Method and apparatus for selecting text and image data from video images

An apparatus for selecting text and image data from documents, comprising:

• an image capture device having a field of view;
• a memory for storing instructions, and the text and the image data from the documents;
• a processor for communicating with said image capture device and said memory;
• said processor for executing the instructions stored in said memory;
• a display, controlled by said processor, for displaying an image capture image capture device;
• the displayed image containing text matter being defined by one of grayscale image data and color image data;
• and
• a user input device, coupled to said processor, for receiving a first user input and a second user input;
• the first user input defining both a start of a selection and a first position within the displayed image;
• the second user input defining both an end of the selection and a second position within the displayed image;
• wherein the instructions stored in said memory further comprises:
• means for freezing the displayed image to define a frozen displayed image;
• means for determining a skew angle θ of the text matter with respect to the field of view of said image capture device;
• and
• means for determining, using the skew angle θ, a selection element;
• the selection element having a position, a shape, and dimensions that are, at least, dependent upon the first position;
• and
• means for superimposing the selection element on the frozen displayed image displayed on said display;
• wherein the instructions stored in said memory further comprise:
• means for selecting a word of the text matter within the displayed image;
• said selecting means determining the selection element to include a selection block overlaying the word;
• means for determining a word separation value (Sw)min from measured values of separation between adjacent pairs of characters in the text matter;
• and
• means determining dimensions of the selection block in a direction of flow of the text matter as a function of the word separation value (Sw)min.

A method for selecting text and image data from documents with an image processing system in which images of documents are captured by an image capture device having a field of view, comprising the steps of:

• (a) displaying an image captured by the image capture device;
• the displayed image containing text matter being defined by one of grayscale image data and color image data;
• (b) receiving a first user input defining both a start of a selection and a first position within the displayed image;
• (c) responsive to said step (b), freezing the displayed image to define a frozen displayed image;
• (d) determining a skew angle θ of the text matter with respect to the field of view of the image capture device;
• (e) receiving a second user input defining both an end of the selection and a second position within the displayed image;
• the second user input defining a final user input;
• (f) determining, using the skew angle θ determined in said step (d), a selection element;
• the selection element having a position, a shape, and dimensions that are, at least, dependent upon the first position;
• (g) displaying the selection element superimposed on the frozen displayed image;
• and
• (h) receiving a third user input after receiving the second user input;
• the third user input indicating selection of a sentence containing a word identified by the first user input and the second user input.

An apparatus for selecting text and image data from documents, comprising:

• an image capture device having a field of view;
• a memory for storing instructions, and the text and the image data from the documents;
• a processor for communicating with said image capture device and said memory;
• said processor for executing the instructions stored in said memory;
• a display, controlled by said processor, for displaying an image captured by said image capture device;
• the displayed image containing text matter being defined by one of grayscale image data and color image data;
• and
• a user input device, coupled to said processor, for receiving a first user input and a second user input;
• the first user input defining both a start of a selection and a first position within the displayed image;
• the second user input defining both an end of the selection and a second position within the displayed image;
• wherein the instructions stored in said memory further comprises:
• means for freezing the displayed image to define a frozen displayed image;
• means for determining a skew angle θ of the text matter with respect to the field of view of said image capture device;
• and
• means for determining, using the skew angle θ, a selection element;
• the selection element having a position, a shape, and dimensions that are, at least, dependent upon the first position;
• and
• means for superimposing the selection element on the frozen displayed image displayed on said display;
• wherein said user input device receives a third user input after receiving the second user input;
• the third user input indicating selection of a sentence containing a word identified by the first user input and the second user input.

A method for selecting text and image data from documents with an image processing system in which images of documents are captured by an image capture device having a field of view, comprising the steps of:

• (a) displaying an image captured by the image capture device;
• the displayed image containing text matter being defined by one of grayscale image data and color image data;
• (b) receiving a first user input defining both a start of a selection and a first position within the displayed image;
• (c) responsive to said step (b), freezing the displayed image to define a frozen displayed image;
• (d) determining a skew angle θ of the text matter with respect to the field of view of the image capture device;
• (e) receiving a second user input defining both an end of the selection and a second position within the displayed image;
• the second user input defining a final user input;
• (f) determining, using the skew angle θ determined in said step (d), a selection element;
• the selection element having a position, a shape, and dimensions that are, at least, dependent upon the first position;
• (g) displaying the selection element superimposed on the frozen displayed image;
• (h) extracting image data defining the selection element from the image;
• and (l) rotating the extracted image data through a negative angle of the determined skew angle θ.

An apparatus for selecting text and image data from documents, comprising:

• an image capture device having a field of view;
• a memory for storing instructions, and the text and the image data from the documents;
• a processor for communicating with said image capture device and said memory;
• said processor for executing the instructions stored in said memory;
• a display, controlled by said processor, for displaying an image captured by said image capture device;
• the displayed image containing text matter being defined by one of grayscale image data and color image data;
• and
• a user input device, coupled to said processor, for receiving a first user input and a second user input:
• the first user input defining both a start of a selection and a first position within the displayed image;
• the second user input defining both an end of the selection and a second position within the displayed image;
• wherein the instructions stored in said memory further comprises:
• means for freezing the displayed image to define a frozen displayed image;
• means for determining a skew angle θ of the text matter with respect to the field of view of said image capture device;
• and
• means for determining, using the skew angle θ, a selection element;
• the selection element having a position, a shape, and dimensions that are, at least, dependent upon the first position;
• means for superimposing the selection element on the frozen displayed image displayed on said display;
• means for extracting image data defining the selection element from the image;
• and
• means for rotating the extracted image data through a negative angle of the determined skew angle θ.