Abstract: A disposable spoon is disclosed to include a handle, which has an elongated, longitudinally extending flat base, two obliquely upwardly extending sidewalls at two sides of the flat base, and a ridged line between the flat base and each sidewall, and a bowl, which has a flat base connected to the flat base of the handle at an angle, two sidewalls obliquely upwardly disposed at two sides of the flat base and respectively formed integral with the sidewalls of the handle, a front wall obliquely forwardly extending from a front end of the flat base and terminating in a transversely extending straight edge, and a ridged line between the flat base and each sidewall and between the front wall and each sidewall.

Abstract: Methods, systems and machine-readable instructions for constraining layout variations for accommodating variable content in electronic documents are described. In one aspect, explicit logical blocks extracted from the electronic document are received. Each of the explicit logical blocks corresponds to a content region of the electronic document assigned a respective content style. Layout relationships among the explicit logical blocks are determined. Based on the layout relationships, rules constraining layout variations among implicit logical blocks to approximate the electronic document in appearance while accommodating variable content are generated. Each of the implicit logical blocks corresponds to a respective one of the explicit logical blocks and accommodates variable content having the content style assigned to the corresponding explicit logical block. The rules are stored in a machine-readable medium.

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide techniques to automatically crop an image to a desired size and non-rectangular crop shape. A non-rectangular crop shape can, for example, be input to an image processing system. The non-rectangular crop shape is then used to process the original image to generate the desired crop.

Abstract: A computing device comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is operable to select a plurality of related graphics elements for extraction from an electronic document. The selection of the plurality of related graphics elements includes creating a graphics region in the electronic document, and the graphics region includes an expandable area in the document encompassing the plurality of related graphics elements. The memory stores the electronic document from which the plurality of related graphics elements are extracted.

Abstract: Methods, machines, and computer-readable media storing machine-readable instructions for segmenting pixels in an image are described. In one aspect, a region of background pixels is identified in the image. At least some of the background pixels in the region are located on a boundary spatially delimiting the region. One or more orientation-dependent adaptive thresholds are determined for one or more respective candidate growth directions from a given background pixel located on the region boundary. Color distances between the given background pixel and candidate pixels in a neighborhood of the given background pixel are determined. The region is grown based on application of the one or more orientation-dependent adaptive thresholds to the determined color distances.

Abstract: A power converter module provides a regulated direct current voltage to a load, and includes a rectifier, a metal thin film capacitor, and a voltage regulating circuit. The rectifier has input rectifier terminals coupled electrically to an external alternating current power source, and output rectifier terminals. The metal thin film capacitor interconnects one of the input rectifier terminals of the rectifier to the external alternating current power source. The voltage regulating circuit provides the regulated direct current voltage from the output rectifier terminals to the load.

Abstract: A method of aligning a first page image and a second page image is disclosed. The first page image and the second page image are deskewed. Then, the first page image and the second page image are vertically aligned. In particular, a first vertical data set comprising a plurality of first values each first value based on a horizontal scanline of the first page image is generated. Moreover, a second vertical data set comprising a plurality of second values each second value based on a horizontal scanline of the second page image is generated. One of the first and second vertical data sets is dilated. Then, the first and second vertical data sets are cross-correlated to generate cross-correlation data. A maximum value of the cross-correlation data is determined, whereas the maximum value indicates vertical alignment between the first and second page images. Finally, the first and second page images are horizontally aligned.

Abstract: High frequency-weldable articles, such as sheets or yarns, include at least one high frequency-weldable part that is made from a modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material and that has a melting point ranging from 100° C. to 250° C. The modified PET material is prepared from a composition that includes terephthalic acid, ethylene glycol andadiol modifier. The diol modifier is selected from the group consisting of neopentanediol, 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylpropane, 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylpropane alkoxylate, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-hexanediol, polyethylene glycol, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide techniques to automatically crop an image to a desired size. Automating the cropping process, while at the same time providing a high quality, cropped image, can be accomplished by employing a comprehensive approach that includes one or more of contextual cropping (e.g., basing cropping decisions on elements within the image to be cropped itself), training the cropping mechanism (e.g., using previously cropped versions of the same image or related images) and multiple operational modes (e.g., selecting one of a plurality of different cropping techniques for cropping a particular image).

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide techniques to automatically insert an object from one image into a region of another image. The systems and methods require little or no user interaction to allow efficient re-use and updating of existing images, presentations, documents and the like. An object and a container region are identified. Feasible placement location(s) within the container region for the object, as well as an associated scale factor, are determined. If multiple feasible placement locations are identified for a particular scale factor, then one is selected based upon predetermined criteria. The object can then be inserted into the container region and the resulting composite image stored or, alternatively, parameters can be stored which enable object insertion at a subsequent processing step.

Abstract: A method for determining logical components of a portable document format (PDF) document is disclosed. The method includes separating the document into a plurality of layers. A PDF document is created for each of the plurality of layers. The method also includes determining a logical structure for each layer. The logical structures of the plurality of layers are combined to determine the logical components of the PDF document.

Abstract: Cover authoring systems and methods for automatically composing a final content layout for a cover, including spinal content formatted to accommodate the width and height dimensions of the book spine, are described. By automatically computing the typeface parameter values based upon the selected visual fit model, this cover authoring scheme enables users to avoid the time consuming, laborious and expensive process of manually composing the final cover content layout with a conventional graphics program.

Abstract: A method of document segmentation. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of document segmentation that performs a plurality of projection profiles of pixel intensities on a document containing a plurality of text lines over a range of angles. A plurality of slope values for a plurality of discrete distances perpendicular to said range of angles is calculated for the plurality of projection profiles. A set of maximum absolute slope values is sorted out from the plurality of slope values. Text lines of first and second type are identified by setting a threshold slope value. Absolute slope values greater than the threshold slope value indicate the plurality of text lines of said first type. Absolute slope values less than the threshold slope value indicate the plurality of text lines of a second type.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a means for utilizing the heat source with efficiency at least comprising: a container, which is settled at the center of said means; a sand, which is settled within said means and outside said container; a hot gas channel, which is interconnected with said container and is covered with said sand; a collecting casket, which is settled on the bottom of said container and is used to collect the ash of the charcoal; a casket chamber, which could allocate said collecting casket within; a storage room, which is sited below said casket chamber; a plurality of rolling wheels, which is sited on the bottom of said means that could make said means moving freely; said hot gas channel could be covered by means of the sand to avoid the heat dissipation of the heat inside the heat gas channel while keeping high temperature which could make use of the heat resource and thus achieves the effects of baking, temperature-maintenance, cover toast as well as warm-keeping on the same time.

Abstract: A power converter module provides a regulated direct current voltage to a load, and includes a rectifier, a metal thin film capacitor, and a voltage regulating circuit. The rectifier has input rectifier terminals coupled electrically to an external alternating current power source, and output rectifier terminals. The metal thin film capacitor interconnects one of the input rectifier terminals of the rectifier to the external alternating current power source. The voltage regulating circuit provides the regulated direct current voltage from the output rectifier terminals to the load.

Abstract: A method of classifying elements of a document includes receiving a file defining a document having at least one page and a plurality of elements. Each selected element is classified into one of a plurality of categories based on at least one of the element type, location, size (area, height, or width), or recurrence throughout the document.

Abstract: A method of extracting a section of a page from a portable document format file (“pdf”): The method includes receiving indication of a user-defined region on a pdf file page, designating an extraction region including all elements determined to be within the user-defined region, and placing the extraction region into a new file. The method may also include determining if one or more elements on the pdf page are within the user-defined region by applying inclusion rules based on whether an element's bounding box is within or intersects the user-defined region. The method may also include verifying the accuracy of the extraction by converting the user-defined region in the original pdf document and the extracted region to bitmap images and comparing the two bitmap images, bit by bit.

Abstract: A computing device comprises a processor and a memory. The processor operable to select a plurality of related graphics elements for extraction from an electronic document. The selection of the plurality of related graphics elements includes creating a graphics region in the electronic document, and the graphics region includes an expandable area in the document encompassing the plurality of related graphics elements. The memory stores the electronic document from which the plurality of related graphics elements are extracted.

Abstract: A method of aligning a first page image and a second page image is disclosed. The first page image and the second page image are deskewed. Then, the first page image and the second page image are vertically aligned. In particular, a first vertical data set comprising a plurality of first values each first value based on a horizontal scanline of the first page image is generated. Moreover, a second vertical data set comprising a plurality of second values each second value based on a horizontal scanline of the second page image is generated. One of the first and second vertical data sets is dilated. Then, the first and second vertical data sets are cross-correlated to generate cross-correlation data. A maximum value of the cross-correlation data is determined, whereas the maximum value indicates vertical alignment between the first and second page images. Finally, the first and second page images are horizontally aligned.

Abstract: A method of document segmentation. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of document segmentation that performs a plurality of projection profiles of pixel intensities on a document containing a plurality of text lines over a range of angles. A plurality of slope values for a plurality of discrete distances perpendicular to said range of angles is calculated for the plurality of projection profiles. A set of maximum absolute slope values is sorted out from the plurality of slope values. Text lines of first and second type are identified by setting a threshold slope value. Absolute slope values greater than the threshold slope value indicate the plurality of text lines of said first type. Absolute slope values less than the threshold slope value indicate the plurality of text lines of a second type.