Systems and methods for automated template creation using scanned input

• US 20040202367A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 6, LLC
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Farrell, Michael E., Robinson, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,978,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1444 Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]

Abstract

An automated document template creation method comprises: inputing data of an existing document that contains a visual design to input an image; decomposing the image into at least one object using at least one image processing technique; determining at least one design attribute of the object; and synthesizing a document template containing the design attribute. An automated document template creation system comprises: an input device that receives data of an existing document containing a representative visual design to obtain an image; an image processor that decomposes the image into at least one object and determines at least one design attribute of the object; and a template creator that synthesizes a document template containing the design attribute. The systems and methods allow a scan/preparation user at a makeready station to generate additional and/or replacement pages for an existing document that are visually coherent with the predetermined visual design of the document.

Claims

1. An automated document template creation method, comprising:

inputing data of an existing document that contains a visual design to input an image;

decomposing the image into at least one object using at least one image processing technique;

determining at least one design attribute of the at least one object; and

synthesizing a document template containing the at least one design attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein inputing data of the existing document comprises scanning the existing document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein decomposing the image into at least one object comprises using an image segmentation technique.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein decomposing the image into at least one object comprises using an image classification technique.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein decomposing the image into at least one object comprises using an optical character recognition technique.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein decomposing the image into at least one object comprises decomposing the image into at least one spatial characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein decomposing the image into at least one spatial characteristic comprises decomposing the image into at least one of text regions, pictorials and line art.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein decomposing the image into at least one object further comprises decomposing the image into at least one color theme.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one design attribute of the at least one object comprises using an optical character recognition technique.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one design attribute of the at least one object comprises determining a page layout.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one design attribute of the at least one object comprises determining font information.

12. An automated document template creation system, comprising:

an input device that receives data of an existing document containing a representative visual design to obtain an image;

an image processor that decomposes the image into at least one object and determines at least one design attribute of the at least one object; and

a template creator that synthesizes a document template containing the at least one design attribute.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device comprises a scanner that scans the existing document.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a data storage device that stores the document template.