Image processing apparatus and method

• US 7,536,026 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohta, Ken-ichi, Hayashi, Junichi, Kato, Shinichi, Ishida, Yoshihiro, Iwamura, Keiichi, Eguchi, Takami, Tamaru, Jun, Kaneda, Kitahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/670,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/176, 382/232, 713/176, 358/3.28, 380/54, 380/55, 340/5.86
• 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:

a first input unit, arranged to input image information;

a recognizing unit, arranged to recognize a plurality of text regions included in the input image information;

a generator, arranged to generate authentication information corresponding to each text region to control processing for the text region;

a setting unit, arranged to set whether text in each text region is to be visible or not after the processing for the text region is performed;

an embedding unit, arranged to embed the authentication information corresponding to each text region into the respective corresponding text region as a digital watermark, wherein the digital watermark is visible when the visible text is set for the corresponding text region and, is invisible when the invisible text is set for the corresponding text region,

wherein said image processing apparatus comprises a processor configured to function as at least said recognizing unit and said generator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a preservation unit, arranged to preserve the text to be invisible; and

an embedding unit, arranged to embed information, which indicates a preservation place of the invisible text, into the text region corresponding to the invisible text as the digital watermark.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an extractor, arranged to extract information embedded in the text region; and

a controller, arranged to control the processing for the text region based on the extracted information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second input unit, arranged to input the authentication information;

a determiner, arranged to determine whether the input authentication information is appropriate or not;

a processor, arranged to perform the processing for the text region when the input authentication information is appropriate; and

a preservation unit, arranged to preserve the text to be invisible, and to embed information, which indicates a preservation place of the invisible text, into the text region corresponding to the invisible text as the digital watermark when the input authentication information is inappropriate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing for the text region includes at least one of display, print, copy, and transmission.

6. A computer-readable storage media storing a computer executable program for causing a computer to implement an image processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting image information;

recognizing a plurality of text regions included in the input image information;

generating authentication information corresponding to each text region to control processing for the text region;

setting whether text in each text region is to be visible or not after the processing for the text region is performed; and

embedding the authentication information corresponding to each text region into the respective corresponding text region as a digital watermark, wherein the digital watermark is visible when the visible text is set for the corresponding text region and is invisible when the invisible text is set for the corresponding text region.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

preserving the text to be invisible; and

embedding information, which indicates a preservation place of the invisible text, into the text region corresponding to the invisible text as the digital watermark.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

extracting information embedded in the text region; and

controlling the processing for the text region based on the extracted information.