Abstract:
An automated method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text documents includes color masking of highlight regions, extracting text from highlighted regions, recognizing the characters in extracted text optically and inserting the recognized characters to new document in order to easily identify highlighted text in scanned images. Using a two-layer multi-mask compression technology configured in a scanned export image path, edges and text regions can be extracted and together with the use of mask coordinates and associated mask colors, all highlighted texts can be easily identified and extracted. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can then be utilized to appropriate summarization of different extracted highlighted texts.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments are generally related to data processing methods and systems. Embodiments are also related to image processing methods and systems. Embodiments are additionally related to methods and systems for extracting highlighted regions in scanned image and text. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There has always been a desire to highlight information on pages in order to show emphasis. Thus, the major market for highlight markers. Marker emphasis is simple and visual in nature. In the legal industry, for example, highlighted text from legal briefs is used to form new documents. An attorney may mark a document with colors demonstrating the “pros” and “cons” of a particular case for both the defendant and prosecution. Administration support is typically responsible for transcribing the highlighted portions of the document to new documents. This is a very time consuming effort. 
     Often, it is desirable to differentiate between regions of a document which have been “highlighted” with, for example, a highlighter pen from regions of a document which have not been highlighted. The term “highlighted” it is intended to mean herein that first marks in a document have been differentiated from remaining marks of the document by a region which has a substantially different gray scale than the background or marks of the original document. Such marks can be made, for example, by way of well known “Hi-Liter” pens, “Major Accent” pens, and other pens which produce bright but relatively transparent colors. 
     A variety of methods have been proposed for the detection of highlighted regions in a document. For example, the use of a color scanner has been proposed to detect regions of a document, which has been highlighted in a color different than the remainder of the document. Other processing methods utilize detection of an image, which may include shadow, mid-tone, and bright portions. The mid-tone portion may be screened with a low frequency screen to convert the image into a binary form. While meeting with some success, prior methods of detecting highlighted regions have encountered certain limitations. 
     Based on the foregoing it is believed that a need exists for improved image processing methods and systems, and more specifically to techniques for automatically discriminating between and extracting regions of a document which have been highlighted and regions of a document which have not been highlighted. It is believed that the implementation of such a method and system can reduce additional time and effort spent in extraction. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments disclosed and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole. 
     It is, therefore, one aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved data-processing method and system. 
     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved image processing method and system. 
     It is an additional aspect of the present invention to provide for a method and system for automatically extracting highlighted regions in scanned text documents. 
     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide for a method and system for automatically extracting highlighted regions in scanned image documents. 
     The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. A method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text document is disclosed, which includes color masking of highlight regions, extracting text from highlighted regions, recognizing the characters in extracted text optically and inserting the recognized characters into new document. 
     A method is also disclosed for easily identifying highlighted text in scanned images. Using a two-layer multi-mask compression technology built into a scanned export image path, edges and text regions can be extracted and together with the use of mask co-ordinates and associated mask colors, all highlighted texts can be easily identified and extracted. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and an appropriate summarization of different extracted highlighted texts can be then performed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the embodiments disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a representative data-processing apparatus in which a preferred embodiment can be implemented; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a high level flow diagram of a method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an event diagram showing the results obtained by extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a high level flow diagram depicting a method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned image document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an event diagram showing the results obtained by extracting highlighted regions in a scanned image document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof. 
     The embodiments described herein can be integrated into a software architecture that aligns separate software technologies to produce a desired effect. Components from several software systems, along with a special highlight region extraction module, can enable an automated extraction as described in greater detail herein. 
     Note that the embodiments can be implemented in the context of a host operating system and one or more software modules. Such modules may constitute hardware modules, such as, for example, electronic components of a computer system. Such modules may also constitute software modules. In the computer programming arts, a software module can be typically implemented as a collection of routines and data structures that performs particular tasks or implements a particular abstract data type. 
     Software modules generally include instruction media storable within a memory location of a data-processing apparatus and are typically composed of two parts. First, a software module may list the constants, data types, variable, routines and the like that can be accessed by other modules or routines. Second, a software module can be configured as an implementation, which can be private (i.e., accessible perhaps only to the module), and that contains the source code that actually implements the routines or subroutines upon which the module is based. The term “module” as utilized herein can therefore refer to software modules or implementations thereof. Such modules can be utilized separately or together to form a program product that can be implemented through signal-bearing media, including transmission media and recordable media. An example of such a module is module  122  and/or module  104  depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
     It is important to note that, although the embodiments are described in the context of a fully functional data-processing apparatus (e.g., a computer system), those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the embodiments are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal-bearing media utilized to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of signal bearing media include, but are not limited to, recordable-type media such as floppy disks or CD ROMs and transmission-type media such as analogue or digital communications links. 
     The embodiments disclosed herein may be executed in a variety of systems, including a variety of computers running under a number of different operating systems. The computer may be, for example, a personal computer, a network computer, a mid-range computer or a mainframe computer. In the preferred embodiment, the computer is utilized as a control point of network processor services architecture within a local-area network (LAN) or a wide-area network (WAN). 
     Referring now to the drawings and in particular to  FIG. 1 , there is depicted a block diagram of a representative data-processing apparatus  100  (e.g., a computer) in which a preferred embodiment can be implemented. As shown, processor (CPU)  101 , Read-Only memory (ROM)  102 , and Random-Access Memory (RAM)  103  are connected to system bus  105  of data-processing apparatus  100 . A memory  120  can also be included, which includes a module  122  as described above. Memory  120  can be implemented as a ROM, RAM, a combination thereof, or simply a general memory unit. Depending upon the design of data-processing apparatus  100 , memory  120  may be utilized in place of or in addition to ROM  102  and/or RAM  103 . 
     Data-processing apparatus  100  can include CPU  101 , ROM  102 , and RAM  103 , which are also coupled to Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus  111  of data-processing apparatus  100  through PCI host-bridge  107 . PCI Host Bridge  107  can provide a low latency path through which processor  101  may directly access PCI devices mapped anywhere within bus memory and/or input/output (I/O) address spaces. PCI Host Bridge  107  also provides a high bandwidth path for allowing PCI devices to directly access RAM  103 . 
     Also attached to PCI local bus  111  are communications adapter  114 , small computer system interface (SCSI)  112 , and expansion bus-bridge  116 , communications adapter  114  is utilized for connecting data-processing apparatus  100  to a network  115 . SCSI  112  is utilized to control high-speed SCSI disk drive  113 . Expansion bus-bridge  116 , such as a PCI-to-ISA bus bridge, may be utilized for coupling ISA bus  117  to PCI local bus  111 . In addition, audio adapter  108  is attached to PCI local bus  111  for controlling audio output through speaker  109 . Note that PCI local bus  111  can further be connected to a monitor  106 , which functions as a display (e.g., a video monitor) for displaying data and information for a user and for interactively displaying a graphical user interface (GUI). In alternate embodiments, additional peripheral components may be added or existing components can be connected to the system bus. For example, the monitor  106  and the audio component  108  along with speaker  109  can instead be connected to system bus  105 , depending upon design configurations. 
     Data-processing apparatus  100  also preferably includes an interface such as a graphical user interface (GUI) and an operating system (OS) that reside within machine readable media to direct the operation of data-processing apparatus  100 . In the preferred embodiment, OS (and GUI) contains additional functional components, which permit network-processing components to be independent of the OS and/or platform. Any suitable machine-readable media may retain the GUI and OS, such as RAM  103 , ROM  103 , SCSI disk drive  113 , and other disk and/or tape drive (e.g., magnetic diskette, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, optical disk, or other suitable storage media). Any suitable GUI and OS may direct CPU  101 . 
     Further, data-processing apparatus  100  preferably includes at least one network processor services architecture software utility (i.e., program product) that resides within machine-readable media, for example a custom defined service utility  104  within RAM  103 . The software utility contains instructions (or code) that when executed on CPU  101  interacts with the OS. Utility  104  can be, for example, a program product as described herein. Utility  104  can be provided as, for example, a software module such as described above. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a high level flow diagram  200  illustrating a method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text document, can be implemented in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The process depicted in  FIG. 2  can be referred by the term “Highlight Region Extraction,” which uses a simple color threshold technique to convert a color document image to a binary image composed of only highlighted regions. The color space of the document image is first converted to a sRGB color space as depicted at block  210 . Thereafter, constant threshold intervals for each color channel can be employed as indicated at block  212 . Next, as described at block  230 , the highlighted color can be bound to a cubic region in the sRGB color space. Pixels whose color values are inside the highlighter cuboid can be set to “white” as described at block  240 , while the remaining pixels can be set to “black” as depicted at block  250 . Once the highlighted region image has been created, a sequence of morphological operations can be applied to the highlighted image to close all gaps left by text. 
     Text Extraction can be accomplished by utilizing a fast 4-connected seed fill operation. The highlighted region image is preferably used as a seed image. For a mask image, the color document image can be binarized with a constant threshold in order to generate a binary image composed only of text components as described at block  260 . Thereafter as illustrated at block  270 , starting with the highlighter seed pixels, each image region can be grown until it fills a corresponding text component in the text mask image. The final output of the seed fill is an image that has only those text components in which at least one seed pixel was present in the highlighted seed image (i.e., the text covered by the highlighter). 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an event diagram  300  is depicted, which illustrates the result obtained by extracting highlighted regions in a scanned text document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. An OCR system can be utilized to extract the highlighted text output as described at block  320  from the sample scan text document as indicated at block  310 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a high level flow diagram  400  is illustrated, which depicts a method for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned image document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The scanned document can be converted into a background image plane and multiple mask binary planes for each of the identified non-image regions (i.e., text and other edges) as indicated at block  410 . Once the different mask layers are extracted, all the background regions underneath each of the mask regions (i.e., using the mask co-ordinates) can be analyzed to determine if it is purely a uniform color as described at block  420 . Thereafter, as indicated at block  430 , if the background region underneath constitutes a uniform color, then those mask regions are passed through an OCR engine for further processing. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , an event diagram  500  illustrates the result obtained by extracting highlighted regions in a scanned image document, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The OCR system extracts the black text mask regions under a highlighted black ink as described at block  520 , and then extracts the remaining black text mask regions as depicted at block  540 , followed by the background image plane as indicated at  520  from the sample scan image document as described at block  510 . 
     OCR can be accomplished utilizing any qualified OCR system such as Nuance&#39;s OCR engine or Scansoft. The output comes back to the software module(s), where it can be represented as a STRING object. The STRING object can be written to a file on a disk, combined with other STRING objects, and embedded into documents as metadata, etc. Once the text and its associated highlight color in the background region are determined, many options are available for summarizing the results in a manner suitable for display or printing as depicted at block  440 . 
     Based on the foregoing it can be appreciated that a system can be provided, based on one or more software modules as described above, which results in the extraction of highlighted regions in a scanned text document. Such a system can be provided as, for example, a module  104  and/or  122  for converting a scanned text document into a highlighted region comprising a highlighted text, a module  104  and/or  122  for extracting the highlighted text from the highlighted region; and a module  104  and/or  122  for optically recognizing the highlighted text in order to recognize text extracted from the highlighted region of the scanned text document. 
     Alternatively, a system for extracting highlighted regions in a scanned image document can be implemented, which includes a module  104  and/or  122  for converting a scanned image document into a plurality of background regions and a plurality of mask regions; a module  104  and/or  122  for analyzing the plurality of background regions utilizing one or more mask coordinates, wherein the plurality of background regions are located beneath one or more of the mask regions among the plurality of mask regions; and a module  104  and/or  122  for optically recognizing a highlighted text in one or more mask regions, if the background regions beneath the mast region(s) comprises a uniform color. 
     It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.