Image generation apparatus, image processing apparatus, computer readable medium and computer data signal

• US 20080101702A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Onishi, Takeshi, Sonoda, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

An image generation apparatus includes an acquisition unit and a generation unit. The acquisition unit acquires information to be embedded in each of a plurality of partitions on a recording medium. The generation unit generates an image in which first pattern images representing the information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information from the first pattern images are placed in each of the plurality of partitions. The first and second pattern images are ones of _mC_n pattern images which are obtained by placing a unit image in n points selected from among m points where m and n are natural numbers, m≧4, and 2≦n<m.

Claims

1. An image generation apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires information to be embedded in each of a plurality of partitions on a recording medium; and

a generation unit that generates an image in which first pattern images representing the information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information from the first pattern images are placed in each of the plurality of partitions, the first and second pattern images being ones of _mC_n pattern images which are obtained by placing a unit image in n points selected from among m points where m and n are natural numbers, m>

4, and 2<

n<

m.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

m is a square number,

the second pattern image is one selected from among 4q pattern images, of the _mC_n pattern images, for detecting rotation of the partitions, and

the first pattern images is ones selected from among 2^p pattern images of the _mC_n pattern images except the 4q pattern images, where p and q are natural numbers satisfying 2^p+4q ≦

_mC_n.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

m is a product of two different integers,

the second pattern image is one selected from among 2q pattern images, of the _mC_n pattern images, for detecting rotation of the partitions, and

the first pattern images are ones selected from among 2^p pattern images of the _mC_n pattern images except the 2q pattern images, where p and q are natural numbers satisfying 2^p+2q ≦

_mC_n.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the second pattern image belongs to any of a plurality of pattern image groups,

the plurality of pattern image groups are respectively associated with rules relating to placement of the first pattern images, and

the generation unit generates the image in which the first pattern images are placed according to a specific rule and the second pattern image belonging to the pattern image group associated with the specific rule is placed.

5. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit that acquires an image from a recording medium on which formed is the image containing first pattern images representing information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information; and

an information acquisition unit that acquires the information represented by the first pattern images contained in the image, based on the second pattern image contained in the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, wherein;

the second pattern image belongs to any of a plurality of pattern image groups,

the plurality of pattern image groups are respectively associated with rules relating to placement of the first pattern images, and

the information acquisition unit determines the pattern image group to which the second pattern image belongs, and acquires the information in accordance with the rule associated with the determined pattern image group.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the image includes the first pattern images and the second pattern image which are selected from among _mC_n pattern images obtained by placing a unit image in n points selected from among m points where m and n are natural numbers, m≧

4, and 2≦

n<

m, and

the first and second pattern images are placed in each of the plurality of partitions on the recording medium.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rule relates to at least one of a size of each partition and types of information placed in respective positions of each partition.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rule relates to a method of selecting the first pattern images from a plurality of pattern image groups.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the image is formed with an invisible image formation material having an absorption wavelength in an infrared region, and

the information acquisition unit applies infrared light to the recording medium to acquiring the image.

10. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for generating an image, the process comprising:

acquiring information to be embedded in each of a plurality of partitions on a recording medium; and

generating the image in which first pattern images representing the information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information from the first pattern images are placed in each of the plurality of partitions, the first and second pattern images being ones of _mC_n pattern images which are obtained by placing a unit image in n points selected from among m points where m and n are natural numbers, m≧

4, and 2≦

n<

m.

11. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute image processing, the image processing comprising:

acquiring an image from a recording medium on which formed is the image containing first pattern images representing information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information; and

acquiring the information represented by the first pattern images contained in the image, based on the second pattern image contained in the acquired image, wherein;

the second pattern image belongs to any of a plurality of pattern image groups, and

the plurality of pattern image groups are respectively associated with rules relating to placement of the first pattern images,

the image processing further comprising;

determining the pattern image group to which the second pattern image belongs; and

acquiring the information in accordance with the rule associated with the determined pattern image group.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for generating an image, the process comprising:

acquiring information to be embedded in each of a plurality of partitions on a recording medium; and

generating the image in which first pattern images representing the information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information from the first pattern images are placed in each of the plurality of partitions, the first and second pattern images being ones of _mC_n pattern images which are obtained by placing a unit image in n points selected from among m points where m and n are natural numbers, m≧

4, and 2≦

n<

m.

13. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform image processing, the image processing comprising:

acquiring an image from a recording medium on which formed is the image containing first pattern images representing information and a second pattern image controlling acquisition of the information; and

acquiring the information represented by the first pattern images contained in the image, based on the second pattern image contained in the acquired image, wherein;

the second pattern image belongs to any of a plurality of pattern image groups, and

the plurality of pattern image groups are respectively associated with rules relating to placement of the first pattern images,

the image processing further comprising;

determining the pattern image group to which the second pattern image belongs; and

acquiring the information in accordance with the rule associated with the determined pattern image group.