# US 2018/0025246 A1 · Realtime object measurement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025246 A1 - Document ID: US20180025246A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/723,576 - Filed: 2017-10-03 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-08 - Assignees: Sage Software, Inc. - Applicants: Sage Software, Inc. - Inventors: Scott E. Barton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025246A1 ## CPC - G06V 30/15: {Cutting or merging image elements, e.g. region growing, watershed or clustering-based techniques} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06V 30/168: Smoothing or thinning of the pattern; Skeletonisation - G06V 30/224: of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks - G06V 30/10: Character recognition - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A system and process of nearsighted (myopia) camera object detection involves detecting the objects through edge detection and outlining or thickening them with a heavy border. Thickening may include making the object bold in the case of text characters. The bold characters are then much more apparent and heavier weighted than the background. Thresholding operations are then applied (usually multiple times) to the grayscale image to remove all but the darkest foreground objects in the background resulting in a nearsighted (myopic) image. Additional processes may be applied to the nearsighted image, such as morphological closing, contour tracing and bounding of the objects or characters. The bound objects or characters can then be averaged to provide repositioning feedback for the camera user. Processed images can then be captured and subjected to OCR to extract relevant information from the image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of communicating adjustments for relative positioning of a handheld electronic device with a camera, and a document, the method comprising: continuously receiving, at a processor of the handheld electronic device, a plurality of images of characters on the document; dynamically detecting edges of the characters while continuously receiving the images; thickening the edges of the characters; thresholding the edges of the characters; displaying, using a display of the handheld camera, the edges of the characters; determining an average font height of the characters using the edges of the characters; and determining relative positioning information about positioning of the handheld electronic device relative to the document. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the relative positioning information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a focal length range of the camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically detecting edges of the characters includes estimating a gradient of characters in the images. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically detecting and thickening edges of the characters include using a Sobel operator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein thickening the edges includes calculating a magnitude of a gradient of the detected edges of the characters. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein thresholding includes using an assumption of a foreground and background in the images. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein thresholding includes removing grayscale from a background of the source image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein thresholding is repeated on at least one of the images until a nearsighted image is generated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising morphologically closing characters after thresholding. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a contour of the characters. ### Claim 12 A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embedded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer-executable instructions for communicating adjustments for relative positioning of a handheld electronic device with a camera, and a document, the computer-executable instructions comprising: computer-executable instructions for dynamically detecting edges of characters on the document as a processor of the handheld electronic device continuously receives a plurality of images of the characters from the camera of the handheld electronic device; computer-executable instructions for thickening the edges of the characters; computer-executable instructions for thresholding the edges of the characters; computer-executable instructions for displaying, using a display of the handheld electronic device, the edges of the characters; computer-executable instructions for determining an average font height of the characters using the edges of the characters; and computer-executable instructions for determining relative positioning information about positioning of the handheld electronic device relative to the document. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer-executable instructions for displaying the relative positioning information on the display. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions for dynamically detecting and thickening edges of the characters include using a Sobel operator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions for thickening the edges includes computer-executable instructions for calculating a magnitude of a gradient of the detected edges of the characters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions for thresholding includes computer-executable instructions for using an assumption of a foreground and background in the images. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions for thresholding includes computer-executable instructions for removing grayscale from a background of the source image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions for thresholding includes computer-executable instructions thresholding is repeated on at least one of the images until a nearsighted image is generated. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer-executable instructions for morphologically closing characters after thresholding. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer-executable instructions for determining a contour of the characters. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions for determining the contour includes computer-executable instructions for determining contour points.