Method and apparatus for portably recognizing text in an image sequence of scene imagery
An apparatus and a concomitant method for portably detecting and recognizing text information in a captured imagery. The present invention is a portable device that is capable of capturing imagery and is also capable of detecting and extracting text information from the captured imagery. The portable device contains an image capturing sensor, a text detection module, an OCR module, a storage device and means for presenting the output to the user or other devices.
1. Method for portably recognizing text in a captured imagery, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) capturing an imagery having text information using a portable device;
(b) portably detecting a text region in the captured imagery in real time;
(c) applying optical character recognition (OCR) processing to said detected text region to produce recognized text;
(d) correlating supplemental information extrinsic to said imagery with said recognized text; and
(e) providing said recognized text and said supplemental information as an output of said portable device.
2. Apparatus for portably recognizing text in a captured imagery, said apparatus comprising:
means for capturing an imagery having text information using a portable device;
means for portably detecting a text region in the captured imagery in real time;
means for applying optical character recognition (OCR) processing to said detected text region to produce recognized text;
means for correlating supplemental information extrinsic to said imagery with said recognized text; and
means for providing said recognized text and said supplemental information as an output of said portable device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing step (e) provides said output via a display.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing step (e) provides said output via a speaker.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing step (e) provides said output via an output port.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said supplemental information contains travel information.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said supplemental information contains vehicle information.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said supplemental information contains information obtained from a web address.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(f) dynamically applying lexicon processing in accordance with the correlated supplemental information.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(f) applying language translation in accordance with said recognized text.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(b1) adjusting said detected text region to produce a rectified image prior to the application of OCR processing.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
(b2) applying binarization to said rectified image prior to the application of OCR processing.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(c1) applying lexicon processing subsequent to said OCR processing to produce said recognized text.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said lexicon processing is dynamically applied.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(c1) applying false text elimination processing subsequent to said OCR processing to produce said recognized text.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(f) providing said recognized text to a navigation system.
17. A computer readable medium containing an executable program for portably recognizing text in a captured imagery, where the program performs the steps of:
(a) capturing an imagery having text information using a portable device;
(b) portably detecting a text region in the captured imagery in real time;
(c) applying optical character recognition (OCR) processing to said detected text region to produce recognized text;
(d) correlating supplemental information extrinsic to said imagery with said recognized text; and
(e) providing said recognized text and said supplemental information as an output of said portable device.