Smartphone Camera Document Fragment Retrieval via Search Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users have limited capabilities to interact with their smartphones during the photographing process, particularly in selecting specific objects from complex scenes and accessing full online documents from captured document fragments.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to retrieve objects from a physical media image using a smartphone camera, select a subset of objects, form a search query based on the selected objects, and apply the query to a search engine to find full online copies of documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users capture document fragments using smartphone cameras, then digital copying of paper documents is achieved, but users cannot access full online documents from the captured fragments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a search engine as an intermediary between the captured document fragment and the full online document. The system extracts text from the captured image, forms search queries, and uses the search engine to locate and retrieve the complete document, thereby bridging the gap between fragment and full version
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary text extraction and search query formation automatically after capturing the document fragment. By preparing the search query in advance based on the captured content, the system enables faster and more accurate retrieval of the full document without requiring manual user input
2Measurement precision
If users manually select objects from complex scenes, then precise object selection is achieved, but interaction complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic object detection and selection without requiring manual user intervention. The camera application automatically identifies document regions, extracts text, and generates search queries, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring user configuration or selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical selection (user tapping or dragging to select objects) with automated computer vision and optical character recognition systems. The system uses image processing algorithms to automatically detect, segment, and extract text from captured images, substituting manual interaction with automated computational processes
Data Source
AI summary
Searching for documents includes retrieving objects from a physical media image using a camera from a smartphone, a user selecting a subset of the objects, forming a search query based on the subset of objects, and applying the search query to a search engine to search for the documents. Retrieving objects from a media image may include waiting for a view of the camera to stabilize. Waiting for the view of the camera to stabilize may include detecting changing content of a video flow provided to the camera and/or using motion sensors of the camera to detect movement. Retrieving objects may include the smartphone identifying possible subsets of objects in the media image. The user selecting a subset of the objects may include the smartphone presenting at least some of the possible subsets to the user and the user selecting one of the possible subsets.