IP Library Granted Patent US 7,903,171
Granted Patent B2
US 7,903,171 · App. 12/251,475 · Granted Mar 8, 2011

Notebook information processor and image reading method

Assignee: PFU Limited
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,903,171
App. No.
12/251,475
Granted
Mar 8, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A notebook information processor includes an image photographing unit, a display, a keyboard, a storage unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes, a live view displaying unit that displays a live view obtained by photographing at least a portion of the keyboard within a photographing area of the image photographing unit on the display, a still image obtaining unit that obtains a still image from the live view displayed on the display by the live view displaying unit, when receiving a photographing start signal to start photographing the still image of a document put on the keyboard, and an image processing unit that performs projective transformation on the still image obtained by the still image obtaining unit so as to obtain an image photographed from a front direction, executes image processing so as to perform cropping to clip the document, and stores a transformed image of the document after the image processing in the storage unit.

Claims (50)

1. A notebook information processor comprising an image photographing unit, a display, a keyboard, a storage unit, and a control unit, wherein

the control unit includes:

a live view displaying unit that displays a live view obtained by photographing at least a portion of the keyboard within a photographing area of the image photographing unit on the display;

a still image obtaining unit that obtains a still image from the live view displayed on the display by the live view displaying unit, when receiving a photographing start signal to start photographing the still image of a document put on the keyboard; and

an image processing unit that performs projective transformation on the still image obtained by the still image obtaining unit so as to obtain an image photographed from a front direction, executes image processing so as to perform cropping to clip the document, and stores a transformed image of the document after the image processing in the storage unit.

2. The notebook information processor according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit further includes:

a brightness adjusting unit that adjusts brightness of the display when obtaining the still image by the still image obtaining unit.

3. The notebook information processor according to claim 1 , wherein

the cropping by the image processing unit detects a corner of the document by comparing a first image in which the document is not on the keyboard and a second image in which the document is on the keyboard obtained by the image photographing unit.

4. The notebook information processor according to claim 1 , wherein the image photographing unit is detachably placed in the notebook information processor, electrified by the notebook information processor, and is communicatably connected to the notebook information processor.

5. The notebook information processor according to claim 1 , wherein the image photographing unit is rotatably placed in the notebook information processor so as to be able to change a photographing direction.

6. The notebook information processor according to claim 5 , wherein the notebook information processor further includes a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation angle when rotating the image photographing unit so as to change the photographing direction.

7. The notebook information processor according to claim 5 , wherein

the notebook information processor includes a lid in which at least the image photographing unit is placed, and a main body in which at least the keyboard is placed, and further includes an open angle sensor that detects an open angle of the lid with respect to the main body, and a motor that adjusts a rotation angle of the image photographing unit, and

the control unit further includes:

a rotation angle adjusting unit that adjusts a rotation angle of the motor so as to adjust the photographing direction of the image photographing unit based on the open angle detected by the open angle sensor.

8. A notebook information processor, comprising an image photographing unit, a display, a keyboard, a storage unit, and a control unit, wherein

the control unit includes:

a live view displaying unit that obtains a live view obtained by photographing at least a portion of the keyboard within a photographing area of the image photographing unit, and performs projective transformation on the obtained live view so as to obtain the live view photographed from a front direction, thereby displaying the live view after the projective transformation on the display;

a still image obtaining unit that obtains a still image from the live view displayed on the display by the live view displaying unit, when receiving a photographing start signal to start photographing the still image of a document put on the keyboard; and

an image processing unit that executes image processing to the still image obtained by the still image obtaining unit so as to perform cropping to clip the document, and stores a transformed image of the document after the image processing in the storage unit.

9. The notebook information processor according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit further includes:

a photographing start signal generating unit that determines presence of the document by comparing a first image in which the document is not on the keyboard and a second image in which the document is on the keyboard obtained by the image photographing unit, and when there is the document, generates the photographing start signal to transmit the signal to the still image obtaining unit.

10. An image reading method executed by a notebook information processor including an image photographing unit, a display, a keyboard, a storage unit, and a control unit,

the method comprising:

a live view displaying step of displaying a live view obtained by photographing at least a portion of the keyboard within a photographing area of the image photographing unit on the display;

a still image obtaining step of obtaining a still image from the live view displayed on the display at the live view displaying step, when receiving a photographing start signal to start photographing the still image of a document put on the keyboard; and

an image processing step of performing projective transformation on the still image obtained at the still image obtaining step so as to obtain an image photographed from a front direction, executing image processing so as to perform cropping to clip the document, and storing a transformed image of the document after the image processing in the storage unit.

11. The image reading method according to claim 10 ,

the control unit further comprising:

a photographing start signal generating step of determining presence of the document by comparing a first image in which the document is not on the keyboard and a second image in which the document is on the keyboard obtained by the image photographing unit, and when there is the document, generating the photographing start signal to transmit the signal to the still image obtaining step.

12. The image reading method according to claim 10 ,

the control unit further comprising:

a brightness adjusting step of adjusting brightness of the display when obtaining the still image at the still image obtaining step.

13. The image reading method according to claim 10 , wherein

the cropping at the image processing step detects a corner of the document by comparing a first image in which the document is not on the keyboard and a second image in which the document is on the keyboard obtained by the image photographing unit.

14. The image reading method according to claim 10 , wherein the image photographing unit is detachably placed in the notebook information processor, electrified by the notebook information processor, and is communicatably connected to the notebook information processor.

15. The image reading method according to claim 10 , wherein the image photographing unit is rotatably placed in the notebook information processor so as to be able to change a photographing direction.

16. The image reading method according to claim 15 , wherein the notebook information processor further includes a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation angle when rotating the image photographing unit so as to change the photographing direction.

17. The image reading method according to claim 15 , wherein

the notebook information processor includes a lid in which at least the image photographing unit is placed, and a main body in which at least the keyboard is placed, and further includes an open angle sensor that detects an open angle of the lid with respect to the main body, and a motor that adjusts a rotation angle of the image photographing unit, and

the method further comprising:

a rotation angle adjusting step of adjusting a rotation angle of the motor so as to adjust the photographing direction of the image photographing unit based on the open angle detected by the open angle sensor.

18. An image reading method executed by a notebook information processor including an image photographing unit, a display, a keyboard, a storage unit, and a control unit,

the method comprising:

a live view displaying step of obtaining a live view obtained by photographing at least a portion of the keyboard within a photographing area of the image photographing unit, and performing projective transformation on the obtained live view so as to obtain the live view photographed from a front direction, thereby displaying the live view after the projective transformation on the display;

a still image obtaining step of obtaining a still image from the live view displayed on the display at the live view displaying step, when receiving a photographing start signal to start photographing the still image of a document put on the keyboard; and

an image processing step of executing image processing to the still image obtained at the still image obtaining step so as to perform cropping to clip the document, and storing a transformed image of the document after the image processing in the storage unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2008
From: TAKABATAKE, MASANARI; YAMAZAKI, NOBUHISA; MIYAMOTO, SATOSHI; DU, JIYUN
To: PFU LIMITED
Reel/Frame 021682/0550 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2008-110612 · Apr 21, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090262200A1 · Oct 22, 2009