Patent ID: 8837830

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for automatically detecting text in electronic images of natural scenes, comprising: receiving an electronic image for analysis; performing an edge-detection algorithm on the electronic image; identifying closed contours in the electronic image as a function of detected edges; establishing links between closed components; identifying candidate text lines as a function of the identified closed contours; classifying candidate text lines as being text regions or non-text regions; and outputting, via a graphical user interface (GUI), the text regions in the electronic image to a user; wherein identifying candidate text lines further comprises: selecting a link for consideration; fitting a line that connects respective centers of first and second closed contours connected by the link; for each of the first and second closed contours, identifying all associated links other than the selected link, wherein a third closed contour attached to one of the associated links is selected; re-fitting the fitted line by including newly added third closed contour, wherein the refitted line connects the centers of the first, second, and third closed contours; and iterating the preceding steps until all closed contours having a center with a distance less than the predetermined threshold T f have been added to the candidate text line.