Multi-mode image capture systems and methods

• US 9,323,725 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-Imagedata Corporation
• Original Assignee: E-Imagedata Corporation
• Inventors: Kahle, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku, Negussie
• Application Number:
  US14/603,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 358/474, 358/482, 358/483, 348/239, 348/222.1, 348/E17.002, 348/E5.001, 348/E5.024, 348/E5.031, 348/E5.038, 348/E5.051, 348/E5.056, 348/E5.081, 348/207.1, 348/231.3, 348/370, 382/275, 382/165, 382/173, 382/199, 382/209, 382/224, 382/254, 382/255, 382/284, 382/289
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2104 for one or a few pictures
• 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 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40087 Multi-toning, i.e. converting a continuous-tone signal for reproduction with more than two discrete brightnesses or optical densities, e.g. dots of grey and black inks on white paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/48 Picture signal generators for halftone screening H04N1/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail

Abstract

Systems and methods to generate a multi-mode image containing different modes such as color, grayscale, and black and white to minimize digital file size while retaining the desired modes for selected portions of the image.

Claims

1. A method for generating a multi-mode image file, the method comprising the steps of:

forming an image of a document onto an area sensor;

the area sensor creating a digital image of the document, the digital image having a first mode;

selecting a region of the digital image to be modified;

assigning a second mode different than the first mode to the selected region of the digital image, wherein the second mode is defined by a pixel variation;

limiting the pixel variation to a minimum pixel variation necessary to support the second mode; and

storing the modified digital image as a multi-mode image in memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further including displaying the multi-mode image on a monitor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-mode image displayed on the monitor is an image generated from microform.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-mode image displayed on the monitor includes black and white and grayscale.

5. The method of claim 2, further including a user selecting the region of the image on the monitor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the region of the image on the monitor includes at least one of highlighting the region, placing a box around the region, and clicking on the monitor near the region.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the monitor is a touch screen monitor, and wherein selecting the region on the monitor includes touching the monitor for selecting the region.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the region of the image on the monitor makes the region an active region.

9. The method of claim 8, further including adjusting a brightness or a contrast of the active region.

10. The method of claim 8, further including providing a software selection menu on the monitor, the software selection menu providing a selection of a plurality of modes for assigning to the active region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of modes includes color, grayscale, and black and white.

12. The method of claim 1, further including the area sensor streaming digital output of a projected document image to a monitor to display the image, such that the image on the display is a live image in real-time of what the area sensor is sensing.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode is a color mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second mode is a black and white mode or a grayscale mode.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode is a grayscale mode and the second mode is a black and white mode.

16. The method of claim 1, further including assigning a third mode different than the first mode and the second mode to another selected region of the digital image.

17. The method of claim 1, further including performing optical character recognition on the selected region.

18. A method for generating a multi-mode image file, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an image on a video display, the image being displayed in a first mode;

receiving an indication of a select region on the display for assigning a second mode;

converting the select region on the display from the first mode to the second mode to generate the multi-mode image file, wherein the second mode is defined by a pixel variation;

limiting the pixel variation to a minimum pixel variation necessary to support the second mode; and

displaying the multi-mode image on the display, the multi-mode image on the display displaying both the first mode and the second mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first mode is a color mode.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second mode is a grayscale mode or a black and white mode.

21. The method of claim 18, further including receiving an indication of a location for storing the multi-mode image file;

and storing the multi-mode image file in the indicated location.

22. The method of claim 18, further including adjusting a brightness or a contrast of the select region on the display.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the steps of receiving, converting, and displaying are performed automatically by a processor.

24. A digital imaging system comprising:

a digital imaging apparatus to image a document to generate a multi-mode image file;

a computer including at least one processor and a computer-readable storage medium readable by the at least one processor, the computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer executable instruction performing the following steps of;

providing a digital image, the digital image having a first mode;

selecting a region of the digital image;

assigning a second mode to the selected region of the digital image to generate the multi-mode image file, wherein the second mode is defined by a pixel variation; and

limiting the pixel variation to a minimum pixel variation necessary to support the second mode.

25. The digital imaging system of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

receive an indication of a location for storing the multi-mode image file; and

store the multi-mode image file in the indicated location.

26. The digital imaging system of claim 24, further including an area sensor, the area sensor creating the digital image.

27. The digital imaging system of claim 24, wherein a user selects the region of the digital image.

28. The digital imaging system of claim 24, wherein the first mode is a color mode.

29. The digital imaging system of claim 28, wherein the second mode is a black and white mode or a grayscale mode.

30. The digital imaging system of claim 24, wherein the first mode is a grayscale mode and the second mode is a black and white mode.

31. The digital imaging system of claim 24, further including assigning a third mode different than the first mode and the second mode to another selected region of the digital image.