Abstract: A high resolution image of a CCD camera subassembly is examined to determine whether dust is present inside the subassembly. By examining the size, number, and location of the dust particles it can be determined whether the dust is likely to cause issues when the camera subassembly is integrated into a fully assembled document scanner. Other contaminants and defects, such as scratches on the glass covering, can also be detected. This method can be used as the acceptance criteria of individual camera subassemblies from the manufacturer.

Abstract: A system and method of detecting the presence of metallic objects in media to be conveyed in a medium transport system is disclosed. One or more metal detectors are included in the medium transport system to detect the presence of metal in the medium being transported. Signals from the metal detectors are sent to a system processor, which analyzes the signals, and produces proximity, duration, and/or intensity values therefrom. One or more microphones may also be included which detect the sound created as the medium is being transported. The processor computes sound values from the microphone signals, and analyzes the computed sound values along with the proximity, duration, and/or intensity values in order determine if the conveyance of the medium along the transport path should be stopped due to the presence of metal in the media or a jam occurring within the medium transport path.

Abstract: This invention is directed to autonomous document scanning operations. A scanning device and one or more stacks of documents may use motors to autonomously move the documents into position to be scanned by the scanner. The scanning device may detect properties of the documents while scanning. Multiple stacks of documents may be scanned in this manner with minimal user intervention, eliminating the need for manual intervention when scanning groups of documents.

Abstract: This invention is directed to autonomous document scanning operations. A scanning device and one or more stacks of documents may use motors to autonomously move the documents into position to be scanned by the scanner. The scanning device may detect properties of the documents while scanning. Multiple stacks of documents may be scanned in this manner with minimal user intervention, eliminating the need for manual intervention when scanning groups of documents.

Abstract: A method for selecting important digital images in a collection of digital images, comprising: analyzing the digital images in the collection of digital images to identify one or more sets of similar digital images; identifying one or more sets of similar digital images having the largest number of similar digital images; selecting one or more digital images from the identified largest sets of similar digital images to be important digital images; and storing an indication of the selected important digital image in a processor accessible memory.

Abstract: Data points, calendar entries, trends, behavioral patterns may be used to predict and pre-emptively build digital and printable products with selected collections of images without the user's active participation. The collections are selected from files on the user's device, cloud-based photo library, or other libraries shared among other individuals and grouped into thematic products. Based on analysis of the user's collections and on-line behaviors, the system may estimate types and volumes of potential media-centric products, and the resources needed for producing and distributing such media-centric products for a projected period of time. A user interface may take the form of a “virtual curator”, which is a graphical or animated persona for augmenting and managing interactions between the user and the system managing the user's stored media assets. The virtual curator can assume one of many personas, as appropriate, with each user.

Abstract: Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.

Abstract: Data points, calendar entries, trends, behavioral patterns may be used to predict and pre-emptively build digital and printable products with selected collections of images without the user's active participation. The collections are selected from files on the user's device, cloud-based photo library, or other libraries shared among other individuals and grouped into thematic products. Based on analysis of the user's collections and on-line behaviors, the system may estimate types and volumes of potential media-centric products, and the resources needed for producing and distributing such media-centric products for a projected period of time. A user interface may take the form of a “virtual curator”, which is a graphical or animated persona for augmenting and managing interactions between the user and the system managing the user's stored media assets. The virtual curator can assume one of many personas, as appropriate, with each user.

Abstract: Data points, calendar entries, trends, behavioral patterns may be used to predict and pre-emptively build digital and printable products with selected collections of images without the user's active participation. The collections are selected from files on the user's device, cloud-based photo library, or other libraries shared among other individuals and grouped into thematic products. Based on analysis of the user's collections and on-line behaviors, the system may estimate types and volumes of potential media-centric products, and the resources needed for producing and distributing such media-centric products for a projected period of time. A user interface may take the form of a “virtual curator”, which is a graphical or animated persona for augmenting and managing interactions between the user and the system managing the user's stored media assets. The virtual curator can assume one of many personas, as appropriate, with each user.

Abstract: A user interface control for an image product creation application is used for adding user supplied text or graphic elements to an image product, wherein the user interface control is responsive to the position relative to a user supplied image, a recognized object within the user supplied image, or an image product related feature, wherein the user interface control provides an indication when the text or graphic elements are positioned proximal to the user supplied image, the recognized object, or the image product related feature, and wherein the user interface control modifies an attribute of the text or graphic elements when placed proximal to the user supplied image, the recognized object, or the image product related feature.

Abstract: An adaptable eye artifact identification and correction method is disclosed. Eye artifacts are identified and classified based on color, severity, shape, eye location, and cause. Based on this classification, an eye artifact correction algorithm is selected from a series of eye artifact correction techniques. For minor artifacts, simple color correction techniques are deployed to restore the iris color and to drive the pupil to once again appear black. For severe eye artifacts face detection and metadata analysis are utilized to search the user's image collection for recent images of the subject without the eye artifact condition. Once located, these images provide eye color and shape information for use to replace the pixels expressing the eye artifact condition. The non-artifact eye images are used to provide the appropriate eye color and shape to correct the eye artifact condition for more severe eye artifacts.

Abstract: This invention relates to a conductive thermal image receiver element that has an aqueous coatable dye-receiving layer. The dye-receiving layer comprises a conductive polymeric material, a dispersant, one or more surfactants, one or more antifoamers, a water-dispersible release agent, a crosslinking agent, and a polymer binder matrix consisting essentially of a water-dispersible polyester and a water-dispersible acrylic polymer. This invention also relates to a method for making this thermal image receiver element as well as method for using it to provide a dye image by thermal transfer from a donor element.

Abstract: A method for producing a blended video sequence that combines a still image and a video image sequence comprising: designating a first face in the still image, designating a second face in the video image sequence; detecting a series of video frames in the video image sequence containing the second face; identifying a video frame in the detected series of video frames suitable for transitioning from the first face into the second face; using a data processor to automatically produce a transition image sequence where the first face transitions into the second face, and a first background transitions into a second background; and producing the blended video sequence by concatenating the transition image sequence, and a plurality of video frames from the video image sequence starting from the identified video frame.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a computer-implemented method that receives a digital image input, the digital image input containing one or more dynamic salient objects arranged over a background. The method also includes performing a tracking operation, the tracking operation identifying the dynamic salient object over one or more frames of the digital image input as the dynamic salient object moves over the background. The method further includes performing a clustering operation, in parallel with the tracking operation, on the digital image input, the clustering operation identifying boundary conditions of the dynamic salient object. Additionally, the method includes combining a first output from the tracking operation and a second output from the clustering operation to generate a third output. The method further includes performing a segmentation operation on the third output, the segmentation operation extracting the dynamic salient object from the digital image input.

Abstract: Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.

Abstract: This invention relates to a conductive thermal image receiver element that has an aqueous coatable dye-receiving layer and an aqueous coatable receiver overcoat layer. The receiver overcoat layer comprises a conductive polymeric material and a two or more dispersants. The dye-receiving layer comprises a water-dispersible release agent, a crosslinking agent, and a polymer binder matrix consisting essentially of a water-dispersible polyester and a water-dispersible acrylic polymer. This invention also relates to a method for making this thermal image receiver element as well as method for using it to provide a dye image by thermal transfer from a donor element.

Abstract: This invention is directed to autonomous document scanning operations. A scanning device and one or more stacks of documents may use motors to autonomously move the documents into position to be scanned by the scanner. The scanning device may detect properties of the documents while scanning. Multiple stacks of documents may be scanned in this manner with minimal user intervention, eliminating the need for manual intervention when scanning groups of documents.

Abstract: This invention is directed to autonomous document scanning operations. A scanning device and one or more stacks of documents may use motors to autonomously move the documents into position to be scanned by the scanner. The scanning device may detect properties of the documents while scanning. Multiple stacks of documents may be scanned in this manner with minimal user intervention, eliminating the need for manual intervention when scanning groups of documents.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure a method for determining product relevancy including extracting metadata from an image file of a digital image collection, the metadata being indicative of at least one feature of the image file. The method includes creating an input profile corresponding to the metadata extracted from the image files of the digital image collection. The method includes comparing the input profile to a product profile, the product profile having one or more rules corresponding to a consumer product, wherein the rules are indicative of the requirements of the product. The method includes determining a match score, the match score indicative of a relevancy of the product profile to the input profile such that a high relevancy correlates to a consumer product that is suited to the input profile and a low relevancy correlates to the consumer product that is not suited to the input profile.

Abstract: The present invention is a configuration module for a Retail Photo System. The configuration module is a memory module that provides system configuration information for use with a network connected Retail Photo System. Physical and digital controlled access to the configuration module is provided by a locking enclosure, password protected access, and an automatic scenario based activation means. Access to the configuration module is limited to authorized personnel and remote access, or via scenario based activation.