1. A method for controlling a parts inventory, the parts inventory comprising a set of bins, wherein each bin of the set of bins is tagged with a detachably mounted electronic label, each electronic label comprising an input means for requesting an action at a remote inventory controller and a screen, each electronic label of the set being connected via a bidirectional wireless interface to an access point,
the method comprising the steps of
in response to an activation of the input means of an electronic label of the set transmitting a request signal for requesting a parts inventory related action from the electronic label via the wireless interface and the access point to the remote inventory controller,
in response to receiving the request signal at the remote inventory controller, automatically triggering the requested action at the remote inventory controller,
sending an action status signal out of a set of action status signals to the electronic label, the action status signal identifying a present status of the requested action, and
showing the present status on the screen of the electronic label.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of in response to receiving the request signal from the electronic label at the access point, automatically sending a first status signal of a set of status signals from the access point via the wireless interface to the electronic label comprising the information that the confirmation of the receipt of the request signal from the remote inventory controller is awaited.
3. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of in response to receiving the request signal at the remote inventory controller, sending a first action status signal out of a set of action status signals from the remote inventory controller via the access point and the wireless interface to the electronic label to confirm receipt of the request signal at the remote inventory controller.
4. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of in response to a trigger event, sending a second action status signal out of the set from the remote inventory controller via the access point and the wireless interface to the electronic label to confirm a processing of the requested action at the remote inventory controller.
5. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of in response to a termination input, sending a third action status signal out of the set from the remote inventory controller via the access point and the wireless interface to the electronic label to confirm a termination of the action request at the remote inventory controller.
6. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of triggering the transmission of the request signal in response to pushing a button of the input means, mounted onto the electronic label.
7. The method of claim 1 comprising the steps of sending the action status signal according to a protocol having a status field for indicating the status from the remote inventory controller to an electronic label control system of the access point, at the electronic label control system rendering an image from the action status signal based on a layout definition file, and forwarding the image to the electronic label.
8. A part inventory system comprising
a set of bins, wherein each bin of the set is tagged with a detachably mounted electronic label,
each electronic label comprising an input means for requesting an action at a remote inventory controller,
each electronic label comprising a screen,
each electronic label being connectable via a bidirectional wireless interface to an access point, and
the access point being connectable to the remote inventory controller.
9. The part inventory system of claim 8 wherein each electronic label of the set comprises a radio frequency receiver and emitter and the access point comprises a radio frequency receiver and emitter.
10. An electronic label comprising an input means for requesting an action,
a radio frequency receiver and emitter for transmitting a request signal in response to an activation of the input means, and
for receiving a status signal out of a set of status signals or an action status signal out of a set of action status signals for identifying a present status of the request, and
a screen for showing the present status of the request.
11. The electronic label of claim 10 wherein the electronic label comprises a mounting part enabling non-permanent attachment to a bin.
12. The electronic label of claim 11 wherein the mounting part comprises a clamp mechanism for attaching and detaching the electronic label to the bin.
13. The electronic label of claim 10 wherein the input means comprises a button mounted onto the electronic label.
14. The electronic label of claim 10 comprising a microcontroller and a memory unit for storing a set of status data to be shown on the screen in response to an activation of the input means.
15. The electronic label of claim 10, wherein said screen comprises electronic paper technology.
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. An image printing device comprising:
a splitting unit that splits an image into a plurality of blocks;
a feature-quantity extracting unit that extracts a feature quantity of each of the blocks;
an embedding unit that embeds data into each of the blocks based on a difference between feature quantities of that block and at least one adjacent block; and
a printing unit that prints data embedded blocks to obtain a data embedded image.
2. The image printing device according to claim 1, wherein the image is an image of a head of a person including a face of the person.
3. The image printing device according to claim 1, further comprising an extracting unit that extracts a specific region from the image such that an area of the specific region exceeds a predetermined percentage of the image, wherein
the splitting unit splits the specific region into a plurality of blocks,
the feature-quantity extracting unit extracts a feature quantity of each of the blocks,
the embedding unit embeds data into each of the blocks based on a difference between feature quantities of that block and at least one adjacent block.
4. The image printing device according to claim 3, wherein the image is an image of a head of a person including a face of the person, and the specific region is the face.
5. The image printing device according to claim 1, wherein the feature quantity is average density of yellow component.
6. A verifying device that determines whether data is embedded into an image, the verifying device comprising:
an extracting unit that extracts a face portion from an image of a head of a person; and
a determining unit that determines whether data is embedded into the facial portion extracted by the extracting unit.
7. The verifying device according to claim 6, further comprising an output unit that outputs a result of determination obtained by the determining unit.
8. The verifying device according to claim 6, further comprising:
a storing unit that stores therein unique verification data;
a data extracting unit that, upon the determining unit determining that data is embedded into the facial portion, extracts data embedded into the facial portion; and
a verifying unit that compares data extracted by the data extracting unit with the verification data in the storing unit and determines that the facial portion corresponds to a face of an authentic user when there is match between the data extracted by the data extracting unit in the verification data.
9. A printed material comprising an image printing portion for printing an image of a head of a person including a face of the person, wherein the image being divided into a plurality of blocks and data being embedded into each of the blocks based on a difference between feature quantities of that block and at least one adjacent block.
10. The printed material according to claim 9, wherein an area of the face exceeds a predetermined percentage of the area of the image.
11. The printed material according to claim 9, wherein the feature quantity is average density of yellow component.
12. An image printing method comprising:
splitting an image into a plurality of blocks;
extracting a feature quantity of each of the blocks;
embedding data into each of the blocks based on a difference between feature quantities of that block and at least one adjacent block; and
printing data embedded blocks to obtain a data embedded image.