IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,797,808
Granted Patent B2
US 11,797,808 · App. 17/968,793 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

System and method for automatically classifying printable images

Inventors: Yan Zhang (Buffalo Grove, IL); Chih Huan Chien (Buffalo Grove, IL); David E. Coons (Moorpark, CA); Victor L Salmons (Gurnee, IL); Leo T. Lowy (Lake Villa, IL)
Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
G06K15/4065G06K15/1822G06K15/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,797,808
App. No.
17/968,793
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for classifying a printable image to be printed comprising: receiving, at a printing device, print data representing the printable image to be printed; generating an image of the printable image based on the print data; classifying the image to obtain a format associated with the printable image; printing the printable image according to the print data; and updating a counter associated with the format.

Claims (90)

1. A printing device comprising:

a printhead;

a memory; and

a processor interconnected with the printhead and the memory, the processor configured to:

receive print data representing the printable image to be printed;

generate an image of the printable image based on the print data;

classify the image to obtain a format associated with the printable image;

control the printhead to print the printable image according to the print data; and

update a counter associated with the format in the memory,

wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

input the image into an image classifier to obtain an image classification;

input the image into a keyword detector to obtain a keyword classification; and

reconcile the image classification and the keyword classification to obtain the format associated with the printable image.

2. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein to reconcile the image classification and the keyword classification, the processor is configured to input the image classification and the keyword classification into an ensemble classifier to obtain the format associated with the printable image.

3. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

input the image into an image classifier to obtain an image classification;

when a confidence level associated with the image classification exceeds a threshold confidence level, use the image classification as the format associated with the printable image; and

when the confidence level associated with the image classification does not exceed the threshold confidence level, input the image into a keyword detector to obtain the format associated with the printable image.

4. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

obtain a signature map for the image; and

compare the signature map to established signature maps stored in the memory to identify the format associated with the printable image.

5. The printing device of claim 4 , wherein to obtain the signature map, the processor is configured to analyze one or more of: image dimensions, average dot coverage, center of dot mass, and image segmentation.

6. The printing device of claim 4 , wherein to compare the signature map to established signature maps, the processor is configured to input the signature map into a machine learning engine to identify the format associated with the printable image.

7. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

update a stock level of a media stock type for the label format based on the counter for the format; and

send a notification to a client device when the stock level of the media stock type falls below a threshold stock level.

8. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the print data comprises form data defining a selected form to be used and having a plurality of fields, and field data defining data to input in each field of the selected form; and wherein to render the printable image, the processor is configured to:

input the field data into each field of the selected form; and

render the image according to the form data.

9. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

obtain a signature map for the image; and

compare the signature map to established signature maps stored in the memory to identify the format associated with the printable image by inputting the signature map into a machine learning engine to identify the format associated with the printable image.

10. A printing device comprising:

a printhead;

a memory; and

a processor interconnected with the printhead and the memory, the processor configured to:

receive print data representing the printable image to be printed;

generate an image of the printable image based on the print data;

classify the image to obtain a format associated with the printable image;

control the printhead to print the printable image according to the print data; and

update a counter associated with the format in the memory,

wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

input the image into an image classifier to obtain an image classification;

when a confidence level associated with the image classification exceeds a threshold confidence level, use the image classification as the format associated with the printable image; and

when the confidence level associated with the image classification does not exceed the threshold confidence level, input the image into a keyword detector to obtain the format associated with the printable image.

11. The printing device of claim 10 , wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

obtain a signature map for the image; and

compare the signature map to established signature maps stored in the memory to identify the format associated with the printable image.

12. The printing device of claim 11 , wherein to obtain the signature map, the processor is configured to analyze one or more of: image dimensions, average dot coverage, center of dot mass, and image segmentation.

13. The printing device of claim 11 , wherein to compare the signature map to established signature maps, the processor is configured to input the signature map into a machine learning engine to identify the format associated with the printable image.

14. The printing device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

update a stock level of a media stock type for the label format based on the counter for the format; and

send a notification to a client device when the stock level of the media stock type falls below a threshold stock level.

15. The printing device of claim 10 , wherein the print data comprises form data defining a selected form to be used and having a plurality of fields, and field data defining data to input in each field of the selected form; and wherein to render the printable image, the processor is configured to:

input the field data into each field of the selected form; and

render the image according to the form data.

16. A printing device comprising:

a printhead;

a memory; and

a processor interconnected with the printhead and the memory, the processor configured to:

receive print data representing the printable image to be printed;

generate an image of the printable image based on the print data;

classify the image to obtain a format associated with the printable image;

control the printhead to print the printable image according to the print data; and

update a counter associated with the format in the memory,

wherein the print data comprises form data defining a selected form to be used and having a plurality of fields, and field data defining data to input in each field of the selected form; and

wherein to render the printable image, the processor is configured to:

input the field data into each field of the selected form; and

render the image according to the form data.

17. The printing device of claim 16 , wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

input the image into an image classifier to obtain an image classification;

input the image into a keyword detector to obtain a keyword classification; and

reconcile the image classification and the keyword classification to obtain the format associated with the printable image.

18. The printing device of claim 16 , wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

input the image into an image classifier to obtain an image classification;

when a confidence level associated with the image classification exceeds a threshold confidence level, use the image classification as the format associated with the printable image; and

when the confidence level associated with the image classification does not exceed the threshold confidence level, input the image into a keyword detector to obtain the format associated with the printable image.

19. A printing device comprising:

a printhead;

a memory; and

a processor interconnected with the printhead and the memory, the processor configured to:

receive print data representing the printable image to be printed;

generate an image of the printable image based on the print data;

classify the image to obtain a format associated with the printable image;

control the printhead to print the printable image according to the print data; and

update a counter associated with the format in the memory,

wherein, to classify the image, the processor is configured to:

obtain a signature map for the image; and

compare the signature map to established signature maps to identify the format associated with the printable image by inputting the signature map into a machine learning engine to identify the format associated with the printable image.

20. The printing device of claim 19 , wherein to obtain the signature map, the processor is configured to analyze one or more of: image dimensions, average dot coverage, center of dot mass, and image segmentation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2023
From: ZHANG, YAN; CHIEN, CHIH HUAN; COONS, DAVID E.; SALMONS, VICTOR L.; LOWY, LEO T.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064056/0699 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17205733 · Mar 18, 2021
Related Publication 20230114291A1 · Apr 13, 2023