Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2003-05-13
St. Cyr, Daniel (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S462150, C235S462250
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561423
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-108169, filed Apr. 10, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for generating optically readable image data comprising dots which are printed on a printout medium. The present invention also relates to a computer-readable recording medium which stores programs including instructions for a computer to perform operations of such an image data generation apparatus.
Conventionally, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,403 and U.S. Pat. No. Re 36,589, various technologies are developed and are already known for printing data including voices, images, and other types of information on a printout medium such as paper and the like in the form of optically readable dots.
FIG. 1
shows a plurality of adjacent virtual cells
200
virtually formed in a matrix on a printout medium. A partially enlarged view of these cells is shown at the left-bottom corner in FIG.
1
.
Binary data 1 or 0 corresponds to presence or absence of an optically readable dot. A given dot is placed on a corresponding virtual cell and is printed on a printout medium. A special reader optically reads this printed dot to restore original binary data or reproduce a voice, for example.
The following describes this more specifically.
Data including voices, images, and other types of information is printed as an optically readable dot code
170
on a printout medium such as paper. The dot code
170
comprises a plurality of blocks
272
.
Each block
272
comprises a data dot
282
, a marker
174
, and a block address
280
. Data such as voice is divided into blocks each of which represents 1 or 0 as a data value. In a data area
180
, the data dot
282
is placed as a black or white dot image according to a specified arrangement mode.
The marker
174
is used to find a reference point for detecting each data dot
282
. The marker
174
is placed at four corners of each block
272
and comprises a specified number of consecutive black dots. The block address
280
is placed between markers
174
for identifying a plurality of different blocks
272
during reading. The block address
280
contains an error detection or correction sign.
In
FIG. 1
, a black dot is actually printed; no white dot is printed. A white dot corresponds to the ground color of a printout medium. A virtual cell is formed by virtual vertical and horizontal lines.
FIG. 2
is a functional block diagram of a reader for optically reading the dot code
170
by manual scanning.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, an output from a read unit
204
is connected to an input to a digitizing image memory
206
via a digitizing unit
205
. An output from the digitizing image memory
206
is connected to an input to a reproduction unit
209
via a restoration unit
207
and a demodulation unit
208
. The read unit
204
comprises an illumination unit
201
, an optical system
202
, and an image pickup unit
203
. The illumination unit
201
comprises an LED and the like for illuminating the dot code
170
. The optical system
202
forms an image using reflected light from the dot code
170
. The image pickup unit
203
comprises an area sensor such as CCD and the like for picking imaging light from the optical system
202
.
The read unit
204
reads an image comprising dot codes. The digitizing unit
205
digitizes an imaging signal output from the read unit
204
according to a specified digitizing threshold value.
The digitizing image memory
206
stores the image data digitized in the digitizing unit
205
.
The restoration unit
207
reads the digitized image data stored in the digitizing image memory
206
and detects the dots. The restoration unit
207
allocates a value of 1 or 0 to each of the detected dots and outputs the data.
The demodulation unit
208
demodulates data output from the restoration unit
207
. The reproduction unit
209
performs error correction using the Reed-Solomon code or the like and, for example, expands the error-corrected data for reproducing original data such as voices.
In this configuration, the restoration unit
207
reads the digitized image data stored in the digitizing image memory
206
. When detecting each dot, the restoration unit
207
finds the marker
174
from the digitized image data. The restoration unit
207
then finds a dot read reference position based on the centroid position of the marker
174
.
Based on the corresponding dot read reference position, the restoration unit
207
detects a dot read point for reading each data dot
282
in the data area
180
. The restoration unit
207
determines whether the detected data dot
282
is white or black. Based on this result, the restoration unit
207
allocates the value 1 or 0 to the data dot and outputs the data.
When the dot code
170
is printed, for example, input data to be printed such as voice is modulated beforehand. The demodulation unit
208
restores the modulated data to the original data before modulation.
The restoration unit
207
previously performs this modulation for easily finding the marker
174
first. The modulation is applied to the input data such as voice so that the number of consecutive black dots becomes smaller in the data dot
282
than in the marker
174
. The modulation is performed for making a distinction between each data dot
282
and the marker
174
in the data area
180
.
For printing the above-mentioned dot code
170
, an image processing system such as a computer or a workstation is used to create image data for dot codes by processing information to be recorded. The corresponding image data is output to a typesetting device such as an imagesetter to create an image set copy. Thus, the dot code
170
is finally printed.
The following describes a system configuration for printing the dot code
170
with reference to FIG.
3
A. In
FIG. 3A
, voice or image information to be dot-coded is input to a computer from an input device
100
.
The computer
102
references a data compression system, an error correction system, format information of the dot code
170
and the like stored in an external storage device
104
. The input signal is converted to image information to be output to an imagesetter
106
. This image information is supplied to the imagesetter
106
. The dot code
170
is then imaged on a film. A typesetting exposure device
108
exposes this film onto an image set copy. The thus created image set copy is printed from a printer
110
to create a printout which records the dot code
170
in a printed form.
FIG. 3B
shows a device which can directly create an image set copy without imaging on films.
When the virtual cell is virtually formed on paper, the virtual cell size depends on a resolution specific to a typesetting device (imagesetter) to be used actually. When a specified virtual cell comprises a plurality of pixels, dot image data needs to be created for determining how many pixels should be associated with actual dot printing. It is also known that creation of the dot image data needs to consider enlargement of the corresponding dot (hereafter referred to as the dot gain) when it is actually printed on paper.
These items are already proposed by the applicant in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,501. The following describes them in detail with reference to FIG.
4
.
FIG. 4
shows a reference table for defining a composition pattern of pixels constituting dot image data according to a dot gain. The dot gain depends on an imagesetter resolution and characteristics of a printer, paper, and ink to be used actually. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,501, a dot to be printed may occupy approximately 50% to 80% of one virtual cell including the dot enlargement.
Conditions of easily enlarging dots include a rotary press printer for fast printing on both sides of paper, easily bleeding rough paper, and less viscous ink. When dots easily enlarge, namely the dot g
Cyr Daniel St.
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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