Methods and devices that use an image-captured pointer for selecting a portion of a captured image

• US 8,577,146 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thrn, Ola, Lessing, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, JON CARLTON
• Application Number:
  US12/757,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/282, 345/156, 345/157, 715/863
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1456 based on user interactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00795 Reading arrangements details of scanning heads H04N1/024; scanning arrangements therefor H04N1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00811 according to user specified instructions, e.g. user selection of reading mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00816 Determining the reading area, e.g. eliminating reading of margins
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0452 Indicating the scanned area, e.g. by projecting light marks onto the medium

Abstract

An electronic device includes a camera that is configured to generate a visual data signal that corresponds to dynamically captured graphic content that includes an image and a pointer that is operable to communicate a selection characteristic of the image. A signal processor receives the visual data signal and is operable to identify a portion of the image in the dynamically captured graphic content responsive to the selection characteristic communicated by the pointer.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a camera that is configured to generate a visual data signal that corresponds to dynamically captured graphic content that includes an image and a pointer that is operable to communicate a selection characteristic of the image, wherein the pointer comprises a user digit, and wherein the selection characteristic comprises an underline characteristic that is operable to identify the portion of the image by an underlining motion that is dynamically captured;

a signal processor that receives the visual data signal and is operable to identify a portion of the image in the dynamically captured graphic content responsive to the selection characteristic communicated by the pointer; and

a transceiver that is configured to send the portion of the image to a processor that is external to the electronic device, wherein the external processor is configured to analyze the portion of the image and to identify a source corresponding to the image responsive to analyzing the portion of the image, and wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive source data corresponding to the image responsive to the processor identifying the source, and

wherein the signal processor is further configured to provide the source data for use on the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the pointer comprises two user digits,

wherein the selection characteristic comprises a border characteristic that defines starting point that corresponds to a first one of the two user digits and an ending point that corresponds to a second one of the two user digits, and

wherein the portion of the image is between the starting point and ending point.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the starting point and the ending point are horizontally spaced apart to define the portion of the image as a plurality of words in a line of text data.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the starting point and the ending point are spaced apart to define the portion of the image as a plurality of lines of text data.

5. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the pointer comprises two user digits,

wherein the selection characteristic comprises an aspect ratio characteristic that defines a substantially rectangular portion of text data by diagonally opposite corners thereof.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the source data comprises a source name, a unique source identifier, and/or text data that corresponds to the portion of the image.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the portion of the image by recognizing at least one pattern in the portion of the image, the at least one pattern including a text data appearance, a text data format and/or at least one set including multiple words of text.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the visual data signal comprises a video signal that includes multiple frames per second of the image and the pointer.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile communication terminal, and wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver to send and receive wireless communication signals over the network to allow two-way voice and data communications with the mobile communication terminal.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is further configured to provide the source data for at least one of manipulation, listing and shopping through user operation of the electronic device.

11. A method comprising:

identifying a portion of an image and a user directed pointer captured by a camera of a mobile communication terminal responsive to the user directed pointer that is operable to identify the portion of the image, wherein the user directed pointer includes a user digit, and wherein the image includes alphanumeric text;

generating visual data representing the portion of the image;

sending the visual data over a network to a processor external to the mobile communication terminal that is configured, to identify a source of the alphanumeric;

text and generate source data corresponding to the source;

receiving the source data over the network; and

providing the source data for use on the mobile communication terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user directed pointer includes a user digit, wherein identifying the portion of the image further comprises:

receiving video data of the image and the user digit that identifies the portion of the image.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein sending the visual data representing the portion of the image comprises streaming video data to the external processor, the streaming video data including the portion of the image that is identified by the user digit in the video data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving data corresponding to the image responsive to analyzing the portion of the image that is identified by the user digit.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the source data includes a source name, a unique source identifier, and/or text data that corresponds to the portion of the alphanumeric text.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the portion of the image comprises capturing a marking-up function in the generated visual data via user digit gestures relative to the image.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the source data for use comprises providing the source data for at least one of user manipulation, listing and shopping.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the network is a wireless network.