Augmented reality document processing

A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) storing computer readable program code for processing an image of a physical document to enable digital searching of the physical document embodied therein, the computer readable program code causes a computer to:

• obtain a digital copy of the physical document;
• receive an instruction to search for a point of interest in the physical document;
• image the physical document and determine that the point of interest is on a surface of the physical document;
• and
• project, using a projector and onto the surface of the physical document, a visual-aid component that physically overlaps with the point of interest to highlight the point of interest on the surface of the physical document, wherein
• the physical document is a page within a stack of physical documents, the digital copy includes all pages in the stack, and the computer readable program code further causes the computer to:
• image a top-most page of the stack and determining that the point of interest is not on the top-most page;
• image, after removing the top-most page of the stack in response to determining that the point of interest is not on the top-most page, a next-top-most page of the stack under the removed top-most page to find the point of interest;
• determine that the point of interest is on a surface of the next-top-most page;
• and project, using the projector and onto the surface of the next-top-most page, the visual aid component to highlight the point of interest on the surface of the next-top-most page.

A system for processing an image of a physical document to enable digital searching of the physical document, the system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a computer processor connected to the memory, wherein
• the computer processor:
• obtains a digital copy of the physical document;
• receives an instruction to search for a point of interest in the physical document;
• images the physical document and determines that the point of interest is on a surface of the physical document;
• and
• projects, using a projector and onto the surface of the physical document, a visual-aid component that physically overlaps with the point of interest to highlight the point of interest on the surface of the physical document,
• the physical document is a page within a stack of physical documents, the digital copy includes all pages in the stack, and
• the computer processor further:
• images a top-most page of the stack and determining that the point of interest is not on the top-most page;
• images, after removing the top-most page of the stack in response to determining that the point of interest is not on the top-most page, a next-top-most page of the stack under the removed top-most page to find the point of interest;
• determines that the point of interest is on a surface of the next-top-most page;
• and
• projects, using the projector and onto the surface of the next-top-most page, the visual aid component to highlight the point of interest on the surface of the next-top-most page.