Apparatus and method for verifying a scanned image

An image verification apparatus for verifying images, comprising:

• an illumination source;
• an image scanner, scanning an image and converting said image illuminated by said illumination source into an electronically readable format;
• a storage device for storing said electronically readable scanned image in an array of discrete elements of varying intensity having first and second boundaries and a principal portion therebetween;
• a programmable template capable of storing a predetermined image in a separate portion of said storage device;
• and
• image recognition logic for verifying said scanned image against said predetermined image, wherein said image recognition logic logically verifies said scanned image by analyzing said array of discrete elements of varying intensity against said predetermined image, and wherein said image recognition logic provides intensity normalization on each element prior to performing said analysis of said scanned image, the intensity normalization of each element being performed according to the following formula:
• y=y0+(y1−y0))/(x1−x0)*(x−x0)
• where:
• y is a normalized element intensity value;
• x is the raw value;
• y0 is a Dark Norm value;
• y1 is a Bright Norm value;
• x0 is a Dark Reference value;
• and
• x1 is a Bright Reference value.

A scanned image verification apparatus for verifying scanned images, comprising:

• a storage device for storing an electronically readable scanned image in an array of discrete elements of varying intensity having first and second boundaries and a principal portion therebetween;
• a programmable template capable of storing a predetermined image in a separate portion of said storage device;
• and
• image recognition logic for verifying said scanned image against said predetermined image, wherein said image recognition logic logically verifies said scanned image by analyzing said array of discrete elements of varying intensity against said predetermined image and wherein said image recognition logic provides intensity normalization on each element prior to performing said analysis of said scanned image, the intensity normalization of each element being performed according to the following formula:
• c = B + r - b w - b × ( W - B )
• where:
• c is a normalized element intensity value;
• r is the raw value;
• B is a black output value;
• W is a white output value;
• b is a black input value;
• and
• w is a white input value.

A card manufacturing apparatus for putting indicia on a card and verifying said indicia, comprising:

• a plurality of card processing modules arranged to produce a card with indicia disposed thereon;
• and at least one of said modules is an indicia verification module using a varying intensity scanned image of a portion of said card, the module comprising:
• an illumination source;
• an image scanner, scanning an image and converting said image illuminated by said illumination source into an electronically readable format;
• a storage device for storing said electronically readable scanned image in an array of discrete elements of varying intensity having first and second boundaries and a principal portion therebetween;
• a programmable template capable of storing a predetermined image in a separate portion of said storage device;
• and
• image recognition logic for verifying said scanned image against said predetermined image, wherein said image recognition logic logically verifies said scanned image by analyzing said array of discrete elements of varying intensity against said predetermined image and wherein said image recognition logic provides intensity normalization on each element prior to performing said analysis of said scanned image, the intensity normalization of each element being performed according to the following formula:
• c = B + r - b w - b × ( W - B )
• where:
• c is a normalized element intensity value;
• r is the raw value;
• B is a black output value;
• W is a white output value;
• b is a black input value;
• and
• w is a white input value.

A method for verifying a scanned image, said method comprising:

• scanning an image;
• converting said scanned image into an electronically readable format;
• storing said scanned image as an array of discrete elements of varying intensity;
• normalizing an intensity of each element prior to analyzing said image wherein said image intensity normalization is performed according to the following formula:
• c = B + r - b w - b × ( W - B )
• where:
• c is a normalized element intensity value;
• r is the raw value;
• B is a black output value;
• W is a white output value;
• b is a black input value;
• and
• w is a white input value;
• and
• analyzing said array of discrete elements of varying intensity against a predetermined image to verify the scanned image.