Abstract: An image forming and reading apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a fed recording sheet and an image reading portion for reading the image of a fed document. At least a portion of the feeding path of the recording sheet is common to at least a portion of the feeding path of the document, and the image reading portion can be set to a first position moved from the common feeding path and to a second position at which the image of the document that is fed through the common feeding path is read, and a reading position at which the image is read by the image reading portion is located downstream of the image forming portion in a recording sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: Disclosed are improvements in digital copier machines and methods for controlling an output job to issue onto a removable digital storage media. A drive unit is provided and configured to removably receive a removable digital storage medium such as an optical disc. A picker mechanism is configured to deliver the removable digital storage medium to the drive unit from a supply of a plurality of removable digital storage media in response to a load drive unit signal. A selector is provided on the interface and operational logic is provided which is responsive to a user selection of the selector to issue the load drive unit signal and to convey the digital data between the control unit of the digital copier machine and the drive unit.

Abstract: A method of creating a printable representation of data elements as displayed in a browser, including a set of frames. The method includes determining an optimal height distance X of each frame of the set of frames, wherein the frame can be printed without a page break. The method further includes retrieving from a data source a first set of data rows, from a row 1 to a row N, wherein each row further comprises a set of data elements; determining a row height for each row of the first set of data rows, based in part, on a set of device display configuration indicia; and determining a row M from the first set of data rows, wherein a summation of the row height of the row 1 to the row M is smaller than X, and a summation of the row height of the row 1 to a row M+1 is larger than X. The method also includes discarding from the row M+1 to the row N; rendering the row 1 to the row M in the browser frame; and, if necessary, retrieving a second set of data rows beginning with the row M+1.

Abstract: Disclosed are, as an embodiment, an information processing apparatus connectable to an image processing apparatus, including a first setting unit for setting the first limitation condition for limiting the use of the image processing apparatus, a second setting unit for setting whether to inhibit the use upon reception of a use request exceeding the second limitation condition, a decision unit for deciding whether the second setting unit sets to inhibit the use upon reception of a use request exceeding the first limitation condition set by the first setting unit, and an inhibit unit for inhibiting the use of the image processing apparatus in accordance with the decision result of the decision unit, wherein the second setting unit can set to inhibit the use of the image processing apparatus so as to perform different operations between a case wherein the use request exceeds the first limitation condition but does not exceed the second limitation condition and a case wherein the use request exceeds the first an

Abstract: The present invention enables reduction in the amount of data of a document image while maintaining a layout of the document image, and enables suppression of image quality deterioration when reproducing the document image. An original document image is inputted as multivalued image data (original image data) from an image input unit. The multivalued image data is binarized by a binary image output unit. Then, layout analysis is performed based on the binary image data. With respect to text areas, character recognition is performed on the binary image, then the recognition data is outputted. With respect to non-text areas, the binary image data is used without further processing. With respect to a multivalued image, e.g., photographs or the like, the image data is compressed with an appropriate condition and stored.

Abstract: A document is scanned in a scanning device to obtain electronic data. The electronic data represents information on the document. The electronic data is stored to a storage device. An error then occurs either before or after beginning transmission of the data to an e-mail server. The error causes a failure in the communication of the data to the e-mail server. The method of failure detection depends on the type of failure. For a loss of power, the data storage device is examined for the electronic data. If electronic data is found, communication is established with the e-mail server and the electronic data is transmitted to the e-mail server. The data storage device must be a non-volatile data storage device to recover from a loss of power error. For a loss of communication with the server or failure to establish communication with the server, communication is established with the e-mail server and the electronic data is transmitted to the e-mail server.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for correcting defects, such as rounded corners and line end shortening, in patterns formed via photolithography are provided. Such defects are compensated for “post-rasterization” by manipulating the grayscale values of pixel maps.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an image reading apparatus capable of reading an original image at high speed. And other object is to provide an image reading apparatus in which even when heat is generated at an inverter, reading operation is not influenced. In order to achieve these object, the image reading apparatus is comprised with a scanning means including, a light source for illuminating an original, an image pickup element for receiving reflected light from the original, a cabinet and an inverter provided at a vicinity of a side face of the cabinet in parallel with a direction of moving the light source for driving the light source, a communicating means provided at a vicinity of a side face of the cabinet opposed to the side face at the vicinity of the inverter and a cooling fan for cooling an interval between the inverter and the communicating means.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for identifying intended response marks in an optically scanned image of a response sheet having key marks and response targets printed in the same color. Pixel darkness values assigned by a digital imaging scanner are used to locate key marks and response targets and to identify response marks. Areas of the sheet may be selectively filtered to mask the response targets. Alternatively, a color imaging scanner may be used to produce a set of color values, such as RBG values, for each pixel. Software can act as a virtual filter by using the RBG values to detect or to mask a color in the image.

Abstract: Artifacts of error diffusion halftoning are reduced by selecting a halftone threshold for a current pixel on the basis of an accumulated halftone error for the pixel and its neighbors.

Abstract: An image reader including photoelectric transducers each of which converts a light signal into an electric signal, and outputs the signal to a signal line, channel selecting switches each of which selectively connects, and disconnects, a corresponding one of the transducers to, and from, the signal line, and a resolution selecting portion which receives a control-start signal which commands the image reader to start controlling the switches, and continues to take a predetermined voltage in a first predetermined time duration, and each one of clock-pulse signals which have respective different numbers of characteristic portions or portion in a second predetermined time duration falling in the first time duration, and each of which has pulses in a third time duration following the second time duration, the switches being sequentially controlled in synchronism with the pulses of the each clock-pulse signal, so as to sequentially connect, and disconnect, the corresponding transducers to, and from, the signal line

Abstract: A data transmitting device transmits a print file showing file names of image files and print conditions to a data receiving device, and the data receiving device stores the received print file in a storage medium. Then, the data receiving device requests one of the image files from the data transmitting according to the file names shown in the print file, and the data transmitting device transmits the one of the image files to the data receiving device in response to the request. The data receiving device stores the one of the image files in a storage medium and prints the image in the print condition shown in the print file, and the data receiving device and the data transmitting device repeat the steps for each of the image files.

Abstract: A method of improving a digital image captured by a digital camera comprising: providing a digital camera having a memory for storing known values of a color chart having a plurality of color patches of different colors and a digital image processor, using the digital camera to capture an image of the color chart to produce image values of the color patches of the color chart; operating the digital image processor to process at least some of the color patch imaged values and the stored known values of the color patches to produce a color correction matrix or profile; and storing the color correction matrix or profile to correct color images subsequently acquired by the digital camera.

Abstract: A text modification mechanism is provided for formatting data such that the information can be reasonably deciphered by a human, but cannot be easily recognized by computer recognition techniques. The text modification mechanism alters printed text so that computer recognition of characters becomes difficult. Modification of the text may be accomplished with manipulation of the fonts or the background. The mechanism may also modify the text based on user preferences.

Abstract: A system authenticates an original hardcopy document using a digital signature generation system and a digital signature verification system. Initially, the original hardcopy document is scanned to provide a bitmap image to the signature generation system. The bitmap image is highly compressed by the signature generation system using compression schemes such as MPEG (for gray images) or a low-fidelity symbol based compression scheme (for bi-level images). A signed hardcopy document is then printed that includes the bitmap image and an authentication token. The authentication token is encoded in the signed hardcopy document using either serpentine halftone patterns or data glyphs. The authenticity of the signed hardcopy document is verified by inputting a scanned bitmap image of the signed hardcopy document into the signature verification system. Once received, the signature verification system decodes, authenticates, and decompresses the bitmap image to define decompressed image data.

Abstract: A system for permitting insertion or replacement of electronic cards, the system includes a scanner for scanning hardcopy elements, the scanner including an electronic component for performing at least one processing function on an electronic representation of the hardcopy element; a first processor for directing operations of the scanner and for receiving directions that are passed to other components; a field-installed electronic card that performs additional processing on the electronic representation of the hardcopy element; a second processor electrically connected to the scanner for sending directions to the scanner processor which processor includes field-installed control code for directing the field-installed electronic card.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for the communication of data which is maintained in a database within a memory of a paging receiver. The data maintained in these fields may be utilized during page requests to provide possibly useful information to the page-receiving communicant. The data is communicated via one or more alternative techniques described herein.

Abstract: A method for transforming a first image defined by a first multi-dimensional color space (RGB) into second image defined by a second multi-dimensional color space (CMYK). The method computes the transformation using information derived from a previous transformation of said second image into said first image. The method then minimizes the error produced while transforming the second image back into the first image. As such, an image editing system can display on a video monitor an image that is defined in one multi-dimensional color space (RGB), print using a printer that prints images using a second multi-dimensional color space (CMYK) and edit an image using any multi-dimensional color space (either RGB or CMYK) that facilitates rapid and accurate image editing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for enhancing the communication of data in an alphanumeric paging network. In accordance with the present invention, caller-identification information is automatically transmitted through a telephone network to a central office of a alphanumeric paging network when a page-originating communicant engages the network. The caller-identification information preferably includes numeric data which identifies the telephone number of the particular telephone unit utilized by the page-originating communicant to engage the alphanumeric paging network, and alphanumeric text which identifies the entity associated in the telephone directory with that particular telephone number. This information may be utilized in an automated fashion to reduce the required interaction between the alphanumeric paging network and the page-originating communicant. In particular it is helpful in minimizing the amount of human interaction required.

Abstract: The present invention is related to the synthesis, display and printing of halftone images. The invention comprises a method capable of generating screen elements with sophisticated screen dot shapes such as artistic shapes, microletters and ideograms. The method can be used to generate screen elements whose screen dots are made of evolving artistic shapes at increasing intensity level. For generating screen elements at consecutive intensity levels, intermediate contours which bound the white and black parts of each screen element are obtained by interpolating between fixed predefined contours. Such interpolated contours defining screen dots may be transformed from a screen dot definition space to a screen dot rendition space before being converted into discrete screen elements by a scan conversion and filling operation.