Abstract:
A method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert image character into text and a system thereof are provided, which are utilized in a service to wirelessly transmit the image character captured by the mobile communication device to a server for being converted into an encoded text and then returned to the mobile communication device. The method includes the step of obtaining a digital image containing an image character; utilizing a wireless communication network to transmit the digital image into a server; extracting the area of the image character of the digital image; then, after recognizing and converting an image character program of the image character into a corresponding text, returning the text to the mobile communication device to be displayed, such that the problem of an inconvenient input operation when a large number of texts are input into the mobile communication device is solved.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s).095145518 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Dec. 6, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relate to a method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text and a system thereof, and more particularly to, a method of utilizing a front-end mobile communication device to capture an image, transmitting the image to a back-end server for converting an image character into a text, and then returning the text and a system thereof. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    Currently, although a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA) provides a translation function, as the typing or hand-writing input speed of a mobile phone or PDA is still not ideal, or the interface is not convenient enough, the utilization of a mobile phone or PDA for inputting or editing a large number of characters is low. In addition, though a portable computer is relatively more convenient in input, the computer may not be always taken along when a user wants to collect data, especially outdoors. Therefore, persons in this field bring forth a technique of providing a specifically marked image by a front-end mobile device and utilizing a communication network to return the image to a back end for being processed through a network architecture. As shown in  FIG. 1 , U.S. Patent Publication No. U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,889 discloses that, by using a front-end mobile communication device  10 , a geographical area image of a specific location is captured by a camera  11  disposed in the front-end mobile communication device  10 ; next, the image is transmitted through a wireless communication network of a general packet radio service (GPRS) network  12 , and enters an internet  14  via an internet access  13 ; then, the image is converted by an optical character reader (OCR) server  15  linked to the internet  14  into a character type and compared with a geographical area database stored in a location server  16  also linked to the internet  14 ; afterward, a correct comparison position is returned to the mobile communication device  10 . 
         [0006]    The above technique provides an architecture of transmitting and processing an image through a network. However, the technique is merely used to capture an image of a specific geographical position by the front end and then locate the image by adding a recognition coordinate by the back end, and cannot quickly and easily input a large number of texts into a mobile communication device for collecting data. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of the above disadvantages, to solve a technical problem, the present invention provides a data input method of capturing an image by a front-end mobile communication device, transmitting the image to a back-end server for being recognized and correspondingly converted into a text suitable for being encoded by a computer, and then returning the text. Moreover, to solve another technical problem, the present invention provides a system of randomly capturing a character image by a front end and obtaining a text thereof quickly, in which an image is captured by the front end, recognized and converted into a text, and then returned by a back end. 
         [0008]    In the present invention, the technical means adopted by the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text are given below: obtaining a digital image containing an image character by a mobile communication device; utilizing a wireless communication network to transmit the digital image into a server; extracting the area of the image character of the digital image to form at least one character image to be recognized; recognizing and converting the character image to be recognized into a corresponding text in one language or a plurality of languages; utilizing a wireless communication network to transmit the text from the server back to the mobile communication device; and displaying the text in a display unit of the mobile communication device. 
         [0009]    According to an improvement of the above invention, before the step of obtaining a digital image containing an image character by a mobile communication device, a step of displaying the sign of a border area in a display unit for designating the area of the digital image captured by the user, or displaying a marked sign for designating a position information in the digital image captured by the user is further comprised. 
         [0010]    According to a further improvement of the present invention, in the step of obtaining a digital image containing an image character by a mobile communication device, after the digital image is completely recorded in a memory of the mobile communication device, a step of transmitting the digital image into a server, or a streaming transmission step of utilizing a wireless communication network to transmit the captured digital image into the server when capturing a portion of the digital image based on the streaming transmission technique is comprised. 
         [0011]    The present invention is implemented by shooting an image with character to be inputted by the front-end mobile communication device, transmitting the image to the back-end server for being recognized and converted into a text, and then returning the resulted text to the mobile communication device for being displayed. Since the recent mobile wireless net-surfing becomes faster and faster, the time taken for transmission is not long, and the resolution of the image capture device on a mobile device is improved rapidly, the characters in an image can be effectively recognized. Moreover, by integrating the currently available stable and effective image processing technique and image character recognition technique, the powerful data storage and operation processing capabilities of a server can be combined with the convenience and mobility of a mobile communication device, such that the user can input texts more conveniently at any time any place, and the operation of the data collection of the digital texts can be performed effectively without the need to input by pressing keys by hand. 
         [0012]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DISCREPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a system block diagram of a conventional art of recognizing the position of a mobile communication device; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a system block diagram of an embodiment of a system of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic flow chart of an embodiment of a method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a schematic flow chart of another embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention, in which the digital image is captured in segments and the image is integrated before being recognized; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a schematic flow chart of yet another embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention, in which the digital image is captured in segments and the image is integrated before being recognized; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram in a single image capture embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram in an embodiment of capturing an image in segments of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of displaying the border area in the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of displaying the marked sign of the user in the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention are given below with reference to the drawings. 
         [0024]    First of all,  FIG. 2  is a system block diagram of an embodiment of a system of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. The system includes a wireless communication network  20 , a mobile communication device, and a server  40 . The wireless communication network  20  usually refers to a mobile telecommunications protocol or mobile protocol, which can employ, but not limited to, wireless communication technologies, such as the second generation wireless communication technology (2G) including American standard GSM and European standard code-division multiple access (CDMA), the general packet radio service (GPRS) of the second and a half generation wireless mobile communication technology (2.5G), the third generation wireless mobile communication technology (3G), the third and a half generation wireless mobile communication technology (3.5G), personal handy-phone system (PHS), or wireless fidelity (WiFi), mainly for providing a wireless transmission platform of data. The mobile communication device  30  can be a device with data transmission function, such as a mobile phone, PDA, ultra mobile PC (UMPC), or notebook computers (NB). The mobile communication device  30  has an image capture unit  31  and a display unit  32 . The image capture unit  31  can be a device such as a camera or a video camera, mainly used for capturing at least one digital image  33  containing an image character  331  and then transmitting the digital image  33  to the wireless communication network  20 . The server  40  has an image character area extract program  41  and a character recognition program  42  which can be built in the server  40  or can be performed by the server  40  through network program serving. The server  40  is in communication with the wireless communication network  20 , for extracting the area of the image character  331  from the digital image  33  uploaded by the mobile communication device  30 , recognizing and converting the image character  331  into a text  421 , then returning the text  421  to the mobile communication device  30  through the wireless communication network  20 , and afterward displaying the content of the text  421  through the display unit  32  of the mobile communication device  30 . 
         [0025]    In the above embodiment, the server  40  further includes an image joint program  401  for integrating a plurality of digital images  33  in advance, and then transmitting the integrated image to the image character area extract program  41  to be processed. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a schematic flow chart of an embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention, and  FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram in a single image capture embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. The method includes: obtaining a digital image  33  containing an image character  331  by a mobile communication device  30 , and the mobile communication device  30  has an image capture unit  31  and a display unit  32  (Step S 110 ); utilizing a wireless communication network  20  to transmit the digital image  33  into a server  40  (Step S 120 ); extracting the area of the image character  331  of the digital image  33  (Step S 130 ); recognizing and converting the image character  331  into a corresponding text  421  (Step S 140 ); utilizing the wireless communication network  20  to transmit the text  421  from the server  40  back to the mobile communication device  30  (Step S 150 ); and finally, displaying the text  421  in a display unit  32  of the mobile communication device  30  (Step S 160 ). 
         [0027]    In the above embodiment, the recognition program also includes text data of multiple countries, such that the corresponding text  421  generated after the recognition can also include a plurality of languages. 
         [0028]    In the above embodiment, before the step of obtaining a digital image containing an image character  331  by a mobile communication device  30 , a step of displaying the sign of a border area  341  in the display unit  32  for designating the area of the digital image  33  captured by the user  50  is further included. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a schematic flow chart of another embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention, in which the digital image is captured in segments and the image is integrated before being recognized.  FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram in an embodiment of capturing an image in segments of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. The method includes: obtaining a plurality of digital images  33  containing image characters  331  by a mobile communication device  30 , and the mobile communication device  30  has an image capture unit  31  and a display unit  32  (Step  210 ); utilizing a wireless communication network  20  to transmit the digital images  33  into a server  40  (Step  220 ); integrating the digital images  33  into a combined image (Step  230 ); extracting the area of the image character  331  of the combined image (Step  240 ); recognizing and converting the image character  331  into a corresponding text  421  (Step  250 ); utilizing the wireless communication network  20  to transmit the text  421  from the server  40  back to the mobile communication device  30  (Step  260 ); and displaying the text  421  in a display unit of the mobile communication device  30  (Step  270 ). In this embodiment, an original image  60  with a character to be input in is captured in segments for several times by the mobile communication device  30 , and when the segments are transmitted to the server  40 , the extract and recognition steps are performed after the segments are integrated into the original image  60 . This embodiment is advantageous in processing an image which is too large to be captured at a time or in improving the resolution of the captured image. 
         [0030]    Then, referring to  FIG. 5 , a schematic flow chart of yet another embodiment of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention, in which the digital image is captured in segments and the image is integrated before being recognized is shown.  FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram in an embodiment of capturing an image in segments of the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. The method includes: obtaining a plurality of digital images  33  containing image characters  331  by a mobile communication device  30 , and the mobile communication device  30  has an image capture unit  31  and a display unit  32  (Step S 310 ); utilizing a wireless communication network  20  to transmit the digital images  33  into a server  40  (Step S 320 ); extracting the area of the image character  331  of each digital image  33  (Step S 330 ); recognizing and converting each image character  331  into a corresponding text  421  (Step S 340 ); re-arranging the texts  421  according to the capture sequence of the digital images  33  (Step S 350 ); utilizing the wireless communication network  20  to transmit the texts  421  from the server  40  back to the mobile communication device  30  (Step S 360 ); and finally, displaying the texts  421  in a display unit  32  of the mobile communication device  30  (Step S 370 ). In this embodiment, an original image  60  with character to be inputted is captured in segments for several times by the mobile communication device  30 , and when the segments are transmitted to the server  40 , after the extract and recognition steps are performed, the text  421  generated by recognition and conversion is re-arranged in the capture sequence and then returned. This embodiment is advantageous in processing an image which is too large to be captured at a time or in improving the resolution of the captured image and enhancing the accuracy of the character recognition. 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of displaying the border area in the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. In all the above embodiments, when the mobile communication device  30  captures a digital image  33 , the sign of a border area  341  is displayed in the display unit  32  for designating the border range of the area of each digital image  33  captured by the user  50  (as, shown in  FIG. 6  or  7 ). The range is also the range of the image processed after the digital image  33  is transmitted to the back-end server  40 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of displaying the marked sign of the user in the method of utilizing a mobile communication device to convert an image character into a text according to the present invention. In the above embodiments of capturing an image in multiple times, before the step of obtaining a digital image  33  containing an image character  331  by a mobile communication device  30 , a step of displaying a marked sign  342  marked by a user  50  (for example, as shown in  FIG. 7 ) in a display unit  32  for designating a position information A on the direction of a digital image  33  captured in the next time. Since the second digital image  33  is captured by the user  50 , an image B of an edge at the same side of the marked sign  342  of the previous digital image  33  is displayed in the display unit  32  at the same time, and the successive image segment identical to the edge image is included when the digital image  33  is captured, so as to enhance the accuracy of integrating the image by the image joint program  401  in the server  40  subsequently. 
         [0033]    According to the above embodiments, the step of transmitting the digital image  33  by the mobile communication device  30  to the server  40  is followed by the digital image  33  is completely recorded in a memory of the mobile communication device  30 , or by a performing a streaming transmission to transmit the captured digital image  33  into the server  40  when the mobile communication device  30  captures a portion of any of the digital images  33 , so as to save the wireless transmission time for a relatively large digital image  33 . 
         [0034]    Moreover, in the above embodiments, after the step of recognizing and converting the image character into a corresponding text  421 , a step of storing the text  421  into the server  40  is included, such that the user  50  can utilize the original communication network or another internet access, or a step of storing the text  421  into the server  40  is further included, such that the user  50  can download through the original wireless communication network  20  or an internet, such as a file transmission protocol serve, website server, or E-mail server, and the text  421  can be obtained by the user  50  through a networking device later on. 
         [0035]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.