Pseudo-bar code control of image transmission

• US 5,227,893 A
• Filed: 10/31/1990
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ett, Allen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US07/606,673
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/404, 358/405, 358/406, 358/407, 358/426, 358/427, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/438, 358/439, 358/443, 358/444, 358/453, 379/100
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A method is provided by this invention wherein information needed for indexing or routing of facsimile images transmitted by standard facsimile means using CCITT protocols can be carried in the image in a form which does not interfere with conventional facsimile operation. This indexing information is carried by a pseudo bar code imbedded in the first line or lines of the image. The bar code is machine generated from operator input via a keyboard, and as such is at maximum resolution, without skew, and without scanner sampling errors. The use of multiple lines provides a bar code pattern which can be read by normal bar code reading means. This invention also includes means for extraction of the pseudo bar code from the facsimile image so that its existence is totally transparent to the users.

Claims

1. In a data processing system including a first station coupled over a communications link to a second station, a method for transmitting alphanumeric character information with document image information, comprising the steps of:

inputting an alphanumeric character having a corresponding bar code character image, at a first station;

storing at said first station, a translation table which is addressble by said alphanumeric character, said table storing a binary bit representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character;

providing a binary bit document storage stream representing document image at said first station;

merging at said first station said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character, with said binary bit document image stream, forming a composite bit stream;

transmitting from said first station over a communications link to said second station, said composite bit stream; and

,

receiving said composite bit stream at said second station and detecting said binary bit representation of said bar code image representing said alphanumeric character;

wherein said step of storing a binary bit representation at said first station, further comprises the step of;

storing a run length representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character, by

storing a Huffman Code representation of said run length code representation of said bar code character image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of scanning a document image, further comprises the step of:

converting said document image into a Huffman Code representation of a run length code representation of said document image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of merging, further comprises the step of:

inserting said binary bit representation of said bar code character image at the beginning portion of said binary bit document image stream.

4. In a data processing system including a first station coupled over a communications link to a second station, a method for transmitting alphanumeric character information with document image information, comprising the steps of:

inputting an alphanumeric character having a corresponding bar code character image, at a first station;

storing at said first station, a translation table which is addressable by said alphanumeric character, said table storing a binary bit representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character;

providing a binary bit document storage stream representing a document image at said firs station;

merging at said first said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character, with said binary bit document image stream, forming a composite bit stream;

transmitting from said first station over a communications link to said second station, said composite bit stream; and

,

receiving said composite bit stream at said second station and detecting said binary bit representation of said bar code image representing said alphanumeric character;

translating at said second station, said binary bit representation of said bar code image, into said alphanumeric character and outputting said alphanumeric character;

said step of translating further comprising of the steps of;

detecting said binary bit representation of said start code character image and identifying it as a valid bar code character;

accessing a stored representation of candidate alphanumeric character images at said second station in response to said identification of said bar code start character;

comparing said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character with said candidate alphanumeric character images;

selecting in response to said comparing step, a candidate alphanumeric character image which is equivalent to said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character.

5. In a data processing system including a first station coupled over a communications link to a second station, an apparatus for transmitting alphanumeric character information with document image information, comprising:

an input means at a first station, for inputting an alphanumeric character having a corresponding bar code character image;

a memory at said first station, coupled to said input means, having a translation table therein addressable by said alphanumeric character, for storing a binary bit representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character;

a document image pickup means at said first station for scanning a document image and converting it into a binary bit document image stream;

a merging means at said first station having an input coupled to output of said memory and an input coupled to an output of said image pickup means, for merging said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character, with said binary bit document image stream, forming a composite bit stream;

a transmitting means coupled to said merging means for transmitting said composite bit stream from said first station over a communications link to a second station;

a detection means at said second station, for receiving said composite bit stream and detection said binary bit representation of said bar code image representing said alphanumeric characters; and

,

bar code translation means at said second station coupled to said detection means for outputting said alphanumeric character in response to detecting said binary bit representation of said bar code image in said composite bit stream;

wherein said document image pickup means, further comprises;

a facsimile input device for scanning a document image and converting it into a facsimile document image stream;

said translation table in said memory at said first station storing a Huffman Code representation of a run length representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character;

said document image pickup means converting said document image into a Huffman Code representation of a run length representation of said document image;

said merging means inserting said Huffman Code representation corresponding to said alphanumeric character at a beginning portion of said Huffman Code representation of said document image.

6. In a data processing system including a first station coupled over a communications link to a second station, an apparatus for transmitting alphanumeric character information with document image information, comprising:

an input means at a first station, for inputting an alphanumeric character having a corresponding bar code character image;

a memory at said first station, coupled to said input means, having a translation table therein addressable by said alphanumeric character, for storing a binary bit representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character;

a document image pickup means at said first station for scanning a document image and converting it into a binary bit document image stream;

a merging means at said first station having an input coupled to output of said memory and an input coupled to an output of said image pickup means, for merging said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character, with said binary bit document image stream, forming a composite bit stream;

a transmitting means coupled to said merging means for transmitting said composite bit stream from said first station over a communications link to a second station;

a detection means at said second station, for receiving said composite bit stream and detection said binary bit representation of said bar code image representing said alphanumeric character;

bar code translation means at said second station coupled to said detection means for outputting said alphanumeric character in response to detecting said binary bit representation of said bar code image in said composite bit stream;

said transmitting means at said first station transmitting a binary bit representation of a bar code start character image in said composite bit stream proximate to said binary bit representation of said bar code character image representing said alphanumeric character;

said detection means at said second station detection said binary bit representation of said bar code start character image in said composite bit stream;

a candidate memory as said second station coupled to said detection means for storing a plurality of binary bit representations of bar code character images corresponding to alphanumeric characters; and

comparison means at said second station coupled to said detection means and to said candidate memory, for comparing said binary bit representation of said bar code character image corresponding to said alphanumeric character received over said communications link, with said candidate, for selecting a candidate image equivalent to said received bar code character image.