Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for utilizing the characteristics of a pallet, or tray, used to supply workpieces to an automated, flexible assembly station or workcell. Once the characteristics are described and stored in memory, they may be used to uniquely identify workpieces which are determined to be defective during the automatic assembly operations. The defect information may then be stored in a cell controller which controls one or more workcells for later recall, in order to determine what, if any, further processing should be conducted on the defective workpieces and to prevent further processing thereof.

Abstract: An image detection method is disclosed wherein local edge information within an image is utilized for accurately detecting lines and curves of the images. The method can more accurately determine the location and orientation of a pattern and thus provides more reliable image match for pattern detection. A detector is trained off-line with example images resulting in a stored template generated by recording a test pattern similar to a pattern to be tested; anchor lines are identified within said template. Long lines are detected in subsequent test patterns using the disclosed method. The template is rotated and shifted before matching it to the test pattern so that anchor lines align with long lines detected within the test pattern. The template and test pattern are then compared to determine whether there is a match.

Abstract: A method of encoding higher resolution edge information in lower resolution image information, so that the advantageous properties of both types of data can be used in binarization including the steps of receiving text/line art regions of the document image as binary pixels at a text/line art frequency selected to avoid aliasing effects at any edge pixels therein; receiving pictorial regions of the document image as continuous tone pixels, at a frequency lower than the text/line art frequency; applying an anti-aliasing filter to the text/line art regions, to replace some edge pixels with gray level pixels having M levels; converting the document image to a binary representation by converting each of the M levels in the text/line art regions to a binary representation reflecting correct edge position of the text/line art regions, and converting the contone pixels to a binary representation determined by a halftone pattern having N levels selected for the contone pixels.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for simplifying the selection and manipulation of one or more graphical elements which overlap at at least one common point or region on a display, displaying the graphical elements in a separated manner while showing the relationship between such elements, and improving the ability to select one of a plurality of overlapping elements depicted on the display of a data processing system. The present invention finds particular use with well-known drawing and illustration software suitable for use on data processing systems.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for the color correction of digital images that have been compressed. In a preferred embodiment, aspects of the color correction are carried out on the compressed image data to improve computational efficiency. One of a number of alternative methods is employed to accomplish the color correction on lossy or losslessly compressed images. The color transformation process accomplishes color correction on compressed image data in conjunction with compression or decompression operations. A second, simplified phase of the color correction may be applied subsequently to the decompressed image data in certain embodiments. Accordingly, the technique has application to any number of color imaging systems, including digital printers and copiers where there is a necessity to color correct compressed digital images.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the quality of an image that is developed by a liquid carrier is disclosed. The invention relates to image blotting and is directed to reducing disruptive forces on the wet image during blotting. The invention relates to the conditions under which liquid carrier is removed from the surface of an image supportable member.

Abstract: An idealized clustered screen is characterized spot clustering which is optimized so that clusters are about the same size and shape as they grow and are approximately equally distanced though an image. Pixels are swapped within the screen to vary its appearance. An optimization process iteratively checks a quality metric based on the optimum conditions, as pixels are swapped until an optimum screen appearance is obtained.

Abstract: A multifunction device, having a single printer and data access thereto for jobs generated at a connected computer and jobs received via a telephone or scanner or facsimile memory. In such a device, a user interface is provided facilitating a choice of contention schemes giving priority to job printing based on job type or source including: 1) no access to the printer; 2) computer-only access; 3) computer and facsimile scanner access. Where computer and facsimile access is selected, additional choices for contention are provided, including a) facsimile priority or b) computer priority. Where a job type denied access is received, it may be stored in device storage until such time as it is individually accessed or until the contention scheme is changed to allow favorable queuing of the job.

Abstract: A computer-based method for providing the generation of schemas for output documents. An output schema representing a desired output condition of a document is created from inputs comprising a tree transformation rule defined by at least a pattern, a contextual condition, an input schema, and user specified parameters. A match-identifying tree automaton is created from the one pattern, the contextual condition, and the input schema; and the match-identifying tree automaton is modified with respect to said user specified parameters.

Abstract: An idealized clustered screen is characterized spot clustering which is optimized so that clusters are about the same size and shape as they grow and are approximately equally distanced though an image. Pixels are swapped within the screen to vary its appearance. An optimization process iteratively checks a quality metric based on the optimum conditions, as pixels are swapped until an optimum screen appearance is obtained.

Abstract: A method of combining antialiased edges for printing or display at a grey level reproduction device, wherein pixels have shade values determined as a function of their neighbor's shade values and mask values. Shade values are determined by processing each pixel in terms of subpixels forming the pixel. Each of a plurality of subpixels are assigned mask and shade values as a function of their position in the pixel and with respect to the nearest neighbors. The resulting values for each subpixel are averaged to determine a final output value for the pixel.

Abstract: A method for generating watermarks in a digitally reproducible document which are substantially invisible when viewed including the steps of: (1) producing a first stochastic screen pattern suitable for reproducing a gray image on a document; (2) deriving at least one stochastic screen description that is related to said first pattern; (3) producing a document containing the first stochastic screen; (4) producing a second document containing one or more of the stochastic screens in combination, whereby upon placing the first and second document in superposition relationship to allow viewing of both documents together, correlation between the first stochastic pattern on each document occurs everywhere within the documents where the first screen is used, and correlation does not occur where the area where the derived stochastic screens occur and the image placed therein using the derived stochastic screens becomes visible.

Abstract: A color image is reproduced with a set of colors wherein each color is defined in terms of a pattern block. Pattern blocks include a pattern using the color to be reproduced and white in density-related combinations so that the luminance difference between the color and white can be retained when copied or printed with a black printer. The patterns add among colors thus allowing combination colors to be represented in terms of added patterns of colors represented in black as distinct patterns.

Abstract: A method for combining foreground objects defined by a mask value and shade value, with a background image defined by a shade value, using high resolution edge information derived from low resolution grey image representations. By treating the object edge pixels in a high resolution grey model, characteristics of an edge represented by an edge pixel can be approximated by reference to surrounding grey elements. Movement of the edge can be approximated by changing the mask values in the high resolution grey model. Changes in the overall grey level of the pixel resulting from the mask changes cause the impression of edge movement in the low resolution edge.

Abstract: A printing system that uses a halftone processor is driven to halftone selected areas of an image based on a selected halftone dot, wherein the halftone dot has the properties of maintaining a dot fill order of a desired dot, while also maintaining a preselected percentage of the dot as untilled space.

Abstract: A color printer calibration method for improving printer accuracy for particular colors provides a look up table with a plurality of nodes useful as table indices. In such a table, nodes are provided specifically indexing selected colors, so that such colors are obtainable without interpolation. The planes in which the selected colors are found replace the nearest standard planes, so the spacing of the table through the space is approximately retained.

Abstract: An idealized stochastic screen is characterized by all of the predominant color dots (black or white) uniformly distributed. The present invention seeks to approach this optimization by iteratively selecting pairs of threshold levels in the screen matrix, and measuring the approach to the idealized stochastic screen. The threshold values are then swapped in position to determine whether the swap improves the measurement or not. If it does, the swap is maintained. The process is iterated until the desired result is obtained.

Abstract: A processing system for processing electronic images defined in terms of image signals, each image signal representing density at a discrete position within the electronic image, and quantizing image signals defined at "c" gray levels for use in a device requiring image signals defined at "d" levels, where "d" may be less than or equal to "c", the system including an image input receiving at least a portion of the electronic image as input signals; an error adding circuit, adding error signals determined from any previous thresholding processing to the input signals to generate corrected input signals; a thresholding processor, receiving corrected image signals defined at "c" levels, and quantizing the corrected image signals to "d" levels, by comparison to at least one threshold signal and outputting the corrected image signals at "d" levels as output signals; an image output, outputting output signals defined at "d" levels; a differencing circuit, generating a difference signal representative of the differe

Abstract: A method of processing images preparatory to printing in a color printer adapted to printing serial color separations, that when superposed form the final color image, in which separation color images are received for printing defined by continuous tone separation signals, which are color corrected and halftoned preparatory to printing the color image. The received continuous tone separation image signals are used to derive an estimate of marking material coverage. The marking material coverage estimate is subsequently used in association with random number generation to turn OFF otherwise ON pixels in each separation as the separation is printed for the reduction of marking material coverage.

Abstract: A method of fast decompressing a document image compressed using transform coding for scaling and previewing purposes. A fast algorithm is derived by utilizing a fraction of all available transform coefficients representing the image. The method is particularly efficient using the discrete cosine transform which is used in the JPEG ADCT algorithm. In JPEG ADCT, a very fast and efficient implementation is derived for a resolution reduction factor of 16 to 1 (4 to 1 in each direction) without needing any floating point arithmetic operations.