Granted Patent B2

US 7,538,903 · App. 10/192,511 · Granted May 26, 2009

Abstract

Claims (61)

1. A method for scanning comprising:

pre-scanning an object image;

identifying virtual frame holder specifications selected from a plurality of virtual frame holder specifications stored on a memory device, wherein said virtual frame holder specifications provide a spacing between each of a plurality of image areas corresponding to different areas of said object image;

calibrating automatically said object image and said selected virtual frame holder specifications; and

determining a scan area comprised of said plurality of image areas including said spacing there between.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scanning said scan area.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said scanning is performed by a scanner communicatively coupled to said computing system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said virtual frame holder specifications further identify a size of each of said plurality of image areas.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of image areas comprise all of said object image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of image areas comprise different sizes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said virtual frame holder specifications identify an end position of said plurality of image areas.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said virtual frame holder specifications further identify a number of image areas of said object image.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said number of image areas depends on a size of said object image.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a scanner adapted to:

pre-scan an object image to substantially determine an image area;

access a virtual frame holder data source embodied on a memory device of a computing system communicatively coupled to said scanner, wherein said virtual frame holder data source specifies one or more virtual frame holders and a spacing associated with each of said one or more virtual frame holders;

identify one or more of the virtual frame holders selected from said memory device corresponding to at least a portion of said image area;

calibrate said image area and said plurality of virtual frame holders;

set a scan area comprised of said one or more virtual frame holders; and

scan said scan area.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said object image comprises a plurality of objects, and wherein each of said plurality of objects correspond to one of said virtual frame holders.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said image area comprises an outline of said plurality of objects.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said virtual frame holder data source comprises virtual frame holder specifications for one or more of said virtual frame holders.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a scanner communicatively coupled to a memory device, wherein said scanner is adapted to:

pre-scan an object image pattern having a plurality of image areas;

identify virtual frame holder specifications selected from a plurality of virtual frame holder specifications embodied on the memory device based at least in part on said pre-scan, said virtual frame holder specifications including a size and spacing associated with each of said plurality of image areas;

determine a scan area comprised of said plurality of image areas and said spacing; and

calibrate automatically said object image pattern and said selected virtual frame holder specifications that correspond to said plurality of image areas.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said scanner is further adapted to:

scan said scan area including said plurality of image areas.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said scan area comprises an outline of said plurality of image areas.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said plurality of image areas comprise less than all of said object image pattern.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said virtual frame holder specifications further include a position of said plurality of image areas.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said plurality of image areas include rectangular frames.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for pre-scanning an object image to substantially determine an image area;

means for accessing a virtual frame holder data source embodied on a memory device of a computing system communicatively coupled to said scanner, wherein said virtual frame holder data source specifies one or more virtual frame holders and a spacing associated with each of said one or more virtual frame holders;

means for selecting one or more of said virtual frame holders from said memory device;

means for calibrating said image area and said one or more virtual frame holders;

means for setting a scan area comprised of said one or more virtual frame holders and said spacing; and

means for scanning said scan area.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said object image comprises a plurality of objects, and wherein each of said plurality of objects corresponds to at least one of said one or more virtual frame holders.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein said image area comprises an outline of said plurality of objects.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said virtual frame holder data source comprises virtual frame holder specifications including a number of said one or more virtual frame holders.

24. A method, comprising:

pre-scanning an object image, wherein said pre-scanned image comprises an object image pattern;

identifying a plurality of different image areas of said object image pattern;

identifying a spacing between each of said different image areas; and

creating a virtual frame holder specification defining said different image areas and said spacing between each of said different image areas.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

calibrating said object image and said virtual frame holder specification.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

determining a scan area comprised of said plurality of different image areas and said spacing there between.

27. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

identifying a size of each of said plurality of different image areas, wherein said virtual frame holder specification further defines said size of each of said plurality of different image areas.

28. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

identifying a position of each of said plurality of different image areas, wherein said virtual frame holder specification further defines said position of each of said plurality of different image areas.

29. The method of claim 24 , wherein said plurality of different image areas comprise all of said object image.

30. The method of claim 24 , wherein said plurality of different image areas comprise less than all of said object image.

Assignments (9)