Technique for accomplishing copy and paste and scan to fit using a standard TWAIN data source

• US 20020063724A1
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Feygin, Boris M., Powers, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,686,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3875 combined with enlarging or reducing enlarging or reducing per se H04N1/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device

Abstract

A method for copying and pasting a selected portion of an image from a TWAIN compliant image source includes scanning the selected image portion to fit in a target area of a destination image. Dimensional information regarding the selected portion of the source image is made available to the application. The application compares dimensions of the target area with the dimensional information of the selected source image portion and determines resizing parameters. The application requests a scan of the selected portion of the source image based on the resizing parameters and pastes the resulting image in the target area. An image processing system operative to carry out the method includes and a TWAIN compliant application that is adapted to calculate resizing parameters and request scans basted on the resizing parameters. In a xerographic environment, the image processing system includes a xerographic printer.

Claims

1. A method operative to accomplish copy and paste, and scan to fit, using a TWAIN data source, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a target portion of a destination image, displayed in an application;

selecting a portion of a source image, displayed in a source user interface;

passing coordinate information, corresponding to the selected portion of the source image, to the application;

determining at least one resizing parameter based on a differences between the target portion and the selected portion of the source;

scanning the selected portion of the source image in a manner that is based on the resizing parameters, to generate a properly scaled copy of the selected portion of the source image; and

pasting the properly scaled copy in the target portion of the destination image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a portion of a source image comprises:

showing a source user interface;

prescanning an image to generate a prescan version of the image;

displaying the prescan version of the image; and

placing a rubber band box around a portion of the displayed image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining at least one resizing parameter comprises calculating at least one scaling factor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining at least one resizing parameter comprises selecting a scanning resolution.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of scanning the selected portion comprises:

opening the source;

passing the resizing parameters to the source;

commanding the source to scan the selected portion according to the resizing parameters;

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the step of selecting a portion of a source image, the steps of:

opening a source; and

prescanning an image to generate the source image.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of passing coordinate information comprises:

scanning the selected portion;

transferring coordinate information to the application; and

closing a source user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of calculating resizing parameters comprises:

discarding the transferred image data; and

comparing the transferred coordinate information to coordinate information of the target portion.

9. A method operative to copy and paste a portion of a TWAIN compliant data source image into an image displayed by a TWAIN compliant application, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a preview mode resolution setting;

determining initial selection box settings;

opening a TWAIN compliant data source, thereby placing the data source in TWAIN state 4;

enabling the data source with TWAIN parameter SHOWUI=TRUE and passing the selected preview mode resolution setting and the selection box settings to the data source, thereby causing an image to be pre-scanned and displayed along with a selection box, according to the initial selection box settings, and placing the data source in TWAIN state 5;

adjusting the selection box settings if need be, in order to select a desired portion of the image for scanning and copying;

scanning the selected portion of the image thereby transitioning to TWAIN state 6;

transferring the scanned portion to the application, thereby passing adjusted selection box settings to the application;

returning the source back through TWAIN states 6, 5, and 4;

determining resizing parameters based on the adjusted selection box settings and dimensions of a target area in the image in the application;

enabling the data source with TWAIN parameter SHOWUI=FALSE and passing resizing parameters and the adjusted selection box settings to the data source, thereby causing the image to be scanned, creating an appropriately sized copy of the selected portion of the image;

transferring the appropriately sized copy of the selected portion of the image to the application;

placing the copy of the selected portion of the image in the target area.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, after the step of determining resizing parameters and before the step of, the step of determining resizing parameters:

closing the source.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising, after the step of returning the source back through TWAIN states 6, 5, and 4, and before the step of enabling the data source with SHOWUI=FALSE, the step of:

opening the TWAIN compliant data source, thereby placing the data source in TWAIN state 4.

13. The image processing system of claim 12 wherein the output device is a xerographic printer.

14. The image processing system of claim 12 wherein the application comprises:

a target recorder operative to store dimensional information regarding the selected area of the destination image;

a source image portion selection receiver operative to receive and store dimensional information regarding the selected portion of the source image; and

a selection comparator operative to compare target area dimensional information provided by the target recorder and source image portion selection information provided by the source image portion selection receiver and to summarize dimensional differences between the selected target area and the selected portion of the source image.

15. The image processing system of claim 12 wherein the application comprises:

a resizer operative to determine at least one scaling factor and request the TWAIN image source to scan the selected portion of the source image based on the at least one scaling factor.

16. The image processing system of claim 12 wherein the application comprises:

a resizer operative to determine a scanning resolution and request the TWAIN image source to scan the selected portion of the source image at the determined scanning resolution.

17. The image processing system of claim 12 wherein the application comprises:

a resizer operative to determine a scanning resolution and at least one scaling factor and generate a signal controlling the TWAIN image source to scan the selected portion of the source image based on the determined scanning resolution and the at least one scaling factor.

12. An image processing system operative to communicate with a TWAIN image source, and copy and paste and scan to fit a selected portion of a source image into a selected target area in a destination image, the image processing system comprising:

a TWAIN image source;

a source manager;

an application operative to communicate with the image source, through services of the source manager, to receive a properly sized copy of the selected portion of the source image, and to automatically paste the properly sized copy of the selected portion of the source image into the selected target area of the destination image to generate a revised image; and

an output device operative to receive the revised image.