OCR Region Boundary Validation for Mobile Text Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic devices often erroneously detect non-character regions as character recognition regions, leading to inaccurate character recognition due to reliance on dominant edges, which can be exacerbated by objects within documents.

Innovation Solution

The electronic device employs edge and line detection techniques to identify character recognition regions, compares region sizes with predetermined thresholds, and adjusts virtual reference objects based on image characteristics to validate the region's validity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the character recognition region is detected based on the most dominant edge, then the detection process is simple and fast, but the character recognition region may not be properly detected and objects inside the document may be erroneously detected as the character recognition region

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection speedVSAvoidregion detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the character recognition process into multiple stages: first detecting candidate regions using edge detection, then validating each candidate by checking for character presence using template matching or neural networks. This segmentation allows simple initial detection followed by precise verification, resolving the contradiction between speed and accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary validation step between region detection and character recognition. This intermediary process checks whether detected regions actually contain characters by comparing against character templates or using neural network classification, preventing erroneous detection of non-character objects while maintaining efficient initial detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If edge detection and line detection techniques are used to detect the boundary of the character recognition region, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregion boundary detection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary edge detection and line detection to quickly identify potential character recognition regions before performing more complex validation. By preparing candidate regions in advance using these detection techniques, the system improves boundary accuracy while managing complexity through staged processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing qualities to different regions: simple edge and line detection is applied to the entire image to find candidates, while more complex character validation is applied only to the detected candidate regions. This local quality approach improves overall accuracy without uniformly increasing complexity across the entire processing pipeline.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of information

If the entire image is selected for character recognition when the detected region size is less than the predetermined size, then no character information is lost, but the recognition processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharacter information completenessVSAvoidrecognition processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a size threshold as a decision criterion: when the detected region is smaller than the threshold, it selectively processes only that region (partial action), but when the threshold is not met, it processes the entire image (excessive action) to ensure no character information is lost. This approach balances information completeness with processing efficiency based on detected region characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3660729B1Electronic device and character recognition method thereof
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3660729B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3660729B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3660729B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device and a character recognition method thereof. The electronic device may include a housing, a touchscreen display exposed through a first portion of the housing, an image sensor exposed through a second portion of the housing, a wireless communication circuit located in the housing, a processor operatively coupled to the touchscreen display, the image sensor, and the wireless communication circuit, and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The memory may store instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to control the electronic device to display a user interface including an image acquired from the image sensor or stored in the memory, and recognize a region including a text in the image for optical character recognition by detecting a boundary of the region, comparing a size of the region with a predetermined size, and selecting the region for the optical character recognition based at least in part on the comparison result. Other various embodiments are also possible.