Apparatus and method for photographing a business card in portable terminal

• US 7,793,833 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Eung-Seo, Yoon, Sung-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/799,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/494, 235/380, 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/22 by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00183 Photography assistance, e.g. displaying suggestions to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method for photographing a business card in a portable terminal. The method includes recognizing boundary lines of the business card from an image received from a camera when a recognition and photographing key for a business card is selected, and allowing the business card to be automatically photographed by using the recognized boundary lines.

Claims

1. A method of photographing a business card in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

recognizing boundary lines of the business card from an image received from a camera when a recognition and photographing key for a business card is selected;

displaying, on a display unit, predetermined reference boundary lines and the image having the recognized boundary lines of the business card;

determining whether the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines; and

automatically photographing the business card, when the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines.

2. The method of claim 1, when at least one of the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincides with the predetermined reference boundary lines, further comprising changing the at least one coinciding predetermined reference boundary line according to a predetermined method.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined method comprises changing at least one of a color, shape, and thickness of the coinciding predetermined reference boundary line.

4. The method of claim 1, when the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines, further comprising informing a user that automatic photographing of the business card is to be performed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein informing of the automatic photographing comprises changing at least one of a shape, thickness, and color of the coinciding predetermined reference boundary lines.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein informing of the automatic photographing comprises at least one of generating an alarm sound and displaying a message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically photographing the business card comprises:

performing auto focusing when the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines;

determining whether the recognized boundary lines of the business card still coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines after performing auto focusing; and

automatically photographing the business card when the recognized boundary lines of the business card still coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the recognition and photographing key is selected, determining whether a brightness of the image received from the camera satisfies a predetermined condition; and

when it is determined that the brightness of the image does not satisfy the predetermined condition, displaying a message requesting brightness control.

9. An apparatus for photographing a business card in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an image processor for recognizing boundary lines of the business card from an image received from a camera when a menu for recognizing and photographing the business card is selected;

a display unit for displaying predetermined reference boundary lines and the image having the recognized boundary lines of the business card when the menu for recognizing and photographing the business card is selected; and

a controller for automatically photographing the business card when the recognized boundary lines of business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller performs auto focusing when the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display unit displays a change in at least one coinciding predetermined reference boundary line according to a predetermined method when at least one of the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincides with the predetermined reference boundary lines.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined method comprises changing at least one of a color, shape, and thickness of the coinciding predetermined reference boundary line.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a camera unit for extracting brightness data from the image received from the camera, and providing the brightness data to the controller,

wherein the controller compares the brightness data with a reference brightness value, and displays a message requesting brightness control on the display unit when the brightness data is less than the reference brightness value.

14. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for photographing a business card in a portable terminal, comprising:

a first code segment, for recognizing boundary lines of the business card from an image received from a camera when a recognition and photographing key for a business card is selected;

a second code segment for displaying, on a display unit, predetermined reference boundary lines and the image having the recognized boundary lines of the business card;

a third code segment for determining whether the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines; and

a fourth code segment, for automatically photographing the business card, when the recognized boundary lines of the business card coincide with the predetermined reference boundary lines.