Method for outputting consecutive characters in video-recording mode

• US 8,401,335 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Yu-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/759,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20100272360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 382/282, 382/284, 382/294, 382/174, 382/176, 382/181, 382/182
• US Class Current: 382/284
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for outputting consecutive characters in a video-recording mode. The method includes obtaining a first image and a second image from an object, comparing the first image and the second image to obtain a third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image, removing the third image from the second image to generate a fourth image, integrating the fourth image with the first image to obtain a fifth image and recognize characters on the fifth image by OCR software and output the characters of the fifth image.

Claims

1. A method for outputting consecutive characters in a video-recording mode, comprising:

recording the object by a camera along a direction to obtain a first image and a second image, wherein the second image is the next image of the first image;

performing an edge detection on the first image and the second image, further comprises;

converting the grey scale data of the pixels of the image and the second image as follows;

Edge(P_(i,j))=Diff(P<sub>(i,j−

1)</sub>,P_(i,j+1))+Diff(P<sub>(i+1,j−

1),</sub>P<sub>(i−

,j+1)</sub>)+Diff(P_(i+1,j),P<sub>(i,j−

1)</sub>)+Diff(P_(i+1,j+1)),P<sub>(i−

1,j−

1)</sub>);

wherein i, j, X, Y represent positive integers, and Edge(P_(i,j)) represents the grey scale data after the edge detection;

wherein Diff(P_X,P_Y)=abs[(P_X(G)−

P_Y(R))×

(P_Y(G)−

P_X(B)×

(P_X(B)−

P_Y(R))], and the abs is an absolute value function, P_X(G) is the green grey scale value of the pixel X, P_Y(R) is the red grey scale value of the pixel Y, and P_Y(G) is the green grey scale value of the pixel Y, P_X(B) is the blue grey scale value of the pixel X, P_Y(R) is the red grey scale value of the pixel Y.

comparing the first image with the second image to obtain a third image which is an overlapping part of the first image and the second image;

removing the third image from the second image to generate a fourth image;

merging the fourth image with the first image to generate a fifth image; and

performing an optical character recognition (OCR) on the fifth image, to output the characters in the fifth image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the first image with the second image to obtain the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image comprises:

comparing the first image and the second image from the part of the first image at the direction and the part of the second image at a direction opposite to the direction until the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image is obtained.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of merging the fourth with the first image to generate a fifth image is comprises:

merging the part of the fourth image at a direction opposite to the direction with the part of the first image at the direction.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of comparing the first image with the second image to obtain the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image further comprises:

detecting characteristics of the characters in the first image and the second image to obtain the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of detecting the characteristics of the characters in the first image and the second image to obtain the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image comprises:

searching characteristic pattern of the characters in the second image to compare and search in the first image to obtain the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

detecting shapes of the characters of the first image and the second image to obtain the third image which is the overlapping part of the first image and the second image.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing an focused-area abstraction on the first image and the second image to reduce the sizes of the first image and the second image.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of performing the focused-area abstraction on the first image and the second image comprises:

detecting non-character parts of the first image and the second image; and

cutting the non-character parts of the first image and the second image.