Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading section for reading an image of a book, to which an information tag is added, so as to acquire image data. Based on information stored in the information tag, the image forming apparatus controls an image forming section. The image forming apparatus further includes a tag addition determining section, an added information determining section, and a control section. The tag addition determining section determines whether or not the information tag is added to the book, and the added information determining section determines whether or not the image data contains added information indicating that the information tag is added to the book. Further, the control section controls the image forming section not to carry out image forming, both when the added information determining section determines that the added information is contained and the tag addition determining section determines that the information tag is not added to the book.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes feature extraction means for extracting features of a designated image in plural images which are associated with each other, image determination means for determining whether the designated image is an image of the face of a certificate, a receipt, a ticket or a note on which a character string is written based on the extracted features, and metadata addition means for adding the first metadata which is character string data of the character string to another image in the plural images, when it is determined that the designated image is an image of the face of a certificate, a receipt, a ticket or a note on which a character string is written.

Abstract: When displaying map information including a place where a 2-dimensional code is set according to the information containing the 2-dimensional code, the map can be displayed in a direction facilitating a user to view the map. A mobile terminal includes 2-dimensional code read means for reading a 2-dimensional code set at a particular location and containing position information on the location where it is set and the azimuth information on the location with respect to the read reference direction of the 2-dimensional code. The mobile terminal further includes display means for displaying a map, rotation angle calculation means, and map rotation means. The 2-dimensional code read means outputs position information recorded in the 2-dimensional code and the 2-dimensional code read reference direction and azimuth information. The rotation angle calculation means calculates a rotation angle from the 2-dimensional code read reference direction and azimuth information.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling copying of documents. The method includes optically capturing a document. At least one object of the captured document is recognized. A content output is determined based on the recognized object and at least one output rule. The content output is provided based on the determination.

Abstract: A system for processing a visual capture operation as described. The system receives an indication of a visual capture operation performed from a rendered document. The indication specifies both a text sequence capture as part of the capture operation and a supplemental marking captured as part of the capture operation. The system determines an action to perform in response to receiving the indication, based both upon the text sequence specified in the indication and the supplemental markings specified by the indication.

Abstract: Embodiments include a method, a manual device, a handheld manual device, a handheld writing device, a system, and an apparatus. An embodiment provides an apparatus. The apparatus includes a writing element having a first portion operable to discharge a first marking substance on a surface in response to a movement of the writing element over the surface and a second portion operable to discharge a second marking substance on the surface in response to a controller. The apparatus also includes the controller operable to encode information corresponding to a context of the apparatus by regulating the discharge of the second marking substance.

Abstract: A facility for initiating a purchase is described. The facility receives a text sequence captured by a user from a rendered document using a handheld text capture device. The facility identifies in the received text sequence a reference to a distinguished product. In response to identifying the reference, the facility presents to the user an opportunity to place an order for the established product. If the user accepts the presented opportunity to order the distinct product, the facility orders the distinct product on behalf of the user.

Abstract: Bleed widths are set for finishing pages. Bleed regions including the finishing pages are determined based on the set bleed widths for the finishing pages, and the size of the finishing page. The allocation of manuscript data is determined to align the center of the manuscript data to be allocated to that of each determined bleed region.

Abstract: A job-receiving section receives a job with regard to a first-type image. A job-setting-receiving section receives a command for selecting, with regard to the job of the first-type image to which a second-type image is related, either a merging setting or a non-merging setting. A job-processing section processes the received job. The merging setting is a setting for merging the first-type image and the second-type image, and the non-merging setting is a setting for not merging the first-type image and the second-type image. The job-processing section displays on an output section, with regard to the job of the first-type image to which the second-type image is related, either the first-type image, or a composite image of the large first-type image and the second-type image, in accordance with the command received by the job-setting-receiving section.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a method, and a device A device includes a writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface. The device also includes a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark.

Abstract: Embodiments include a method, a manual device, a handheld manual device, a handheld writing device, a system, and an apparatus. An embodiment provides a manual device operable in a context. The manual device includes a writing element operable to form a mark on a surface in response to a movement of the writing element with respect to the surface. The manual device also includes a controller operable to encode information corresponding to the context of the manual device by regulating the formation of the mark.

Abstract: The invention enables the digital management of large scale image databases, to efficiently classify and index image data independent of language. Complex processing requirements are required only on reduced and operably small subsets of the entire collection, thereby effectively scaling large document collections. Embodiments of the present invention provide image-based classification and retrieval of documents based on image recognition, e.g., signatures, logos, stamps, or word-spotting; in documents within real time for large datasets such as in the millions of documents.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for processing documents in a workflow system with users external to the system. An electronic document is generated in a workflow system. The electronic document has content and a document appearance, where the appearance represents the content. One or more control codes are generated for the electronic document as part of a workflow in the workflow system, where the control codes are usable to validate the content. A print out including the document appearance and the one or more control codes is created.

Abstract: An image forming device including an electronic filing cabinet is provided. The electronic filing cabinet stores documents output from the image forming device or read into the image forming device. The electronic filing cabinet may include an optical character recognition unit, an indexing engine and a storage device. The optical character recognition unit scans or otherwise inspects the documents and generates timestamps for the documents. The scanned information is provided to the indexing engine. The indexing engine classifies and indexes the documents according to a first predefined set of rules. Thereafter, the indexed documents are stored in the storage device. A human machine interface is provided for updating the first predefined set of rules. Previously stored documents may also be retrieved through the human machine interface.

Abstract: This invention relates to the storage and search retrieval of all types of digital media files, whether allowing the user to create index keys, metatags within each media file(s), provides search and indexing capability. The search terms and index keys are based on contextual elements within the media, including meta data such as time, date and location, but including as well elements within the media itself, such as people or elements (car, animals, street, events, historical location and other) within a picture or a video, audio, voice, spoke word, instruments used in a musical work, or scenes in a movie. An authorized client can then retrieve the media from the remote location. Specific works can then be referenced by means of the generated search terms and index keys.

Abstract: An apparatus for downloading a multimedia file including a file converter configured to convert a larger multimedia file into a smaller multimedia file by deleting prescribed medial information based on a media format contained in the larger file. Further, the file converter converts the larger file into the smaller file by deleting multi bit-rate media not corresponding to a selected bit rate or by deleting enhancement layer video.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods that track overall time for processing operations such that the processing time can be shared among the resources in an efficient manner. Processing time can be shifted to image processing where the time will provide the most benefit to image quality. Moreover, access time from one process is banked to be used by a subsequent process or on a subsequent group of pixels. This document also discusses, among other things, systems and methods that provide additional processing power on an as needed basis. In an example, a processing stage and its controller are outside the normal pixel processing flow path. When it is determined that additional processing is required, the processing stage and its controller are activated to perform the additional processing.

Abstract: Upon searching for a digital document of a document image, if information indicating a security level “vector conversion of objects is NG” is embedded in the document of interest, information of objects to be used in the search is deficient, thus disturbing satisfactory search processing. To solve this problem, a document image is read, and the read image is divided in accordance with the attributes of image regions. Designation of an image region whose image is to be vector-converted of the divided image regions is accepted, and additional information included in the designated image region is extracted. Search processing of a data file corresponding to the document image is controlled in accordance with the presence/absence of the additional information or the interpretation result of the additional information.

Abstract: An image reading system is disclosed that has an image information reading unit for reading optical information on a manuscript, and an image outputting unit for outputting the optical information read by the image information reading unit to a recording medium. The system includes an IC tag information reading unit for reading IC tag information held by an IC tag provided on the manuscript, an IC tag information outputting unit for outputting the IC tag information read by the IC tag information reading unit to the recording medium, a conversion unit for converting the IC tag information into coded image data, and a control unit for controlling outputting of the coded image data.

Abstract: Bleed widths are set for finishing pages. An imposition method that requires to execute binding processing of sheets is set. Bleed regions including the finishing pages are determined based on the set bleed widths for the finishing pages, and the size of the finishing page. The allocation of manuscript data is so determined as to align the center of the manuscript data to be allocated to that of a bleed region on the side to undergo the binding processing of the determined bleed regions, based on the setting contents.

Abstract: A graphical object management system enables clients to easily and efficiently find and utilize graphical artists interested in drawing or otherwise creating graphical objects for the clients. Once a graphical artist for creating a graphical object is located and selected, the system manages the graphical object as it is being created allowing the client to view the graphical object and provide feedback to the selected artist. In one embodiment, the system prevents the selected artist from making illicit copies of the graphical object being created.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for producing and digitizing a number of images to create a digital library of images, providing an image from outside the digital library, digitizing it and comparing it to the digital images in the digital library, and providing a text descriptive of the image from outside the digital library.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for use in a device, such as a communication device, may be configured to generate an assembly based on one or more images. The system may include an image retrieval portion for retrieving the one or more images from an image source, an arrangement for fetching data corresponding to the one or more images, and converting the data to presentable information, and an arrangement for generating the assembly including the one or more images and the presentable information provided with description.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method of processing data corresponding to an image (42; 52; 68; 70; 78, 80; 98). The method includes the step of generating an identifier (56, 58, 60, 62; 74, 76; 83, 84; 91, 92, 93) for identifying a region of the image (42; 52; 68; 70; 78, 80; 98) to which a block of said data relates; and then storing the identifier (56, 58, 60, 62; 74, 76; 83, 84; 91, 92, 93). The application further relates to apparatus for processing data corresponding to an image (42; 52; 68; 70; 78, 80; 98).

Abstract: A method for identifying payment forms accurately identifies types of forms without adding special form identification data. A payment form discrimination method for discriminating payment forms which state a payee account number and a payment amount includes a step of acquiring an image of the form, a step of making a search for the payee account number in the image in accordance with an account number searching rule, and a step of discriminating the type of form based on the searched payee account number. Types of forms can be identified accurately and fast without adding special form identification data, because the form identification is performed using easily searchable account numbers.

Abstract: A document management apparatus and a document management system that selects the document which are best to digitize from among document being used in an office, and set the priority for digitization of each document are provided. The document management apparatus comprising: an accumulator apparatus that stores, the document ID, used place and used time for a document that is used; a computing part that analyzes information stored in accumulator apparatus, and for each document, computes the usability of the document data to be digitized; a specifying part that specifies document that correspond to document data for which the usability is relatively high by comparing it to the usability already computed for the data for each document; and output part that outputs the specified result to client.

Abstract: A system and method that facilitates and effectuates in situ search for active note taking. The system and method includes receiving gestures from a stylus and a tablet associated with the system. Upon recognizing the gesture as belonging to a set of known and recognized gestures, the system creates an embeddable object, initiates a search with terms indicated by the gesture, associates the search results with the created object and inserts the object in close proximity with the terms that instigated the search.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus to scan and process one or more papers provided on a paper feeder, the scanning apparatus including a scan job identifier to identify one or more separate scan jobs within the papers provided on the paper feeder; and an image information processor to process image information to be stored in one or more separate respective files according to the one or more separate scan jobs.

Abstract: A system, media, and method for transforming a main image of a digital image in accordance with a parameter are provided. The main image that is transformed based on the parameter may be one stored in the Exchangeable Image File (“EXIF”) format. In turn, the metadata, including the thumbnail image, is updated to correspond to the transformed main image. The transformed main image and updated metadata are stored together in a file using the EXIF format. Thus, the transformed main image may be viewed using a digital camera or viewer software compatible with a properly formatted EXIF file.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a content detector configured to, on the basis of meta data of content data being reproduced, detect associated content data associated with the content data being reproduced; and a display controller configured to cause a reproduction image contained in the content data being reproduced to be displayed on a display screen and cause associated images contained in the associated content data detected by the content detector to be displayed as a moving image on the display screen. The display controller causes associated images of different associated content data that is sequentially detected by the content detector to be sequentially displayed on the display screen in accordance with the change of the meta data of the content data being reproduced.

Abstract: A method and architecture for obtaining a desired frame and identifying a selected frame in an image container. A request for a frame of an image is received. The request may include an identifier that identifies a type of frame. In response thereto, a frame is located corresponding to the identifier and a reference to the frame is provided. In another aspect, a request is received to identify a frame of an image. A determination is made as to what identifier identifies the frame. The identified frame is returned to the requesting component.

Abstract: The subject invention leverages a scalable character glyph hash table to provide an efficient means to identify print characters where the character glyphs are identical over independent presentation. The hash table allows for quick determinations of glyph meta data as, for example, a pre-filter to traditional OCR techniques. The hash table can be trained for a particular environment, user, language, character set (e.g., alphabet), document type, and/or specific document and the like. This permits substantial flexibility and increases in speed in identifying unknown glyphs. The hash table itself can be composed of single or multiple tables that have a specific optimization purpose. In one instance of the subject invention, traditional OCR techniques can be utilized to update the hash tables as needed based on glyph frequency. This keeps the hash tables from growing by limiting updates that reduce its performance, while adding frequently determined glyphs to increase the pre-filter performance.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, user input is received, a selected portion of a digital image is identified based on the user input, and a tag is applied to the selected portion of the digital image. The applied tag provides an association between the selected portion of the digital image and a data instance.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring scanned imaging data from a scanning device to a personal imaging repository. The present invention includes a scanning device capable of reading information encoded items, such as smart cards for scanning imaging data, a personal imaging repository associated with a particular user for storing imaging data that is to be accessed by requested web services, an item for storing user information relating to the personal imaging repository, and a device firmware for storing scanned imaging data from the scanning device into the personal imaging repository, which is an exchange infrastructure between the imaging data and available web services on the Internet.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a document image generating section, a medium ID generating section, a correspondence information storing section and an image output section. A document image generating section generates a document image based on a managed data in the apparatus. A medium ID generating section generates a medium ID for identifying a medium on which the document image is printed. A correspondence information storing section stores correspondence information by which the managed data and the medium ID are correlated with each other. An image output section outputs an image in which a code image indicating the medium ID is superimposed on the document image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses that synchronize a paper document to an associated digital document by establishing a mapping. An embedded interactive code (EIC) Document is created as a digital file that serves as an intermediate tier between the paper document and the digital document. Both the paper document and the EIC document are generated while printing the paper document. The EIC document records the corresponding EIC array allocations and a unique document identification number. An image capturing pen may generate a stroke on any page of paper document. With the EIC document, the methods and apparatuses inform an application the page and location on the page of the stroke.

Abstract: A device which collects the pixel information generated during printing or scanning of a document, and transforms this sequential information into a code A which has a one-to-one relationship to the sequential pixel information, and which device computes from this code A a hashcode H which meets the requirements of a digital signature, and which device then feeds the digital information needed to print the hashcode H to the printer, in a pixel format, or feeds the same hashcode H to the digital media storage device, in both cases in a part of the document page which is digitally stored or printed, a method of use of the said device in encoding a document to form a hashcode H in pixel form.

Abstract: A system for processing a text capture operation is described. The system receives text captured from a rendered document in the text capture operation. The system also receives supplemental information distinct from the captured text. The system determines an action to perform in response to the text capture operation based upon both the captured text and the supplemental information.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to fingerprinting (e.g., deriving identifying data from audio or other media content). One claim recites a method including: obtaining identifying data derived with fingerprinting from data representing audio elements of an audio signal or derived with fingerprinting from data representing video picture elements of a video signal, the audio signal or video signal corresponding to a media signal captured by a wireless handheld device; determining a media title that corresponds to the identifying data; determining usage rights associated with at least one of the media title or a user of the wireless handheld device; identifying the user of the wireless handheld device or a library of the media titles that is associated with the user of the wireless handheld device; and adding the media title to the library of media titles that is associated with the user if so permitted by the usage rights. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extracting unit to extract watermark data from image data of an image; a generating unit to generate a watermark image based on the watermark data; and a superimposing unit to superimpose the watermark image on the image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for capturing information encoded within a surface, such as location information or document metadata, and associating the information with a document is described. The captured information may be obtained by a camera associated with a pointing or writing device having a camera, such as an image-capturing pen.

Abstract: The subject application is directed to a system and method for content-sensitive document processing. First, at least one electronic document is received. A document processing device then retrieves content data from an associated data storage. The content data suitably corresponds to acceptable content associated with the document processing device. The document processing device then compares at least a portion of the electronic document with the received content data. Processing of the portion of the received electronic document is then controlled in accordance with the results of the comparison.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and a system for identifying a specific image within a flow of images. The system calculates a reference index of the specific image, and current indexes of the current images of said flow. The index has the form of an ordered and finite set of values encoding the content of the current image. The system also compares the reference index with the current index of the current image of the monitored flow. It is thus possible to detect a specific image within a flow with great precision and extremely fast while being robust during major photometric alterations.

Abstract: A business form processing program to cause a computer to execute a character box-image reading step for reading by a scanner all colors of a business form with blank character boxes and storing them as character box images, a business form reading step for reading by a scanner a recognized image from which colors of unwanted recognized parts on a filled-out business form are dropped out and storing it, a character recognizing step for recognizing characters on the recognized image, and a composite display step for displaying the character recognized results and a filled-out business form image in which the recognized image is superposed on the character box image when character recognized results need correted.

Abstract: An image capture system for retaining check processing data comprises a camera operable to generate an electronic check image of a physical check, with the electronic check image operable to generate an image replacement document. The system includes a scanner operable to process the check image to generate check processing data and one or more processors operable to embed at least a portion of the check processing data in the electronic check image. The embedded check processing data is typically operable to be subsequently identified.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to attesting a document that contains encoded data, such as a barcode or DataGlyph. When a document contains encoded data that is not in human-readable form, the document is checked to determine whether content in the encoded data appears somewhere in the document in human-readable form. Based on the amount of content that appears in the document, the document may be marked with a seal that attests to the amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form. The seal may be visually distinctive to facilitate easy recognition by a user or device.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus displays, for each group, images that are divided into groups so that each group contains at least one of the images. The apparatus includes an image-data storing unit that stores image data of the images, a group-attribute-information storing unit that stores attribute information of the groups, a display controlling unit that controls processing for displaying the images for each group, a search-key extracting unit that extracts a search key when the display controlling unit issues an instruction for starting the processing for displaying the images for each group, and a searching unit that searches for the groups associated with the extracted search key. The display controlling unit controls display of a library of the groups so that the groups associated with the search key and found by the searching unit are displayed at a top side in the library.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus includes an image input unit capturing image data, an object dictionary unit storing conditions to specify a type of an object, and a processor collating the image data with the conditions and specifying the type of the object imaged in the image data, in which the object dictionary unit classifies the conditions into hierarchies and stores the classified conditions, and the processor performs collation while narrowing down object conditions positioned in lower hierarchies based on a collation result of object conditions positioned in upper hierarchies.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, apparatus and systems to embed pointer information for metadata in content using a method that will not delete the information, so that metadata correlated with content can be correctly obtained, even after the contents have been edited. In an example embodiment, a user terminal for reproducing multimedia content comprises: a pointer information detector, for detecting pointer information that is embedded in the content and that points to the location of metadata in which information concerning the content is written; a network interface, for employing the pointer information to obtain the metadata via a network; and an index information generator, for employing the metadata to generate index information that is correlated with the data structure of the digital content.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing paper forms includes capturing at a computer system an image of a paper form in which information has been filled-in. A location identifier is extracted from the image. The location identifier indicates an address in a storage location external to the computer system, at which the filled-in information is electronically stored. The information is retrieved responsively to the location identifier by communication with the storage location via a wide area network (WAN), so as to convey the information electronically from the storage location to the computer system. The information is processed using a data processing application running on the computer system.