TEXT CAPTURE AND PRESENTATION DEVICE

• US 20080260210A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Care Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Intel-GE Care Innovations, LLC (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterson, Matthew Wallace, Anderson, Gretchen, Chaubert, Evelyne, Foss, Ben, Kobeli, Lea, Salazar, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide devices and methods for capturing text found in a variety of sources and transforming it into a different user-accessible formats or medium. For example, the device can capture text from a magazine and provide it to the user as spoken words through headphones or speakers. Such devices are useful for individuals such as those having reading difficulties (such as dyslexia), blindness, and other visual impairments arising from diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma.

Claims

1. A device for transforming text contained on an object, comprising:

a housing having a first and a second face, wherein the first face contains a user interface screen and a second face contains a lens through which a camera located in the housing can capture at least one image of an object located outside the housing, and wherein the line of site of the camera lens makes an angle with the line of site of the user interface screen and the angle is less than 170 degrees;

an optical character recognition system configured to decipher text from an image captured by the camera; and

a text reader configured to convert the deciphered text into an output format.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the output format is a Braille display, an audible signal, or a text display and an audible signal.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device also includes a level detector configured to determine whether the lens is level to a surface of an object from which text is to be captured.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device also includes a color differential detector configured to optimize the at least one captured image for deciphering text contained in the at least one image.

5. The device according to claim 1 also including a light source capable of illuminating the object from which the at least one image is to be captured.

6. The device according to claim 1 also including a light capable of indicating a region outside the device from which the camera is capable of capturing an image.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the angle between the line of sight of the camera lens and the line of site of the user interface is 90 degrees.

8. The device according to claim 1 also including a third face containing a second lens through which the camera located in the housing is capable of capturing an image of an object located outside the housing.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the angle between the line of site of the second lens and the user interface screen in 180 degrees and the line of site of the first lens and the user interface screen is 90 degrees.

10. A device for transforming text contained on an object, comprising:

a housing comprising at least seven faces, wherein an area of one face is less than half an area of any other face, wherein a first face contains a user interface screen and a second face contains a lens through which a camera located in the housing can capture at least one image of an object located outside the housing, and wherein the line of site of the camera lens makes an angle with the line of site of the user interface screen and the angle is less than 170 degrees;

an optical character recognition system configured to decipher text from an image captured by the camera; and

a text reader configured to convert the deciphered text into an output format.

11. The device according to claim 10 wherein the output format is a Braille display, an audible signal, or a text display and an audible signal.

12. The device according to claim 10 wherein the device also includes a level detector configured to determine whether the lens is level with a surface of the object from which text is to be captured.

13. The device according to claim 10 wherein the device also includes a color differential detector configured to optimize the at least one captured image for deciphering text contained in the at least one image.

14. The device according to claim 10 also including a light source capable of illuminating the object from which the at least one image is to be captured.

15. The device according to claim 10 wherein the angle between the line of sight of the camera lens and the line of site of the user interface is 90 degrees.

16. The device according to claim 10 wherein a third face contains a second lens through which the camera located in the housing is capable of capturing an image of an object located outside the of the device.

17. The device according to claim 10 wherein the face having an area that is less than half the area of any other face contains a switch mechanism that when manually activated by a user causes the camera to capture an image of an object.