US5668636A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Embedded data controlled digital highlight color copier
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1995-12-20
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Granted: 1997-09-16
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Expires: 2015-12-20
Abstract
Abstract Digital machine readable full color specifications of full color source images are embedded in the printed hardcopy versions of those images; typically through the use of a self-clocking glyph code to minimize the visual impact of the embedded data. This color specification then can be recovered from a hardcopy version of the original source image, even if the hardcopy is monochromatic. Thus, a digital highlight color copier can use this color specification to index into a plurality of different full-color to highlight-color transformse to select the transform or transorms that are most appropriate for rendering a highlight color copy of the source image.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard J. Beach
- 👤 John Seely Brown
- 👤 John R. White
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 21:13
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/0021; G06T1/0028; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/50; G03G15/5066; G03G15/507; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32144; H04N1/32149; H04N1/32309; H04N1/46; H04N1/56; G06T2201/00; G06T2201/005; G06T2201/0051; G06T2201/0081; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3242; H04N2201/3269; H04N2201/327
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A process for reproducing highlight color copies of full color source images from hardcopy versions of said source images that are of unknown color fidelity; said process comprising the steps of embedding a digital machine readable full color specification for at least a portion of a source image in a hardcopy version of said image; scanning said hardcopy version of image to produce a digital representation thereof, including said digital full color representation; processing said digital representation of said image to recover said full color specification; indexing into a plurality of different full-color to highlight-color transforms in accordance with said full color specification to select at least one of said color transforms for rendering a highlight color copy of said image; and printing said highlight color copy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
A process for reproducing highlight color copies of full color source images from hardcopy versions of said source images that are of unknown color fidelity; said process comprising the steps of embedding a digital machine readable full color specification for at least a portion of a source image in a hardcopy version of said image; scanning said hardcopy version of image to produce a digital representation thereof, including said digital full color representation; processing said digital representation of said image to recover said full color specification; indexing into a plurality of different full-color to highlight-color transforms in accordance with said full color specification to select at least one of said color transforms for rendering a highlight color copy of said image; and printing said highlight color copy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said digital full color specification includes an image information type characterizer for at least one portion of said source image; and said type characterization governs the selection of the color transform for the rendering of at least said portion of said image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
The process of claim 1 wherein different full color specifications are digitally embedded in said hardcopy version of said source image for different regions of said source image; the digital color specifications for at least certain of said regions of said source image include respective type characterizers; and said type characterizers govern the selection of the color transforms that are used for rendering those respective regions of said image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the digital color specification for at least one region of said source image includes a pointer to a designated one of said full-color to highlight-color transforms; and said designated color transform is selected for rendering said region of said source document.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
The process of claim 4 wherein different full color specifications are digitally embedded in said hardcopy version of said source image for different regions of said source image; the digital color specifications for certain of said source image regions include characterizers which type characterize those regions of the image by image information type; and said type characterizers govern the selection of the color transforms that are used for rendering the type characterized regions of said.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of any of claims 1-5 wherein said transforms map full color images into a two color, highlight color space.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the printing of said highlight color copy is performed by a two color, single pass highlight color print engine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
The process of any of claims 1-5 wherein said color specification is embedded in said hardcopy version of said image in a self-clocking glyph code; said glyph code is composed of a machine readable pattern of elongated slash-like symbols which are written on a spatially periodic lattice of centers at a sufficient density to cause said code to have a substantially uniform visual appearance; said symbols are written at a plurality of different angular orientations to encode different digital values.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of any of claims 1-5 wherein said transforms map full color images into a three color, highlight color space.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 9 wherein the printing of said highlight color copy is performed by a two color, single pass highlight color print engine.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-09-15 | 2001-03-17 | 2001-09-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-15 | 2005-03-17 | 2005-09-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-09-15 | 2009-03-17 | 2009-09-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |