Intelligent text selection tool and method of operation

• US 20040240735A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitchell A. Medina
• Original Assignee: Mitchell A. Medina
• Inventors: Medina, Mitchell
• Application Number:
  US10/425,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240735A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables

Abstract

An intelligent text selection method is provided that includes the steps of selecting a portion of a graphical document, the portion having graphical text information and non-text graphical information, differentiating the graphical text character information from non-text graphical information within the portion and converting the graphical text information into corresponding character code data.

Claims

19. An intelligent text selection method, comprising the steps of:

selecting a portion of a graphical document, said portion having graphical text information and non-text graphical information; and

distinguishing said graphical text character information from non-text graphical information within said portion for converting said graphical text information into corresponding character code data.

20. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using edge recognition.

21. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using deskew.

22. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using despeckle.

23. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using contour-finding.

24. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using sharpening.

25. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using white-space analysis.

26. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes the step of:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using form-field delimiter removal.

27. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 19, wherein the distinguishing step includes:

differentiating said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using one or more text-distinguishing steps;

said method also including the step of providing the user with a distinctive graphical representation of the differentiated graphical text information.

28. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of allowing for at least one of user confirmation, user rejection and user correction of the differentiated graphical text information.

29. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 27, wherein the converting step includes the step of:

converting said graphical text information into said character code data using an optical character recognition algorithm.

30. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of:

outputting the character code data.

31. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 30, wherein said character code data is output to a location selected from a group including a clipboard application, a memory location and an application program.

32. The intelligent text selection method according to claim 31, wherein the outputting step includes the step of:

outputting a control code.

33. Computer executable program code residing on a computer-readable medium, the program code implementing a tool for causing the computer to select a portion of a graphical document, said portion having graphical text information and non-text graphical information;

distinguish said graphical text character information from non-text graphical information within said portion; and

convert said graphical text information into corresponding character code data.

1. An intelligent text selection tool, comprising:

means for selecting a portion of a graphical document, said portion having graphical text information and non-text graphical information;

means for distinguishing said graphical text character information from said non-text graphical information within said portion; and

means for converting said graphical text information into corresponding character code data.

2. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein said portion of said graphical document is selected using a device contained in the group including a mouse and a keyboard.

3. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies edge recognition means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

4. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies deskew means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

5. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies despeckle means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

6. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies contour-finding means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

7. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies sharpening means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

8. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies white-space analysis means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

9. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies form-field delimiter removal means to differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information.

10. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 1, wherein the distinguishing means applies one or more text-differentiating means to separate graphical text information from said non-text graphical information;

further comprising means to provide the user with a distinctive graphical representation of the differentiated graphical text information.

11. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 10, further comprising means for at least one of user confirmation, user rejection and user correction of the differentiated graphical text information.

12. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 10, wherein the converting means applies an optical character recognition algorithm to convert said graphical text information into said character code data.

13. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 12, further comprising a means for outputting the character code data into a text file.

14. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 12, further comprising a means for outputting the character code data into a clipboard application.

15. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 12, further comprising a means for outputting the character code data into a memory location.

16. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 12, further comprising a means for outputting the character code data into an application program.

17. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 12, further comprising a means for outputting a control code.

18. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 12, wherein the character code data is in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format.

34. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using an edge recognition algorithm.

35. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using a despeckle algorithm.

36. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using a contour-finding algorithm.

37. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using a sharpening algorithm.

38. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using a white-space analysis algorithm.

39. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using a form-field delimiter removal algorithm.

40. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using one or more text-differentiating algorithms; and

to provide the user with a distinctive graphical representation of the differentiated graphical text information.

41. The intelligent text selection tool according to claim 40, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to provide at least one of the options of user confirmation, user rejection and user correction of the differentiated graphical text information.

42. The computer executable program according to claim 40, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

convert said graphical text information into said character code data using an optical character recognition algorithm.

43. The computer executable program according to claim 42, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

output the character code data to a location selected from a group including a clipboard application, a memory location and an application program.

44. The computer executable program according to claim 43, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

output a control code.

34-1. The computer executable program according to claim 33, wherein the program code additionally causes the computer to:

differentiate said graphical text information from said non-text graphical information using a deskew algorithm.