Method and apparatus for enhanced document capture

• US 8,903,201 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Blasczak, Matthew D., Epshteyn, Alan J., Kumbalakkuzhiyil, Mehaboob, Vande Vyvre, Bruno, Wang, Michelle X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Duy M
• Application Number:
  US13/316,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20130148914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 382/294, 382/312, 382/313, 382/317, 348/231.9, 358/1.9, 358/497
• US Class Current: 382/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00331 with an apparatus performing optical character recognition character recognition G06V30/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 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 1/00702 Position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00718 Skew
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00726 Other properties of the sheet, e.g. curvature or reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00737 using the scanning elements as detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00758 using a prescan
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00771 Indicating or reporting, e.g. issuing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0416 Performing a pre-scan
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/043 Viewing the scanned area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0432 Adjusting the orientation of the scanning elements relative to the scanned sheet, e.g. changing from longitudinal to lateral scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0436 : Scanning a picture-bearing surface lying face up on a support H04N2201/0434 takes precedence; using cylindrical picture bearing surfaces H04N1/06; with manual scanning H04N1/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0452 : Indicating the scanned area, e.g. by projecting light marks onto the medium

Abstract

A system and method for processing an image of a document is disclosed. The method includes receiving at least one predetermined document parameter of the document. An image of the document is previewed on a display using a camera. The display provides a visual indication of a defect in the image based on the preview. A processor proposes a procedure to minimize the defect in the image. A user adjusts the camera in response to the proposal. The processor processes the image of the document.

Claims

1. A method for processing an image of a document, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller, at least one predetermined document parameter of the document;

previewing, by the controller, an image of the document on a display using a camera;

providing, by the controller, a visual indication of the defect in the image based on the preview;

proposing, by the controller, a procedure to minimize the defect in the image;

continuously monitoring the image, by the controller, to determine when the defect is sufficiently minimized; and

processing, by the controller, the image of the document in response to determining that the defect is sufficiently minimized.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the procedure is chosen from the group comprising tilting the camera, translating the camera, refocusing the camera, rotating the camera, changing the distance between the camera and the document, adjusting an illumination, adjusting a contrast of the camera, adjusting an exposure of the camera, and removing a visible obstruction from a field of view of the camera.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the defect is chosen from the group comprising image skew, image out-of-focus, image translated, image rotated, image obstructed, image improperly illuminated, and bounding box misaligned.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the image of the document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the image comprises performing optical character recognition on the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the image comprises decoding a barcode present in the image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising viewing the image on a display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the procedure comprises overlaying a bounding box over the image displayed on the display and adjusting the camera until a desired portion of the document aligns with the bounding box.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the procedure comprises overlaying a plurality of bounding boxes on the image displayed on the display and adjusting the camera until a corresponding plurality of portions of the document align with the plurality of bounding boxes.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the procedure comprises overlaying a directional arrow on the image to indicate to the user which direction to move the camera.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an audio indication of the defect.

12. A mobile device for processing an image of a document, the mobile device comprising:

a memory storing at least one predetermined document parameter of the document;

a camera providing an image of a document;

a processor coupled to the camera, the processor previewing the image of the document; and

a display providing a visual indication of the defect in the image based on the preview of the image,

wherein the processor proposes a procedure to minimize the defect in the image;

continuously monitors the image to determine when the defect is sufficiently minimized; and

processes the image of the document upon a user adjusting the camera in response to the proposal in response to the processor determining that the defect is sufficiently minimized.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the procedure is chosen from the group comprising tilting the camera, translating the camera, refocusing the camera, rotating the camera, changing the distance between the camera and the document, adjusting an illumination, adjusting a contrast of the camera, adjusting an exposure of the camera, and removing a visible obstruction from a field of view of the camera.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the defect is chosen from the group comprising image skew, image out-of-focus, image translated, image rotated, image obstructed, image improperly illuminated, and bounding box misaligned.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor processes the image by performing optical character recognition on the image.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor processes the image by decoding a barcode present in the image.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor captures the image of the document.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the display displays the image.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the procedure comprises the processor overlaying a bounding box over the image displayed on the display and the user adjusting the camera until a desired portion of the document aligns with the bounding box.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the procedure comprises the processor overlaying a plurality of bounding boxes on the image displayed on the display and the user adjusting the camera until a corresponding plurality of portions of the document align with the plurality of bounding boxes.

21. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the procedure comprises the processor overlaying a directional arrow on the image to indicate to the user which direction to move the camera.

22. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising a speaker for providing an audio indication of the defect.