INFORMATION DETECTION APPARATUS AND INFORMATION DETECTION METHOD

• US 20130208946A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Yuta, Iizaka, Hitoshi, Mihara, Hidemi, Naito, Hidehiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0063 with means for detecting the geometric dimensions of the article of which the code is read, such as its size or height, for the verification of the registration

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information detection apparatus includes an image input unit, a symbol detection unit, a service information detection unit and an output unit. The image input unit inputs an image captured by an image capturing apparatus. The symbol detection unit configured to detect a first symbol and a second symbol, which are predetermined, according to the image input by the image input unit. The service information detection unit configured to detect a service information existing at a relative position predetermined for the first symbol and the second symbol in the image when the first symbol and the second symbol are detected by the symbol detection unit according to the image input by the image input unit. The output unit configured to output the service information detected by the service information detection unit.

Claims

1. An information detection apparatus, comprising:

an image input unit configured to input an image captured by an image capturing apparatus;

a symbol detection unit configured to detect a first symbol and a second symbol, which are predetermined, according to the image input by the image input unit;

a service information detection unit configured to detect a service information existing at a relative position predetermined for the first symbol and the second symbol in the image when the first symbol and the second symbol are detected by the symbol detection unit according to the image input by the image input unit; and

an output unit configured to output the service information detected by the service information detection unit.

2. The information detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first symbol is a symbol representing a monetary unit, the second symbol is the shape of a border line surrounding the symbol, and the relative position is specified as any one direction taking the symbol as an initial point in a region surrounded by the border line.

3. The information detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the shape of the border line taken as the second symbol is a shape that all or part of rectangular corners are prominent towards an inner side.

4. The information detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first symbol includes the symbol representing the monetary unit and an end mark in a specified shape, the second symbol is in the shape of the border line surrounding the symbol and the end mark, and the relative position is in the region surrounded the border line and located between the symbol and the end mark.

5. The information detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recognition code detection apparatus configured to detect the recognition code of a commodity from a code symbol in the image input by the image input unit, wherein

the output unit outputs the recognition code detected by the recognition code detection unit in addition to the service information detected by the service information detection unit

6. An information detection method, comprising:

inputting an image captured by an image capturing apparatus;

detecting a first symbol and a second symbol, which are predetermined, according to the input image;

detecting a service information existing at a relative position predetermined for the first symbol and the second symbol in the image when the first symbol and the second symbol are detected according to the input image; and

outputting the detected service information.