Click and select user interface for document scanning

• US 6,151,426 A
• Filed: 10/01/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Simske, Steven J., Lee, Jeffrey P., Lopez, Patricia D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US09/164,693
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/306, 382/311, 382/312, 382/318, 382/319, 358/537, 358/538, 358/462, 358/464, 707/517, 707/520, 707/521, 707/526, 707/527, 707/530, 345/118, 345/131, 345/133, 345/326, 345/328, 345/339, 345/340, 345/341, 345/342, 345/343, 345/347
• US Class Current: 382/319
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3872 Repositioning or masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone

Abstract

A user interface for scanner software that allows a variable resolution preview scan of a document to be presented to the user in a preview box within a scanner software window. The user clicks on a point within the preview scan, and the classification of the image immediately around the click point is determined. A selection marker is automatically drawn around the selected image, and all portions of the preview scan outside the selection marker are grayed out. Based on the classification, adjustments are made automatically, and windows having control tools for adjusting various aspects of the selected image are automatically enabled or disabled. Once the desired area is properly selected and any adjustments have been made, the user can drag and drop the selected image with a mouse onto the desktop, a folder, or an open application to launch an optimized final scan of the selected image.

Claims

1. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document comprising:

(a) sending a signal to a scanner device to scan a document previously placed on said scanner device, wherein said scanner device is directed to scan said document using a preview scan mode to produce preview scan data of said document;

(b) displaying said preview scan data of said document in a preview box within a scanner software window of a monitor attached to said computer system;

(c) receiving a first click input from a graphical input device attached to said computer system, wherein said click input identifies a point on said monitor, said point being located within a first region of interest within said preview scan data within said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor;

(d) segmenting said preview scan data within said first region of interest to locate a first boundary of said first region of interest; and

(e) displaying a first selection marker around said first boundary of said first region of interest within said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor.

2. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises steps (b1) through (b4):

(b1) displaying a status bar in said preview box in said scanner software window, wherein said preview box contains said preview scan data, and further wherein said status bar further comprises a classification display, a resolution display, a scaling display, an output dimension display, and a file size display;

(b2) displaying an exposure adjustment window in said scanner software window adjacent to said preview box;

(b3) displaying a color adjustment window in said scanner software window adjacent to said preview box; and

(b4) displaying a black and white threshold window in said scanner software window adjacent to said preview box.

3. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 1 wherein step (e) further comprises step (e1):

(e1) graying out all portions of said preview scan data that falls outside of said first selection marker in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor.

4. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 1 further comprising:

(f) receiving a second click input from said graphical input device on white space within said preview scan data in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor; and

(g) removing from display within said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor said first selection marker from around said first region of interest.

5. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 1 wherein step (d) further comprises step (d1):

(d1) locating said first boundary of said first region of interest by performing segmentation analysis on a plurality of data elements within said preview scan data, wherein said plurality of data elements surround a first data element derived from said first click input on said region of interest in said preview scan data displayed in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor, and further wherein said segmentation analysis determines a set of data elements derived from said plurality of data elements that comprise said first region of interest, wherein said first boundary comprises a set of outermost data elements of said set of data elements.

6. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 further comprising:

(f) reducing said first boundary of said first region of interest, bounded by said first selection marker, by receiving right click input from said graphical input device on said first region of interest within said first selection marker in said preview box, causing a context menu to open up, and receiving click input from said graphical input device on a contract selection option in said context menu.

7. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 further comprising:

(f) reducing said first boundary of said first region of interest, bounded by said first selection marker, by receiving key down input from a predetermined control key from a keyboard simultaneous with receiving a second click input from said graphical input device on said first region of interest within said first selection marker in said preview box.

8. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 7 wherein step (f) further comprises steps (f1) and (f2), and further comprises steps (g) and (h):

(f1) finding a subset of data elements from said set of data elements of said first region of interest, wherein said subset of data elements surrounds a second data element derived from said second click input on said region of interest in said preview scan data displayed in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor;

(f2) determining a second boundary of said subset of data elements, wherein said second boundary comprises a set of outermost data elements of said subset of data elements;

(g) removing from display in said preview box said first selection marker; and

(h) displaying, in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor, a second selection marker around said second boundary from step (f2).

9. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 further comprising:

(f) expanding said first boundary of said first region of interest, bounded by said first selection marker, by receiving right click input from said graphical input device on said first region of interest within said first selection marker in said preview box, causing a context menu to open up, and receiving click input from said graphical input device on an expand selection option in said context menu.

10. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 further comprising:

(f) expanding said first region of interest, bounded by said first selection marker, by receiving key down input from a predetermined control key from a keyboard simultaneous with receiving a second click input with said graphical input device on an adjacent region of interest in said preview scan data, wherein said adjacent region of interest lies outside of said first region of interest bounded by said first selection marker in said preview box within said scanner software window.

11. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 10 wherein step (f) further comprises steps (f1) through (f3), and further comprises steps (g) and (h):

(f1) adjusting at least one segmentation parameter of said segmentation analysis;

(f2) finding a super set of data elements by performing said segmentation analysis with said at least one adjusted segmentation parameter on a plurality of data elements surrounding a second data element derived from said second click input on said adjacent region of interest in said preview scan data displayed in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor;

(f3) determining a second boundary of said super set of data elements, wherein said second boundary comprises a set of outermost data elements of said super set of data elements;

(g) removing from display in said preview box said first selection marker; and

(h) displaying, in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor, a second selection marker around said second boundary from step (f2).

12. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 wherein step (d1) further comprises step (d1a):

(d1a) performing said segmentation analysis linearly, wherein said first selection marker placed around said first boundary of said first region of interest in said preview box within said scanner software window is a rectangular bounding box.

13. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 wherein step (d1) further comprises step (d1a):

(d1a) performing said segmentation analysis non-linearly, wherein said first selection marker placed around said first boundary of said first region of interest in said preview box within said scanner software window is a non-rectangular lasso selection marker.

14. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 5 wherein step (d1) further comprises step (d1a):

(d1a) performing classification analysis on said set of data elements of said first region of interest.

15. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 14 wherein step (d1a) further comprises step (d1a1):

(d1a1) determining from said classification analysis that said first region of interest is a text region or a black and white line art region.

16. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 15 wherein step (e) further comprises steps (e1) through (e4):

(e1) updating said black and white threshold window with output pertaining to said first region of interest;

(e2) updating said classification display, said resolution display, said scaling display, said output dimension display, and said file size display, within said status bar display, with output pertaining to said first region of interest;

(e3) enabling a plurality of black and white threshold window controls for user input; and

(e4) disabling a plurality of exposure adjustment window controls and a plurality of color adjustment window controls from user input.

17. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 14 wherein step (d1a) further comprises step (d1a1):

(d1a1) determining from said classification analysis that said first region of interest is a gray scale photographic region.

18. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 17 wherein step (e) further comprises steps (e1) through (e4):

(e1) updating said exposure adjustment window with output pertaining to said first region of interest;

(e2) updating said classification display, said resolution display, said scaling display, said output dimension display, and said file size display, within said status bar display, with output pertaining to said first region of interest;

(e3) enabling a plurality of exposure adjustment window controls for user input; and

(e4) disabling a plurality of color adjustment window controls and a plurality of black and white threshold window controls from user input.

19. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 14 wherein step (d1a) further comprises step (d1a1):

(d1a1) determining from said classification analysis that said first region of interest is a color photographic region.

20. A user interface method, within a computer system, for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 19 wherein step (e) further comprises steps (e1) through (e4):

(e1) updating said exposure adjustment window and said color adjustment window with output pertaining to said first region of interest;

(e2) updating said classification display, said resolution display, said scaling display, said output dimension display, and said file size display, within said status bar display, with output pertaining to said first region of interest;

(e3) enabling a plurality of exposure adjustment window controls and a plurality of color adjustment window controls for user input; and

(e4) disabling a plurality of black and white threshold window controls from user input.

21. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document, said system comprising:

a scanner device having a document placed in position to be scanned by said scanner device;

a monitor having a scanner software window;

a graphical input device;

a processing device; and

scanner software, operating within said processing device, for sending a signal to said scanner device to scan said document using a preview scan mode to produce preview scan data of said document, for copying said preview scan data of said document from said scanner to said monitor to be displayed in a preview box within said scanner software window, for receiving a first click input from said graphical input device to identify a point on said monitor, said point being located within a first region of interest within said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor, for performing segmentation analysis on said preview scan data within said first region of interest to locate a first boundary of said first region of interest, and for displaying a first selection marker around said first boundary of said first region of interest within said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor.

22. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21 wherein said scanner software, after displaying said first selection marker, further grays out all portions of said preview scan data that falls outside of said first selection marker in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor.

23. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21 wherein when said scanner software receives a second click input from said graphical input device on white space within said preview scan data in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor, said scanner software removes said first selection marker from around said first region of interest within said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor.

24. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21 wherein said scanner software locates said first boundary of said first region of interest by performing segmentation analysis on a plurality of data elements within said preview scan data, wherein said plurality of data elements surround a first data element identified by said first click input on said region of interest in said preview scan data displayed in said preview box within said scanner software window of said monitor, and further wherein said segmentation analysis determines a set of data elements derived from said plurality of data elements that comprise said first region of interest, wherein said first boundary comprises a set of outermost data elements of said set of data elements.

25. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21 wherein when said scanner software receives right click input from said graphical input device on said first region of interest within said first selection marker in said preview box, causing a context menu to open up, and receives click input from said graphical input device on a contract selection option in said context menu, said first boundary of said first region of interest, bounded by said first selection marker, is reduced.

26. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21 wherein when said scanner software receives right click input from said graphical input device on said first region of interest within said first selection marker in said preview box, causing a context menu to open up, and receives click input from said graphical input device on an expand selection option in said context menu, said first boundary of said first region of interest, bounded by said first selection marker, is expanded.

27. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21, further comprising:

a keyboard;

wherein when said scanner software receives key down input from a predetermined control key within said keyboard, in combination with receiving a second click input from said graphical input device on said first region of interest within said first selection marker in said preview box within said scanner software window, said scanner software reduces said first boundary of said first region of interest bounded by said first selection marker.

28. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21, further comprising:

a keyboard;

wherein when said scanner software receives key down input from a predetermined control key within said keyboard, in combination with receiving a second click input from said graphical input device on an adjacent region of interest in said preview box within said scanner software window, wherein said adjacent region of interest lies outside of said first region of interest bounded by said first selection marker in said scanner software window, said scanner software expands said first region of interest bounded by said first selection marker.

29. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 21 wherein said scanner software further performs classification analysis on said first region of interest.

30. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 29 wherein said scanner software determines from said classification analysis that said first region of interest is a text region or a black and white line art region.

31. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 29 wherein said scanner software determines from said classification analysis that said first region of interest is a gray scale photographic region.

32. A system for selecting and classifying a region of a scanned document according to claim 29 wherein said scanner software determines from said classification analysis that said first region of interest is a color photographic region.