Viewing aid with tracking system, and method of use

• US 10,115,030 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freedom Scientific Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Freedom Scientific Incorporated
• Inventors: Siminou, Kamran
• Primary Examiner(s): Navas, Jr., Edemio
• Application Number:
  US15/488,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1444 Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1456 based on user interactions
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/043 Viewing the scanned area
• 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

Abstract

A viewing aid includes a camera, a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera, a memory, a display, and software programmed to track a tracking element within the field of view. Viewing material is placed on the viewing surface. The camera, viewing surface, and material all remain substantially stationary. The camera captures and stores an initial image of the material in the memory. The software then tracks the location of a tracking element within the field of view then maps the location to a portion of the initial image in memory using an X-Y coordinate system, and/or identifies character elements of the material adjacent the tracking element then maps the character elements to corresponding character elements of the initial image in memory. An enhanced image is then displayed on the display corresponding to the mapped portion of the initial image.

Claims

1. A viewing aid comprising:

a camera;

a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera, and substantially fixed relative to the camera;

a memory in data communication with the camera; and

a display in data communication with the memory;

wherein the camera is configured to capture an initial image of viewing material on the viewing surface and to store the initial image in the memory;

the viewing aid further comprising software configured to program the viewing aid to perform a process comprising;

1) determine a first location of a tracking element within the field of view by identifying X-Y coordinates of the first location based on an X-Y reference frame associated with the field of view;

2) map the location to a corresponding first mapped portion of the initial image in the memory which is less than the full initial image;

3) display on the display a first enhanced image generated from the initial image stored in the memory, the first enhanced image corresponding only to the first mapped portion of the initial image;

4) continuously track a motion of the tracking element within the field of view using the camera; and

5) pan the initial image to display on the display successive enhanced images generated from the initial image stored in the memory based on the tracked motion of the tracking element.

2. The viewing aid of claim 1, wherein the camera has a fixed field of view.

3. The viewing aid of claim 2, wherein the successive enhanced images comprise OCR-converted text from the initial image.

4. The viewing aid of claim 1, wherein the successive enhanced images comprise OCR-converted text from the successive mapped portions of the initial image.

5. The viewing aid of claim 1, further comprising adjustability controls configured to adjust characteristics of the first enhanced image.

6. A viewing aid comprising:

a camera;

a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera, and substantially fixed relative to the camera;

a memory in data communication with the camera; and

a display in data communication with the memory;

wherein the camera is configured to capture an initial image of viewing material on the viewing surface and to store the initial image in the memory;

the viewing aid further comprising software configured to program the viewing aid to perform a process comprising;

1) identify character elements of the viewing material within the field of view adjacent a tracking element in a first location;

2) map the character elements to corresponding character elements of the initial image in the memory to determine a first mapped portion of the initial image corresponding to a portion of the viewing material adjacent the tracking element in which the first mapped portion is less than the full initial image;

3) display on the display a first enhanced image generated from the initial image and corresponding only to the first mapped portion of the initial image;

4) identify successive character elements of the viewing material within the field of view adjacent the tracking element in successive locations different than the first location;

5) map the successive character elements to corresponding character elements of the initial image in the memory to determine successive mapped portions of the initial image corresponding to a portion of the viewing material adjacent the successive location in which the successive mapped portions are less than the full initial image;

6) pan the initial image to display on the display successive enhanced images generated from the initial image stored in the memory corresponding to the successive mapped portions.

7. The viewing aid of claim 6, wherein the enhanced images comprise a magnification of the initial image.

8. The viewing aid of claim 6, wherein the successive enhanced images comprise OCR-converted text from the successive mapped portions of the initial image.

9. The viewing aid of claim 6, wherein the first enhanced image comprises OCR-converted text from the initial image.

10. The viewing aid of claim 6, further comprising adjustability controls configured to adjust characteristics of the enhanced image.

11. A method of viewing an image, using a viewing aid comprising a camera, a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera and substantially fixed relative to the camera, a memory in data communication with the camera, and a display in data communication with the memory, the method comprising:

capturing, with the camera, an initial image of viewing material on the viewing surface;

storing the initial image of the material in the memory;

determining a first location of a tracking element within the field of view by identifying X-Y coordinates of the first location based on an X-Y reference frame associated with the field of view;

mapping the location to a corresponding first mapped portion of the initial image in the memory which is less than the full initial image;

displaying on the display a first enhanced image generated from the initial image stored in the memory, the first enhanced image corresponding only to the first mapped portion of the initial image;

continuously tracking a motion of the tracking element within the field of view using the camera; and

panning the initial image to display on the display successive enhanced images generated from the initial image stored in the memory based on the tracked motion of the tracking element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the camera has a fixed field of view.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the successive enhanced images on the display comprises displaying OCR-converted text from the successive mapped portions of the initial image.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the successive enhanced images on the display comprises displaying OCR-converted text from the initial image.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising using adjustability controls to adjust characteristics of the enhanced image.

16. A method of viewing an image, using a viewing aid comprising a camera, a viewing surface within a field of view of the camera and substantially fixed relative to the camera, a memory in data communication with the camera, and a display in data communication with the memory, the method comprising:

capturing, with the camera, an initial image of viewing material on the viewing surface;

storing the initial image of the material in the memory;

identifying character elements of the viewing material within the field of view adjacent a tracking element in a first location;

mapping the character elements to corresponding character elements of the initial image in the memory to determine a first mapped portion of the initial image corresponding to a portion of the viewing material adjacent the tracking element in which the first mapped portion is less than the full initial image;

displaying on the display a first enhanced image generated from the initial image and corresponding only to the first mapped portion of the initial image;

identifying successive character elements of the viewing material within the field of view adjacent the tracking element in successive locations different than the first location;

mapping the successive character elements to corresponding character elements of the initial image in the memory to determine successive mapped portions of the initial image corresponding to a portion of the viewing material adjacent the successive location in which the successive mapped portions are less than the full initial image; and

panning the initial image to display on the display successive enhanced images generated from the initial image stored in the memory corresponding to the successive mapped portions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the enhanced images comprise a magnification of the initial image.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the successive enhanced images on the display comprises displaying OCR-converted text from the successive mapped portions of the initial image.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein displaying the enhanced images on the display comprises displaying OCR-converted text from the initial image.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising using adjustability controls to adjust characteristics of the enhanced image.