CHARACTER INPUT METHOD AND SYSTEM AS WELL AS ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND KEYBOARD THEREOF

• US 20110175815A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intsig Information Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Intsig Information Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhu, Lin
• Granted Patent: US 10,248,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1456 based on user interactions

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic character input method and a system. The method comprises imaging the text message with an optical imaging device, converting the pointed text information in the text image into character text through an optical character recognition module; and inputting the recognized character text into a current text in process. In addition, modification can be made by, inputting the modified character text into the current text in process. A user can utilize a built-in camera to take a text image for characters to be input, obtain a character text corresponding to the text image through recognition and conversion, input the character text into the text which is currently processed by the intelligent device without inputting the characters in the text image one by one on a keyboard or a touch screen, thereby saving labor and time.

Claims

1. A character input method comprising the following steps:

step A, inputting a text through an electronic device;

step B, electing a photography input procedure and starting a photographing device during text input;

step C, imaging the text message with the imaging device;

step D, recognizing pointed text in the text image and converting the pointed text into a character text through an optical character recognition module; and

Step E, inputting the converted character text into a current text in process, or inputting modified character text into the current text in process after some modifications.

2. The character input method as claimed in claim 1, which is characterized in that:

during text input, a user can select an image input procedure once or more times at any moment to start a process of inputting characters through the steps B to E, and the characters from this process and other input methods form a single text for this user.

3. The character input method as in claim 1, further comprising:

step F, displaying the text image on a display unit, wherein the display unit comprising at least one image preview box to show the input text message.

4. The character input method as in claim 3, further comprising:

adjusting the shape of the preview box with a preview box adjusting module according to the input text message scope in step C.

5. The character input method as in claim 4, wherein the display unit is a touch display unit, and wherein the preview box adjusting module sets the shape of the preview box according to the touch action.

6. The character input method as in claim 1, wherein the built-in imaging device is started by one of the actions:

selecting “

camera input”

in a pop-up input menu, pressing a camera key, and clicking a camera input key on the keyboard.

7. The character input method as in claim 5, further comprising marking characters in the text image and recognizing the marked characters by the optical character recognition module after step C, and wherein the marked text image is recognized by the optical character recognition module in step D.

8. The character input method as in claim 7, further comprising marking the direction of a character, changing the mark direction through a mark modification unit in step C;

and recognizing the arrangement sequence of character according to the character direction by the optical character recognition module in step D.

9. a character input system installed in an electronic device for inputting characters, wherein:

the electronic device comprises;

an imaging device for obtaining character images; and

a display unit for displaying the character images;

the character input system comprises;

an optical character recognition module for recognizing the pointed character image information obtained by the photographing device into a character text; and

a preview box adjusting module for adjusting the shape of the preview box of the imaging device in the display unit according to the scope of the text message.

10. The character input system as in claim 9, wherein

the display unit is a touch display unit;

and

further comprising;

a preview box adjusting module setting the shape of the preview box according to the touch action.

11. An electronic device, which is characterized by comprising:

a photographing device used for obtaining image information;

a display unit used for displaying various information; and

the character input system claimed in claim 9 or claim 10.

12. The character input system as in claim 9, further comprising a keyboard for activating imaging actions.

18. The character input method as in claim 12, wherein:

step C′

further comprising;

the optical character recognition module automatically removing character rows/columns of the text image which are not completely photographed in the image.

13. A character input method, comprising the following steps:

A′

, inputting a text through an electronic device;

B′

, selecting a text recognition input procedure during text input and selecting a text image containing characters to be input;

C′

, recognizing the pointed text information in the text image into a character text through an optical character recognition module; and

D′

, inputting the recognized character text into a current text in process;

or

inputting character text into the current text in process after a modification.

14. The character input method as in claim 13, wherein a user can select a text recognition input procedure once or many times at any time to input characters through step B′

to step D′

.

15. The character input method as in claim 13, which is characterized in that:

in step C′

, the display unit of the electronic device displays a selected box, and characters to be input are contained in the selecting box through adjusting the selecting box; and

in step D′

, the pointed text image in the selecting box is recognized by the optical character recognition module.

16. The character input method as in claim 15, wherein:

step C′

further comprising a step of adjusting the shape of the selecting box through a selecting box adjusting module.

17. The character input method as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

the display unit is a touch display unit for input of the selecting box'"'"'s shape according to the scope of the text to be input, and

wherein the selecting box adjusting module obtains the touch action to set the selecting box'"'"'s shape of the selecting box according to the touch action.

19. The character input method as in claim 13, wherein:

step C′

further comprising, a user selecting characters to be input in the display unit of the electronic device and makes a mark; and

step D′

further comprising, the marked text image is recognized by the optical character recognition module.

20. The character input method as in claim 19, wherein:

step C′

further comprising;

marking the characters to be input by drawing lines, or drawing a box, or making the beginning and the ending positions with symbols.

21. A character input method, which is characterized by comprising the following steps:

the method requires an intelligent device which is provided with a built-in camera and has function of optical character recognition;

the memory of the device stores a program which controls and commands a CPU to execute the following operations;

starting the built-in camera, arranging characters to be input in a photography preview window, carrying out photography operation with the built-in camera, obtaining a text image containing the characters to be input, recognizing the characters in the text image with the optical character recognition technology, converting the recognized characters into a character string, and inputting the character string into a text processed by the device currently.

22. A character input method as claimed in claim 21, wherein:

the method comprises the following specific operation steps;

step 420, starting;

preparing to input characters for the current text in process, activating the method, starting the built-in camera and entering a camera photography preview interface;

step 430, taking a text image;

step 440, recognizing the text image and converting the text image into a character text with the optical character recognition technique;

step 450, inputting the character text into a current text in process and;

moving to step 460 if yes, and moving to step 470 if not;

step 460, inputting the character text into the current text in process;

inputting the character text processed in step 440 into the current text in process, and then turning to step 490;

step 470, modifying the character text;

step 480, determining if the character text is acceptable, inputting the accepted character text or ignore the rejected character text;

Step 490, ending.

23. The character input method as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

in the step 420, selecting “

camera input”

in a pop-up input menu to start up the built-in camera in the intelligent device;

or

in the step 420, pressing a camera key of the intelligent device to start up the built-in camera of the intelligent device;

or

in the step 420, clicking a camera icon to start up the built-in camera of the intelligent device.