1. A method for automatic recovery of metadata and structure from a microfiche presentation of documents on microfiche cards, for digitization of said documents, the method comprising:
scanning a plurality of microfiche cards and for each card forming a general view thereof using a relatively low resolution camera, said general view being a relatively low resolution view;
identifying a region of metadata-bearing text within said microfiche representation from said relatively low resolution view;
performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on said region of metadata-bearing text to obtain said metadata; and
recording said meta-data.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein a document is spread over a plurality of microfiche cards from a larger group of cards, the method further comprising using said metadata in a comparison of different ones of said microfiche cards in said group to identify said plurality of microfiche cards, thereby to reconstruct said document digitally.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using said metadata to retrieve related metadata from an external database.
4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising using said related metadata to correct and enhance said metadata.
5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising using said metadata in a comparison of two subsequent microfiche cards so as to verify that said two subsequent are representations of parts of the same document.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording said metadata in a searchable digital format.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said searchable digital format is a mark-up language.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said mark-up language is XML.
9. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying start-frames and end-frames in said microfiche presentation.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising using said start-frames and said end-frames to verify where said document starts and where said document ends.
11. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying unoccupied trailing portions and unoccupied leading portions on said microfiche cards.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising using said unoccupied trailing portions and said unoccupied leading portions to verify where said document starts and where said document ends.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said OCR comprises the production of a binary black and white color scale, using a variable transition threshold for transition between black and white for different areas of said region of metadata-bearing text.
14. The method of claim 1, comprising programming said OCR with an expected metadata structure, thereby to enable said OCR to use said expected structure to support character recognition.
15. A method for locating frame regions on a microfiche card, the method comprising:
scanning said microfiche card using a relatively low resolution camera to produce a general view of said microfiche card;
determining frame locations on said microfiche card from said general view;
correcting frame locations, using pattern recognition on said general view; and
scanning of said corrected frame locations using a high resolution scanner to produce digital images of said frames.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising cropping of said digital images, and correcting said cropping using said general view.
17. Apparatus for converting microfiche cards into a digital format, comprising:
a relatively low resolution camera for producing a general view of each of said cards;
a relatively high resolution scanner for producing a high resolution view of each frame on said cards; and
a control device, configured to control said relatively high resolution scanner and said relatively low resolution camera.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control device is further configured to identify a region of metadata-bearing text on a microfiche card, using said general view.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control device is further configured to identify start-frames and end-frames on a microfiche card, using said general view.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control device is further configured to identify an unoccupied trailing portion and an unoccupied leading portion on a microfiche card, using said general view.
21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said control device is further configured to correct said general view, utilizing pattern recognition.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A projector that can be loaded with lamps of a plurality of kinds, each of a plurality of said lamps loadable into said projector being given a lamp serial code formed by arranging lamp information including at least a minimum wattage and a maximum wattage of the lamp and a check sum in predetermined order, said projector comprising:
a lamp power supply for driving said lamp loaded in said projector, said lamp power supply being provided in advance with a plurality of mode ranges each as a range from a minimum wattage to a maximum wattage of output of said lamp power supply, and one predetermined mode range of said plurality of mode ranges being freely set in said lamp power supply; and
a control circuit for controlling said lamp power supply;
wherein said control circuit sets a range from the minimum wattage to the maximum wattage included in said lamp serial code given to said lamp loaded in said projector as a code range, and compares the code range with said mode range set in said lamp power supply,
said control circuit determines a range not exceeding said maximum wattage included in said lamp serial code as a lamp driving controlling range within which the driving of said lamp power supply is controlled on a basis of a result of comparison of said code range with said mode range, and
said control circuit controls the driving of said lamp power supply within the determined lamp driving controlling range.
2. The projector according to claim 1,
wherein said control circuit determines a range in which said code range and said mode range overlap each other as said lamp driving controlling range.
3. A control method of a projector that can be loaded with lamps of a plurality of kinds, each of a plurality of said lamps loadable into said projector being given a lamp serial code formed by arranging lamp information including at least a minimum wattage and a maximum wattage of the lamp and a check sum in predetermined order, said projector including a lamp power supply for driving said lamp loaded in said projector, said lamp power supply being provided in advance with a plurality of mode ranges each as a range from a minimum wattage to a maximum wattage of output of said lamp power supply, and one predetermined mode range of said plurality of mode ranges being freely set in said lamp power supply, and a control circuit for controlling said lamp power supply, said control method comprising:
said control circuit setting a range from the minimum wattage to the maximum wattage included in said lamp serial code given to said lamp loaded in said projector as a code range, and comparing the code range with said mode range set in said lamp power supply;
said control circuit determining a range not exceeding said maximum wattage included in said lamp serial code as a lamp driving controlling range within which the driving of said lamp power supply is controlled on a basis of a result of comparison of said code range with said mode range; and
said control circuit controlling the driving of said lamp power supply within the determined lamp driving controlling range.
4. A projector that can be loaded with lamps of a plurality of kinds, each of a plurality of said lamps loadable into said projector being given a lamp serial code formed by arranging lamp information on the lamp and a check sum in predetermined order, said projector comprising
a control circuit for performing a clocking operation of a lamp timer for managing a use time of said lamp loaded in said projector;
wherein when an instruction for resetting said lamp timer is given, said control circuit determines that said lamp loaded in said projector is replaced with a predetermined lamp, and displays a GUI, namely Graphical User Interface image for receiving input of said lamp serial code attached to the predetermined lamp,
by checking a part corresponding to said check sum in information input as said lamp serial code in said GUI image, said control circuit determines whether the input information is a valid said lamp serial code,
when said control circuit determines that the input said information is a valid said lamp serial code, said control circuit permits the resetting of said lamp timer, and
when said control circuit determines that the input said information is invalid information other than said lamp serial code, said control circuit prohibits the resetting of said lamp timer.
5. The projector according to claim 4,
wherein said control circuit makes pop-up display of said GUI image.
6. A control method of a projector that can be loaded with lamps of a plurality of kinds, each of a plurality of said lamps loadable into said projector being given a lamp serial code formed by arranging lamp information on the lamp and a check sum in predetermined order, said projector including a control circuit for performing a clocking operation of a lamp timer for managing a use time of said lamp loaded in said projector, said control method comprising:
when an instruction for resetting said lamp timer is given, said control circuit determining that said lamp loaded in said projector is replaced with a predetermined lamp, and making pop-up display of a GUI, namely Graphical User Interface image for receiving input of said lamp serial code attached to the predetermined lamp;
by checking a part corresponding to said check sum in information input as said lamp serial code in said GUI image, said control circuit determining whether the input information is a valid said lamp serial code;
when said control circuit determines that the input said information is a valid said lamp serial code, said control circuit permitting the resetting of said lamp timer; and
when said control circuit determines that the input said information is invalid information other than said lamp serial code, said control circuit prohibiting the resetting of said lamp timer.
7. A projector that can be loaded with lamps of a plurality of kinds, each of a plurality of said lamps loadable into said projector being given a lamp serial code formed by arranging lamp information including at least a nominal life time of the lamp and a check sum in predetermined order, said projector comprising
a control circuit for performing a clocking operation of a lamp timer for managing a use time of said lamp loaded in said projector;
wherein when said lamp loaded in said projector is replaced with a predetermined lamp, said control circuit receives input of said lamp serial code attached to the predetermined lamp,
by checking a part corresponding to said check sum in information input as said lamp serial code, said control circuit determines whether the input information is a valid said lamp serial code,
when said control circuit determines that the input information is a valid said lamp serial code, said control circuit resets said lamp timer, and resumes the clocking operation of said lamp timer, and
when a clocked value of said lamp timer has reached a value based on said nominal life time included in said lamp serial code, said control circuit presents an alarm recommending replacement of said predetermined lamp loaded in said projector.
8. A control method of a projector that can be loaded with lamps of a plurality of kinds, each of a plurality of said lamps loadable into said projector being given a lamp serial code formed by arranging lamp information including at least a nominal life time of the lamp and a check sum in predetermined order, said projector including a control circuit for performing a clocking operation of a lamp timer for managing a use time of said lamp loaded in said projector, said control method comprising
when said lamp loaded in said projector is replaced with a predetermined lamp, said control circuit receiving input of said lamp serial code attached to the predetermined lamp;
by checking a part corresponding to said check sum in information input as said lamp serial code, said control circuit determining whether the input information is a valid said lamp serial code;
when said control circuit determines that the input information is a valid said lamp serial code, said control circuit resetting said lamp timer, and resuming the clocking operation of said lamp timer; and
when a clocked value of said lamp timer has reached a value based on said nominal life time included in said lamp serial code, said control circuit presenting an alarm recommending replacement of said predetermined lamp loaded in said projector.