Multi-region detection for images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10902277-B2
Application number	US-201816127209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Sep 10, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An image captured by a camera can be processed by a scanning application to identify one or more regions within the image that are suitable for scanning. One or more of these regions can be selected for scanning automatically based on user-input such as a fingertip touch to a particular portion of the display screen. Users may also select multiple regions and submit multiple quadrangular regions for scanning to PDF from a single image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data processing device comprising:
at least one processor; and
one or more computer readable media including instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
present an image on a display via an image scanning application,
receive a first input associated with a first zone of the image indicating an intended scan region,
automatically detect, in response to receiving the first input, a first region that includes at least the first zone, the first region including a boundary associated with a first perimeter; wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to detect the first region include instructions to cause the processor to detect a plurality of candidate scan regions to estimate a probability that each of the plurality of the candidate scan regions represents the intended scan region, and to select the first region from the plurality of candidate scan regions based on the probability that the selected candidate scan region represents the intended scan region, and

present, on the display via the image scanning application, the first region to a user as a potential region for scanning.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
receive a second input associated with a second zone of the image, wherein the second zone differs from the first zone; and
automatically detect, in response to the second input, a second region that differs from the first region and includes at least the second zone.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the second region includes both the first zone and the second zone.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the second region excludes the first zone.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first region excludes the second zone.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
receive a second input associated with the first zone of the image; and
automatically detect, in response to the second input, a second region that differs from the first region and includes at least the first zone.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to designate the first region by display of a visual indicator associated with the first perimeter.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
receive a second input associated with a portion of the boundary of the first region; and
adjust, in response to the second input, the boundary of the first region such that the boundary becomes associated with a second perimeter that differs from the first perimeter.

9. A method comprising:
presenting an image on a display via an image scanning application;
receiving a first input associated with a first zone of the image indicating an intended scan region;
automatically detecting, in response to receiving the first input, a first region that includes at least the first zone, the first region being bounded by a first perimeter by detecting a plurality of candidate scan regions that include the first zone, evaluating each of the plurality of candidate scan regions to estimate a probability that each of the plurality of the candidate scan regions represents the intended scan region, and selecting the first region from the plurality of candidate scan regions based on the probability that the selected candidate scan region represents the intended scan region; and
presenting, on the display via the image scanning application, the first region to a user as a potential region for scanning.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a second input associated with a second zone of the image, wherein the second zone differs from the first zone; and
automatically detecting, in response to the second input, a second region that differs from the first region and includes at least the second zone.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
selecting, in response to receiving the first input, the first region for scanning; and
deselecting, in response to receiving the second input, the first region for scanning.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a third input associated with the first zone of the image; and
automatically detecting, in response to the third input, a third region that differs from both the first region and the second region and includes at least the first zone.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a second input associated with the first zone of the image; and
automatically detecting, in response to the second input, a second region that differs from the first region and includes at least the first zone.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
designating the first region by display of a visual indicator associated with the first perimeter;
receiving a second input associated with the visual indicator; and
automatically selecting, in response to the second input, the first region for scanning.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
designating the first region by display of a visual indicator associated with the first perimeter;
receiving a second input associated with the visual indicator; and
automatically adjusting, in response to the second input, a size of the first perimeter.

16. A method comprising:
presenting an image on a display via an image scanning application;
receiving a first input associated with a first zone of the image;
automatically detecting, in response to receiving the first input, a first region that includes at least the first zone, the first region being bounded by a first perimeter;
presenting, on the display via the image scanning application, the first region to a user as a potential region for scanning;
receiving a second input associated with a second zone of the image, wherein the second zone differs from the first zone;
automatically detecting, in response to the second input, a second region that differs from the first region and includes at least the second zone, wherein the second region is bounded by a second perimeter; and
automatically selecting for scanning, in response to receiving the second input, an apertured region that extends between the first perimeter and the second perimeter.

17. A method comprising:
presenting an image on a display via an image scanning application;
receiving a first input associated with a first zone of the image;
automatically presenting, in response to receiving the first input, a first region that includes at least the first zone;
receiving a second input associated with a second zone of the image, the second zone being located outside of the first region;
automatically presenting, in response to receiving the second input, a second region that includes at least the first region as a potential region for scanning,
receiving a third input associated with a third zone of the image, the third zone being located outside of the second region;
automatically presenting, in response to receiving the third input, a third region that includes at least the second region;
receiving a fourth input associated with the first zone of the image; and
automatically presenting, in response to receiving the fourth input, a fourth region that includes the second zone and the third zone and excludes the first zone.

18. A method comprising:
presenting an image on a display via an image scanning application;
receiving a first input associated with a first zone of the image;

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Agarwal Abhishek
• Talreja Sachin
• Bhuptani Rahul
• Sridharan Mahesh
• Tiwari Onkar Nath
• Kumar Rajiv

Classifications

• H04N1/00129 Primary

  with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor (with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G) · CPC title

• H04N1/38

  Circuits or arrangements for blanking or otherwise eliminating unwanted parts of pictures (H04N1/387 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/2038

  lying in the same plane · CPC title

• H04N1/00816

  Determining the reading area, e.g. eliminating reading of margins · CPC title

• H04N1/00766

  Storing data · CPC title