Granted Patent B1

US 8,804,201 · App. 13/439,038 · Granted Aug 12, 2014

Abstract

Claims (85)

1. A scanned image processing system, comprising:

an artifact characterizer configured to provide a characterization of at least one artifact on at least one of obverse and reverse scanned images of a page based on a comparison between said obverse and reverse scanned images; and

an image modifier associated with said artifact characterizer and configured to modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images based on said characterization and at least one operating parameter.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characterization is that said page contains at least one of a staple puncture and a hole punch.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one of said staple puncture and said hole punch, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characterization is that a photocopy of at least one of a staple puncture and a hole punch is printed on said page.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one of said staple puncture and said hole punch, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characterization is that said page contains at least one missing peripheral portion.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one missing peripheral portion, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characterization is that a photocopy of at least one missing peripheral portion is printed on said page.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one missing peripheral portion, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characterization is that said page was folded when said obverse and reverse scanned images were created.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by replacing a portion of one of said obverse and reverse scanned images with a rotated portion of another of said obverse and reverse scanned images, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characterization is that said page is blank on one side thereof.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

14. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said image modifier is configured to receive said at least one operating parameter from a user.

15. A method of processing scanned images, comprising:

providing a characterization of at least one artifact on at least one of obverse and reverse scanned images of a page based on a comparison between said obverse and reverse scanned images; and

modifying at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images based on said characterization and at least one operating parameter.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said characterization is that said page contains at least one of a staple puncture and a hole punch.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one of said staple puncture and said hole punch, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said characterization is that a photocopy of at least one of a staple puncture and a hole punch is printed on said page.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one of said staple puncture and said hole punch, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

20. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said characterization is that said page contains at least one missing peripheral portion.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one missing peripheral portion, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

22. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said characterization is that a photocopy of at least one missing peripheral portion is printed on said page.

23. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by removing artifacts corresponding to said at least one missing peripheral portion, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

24. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said characterization is that said page was folded when said obverse and reverse scanned images were created.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images,

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by replacing a portion of one of said obverse and reverse scanned images with a rotated portion of another of said obverse and reverse scanned images, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

26. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said characterization is that said page is blank on one side thereof.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said at least one operating parameter is configured to cause said image modifier to one of:

take no action with respect to said obverse and reverse scanned images,

associate a flag representing said characterization with at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images, and

modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images by deleting one of said obverse and reverse scanned images.

28. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said image modifier is configured to receive said at least one operating parameter from a user.

29. A document conversion system, comprising:

an image scanner configured to derive a sequence of obverse and reverse scanned images from a corresponding sequence of source documents;

an artifact characterizer configured to provide characterizations of artifacts on said obverse and reverse scanned images based on a comparison between said obverse and reverse scanned images;

an image modifier associated with said artifact characterizer and configured to modify at least one of said obverse and reverse scanned images based on said characterization and at least one operating parameter;

a scanned images database associated with said image scanner and configured to store at least some of said obverse and reverse scanned images; and

a network interface associated with said scanned images database and configured to transmit at least some of said obverse and reverse scanned images to a network.

30. The system as recited in claim 29 wherein said image modifier is configured to receive said at least one operating parameter from a user.

Assignments (16)