Abstract: A method is disclosed for printing an authenticatable image having an embedded image into a receiver having a discernible physical characteristic, such that the printed image can be used to authenticate the receiver includes scanning the receiver to produce information related to the discernible physical characteristic of the receiver, and providing a carrier which includes information related to the scanned receiver discernible physical characteristic. The method also includes combining the carrier with an input image to form the authenticatable image having the embedded image, and printing the authenticatable image having the embedded image onto the receiver.

Abstract: A scanner for digitizing a document includes a digitizer for digitizing the document into a first color space; a circuit for converting the digitized data into a second color space having a luminance channel and two chrominance channels; a multiplexer having text, approximate actual color of a uniform area and a predetermined color as input for selecting either the text, approximate actual color or the predetermined color as outputs; and multiplexer control input which determines which of the outputs will be selected as actual output based on a uniform area of the document.

Abstract: A method for inserting one or more canisters into a flexible pouch includes having the pouch with a re-sealable end portion for permitting insertion of the canisters. The pouch also includes a collapsible and flexible floor portion on which one or more of the canisters are positioned. A side portion encloses the canisters and connects the end portion to the floor portion. The method further comprises positioning the canisters into a position adjacent the pouch, and attaching one or more of the canisters to a mechanical arm for providing transportation to the pouches. The canisters are placed through the re-sealable open end and onto the collapsible and flexible floor portion so that the floor portion forms a stable storage platform for the canisters.

Abstract: A circuit for determining the median dark level of an image sensor, the circuit comprises a first circuit for comparing a current pixel value and a cumulative median; a storage element for storing the cumulative median level; and a second circuit which utilizes the first circuit for adjusting the cumulative median based on the current pixel level input for updating the cumulative median dark level.

Abstract: A presentation system having both video for projecting images for viewing by a user and audio for broadcasting sound in which both the audio and video are under central control, the presentation system comprises a digital projector having a wireless local area network connection for displaying the images external to the projector for viewing by the user, and for permitting connection to devices wirelessly connected to the local area network; a processor having a wireless local area network connection which processor includes digital images which are transmitted to the projector for display, and which said processor permits connection to devices wirelessly connected to the local area network; audio speakers having a wireless local area network connection for projecting audio associated with the images or audio from an individual, and for permitting connection to devices wirelessly connected to the local area network; and a central command processor having a wireless local area network connection for directing

Abstract: A method for determining if there is a temperature dependent hopping pixel defect in an image sensor, including the steps of providing an image sensor in a heated environment having a temperature selected such that hopping pixel defects can be detected; and operating the image sensor and analyzing the output of the pixels of the image sensor to determine if there are hopping pixel defects.

Abstract: The present invention includes a system that has been developed to vary the starting and stopping of a pulse train of arbitrary phase without glitches, spurious pulses, or spurious change in duty cycle. This is accomplished by a system for generating a gated periodic waveform, the system includes a generator for generating a periodic waveform of adjustable phase; a device for providing a delayed enable signal based on the phase of the periodic waveform so that the gated periodic waveform can be started and stopped without creating undesirable changes in the gated periodic waveform; and a logic element for generating a gated periodic waveform based on the delayed enable signal and the periodic waveform of adjustable phase.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing calibration of photographic media. More particularly, the method and apparatus are based on measurements of areas of minimum optical density of a given photographic medium. Such measurements, when combined with reference optical density vs. exposure calibration data for related photographic media, provide an estimate of the optical density vs. exposure relationship of the given photographic medium. The method and apparatus of this invention are especially applicable for the calibration of photographic media used in hybrid imaging applications.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate having photosensitive areas; an insulator spanning the substrate; and a first and second layer of a multi-layer metallization structure, wherein the first layer forms light shield regions over selected portions of the photosensitive area as well forming circuit interconnections and barrier regions to prevent spiking into the substrate or gates at contacts in the non-imaging area; and the second layer spanning the interconnections and barrier regions of the first layer only over the non-imaging areas and the second layer overlays edges of the first layer.

Abstract: A method for embedding message data in a digital image sequence having two or more frames, includes the steps of: providing a dispersed message image representative of the message data; and adding spatially shifted versions of the dispersed message image to successive frames of the digital image sequence.

Abstract: A method for improving the wavelength dependent registration of digital images includes the steps of (a) detecting a similar feature in two or more digital records of the same scene, (b) determining from the feature a shift due to misregistration of at least one of the digital records relative to another of the digital records, and (c) processing the shifted digital record(s) with a digital filter having a phase response that compensates for the shift, thereby providing a correction for the wavelength dependent misregistration between the digital records.

Abstract: A method for creating a pattern on a substrate, the method includes the steps of imprinting a first pattern on the substrate; and imprinting a second substantially similar pattern which is mis-registered with regard to the first pattern so that the combination of the first and second patterns cause a systematic variation in a final size of defined elements across the substrate.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate containing photosensitive areas; an insulator spanning the substrate; and a first and second layer of a multi-layer metalization structure wherein the first layer forms the light shield regions over portions of the photosensitive area as well as forming circuit interconnections and barrier regions to prevent spiking into the substrate or gates at contacts in the non-imaging area, and the second layer spanning the interconnections and barrier regions of the first layer only over the non-imaging area.

Abstract: A circuit and method for increasing the dynamic range of CMOS image sensors designed with a thin gate oxide layer. The circuit includes a high voltage supply circuit and a high voltage level shifter circuit. The high voltage supply circuit is configured to supply a voltage to the shifter circuit. The voltage has a voltage level higher than the maximum supply voltage of the associated fabrication process. The shifter circuit is configured to output a high reset signal based on a reset signal generated to reset a pixel circuit of a pixel array. Instead of the reset signal, the high reset signal is coupled to a gate of the reset transistor in the pixel circuit. The high reset signal allows the reset transistor to maintain a gate to source potential less than the maximum supply voltage even when the high reset signal is greater than the maximum supply voltage.

Abstract: An integrated circuit for sampling outputs representing a pixel value comprises two first variable capacitors each having a variable range of capacitance and each for receiving the voltage representing the pixel value; two first transistors respectively connected electrically to each of the first variable capacitors for transferring the voltage to each of the variable capacitors; and a second transistor connected electrically to each of the first variable capacitors for transferring the voltage from each of the first variable capacitors.

Abstract: A method for performing color dropout on a digitized document, the method comprises the steps of obtaining color values from the digitized document for background and a color of interest to a user; transforming the color values of the background and the color of interest into an identical gray scale value according to a color dropout function; obtaining a gray scale value different from the identical gray scale value for the remaining portion of the image according to the color dropout function; and thresholding the gray scale values obtained from the previous steps to obtain a binary image that substantially eliminates color classification error which retains character integrity by a functional transformation that suppresses color fringe artifacts.

Abstract: An optically operated test structure for testing the charge transfer efficiency (CTE) of a charge coupled device (CCD) solid-state image sensor. A solid-state image sensor includes a substrate of a semiconductor material of one conductivity type having a surface. A plurality of spaced, parallel CCDs are in the substrate at the surface. Each CCD includes a channel region and a plurality of conductive gates extending across and insulated from the channel region. The conductive gates extend laterally across the channel regions of all of the CCDs and divide the channel regions into a plurality of phases and pixels. A drain region of the opposite conductivity type is in the substrate at the surface and extends along the channel region of at least one of the CCDs. A simply connected (rectangular) region of the plurality of spaced, parallel CCDs is photoactive. The CCDs outside this photoactive region are typically covered with metal or some other optically opaque material.

Abstract: A method for creating a lateral overflow drain, anti-blooming structure in a charge-coupled device, the method includes the steps of providing a substrate of a first conductivity type; providing a layer of silicon dioxide on the substrate; providing a layer of silicon nitride on the silicon dioxide layer; providing a first masking layer on the silicon nitride layer and having an opening in the first masking layer of a dimension which substantially equals a dimension of a subsequently implanted channel stop of the first conductivity type; etching away the exposed silicon nitride within the opening in the first masking layer; implanting ions of the first conductivity type through the first masking layer and into the substrate for creating the channel stop and removing the first masking layer; growing the silicon dioxide layer so that the channel stop is spanned by a thickest field silicon dioxide layer in the etched away portion; patterning a second masking layer having an opening adjacent the channel stop with

Abstract: A method for embedding a watermark signal that contains message data in a digital image sequence having two or more frames, includes the steps of: producing a set of two or more different carrier signals from a single secure key; assigning a carrier signal from the set of carrier signals to each frame in the sequence; and embedding a watermark signal in each frame using the corresponding assigned carrier signal.

Abstract: An integrated conventional and digital photographic system for processing and printing images, the system comprises (a) a conventional photographic processing control system having a chemical-based operator for developing chemically processed photographic materials which conventional photographic processing system includes a computer-based process control operator for directing chemical adjustments of the chemical-based operator; and (b) a digital processing system having a digital device with computer-implemented color management thereon for managing color operations of the digital device; wherein the computer-based process control operator transmits process information associated with the conventional photographic processing system to the digital device, and the digital device transmits process information to the computer-based process control operator both of which transmissions are used for controlling undesired variations in either system.