This disclosure relates to advanced signal processing technology including signal encoding and digital watermarking. Image areas are selected in an encoded digital design, and corresponding areas from a printed version of the encoded digital design are evaluated to determined signal robustness after printing. One claim recites an image processing method for selecting image areas to test for robustness of encoded signals, the method comprising: obtaining digital artwork comprising a plurality of colors, the digital artwork comprising multiple instances of an encoded signal; selecting a set encoding tiles, and for each encoding tile determining encoding detectability measure associated therewith; creating a bin for each encoding technology used to encode the encoded signal; for each bin, removing any encoding tile having a detectability measure below a predetermined threshold; for each bin, prioritizing remaining encoding tiles; selecting an encoding tile based on the prioritization per bin, and spatially locating the selected encoding tile relative to the digital artwork. Other technology is described in this patent document.

A multi-function device (MFD) is disclosed. For example, the MFD includes a user interface to select a network configuration machine readable code, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the network configuration machine readable code and print the network configuration machine readable code, wherein the network configuration machine readable code is to be scanned by a target MFD to automatically configure a network connection of the target MFD via information contained in the network configuration machine readable code.

An information processing system includes one or more image capturing devices and circuitry. The one or more image capturing devices capture a first slip and a second slip to generate one or more images. The first slip has a first image code corresponding to a first type of identification information thereon, and the second slip has a second image code corresponding to a second type of identification information thereon. The circuitry is to manage a position of the first slip based on the first image code recognized from the one or more images, manage a position of the second slip based on the second image code recognized from the one or more images, and display the position of the second slip in response to an operation performed by a user.

A transmission system includes a first fax apparatus, and a second fax apparatus, wherein the first fax apparatus includes a transmission unit that performs fax communication, and an acquisition unit that acquires information by decoding code information included in image data, wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data and the acquired information via the fax communication, and wherein the second fax apparatus includes a reception unit that performs the fax communication, a generation unit that generates code information by encoding the information received by the reception unit via the fax communication, an addition unit that adds the generated code information to the image data received by the reception unit, and a printing unit that prints an image on a sheet based on image data obtained by adding the generated code information to the received image data.

A printing apparatus of the present invention has a printer unit, a display unit for displaying a screen, and a setting unit for setting either of a first setting for displaying the screen by standard color information and a second setting for displaying the screen by color information different to the standard color information. If the second setting is set, the color information of the screen displayed by the display unit is changed, and if a code image to be read by an external apparatus is included in the screen displayed by the display unit, the code image is made to not be displayed in a state in which color information of the code image is changed even if the second setting is set.

A mobile phone is disclosed. The mobile phone may receive a first request to generate an initial scannable image, and a second request to generate modified scannable image. The modified scannable image can include a static portion that corresponds to a static portion of the initial scannable image. The modified scannable image may also include another portion that has a different appearance than a corresponding portion of the initial scannable image.

Handwritten notes are captured organized and stored by a system as a digital representation. The system includes a notebook having a set of pages, wherein each page has placed thereon a folio identifier representation, such representation including a page identifier. The system also includes a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions, which, when running on a camera-equipped computing device at a time when the camera thereof views a page of the notebook, cause performance of processes. The processes performed by the instructions include: processing an image associated with the page, detecting and decoding the folio identifier representation to provide a page identifier for the page, and if the image has not been previously captured, then capturing the image of the page and saving the image in an image store.

A security management apparatus includes a receiver, a printer, and a notifier. The receiver acquires, at an entrance of a facility, information about a visitor to a visiting destination of the facility. The information includes a stay permitted time at the visiting destination and at least one of an attribute, relation information, or a visiting purpose. The printer generates a portable medium that includes the information and the stay permitted time and records an image allowing distinguishing of content of the information. The notifier is configured to receive the stay permitted time from one or more readers disposed at the facility and is configured to read the stay permitted time from the portable medium in a noncontact manner. The notifier, in response to the stay permitted time being elapsed, warns the visitor who passes a disposition position of the one or more readers.

A front-end image acquisition component acquires photographs and/or videos of the exterior of a vehicle traveling on a path between a first predefined location and a second predefined location. In one aspect, an image acquisition system comprises a first camera support structure, a second camera support structure, an image processor, and a memory. Cameras are affixed to each of the camera support structures for acquiring image data of a subject vehicle. Image data is controlled by the image processor and the memory. In another aspect, an image acquisition system comprises a first camera tower, a second camera tower, a camera boom. Cameras are affixed to each of the camera towers. In another aspect, a method of identifying features of the exterior of a vehicle includes acquiring a series of images from a front-end component, accessing previously acquired images and associated metadata stored in a database, executing machine learning algorithms using the previously acquired information to identify at least one exterior vehicle feature, and executing machine learning algorithms using the presently acquired series of images to identify at least one exterior feature of the vehicle.

A printing apparatus of the present invention has a printer unit, a display unit for displaying a screen, and a setting unit for setting either of a first setting for displaying the screen by standard color information and a second setting for displaying the screen by color information different to the standard color information. If the second setting is set, the color information of the screen displayed by the display unit is changed, and if a code image to be read by an external apparatus is included in the screen displayed by the display unit, the code image is made to not be displayed in a state in which color information of the code image is changed even if the second setting is set.