Mobile device and transmission system

• US 7,190,833 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sako, Hiroshi, Kagehiro, Tatsuhiko, Seki, Minenobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Jingge
• Assistant Examiner(s): STREGE, JOHN B
• Application Number:
  US10/200,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20030044068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 382/176, 382/177, 382/198, 382/229, 382/282, 382/301, 382/313, 455/566, 358/473
• US Class Current: 382/176
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile device with a built-in image capture device, and a character recognition function to present the information gathered with the character recognition result. With the mobile device, the character line extraction process is displayed whenever necessary, and the resolution of an image to be inputted for recognition processing is enhanced. Accordingly, it is possible for the operator to select the target character line with ease. In addition, the mobile device has a character recognition ratio improved by the enhancement in resolution.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a means for capturing images continually;

a means for displaying said captured images and a marker therein;

a means for automatically and continuously extracting a character line embedded area displayed nearest to said marker in the captured images that are continually renewed and causing said display means to display said extracted character line embedded area with emphasis;

a means for receiving a confirming signal input by a user thereby confirming the character line embedded area displayed nearest to said marker in one of the captured images, which are automatically and continuously extracted by the extracting means and displayed with emphasis, as to be processed for recognition;

a means for recognizing a character line embedded in the confirmed character line embedded area;

a means for transmitting the recognition result via a network; and

a means for receiving feedback via the network based on the recognition result,

wherein

the displaying means displays the marker and the extracted character line embedded area with emphasis, and renews the displayed extracted character line embedded area with emphasis accordingly until the confirming signal is input to the confirming means.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein

the extracting means detects patterns in the captured image, and

one of the patterns closest to the marker is used as a core for incorporating the neighboring patterns thereby extracting the character line embedded area.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the marker is movable.

4. The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a means for presenting a plurality of recognition candidates recognized by the character line recognition means; and

a means for selecting one of recognition candidates.

5. The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising a resolution enhancing means, said resolution enhancing means subjects the confirmed character line embedded area to pixel complementing, smoothing, and binarizing.

6. The mobile device according to claim 2, wherein each of the patterns is a rectangle outline circumscribing one connected component in the captured image.

10. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the displaying means selectively displays an image captured by a remote camera and transmitted to the mobile device via the network,

the displaying means displays the transmitted image;

the extracting means extracts a character line embedded area in the transmitted image, and

the extracting means continuing extracting character line embedded areas from changing transmitted images, and the displaying means displays the extracted character line embedded area accordingly until a confirming signal is input to the confirming means.

7. An image processing and transmission system comprising a mobile device, and a computer connected to the mobile device via a network,

the mobile device, comprising:

a means for capturing images;

a means for displaying said captured images and a marker therein;

a means for automatically and continuously extracting a character line embedded area displayed nearest to said marker in the captured images that are continually renewed and causing said display means to display said extracted character line embedded area with emphasis;

a means for receiving a confirming signal input by a user thereby confirming the character line embedded area displayed nearest to said marker in one of the captured images, which are automatically and continuously extracted by the extracting means and displayed with emphasis, as to be processed for recognition by the computer;

a means for transmitting the confirmed character line embedded area via a network to the computer; and

a means for receiving feedback from the computer via the network based on the recognition result,

wherein the computer comprises a means for searching information through the network based on a character line embedded in the confirmed character line embedded area, and for transmitting the search result to the mobile device; and

a means for recognizing the character line embedded in the confirmed character line embedded area, and

the displaying means displays the marker and the extracted character line embedded area with emphasis, and renews the displayed extracted character line embedded area with emphasis accordingly until the confirming signal is input to the confirming means.

8. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 7, wherein the computer further comprises:

a means for distinguishing the recognition result is a URL address, a mail address, or one other character string,

a means for transmitting contents linked by the URL address to the mobile device if the distinguished result is the URL address;

a means for transmitting a program for processing a mail to the mobile device if the distinguished result is the mail address, and

a means for starting a search program to search information in the network based on said other character string if the distinguished result is said other character strings, and for transmitting the search result to the mobile device.

9. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 7, further comprising a means for charging a fee when the mobile device receives the search result transmitted from the computer.

11. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 7, wherein the displaying means selectively displays an image captured by a remote camera and transmitted to the mobile device via the network,

the displaying means displays the transmitted image;

the extracting means extracts a character line embedded area in the transmitted image, and

the extracting means continuing extracting character line embedded areas from changing transmitted images, and the displaying means displays the extracted character line embedded area accordingly until a confirming signal is input to the confirming means.

12. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 7, wherein the mobile device

the display means shows a marker,

the extracting means detects patterns in the captured image, and

one of the patterns closest to the marker is used as a core for incorporating the neighboring patterns thereby extracting the character line embedded area.

13. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 12, wherein the marker is movable.

14. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 7, wherein the mobile device further comprising:

a means for presenting a plurality of recognition candidates recognized by the character line recognition means; and

a means for selecting one of recognition candidates.

15. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 7, wherein the mobile device further comprising a resolution enhancing means, said resolution enhancing means subjects the confirmed character line embedded area to pixel complementing, smoothing, and binarizing.

16. The image processing and transmission system according to claim 12, wherein each of the patterns is a rectangle outline circumscribing one connected component in the captured image.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a means for capturing images continually;

a means for displaying said captured images and a marker therein;

a means for automatically and continuously extracting a character line embedded area displayed nearest to said marker in the captured images that are continually renewed and causing said display means to display said extracted character line embedded area with emphasis;

a means for receiving a confirming signal input by a user thereby confirming the character line embedded area displayed nearest to said marker in one of the captured images, which are automatically and continuously extracted by the extracting means and displayed with emphasis, as to be processed for recognition;

a resolution enhancing means for subjecting the confirmed character line embedded area to pixel complementing, smoothing, and binarizing; and

a means for recognizing a character line embedded in the resolution-enhanced character line embedded area,

wherein

the displaying means displays the marker and the extracted character line embedded area with emphasis, and renews the displayed extracted character line embedded area with emphasis accordingly until the confirming signal is input to the confirming means.

18. The mobile device according to claim 17, wherein

the extracting means detects patterns in the captured image, and

one of the patterns closest to the marker is used as a core for incorporating the neighboring patterns thereby extracting the character line embedded area.

19. The mobile device according to claim 17, wherein the marker is movable.

20. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein each of the patterns is a rectangle outline circumscribing one connected component in the captured image.