This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. The technology may be applied to retail packages and other printed objects, e.g., such as hang tags, labels and receipts.

This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. One claim is directed to a container comprising: a 3004 or 3003 aluminum alloy shell, the 3004 or 3003 aluminum alloy shell comprising an outer surface and an inner surface; a 5182 aluminum alloy lid attached to the 3004 or 3003 aluminum alloy shell; and an opaque ink printed on the outer surface in a 2-dimensional pattern according to a machine-readable signal. The outer surface and the opaque ink printed on the outer surface comprise a spectral reflectance difference at a machine-vision wavelength in a range of 8%-30%, and the machine-readable signal is detectable from imagery representing the opaque ink printed on the outer surface. Of course, other containers, technology, methods, packages, objects, systems and apparatus are described in this disclosure.

This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. One claim is directed to a container comprising: a 3004 or 3003 aluminum alloy shell, the shell comprising an outer surface and an inner surface; a first layer of transparent ink printed on the outer surface as a flood within a first region; a second layer of the transparent ink printed over the first layer of transparent ink within the first region, in which the second layer of the transparent ink is printed to include a plurality of holes without any transparent ink printed therein; an opaque ink printed within the plurality of holes of the second layer of transparent ink on first layer of transparent ink within the first region, in which: i) the outer surface/first layer/second layer, and ii) the outer surface/first layer/opaque ink comprise a spectral reflectance difference at a machine-vision wavelength in the range of 8%-35%, and in which the plurality of holes are arranged in a 2-dimensional pattern according to a machine-readable signal, the 2-dimensional pattern being machine-readable from imagery captured of the first region. Of course, other containers, methods, packages, objects, systems, technology and apparatus are described in this disclosure.

An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, an image reading unit for reading a sheet surface and generating a scan image, an image inspection unit for detecting abnormalities within the scan image, and a history generating unit for generating detection information of each of the abnormalities and generating a history image by embedding the detection information in the scan image; a storage device for storing the history image; and a user terminal for displaying an abnormality detection result and inputting a user's evaluation of the abnormality detection result, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a parameter setting unit for finally determining the abnormalities depending on the user's evaluation, and determining and setting abnormality detection parameters such that the abnormalities finally determined are detected, and the abnormalities not finally determined are not detected.

This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. We disclose methods, systems and apparatus for selecting which ink(s) should be selected to carry an encoded signal for a given machine-vision wavelength for a retail package or other printed design. We also disclose retail product packages and other printed objects, and methods to generate such, including a sparse mark in a first ink and an overprinted ink flood in a second ink. The first ink and the second ink are related through tack and spectral reflectance difference. Of course, other methods, packages, objects, systems and apparatus are described in this disclosure.

This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. We disclose methods, systems and apparatus for selecting which ink(s) should be selected to carry an encoded signal for a given machine-vision wavelength for a retail package or other printed design. We also disclose retail product packages and other printed objects, and methods to generate such, including a sparse mark in a first ink and an overprinted ink flood in a second ink. The first ink and the second ink are related through tack and spectral reflectance difference. Of course, other methods, packages, objects, systems and apparatus are described in this disclosure.

An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface, an encoder, and a processor. The communication interface communicates with a cloud server that executes decoding by any of a plurality of decoding methods corresponding to a plurality of autoencoder models. The encoder performs encoding by any of a plurality of encoding methods corresponding to the plurality of autoencoder models. The processor specifies an encoding method to the encoder to encode image data into intermediate layer data that is configured to be decoded by the cloud server and transmits the intermediate layer data and model information indicating the specified encoding method used for the encoding to the cloud server through the communication interface.

An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface, an encoder, and a processor. The communication interface communicates with a cloud server that executes decoding by any of a plurality of decoding methods corresponding to a plurality of autoencoder models. The encoder performs encoding by any of a plurality of encoding methods corresponding to the plurality of autoencoder models. The processor specifies an encoding method to the encoder to encode image data into intermediate layer data that is configured to be decoded by the cloud server and transmits the intermediate layer data and model information indicating the specified encoding method used for the encoding to the cloud server through the communication interface.

This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. We disclose methods, systems and apparatus for selecting which ink(s) should be selected to carry an encoded signal for a given machine-vision wavelength for a retail package or other printed design. We also disclose retail product packages and other printed objects, and methods to generate such, including a sparse mark in a first ink and an overprinted ink flood in a second ink. The first ink and the second ink are related through tack and spectral reflectance difference. Of course, other methods, packages, objects, systems and apparatus are described in this disclosure.

This disclosure relates to advanced image signal processing technology including encoded signals and digital watermarking. The technology may be applied to retail packages and other printed objects, e.g., such as hang tags, labels and receipts.