Canon Information Systems, Inc.

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Thomas S Tullis

Willis J Luther

Toshiaki Yagasaki

James Albert Fontana

Shin-Ywan Wang

Loren A Wood

Alistair Michael Egan

Marianne L Kodimer

A document image capture method and scanner, and an image processing apparatus incorporating such a scanner, in which a document is scanned two or more times. The first scan preferably provides bi-level image data, which is analyzed to identify blocks of uniform image type (for example, text, line drawing, grayscale image, or full-color image) within the document. The second scan, preferably performed at lower resolution than the first, provides grayscale or color information, which is substituted in the grayscale or color blocks, respectively, for the bi-level information obtained in the first scan. A third scan, to provide information of the third type, may also be performed. An operator preferably views an image of the document, based on the scanned information, to be sure that the identification and typing of the various blocks has been done correctly, and may instruct that the document be rescanned to provide new data for a designated portion of the document image, if it appears that an error has occurred. The information representing the document image obtained in this way is preferably stored using a set of linked bit maps, one bit map for each block. The memory capacity needed to store the information can be reduced further by treating the page and its margins as a frame, and by storing information about the frame, and any horizontal or vertical lines in the document, in simple vector form. Any portion of the document which is just background is not stored.

Method for capturing a document image, a scanner using the method and a document image management system using the scanner

Method for capturing a document image, a scanner using the method and a

Online software guide window screen with information icons for a

A multimedia message handling apparatus comprises a keyboard for inputting text information, a microphone for inputting voice information, a scanner for inputting image information, and binary means for inputting binary information. A processor is provided for mixing at least two of text information, voice information, image information, binary information and OLE information to generate a multimedia message in which the different types of information are separately identifiable. A memory stores the generated multimedia message. The multimedia message handling apparatus further includes a facsimile interface for sending and receiving image information through a telephone interface, a voice synthesizer/digitizer for sending and receiving voice information through the telephone interface, a modem for sending and receiving image information, text information, voice information and binary information through the telephone interface, and a network control unit for selectively connecting the telephone interface to the facsimile interface, the voice synthesizer/digitizer, or the modem in accordance with message characteristics on the telephone interface. Multimedia messages received by the apparatus are stored in the memory where they may be viewed or otherwise processed.

Method and apparatus for sending and receiving multimedia messages

Window screen with icons for a computer system

Method and apparatus for extracting text from a structured data file and generating synthesized speech in accordance with the extracted text includes a processor for executing stored process steps, a storage device for storing structured data files partitioned into plural types of fields and for storing process steps for execution by the processor, an interface device for accepting a dual tone modulated frequency signal, each dual tone modulated frequency signal representing an operation selection, and a text-to-speech convertor for converting synthesized speech corresponding to a field of a structured data field. The processor selects a structured data file in accordance with a first dual tone modulated frequency operation selection, extracts selected fields from the structured data file in accordance with the stored process steps, generates identification labels for the extracted fields, and controllably outputs the extracted field to the text-to-speech convertor in accordance with a second dual tone modulated frequency operation selection.

Method and apparatus for extracting text from a structured data file and

A system for speaking structured files such as computerized help files thereby reducing the amount of on-screen clutter and allowing an operator to receive help while simultaneously viewing the screen generated by a computer application program. In response to commands to process such files, a help engine is instantiated and, in accordance with parameters set by the operator, is set to give spoken help and/or visual help. When giving spoken help, hypertext links to other topics in the structured file are detected and stored, and in response to operator commands, the help engine jumps to those other topics and begins speaking the jumped-to topic. Likewise, as the help file is spoken, the hierarchical structure, if any, of topics in the file is detected and stored and in response to operator commands the help engine jumps to specified topics. Preferably, as the hypertext links and the hierarchical structure are spoken, they are spoken with aural cues such as a voice that is different from the voice used for the remainder of the topic. When other topics are jumped to, those other topics may be spoken in the same voice or in the different voice so as to assist the operator in navigation through the file.

System for speaking hypertext documents such as computerized help files

A telephone communication apparatus includes computing equipment programmed to send and receive telephone calls over a telephone line and a communication board connected to the computing equipment and responsive to program control therefrom. The computing equipment is responsive to detection of an incoming telephone call from a remote terminal to connect the telephone line to the computing equipment. The computing equipment also includes a data storage and a processor for receiving the incoming call and recording the telephone number of the remote terminal in the data storage without intervention by the user at the apparatus, and further includes reply apparatus for sending a reply telephone call to the remote terminal in accordance with the recorded telephone number. The processor can detect the telephone number in the incoming telephone call in a variety of ways, including detecting the telephone number as part of an incoming voice message or as part of incoming control information. The apparatus also includes structure for recording a reply message to be sent to the remote terminal.

Telephone communication apparatus including reply apparatus for

A method and apparatus for defining a context environment of an editor applet which is processing data to be stored in a container applet. In the invention, a first applet is executed and the context environment indicative of the first applet is stored. A second applet is executed and examines the stored context environment indicative of the first applet. In accordance with the result of the examination, the second applet modifies its operation.

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Easton, MA, United States of America

Thomas S Tullis