Interactive copying system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A copying system, comprising:
- a work surface;
means for displaying images on the work surface;
a camera, focussed on the work surface, for generating video signals representing in electronic form image information present within the field of view of the camera;
processing means for recognizing one or more manual operations relating to the image information which are executed by a user within the field of view of the camera, and for performing electronic operations, corresponding to said manual operations, on the electronic form to produce a modified electronic form;
the displaying means being adapted to display, under the control of the processing means, simultaneously with or subsequent to said electronic operations, images defined by said manual operations; and
wherein said images defined by said manual operations include an image of a newly created document.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for generating new documents (20) from originals (4) containing text and/or images (22,28) employing e.g. a camera-projector system (6,8) focussed on a work surface (2), in conjunction with a copier or printer (14). In use, an original paper document (4) lying on the surface (2) becomes part of the interface to the copier machine as various interactions are carried out on the text or images (22,28). Feedback to the user is provided by projection of an image (21,24) onto the surface or onto the original, or using some other visual display. Text or images (22,28) may be selected and manipulated by the user, e.g. by pointing with fingers and tapping on the surface.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A copying system, comprising:
-
a work surface; means for displaying images on the work surface; a camera, focussed on the work surface, for generating video signals representing in electronic form image information present within the field of view of the camera; processing means for recognizing one or more manual operations relating to the image information which are executed by a user within the field of view of the camera, and for performing electronic operations, corresponding to said manual operations, on the electronic form to produce a modified electronic form; the displaying means being adapted to display, under the control of the processing means, simultaneously with or subsequent to said electronic operations, images defined by said manual operations; and wherein said images defined by said manual operations include an image of a newly created document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
11. The copying system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means includes means for determining whether the user is right- or left-handed.
-
12. An interactive image reproduction system, comprising:
two or more workstations interconnected by a communications link, each workstation comprising a system according to claim 1, each workstation being adapted for displaying the video output from the camera of each other workstation.
-
13. A system according to claim 12, further including an audio or videoconferencing link between the workstations.
-
-
14. A method of generating documents, comprising:
-
providing a work surface, means for displaying images on the work surface, and a camera focussed on the work surface, said camera generating video signals representing in electronic form image information present within the field of view of the camera; recognizing one or more manual operations relating to the image information which are executed by a user within the field of view of the camera; performing electronic operations, corresponding to said manual operations, on the electronic form to produce a modified electronic form; displaying, simultaneously with or subsequent to the act of performing electronic operations, images defined by said manual operations; and wherein said images defined by said manual operations include an image of a newly created document. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A copying system, comprising:
-
a work surface; means for displaying images on the work surface; a camera, focussed on the work surface, for generating video signals representing in electronic form image information present in at least first and second documents within the field of view of the camera; processing means for recognizing one or more manual operations which are executed by a user within the field of view of the camera and represent the transfer of image information from the first document to the second document, and for performing electronic operations, corresponding to said manual operations, on the electronic form of said second document to produce a modified electronic form; the displaying means being adapted to display, under the control of the processing means, simultaneously with or subsequent to said electronic operation performing step, images defined by said manual operations. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
-
31. A product comprising:
-
image input circuitry for receiving signals from an image input device; image output circuitry for providing data defining output images to an image output device; and processing circuitry connected for receiving signals from the image input circuitry and for providing data to the image output circuitry; the processing circuitry being operable to; obtain first output image data defining a first output image that shows a document; provide the first output image data to the image output circuitry to cause the image output device to present the first output image on a work surface;
a working area being on or adjacent the work surface;
the working area being an area in which a user can perform manual operations;receive an input image signal from the image input device through the image input circuitry, the input image signal defining an input image set that includes at least one input image, each input image in the set showing the work surface and the working area;
the input image set showing a first manual operation being performed in the working area;
the first manual operation indicating image-related information;use the input image signal to obtain manual operation data;
the manual operation data indicating the image-related information;use the manual operation data to obtain second output image data defining a version of the first output image that shows a modified version of the document; and provide the second output image data to the image output circuitry to cause the image output device to present the version of the first output image on the work surface. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
-
-
34. A method comprising:
-
obtaining first output image data defining a first output image that shows a document; providing the first output image data to cause an image output device to present the first output image on a work surface;
a working area being on or adjacent the work surface;
the working area being an area in which a user can perform manual operations;receiving an input image signal from an image input device, the input image signal defining an input image set that includes at least one input image, each input image in the set showing the work surface and the working area;
the input image set showing a first manual operation being performed in the working area;
the first manual operation indicating image-related information;using the input image signal to obtain manual operation data;
the manual operation data indicating the image-related information;using the manual operation data to automatically obtain second output image data defining a version of the first output image that shows a modified version of the document; and providing the second output image data to cause the image output device to present the version of the first output image on the work surface. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
-
37. A product comprising:
-
image input circuitry for receiving signals from a camera that is positioned to capture images of a work surface and a working area on or adjacent the work surface; image output circuitry for providing data defining output images to a display device that is positioned to present images on the work surface;
the working area being an area in which a user can perform manual operations indicating operations that would modify images presented on the work surface by the display device; andprocessing circuitry connected for receiving signals from the image input circuitry and for providing data to the image output circuitry; the processing circuitry being operable to; obtain first output image data defining a first output image that shows a document; provide the first output image data to the image output circuitry to cause the display device to present the first output image on the work surface; receive an input image signal from the camera through the image input circuitry, the input image signal defining an input image set that includes at least one input image, each input image in the set showing the work surface and the working area;
the input image set showing a first manual operation being performed in the working area;
the first manual operation indicating a first document modifying operation that would modify the document;use the input image signal to obtain modification data;
the modification data indicating the first document modifying operation;
the act of using the input image signal comprising;performing image processing on the input image signal to recognize the first manual operation; and obtaining the modification data based on recognizing the first manual operation; using the modification data to obtain second output image data defining a version of the first output image;
the version of the first output image showing a modified version of the document in which the first document modifying operation has been performed; andprovide the second output image data to the image output circuitry to cause the display device to present the version of the first output image on the work surface. - View Dependent Claims (38)
-
Specification