Image processing techniques for printing identification cards and documents
First Claim
1. A system to reduce at least one of image washout and blurring caused by the fluorescence of a covert image that is to be transferred to an identification document for printing, the system comprising:
- a computer system that runs executable software, wherein the executable software, when executed by a processor of the computer system, runs one or more edge detection algorithms;
at least one digital image to be processed by the computer system that runs the executable software, the digital image being stored in association with the computer system and comprising image pixels of varying degrees of dark and light;
the computer system accessing and retrieving the digital image that is to be used as a model to generate a covert image that is to be printed using the computer system on the identification document using a fluorescing medium;
the executable software, when executed by the processor of the computer system;
increasing contrast in the digital image, wherein the contrast includes making dark pixels relatively darker and light pixels relatively lighter;
identifying one or more contours of the image pixels of the digital image in which luminosity of the increased-contrast digital image changes more sharply than at adjoining regions in the image using the computer system;
generating a horizontal edge image comprising horizontal edge components, generating a vertical edge image comprising vertical edge components, and summing the vertical and horizontal edge images to form a composite image; and
emphasizing the one or more contours by iteratively adding copies of the composite image onto itself to yield a final composite image, wherein each added copy is offset with respect to the previous copy;
the computer system forming a master image based on the final composite image; and
the computer system using the master image to print the covert image.
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Abstract
The invention relates to identification documents, and in particular to pre-printing processing covert images, such as UV or IR images, provided on such identification documents. In one implementation, the invention provides a method of processing a digital image that is to be printed on a surface of an identification document as a fluorescing-capable image to improve the quality of the image. Edges or boundaries are detected within the image, the detected edges or boundaries forming an intermediate image. The edges or boundaries within the image are emphasized, and the emphasized image is used for printing the covert image. In some implementations of the invention, a digital watermark is embedded in the covert image.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system to reduce at least one of image washout and blurring caused by the fluorescence of a covert image that is to be transferred to an identification document for printing, the system comprising:
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a computer system that runs executable software, wherein the executable software, when executed by a processor of the computer system, runs one or more edge detection algorithms; at least one digital image to be processed by the computer system that runs the executable software, the digital image being stored in association with the computer system and comprising image pixels of varying degrees of dark and light; the computer system accessing and retrieving the digital image that is to be used as a model to generate a covert image that is to be printed using the computer system on the identification document using a fluorescing medium; the executable software, when executed by the processor of the computer system; increasing contrast in the digital image, wherein the contrast includes making dark pixels relatively darker and light pixels relatively lighter; identifying one or more contours of the image pixels of the digital image in which luminosity of the increased-contrast digital image changes more sharply than at adjoining regions in the image using the computer system; generating a horizontal edge image comprising horizontal edge components, generating a vertical edge image comprising vertical edge components, and summing the vertical and horizontal edge images to form a composite image; and emphasizing the one or more contours by iteratively adding copies of the composite image onto itself to yield a final composite image, wherein each added copy is offset with respect to the previous copy; the computer system forming a master image based on the final composite image; and the computer system using the master image to print the covert image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification