Business card information exchange method combining character recognition and image matching

• US 9,298,708 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intsig Information Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Instig Information Company Limited
• Inventors: Luo, Xiping
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US14/126,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 382/171, 382/187, 382/190, 382/209, 382/282, 382/305, 358/537, 358/538, 358/462
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/418 Document matching, e.g. of document images

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is a method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching, and the method is applicable in a network system composed of a website server, a first client, and a second client. The method comprises at least: the first client uploading to the website server character information and an image feature acquired from a business card image of a second client user; the website server retrieving all the prestored business cards matched with the character information from a business card database, performing an image feature matching, then selecting a candidate business card on the basis of the similarity of the image feature, and determining if the candidate business card belongs to the second client user; if so, then after obtaining the second client'"'"' permission, the website server transmitting the business card information of the second client user to the first client, while also transmitting the business card information of the first client to the second client; and if not, then ending the procedure. This ensures the accuracy and recognition speed of exchanging business card information, and further protects the privacy of the business card owners.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching, wherein the method is applicable in a network system comprising at least a website server, a first client, and a second client;

wherein the website server comprises a business card database that prestores business card information;

the first and the second clients have functions of capturing business card images, recognizing character information and extracting image features, the method comprising;

1) the first client capturing a business card image of the second client user, and then recognizing character information on the business card image and extracts image features;

2) the first client uploading a recognized character information and an extracted image feature onto the website server, and sending a business card recognition request;

3) the website server receiving the business card recognition request, thereafter retrieving the prestored business cards that match the character information from the business card database according to the recognized character information, performing image feature matching on every business card image of the prestored business cards that have been retrieved with the business card image of the second client user, and generating a measurement value representative of a degree of similarity with respect to each candidate business card according to the similarities of the image features;

4) the website server assigning one business card having the highest measurement value as the candidate business card;

5) determining whether or not the candidate business card belongs to the second client user; and

if so, the website server sending an exchanging request to the second client, and after receiving permission from the second client, the website server transmitting the business card information of the second client user to the first client, while also transmitting the business card information of the first client to the second client,

wherein the business card information comprises the business card image, the character information, and image, audio or video information of the business card owner.

2. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the character information comprises at least one of;

name, professional title, telephone number, fax number, address, post code, email address, website address, and product information on the business card.

3. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

in the step

     1), the first client captures the business card image of the second client user by means of a digital photography device or a scanner device.

4. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

in the step

     1), the first client recognizes the character information on the business card image and extracts the image feature, by means of optical character recognition technology.

5. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the website server presets a reference value for comparison with the measurement value, and the measurement value and the reference value are both integers;

in step

     5), when the website server determines whether or not the candidate business card belongs to the second client user, whether or not the measurement value is bigger than the reference value is determined, and if so, the website server sends the exchanging request to the second client, if not, the procedure ends.

6. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

in step

     3), after the website server receives the business card recognition request, if prestored business cards that match the character information cannot be retrieved from the business card database according to the character information, the procedure ends.

7. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

in the step

     3), the image feature matching refers to performing matching on feature points and feature vectors corresponding to each feature point with respect to the business card image of the prestored business cards and the business card image of the second client user.

8. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

in the step

     5), the website server sends the exchanging request to the second client, and when the second client prohibits, the procedure ends.

9. The method for exchanging business card information by combining character recognition and image matching according to claim 1, characterized in that:

in the step

     5), when the website server transmits the business card information of the first client to the second client, the website server registers the business card information of the first client in the website server at the same time, and keeps it in the business card database.