Virtual Universal Translator for Mobile Camera Text Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing language translation methods on mobile devices require manual input, limiting their effectiveness in translating foreign text encountered during travel, as users must type in text for translation, which is inconvenient and restrictive.
Innovation Solution
A Virtual Universal Translator (VUT) system that uses a mobile device's camera to automatically translate text in real-time by pointing the camera at text strings, overlaying the translated text over the captured image/video on the device's display, allowing continuous translation of new text strings without user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual text input is used for translation, then translation accuracy can be maintained, but user convenience and operational ease deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically captures text using the camera without requiring manual input from the user. The mobile device performs text recognition and translation autonomously, allowing the user simply to point the camera at the text and receive instant translation results overlaid on the display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual typing (mechanical keyboard input) with optical character recognition through the camera. This substitution eliminates the need for physical text entry while maintaining translation functionality, significantly improving ease of operation.
2Productivity
If real-time translation is implemented, then productivity and speed improve, but device complexity and processing requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs text recognition and translation in real-time as the camera captures the text, rather than requiring post-processing. The translation result is immediately overlaid on the display, providing instantaneous feedback and maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device leverages its existing camera and display capabilities for translation, making the device multi-functional. This approach avoids adding dedicated translation hardware while achieving real-time translation through software integration with existing components.
3Ease of operation
If text overlay is displayed on the camera view, then translation accessibility improves, but image quality and visual clarity may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The translation text is overlaid locally on or near the recognized text region in the camera view, rather than displaying it separately. This localized overlay allows users to immediately associate the translation with the source text while maintaining contextual awareness in the original image.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy of the translation text and superimposes it on the camera display. This copying approach allows the original image to remain visible while providing translation information, enabling users to see both the source and translated text simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for providing a virtual universal translator (VUT) for a mobile device so that a user of such mobile device can use the camera and display of the mobile device to translate text from one language to another language. As the user points the mobile device's camera at a particular text string, such text string is automatically translated by the VUT into a different language that was selected by the user and this translated text is then transposed over the currently viewed image or video in the display of the mobile device. The user can utilize the VUT to continuously pass the camera over additional text strings so that the translated text displayed over the viewed image or video is continuously updated for each new text string.