14220results about "Digitally marking record carriers" patented technology

The disclosure describes systems for creating and authenticating printed objects using authentication information. Techniques for incorporating authentication information into digital representations of objects and using the authentication information to authenticate the objects are also provided.

A system and a method for printing of three-dimensional models and apparatus for controlling the height and thickness of the layers of interface material forming the 3-D models being printed, is provided. The method includes the steps of dispensing a pre-determined quantity of interface material from at least one printing head to form at least one interface layer; leveling the dispensed interface material to a pre-determined height; curing the leveled interface material; and repeating the steps of dispensing, leveling and curing thereby producing a plurality of interface layers to a configured pattern layer for forming the three-dimensional model.

A foveated imaging system, which can be implemented on a general purpose computer and greatly reduces the transmission bandwidth of images has been developed. This system has demonstrated that significant reductions in bandwidth can be achieved while still maintaining access to high detail at any point in an image. The system is implemented with conventional computer, display, and camera hardware. It utilizes novel algorithms for image coding and decoding that are superior both in degree of compression and in perceived image quality and is more flexible and adaptable to different bandwidth requirements and communications applications than previous systems. The system utilizes novel methods of incorporating human perceptual properties into the coding the decoding algorithms providing superior foveation. One version of the system includes a simple, inexpensive, parallel pipeline architecture, which enhances the capability for conventional and foveated data compression. Included are novel applications of foveated imaging in the transmission of pre-recorded video (without eye tracking), and in the use of alternate pointing devices for foveation.

An image sensor for capturing a color image is disclosed having a two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels wherein pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels and wherein the first group of pixels has individual pixels that have spectral photoresponses that correspond to a set of at least two colors. Further, the placement of the first and second groups of pixels defines a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit including at least twelve pixels. The minimal repeating unit has a plurality of cells wherein each cell has at least two pixels representing a specific color selected from the first group of pixels and a plurality of pixels selected from the second group of pixels arranged to permit the reproduction of a captured color image under different lighting conditions.

A temporary object is registered in a document managing system in advance on the basis information about an object that a user wants to use. Then, when an object is registered by another user, it is determined whether the registered object is a similar object corresponding to the temporary object. If the registered object is a similar object, the user is notified of that fact, and the temporary object in target document data is updated with the similar object.

A color management method / apparatus generates image color matching and International Color Consortium (ICC) color printer profiles using a reduced number of color patch measurements. Color printer characterization, and the generation of ICC profiles usually require a large number of measured data points or color patches and complex interpolation techniques. This invention provides an optimization method / apparatus for performing LAB to CMYK color space conversion, gamut mapping, and gray component replacement. A gamut trained network architecture performs LAB to CMYK color space conversion to generate a color profile lookup table for a color printer, or alternatively, to directly control the color printer in accordance with the a plurality of color patches that accurately. represent the gamut of the color printer. More specifically, a feed forward neural network is trained using an ANSI / IT-8 basic data set consisting of 182 data points or color patches, or using a lesser number of data points such as 150 or 101 data points when redundant data points within linear regions of the 182 data point set are removed. A 5-to-7 neuron neural network architecture is preferred to perform the LAB to CMYK color space conversion as the profile lookup table is built, or as the printer is directly controlled. For each CMYK signal, an ink optimization criteria is applied, to thereby control ink parameters such as the total quantity of ink in each CMYK ink printed pixel, and / or to control the total quantity of black ink in each CMYK ink printed pixel.

System and methods are disclosed that provide users of mobile digital devices the opportunity to obtain a permanent record of the service rendered at the mobile device for all modes of web based services, location based services, services originating at the mobile device and not related to the location of the device, services originating via a voice portal, web based services originating via voice communication. Services include location independent services, such as tickets and coupons, and location based services, such as obtaining directions / or and maps to the nearest store or hotel or to a given location, obtaining traffic information, and receiving location-based coupons at the mobile device.

The Disclosure relates to a printing service method for discounting services by printing with advertisements and realizes various discount services. The present invention comprises: a printing step for sending printing management information along with the user ID to the server 4 through the network 3 when the user prints with advertisements with the user's printing device 2, and storing that information as an advertisement usage record for each user ID; a step for referencing the user's advertisement usage record, for least one service, selected by the user from among a plurality of services relating to the printing device that used the advertisement printing record, determining whether to authorize the discount for the selected service, and updating the advertisement usage record of the abovementioned user to perform the authorized discount service. A variety of discount services can be realized because the print operation with advertisements is managed by the server and the user can use the usage records.

An image processing system including an image processing device and a control device which controls data transfer to said image processing device is provided. When the control device is connected to the image processing device via the network, the control device encrypts the decrypted data and transfers the encrypted data to the image processing device via the network, and when the control device is connected to the image processing device via a leased cable, the control device transfers the decrypted data to the image processing device via the cable.

An image forming apparatus is provided, in carrying out an image forming operation using a paper sheet, that uses a sheet containing a wireless tag that stores an address storing control information for performing an optimum image forming. The image forming apparatus obtains the address from the wireless tag using a receiving device, and obtains control information from a server via a network based on the obtained address. The image forming apparatus controls an image forming condition based on the control information, and carries out the image forming under image forming conditions optimum for the sheet.

A color barcode symbology is disclosed that can be accurately decoded despite severe distortions, misreads or altered symbols. This disclosed barcode is a color transition barcode having linear growth properties designed to resist the single or combined effects of: scaling distortions, perspective distortions, shear distortions, and wave distortions of both the uniform and non-uniform type distributed across the barcode's vertical or horizontal axis. This color barcode symbology is also resistant to missing symbols and altered symbols while offering, high security, error checking, and double error correcting capability.

An imaging device of the present invention includes an image capturing unit, a noise obtaining unit, a fixed noise calculating unit, and a noise eliminating unit. The image capturing unit generates image data by photoelectrically converting, pixel by pixel, a subject image formed on an available pixel area of a light-receiving surface. The noise obtaining unit reads a noise output from a partial area of the available pixel area. The fixed noise calculating unit calculates an estimation of fixed pattern noise of the available pixel area based on the noise output read from the partial area. The noise eliminating unit subtracts the fixed pattern noise from the image data.

A digital camera has a sensor for sensing an image, a processor for modifying the sensed image in accordance with instructions input into the camera and an output for outputting the modified image where the processor includes a series of processing elements arranged around a central crossbar switch. The processing elements include an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) acting under the control of a writeable microcode store, an internal input and output FIFO for storing pixel data to be processed by the processing elements and the processor is interconnected to a read and write FIFO for reading and writing pixel data of images to the processor. Each of the processing elements can be arranged in a ring and each element is also separately connected to its nearest neighbors. The ALU receives a series of inputs interconnected via an internal crossbar switch to a series of core processing units within the ALU and includes a number of internal registers for the storage of temporary data. The core processing units can include at least one of a multiplier, an adder and a barrel shifter. The processing elements are further connected to a common data bus for the transfer of a pixel data to the processing elements and the data bus is interconnected to a data cache which acts as an intermediate cache between the processing elements and a memory store for storing the images.

Disclosed is an optical disk barcode forming method wherein, as information to be barcoded, position information for piracy prevention, which is a form of ID, is coded as a barcode and is recoded by laser trimming on a reflective film in a PCA area of an optical disk. When playing back the thus manufactured optical disk on a reproduction apparatus, the barcode data can be played back using the same optical pickup.

An efficient method and system to enhance digital acquisition devices for analog data is presented. The enhancements offered by the method and system are available to the user in local as well as in remote deployments yielding efficiency gains for a large variety of business processes. The quality enhancements of the acquired digital data are achieved efficiently by employing virtual reacquisition. The method of virtual reacquisition renders unnecessary the physical reacquisition of the analog data in case the digital data obtained by the acquisition device are of insufficient quality. The method and system allows multiple users to access the same acquisition device for analog data. In some embodiments, one or more users can virtually reacquire data provided by multiple analog or digital sources. The acquired raw data can be processed by each user according to his personal preferences and / or requirements. The preferred processing settings and attributes are determined interactively in real time as well as non real time, automatically and a combination thereof.

The present invention realizes electronic commerce by providing a reception section that receives product information and service information and a barcode formation section that forms a barcode based on the received information, displaying the barcode formed by the barcode formation section on a display section and allowing a barcode reader provided at a shop terminal, etc. to read this barcode.

An image processing method, an image processing system and a recording medium capable of reproducing images in colors which are close to those memorized by man including a process to create a histogram of an original image, a process to adequately locate a highlight point on the histogram by comparing peaks of the histogram and setting image processing conditions dependently on a shape of a selected peak.

An image desired to be reproduced is scanned to determine its video pixel gray values. A histogram generator generates a histogram distribution representing a frequency of the gray values. The histogram distribution is analyzed to determine a background peak gray value of the image and a standard deviation of the histogram distribution based on a Gaussian approximation. A thresholding circuit dynamically adjusts the background peak value based on the standard deviation and a selected scaling factor to generate a background threshold value. The background threshold value expands a range of background gray values in the image which are eliminated during image reproduction. Eliminating substantially all background gray values improves the quality of the reproduced image.

A print management system includes a policy that determines a protection level for a document to be printed. The document is printed using forgery detection and deterrence technologies, such as fragile and robust watermarks, glyphs, and digital signatures, that are appropriate to the level of protection determined by the policy. A plurality of printers are managed by a print management system. Each printer can provide a range of protection technologies. The policy determines the protection technologies for the document to be printed. The print management system routes the print job to a printer that can apply the appropriate protections and sets the appropriate parameters in the printer. Copy evidence that can establish that a document is a forgery and / or tracing information that identifies the custodian of the document and restrictions on copying of the document and use of the information in the document are included in the watermark that is printed on the document. A document can be verified as an original or established as a forgery by inspecting the copy evidence and / or tracing information in the watermark.

The present invention realizes electronic commerce by providing a reception section that receives product information and service information and a barcode formation section that forms a barcode based on the received information, displaying the barcode formed by the barcode formation section on a display section and allowing a barcode reader provided at a shop terminal, etc. to read this barcode.

A printing control apparatus for analyzing and processing an input print job that includes printing management data for managing the print job and print data. Header information identifying the printing management data has been added to the printing management data and header information identifying the print data and indicating a data size of the print data has been added to the print data. Header information of input data is analyzed and input data determined to be printing management data in accordance with the header information is stored in a management information storage medium and input data determined to be print data in accordance with the head information is stored in a print data storage medium on the basis of the data size indicated in the header information, without analyzing the print data.

A system and method for correcting distortions that occur in image capture systems is disclosed. The present invention in some preferred embodiments includes provisions to correct or change magnification differences for all causes including position errors in zoom lens positioning mechanisms as well as those caused by chromatic aberration, CCD alignment errors, lens distortion off center variations, pincushion / barrel lens distortion, magnification distortions, camera and lens misalignment errors, and lighting variations (including flash-to-flash illumination variations). A significant feature of the present invention in contrast with the prior art is that with the use of a movable calibration plate in the present invention it is possible to image capture both the calibration plate and the input object image in a single image capture, thus permitting simultaneous compensation for a variety of lighting and illumination variations not possible with the prior art.

There is provided an image signal processing apparatus, comprising a demosaic processing unit receiving input of mosaic image data of each of signals obtained by a single plate imaging device having an element array composed of visible light obtaining elements obtaining visible light signals, and invisible light obtaining elements obtaining signals including invisible light components, and generating a demosaic image of each of the obtained signals; and a noise reduction processing unit receiving input of the demosaic image to execute correction of pixel values of the demosaic image obtained by the visible light obtaining elements on the basis of edge information extracted from the demosaic image of the signals obtained by the invisible light obtaining elements.

A camera for capturing an image and printing a first interface onto a first surface, in response to a user input, and for printing a second interface onto a second surface, in response to first indicating data received from a sensing device in the form of a stylus. The first indicating data is sensed by the stylus from first coded data. The first interface includes the first coded data. The camera includes a camera module, an input module and a printing module. The camera module inclues an image sensor. The camera module is configured to receive a user input, and, in response to the user input, capture the image via the image sensor. The input module is configured to receive the first indicating data from the stylus, the first indicating data being at least partially indicative of response data. The input module generates second indicating data based on the first indicating data, the second indicating data being at least partially indicative of the response data. The second indicating data is sent to a computer system. The printing module includes a printing mechanism. The printing module is configured to receive the image from the camera module and print the first interface onto the first surface using the printing mechanism. The first interface is based at least partly on the image. The printing module is also configured to receive the response data from the computer system and print the second interface onto the second surface using the printing mechanism. The second interface is based at least partially on the response data.

Disclosed is a progress indicator generated on a computer display. Program logic in a computer system monitors the execution of a plurality of tasks, such as the transmission of print jobs, and determines progress status information for each of the executing tasks. The program logic may be used to select one of the executing tasks and display on a computer display a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task.

A method for forming a final digital color image includes capturing an image using an image sensor having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the captured image a digital panchromatic image and an intermediate digital color image; and using the digital panchromatic image and the intermediate digital color image to provide the final digital color image.

A portable authentication device and method of authenticating products or packaging by analyzing key ingredients on products or on product packaging is disclosed. Light-sensitive compounds can be used to identify the product or product packaging. The product or product package may include visible or invisible ink containing a particular light-sensitive compound. The ink may be printed in one or more locations on the product or product packaging to produce an authentication mark, such as a bar code. The device includes an assembly for providing a source of light to irradiate the ink containing the light-sensitive compound on the sample product or product package, an optical detector to detect certain spectral properties emitted or absorbed by the irradiated ink and a controller to determine the authenticity of the sample product or product package by comparing the emitted or absorbed properties to a standard.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method for printing a painted three-dimensional object. Each layer of the object is printed so that only the external circumference of the layer contains colored material. The building material used may be transparent, and a white colored material may be used as a barrier between the building material and the colored material.

Print media, when rolled tightly often produces a high degree of curl when removed from a roll form. The stiffer the media, the more likely the tenancy to curl. On the other hand, media that is too thin will be too floppy for conventional handling. Incorporating some stiffening strands running along the axis of a roll of paper substrate allow the media to be roll relatively tightly but give the media a tendency to readily de-curl once it is unrolled. These strands ideally have a pitch of approximately 200 microns. The ribs result in material of greater stiffness across the width of the media than along the length and maintain adequate stiffness for handling and viewing of the printed media.