Image marker attaching apparatus and method

• US 8,532,433 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kuraki, Kensuke, Nakagata, Shohei, Takahashi, Jun, Anan, Taizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Desire, Gregory M
• Application Number:
  US12/637,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20100158383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 369/47.1, 369/275.3, 382/190, 382/100, 382/103, 382/287, 382/321, 399/389, 235/454, 235/462.08, 235/462.1, 235/494, 283/17, 283/73
• US Class Current: 382/287
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1439 including a method step for retrieval of the optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 5/00 Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages

Abstract

A marker attaching apparatus attaches to an image a positioning marker for detecting a specific area in the image, and includes: an area size detection unit detecting a size of an area to which the positioning marker is attached; a marker adjustment unit adjusting the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area; and a marker attaching unit attaching the adjusted positioning marker to the image.

Claims

1. A marker attaching apparatus for attaching to an image a positioning marker for detecting a specific area in the image, comprising:

an area size detection unit to detect a size of an area to which the positioning marker is attached;

a marker adjustment unit to adjust a size or a shape of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area and when the size of the of the detected area is smaller than a threshold, generating a new positioning marker by coupling two or more positioning markers to maintain a frequency characteristic of the coupled positioning markers; and

a marker attaching unit to attach the adjusted positioning marker to the image.

2. The marker attaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the marker adjustment unit switches a pattern of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

3. The marker attaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the marker adjustment unit adjusts a size of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

4. The marker attaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the marker adjustment unit adjusts a direction of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

5. The marker attaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the marker adjustment unit combines a plurality of positioning markers depending on the detected size of the area.

6. The marker attaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the marker adjustment unit adjusts the positioning marker while maintaining a frequency characteristic of the positioning marker.

7. A marker attaching method conducted by a marker attaching apparatus for attaching to an image a positioning marker for detecting a specific area in the image, comprising:

an area size detecting step to detect a size of an area to which the positioning marker is attached;

a marker adjusting step to adjust a size or a shape of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area and when the size of the of the detected area is smaller than a threshold, generating a new positioning marker by coupling two or more positioning markers to maintain a frequency characteristic of the coupled positioning markers; and

a marker attaching step to attach the adjusted positioning marker to the image printed on an analog medium.

8. The marker attaching method according to claim 7, wherein

the marker adjusting step switches a pattern of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

9. The marker attaching method according to claim 7, wherein

the marker adjusting step adjusts a size of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

10. The marker attaching method according to claim 7, wherein

the marker adjusting step adjusts a direction of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

11. The marker attaching method according to claim 7, wherein

the marker adjusting step combines a plurality of positioning markers depending on the detected size of the area.

12. The marker attaching method according to claim 7, wherein

the marker adjusting step adjusts the positioning marker while maintaining a frequency characteristic of the positioning marker.

13. A computer-readable non-transitory tangible record medium storing a program used to direct a computer as a marker attaching apparatus to attach to an image a positioning marker for detecting a specific area in the image, comprising:

an area size detecting step to detect a size of an area to which the positioning marker is attached;

a marker adjusting step to adjust a size or a shape of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area and when the size of the of the detected area is smaller than a threshold, generating a new positioning marker by coupling two or more positioning markers to maintain a frequency characteristic of the coupled positioning markers; and

a marker attaching step to attach the adjusted positioning marker to the image.

14. The record medium according to claim 13, wherein

the marker adjusting step switches a pattern of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

15. The record medium according to claim 13, wherein

the marker adjusting step adjusts a size of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

16. The record medium according to claim 13, wherein

the marker adjusting step adjusts a direction of the positioning marker depending on the detected size of the area.

17. The record medium according to claim 13, wherein

the marker adjusting step combines a plurality of positioning markers depending on the detected size of the area.

18. The record medium according to claim 13, wherein

the marker adjusting step adjusts the positioning marker while maintaining a frequency characteristic of the positioning marker.