1. A sensor arrangement comprising:
a sensor; and
an image control, the sensor comprising an array of electrostatic sensor elements, each sensor element capable of producing a respective output signal when the sensor is directed to a region of an object being sensed, the output signals being separately available at a sensor output to provide information relating to an electrostatic charge distribution across the region, the image control receiving the output signals from each or selected electrostatic sensor elements to define an electrostatic charge distribution image, wherein
within the array of sensor elements, a visual image camera is provided to provide a visual image, and the image control receives image signals from the visual image camera to define the visual image, the image control including a mixer to receive the electrostatic charge distribution image and the visual image, either as a full frame or a partial frame, and the mixer combining the electrostatic charge distribution image and the visual image by proportionate overlay defined by a predetermined relative ratio specified by the image control.
2. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the visual image is substantially consistent with or larger than a spatial distribution of the array of sensor elements.
3. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the visual image camera is a charge coupled device.
4. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein a lens is provided to consolidate the output signals received from the electrostatic sensor elements andor visual image signals received from the visual image camera to provide the visual image.
5. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 4 where the lens is an electrostatic or an electromagnetic lens.
6. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrostatic charge distribution image and the visual image are virtual and are held in an electronic memory or a frame store or a serial data stream or a compressed image format.
7. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image control incorporates an adjuster to adjust the predetermined relative ratio to adjust the proportionate overlay.
8. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each sensor element incorporates a respective charge amplifier.
9. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the output signals are displayed, in use, in a manner that allows each output signal to be separately identified.
10. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of a display intensity and a colour is determined by at least one of a magnitude and a polarity of a charge sensed by a corresponding sensor element.
11. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proportionate overlay can be varied for parts or portions of the full frame or the partial frame.
12. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrostatic output signals are processed by a dithering technique in order to enhance contouring in the electrostatic charge distribution image provided.
13. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrostatic and the visual output signals are processed by edge detection techniques in order to enhance boundary identification.
14. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein an earth shield is isolated and a bias voltage or charge is applied.
15. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 14 where the bias voltage or charge can be varied, positive or negative with respect to an electrical earth.
16. A method of forming an image comprising:
providing a sensor having an array of electrostatic sensor elements, each of the electrostatic sensor elements being capable of producing a respective output signal when the sensor is directed to a region of an object being sensed, the output signals being separately available at a sensor output to provide information relating to an electrostatic charge distribution across the region and a visual image camera towards an object being sensed;
obtaining an electrostatic charge distribution image on the array of electrostatic sensor elements and a visual image from the visual image camera; and
combining the electrostatic charge distribution image and the visual image in proportionate overlay.
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 information processing apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory connected to the processor, the processor and the memory configured to provide an allocation unit, an instruction unit, and a deletion unit;
the allocation unit configured to allocate a first printer object and a second printer object to a device object for receiving, in a first area, an instruction to execute a first function and for receiving, in a second area, an instruction to execute a second function;
the instruction unit configured to issue, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from a user and the first printer object exists, an instruction to perform output using a driver allocated to the first printer object, and to issue, when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object exists, an instruction to perform output using a driver allocated to the second printer object; and
the deletion unit configured to delete the device object when the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist,
wherein the first area and the second area are concurrently displayed.
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first function is a function of performing printing using an image processing apparatus, the second function is a function of performing facsimile transmission using the image processing apparatus, the first printer object is a printer object for printing, and the second printer object is a printer object for facsimile transmission.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device object is an object for receiving a drop of a file from the user, and
wherein the instruction unit issues, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from the user by the drop of the file and the first printer object exists, the instruction to perform output based on the file using the driver allocated to the first printer object, and issues, when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user by the drop of the file and the second printer object exists, the instruction to perform output based on the file using the driver allocated to the second printer object.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display, when the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist when a virtual device application serving as an application for displaying the device object is started, a confirmation screen for confirming whether the device object is to be deleted,
wherein the deletion unit deletes the device object when the instruction to delete the device object is received from the user via the confirmation screen for confirming whether the device object is to be deleted.
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from the user and the first printer object does not exist or when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object does not exist, a setting screen for receiving an instruction to change the printer object allocated to the device object from the user.
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deletion unit deletes, when the instruction to execute the first function or the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist, the device object.
7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to display a first output selection display portion serving as a display area for executing the first function and a second output selection display portion serving as a display area for executing the second function, to display the first output selection display portion as an unusable state when the first printer object does not exist, and to display the second output selection display portion as an unusable state when the second printer object does not exist.
8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to display, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from the user and the first printer object does not exist or when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object does not exist, a confirmation screen for confirming whether a setting screen is to be displayed, and to display, when the instruction to display the setting screen is received from the user via the confirmation screen, the setting screen.
9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to bring, when the second printer object does not exist during an instruction to execute the first function, the second output selection display portion into an unusable state, and to bring, when the first printer object does not exist during an instruction to execute the second function, the first output selection display portion into an unusable state.
10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area are displayed when the device object receives a drag of a file.
11. A control method comprising:
allocating a first printer object and a second printer object to a device object for receiving, in a first area, an instruction to execute a first function and for receiving, in a second area, an instruction to execute a second function;
issuing, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from a user and the first printer object exists, an instruction to perform output using a driver allocated to the first printer object, and issuing, when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object exists, an instruction to perform output using a driver allocated to the second printer object; and
deleting the device object when the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist,
wherein the first area and the second area are concurrently displayed.
12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the first function is a function of performing printing using an image processing apparatus, the second function is a function of performing facsimile transmission using the image processing apparatus, the first printer object is a printer object for printing, and the second printer object is a printer object for facsimile transmission.
13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the device object is an object for receiving a drop of a file from the user, and
wherein the control method further comprises issuing, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from the user by the drop of the file and the first printer object exists, the instruction to perform output based on the file using the driver allocated to the first printer object, and issuing, when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user by the drop of the file and the second printer object exists, the instruction to perform output based on the file using the driver allocated to the second printer object.
14. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying, when the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist when a virtual device application serving as an application for displaying the device object is started, a confirmation screen for confirming whether the device object is to be deleted, and
deleting the device object when the instruction to delete the device object is received from the user via the confirmation screen for confirming whether the device object is to be deleted.
15. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from the user and the first printer object does not exist or when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object does not exist, a setting screen for receiving an instruction to change the printer object allocated to the device object from the user.
16. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising deleting, when the instruction to execute the first function or the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist, the device object.
17. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying a first output selection display portion serving as a display area for executing the first function and a second output selection display portion serving as a display area for executing the second function, displaying the first output selection display portion as an unusable state when the first printer object does not exist, and displaying the second output selection display portion as an unusable state when the second printer object does not exist.
18. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from the user and the first printer object does not exist or when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object does not exist, a confirmation screen for confirming whether a setting screen is to be displayed, and displaying, when the instruction to display the setting screen is received from the user via the confirmation screen, the setting screen.
19. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising bringing, when the second printer object does not exist during an instruction to execute the first function, the second output selection display portion into an unusable state, and bringing, when the first printer object does not exist during an instruction to execute the second function, the first output selection display portion into an unusable state.
20. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the first area and the second area are displayed when the device object receives a drag of a file.
21. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a method comprising:
allocating a first printer object and a second printer object to a device object for receiving, in a first area, an instruction to execute a first function and for receiving, in a second area, an instruction to execute a second function;
issuing, when the instruction to execute the first function is received from a user and the first printer object exists, an instruction to perform output using a driver allocated to the first printer object, and issuing, when the instruction to execute the second function is received from the user and the second printer object exists, an instruction to perform output using a driver allocated to the second printer object; and
deleting the device object when the first printer object and the second printer object do not exist,
wherein the first area and the second area are concurrently displayed.
22. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the first area and the second area are displayed when the device object receives a drag of a file.