Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an identification code assignment section for assigning an identification code for each page unit or print job unit of print images, a printing section for printing the print image and its corresponding identification code on a recording medium, a storage section for storing the print images and their corresponding identification codes, and an identification code read section for reading the identification code printed on the recording medium. The print image corresponding to the identification code read through said identification code read section is taken out from said storage section and the print image or the print image with the identification code are printed on a recording medium in said printing section.

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: A method and apparatus for producing a set of compensated commands for a spot position mechanism. A dimensioned grating is placed across the beam path and an image of the grating is generated. The image is analyzed and the pixel position of the grating edges is compiled. From this a list of grating edge distances is produced and used to generate observed edge positions. A line is fit and removed from the list to produce a list of observed errors. The observed errors are correlated to the proper position space and a set of positions errors is produced. The position errors are subtracted from the command positions to produce a set of correction positions. This set of corrected positions can be used to command the spot position mechanism. The positions might also be tabulated and referenced. Interpolation between the points can also be performed.

Abstract: A watermarking scheme for images which includes techniques for inserting and extracting fragile watermarks in the frequency domain and for determining whether an image so watermarked has been tampered with. Watermark insertion is accomplished by embedding the bits of a digital signature of a hash function of the image in the frequency coefficients of the image. Tamper detection is accomplished generally as follows: the fragile watermark which was embedded during the watermark insertion process is extracted from the image; the hash function of the image is computed as in the insertion process; it is verified using a public key whether the extracted watermark is a valid signature of the hash value. If so, then there is assurance that the image has not been tampered with. Otherwise, there is reason to conclude that the image has been tampered with.

Abstract: A method and apparatus locates edges of patterns in a stored image, such as edges of start/stop patterns of machine-readable symbols (e.g., PDF 417 symbols). The present invention first divides the stored image into analysis regions and samples each region using a 16-beam star pattern. The beam patterns are analyzed to detect for edges that may correspond to edges of start/stop patterns of the symbol. Coast lines, or elongated edges, of the detected edges are analyzed for parallelism and minimal length to filter out any spurious detected edges. Thereafter, the coast lines are analyzed to confirm that a start or stop pattern has been located. A second start/stop pattern is thereafter located, boundary points are determined at a periphery of the symbol, and finally the symbol is analyzed for its geometric shape to confirm that the located boundary points conform to an accepted geometry for this symbol.

Abstract: A method and device for securely duplicating sensitive documents. A marking element is entered on the original document to identify its confidential nature, as well as an encoded rules elements which defines duplication restrictions of the document. For each duplication request (101) for a sensitive document (102), the document is digitized (103) to determine the presence of a marking element (104) and to find the duplication restrictions, i.e., the encoded rules elements (106). Duplication may be performed (110) depending on the restrictions defined in the rules elements (106) and after an authorization check (108). A duplication may be obtained by requesting the computerized original of the document from the document issuer. In addition to the selective control of reproduction of documents the method and device is particularly suitable for preventing the duplication of documents for fraudulent purposes, multiple duplication of selected documents, and for copyright administration.

Abstract: A laser beam generation control system of an optical mark reader device including a laser generating element, a laser generation control unit, a laser scanner unit for scanning a mark, such as a bar code or the like, and a signal processor unit for photoconverting a reflected light to read thereof; wherein the laser beam generation control unit turns ON/OFF the laser generation element by a predetermined duty to carry out a generation of the laser intermittently. Further, when a reflected light from the mark is detected during an intermittent generation of the laser beam, the laser generation element is turned ON to generate a laser beam continuously; and when a reflected light from the mark is not detected for more than a predetermined first time period during a continuous generation of a laser beam, the system is switched from continuous generation to intermittent generation.

Abstract: Message values included in a set of valid message values that constitute a coding scheme are each encoded in an image region, called an encoded signal block, composed of a spatially arranged pattern of colored sub-regions. The colored sub-regions have color values produced by modulating a reference color value by a color change quantity expressed as a color space direction in a multi-dimensional color space such that the average color of all of the sub-region colors is the reference color. There is a unique pattern of color-modulated sub-regions for each valid message value in the coding scheme. In one embodiment, the color space direction is computed to be simultaneously detectable by a digital image capture device such as a scanner and substantially imperceptible to a human viewer, so that the embedded data represented by the pattern of color modulations are visually imperceptible in the encoded signal block.

Abstract: An information reproducer which includes reading device for a reading visual information and sound information printed on a printing sheet, a storage device for storing the visual information and the sound information read by the reading device, a display device for selectively displaying the stored visual information on a screen, a visual information designating device for designating a partial area of the visual information displayed on the display screen, a connecting device for connecting the partial area of the visual information designated by the designating device with a part of the sound information corresponding thereto, and a sound information reproducing device for reading, from the storage device, and reproducing the sound information connected with the designated visual information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus locates a periphery or "bounding box" of an image of a symbol located within an image stored by a reader. The symbol preferably has a recognition pattern with an longitudinally extending bar and at least one vertically extending reference bar, such as in the Code One symbology. The method locates the positions of landmark points within the stored image. Landmark points include points at the end of the longitudinally extending bar, points at the corner or root formed between the longitudinally extending bar and the vertically extending bar, and points at the ends of the vertically extending bars. Based on the locations of the landmark points, lines are projected between pairs of the landmark points to determine an amount, if any, of optical distortion to which the image of the symbol suffers.

Abstract: The glyphs of self-clocking glyph codes are written on regular hexagonal or pseudo-hexagonal lattice-like patterns of centers to reduce the risk of interglyph interference during the read process while also enabling the glyphs to be packed more densely while maintaining a given center-to-center spacing between them.

Abstract: A printer for printing font and/or barcode character bars comprised of a plurality of rows in a direction of printing movement perpendicular to the character bars which are in turn comprised of a plurality of close adjacent dots to improve print quality at high printing speeds which induce elongated dot smear in the direction of printing movement and improve readability of optically read barcodes. There is a printhead for printing characters bars on a media surface as a series of dots. A drive system creates relative movement in the direction of printing movement between the printhead and the media. And, there is print logic for outputting character print signals to the printhead wherein the print logic includes logic for shaving at least a portion of one dot, one dot, or more from an end of each of the plurality of rows of a character bar which is otherwise over-wide.

Abstract: An efficient method and apparatus for determining the location and approximate orientation of a barcode on a substrate. The inventive method is preferably implemented by an omnidirectional barcode locator including an application specific integrated circuit that includes one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The digit image is a one-bit (i.e., black/white) representation of a standard eight-bit grey scale video image produced by the CCD camera. The use of a one-bit digital video signal reduces the amount of mass storage memory required to store images of barcodes and facilitates the manipulation of the video signal by the application specific integrated circuit. The omnidirectional barcode locator processes, in real-time, a digital video signal defining a pixelized image of a conveyor carrying parcels through the field of view of a CCD camera.

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: A bit map pattern generation apparatus can generate an outline of a character with embedded patterns in the form of a bar code. A printer can print the character images pursuant to the generated bit map pattern. The patterns can provide a verification of the authenticity of the characters on a document.

Abstract: A personnel accountability system accounting for personnel reporting to a site. The personnel accountability system includes a bar code reader, a processor, and a display for reading bar codes carried by the personnel, which contain information pertaining to the personnel, such as qualification and medical information, and for subsequently storing and displaying the information contained in the bar codes. This system may also be used to read bar codes containing information regarding the site. Preferably, the bar codes are two-dimensional bar codes. This system is particularly suited for accounting for firefighters arriving at the scene of an emergency.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for optical scanning and recognition of bar-coded characters (e.g., CMC7 type characters having a pattern of bars and intervals) recorded on documents such as bank drafts and checks. The system comprises an optical scanner, a microprocessor, a read-only-memory (ROM), a random-access-memory (RAM, with a stored program) for storing data and a plurality of pre-determined character-identifying binary codes. The scanner optically scans each document and produces a plurality of grey-scale pixel values corresponding to the bars and intervals of the characters. The grey-scale pixel values are then stored in the RAM under control of the microprocessor. The microprocessor processes the stored pixel values, and effectively locates, and segments each character on the document by taking one or more slices (segments) of each character. Each segment includes a plurality of grey-scale pixel values representing a horizontal slice of a character.

Abstract: There is disclosed method and apparatus for recognizing a table and a figure drawn in a recognized document even though there are many intersections formed on each of lateral and longitudinal lines drawn in the figure. Figures and tables drawn in the recognized are read, and circumscribed rectangles circumscribed about the figures and the tables are detected. A circumscribed rectangle in which a larger value between the number of lateral lines and the number of longitudinal lines is not higher than a prescribed value or a maximum value among intersection numbers which each correspond to the number of intersections formed on one of the lateral and longitudinal lines is not higher than a prescribed value is extracted as a circumscribed figure-rectangle circumscribed about one of the figures. A circumscribed rectangle in which a ratio of the number N.sub.P1 of black pixels composing lateral lines and longitudinal lines to the number N.sub.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving an OCR process for recognizing unidentified characters through the creation of sets of like unidentified characters in a scanned image, deducing what the unidentified characters are with a spell checking procedure and replacing only those unidentified characters which are unambiguously determined. The order for identifying characters is strategically performed so the unidentified characters which are easier to recognize are processed before those that are more difficult to recognize. As characters become identified, relationships defined by corresponding sets allow replacing the same character in related but different textual components. As characters become recognized, other characters become more recognizable by virtue of belonging to the same textual component, such as a word, or to a related textual component such as another word containing the same character.