IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD CAPABLE OF PROVIDING CHARACTER INFORMATION

• US 20130114908A1
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWEON, Yong-jae
• Application Number:
  US13/672,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114908A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images

Abstract

An image processing apparatus and control method capable of providing character information are disclosed the apparatus includes a signal receiving unit which receives an image signal; an image processing unit which processes the received image signal so that an image based on the image signal can be displayed; a searching unit which searches search words; and a controller which controls the searching unit to search at least one of the search words included in the displayed image and provide a user with a result of the search for the search word. With this configuration, users can more conveniently search character information included in contents being watched.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a signal receiving unit which receives an image signal;

an image processing unit which processes the received image signal for displaying an image based on the processed image signal;

a searching unit which searches search words included with the image; and

a controller which controls the searching unit to search at least one of the search words included in the displayed image and provide a user with a result of the search for the search word.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recognition unit which performs character recognition of a designated area within the image,

wherein the controller determines the search word based on a result of the character recognition.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a user input unit which receives a user instruction,

wherein the controller designates an area in the image according to the user instruction and controls the recognition unit to perform the character recognition in the designated area.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user input unit which receives a user instruction,

wherein the controller provides one or more candidate search words and controls the searching according to a user instruction, unit to search one search word selected from among the provided one or more candidates of search words.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the result of the search for the search word comprises at least one of a broadcast program, video contents, audio contents, data information and an application program.

6. A control method of an image processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving an image signal;

processing the received image signal for displaying an image based on the image signal;

searching at least one of plural search words included in the displayed image; and

providing a user with a result of the search of the search word.

7. The control method according to claim 6, wherein the searching comprises;

performing character recognition of a designated area of the image; and

determining the search word based on a result of the character recognition.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the performing character recognition comprises:

receiving a user instruction;

designating an area in the image according to the user instruction; and

performing the character recognition in the designated area of the image.

9. The control method according to claim 6, wherein the searching comprises:

providing one or more candidates of search words;

receiving a user instruction; and

searching, according to the user instruction, one selected from among the provided one or more candidates of search words.

10. The control method according to claim 6, wherein the result of the search for the search word comprises at least one of a broadcast program, video contents, audio contents, data information and an application program.

11. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image processing unit which processes a received image signal including search words;

a searching unit which searches the search words included with the image; and

a controller which controls the searching unit to search at least one of the search words included in the displayed image and provide a user with a result of the search for the search word.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further including a signal receiving unit which receives the image signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit processes the received signal for display.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a display for displaying to the user the result of the search of the search word.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a user input unit which receives a user instruction,

wherein the controller provides one or more candidate search words and controls the searching according to a user instruction, unit to search one search word selected from among the provided one or more candidates of search words.

16. A control method of an image processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving an image signal containing plural search words;

processing the received image signal;

searching at least one of the plural search words included in the displayed image; and

providing a user with a result of the search of the search word.