Image processing for reproducing code image from original information

• US 8,542,867 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Yuushi, Kozuka, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Katzwhite, Justin
• Application Number:
  US12/181,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/437, 375/240, 382/100
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3284 for error correction

Abstract

An image processing apparatus and method determine whether an error detecting rate of original information extracted from a code image in a read image obtained by reading a sheet on which the code image is formed, is not smaller than a predetermined value. When it is not smaller than a predetermined value, a code image is reproduced from the extracted original information and the code image in the read image is replaced therewith. One example of the code image is a barcode.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

an extraction unit configured to extract original information from a code image in a read image obtained by reading a sheet on which the code image is formed;

a determination unit configured to determine whether an error detecting rate detected in a case where the extraction unit extracts the original information is not smaller than a predetermined value;

a generation unit configured to generate a code image using the original information extracted by the extraction unit in a case where the determination unit determines that the error detecting rate is not smaller than the predetermined value; and

a replacement unit configured to replace the code image in the read image with the generated code image.

2. The image processing device as in claim 1, wherein the replacement unit includes:

a removal unit configured to remove the code image from the read image in a case where determination unit determines that the error detecting rate is not smaller than the predetermined value; and

a combination unit configured to combine the generated code image with the read image in a region of the read image from which the removal unit removed the code image.

3. The image processing device as in claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit configured to output the read image obtained by the replacing in a case where the determination unit determines that the error detecting rate is not smaller than the predetermined value, and output the read image without performing the generating and the replacing in a case where the determination unit determines that the error correcting rate is smaller than the predetermined value.

4. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

extracting original information from a code image in a read image obtained by reading a sheet on which the code image is formed;

determining whether an error detecting rate detected in a case where the original information is extracted at the extracting step is not smaller than a predetermined value;

generating a code image using the original information extracted at the extracting step in a case where it is determined that the error detecting rate is not smaller than the predetermined value in the determining step; and

replacing the code image in the read image with the generated code image.

5. The image processing method as in claim 4, wherein the replacing step includes the steps of:

removing the code image from the read image in a case where it is determined that the error detecting rate is not smaller than the predetermined value in the determining step;

combining the generated code image with the read image in a region of the read image from which the code image was removed in the removing step.

6. The image processing method as in claim 5, further comprising the step of outputting the read image obtained by the replacing step in a case where it is determined that the error detecting rate is not smaller than the predetermined value in the determining step, and of outputting the read image without performing the generating and the replacing in a case where that the error correcting rate is smaller than the predetermined value in the determining step.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform the steps in the image processing method as in claim 4.