Abstract: A graphical input and display system having a user interface for selecting object(s) to be operated on by the system includes input devices permitting a user to select and establish image object(s) received from various image input sources. A processor, connected to the system, receives requests for various image element selection operations and also accesses a memory structure. The system memory structure includes a user interaction module, which allows a user to select image elements without pre-selecting an element selection mode, as well as data memory.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, disclosed is an image analysis and conversion method and system, where 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.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, disclosed is an image analysis and conversion method and system, where digital ink images are converted to structured object representations of the digital ink images, capable of being edited by a structured text/graphics editor.

Abstract: A system and method are provided to normalize colors in an image of a board surface so as to eliminate effects of variable illumination, and in the case of mosaic images, to eliminate visible seams between tiles. Each pixel is classified as foreground or background, where foreground pixels contain ink marks. An efficient smoothing process estimates the ideal background color of all pixels, including the foreground pixels. The estimated background color is used to normalize each pixel's color such that in the final image, artifacts arising from camera gain and uneven lighting of the board surface are eliminated.

Abstract: A hand-held printer system is designed for printing a stored image onto a surface or other media. In particular, various embodiments are adapted for hand-held printing onto the surface of a whiteboard. In embodiments, the printer system comprises a marking mechanism including at least one print head, a global position sensing system that senses a position of the at least one print head, and a control mechanism that actuates the at least one print head based on the sensed position. In other embodiments, the system comprises a local position sensing system that senses a position of the at least one print head relative to a drawing surface.

Abstract: A hand-held printer system is designed for printing a stored image onto a surface or other media. In particular, various embodiments are adapted for hand-held printing onto the surface of a whiteboard. In embodiments, the printer system comprises a marking mechanism including at least one print head, a global position sensing system that senses a position of the at least one print head, and a control mechanism that actuates the at least one print head based on the sensed position. In other embodiments, the system comprises a local position sensing system that senses a position of the at least one print head relative to a drawing surface.

Abstract: The Pendulum Whiteboard Printer is a fully-automatic robotic device for marking or otherwise effecting whiteboards, pinboards, or other vertical surfaces. The physical device consists of an effector platform suspended by two suspension wires whose lengths are adjusted by motorized spindles mounted above and on either side of the board surface. The position of the effector platform is adjusted by winding and unwinding the wires. Methods are provided for using the Pendulum Whiteboard Printer to perform various actions and for moving the effector platform to a desired location.

Abstract: This invention discloses image analysis techniques supporting the interpretation of marks on a large drawing board for purposes of controlling a Board transcription device. In order for users to control such a transcription device by writing on the Board itself, the system recognizes certain markings and directives drawn by users in accordance with an agreed-upon format for control diagrams conveying information as to the parameters of transcription. In the embodiment herein described, nested squares, spatial region indicators, and symbolic annotation analysis area used to convey command parameters. The present invention demonstrates line drawing analysis techniques that support grouping and manipulation of symbolic tokens in a Scale-Space blackboard data structure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for segmenting a binary document image so as to assign image objects to one of three types: CHARACTER-type objects, STROKE-type objects, and LARGE-BITMAP-type objects. The method makes use of a contour tracing technique, statistical analysis of contour features, a thinning technique, and image morphology.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing thinning, or skeletonization, of binary images or figures are provided. More particularly, a method is implemented in a system for encoding a figure using a mid-crack boundary representation to identify the boundary contour of the figure. Then, the boundary contour of the figure is traversed while the boundary is selectively displaced inward. The boundary contour is also concurrently re-encoded based on the selectively displaced boundary.

Abstract: The Pendulum Whiteboard Printer is a fully-automatic robotic device for marking or otherwise effecting whiteboards, pinboards, or other vertical surfaces. The physical device consists of an effector platform suspended by two suspension wires whose lengths are adjusted by motorized spindles mounted above and on either side of the board surface. The position of the effector platform is adjusted by winding and unwinding the wires. Electrical power is supplied to the effector platform through the suspension wires or through an on-board battery. Control of a pen and/or other apparatus on the effector platform is achieved through modulation of the power voltage. A further component of this invention is electronic and computational apparatus for controlling the device, which may include automatic visual interpretation and feedback from a video camera viewing the board and printer.

Abstract: The Pendulum Whiteboard Printer is an effector platform for a fully-automatic robotic device for marking or otherwise effecting whiteboards, pinboards, or other vertical surfaces The effector platform is designed to be suspended by two suspension wires whose lengths are adjusted by motorized spindles mounted above and on either side of the board surface. The position of the effector platform is adjusted by winding and unwinding the wires. Electrical power is supplied to the effector platform through the suspension wires or from an on-board battery. Control of a pen and/or other apparatus on the effector platform is achieved through modulation of the power voltage. The effector platform may be fitted with a variety of end effectors such as dry-erase markers, gripping elements, and squeegees.

Abstract: The Pendulum Whiteboard Printer is a fully-automatic robotic device for marking or otherwise effecting whiteboards, pinboards, or other vertical surfaces. The physical device consists of an effector platform suspended by two suspension wires whose lengths are adjusted by motorized spindles mounted above and on either side of the board surface. The position of the effector platform is adjusted by winding and unwinding the wires. Electrical power is supplied to the effector platform through the suspension wires or through an on-board battery. Control of a pen and/or other apparatus on the effector platform is achieved through modulation of the power voltage. A parking facility is provided as a resting place for the effector platform for such purposes as keeping pens from drying out.

Abstract: An enhanced information collage that combines a computational system with a physical information collage to preserve the advantages of conventional information collages while alleviating many problems associated with such collages. A physical information collage (e.g. a pin board with spatially differentiated pin mounted task cards, each card having a detectable identity tag) can be made part of a computational system by sensing the identity, position, and contents of the collage component artifacts. In effect, each collage component has its content and position stored in a database, with movement of a particular component resulting in update of the database to record the new position of that component. Further provided are Operator Icon components which may be used to provide digital services, such as combining, erasing, saving, or transferring, to other collage components.

Abstract: An enhanced information collage having a surface for detachable support of a plurality of collage components. The enhanced information collage comprises an identification unit, a location unit, and an information processing system. The identification unit is for determining informational content of at least some of the plurality of collage components. The location unit is for tracking position of at least some of the plurality of collage components. The information processing system is connected to the identification unit and the location unit for storing sate records of position and informational content of at least some of the plurality of collage components, with the information processing being updatable to reflect changes in position and information content of the at least some of the plurality of collage components.

Abstract: An overhead scanning system records pages from bound documents in an upright and open condition. A light stripe is projected onto each page of the bound document to measure the non-planar deformations of each page. The scanning system records a first image with the light stripe and a second image without the light stripe. After identifying a set of pixels representing the light stripe in the first image, the set of pixels is smoothed to minimize large transitions between scan lines. Subsequently, a crease is identified in the set of pixels that represents the spine of the bound document. The pixels forming the crease are replaced with pixels that are defined using a parametric model that approximates the spine region of a bound document. This substitution insures that the spine region of a bound document is accurately depicted before determining a page shape transform with the identified set of pixels representing defining the projected light stripe.

Abstract: A platenless book scanner with line buffering performs electronic perspective correction to account for rotation of the spine of a non-planar bound document relative to a reference line in a support plane of the platenless book scanner. A pre-scan of the non-planar bound document is performed to provide a geometrical contour map of the bound document. The geometrical contour map, which identifies displacement of the bound document from the support plane, is analyzed to calculate an angular offset between a spine of the bound document and the reference line in the support plane. The angular offset is used to identify a minimum number of scan line buffers for recording image data, from a set of scan line buffers. Once the minimum number of scan line buffers is filled with recorded image data, distortions caused by displacements of the non-planar bound document from the support plane and skew of the bound document relative to the reference line in the support plane are corrected.

Abstract: An overhead scanning system records pages from bound documents in an upright and open condition. The scanning system is defined with a general imaging geometry that makes the scanning system readily portable, and provides the scanning system with a variable imaging area. Once an operator defines an imaging area of an image acquisition system, the operator positions a light stripe projector to project across the imaging area. After recording calibration data, a perspective transform is provided by a perspective transform generator. In operation, a first image of the bound document having a light stripe projected there across is recorded by the image acquisition system. A page shape transform generator is then used to derive a page shape transform. Subsequently, a second image of the bound document is recorded without projecting a light stripe thereacross.

Abstract: A method of recognizing the effects of coarse pixel quantization on text represented via raster signals to enable automatic selection between fax and normal modes of optical character recognition. A processor executes instructions stored in a memory to trace the contours of connected components included within a sample image and to count the number of runs one, two, and three pixels in length along the contour. If the sample image includes few runs two pixels in lengths along the contours of its connected components as compared to the number of runs one and three pixels in length, then the sample image has undergone coarse pixel quantization and the processor selects fax mode optical character recognition.

Abstract: An unsupervised method of learning the relationships between words and unspecified topics in documents using a computer is described. The computer represents the relationships between words and unspecified topics via word clusters and association strength values, which can be used later during topical characterization of documents. The computer learns the relationships between words and unspecified topics in an iterative fashion from a set of learning documents. The computer preprocesses the training documents by generating an observed feature vector for each document of the set of training documents and by setting association strengths to initial values. The computer then determines how well the current association strength values predict the topical content of all of the learning documents by generating a cost for each document and summing the individual costs together to generate a total cost. If the total cost is excessive, the association strength values are modified and the total cost recalculated.