Automatic colorization of monochromatic printed documents

• US 7,751,087 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Buck, Arlene, Morales, Javier A., Farrell, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rogers; Scott A
• Application Number:
  US11/695,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/2.1, 358/3.24, 358/3.27, 358/1.18, 358/530, 358/537, 358/538, 358/443, 358/452, 358/453, 358/462, 382/162, 382/168, 382/170, 382/171, 382/173, 382/176, 382/177, 382/200, 382/229, 382/282, 382/292
• US Class Current: 358/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/465 Conversion of monochrome to colour

Abstract

Embodiments herein include a method of adding color to a monochrome (single color printing) document that begins by inputting/creating colorization rules relating to the previously printed monochromatic document and scanning the previously printed monochromatic document to locate rasterized data. After the scanning, the method performs optical character recognition on the rasterized data to search for text corresponding to the previously printed monochromatic document. After the rules are input and the rasterized data is produced, the method automatically colorizes portions of rasterized content according to the colorization rules and this generates a colorized electronic document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using a computer, inputting colorization rules;

using said computer, scanning a previously printed monochromatic document to locate rasterized data;

using said computer, performing optical character recognition on said rasterized data to produce text;

using said computer, automatically colorizing portions of said rasterized data according to said colorization rules to generate a colorized electronic document; and

using said computer, outputting said colorized electronic document;

wherein said colorization rules comprise rules that;

determine all font types occurring within said text;

determine which font types occur with a predetermined frequency in said text; and

automatically colorize raster data relating to text having said font type that occurs with at least said predetermined frequency.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said colorization rules comprise a rule that automatically colorizes all raster data relating to text of a selected font type.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said colorization rules comprise a rule that automatically colorizes raster data relating to all occurrences of a specified text string.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using a computer, inputting colorization rules, wherein said colorization rules comprise a rule that automatically colorizes all raster data relating to text occurring within a pre-defined region of each page of a previously printed monochromatic document;

using said computer, scanning said previously printed monochromatic document to locate rasterized data;

using a computer, performing optical character recognition on said rasterized data to produce text;

using a computer, automatically colorizing portions of said rasterized data according to said colorization rules to generate a colorized electronic document; and

using a computer, outputting said colorized electronic document;

and wherein said colorization rules further comprise rules that;

determine all font types occurring within said text;

determine a frequency at which different font types occur in said text; and

automatically colorize raster data relating to text having a font that occurs least frequently in said text.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said colorization rules further comprise a rule that automatically colorizes all raster data relating to text of a selected font type.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said colorization rules further comprise a rule that automatically colorizes raster data relating to all occurrences of a specified text string.

7. A method comprising:

inputting colorization rules, wherein said colorization rules comprise a rule that automatically colorizes a predetermined raster image;

scanning a previously printed monochromatic document to locate rasterized data;

searching said rasterized data to locate occurrences of said predetermined raster image;

automatically colorizing said occurrences of said predetermined raster image to produce a colorized electronic document; and

outputting said colorized electronic document;

and wherein said colorization rules further comprise rules that;

automatically identify recurring raster images within said rasterized data;

provide said recurring raster images to a user for selection; and

automatically colorize ones of said recurring raster images as selected by said user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said colorization rules further comprise a rule that only colorizes said occurrences of said predetermined raster image that occur within a pre-defined region of each page of said previously printed monochromatic document.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said colorization rules further comprise a rule that automatically colorizes all rasterized images occurring within a pre-defined region of each page of said previously printed monochromatic document in addition to said colorizing of said occurrences of said predetermined raster image.

10. A system comprising:

a graphic user interface adapted to receive colorization rules relating to a previously printed monochromatic document;

a scanner operatively connected to said graphic user interface and being adapted to scan said previously printed monochromatic document to locate rasterized data;

memory operatively connected to said scanner and being adapted to store said rasterized data;

a central processing unit operatively connected to said memory and being adapted to execute an optical character recognition program on said rasterized data to search for text corresponding to said previously printed monochromatic document, wherein said central processing unit is further adapted to automatically colorize portions of said rasterized data according to said colorization rules to generate a colorized electronic document; and

a printer operatively connected to said central processing unit and being adapted to print said colorized electronic document,

wherein said colorization rules comprise rules that;

determine all font types occurring within said text;

determine a frequency at which different font types occur in said text; and

automatically colorize raster data relating to text having a font that occurs least frequently in said text.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said colorization rules comprise a rule that automatically colorizes all raster data relating to text of a selected font type.

12. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising;

inputting colorization rules;

scanning a previously printed monochromatic document comprising raster content to locate rasterized data;

performing optical character recognition on said rasterized data to produce text corresponding to said raster content;

automatically colorizing portions of said rasterized data according to said colorization rules to generate a colorized electronic document; and

outputting said colorized electronic document;

wherein said colorization rules comprise rules that;

determine all font types occurring within said text;

determine which font types occur with a predetermined frequency in said text; and

automatically colorize raster data relating to text having said font type that occurs with at least said predetermined frequency.