Abstract: An secured fax adapter apparatus uses a relay circuit to selectively couple a G3 fax to a secured line via a secured telephone unit (STU). The G3 fax can alternatively be coupled to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) via a PSTN port. The secured fax adapter has an enhanced DAA having a controller, a fax communication circuit, a current limited off hook detection circuit, a relay circuit for selectively coupling the external device ports, and a ring generation circuit for producing a square wave for ring generation. In one embodiment, the current-limited off-hook detection circuit uses a symmetrical network of transistors coupled to diodes to limit the current drawn by a load. In another embodiment, the relay circuit has four relays for selectively coupling the G3 fax to the fax communication circuit, the STU to the PSTN, the G3 fax to the PSTN, or the STU to the fax communication circuit.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for mapping a first structured information format to a second structured information format, which allows a user to interactively define the mapping. The present invention operates as a user tool by accepting interactive input from a user of a source input, by processing the input to display the source input in a format for accepting and processing user commands to create or edit a transformation map of source components to target components. Interactive user input is then accepted and processed for selection of an input file to be transformed and selection of a transformation map to be used for the requested transformation. Interactive user input is accepted and processed for selection of individual components of the first structured information format for mapping, and for selection of options for the target components.

Abstract: A set of image feature extraction techniques to locate and group documents based upon appearance in a database management system. The system automatically determines visual characteristics of document images and collects documents together according to the relative similarity of their document images. The system is operable on both binary and grayscale images.

Abstract: Recently, a number of reversible wavelet transforms have been identified which allow for exact reconstruction in integer arithmetic. Different transforms vary in how rounding is performed. The present invention provides a transform, which is linear except for the rounding with non-linear operations in order to create a reversible implementation. Also, the present invention also provides transforms which are decomposed into all finite inpulse response parts.

Abstract: A multi-function machine for combining and routing image data is disclosed. The multi-function machine includes a number of functional units, for instance, a digital copier which produces scanned image data, a printer which prints image data from a computer, and a facsimile device which receives and sends facsimile image data. Image data from one or a number of sources may be combined to form merged image data, corresponding to a merger of the individual images. The merged image data may then be conveyed to any of a number of user selectable destinations, including a printer, a host computer, or a facsimile device.

Abstract: A method and system for forming a digital facsimile message that includes a subaddress. A source terminal forms a digital facsimile message by using information input by a user in response to prompting inquiries generated by the source terminal. In response to a prompt, a user enters whether the user will enter a subaddress to route the message to a destination terminal. If an affirmative response is received, the source terminal prompts the user to input the subaddress and later to input a telephone number of a destination server which services the destination terminal. The source terminal receives a response from a user indicating whether the subaddress is used for the routing of the digital facsimile message. Based on the input data, the source terminal forms a digital facsimile message that includes the subaddress of the destination terminal. The message may then be sent over a communications channel to the destination server, which then routes the message to the destination terminal.

Abstract: A compression and decompression system in which a reversible wavelet filter are used to generates coefficients from input data, such as image data. The reversible wavelet filter is an efficient transform implemented with integer arithmetic that has exact reconstruction. The present invention uses the reversible wavelet filter in a lossless system (or lossy system) in which an embedded codestream is generated from the coefficients produced by the filter. An entropy coder performs entropy coding on the embedded codestream to produce the compressed data stream.

Abstract: A method, and apparatus in an ISDN system form a setup message at a source ISDN terminal where the setup message includes a resource coordination message containing the communication attributes of the source terminal. The ISDN source terminal sends the setup message to an ISDN switch, where the ISDN switch implements a central resource coordination mechanism that extracts the source terminal attribute information. The ISDN switch sends an inquiry message over a D channel to a destination terminal so as to ascertain the communication attributes of the destination terminal, which are reported to the ISDN switch in a reply message. In light of the communication attributes of the source terminal and destination terminal, the ISDN switch and central resource coordination mechanism therein, compares and allocates ISDN communication resources and identifies common attributes.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for querying a document image database based on texture, i.e., analytically discernable patterns in the document images of the database. According to the invention, a document image database could be browsed for documents with a particular texture in a variety of ways. For example, a user could input an example document image with a similar appearance to the desired document. Alternatively, the user could employ a simple interface to define a synthetic document based on selection of a few categories. The synthetic document would then serve as an example for search. Or the user may employ a graphical interface to more precisely define an example for search. Thus, the user's knowledge of the general appearance of the desired document or documents provides the basis for the search.

Abstract: A compiling system and method for generating a sequence of program instructions for use in a dynamically reconfigurable processing unit having an internal hardware organization that is selectively changeable among a plurality of hardware architectures, each hardware architecture executing instructions from a corresponding instruction set. Source files are compiled for execution using various instruction set architectures as specified by reconfiguration directives. Object files optionally encapsulate bitstreams specifying hardware architectures corresponding to instruction set architectures with executable code for execution on the architectures.

Abstract: A scanner is provided with a disk drive emulator and is attached to a general purpose computer via a SCSI bus. The disk drive emulator provides signals such that the general purpose computer identifies the scanner as a disk drive. Applications running on the general purpose computer direct operation of the scanner via standard operating system disk drive commands. To facilitate the transfer of commands to the scanner, a scanner parameters setup program, also known as an Application Program Interface (API), is provided that is resident on the scanner and accessible to the general purpose computer via the disk drive emulator. When executed, the scanner parameters setup program provides a graphically oriented menu allowing a user to enter parameters such as resolution, brightness, contrast, etc. Once entered, the parameters are saved to the scanner via a File Save command.

Abstract: The present invention provides an encoding and/or decoding apparatus used for the compression and expansion of data. A finite state machine comprises a number of tables, which collectively have a plurality of states. One of the tables encodes multi-bit symbols for fixed probabilities.

Abstract: A system and method for performing scanning operations using a scanner connected to a server computer and transmitting acquired images from the scanner server to a client computer. A scan-to-application process is utilized which allows control of the scanner or other image acquiring device which is connected to a scanner server using a virtual TWAIN driver which interfaces to an application program running in the client computer. Image files are also transmitted to a local file storage device of the client computer using a scan-to-file operation. A network protocol is used to implement both the scan-to-application and scan-to-file operation. Computer memories are utilized to store data structures or tables containing various information utilized during the file transfer procedures. Computer memories are also used to buffer and store the protocol packet headers and transmitted information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of performing gamma correction for a display device is provided. The display device is capable of displaying images using three color components, such as red, green, and blue. A first color bar image is displayed on the display device. The first color bar image has a constant intensity for two of the color components and a linear scale of intensity along a coordinate axis for the third color component. A second color bar image is also displayed which has a constant intensity for the first two color components and a constant average intensity for the third color component. A user input is then received specifying a location on the first color bar image at which the color of the first color bar image appears to match the overall color of the second color bar image. An estimate of the gamma of the display device is determined based on the location specified by the user input. Next, a correction value is determined based on the estimate of the gamma.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient document categorization are disclosed. In one embodiment, word length distribution information is used as a basis for categorization. Greater than 90% accuracy in classification may be achieved in, e.g., distinguishing newspaper articles from scientific journal articles. Word length distribution information may be developed without optical character recognition (OCR), permitting use of degraded document images.

Abstract: A method and system of remotely monitoring and controlling machines and business office devices such as copiers, printers, and facsimile machines. Outgoing messages, such as Internet e-mail messages containing information describing the business office device are monitored by a security center. The security center either receives an unencrypted form of the message, or alternatively receives an encrypted form of the message. If the message is encrypted, it will be necessary for the security center to first decrypt the message. The contents of the message are monitored by the security center to assure that only authorized information is transmitted from an authorized business office device, over the Internet, to a data center which monitors the status of and/or controls the business office device.

Abstract: An example page taken from each document in a document database is processed by a page processor to yield an iconic representation for the example page. To form the iconic representation, the example page is segmented into text regions, line art regions, photograph regions, etc., and each region is reduced in a manner appropriate for that image type. Text is replaced with a block font and reduced, while graphics are reduced in level and/or spatial resolution. The reduced regions of the example page are then reassembled into the icon. When multiple icons are printed on a guide page, a user can visually identify the icon for an example page of a target document and supply the icon, or a label for the icon, to a document retrieval system, which selects candidate matching documents from the document database. For simplified processing characters can be blocked and words formed into solid line segments with lengths proportional to word lengths.

Abstract: An electronic document management system that takes advantage of advanced document analysis techniques. The electronic document management system may provide automatic archiving of documents and retrieval without the need to navigate through a directory structure or specify a filename. Document comparison is facilitated by automatic retrieval of a previous version of a document. A digital copier alerts a user when a document to be copies already exists electronically within a database.

Abstract: A method and system for determining that problems exist in a business office device such as a copier, printer, facsimile machine, or scanner by analyzing the user settings of the business office device. If the user settings deviate from the default settings by a predetermined amount, there is a probability that the default settings are improper, parameters need to be changed within the business office device, or defective components within the business office device need to be changed. The analysis of the user settings is triggered after a predetermined time period expires, after a predetermined number of jobs are performed, or alternatively after a predetermined combination of jobs and elapsed time occurs. After a problem is found to exist with the default settings, the business office device communicates with a diagnostic service center via a connectionless-mode of communication such as by an Internet electronic mail message.

Abstract: A compression and decompression system in which a reversible wavelet filter are used to generates coefficients from input data, such as image data. The reversible wavelet filter is an efficient transform implemented with integer arithmetic that has exact reconstruction. The present invention uses the reversible wavelet filter in a lossless system (or lossy system) in which an embedded codestream is generated from the coefficients produced by the filter. An entropy coder performs entropy coding on the embedded codestream to produce the compressed data stream.