Method of encoding data in a monochrome media

• US 7,003,166 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Wong, Victor C., Jones, Robert S., Williams, Donald R., Weil, Richard, Duncan, Robert G., Abhyankar, Vishwas G., Breslawski, Robert, Bayley, Robert B., Narayan, Badhri, Reisch, Robert V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Anh Hong
• Application Number:
  US10/059,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 382/232, 382/237, 382/166, 348/701, 348/620, 600/407, 358/444, 358/403, 358/404
• US Class Current: 382/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/005 Statistical coding, e.g. Huffman, run length coding
• 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 1/40012 Conversion of colour to monochrome
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/64 Systems for the transmission or the storage of the colour picture signal; Details therefor, e.g. coding or decoding means therefor H04N19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for encoding data in a monochrome media utilizing the capability of the media for grayscale resolution. A document is processed to provide an image in electronic format, in which each pixel has an assigned data value with a given bit depth. A mapping operation is performed for generating a monochrome data word (120), preferably having a reduced bit depth. The monochrome data word (120) can be used to encode multiple data fields (114, 116, 118). A printer (92) then produces a preserved document record (90) in which the appropriate monochrome data word (120) determines the grayscale value for each pixel.

Claims

1. A method of encoding, in a monochrome medium, data about a document that has been received in electronic form, the method comprising:

(a) converting the document to a rasterized image in which each pixel is assigned a raster value;

(b) for each pixel;

(b1) assigning a data word having a predetermined bit depth, said data word comprising a first data field and a second data field;

(b2) encoding a first component of said raster value into said first data field;

(b3) encoding a second data value into said second data field;

(b4) generating a grayscale data value comprising said first data field and said second data field; and

(b5) forming, onto the monochrome medium, a grayscale pixel conditioned by said grayscale data value.

2. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said monochrome medium is a photosensitive medium.

3. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein the document comprises computer generated images.

4. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein the document comprises text.

5. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein the document comprises a slide presentation.

6. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein the document comprises a web page.

7. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein the document comprises a spreadsheet.

8. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said raster value comprises lightness and chroma data components.

9. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said raster value comprises red, green, and blue data components.

10. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said raster value comprises cyan, magenta, and yellow data components.

11. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said raster value comprises hue, saturation, and lightness data components.

12. A method for encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value is lightness or chroma data.

13. A method for encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value is red, green, or blue data.

14. A method for encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value is cyan, magenta, or yellow data.

15. A method for encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value is hue, saturation, or lightness data.

16. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises metadata about the document.

17. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises encoded audio data.

18. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises authentication data about the document.

19. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises animation data about the document.

20. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises security information about the document.

21. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises information about data mapping.

22. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises a reference to other information about the document.

23. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises a pointer to a color palette.

24. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises measurement data.

25. A method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein the step of encoding a first component of said raster value into said first data field is conditioned by a statistical frequency.

26. A method of encoding as in claim 1 further comprising the step of writing, onto said monochrome medium, a human-readable metadata record that comprises information for decoding said data about the document.

27. The method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises error correction information.

28. The method of encoding as in claim 26 wherein said human-readable metadata record is in XML format.

29. The method of encoding as in claim 26 wherein said human-readable metadata record is readable by an optical character recognition apparatus.

30. The method of encoding as in claim 1 wherein said second data value comprises error correction information.

31. The method of encoding as in claim 26 wherein said human-readable metadata record is in XML format.

32. The method of encoding as in claim 26 wherein said human-readable metadata record is readable by an optical character recognition apparatus.

33. A method of encoding, in a monochrome medium, data about a document that has been received as a rasterized image, in which each pixel is assigned a raster value, the method comprising, for each pixel:

(a) assigning a data word having a predetermined bit depth, said data word comprising a first data field and a second data field;

(b) encoding a first component of said raster value into said first data field;

(c) encoding a second data value into said second data field;

(d) generating a grayscale data value comprising said first data field and said second data field; and

(e) forming, onto the monochrome medium, a grayscale pixel conditioned by said grayscale data value.

34. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said monochrome medium is a photosensitive medium.

35. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein the document comprises computer generated images.

36. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein the document comprises a scanned image.

37. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein the document comprises a digital camera image.

38. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said raster value comprises lightness and chroma data components.

39. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said raster value comprises red, green, and blue data components.

40. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said raster value comprises cyan, magenta, and yellow data components.

41. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said raster value comprises hue, saturation, and lightness data components.

42. A method for encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value is lightness or chroma data.

43. A method for encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value is red, green, or blue data.

44. A method for encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value is cyan, magenta, or yellow data.

45. A method for encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value is hue, saturation, or lightness data.

46. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises metadata about the document.

47. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises encoded audio data.

48. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises authentication data about the document.

49. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises animation data about the document.

50. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises security information about the document.

51. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises information about data mapping.

52. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises a reference to other information about the document.

53. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises a pointer to a color palette.

54. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein said second data value comprises measurement data.

55. A method of encoding as in claim 33 wherein the step of encoding a first component of said raster value into said first data field is conditioned by a statistical frequency.

56. A method of encoding as in claim 33 further comprising the step of writing, onto said monochrome medium, a human-readable metadata record that comprises information for decoding said data about the document.

57. A method of storing, on a monochrome medium, a tristimulus color image value associated with each pixel in a color document, wherein each tristimulus color image value comprises a first data value, a second data value, and a third data value, the method comprising:

(a) assigning a data word to said each pixel, said data word having a predetermined bit depth for storing a grayscale value, said data word comprising a first field, a second field, and a third field;

(b) encoding, for each said pixel, said first data value in said first field, said second data value in said second field, and said third data value in said third field, thereby forming said grayscale data value in said data word; and

(c) forming a grayscale image onto the monochrome medium, wherein the density of said each pixel corresponds to said grayscale data value in said data word for each said pixel.

58. The method of storing a tristimulus color value as in claim 57 wherein said first data value is a lightness value, said second data value is an a-channel chroma value, and said third data value is a b-channel chroma value.

59. The method of storing a tristimulus color value as in claim 57 wherein said first data value is a brightness value, said second data value is a hue value, and said third data value is a saturation value.

60. The method of storing a tristimulus color value as in claim 57 wherein said first data value is a red value, said second data value is a green value, and said third data value is a blue value.

61. The method of storing a tristimulus color value as in claim 57 wherein said first data value is a cyan value, said second data value is a magenta value, and said third data value is a yellow value.

62. The method of storing a tristimulus color image value as in claim 57 wherein the step of encoding said first data value in said first field is conditioned by the statistical frequency of said first data value in said color image.

63. A method of storing, on a monochrome medium, a CMYK color image value associated with each pixel in a color document, wherein each CMYK color image value comprises a first data value, a second data value, a third data value, and a fourth data value, the method comprising:

(a) assigning a data word to said each pixel, said data word having a predetermined bit depth for storing a grayscale value, said data word comprising a first field, a second field, a third field and a fourth field;

(b) encoding, for each said pixel, said first data value in said first field, said second data value in said second field, said third data value in said third field, and said fourth data value in said fourth field, thereby forming said grayscale data value in said data word; and

(c) forming a grayscale image onto the monochrome medium, wherein the density of said each pixel corresponds to said grayscale data value in said data word for each said pixel.