Position-retaining method and system for a scanning system capable of copy and facsimile

Abstract

In a computer network consisting of at least one host computer and computer peripheral devices, such as scanners, fax machines, and printers, a user may use a hot key on the scanner to copy, scan, e-mail, and faxing etc. via the control of an application program. An auto-crop module implemented in the host computer can automatically crop the image of a scanned sheet. The cropped image is saved in the memory device. Before sending the cropped image to the computer peripheral devices, the computing module will compute the output format of the cropped image according to the resolution requirement and scaling factor of the associated computer peripheral device. The retained position will be also saved in the memory. In response to the user operation, the image of the scanned sheet with its retained position will be transmitted to the printer or facsimile machine via the control of the application program.

1. A position-retaining method for a scanning system capable of copy and facsimile, the method comprising the steps of :
 reading an image of a scanned sheet;  
 auto-cropping said image of said scanned sheet;  
 storing said auto-cropped image of said scanned sheet;  
 saving a retained position of said scanned sheet relative to a sheet table;  
 transmitting said auto-cropped image of said scanned sheet and said retained position of said scanned sheet to a computer peripheral device, the computer peripheral device comprises at least a printer; and  
 computing a new retained position of said scanned sheet relative to said sheet table according to a resolution and a scaling factor of said printer.  
 
     
     
       2. The position-retaining method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said computer peripheral device further comprises at least a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       3. The position-retaining method as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising the step of setting a fax number of a receiving site. 
     
     
       4. The position-retaining method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said step of  auto-cropping further comprisesing the steps of :
 conducting a binary search on said image of said scanned sheet; and  
 automatically cropping said scanned sheet by determining said retained position of said scanned sheet.  
 
     
     
       5. A position-retaining system for a scanning system capable of copy and facsimile, comprising:
 a buffer for storing an image of a scanned sheet;  
 an auto-crop module coupled to said buffer for cropping the image of said scanned sheet and outputting said auto-cropped image;  
 a printer interface for interactively acquiring printer configurations in response to a user request;  
 a computing module for computing the retained position of said auto-cropped image relative to a sheet table according to said printer configurations;  
 memory means for storing said auto-cropped image and said retained position of said scanned sheet relative to a sheet table; and  
 an output interface connected to said memory means for transmitting said auto-cropped image and said retained position of said scanned sheet relative to said sheet table to a computer peripheral device.  
 
     
     
       6. The position-retaining system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said computer peripheral device comprises at least a printer. 
     
     
       7. The position-retaining system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said computer peripheral device comprises at least a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       8. The position-retaining system as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising a fax interface for interactively acquiring settings for a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       9. The position-retaining system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said computing module computes the retained position of said scanned sheet relative to said sheet table according to aid  said facsimile machine configurations. 
     
     
       10. The position-retaining system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said buffer stores said image of said scanned sheet as Bit Map Pixel format. 
     
     
       11. A method, comprising:
   scanning an image of a sheet;        auto - cropping the image;        transmitting the auto - cropped image and a retained position of the sheet relative to a sheet table to a computer peripheral device, the computer peripheral device comprising at least a printer; and        computing a new retained position of said scanned sheet relative to said sheet table according to a resolution and a scaling factor of said printer.     
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising storing the auto- cropped image.   
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the computer peripheral device further comprises a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining the retained position of the sheet. 
     
     
       15. A system, comprising:
   an auto - crop module configured to crop an image of a scanned sheet;        a printer interface configured to interactively acquire printer configurations in response to a request; and        a computing module configured to compute a retained position of the auto - cropped image relative to a sheet table according to a resolution and a scaling factor of said printer.     
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
   a buffer configured to store the image of the scanned sheet.     
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the buffer stores the image of the scanned sheet in a bit map pixel format. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
   an output interface configured to transmit the auto - cropped image and the retained position of the scanned sheet relative to the sheet table to a computer peripheral device.     
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a printer. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
   memory means configured to store the auto - cropped image and the retained position of the scanned sheet relative to the sheet table.     
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
   a fax interface configured to interactively acquire configuration settings for a facsimile machine.     
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the computing module is configured to compute a retained position of the auto- cropped image relative to the sheet table according to the acquired facsimile machine configurations.   
     
     
       24. An apparatus, comprising:
   means for scanning an image of a sheet;        means for auto - cropping the image;        means for transmitting the auto - cropped image and a retained position of the sheet relative to a sheet table to a computer peripheral device, the computer peripheral device comprising at least a printer; and        means for computing a new retained position of said scanned sheet relative to said sheet table according to a resolution and a scaling factor of said printer.     
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising means for storing the auto- cropped image.   
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the means for storing the auto- cropped image comprises a buffer.   
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the means for auto- cropping the image comprises an auto - crop module coupled to the buffer.   
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the computer peripheral device further comprises a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising means for determining the retained position of the sheet.