IP Library Granted Patent US 7,945,116
Granted Patent B2
US 7,945,116 · App. 11/841,268 · Granted May 17, 2011

Computer-assisted image cropping for book scans

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,945,116
App. No.
11/841,268
Granted
May 17, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems for cropping images of book pages are disclosed according to one embodiment of the invention. A method may include identifying reference images and receiving cropping rectangles for the reference images. These cropping rectangles associated with reference images may then be used to generate cropping rectangles for images of book pages between the reference images. The cropping rectangles may be generated based on a linear interpolation of the cropping rectangles associated with the reference images and the number of pages between images. The method may also display one or more images of book pages with the associated one or more cropping rectangles superimposed thereon. A user may then have the opportunity to make adjustments to the position and/or size of the cropping rectangles.

Claims (53)

1. A method for cropping a plurality of related images, the method comprising:

providing a scanned document;

receiving a page interval identifying a plurality of pages from the scanned document;

identifying a first reference image on a first page of the page interval;

identifying a second reference image on a second page of the page interval, wherein the first page and the second page are separated by a plurality of pages having images thereon;

defining a first cropping area on the first page for the first reference image;

defining a second cropping area on the second page for the second reference image, wherein the position of the first cropping area with respect to the first page is different than the position of the second cropping area with respect to the second page;

defining a cropping area on each of the plurality of pages for each of the images thereon, wherein the cropping areas on each of the plurality of pages are defined based on the positions of the first cropping area and the second cropping area;

providing an interface adapted to allow a user to adjust one or more of the cropping areas;

displaying on the interface, each of the pages with the associated cropping areas superimposed thereon;

receiving from the user, an adjustment of at least one of the cropping areas of the plurality of pages; and

redefining the cropping area of the page associated with the adjusted cropping area.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cropping areas comprise cropping rectangles.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scanned document comprises a set of images of book pages.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising separating images of right and left book pages and cropping the right book pages separately from the left book pages.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the page interval is based on features of the book.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising cropping the images according to the cropping areas.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein defining a cropping area on each of the plurality of pages comprises generating cropping areas that are a linear interpolation of the position of the first cropping area on the first page and the position of the second cropping area on the second page.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the linear interpolation depends on the number of pages between the first page and the second page.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the linear interpolation comprises a linear interpolation of the size of the cropping areas associated with the first page and the second page.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein defining a cropping area on each of the plurality of pages comprises defining a cropping area that is sized substantially similar to the first cropping area.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the page interval is provided by a user.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the page interval is based on features of the scanned document.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the page interval is a fixed interval.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the page interval is defined by previously cropped images.

15. A method for cropping images of book pages, the method comprising:

receiving a page interval from a user;

identifying a first reference image on a first page of the page interval;

identifying a second reference image on a second page of the page interval, wherein the first page and the second page are separated by a third page having a third reference image thereon;

defining a first cropping rectangle on the first page for the first reference image, wherein the first cropping rectangle is located at a first position with respect to the first page;

defining a second cropping rectangle on the second page for the second reference image, wherein the second cropping rectangle is located at a second position with respect to the second page, and wherein the second position is different than the first position;

defining a third cropping rectangle on the third page for the third reference image, wherein the third cropping rectangle is located at a third position with respect to the third page, and wherein the third position is based on an interpolation of the first position and the second position;

displaying each of the first page, the second page, and the third page with the associated cropping rectangle superimposed thereon;

providing an interface adapted to allow a user to adjust the size or position of one or more of the cropping rectangles;

receiving an adjustment of third position from the user;

redefining the third cropping rectangle based on the adjustment; and

cropping the images of book pages according to the cropping rectangles.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the page interval comprises a varying interval.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the page interval comprises a fixed interval.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the interpolation of the first position and the second position comprises a linear interpolation of the cropping rectangles associated with the first position and the second position.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the linear interpolation comprises a linear interpolation of the size of the cropping rectangles associated with the first position and the second position.

20. A method for cropping images of book pages, the method comprising:

receiving a page interval from a user, wherein the page interval is a set number of pages;

identifying a first reference image on a first page of the page interval;

identifying a second reference image on a second page of the page interval, wherein the first page and the second page are separated by a plurality of pages having images thereon;

receiving a first cropping rectangle on the first page for the first reference image;

receiving a second cropping rectangle on the second page for the second reference image;

generating cropping rectangles for the images of on the plurality of pages separating the first page and the second page, wherein the cropping rectangles comprise a linear interpolation of the size and shape of the first cropping rectangle and the second cropping rectangle;

displaying each of the images with the associated cropping rectangles superimposed thereon; and

providing an interface adapted to allow a user to adjust the size or position of one or more of the cropping rectangles;

receiving from the user, an adjustment of at least one of the cropping rectangles; and

regenerating the cropping rectangle according to the adjustment; and

cropping the images according to the cropping rectangles.

Assignments (16)
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; IARCHIVES, INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; ANCESTRYHEALTH.COM, LLC; ADPAY, INC.
Reel/Frame 054618/0298 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2020
From: ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; IARCHIVES, INC.; ANCESTRYHEALTH.COM, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 054627/0212 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2020
From: ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; IARCHIVES, INC.; ANCESTRYHEALTH.COM, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 054627/0237 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: ANCESTRY.COM LLC; ANCESTRY US HOLDINGS INC.; ANCESTRY.COM INC.; ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 044529/0025 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 24, 2016
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; IARCHIVES, INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; ANCESTRYHEALTH.COM, LLC; ADPAY, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040259/0978 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 21, 2016
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; IARCHIVES, INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; ANCESTRYHEALTH.COM, LLC; ADPAY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040449/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; IARCHIVES, INC.
Reel/Frame 040424/0354 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 1, 2015
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; IARCHIVES, INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 036519/0853 →
RELEASE (REEL 029537/ FRAME 0064) Recorded Aug 31, 2015
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; IARCHIVES, INC.
Reel/Frame 036514/0816 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 28, 2012
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC; IARCHIVES, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 029537/0064 →
TERMINATION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Dec 27, 2012
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 029548/0515 →
TERMINATION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Sep 13, 2010
From: CIT LENDING SERVICES CORPORATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: THE GENERATIONS NETWORK, INC.
Reel/Frame 024975/0540 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Sep 13, 2010
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 024973/0278 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 28, 2009
From: THE GENERATIONS NETWORK, INC.
To: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 023018/0028 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 6, 2007
From: THE GENERATIONS NETWORK, INC.
To: CIT LENDING SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020206/0664 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2007
From: CURTIS, DONALD B.
To: THE GENERATIONS NETWORK, INC.
Reel/Frame 019961/0647 →