Method and system for the copying of documents

• US 7,110,126 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Thierry L.
• Application Number:
  US09/693,219
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/3.28, 358/403, 358 111- 118, 715/513, 715/500, 715/501.1, 270/1.01, 270/52.01, 270/52.02, 270/52.03, 270/52.05, 182182-183, 182305-306
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0439 using geographical maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• 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 1/00358 : Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 : Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 : Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• 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 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

The invention concerns a system and method enabling the copying of documents. It has specific application to the archiving and retrieval, and the scanning and reproduction, of documents which are or which may be capable of interacting with a computer system or network. Such a document has coded data printed on it allowing it to interact with the computer system or network by use of a sensing device operated by a user.

Specifically, the method involves scanning a document which may contain both document information and coded data indicative of an identity of the document, forming a digital image of the document, and detecting, if the document contains said coded data indicative of the identity of the document, the coded data. If the document does contain such coded data, stored data representing the content of the document is accessed, and, depending on the operating instructions, either a copy of the document is printed, together with coded data indicative of an identity of the copy being printed on the copy, or data representing a copy of the document is stored, the stored data including a unique identifier for said copy.

The invention can be employed for the printing of documents, the archiving and retrieval of documents, and the scanning and reproduction of documents. In copying documents, it can be used to produce pages of far higher quality than those produced by conventional photocopying means, often irrespective of the physical quality of the page to be copied.

Claims

1. A method enabling the copying of documents, the method including the steps of:

scanning a document that includes first visible markings associated with digital ink, second visible markings not associated with digital ink, and first invisible coded data indicative of an identity of the document, and forming a digital image of the document;

detecting the first invisible coded data;

accessing stored data representing the content of the document;

computing a difference between the digital image of the document and a rendered image determined from the stored data;

determining image data for the second markings using the computed difference;

archiving the image data for the second markings with the stored data; and

printing using a printer a copy of the document from the stored data, said copy including third visible markings associated with digital ink and, at the same time, printing on the printed copy, using the same printer, second invisible coded data indicative of an identity of the copy,

wherein the first visible markings associated with digital ink are duplicated on the printed copy of the document as the third visible markings associated with digital ink, and the second visible markings not associated with digital ink are not duplicated on the printed copy of the document.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said coded data indicative of an identity of the copy is indicative of a plurality of reference points on said copy, the coded data being printed to be readable by a sensing device operated by a user in order to identify the position of the sensing device relative to the copy.

3. A method according to claim 1, including the step of storing data representing said copy of the document, to enable reproduction of said copy with both said third visible markings and said second invisible coded data.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein an operator may choose whether said copy of the document duplicates the first visible markings associated with digital ink but does not duplicate the markings not associated with digital ink.

5. A method according to claim 1, including an authorisation step before said printing step can be carried out.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the copy is a multipage document, including the step of binding together the printed pages.

7. A system enabling the copying of documents, including:

(i) a scanner for scanning a document that includes first visible markings associated with digital ink, second visible markings not associated with digital ink, and first invisible coded data indicative of an identity of the document, enabling formation of a digital image of the document;

(ii) a detector for detecting the first invisible coded data;

(iii) a computer system configured for;

storing data representing the document content;

computing a difference between the digital image of the document and the stored data representing the content of the document; and

determining image data for the second markings using the computed difference; and

archiving the image data for the second markings with the stored data; and

(iv) a printer adapted for printing a copy of the document from the stored data, said copy including third visible markings and, at the same time, printing on the printed copy, using the same printer, second invisible coded data indicative of an identity of the copy, wherein the first visible markings associated with digital ink are duplicated on the printed copy of the document as the third visible markings, and the second visible markings not associated with digital ink are not duplicated on the printed copy of the document.

8. A system according to claim 7, including a sensing device operable by a user to identify said second invisible coded data printed on said copy.

9. A system according to claim 8, the sensing device including a marking nib.

10. A system according to claim 8, the sensing device including an identification means which imparts a unique identity to the sensing device, the system able to associate the identifier for the copy with the identity of the sensing device.

11. A system according to claim 7, the printer including a binder for binding the pages of a multi-page copy.

12. A system according to claim 7, the scanner and the printer being provided as parts of a single apparatus.

13. A system according to claim 7, the scanner and the detector being provided as parts of a single apparatus.

14. A system according to claim 13, the scanner comprising a moving linear image sensor device, the detector carried by this device.

15. A system according to claim 8, the sensing device adapted to communicate with a base station, the scanner and the base station provided as parts of a single apparatus.

16. A system according to claim 7, including authorisation means to prevent use by an unauthorised user.