Abstract:
An optical text scanning device compatible with a small handheld computer such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). The scanning device allows for a clear view of the text that is scanned simultaneous to the scanning process so that the operator can continuously align the device to the text. The scanned images of the text are converted in real-time to standard byte or word characters for subsequent display on the computer's viewing screen. The operator can quickly verify the accuracy of the conversion by comparing the displayed character with the actual character of text on the surface that is being scanned. Scanned text characters are stored in standard digital text files for ease of manipulation.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a digital document acquisition and storage system, comprising a stand with a support arm hinged thereto and a digital camera, which has an image acquisition area that can be displayed by means of an optical positioning aid and is connected to an electronic data processing device. The aim of the invention is to develop a digital document acquisition and storage system with which it is easy to precisely align the document during reading for electronic acquisition, resulting in a file which gives a qualitative representation of the document which largely matches that of the original. The aim is achieved using a system in which the digital camera has a resolution of at least two million pixels and the optical positioning aid is a single laser which, using a lens, displays a border of the image acquisition area with four guide edges.
Abstract:
This invention provides an image reading apparatus including a light source unit which has a plurality of light sources in the same direction as the main scanning direction of an original and irradiates the original to read the original, a reader which reads the original on the basis of irradiation by the light source section and outputs reading information, an original region identificator which identifies an original existing region where the original exists, and a lighting control unit which executes lighting control of the light sources corresponding to the original region identified by the original region identificator. An image reading method using the image reading apparatus is also provided.
Abstract:
A document camera is described for capturing an electronic image of a document, for subsequent optical character recognition. In order to avoid the need for a user to look through a viewfinder of the camera, the camera comprises a projector for projecting an optical field of view indicator on to the document. The user can see the projected indicator on the document page, indicating the effective field of view of the camera. The camera may include auto-focus and zooming mechanisms. In one form, the camera processes a detected image to determine a capture zone corresponding to whole regions of the document falling entirely within the field of view. The projected indicator is controlled to indicate only the capture zone. When the image is to be captured, the camera zooms in to the capture zone to capture the image at maximum resolution.
Abstract:
Apparatus for scanning an image comprising a manually-operated scanning device with a photoelectric source and having a light tunnel extending from the photoelectric source to a side of the manually-operated scanning device. The scanning device with light tunnels offers high contrast edges and encourages proper alignment of the image being scanned. In one embodiment, the scanning device has a light tunnel extending from each vertical side corresponding to and illuminating the horizontal axis to be scanned. In another embodiment, the scanning device has, in addition to light tunnels illuminating the horizontal axis, light tunnels extending from the front or horizontal side of the scanning device to illuminate the vertical boundary that is scanned by the scanning device. The light tunnels in the invention provide the user with a highly visible reference of exactly where the manually-operated scanning device's scan window is located at a particular instance.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a cognitive and physical request to scanning of a document having a plurality of pages by a user using a handheld device.SOLUTION: A method for capturing an image sequence includes: observing a preview image, generated by a digital image sensor, of a first print page of a print document having a plurality of pages; capturing a still image of the first print page when a first quality measurement value of the preview image exceeds a first quality threshold without a user instruction indicating when to capture an image; repeatedly observing and capturing the other pages of the print document having the plurality of pages until an instruction indicating that the capturing of the image has been completed is received from a user; and connecting the captured still image to a single digital document and storing the single digital document when the instruction indicating that the capturing of the image has been completed is received from the user.
Abstract:
Bildaufnahmeverfahren zur Bilderfassung mit einem Bildaufnahmegerät (10), wobei das Bildaufnahmegerät (10) aufweist eine Kamera (14) mit einem Bildsensor (13) und einem Objektiv (12), wobei die Kamera (14) einen in einem Bild erfassbaren und zumindest mittels des Objektivs (12) einstellbaren Bildaufnahmebereich (19) definiert und der Bildsensor (13) eine Erfassungsfläche mit einer Vielzahl von Bildpixeln zur Bilderfassung aufweist und die Bildpixel in Pixelgruppen ansteuerbar und auslesbar sind, und eine Markiereinheit (16) mit einer Lichtquelle zur Emission von Markierlicht (17). Im Rahmen des Bildaufnahmeverfahrens erfolgen ein Emittieren des Markierlichts (17) derart, dass eine visuell wahrnehmbare Lichtmarkierung (18) innerhalb des Bildaufnahmebereichs (19) erzeugt wird, und ein Bilderfassen des Bildaufnahmebereichs (19) mittels der Kamera (14). Das Emittieren des Markierlichts erfolgt (17) derart vorbestimmt, dass die erzeugte Lichtmarkierung (18) innerhalb eines dieser zugewiesenen und einen Teilbereich des Bildaufnahmebereichs (19) bildenden Lichtauftreffbereichs erzeugt wird und der Lichtauftreffbereich durch eine Teilmenge bekannter Sub-Bildpixel aus der Vielzahl von Bildpixeln erfassbar ist, und das Bilderfassen mit einem pixelgruppenweise zeitlich versetztem Sammeln von Belichtungsinformation erfolgt, wobei für das Sammeln der Belichtungsinformation für jede Pixelgruppe, welche mindestens ein Sub-Bildpixel umfasst, das Emittieren des Markierlichts (17) angepasst, insbesondere unterbrochen, wird.
Abstract:
A portable document scanner that records both image and voice information, comprises a digital camera module configured to capture document images, and a laser frame generator configured to project a visible beam of light forming a laser frame to indicate the corresponding field of view of the optical lens for framing a document to be captured. A light source generated by a laser diode is shaped by passing through a collimating optical element and a diffractive optical element which is configured to produce a visible laser frame for framing a document to be captured. The captured data is then stored in an internal memory of the scanner. A data connector is permanently attached to the scanner body, which is used to connect the scanner directly into a receptacle on an external device for accessing data.