Abstract: Methods and system employing the same for finding repeated structure for data extraction from document images are provided. A reference record and one or more reference fields thereof are identified from a document image. One or more candidate fields are generated for each of the reference fields. One or more best candidate records from the candidate fields are selected using a probabilistic model and an optimal record set is determined from the best candidate records.

Abstract: An image management method and system provides for storing, indexing, searching, and/or retrieving image data. Keypoints are identified in images, including keypoints in a query image of a query document, and keypoints in potential target document images of a collection of potential target documents. Fingerprint information from the keypoints are generated, and the fingerprint information of a query image is compared with fingerprint information of potential target document images, found in the collection of potential target documents. A best match is determined between the fingerprint information of the query image and the potential target document images. At least one target document image is retrieved based on the determined best match. The retrieved at least one target image may then be displayed, printed or transmitted.

Abstract: Production control systems and methods are presented for estimation of production resource failure probabilities in which a set of four count values are maintained and updated for each resource including a first count value m11 indicating a number of plans where the resource m was used and failed, a second count value m10 indicating a number of plans where the resource m was used and succeeded, a third count value m01 indicating a number of plans where the resource m was not used and failed, and a fourth count value m00 indicating a number of plans where the resource m was not used and succeeded, and the current fault probability for each resource is estimated and stored for single or multiple, persistent or intermittent faults based on the corresponding count values.

Abstract: A document recognition system and method, where images are represented as a collection of primitive features whose spatial relations are represented as a graph. Useful subsets of all the possible subgraphs representing different portions of images are represented over a corpus of many images. The data structure is a lattice of subgraphs, and algorithms are provided means to build and use the graph lattice efficiently and effectively.

Abstract: A document recognition system and method, where images are represented as a collection of primitive features whose spatial relations are represented as a graph. Useful subsets of all the possible subgraphs representing different portions of images are represented over a corpus of many images. The data structure is a lattice of subgraphs, and algorithms are provided means to build and use the graph lattice efficiently and effectively.

Abstract: Methods of generating image anchor templates from low variance regions of document images of a first class are provided. The methods select a document image from the document images of the first class and align the other document images of the first class to the selected document image. Low variance regions are then determined by comparing the aligned document images and the selected document image and used to generate image anchor templates.

Abstract: The presently described embodiments solve the problem of getting electronic calendar entries back onto the paper calendar. To do so, in one form, according to the presently described embodiments, an inkjet label printer is mounted next to the paper calendar. Each time a daily entry gets updated online, the label printer prints out a new sticky label whose size and markings correspond to the revised paper calendar entry for that day. It is then a simple process for the user to peel off the label and affix it to the correct location on the paper calendar.

Abstract: A method and system provides intelligent node-link diagram creation and editing, including an electronic display device having a surface on which a writing and/or drawing canvas is provided. An input device permits writing and/or drawing of electronic ink strokes, and a computing device is in operative association with the electronic display and the input device, and has stored therein for operation in connection with actions of the input device, a user interface (UI). The UI includes a graphical user interface (GUI) module, which controls input and display of the ink strokes applied to the canvas by the input device, and a recognition module which interprets the ink strokes by performance of structure recognition operations.

Abstract: A document processing system and method thereof are disclosed. The system comprises machine-readable data such as DataGlyphs and human-readable data such as rendering text of the DataGlyphs that are applied on the document. Processing devices of the system can decode document-processing instruction(s) embedded in the machine-readable data, and then optionally execute at least part of the instruction automatically. A designed stamp is also provided to generate the machine-readable data and human-readable data on the document.

Abstract: A method and process provides structure recognition to a node-link diagram formed by a plurality of digital ink strokes drawn on a canvas of an electronic device by an input device. The method and process include grouping related strokes into multiple hypotheses reflecting structure interpretations of the strokes in a group. Confidence scores are computed for the multiple hypotheses based on local evidence regarding the strokes of the stroke groups and surrounding strokes. Constraints are applied among the hypotheses, and a collectively high scoring assignment of accept/reject values of the hypotheses are determined under the applied constraints. The hypotheses with collectively high scoring assignments are accepted as a representation of the node-link diagram, where structure information is provided to the strokes of the node-link diagram, making the node-link diagram electronically editable.

Abstract: A method for electronically magnifying a target object with an imaging device. The method includes obtaining a full view image of the target object, where the full view image is focused. The method further includes moving the imaging device in proximity to a portion of the target object and obtaining a key image of the portion of the target object. The method further includes matching the key image to a corresponding portion of the full view image. The method further includes magnifying the corresponding portion of the full view image and displaying the magnified portion of the full view image.

Abstract: Methods and systems for classifying markings on images in a document are undertaken according to marking types. The document containing the images is supplied to a segmenter which breaks the images into fragments of foreground pixel structures that are identified as being likely to be of the same marking type by finding connected components, extracting near-horizontal or -vertical rule lines and subdividing some connected components to obtain the fragments. The fragments are then supplied to a classifier, where the classifier provides a category score for each fragment, wherein the classifier is trained from the groundtruth images whose pixels are labeled according to known marking types. Thereafter, a same label is assigned to all pixels in a particular fragment, when the fragment is classified by the classifier.

Abstract: A user interface and method is embodied on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer. The user interface is a labeler which labels only foreground pixels of an image stored in a computing environment. The labeler operates in a Region mode/state and Brush mode/state, and includes a Tentative mode that permits an assigned label to be changed after pixels have been selected. Groups of pixels may be selected for labeling at once by a point-and-click command, and a pixel may belong to one or more groups of pixels which are stored in memory as image layers. The groups are formed dynamically by user selection actions, and/or through automatic recognition algorithms. Pixels already labeled with certain labels may be locked to not be altered by additional labeling operations. Unassigned pixels may be highlighted to increase the ease at which they are identified in an image. Comparisons between labeled images are undertaken to indicate differences between different groundtruth labeling.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the present embodiment provide segmenting of connected components of markings found in document images. Segmenting includes detecting aligned text. From this detected material an aligned text mask is generated and used in processing of the images. The processing includes breaking connected components in the document images into smaller pieces or fragments by detecting and segregating the connected components and fragments thereof likely to belong to aligned text.

Abstract: A system and method for communication in an online electronic chat environment having multiple communication devices connected to each other in a communication network is provided. Displayed on a display screen of an electronic communication device of the multiple communication devices, is a chat region configured to hold text, and a graphics region to hold graphic objects. The chat region and the graphics region are positioned on a common electronic canvas of the display screen. Text from the chat region can be moved to the graphics region, and graphic objects in the graphics region may be moved to the chat region. The design allows for the mixing of chat and graphics in a common window when material is moved between the two modalities. In additional embodiments, the text in the chat region and the graphics in the graphics region are synchronized whereby movement of one causes action in the other.

Abstract: A method and process provides a selection process designed to select optimized results from a plurality of possible results represented in a search tree. A tree search is employed, wherein bounds are used to prune at least one node or branch of the search tree. A non-overlapping support constraint in conjunction with the tree search is invoked to further prune the search tree. An optimized search tree is stored into a memory, following the invoking of the non-support constraint, and the optimized search tree is employed in additional processing operations.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiments, a calibration arrangement is configured to assist in calibration of a surface scanning system where the calibration arrangement includes a preconfigured physical object which may embody dimensional information wherein the dimensional information is used to calibrate a surface of the scanning system. In an alternative embodiment, the preconfigured physical object is configured to obtain data for use in calibration of the surface of a pan/tilt surface scanning system.

Abstract: An image management method and system provides for storing, indexing, searching, and/or retrieving image data. Keypoints are identified in images, including keypoints in a query image of a query document, and keypoints in potential target document images of a collection of potential target documents. Fingerprint information from the keypoints are generated, and the fingerprint information of a query image is compared with fingerprint information of potential target document images, found in the collection of potential target documents. A best match is determined between the fingerprint information of the query image and the potential target document images. At least one target document image is retrieved based on the determined best match. The retrieved at least one target image may then be displayed, printed or transmitted.

Abstract: An image analysis and conversion method and system. Bitmapped ink images are converted to structured object representations of the bitmapped images, which may be read and edited by a structured text/graphics editor. The structured object representations correlate to perceptually salient areas of the bitmapped images. The structured object representations are editable by the structured text/graphics editor to allow a user to generate alternative interpretations of the bitmapped images.

Abstract: The presently described embodiments solve the problem of getting electronic calendar entries back onto the paper calendar. To do so, in one form, according to the presently described embodiments, an inkjet label printer is mounted next to the paper calendar. Each time a daily entry gets updated online, the label printer prints out a new sticky label whose size and markings correspond to the revised paper calendar entry for that day. It is then a simple process for the user to peel off the label and affix it to the correct location on the paper calendar.