Method and apparatus for portably recognizing text in an image sequence of scene imagery

• US 6,823,084 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Inventors: Myers, Gregory K., Gallagher, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/897,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20020037104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 382/187, 382/189, 382/181, 382/321, 382/312, 382/313, 358/473, 345/163-166, 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 382/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1478 of characters or characters lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

An apparatus and a concomitant method for portably detecting and recognizing text information in a captured imagery. The present invention is a portable device that is capable of capturing imagery and is also capable of detecting and extracting text information from the captured imagery. The portable device contains an image capturing sensor, a text detection module, an OCR module, a storage device and means for presenting the output to the user or other devices.

Claims

1. Method for portably recognizing text in a captured imagery, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing an imagery having text information using a portable device;

(b) portably detecting a text region in at least two frames of the captured imagery in real time;

(c) applying optical character recognition (OCR) processing to said detected text region to produce recognized text for each of said frames;

(c1) applying agglomeration processing on said recognized text over all of said frames to produce a single recognized text; and

(d) providing said single recognized text as an output of said portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step (d) provides said output via a display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step (d) provides said output via a speaker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step (d) provides said output via an output port.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) correlating supplemental information In accordance with said single recognized text.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(f) providing said supplemental information as an output of said portable device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said supplemental information contains travel information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said supplemental information contains vehicle information.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said supplemental information contains information obtained from a web address.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(f) dynamically applying lexicon processing in accordance with the correlated supplemental information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) applying language translation in accordance with said single recognized text.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(b1) adjusting said detected text region to produce a rectified image prior to the application of OCR processing.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

(b2) applying binarization to said rectified image prior to the application of OCR processing.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(c1) applying lexicon processing subsequent to said OCR processing to produce said single recognized text.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said lexicon processing is dynamically applied.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(c2) applying false text elimination processing subsequent to said OCR processing to produce said single recognized text.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) providing said recognized text to a navigation system.

18. Apparatus for portably recognizing text in a captured imagery, said apparatus comprising:

an image capturing sensor for capturing an imagery having text information using a portable device;

a text detection module for portably detecting a text region in a least two frames of the captured imagery in real time;

an optical character recognition (OCR) module for applying OCR processing to said detected text region to produce recognized text for each of said frames;

an agglomeration module for applying agglomeration processing on said recognized text over all of said frames to produce a single recognized text; and

an output device for providing said single recognized text as an output of said portable device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said output device is a display.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said output device is a speaker.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said output device is an output port.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for correlating supplemental information in accordance with said single recognized text.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said output device further provides said supplemental information as an output of said portable device.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said supplemental information contains travel information.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said supplemental information contains vehicle information.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to said correlating means; and

a receiver coupled to said output device, wherein said supplemental information contains information obtained from a web address.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an application software module for applying language translation in accordance with said single recognized text.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a text orientation module for adjusting said detected text region to produce a rectified image prior to the application of OCR processing.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a text binarization module for applying binarization to said rectified image prior to the application of OCR processing.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a lexicon module for applying lexicon processing subsequent to said OCR processing to produce said single recognized text.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a false detection module for applying false text elimination subsequent to said OCR processing to produce said single recognized text.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said output device provides said single recognized text to a navigation system.

33. Apparatus for portably recognizing text in a captured imagery, said apparatus comprising:

means for capturing an imagery having text information using a portable device;

means for portably detecting a text region in at least two frames of the captured imagery in real time;

means for applying optical character recognition (OCR) processing to said detected text region to produce recognized text for each of said frames;

means for applying agglomeration processing on said recognized text over all of said frames to produce a single recognized text; and

means for providing said single recognized text as an output of said portable device.