# US 2014/0153775 A1 · Similarity determination apparatus, similarity determination system, and similarity determination method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153775 A1 - Document ID: US20140153775A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/083,871 - Filed: 2013-11-19 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Inventors: Go MARUYAMA; Kensuke Masuda; Yuji Yamanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153775A1 ## CPC - G06V 10/88: Image or video recognition using optical means, e.g. reference filters, holographic masks, frequency domain filters or spatial domain filters - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A similarity determination apparatus, a similarity determination system, and a similarity determination method are provided, each of which calculates spectral information of an object, transforms the spectral information of the object into characteristic quantity, generates a similarity determination criterion from one or a plurality of items of characteristic quantity of a reference item, and checks the characteristic quantity of the object against the similarity determination criterion to determine similarity of the object with reference to the reference item. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A similarity determination apparatus comprising: a processor configured to: calculate spectral information of an object from capturing information detected by an image capturing device, the object including 1) a reference item and 2) a target item being a subject for color determination; transform the spectral information of the object into characteristic quantity; generate a similarity determination criterion from one or a plurality of items of the characteristic quantity of the reference item of the object; and check the characteristic quantity of the target item being a subject for color determination against the similarity determination criterion to determine similarity of the target item with reference to the reference item. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The similarity determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output an enclosing shape including the characteristic quantity of the reference item as the similarity determination criterion, and make a determination by determining whether the characteristic quantity of the target item is included within the enclosing shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The similarity determination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the enclosing shape is a circle or a polygon including the characteristic quantity of the reference item. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The similarity determination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the characteristic quantity is N-dimensional, the enclosing shape is an N-dimensional sphere including the characteristic quantity of the reference item. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The similarity determination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the characteristic quantity is N-dimensional, the enclosing shape is an N-dimensional polyhedron including the characteristic quantity of the reference item. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The similarity determination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic quantity is a color space coordinate value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The similarity determination apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image capturing device comprises: an optical system; a sensor configured to convert optical information of lights focused on an image area by the optical system, into electronic information, the electronic information being input to the processor as the capturing information; a filter arranged near a stop of the optical system, the filter having a plurality of spectral characteristics; and a lens array having a plurality of lenses arranged between the optical system and the sensor substantially in parallel to a two-dimensional plane surface of the image sensor. ### Claim 8 A similarity determination system comprising: an image capturing apparatus; and an information processing apparatus comprising a processor, the processor configured to: calculate spectral information of an object from capturing information detected by the image capturing apparatus, the object including 1) a reference item and 2) a target item being a subject for color determination; transform the spectral information of the object into characteristic quantity; generate a similarity determination criterion from one or a plurality of items of the characteristic quantity of the reference item of the object; and check the characteristic quantity of the target item being a subject for color determination against the similarity determination criterion to determine similarity of the target item with reference to the reference item. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The similarity determination system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to output an enclosing shape including the characteristic quantity of the reference item as the similarity determination criterion, and make a determination by determining whether the characteristic quantity of the target item is included within the enclosing shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The similarity determination system according to claim 8, wherein the enclosing shape is a circle or a polygon including the characteristic quantity of the reference item. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The similarity determination system according to claim 8, wherein when the characteristic quantity is N-dimensional, the enclosing shape is an N-dimensional sphere including the characteristic quantity of the reference item. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The similarity determination system according to claim 8, wherein when the characteristic quantity is N-dimensional, the enclosing shape is an N-dimensional polyhedron including the characteristic quantity of the reference item. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The similarity determination system according to claim 8, wherein the characteristic quantity is a color space coordinate value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The similarly determination system according to claim 8, wherein the image capturing apparatus comprises: an optical system; a sensor configured to convert optical information of lights focused on an image area by the optical system, into electronic information, the electronic information being sent to the information processing apparatus as the capturing information; a filter arranged near a stop of the optical system, the filter having a plurality of spectral characteristics; and a lens array having a plurality of lenses arranged between the optical system and the sensor substantially in parallel to a two-dimensional plane surface of the image sensor. ### Claim 15 A method of determining similarity of an object, the method comprising: calculating spectral information of the object from capturing information detected by an image capturing device, the object including 1) a reference item and 2) a target item being a subject for color determination; transforming the calculated spectral information of the object into characteristic quantity; generating a similarity determination criterion from one or a plurality of items of the characteristic quantity of the reference item of the object; and checking the characteristic quantity of the target item being a subject for color determination against the similarity determination criterion to determine similarity of the target item with reference to the reference item. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising: outputting an enclosing shape including the characteristic quantity of the reference item as the similarity determination criterion, wherein the checking includes: determining whether or not the characteristic quantity of the target item is included within the enclosing shape.