Patent EP0585074A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0585074A2
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EP
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Automatic image creation by merging text image and form image
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1993-08-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-08-20
Abstract
Abstract Input images of a form (250) and of a text (260) are used to automatically obtain an output image (300) showing the form with the text in a field (302). A processor receives data defining the input images (250,260), automatically obtains positioning data indicating positions of boundaries around the field (254) so that the text (262) can be positioned within the field, and automatically obtains data defining the output image. The positioning data can be automatically obtained by operating on plain images of the form and of the text; by operating on images of the form and of the text that have been marked to indicate the field and the text; or by operating on images of the form and of the text that include machine readable information indicating the positions of the field and the text. Skew can be corrected before merging a text with a form, and text can be scaled (294,296) and reformatted if necessary to fit into a field. If the input images include more than one field on the form and more than one text segment, the processor can obtain linking data indicating a respective text segment for a field. The linking data can also indicate a field that is a continuation of another field or a text segment that is a continuation of another text segment, in case of overrun or insufficient text to fill a field. The processor could be in a fax server, a digital copier, or a computer with a scanner and a printer.
Inventors
- 👤 George G. Roberston
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:41
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T11/00; G06T11/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
236 words
A method of operating a system that includes: image input circuitry for receiving data defining images as input; image output circuitry for providing data defining images as output; and a processor connected for receiving data defining images from the image input circuitry and for providing data defining images to the image output circuitry; the method comprising: operating the processor to receive input image data from the image input circuitry; the input image data defining a first image set that shows a form that includes a first field and a second image set that shows a text; operating the processor to use the input image data to automatically obtain form image data, text image data, and positioning data; the form image data defining an image of the form from the first image set; the text image data defining an image of the text from the second image set; the positioning data indicating positions of boundaries around the first field so that the text can be positioned within the first field; and operating the processor to use the form image data, the text image data, and the positioning data to automatically obtain output image data and to provide the output image data to the image output circuitry; the output image data defining a third image set that shows the text and the form, the third image set showing the text positioned within the boundaries of the first field.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
85 words
The method of claim 1 in which the first image set includes a plurality of pixels; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising: applying a blank area criterion to pixels in the first image set to obtain blank area data indicating a set of pixels that meet the blank area criterion; a set of pixels that meet the blank area criterion being likely to be a blank area; and using the blank area data to obtain the positioning data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The method of claim 1 in which the first image set shows a mark positioned inside the first field; the first image set including a plurality of pixels; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising: obtaining mark data indicating a set of pixels in the first image set that each meet a mark criterion; a pixel that meets the mark criterion being likely to be in a mark; and using the mark data to obtain the positioning data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method of claim 1 in which the input image data include first image data defining the first image set; the first image data including boundary information indicating a boundary of the first field; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising an act of using the boundary information in the first image data to obtain the positioning data.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
93 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the second image set includes a plurality of pixels; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising: applying a text area criterion to pixels in the second image set to obtain text area data indicating a set of pixels that meet the text area criterion; a set of pixels that meet the text area criterion being likely to be an area that includes text; and using the text area data to obtain the text image data.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the second image set shows a mark positioned to indicate the text; the second image set including a plurality of pixels; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising: obtaining mark data indicating a set of pixels in the first image set that each meet a mark criterion; a pixel that meets the mark criterion being likely to be in a mark; and using the mark data to obtain the text image data.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
66 words
The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the input image data include second image data defining the second image set; the second image data including text information indicating the text; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising an act of using the text information in the second image data to obtain the text image data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
155 words
The method of claim 1 in which the first image set includes a plurality of fields, the plurality of fields including the first field; the input image data further including field order information indicating an order of the fields that begins with the first field and continues to a second one of the fields; the text exceeding the first field in size; the act of using the input image data comprising an act of using the field order information in the input image data in obtaining first field image data and second field image data; the first field image data defining an image of a first part of the text that can fit within the first field; the second field image data defining an image of a second part of the text that can fit within the second field; the text image data including the first field image data and the second field image data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
126 words
The method of claim 1 in which the first image set includes a plurality of fields, the plurality of fields including the first field; the text including a plurality of segments; the input image data including linking information indicating, for each of the fields, a respective one of the segments; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising: using the linking information to obtain first field data indicating that a first one of the segments is a respective segment of the first field; and using the first field data and the positioning data to obtain the text image data so that the text image data define the first segment of the text so that it can fit within the first field.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
125 words
The method of claim 1 in which the second image set shows the text with a first shape; the positioning data indicating boundaries of the first field having a second shape different than the first shape; the text including a word that has a first position within the first shape of the text; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising an act of using the input image data and the positioning data to obtain the text image data so that the text image data define an image showing the text with the second shape and so that the word has a second position within the second shape of the text, the second position being different than the first position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
107 words
The method of claim 1 in which the second image set shows the text with a first scale; the positioning data indicating boundaries of the first field into which the text with the first scale cannot fit; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising an act of using the input image data and the positioning data to obtain the text image data so that the text image data define an image showing the text with a second scale different than the first scale so that the text with the second scale can fit into the boundaries indicated by the positioning data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
The method of claim 1 in which the input image data define a sequence of images that includes the first image set and the second image set; the first image set preceding the second image set in the sequence of images; the input image data including separation information indicating a separation between the first image set and the second image set; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising an act of using the separation information in the input image data to separate the first image set and the second image set.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
124 words
The method of claim 1 in which the form has a first skew direction in the first image set and the text has a second skew direction in the second image set; the act of operating the processor to use the input image data comprising an act of using the input image data to obtain skew correction data indicating a skew correction that is necessary to make the first skew direction and the second skew direction the same; the act of operating the processor to use the form image data, the text image data, and the positioning data comprising an act of using the skew correction data so that the third image set shows the text and the form at the same skew direction.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
257 words
A system comprising: image input circuitry for obtaining data defining images as input; image output circuitry for providing data defining images as output; memory storing data; and a processor connected for receiving data defining images from the image input circuitry and for providing data defining images to the image output circuitry; the processor further being connected for accessing the data stored in memory; the data stored in the memory indicating: input instructions the processor can execute to receive input image data from the image input circuitry; the input image data defining a first image set that shows a form that includes a field and a second image set that shows a text; data obtaining instructions the processor can execute to use the input image data to automatically obtain form image data, text image data, and positioning data; the form image data defining an image of the form from the first image set; the text image data defining an image of the text from the second image set; the positioning data indicating positions of boundaries around the field so that the text can be positioned within the field; and output instructions the processor can execute to use the form image data, the text image data, and the positioning data to automatically obtain obtain output image data and to provide the output image data to the image output circuitry; the output image data defining a third image set that shows the text and the form, the third image set showing the text positioned within the boundaries of the field.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
333 words
An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes: image input circuitry for obtaining data defining images as input; image output circuitry for providing data defining images as output; memory for storing data; a storage medium access device for accessing a medium that stores data; and a processor connected for receiving data defining images from the image input circuitry and for providing data defining images to the image output circuitry; the processor further being connected for receiving data from the storage medium access device; the article comprising: a data storage medium that can be accessed by the storage medium access device when the article is used in the system; and data stored by the data storage medium so that the storage medium access device can provide the stored data to the processor when the article is used in the system; the stored data indicating: input instructions the processor can execute to receive input image data from the image input circuitry; the input image data defining a first image set that shows a form that includes a field and a second image set that shows a text; data obtaining instructions the processor can execute to use the input image data to automatically obtain form image data, text image data, and positioning data; the form image data defining an image of the form from the first image set; the text image data defining an image of the text from the second image set; the positioning data indicating positions of boundaries around the field so that the text can be positioned within the field; and output instructions the processor can execute to use the form image data, the text image data, and the positioning data to automatically obtain obtain output image data and to provide the output image data to the image output circuitry; the output image data defining a third image set that shows the text and the form, the third image set showing the text positioned within the boundaries of the field.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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