Method and apparatus for determining a predetermined pattern on an original based on visible and invisible information on the original

• US 6,201,616 B1
• Filed: 05/08/1997
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Tetsuya, Hayashi, Toshio, Utagawa, Tsutomu, Sasanuma, Nobuatsu, Nakai, Takehiko, Tanioka, Hiroshi, Uchida, Yoshiki, Arimoto, Shinobu, Yoshinaga, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US08/848,389
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 358/402, 358/450, 358/501, 355/201, 382/135, 382/161, 382/165, 382/181
• US Class Current: 358/450
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/046 by discriminating a special original, e.g. a bank note
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus

Abstract

An image processor includes a first reader which obtains a first signal corresponding to visible information read on an original, and a second reader which obtains a second signal corresponding to invisible information on the original. A comparator compares the first and second signals to discriminate a predetermined pattern on the original.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

first reading means for obtaining a first signal corresponding to visible information on an original;

second reading means for obtaining a second signal corresponding to invisible information on the original; and

comparing means for performing a comparison by using the first and second signals in order to discriminate a predetermined pattern,

wherein said comparing means judges whether said second signal is based on the information obtained from the face of the original or on the information obtained from the back of the original.

2. An image processing apparatus comprising:

first reading means for obtaining a first signal corresponding to visible information on an original;

second reading means for obtaining a second signal corresponding to invisible information on the original; and

comparing means for performing a comparison by using the first and second signals in order to discriminate a predetermined pattern,

wherein said comparing means outputs a correlation between a signal ratio of the invisible information of a first region and a second region on the original and a signal ratio of the visible information of said first and second regions.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said comparing means compares the signal ratio of the invisible information with a predetermined value to determine whether the signal ratio of the invisible information is larger than the predetermined value.

4. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting signals of plural components according to an image;

detection means for detecting, by using the signals of the plural components inputted by said input means, presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color which is visibly and substantially the same as a background color of the image and which has characteristic information on a concentric circle; and

output means for outputting a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detection of said detection means is performed by pattern matching.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image processing apparatus is a color copy machine.

9. An image processing method comprising:

an input step of inputting signals of plural components according to an image;

a detection step of detecting, by using the signals of the plural components inputted in said input step, presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color which is visibly and substantially the same as a background color of the image and which has characteristic information on a concentric circle; and

an output step of outputting a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the detection in said detection step is performed by pattern matching.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein said image processing method is performed by a judgment circuit.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said image processing method is performed by a color copy machine.

14. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting signals of plural components according to an image;

detection means for detecting, by using the signals of the plural components inputted by said input means, presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color which has characteristic information on a plurality of circles; and

output means for outputting a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detection performed by said detection means is performed by pattern matching.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

18. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said image processing apparatus is a color copying machine.

19. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said detection means detects colors and patterns.

20. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said input means inputs the signals of plural components read by an image scanner.

21. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the recording process is color printing.

22. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising control means for controlling a color printing process of the signals of plural components in accordance with the signal outputting of said output means.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said control means inhibits normal color printing.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said control means controls any of a solid painting process, a hatching process, stop of the printing, and power off of said image processing apparatus.

25. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting signals of plural components according to an image;

detection means for detecting, by using the signals of the plural components inputted by said input means, presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color, wherein, in the specific pattern, a predetermined pattern is visibly arranged along a predetermined-shape periphery; and

output means for outputting a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the detection performed by said detection means is performed by pattern matching.

28. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

29. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said image processing apparatus is a color copying machine.

30. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said detection means detects colors and patterns.

31. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said input means inputs the signals of plural components read by an image scanner.

32. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the recording process is color printing.

33. An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising control means for controlling a color printing process of the signals of plural components in accordance with the signal outputting of said output means.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said control means inhibits normal color printing.

35. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said control means controls any of a solid painting process, a hatching process, stop of the printing, and power off of said image processing apparatus.

36. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the predetermined shape is a circle.

37. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the predetermined pattern is a circular pattern.

38. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the specific pattern the plural predetermined patterns are arranged along the predetermined-shape periphery.

39. An image processing method for use in an image processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting signals of plural components according to an image;

detecting, by using the signals of the plural components inputted in said inputting step, presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color which has characteristic information on a plurality of circles; and

outputting a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

41. A method according to claim 39, wherein said detecting step is performed by pattern matching.

42. A method according to claim 39, wherein the image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

43. A method according to claim 39, wherein the image processing apparatus is a color copying machine.

44. A method according to claim 39, wherein said detecting step includes detecting colors and patterns.

45. A method according to claim 39, wherein said inputting step includes inputting the signals of plural components read by an image scanner.

46. A method according to claim 39, wherein the recording process is color printing.

47. A method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of controlling a color printing process of the signals of plural components in accordance with the signal outputting in said outputting step.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein said controlling step includes inhibiting normal color printing.

49. A method according to claim 47, wherein said controlling step includes controlling any of a solid painting process, a hatching process, a stopping of the printing, and power-off of the image processing apparatus.

50. An image processing method for use in an image processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting signals of plural components according to an image;

detecting, by using the signals of the plural components inputted in said inputting step, presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color, wherein, in the specific pattern, a predetermined pattern is visibly arranged along a predetermined-shape periphery; and

outputting a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

51. A method according to claim 50, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

52. A method according to claim 50, wherein said detecting step is performed by pattern matching.

53. A method according to claim 50, wherein the image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

54. A method according to claim 50, wherein the image processing apparatus is a color copying machine.

55. A method according to claim 50, wherein said detecting step include detecting colors and patterns.

56. A method according to claim 50, wherein said inputting step includes inputting the signals of plural components read by an image scanner.

57. A method according to claim 50, wherein the recording process is color printing.

58. A method according to claim 57, further comprising the step of controlling a color printing process of the signals of plural components in accordance with the signal outputting in said outputting step.

59. A method according to claim 58, wherein said controlling step inhibits normal color printing.

60. A method according to claim 58, wherein said controlling step includes controlling any of a solid painting process, a hatching process, a stopping of the printing, and power-off of the image processing apparatus.

61. A method according to claim 50, wherein the predetermined shape is a circle.

62. A method according to claim 50, wherein the predetermined pattern is a circular pattern.

63. A method according to claim 50, wherein, in the specific pattern, the plural predetermined patterns are arranged along the predetermined-shape periphery.

64. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input unit;

a pattern-detector arranged to receive signals input via the input unit such as to detect presence or absence in those signals of a specific pattern of a color which has characteristic information on a plurality of circles; and

an output unit arranged to receive a signal from said pattern-detector, indicative of a result of a detection performed by said pattern-detector, and to output a signal to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

65. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein the input signals are signals which have been signal corrected.

66. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein the detection performed by said pattern-detector is performed by pattern matching.

67. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein said image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

68. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein said image processing apparatus is a color copying machine.

69. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein said pattern-detector detects colors and patterns.

70. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein said input unit inputs signals read by an image scanner.

71. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein the recording process is color printing.

72. An apparatus according to claim 64, further comprising control means for controlling a color printing process of the input signals in accordance with the signal outputting of said output unit.

73. An apparatus according to claim 72, wherein said control means inhibits normal color printing.

74. An apparatus according to claim 72, wherein said control means controls any of a solid painting process, a hatching process, stop of the printing, and power off of said image processing apparatus.

75. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input unit;

a pattern-detector, arranged to receive signals of plural components inputted via said input unit such as to detect therein presence or absence of a specific pattern of a color, wherein, in the specific pattern, a predetermined pattern is visibly arranged along a predetermined-shape periphery; and

an output unit arranged to output a signal indicative of a result of detection by said pattern-detector to control a recording process, in accordance with the detection of the specific pattern.

76. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the signals of the plural components are signals which have been signal corrected.

77. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the detection performed by said pattern-detector is performed by pattern matching.

78. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein said image processing apparatus is a judgment circuit.

79. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein said image processing apparatus is a color copying machine.

80. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein said pattern-detector detects colors and patterns.

81. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein said input unit inputs the signals of plural components read by an image scanner.

82. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the recording process is color printing.

83. An apparatus according to claim 75, further comprising control means for controlling a color printing process of the signals of plural components in accordance with the signal outputting of said output unit.

84. An apparatus according to claim 83, wherein said control means inhibits normal color printing.

85. An apparatus according to claim 83, wherein said control means controls any of a solid painting process, a hatching process, stop of the printing, and power off of said image processing apparatus.

86. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the predetermined shape is a circle.

87. An apparatus according to claim 75, wherein the predetermined pattern is a circular pattern.