Pattern recognition apparatus, pattern recognition method, image processing apparatus, and image processing method

• US 8,509,571 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takenouchi, Mariko, Takakura, Saki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US12/601,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20100172580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/105, 382/309, 382/310, 382/311
• US Class Current: 382/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/248 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A task of the present invention is that even when a plurality of images exists in which the positions or sizes of character patterns indicating the identical object are different from each other, they can be treated as character patterns indicating the identical object. An image and supplementary information of the image, such as a photographing point and time, are input by an image input section (101) and are stored in an image data storage section (102). Character recognition in the image is performed by a character recognition section (103), and the recognition result is stored in a character recognition result storage section (104). An analysis section (106) extracts object character information relevant to an object from the image, the supplementary information, and the character recognition result on the basis of the analysis conditions input in a designation section (105) to thereby analyze an object, and the analysis result is output to a result output section (107). Accordingly, a change in the object can be analyzed by analyzing a change in character patterns indicating the identical object.

Claims

1. A pattern recognition apparatus comprising:

an image input section which inputs an image, in which an object to be recognized may be included;

an image data storage section which stores the image input in the image input section;

a character recognition section which recognizes a character included in the image input in the image input section;

a character recognition result storage section which stores a character recognition result recognized in the character recognition section;

a designation section which inputs an analysis condition of an object;

an analysis section which analyzes the object on the basis of the analysis condition input in the designation section, wherein the analysis section analyzes the object by extracting object character information relevant to the object from the image stored in the image data storage section and the character recognition result stored in the character recognition result storage section; and

a result output section which outputs a result analyzed in the analysis section.

2. The pattern recognition apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the character recognition section acquires, as a recognition result, information including a candidate character code corresponding to a character pattern, an evaluation value regarding character recognition, and the position and size of a character, and

the analysis section performs analysis using the candidate character code, the evaluation value, and the position and size of the character.

3. The pattern recognition apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image input section further inputs supplementary information related to the image;

and

the image data storage section further stores the supplementary information input in the image input section;

the image input section inputs information which includes at least the photographing position and photographing time regarding the corresponding image, as the supplementary information, and

the analysis section performs analysis using the photographing position and photographing time of the image.

4. The pattern recognition apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein

the character recognition section acquires, as a recognition result, information including a candidate character code corresponding to a character pattern, an evaluation value regarding character recognition, and the position and size of a character, and

the analysis section performs analysis using the candidate character code and the evaluation value, the position and size of the character, similarities of character images between a plurality of images, and color information of images.

5. A pattern recognition method comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image in which an object to be recognized may be included;

an image data storage step of storing the image input in the image input step;

a character recognition step of recognizing a character included in the image input in the image input step;

a character recognition result storage step of storing a character recognition result recognized in the character recognition step;

a designation step of inputting an analysis condition of an object;

an analysis step of analyzing the object, on the basis of the analysis condition input in the designation step, by extracting object character information relevant to the object from the image stored in the image data storage step and the character recognition result stored in the character recognition result storage step; and

a result output step of outputting a result analyzed in the analysis section.

6. The pattern recognition method according to claim 5,

wherein in the character recognition step, information including a candidate character code corresponding to a character pattern, an evaluation value regarding character recognition, and the position and size of a character are acquired as a recognition result, and

in the analysis step, analysis is performed using the candidate character code, the evaluation value, and the position and size of the character.

7. The pattern recognition method according to claim 5,

wherein the image input step further inputting supplementary information related to the image;

the image data storage step further storing the supplementary information input in the image input step;

in the image input step, information including at least the photographing position and photographing time regarding a corresponding image is input as the supplementary information, and

in the analysis step, analysis is performed using the photographing position and photographing time of the image.

8. The pattern recognition method according to claim 7,

wherein

in the character recognition step, information including a candidate character code corresponding to a character pattern, an evaluation value regarding character recognition, and the position and size of a character are acquired as a recognition result, and

in the analysis step, analysis is performed using the candidate character code and the evaluation value, the position and size of the character, similarities of character images between a plurality of images, and color information of images.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute the pattern recognition method according to claim 8 is recorded.