Method and system for locating position in printed texts and delivering multimedia information
AssigneeChatterbox Systems, Inc.
InventorsJoel Bresler, Jack Raffel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for processing printed material to provide an index of locations within the printed material that can be associated with external actions such as displaying a graphical image, providing an audio or video output, or providing a multimedia output. The associations are stored in a database. Apparatus and methods are also disclosed that allow a user to image the printed material and by indicating a desired location within the printed material can cause one of the associated actions to be executed.
Claims26
An apparatus for processing printed material comprising:
- an input module operative to receive an electronic scan the printed material and provide a bitmapped image thereof;
- a processing module, receiving the bitmapped image and operative to process the bitmapped image to create an index listing the location of at least one identified location within the bitmapped image referenced to a unique characteristic of the bitmapped image, the processing module providing the association between the identified location within the printed material and the unique characteristic of the printed material;
- and
- an association module receiving the printed material and the index, the association module operative to associate the identified location with a predetermined external action.
An apparatus for processing printed material, the apparatus including a previously processed image of the printed material having an index of at least one identified location and an at least one external action associated with each identified location, the apparatus comprising:
- an imager to image the printed material and to provide a bitmapped image thereof;
- a pointer device operative to designate a user-indicated position within the printed material;
- a processing module, operative to receive and to process the bitmapped image to identify the designated location according to a unique characteristic of the bitmapped image;
- a comparison module operative to compare the identified designated location and the index of identified locations within the processed text and to provide output signals indicative of either a match between the designated location and one of the identified locations or no match occurring;
- an output device responsive to the output signals indicative of a match and operative to execute the at least one external action associated with the matched identified location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.