Abstract:
A platen cover for an imaging device such as a copier or scanner includes a substrate and at least of portion of the surface of the substrate is coated with a fluorescent coating. Preferably, the substrate has a dark or black color. The dark color of the substrate substantially reduces or eliminates show through of an image on the backside of an original document when the platen cover is not exposed to a light source for imaging. At the same time, when holes or uneven borders are present in the original document, the fluorescent coating fluoresces upon exposure to the light source at these regions of the original document, making these portions appear white in the replicated image and thereby substantially reducing or eliminating the unsightly appearance of these portions as black portions in the replicated image.
Abstract:
A method and system for image processing, in conjunction with classification of images between natural pictures and synthetic graphics, using SGLD texture (e.g., variance, bias, skewness, and fitness), color discreteness (e.g., R_L, R_U, and R_V normalized histograms), or edge features (e.g., pixels per detected edge, horizontal edges, and vertical edges) is provided. In another embodiment, a picture/graphics classifier using combinations of SGLD texture, color discreteness, and edge features is provided. In still another embodiment, a “soft” image classifier using combinations of two (2) or more SGLD texture, color discreteness, and edge features is provided. The “soft” classifier uses image features to classify areas of an input image in picture, graphics, or fuzzy classes.
Abstract:
An encoding/compression technique using a combination of predictive coding and run length encoding allows for efficient compression of images produced by error diffusion.
Abstract:
A method of arbitrary image resolution conversion takes an original print ready image at a first resolution and orientation and simulates printing of that image by creating a representation of a page at a particular resolution and orientation using a suitable spot model for the reconstruction function. The image is then filtered with a low pass filter and sampled with an aperture that corresponds to the desired output. The image data, which may be definable at several bits per pixel, is then made print-ready by reducing the number of bits defining each pixel to a valid output state. The reduction step is accomplished through error diffusion methods that maintain the local area gray density level. The filtering step reduces moire in the converted image.
Abstract:
Apparatus for removing residual charged particles from a charge retentive surface characterized by a particle removal roller and a detoning roller, the former of which is adapted to remove the residual particles from the charge retentive surface and the latter of which removes the particles transferred to the particle removal roller. The detoning roller comprises an array of conductive electrodes extending about the circumference thereof such that when a multi-phase power source is applied thereto a travelling electrostatic wave is generated which causes charged particles having a predetermined diameter and charge to be moved axially of the detoning roller towards one end thereof. The particles so moved represent toner devoid of paper debris. Thus they are suitable for reuse.
Abstract:
A method for determining local defocus distance in a scanned image of a non-planar original object is provided comprising scanning at least a portion of the non-planar original object to produce first scanned image data at a first focal plane and scanning same the at least a portion of the non-planar original object to produce at least second scanned image data at a second focal plane. The first scanned image data is different from the second scanned image data wherein a distance between the first focal plane and the second focal plane is a predetermined quantity. The method further comprises estimating an out-of-focus distance of the object from the first and the second scanned image data.
Abstract:
The present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for applying magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) technology to enable the embedding of coded information within text characters of a document.
Abstract:
The present invention is a method and apparatus for applying magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) technology to enable the embedding of coded information within text characters of a document.
Abstract:
A watermarked image generator includes a watermark data source that inputs watermark data to a watermark embedding device. The watermark embedding device halftones the input image to generate the output image made of 2×2 binary patterns, the 2×2 binary patterns forming the watermarks embedded in the output image. The watermark embedding device includes a tri-level error diffusion generator that performs tri-level error diffusion on the input image by halftoning the input image into black, white and 50% gray. A plurality of halftoning circuits successively replace each pixel of the halftoned input image with one of a plurality of the 2×2 binary patterns. The one of the plurality of 2×2 binary patterns corresponds to at least one respective bit of the watermark data when a pixel of the halftoned image data is 50% gray. The watermark data can be segmentation map data of the input image.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for segmenting an image using a combination of image segmentation techniques. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved image segmentation technique for use in an image processing system that performs at least two distinct image segmentation processes on an image and combines the results to obtain a combined multi-layer representation of the image that can be suitably processed. In a specific example, a block based segmentation technique is performed on an image to generate a MRC (mixed raster content) representation—having foreground, background and selector layers. A pixel based segmentation technique is also performed on the image to generate rendering hints. The MRC representation and the rendering hints are then combined to obtain a four (4) layer representation of the image. The four layer representation is subsequently processed as required by the image processing system, e.g. compressed and stored.