Glare mitigation for dynamic document scanning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9503612-B1
Application number	US-201514881617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Mitigating glare in connection with photographing a document using a camera includes assessing a first amount of glare that would result if a user were to take a snapshot at a first camera position and lighting conditions, if the first amount of glare is below a predetermined threshold, taking a snapshot with the camera, and, if the first amount of glare is above the predetermined threshold, continuously prompting the user to adjust a position of the camera and taking the snapshot when the camera is in a second position and a second amount of glare, different from the first amount of glare, is below the predetermined threshold. The lighting conditions may include effects of external lighting sources. The user may adjust the external lighting sources before taking the snapshot. The lighting conditions may include effects of an internal light source of the camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of mitigating glare in connection with photographing a document using a camera, comprising:
assessing a first amount of glare that would result if a user were to take a snapshot at a first camera position and lighting conditions;
if the first amount of glare is below a predetermined threshold, taking a snapshot with the camera; and
if the first amount of glare is above the predetermined threshold, continuously prompting the user to adjust a position of the camera relative to a position of the document and taking the snapshot when the camera is in a second position and a second amount of glare, different from the first amount of glare, is below the predetermined threshold.

2. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting conditions include effects of external lighting sources.

3. The method, according to claim 2 , wherein the user adjusts the external lighting sources before taking the snapshot.

4. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting conditions include effects of an internal light source of the camera.

5. The method, according to claim 4 , further comprising:
actuating the internal light source prior to taking the snapshot; and
including effects of the internal light source in connection with assessing the first amount of glare and the second amount of glare.

6. The method, according to claim 5 , wherein the internal light source is used in connection with a flash for the camera.

7. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein prompting the user includes providing an image to the user indicating a preview of the snapshot that includes indications of glare spots.

8. The method, according to claim 7 , wherein the preview indicates effects on the glare spots as the user adjusts the position of the camera.

9. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein assessing glare includes using a camera preview mode to provide a video image that continuously shows snapshots that would be taken by the camera.

10. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein the snapshot is taken automatically when the amount of glare is below the predetermined threshold.

11. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to adjusting the position of the camera failing to lower the amount of glare below the predetermined threshold, the user is prompted to move the document.

12. The method, according to claim 1 , further comprising:
taking the snapshot in response to the amount of glare being above the predetermined threshold and the location of the glare corresponding to portions of the document containing relatively less content than other portions of the document.

13. The method, according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is provided in a smartphone.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing software that mitigates glare in connection with photographing a document using a camera, the software comprising:
executable code that assesses a first amount of glare that would result if a user were to take a snapshot at a first camera position and lighting conditions;
executable code that takes a snapshot with the camera if the first amount of glare is below a predetermined threshold; and
executable code that, if the first amount of glare is above the predetermined threshold, continuously prompts the user to adjust a position of the camera relative to a position of the document and takes the snapshot when the camera is in a second position and a second amount of glare, different from the first amount of glare, is below the predetermined threshold.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the lighting conditions include effects of external lighting sources.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 15 , wherein the user adjusts the external lighting sources before taking the snapshot.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the lighting conditions include effects of an internal light source of the camera.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 17 , further comprising:
executable code that actuates the internal light source prior to taking the snapshot; and
executable code that includes effects of the internal light source in connection with assessing the first amount of glare and the second amount of glare.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 18 , wherein the internal light source is used in connection with a flash for the camera.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein executable code that prompts the user provides an image to the user indicating a preview of the snapshot that includes indications of glare spots.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 20 , wherein the preview indicates effects on the glare spots as the user adjusts the position of the camera.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein executable code that assesses glare uses a camera preview mode to provide a video image that continuously shows snapshots that would be taken by the camera.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the snapshot is taken automatically when the amount of glare is below the predetermined threshold.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein, in response to adjusting the position of the camera failing to lower the amount of glare below the predetermined threshold, the user is prompted to move the document.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , further comprising:
executable code that takes the snapshot in response to the amount of glare being above the predetermined threshold and the location of the glare corresponding to portions of the document containing relatively less content than other portions of the document.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the camera is provided in a smartphone.

Assignees

• Evernote Corp

Inventors

• Pashintsev Alexander
• Gorbatov Boris

Classifications

• H04N23/81

  for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation · CPC title

• H04N23/633

  for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/64

  Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image · CPC title

• H04N1/4097 Primary

  Removing errors due external factors, e.g. dust, scratches · CPC title