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.

An inspection apparatus includes at least one memory that stores instructions, and at least one processor that executes the instructions to provide a screen to display an image on which a plurality of pages is imposed and to receive a layout of an inspection area on one of the plurality of pages imposed on the displayed image based on a user instruction, and replicate the inspection area set on the one page at corresponding positions on the other pages imposed on the displayed image.

Certain examples relate to a method of printing management. An image is received for printing and printing parameters to print the image are determined. The image is printed onto a substrate using the printing parameters, and the image is printed with an embedded code corresponding to the printing parameters. The printing parameters are associated with the embedded code such that the printing parameters are retrievable from the embedded code.

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 device is disclosed. For example, the printing device includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive selections for settings of a print job, save the selections as a print queue, and generate a machine readable code that contains the selections for the print queue.

An image capture apparatus displays a live view image that is based on an acquired image, stores image data that is based on the acquired image, and acquires additional information associated with a predetermined subject included in the live view image. The image capture apparatus superimposes the additional information on the live view image and displays the resulting image before the image data is stored, and stores the image data and the acquired additional information in association with each other.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, an operation section, storage, and a controller. The image forming section forms a document image on a recording medium. The operation section includes a touch panel. The storage stores image data therein. The controller: converts document image data to two-dimensional barcode image data; randomly determines a position and an orientation of a two-dimensional barcode image to be located in a document image; stores to the storage the two-dimensional barcode image data together with information on the position and the orientation that are determined by the controller; and causes, only when a correct answer about the information on the position and the orientation is received from a user through the touch panel, preview display of the document image through converting the two-dimensional barcode image data back to the document image data.

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.

Generation of one dimensional guilloche patterns able to be affixed on a document, each guilloche pattern being able to encode variable alphanumeric data providing a different appearance to each guilloche pattern, by formatting alphanumeric data to be encoded in the form of a predefined number of data blocks with a predefined size, generating a carrier function having a plurality of parameters, the formatted data blocks forming at least one of the parameters, and modulating the carrier function by the formatted data blocks so as to encode the alphanumeric data graphically, each data block defining a guilloche pattern, the number of data blocks defining the number of guilloche patterns, the carrier function associated with a formatted data block is modulated locally, each datum of the block being encoded locally in the guilloche pattern, by interpolation of a predefined point associated with the carrier function.

An image processing method includes an acquisition step of acquiring image data by capturing printed matter, wherein first information and second information, indicating a type of the first information, are embedded in the printed matter as an electronic watermark, an extraction step of extracting the first information and the second information from the image data acquired at the acquisition step, and a processing step of processing the extracted first information by different processing methods in accordance with the extracted second information. Based on that the type of the first information indicated by the second information is a predetermined type, the extracted first information is processed at the processing step, by a predetermined processing method for access to an external device using the extracted first information and display of a web page based on the access.