Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alan Valev Tonisson

Barry James Drake

Nagita Mehrseresht

Scott Alexander Rudkin

Andrew James Lo

Lachlan James Patrick

Andrew James Dorrell

John Charles Brook

Laurence Crew

Andrew John Whitfield King

A system and method for linking a hash code to a portion of an image. A plurality of lattice points is selected in a multidimensional lattice to form a smallest enclosing region about a feature vector representing the portion of the image and a lattice point is determined from the selected plurality of lattice points according to a distribution criteria. The determined lattice point is common to the smallest enclosing region and a region of the lattice adjacent to the smallest enclosing region located within a query radius distance of the feature vector. When the feature vector is located within the query radius of a query vector the feature vector is considered a match. The method assigns the feature vector to the determined lattice point and stores a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image.

Image retrieval method

A method of determining a hash code representing a portion of an image, is disclosed. A Delaunay region (e.g.,) enclosing an image feature point (e.g.,) representing at least the portion of the image is determined. The Delaunay region is determined from A* lattice points. A mapping transforming the Delaunay region to a predetermined canonical form is determined A point of the Delaunay region is received. The received point defines a plane containing the A* lattice points of the Delaunay region excluding the received point. A normal of the plane is determined by setting at least two co-ordinates of the normal to predetermined non-zero values, the two co-ordinates being selected according to the determined mapping. The hash code representing a portion of the image is determined according to a distance determined using the normal.

Method, system and apparatus for determining a hash code representing a portion of an image

Methods and apparatus for variable document printing are disclosed in which a graphical user interface is configured to allow user manipulation of layout rules associated with content containers within a template for variable document generation. One method involves laying out () container objects () forming part of a template () intended for a variable data document. The objects each have a rectangular boundary in two-dimensional space, and the method comprises detecting an operation () to modify a position of at least one edge of at least one of the objects. Then, rules of association between edges of the objects having a corresponding orientation to the one edge are identified. A position of at least the one edge is then modified while observing the rules of association between all the correspondingly oriented edges. Finally an objective function derived from the rules of association between the correspondingly oriented edges is minimized () to thereby balance a layout of the objects in at least the dimension of modification. Other methods involve maintaining the objective function for a group of edges, the addition and removal of constraints in respect of correspondingly oriented edges, the removal, addition and then removal of constraints in modifying the width of a container, the calculation of text container sizes, and the creation of tables, particularly for text containers.

Document layout method

A method of determining interpolation coefficients () of a symmetric interpolation kernel () is disclosed. The method comprises determining a first interpolation coefficient () from the symmetric interpolation kernel () and storing the first interpolation coefficient in a memory (). The method then determines the value of an intermediate function () from symmetrically opposed segments () of the kernel, and determines a subsequent interpolation coefficient dependent upon the first interpolation coefficient and the value of the intermediate function.

Efficient kernel calculation for interpolation

A method () of determining an image value at a sample position of an output image, is disclosed. The method () comprises the steps of determining orientation of an isophote (e.g.,) passing through the output sample position and determining a period of intensity variation along the isophote (). The method () determines the image value at the sample position of the output image based on the period of intensity variation and outputs the determined image value at the sample position of the output image.

Orientation adapted aliasing cancellation

Methods and apparatus for variable document printing are disclosed in which a graphical user interface is configured to allow user manipulation of layout rules associated with content containers within a template for variable document generation. One method involves laying out () container objects () forming part of a template () intended for a variable data document. The objects each have a rectangular boundary in two-dimensional space, and the method comprises detecting an operation () to modify a position of at least one edge of at least one of the objects. Then, rules of association between edges of the objects having a corresponding orientation to the one edge are identified. A position of at least the one edge is then modified whilst observing the rules of association between all the correspondingly oriented edges. Finally an objective function derived from the rules of association between the correspondingly oriented edges is minimized () to thereby balance a layout of the objects in at least the dimension of modification. Other methods involve maintaining the objective function for a group of edges, the addition and removal of constraints in respect of correspondingly oriented edges, the removal, addition and then removal of constraints in modifying the width of a container, the calculation of text container sizes, and the creation of tables, particularly for text containers.

Methods and apparatus for variable document printing are disclosed in which a graphical user interface is configured to allow user manipulation of layout rules associated with content containers within a template for variable document generation. One method involves creating a layout for a variable data document based upon a template. The method firstly sets at least one container in the template to form the layout, and then establishes at least one constraint associated with each selected one of at least one feature of the container, the establishing including, for each feature, detecting a user instigated selection of the corresponding feature. The layout is then modified to thereby generate the document by placing content into the containers, wherein at least one dimension of the least one container and/or a position of the at least one container in the layout are varied based on a property of the placed content on a condition that each constraint in the layout is satisfied.

User interface for creation and editing of variable data documents

Methods and apparatus for proofing () a variable document intended for printing are disclosed in which a GUI () is configured to allow user manipulation of layout rules associated with content containers within a template for variable document generation. Selective proofing () involves proofing a plurality of variable data documents each formed from a common layout in which variable data content is placed into containers having locations and sizes within the layout and defined by layout rules. Measures of variation () and measures of deviation () are calculated. The measures of deviation are processed () to give a deviation value. Once completed for each document, the deviation values of the documents are compared () to identify at least one group of the documents for presentation for further assessment. Live proofing includes creating a layout () for a variable data document based upon a template established in the GUI. A container () is set in the template to form the layout, which is then modified to thereby generate an exemplary document by placing exemplary content into the container, wherein a dimension of the container and/or a position of the container are varied based upon a property of the placed content. The exemplary document is displayed in the layout via the GUI to enable visual proofing by the user.

Selective preview and proofing of documents or layouts containing variable data

A steganographic image encoding method () is disclosed. The method () defines a candidate set of incoherent pixel groups in a digital image, each pixel group comprising at least two pixels. A subset of the candidate set of pixel groups is selected using a predefined selection criterion and an integer colour value is assigned to each of a plurality of colours. The information is embedded in the image by modifying colour values of pixels of the selected subset of pixel groups such that the information is embedded in accordance with the order of the integer colour values corresponding to the colour values after modification.

Steganographic image encoding

A method of creating an image utilizing a table of levels known as a 'level activation table' () is disclosed. The method uses the level activation table to optimally evaluate a given compositing expression such that the number of pixel operations needed to evaluate the expression is minimized. The method determines the smallest regions in which compositing operations need to be performed and uses these regions to produce the level activation tables where clipping is applied to operations in order to avoid redundant and/or incorrect pixel operations. The method is preferably used in a compositing model in which objects are composited onto a page using a stack machine and an associated compositing stack (). The stackmay be manipulated using standard stack operations such as push, pull and pop. Instructions for the stack machine are taken from the level activation table

Method of compiling compositing expressions for optimised rendering

An agent vector monitors selected performance parameters of a call center, such as service times, in-queue times, call volumes, call abandonment rates, benefits derived from having different agents handle calls requiring different skills, proportions of work spent by agents on handling calls requiring different skills, etc., and automatically adjusts agents' call-handling assignments, for example, by changing the skills to which an agent is assigned or by changing the relative priorities of the agent's skills, in order to optimize a predefined objective. The objective is a selected performance characteristic of the call center, for example, the total benefit to the call center of individual ones of the agents handling calls requiring individual agent skills.

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Beecroft, Australia

Alan Valev Tonisson