Apparatus and method for translating visual text
First Claim
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1. A portable translator for translating a first visual text in a first language into a second visual text in a second language, the portable translator comprising:
- (a) a viewfinder for aiming the portable translator in a selectable direction and from a selectable distance at an object whereupon the first visual text appears, and for identifying an image including a target area containing the first visual text;
(b) an electro-optical image acquisition unit including a lens and a light-sensitive sensor operative to acquiring a digital representation of said target area;
(c) an OCR unit operative to transforming said digital representation into a first string of character codes representative of the first visual text;
(d) a translator unit including an electronic dictionary, said translator unit operative to transforming said first string of character codes into a second string of character codes representative of the second visual text; and
(e) a display operative to showing the second visual text in accordance with said second string.
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Abstract
A digital video or still camera including optical character recognition and translator functions to translate text included in captured images. Cursor control allows the user to identify the desired text with the image. Translation is also possible on text included in images replayed from the camera'"'"'s memory.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A portable translator for translating a first visual text in a first language into a second visual text in a second language, the portable translator comprising:
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(a) a viewfinder for aiming the portable translator in a selectable direction and from a selectable distance at an object whereupon the first visual text appears, and for identifying an image including a target area containing the first visual text;
(b) an electro-optical image acquisition unit including a lens and a light-sensitive sensor operative to acquiring a digital representation of said target area;
(c) an OCR unit operative to transforming said digital representation into a first string of character codes representative of the first visual text;
(d) a translator unit including an electronic dictionary, said translator unit operative to transforming said first string of character codes into a second string of character codes representative of the second visual text; and
(e) a display operative to showing the second visual text in accordance with said second string. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. An improved portable digital still camera for general still photography, including a viewfinder, a lens, an electronic light-sensitive sensor and a memory, for allowing a user to take a picture of a selected object and store the picture as a digital image in the memory, the improvement comprising a translator device included in the digital still camera and cooperating with the memory to transform a first text in a first language included in the digital image into a second text in a second language, wherein the digital still camera is operative to displaying said second text.
- 13. An improved portable digital video camera for general video motion photography, including a viewfinder, a lens, an electronic light-sensitive sensor and a memory, for allowing a user to take a picture of a selected object and store the picture as a digital image in the memory, the improvement comprising a translator device included in the digital video camera and cooperating with the memory to transform a first text in a first language included in the digital image into a second text in a second language, and wherein the digital video camera is operative to displaying said second text.
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15. A method for employing a digital camera usable for general photography, the digital camera having a display, the method for translating a first text in a first language included in a digital image captured by the digital camera into a second text in a second language, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an OCR unit within the digital camera to digitally process at least a selected part of the image to convert the first text into a first string of character codes;
(b) providing a translator unit within in the digital camera to translate said first string of character codes into a second string of character codes representative of the second language;
(c) sending said second string of character codes to the display and displaying said second string of character codes as the second text. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification