Abstract: A card scanner has a card support mechanism for receiving a card and a camera system. A first mirror is mounted so that a first image of a first side of the card reflects to the camera system when the card is within the card support mechanism. A second mirror mounted is so that a second image of a second side of the card reflects to the mechanism camera when the card is within the card support mechanism. Once the card is within the scanner, the camera system captures the first image of the first side of the card and the second image of the second side of the card.

Abstract: A card scanner includes a card support mechanism for receiving a card and a first camera. A first light source is mounted so that a first image of a first side of the card captured by the first camera reflects to the first camera so that a first bright region created by light reflected by the first side of the card from the first light source is within a first location on the first side of the card. A second light source is mounted so that a second image of the first side of the card captured by the first camera reflects to the first camera so that a second bright region created by light reflected by the first side of the card from the second light source is within a second location on the first side of the card, wherein the first location and the second location do not overlap.

Abstract: A card reader includes a camera mounted on card reader housing and a card input tray supported by the card reader housing. The card input tray provides automated alignment of a card by being at an inclined angle sufficiently steep so that when the card is placed into a front of the card input tray, the card will tend to slide to a back of the card input tray and rest against a back wall of the card input tray, the back wall aligning the card to minimize document skew when scanning. Diffused light is used to illuminate the card when the card is within the card input tray.

Abstract: A card reader, includes card reader housing, a camera mounted on the card reader housing and a document input tray supported by the card reader housing. A light source is oriented to provide indirect light to the document when the document is within the document input tray. A direct light barrier shields the document from receiving direct light from the light source. A controller instructs the camera to capture an image of the document.

Abstract: A card reader, includes card reader housing, a camera mounted on the card reader housing and a document input tray supported by the card reader housing. A light source is oriented to provide indirect light to the document when the document is within the document input tray. A direct light barrier shields the document from receiving direct light from the light source. A controller instructs the camera to capture an image of the document.

Abstract: A system includes an imaging device and an acquisition layer. The imaging device acquires an image. The acquisition layer is logically located between a source manager and the imaging device, the source manager being called by an application when a user of the system requests to acquire the image. The acquisition layer includes imaging acquisition logic that receives the image from the imaging device and performs optical character recognition (OCR) that extracts machine editable text from the image. The acquisition layer forwards the image to the application and makes the machine editable text available to the user.

Abstract: A scanning device comprising a first image sensor, a second image sensor module and a housing. The first image sensor module has a first image array sensor for scanning information from a first side of media. The second image sensor module is mounted opposite the first image sensor module so that the media can move to a scanning region between the first image sensor module and the second image sensor module. The second image sensor module has a second image array sensor for scanning information from a second side of the media. A housing is attached to the second image sensor module.

Abstract: Power is provided to a scanning device. Power supplied by an attached bus is used to power the scanning device when power requirements for the scanning device can be met by the power supplied by the attached bus. Power is drawn from a rechargeable battery to supply power to the scanning device when power requirements for the scanning device cannot be met by the power from the attached bus. When the scanning device is in a stand-by mode, the power from the attached bus is used to recharge the rechargeable battery.

Abstract: A scanning system includes a transparent plate and a first crop marker. A document to be scanned is placed upon the transparent plate. The first crop marker is mounted on first housing for the scanning system located adjacent to a first edge of the transparent plate. The first crop marker allows a user to specify a value for a first dimension of a final image to be produced by the scanning system. The scanning system detects a location of the first crop marker and crops the final image of the document in accordance with the value of the first dimension.

Abstract: A system includes an imaging device and an acquisition layer. The imaging device acquires an image. The acquisition layer is logically located between a source manager and the imaging device, the source manager being called by an application when a user of the system requests to acquire the image. The acquisition layer includes imaging acquisition logic that receives the image from the imaging device and performs optical character recognition (OCR) that extracts machine editable text from the image. The acquisition layer forwards the image to the application and makes the machine editable text available to the user.

Abstract: A scanning device scans both sides of a document. The document is fed between a first image sensor module and a second image sensor module. The second image sensor module is moved with respect to the first image sensor module so that a separation distance between the second image sensor module and the first image sensor module is based on a thickness of the document. A first side of the document is scanned using a first scan line located in the first image sensor module. A second side of the document is scanned using a second scan line located in the second image sensor module. When the document is fed between the first image sensor module and the second image sensor module, the document does not reach the first scan line and the second scan line simultaneously.

Abstract: An optical scanning device is useful for scanning business cards. The optical scanning device includes an image scanner, a roller and a support base. The image scanner scans a surface of a card. The roller moves the card across a surface of the image scanner. The support base is arranged to support the image scanner on a horizontal surface so that an axis of rotation of the roller is not parallel to the horizontal surface. This results in the image scanner scanning cards in a non-horizontal orientation.

Abstract: A scanning device comprising a first image sensor, a second image sensor module and a housing. The first image sensor module has a first image array sensor for scanning information from a first side of media. The second image sensor module is mounted opposite the first image sensor module so that the media can move to a scanning region between the first image sensor module and the second image sensor module. The second image sensor module has a second image array sensor for scanning information from a second side of the media. A housing is attached to the second image sensor module.

Abstract: A scanning device scans both sides of a document. The document is fed between a first image sensor module and a second image sensor module. The second image sensor module is moved with respect to the first image sensor module so that a separation distance between the second image sensor module and the first image sensor module is based on a thickness of the document. A first side of the document is scanned using a first scan line located in the first image sensor module. A second side of the document is scanned using a second scan line located in the second image sensor module. When the document is fed between the first image sensor module and the second image sensor module, the document does not reach the first scan line and the second scan line simultaneously.

Abstract: Power is provided to a scanning device. Power supplied by an attached bus is used to power the scanning device when power requirements for the scanning device can be met by the power supplied by the attached bus. Power is drawn from a rechargeable battery to supply power to the scanning device when power requirements for the scanning device cannot be met by the power from the attached bus. When the scanning device is in a stand-by mode, the power from the attached bus is used to recharge the rechargeable battery.

Abstract: The present invention relates to scanning multi-sided documents. The scanner device scans the multi-sided document one side at a time. The image of each side is tiled vertically or horizontally to form a composite image, which is transferred from the source to the application based on the TWAIN protocol. The source is TWAIN compliant, and it allows any TWAIN application to scan and process multi-sided cards as a single composite image. The source provides a TWAIN user interface which allows the user to select scanning parameters and options. The invention also provides a method of implementing a TWAIN source to use the document sensor on a scanner to efficiently scan single or multi-sided cards based on the TWAIN protocol. The source checks the status of the document sensor when the TWAIN user interface is displayed, and automatically starts scanning when a document is detected by the sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder for manipulating and scanning multiple documents, sheets, cards and sheet-like substrates. The present invention is especially suitable for automatic feeding and scanning of a stack of business cards or other material, which is sufficiently rigid. In an embodiment, a card feeder includes a vertically movable pickup roller, a backstop incline, and output rollers. The card feeder uses the pickup roller to separate and push the top card of the stack against a backstop incline. The card slides upwards along the incline until it engages the output rollers, which move the card past a scanner. The present invention relates to embodiments, which transfer an output card to a card scanner using output rollers to push the card toward scanner input rollers. The output rollers and scanner input rollers can be synchronized or the output rollers can freely rotate in one direction after power to a motor driving rotation is cut off.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder for manipulating and scanning multiple documents, sheets, cards and sheet-like substrates. The present invention is especially suitable for automatic feeding and scanning of a stack of business cards or other material, which is sufficiently rigid. In an embodiment, a card feeder includes a vertically movable pickup roller, a backstop incline, and output rollers. The card feeder uses the pickup roller to separate and push the top card of the stack against a backstop incline. The card slides upwards along the incline until it engages the output rollers, which move the card past a scanner. The present invention relates to embodiments, which transfer an output card to a card scanner using output rollers to push the card toward scanner input rollers. The output rollers and scanner input rollers can be synchronized or the output rollers can freely rotate in one direction after power to a motor driving rotation is cut off.

Abstract: A character segmentation process for skewed documents divides the document bit map into vertical blocks and within each vertical block estimates initial top and bottom bounds of each character in a character row from horizontal projections of the vertical block, thereby avoiding the effects of skew. Operations in the document bit map to compute the exact top, bottom, left and right boundaries of the character are confined within the narrow strip between the initial top and bottom bounds of the character so as to greatly reduce the amount of data fetched from memory during such operations and thereby speed up the segmentation process.

Abstract: During segmentation of individual characters in a column, the invention predicts for the next character an optimal minimum gray level sensitivity threshold while scanning pixel rows between characters by lowering the threshold unless or until noise in the image causes the scanner to detect too many "ON" pixels between adjacent numerals. During subsequent attempts to recognize the segmented character, the invention computes a confidence score and increases the sensitivity threshold above the predicted level if the confidence score is insufficient.