A cell phone is disclosed for acquiring information to be transmitted to a receiving facility and for transmitting such thereto. A capture device captures information from an external source. A processor is provided for associating with the captured information a representation of the date and time of the capture of the information, such that the representation of the date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information. The processor also places the augmented captured information in association with subscriber information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a receiving facility requiring such subscriber information. A transmitter transmits the transmission including the augmented captured information and the subscriber information to the receiving facility. An encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information with a symmetrical encryption algorithm to provide encrypted augmented captured information in the transmission with the subscriber information.

An image forming apparatus includes a reading device that reads an image from a document, a storage device, and a central processing unit (CPU). The storage device stores therein an authentication kit, a scan extension kit, and a specific information collection program. The CPU executes the authentication kit to function as an authentication unit, the scan extension kit to function as a character recognition unit, and the specific information collection program to function as a specific information collection unit. The specific information collection unit acquires information of the user for which authentication passes from a user information management system that manages the information of the user. The specific information includes a character that represents a value of a specific item indicated in a specific document as the document and that is recognized by the character recognition unit; and the information of the user acquired from the user information management system.

An image reading apparatus of an embodiment includes a reading unit and a controller. The reading unit simultaneously reads a plurality of documents on a document table and generates an overall scan image as color image data including images of all the documents in the plurality of documents. The controller is configured to isolate an image of each document from the overall scan image, perform a color determination on each of the isolated images to determine if the document corresponding to the isolated image is a color document or a non-color document, and encode each of the isolated images with an image encoding method selected based on the color determination for the isolated image.

Image compression techniques and image handling and display methods that can be used with imaging devices, including X-ray devices, are described in this application. In particular, this application describes a real-time imaging method by providing a portable x-ray imaging device containing an internal power source and an internal power supply, capturing a first x-ray image using the x-ray imaging device, compressing the first x-ray image using a compression process performed by a processor located within the portable x-ray imaging device and then wirelessly transmitting the compressed first x-ray image to a display device, capturing a second x-ray image using the x-ray imaging device, compressing the second x-ray image using the processor and then wirelessly transmitting the compressed second x-ray image to the display device; and then displaying the first and second x-ray images on the display device at a frame rate of more than about 8 frames per second.

A cell phone is disclosed for acquiring information to be transmitted to a receiving facility and for transmitting such thereto. A capture device captures information from an external source. A processor is provided for associating with the captured information a representation of the date and time of the capture of the information, such that the representation of the date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information. The processor also places the augmented captured information in association with subscriber information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a receiving facility requiring such subscriber information. A transmitter transmits the transmission including the augmented captured information and the subscriber information to the receiving facility. An encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information with a symmetrical encryption algorithm to provide encrypted augmented captured information in the transmission with the subscriber information.

A cell phone is disclosed for acquiring information to be transmitted to a receiving facility and for transmitting such thereto. A capture device captures information from an external source. A processor is provided for associating with the captured information a representation of the date and time of the capture of the information, such that the representation of the date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information. The processor also places the augmented captured information in association with subscriber information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a receiving facility requiring such subscriber information. A transmitter transmits the transmission including the augmented captured information and the subscriber information to the receiving facility. An encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information with a symmetrical encryption algorithm to provide encrypted augmented captured information in the transmission with the subscriber information.

Image compression techniques and image handling and display methods that can be used with imaging devices, including X-ray devices, are described in this application. In particular, this application describes a real-time imaging method by providing a portable x-ray imaging device containing an internal power source and an internal power supply, capturing a first x-ray image using the x-ray imaging device, compressing the first x-ray image using a compression process performed by a processor located within the portable x-ray imaging device and then wirelessly transmitting the compressed first x-ray image to a display device, capturing a second x-ray image using the x-ray imaging device, compressing the second x-ray image using the processor and then wirelessly transmitting the compressed second x-ray image to the display device; and then displaying the first and second x-ray images on the display device at a frame rate of more than about 8 frames per second. The application also relates to a hand-held X-ray imaging device, comprising a support arm with a housing enclosing an internal power supply and an internal, removable power source, the power source being replaceable and delivering 60 or more X-ray images using a single charge, the support arm being configured to rotate around an object to be analyzed while being held by a support structure, an X-ray source contained near one end of the support arm, an X-ray detector contained near the other end of the support arm, an internal processor and supporting electronics configured to compress an x-ray image and wirelessly transmit the compressed x-ray image to an external display device, and a trigger configured to be to be activated by hand after the imaging device is properly positioned, wherein the x-ray device is configured to be removable from the support structure and used in a stand-alone fashion for x-ray imaging. These devices and methods can deliver a fluoroscopy image sequence at a high frame rate while not losing the image quality required by the surgeon or radiologist, where the last image is often given a more in-depth analysis by the user (i.e., a surgeon or radiologist). Other embodiments are described.

A cell phone is disclosed for acquiring information to be transmitted to a receiving facility and for transmitting such thereto. A capture device captures information from an external source. A processor is provided for associating with the captured information a representation of the date and time of the capture of the information, such that the representation of the date and time information in association with the captured information forms augmented captured information. The processor also places the augmented captured information in association with subscriber information in a transmission of the augmented captured information to a receiving facility requiring such subscriber information. A transmitter transmits the transmission including the augmented captured information and the subscriber information to the receiving facility. An encryptor encrypts the augmented captured information with a symmetrical encryption algorithm to provide encrypted augmented captured information in the transmission with the subscriber information.

An image processing method is provided for acquiring additional information from image information obtained by shooting a printed product on which the additional information is multiplexed by at least one of a plurality of different multiplexing methods, the method comprising: attempting decoding of the additional information from the image information by a plurality of different decoding methods corresponding to the plurality of different multiplexing methods; and outputting, by a unit, the additional information successfully decoded.

Information can be encoded into text of a printable document or other printed material. The text includes glyphs, where each glyph corresponds to a text character. Additional information can be encoded into the text by altering one or more of the glyphs to change a shape of the one or more of the glyphs, so that each of the altered glyphs still corresponds to the text character to which the glyph corresponded prior to alteration and the altered glyph further contains a portion of the additional information encoded by the changed shape.