plane quantization, and

the determining unit determines an area of a higher bit plane out of plural bit planes, as the embed area into which information having higher importance is to be embedded.

43. The image processing apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising

a dividing unit to divide the bit plane into plural coding paths, wherein

the quantizer post quantizes the image based on a bit plane quantization, and

the determining unit determines a higher coding path area out of the coding paths obtained by the dividing unit, as the embed area into which information having higher importance is to be embedded.

44. A method comprising:

determining at least one embed area in an area that is not accessed by an application in an image;

embedding at least one piece of embed information into the at least one embed area;

quantizing the image embedded with the embed information; and

encoding the quantized image.

45. A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program which, when executed, causes a computer to perform a method comprising:

determining at least one embed area in an area that is not accessed by an application in an image;

embedding at least one piece of embed information into the at least one embed area;

quantizing the image embedded with the embed information; and

encoding the quantized image.