Abstract: Image decimation of a high resolution input image so as to obtain a decimated low resolution image. Image decimation includes adaptive pre-filtering in which a pixel-by-pixel determination is made of busyness in the neighborhood of a target pixel, and based on the determination of busyness a low-pass filter is selectively and adaptively applied prior to sub-sampling to obtain the decimated image.

Abstract: A digital evidence system is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the digital evidence system records pertinent screen activities such as data entry into an electronic form, verification of a data transfer and a purchase order by capturing images of displayed web pages requiring interactions from the user. The captured images are transmitted back to the business and can be retrieved according to a query about any interaction so that the online business could determine what has happened on the user side when a transaction was engaged with the online business.

Abstract: A system to provide an application programming interface (API) to a client application for manipulating FlashPix-formatted files, the API having functions including 1) system management functions to initialize the client application, to indicate that API functions will be called, and to indicate that no further API functions will be called, 2) file management functions to create a new FlashPix storage, to open the FlashPix storage, to read FlashPix image data from the storage to write FlashPix image data to the storage, and to close the storage, and 3) image processing functions to adjust color, to adjust contrast, to perform filtering operations, to rotate, flip and shear, to define a rectangle of interest, and to define aspect ratio. One file management function to read FlashPix image data from the storage include a function to create a world, to place an image in the world, to define a region of interest within the placed image, and to extract data located within the region of interest.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for locating the acquisition target of a two-dimensional symbol in a pixel image, the image is convolved with a double template. The position with the greatest correlation coefficient between the double template and the image is selected as the location of the acquisition target. The double template comprises two identical parallel one-dimensional single templates corresponding to two lines that cross the symmetrical acquisition target at equal distances from the center of the acquisition target. Using a double template instead of only a single template reduces the possibility of finding false positive locations of the acquisition target. Since the double template comprises two identical halves, the image is preferably convolved with only one half of the double template and the double-template correlation coefficients are then generated from these intermediate single-template correlation results.

Abstract: A method and system for decoding a two-dimensional optical symbol in the spatial domain. The system determines the orientation of an imaged symbol in the spatial domain by using a template to derive a correlation coefficient between radially adjacent signals at a given angle of the template and comparing the correlation coefficients as the template is rotated with respect to the image. The angle of the highest correlation coefficient corresponds to the orientation of a set of symbol axes which include contiguous elements whose centers are collinear. The system then locates each individual information-encoded element of the symbol by using segments of the symbol defined by the axes, first adjusting for each segment the axis position and element size for subsequent determination of the location of all elements for decoding.

Abstract: An improved system using an auto focus camera for capturing images of interested objects in the same image resolution over a large range of object distances. The system provides a camera including a zoom lens system responsive to a zoom signal Z and an auto focus lens system, comprising an imaging system operative to image one or more objects at varying object distances, an auto focus controller operative to adjust the auto focus lens system based on a characteristic of the image so as to maintain the object in focus and to output an auto focus status signal, and an auto zoom controller operative to adjust Z by an amount obtained by applying a function to the auto focus status signal, as it varies with the object distance, to maintain an approximately uniform image resolution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing documentary data, in which document data is first checked for the presence of decodable symbols such as bar code, Postnet code, or Maxicode (bullseye-type) code. If such symbols are detected, they are decoded, their boundaries defined, and identities recorded. Efficient compression is then performed on the decoded data, the symbol locations and the symbol identities, and higher fidelity compression techniques are performed on undecodable symbols such as signatures. Reconstruction of the image is performed by decompression of all data and superimposition of the decoded images over the undecodable images.

Abstract: An apparatus for illumination and imaging of a surface includes an apparatus for illuminating the surface, an apparatus for obtaining an image of the illuminated surface and providing an output signal representative of the obtained image, and an apparatus for limiting the exposure time of the image-obtaining apparatus to a selected fast exposure time less than the video frame rate of the image-obtaining apparatus. The image-obtaining apparatus may be a CCD-based camera. The CCD-based camera and the illumination apparatus may be mounted in a shroud having an opaque side wall. A first polarizing film may be provided intermediate the illumination apparatus and the surface, and a second polarizing film, having a polarization orientation orthogonal to that of the first polarizing film, may be provided intermediate the surface and the image-obtaining apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for characterizing the performance of either a printer used to print a two-dimensional symbol or an imaging system used to generate an gray-scale image of the printed symbol. After the image is generated, an acquisition target of the symbol is located. The fast Fourier transform of the gray-scale image is generated and certain hexagon-position quality measures are computed to characterize the quality of the acquisition target.

Abstract: A parking pad having a raised wall, a bump and a slope is disclosed. A pair of such parking pads are preferably placed in an indoor garage for a vehicle to park thereon. The parking pad is made out of a single material and provides two purposes, one being used to collect and retain droppings falling from a parked vehicle in an indoor garage and the other being a parking guide for the vehicle to be parked properly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for characterizing the performance of either a printer used to print a two-dimensional symbol or an imaging system used to generate an gray-scale image of the printed symbol. After the image is generated, an acquisition target of the symbol is located. The quality of the acquisition target is characterized by thresholding the gray-scale image, run-length encoding the resulting binary image, and computing the correlation coefficient between the run-length-encoded image and a run-length-encoded representation of a defined acquisition target.

Abstract: An apparatus for illumination and imaging of a surface includes an apparatus for illuminating the surface, an apparatus for obtaining an image of the illuminated surface and providing an output signal representative of the obtained image, and an apparatus for limiting the exposure time of the image-obtaining apparatus to a selected fast exposure time less than the video frame rate of the image-obtaining apparatus. The image-obtaining apparatus may be a CCD-based camera. The CCD-based camera and the illumination apparatus may be mounted in a shroud having an opaque side wall. A first polarizing film may be provided intermediate the illumination apparatus and the surface, and a second polarizing film, having a polarization orientation orthogonal to that of the first polarizing film, may be provided intermediate the surface and the image-obtaining apparatus.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for locating an acquisition target consisting of a plurality of concentric rings of alternating levels of reflectivity (bull's-eye pattern) in two-dimensional images such as optically encoded symbologies. Such targets may be found even if they vary in size and tilt angle with respect to an imaging camera. Symmetry characteristics of the targets are used to locate the targets independent of the threshold level selected for determining transitions between rings of different reflectivity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided which decodes Postnet bar code regardless of position or orientation. By scanning the code, deriving transition points, and assuming various angles at orientation, position and orientation is estimated. Fine tuning and error correction is likewise provided. A localized sorting method is also used for decoding to binary status.

Abstract: A system for finding a corner of an artifact in a two-dimensional pixel image selects an original seed pixel and generates a reference vector using the original seed pixel. The system selects a next seed pixel using the original seed pixel and generates a current vector using the next seed pixel. The system compares the current vector to the reference vector and selects a corner based on that comparison. Also a system for finding a corner of a bar code symbol in a two-dimensional pixel image selects a sequence of seed pixels, having a first seed pixel and a plurality of successive seed pixels, where each successive seed pixel is selected in accordance with the previous seed pixel in the sequence. The system generates a reference vector in accordance with the first seed pixel and generates a plurality of successive vectors, each in accordance with a successive seed pixel. The system compares the reference vector to each of the successive vectors and selects a corner in accordance with the comparison.

Abstract: An apparatus for illumination and imaging of a surface includes an apparatus for illuminating the surface, an apparatus for obtaining an image of the illuminated surface and providing an output signal representative of the obtained image, and an apparatus for limiting the exposure time of the image-obtaining apparatus to a selected fast exposure time less than the video frame rate of the image-obtaining apparatus. The image-obtaining apparatus may be a CCD-based camera. The CCD-based camera and the illumination apparatus may be mounted in a shroud having an opaque side wall. A first polarizing film may be provided intermediate the illumination apparatus and the surface, and a second polarizing film, having a polarization orientation orthogonal to that of the first polarizing film, may be provided intermediate the surface and the image-obtaining apparatus.

Abstract: A method for determining the displacement in six degrees of freedom of a rectangular planar surface with respect to a reference position includes providing a reference image having projections of a defined lighting pattern having at least six points on a reference rectangular planar surface in the reference position, the six points including first, second and third points on the reference surface, fourth and fifth points at the intersections of a first edge of the reference surface, and, respectively, first and second parallel lines in the plane of the reference surface and perpendicular to the first edge, and a sixth point at the intersection of a second edge of the reference surface and a third line in the plane of the reference surface and perpendicular to the second edge, the first edge being perpendicular to the second edge, and the first and second points being in known relationship with the first, second and third lines.