Whiteboard Image Capture Using Blockwise Motion Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for capturing and sharing information from whiteboards, such as photographs, often result in poor quality images with distortions and reflective issues, and dedicated scanners are cumbersome and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A method involving camera data processing to filter out users and their writing tools from image frames, using blockwise processing and normalization to distinguish between user motion and writing/drawing, and outputting undistorted, reflection-free writing/drawing data, which can be shared or stored for later use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a photograph is taken with a mobile phone to capture whiteboard information, then the capture process is simple and quick, but the image quality is poor with distortions and reflective light
Solution Approach 1:
The image processing system divides the captured image into multiple blocks and processes each block independently to identify and remove user occlusions while preserving whiteboard content, thereby improving image quality without complicating the capture process
Solution Approach 2:
A processing server acts as an intermediary between the mobile phone camera and the final output, receiving raw images, applying complex image processing algorithms to remove distortions and reflections, and returning cleaned images to users
2Measurement precision
If a whiteboard with a built-in scanner is purchased, then the image capture quality improves, but the device becomes cumbersome and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the whiteboard content through image processing rather than requiring a physical scanning device, achieving high-quality capture using a standard mobile phone camera combined with software processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical scanning system with a software-based image processing system that uses algorithms to correct distortions, remove reflections, and isolate whiteboard content from the captured image
3Area of stationary object
If the camera is positioned to capture the entire whiteboard, then the coverage area increases, but distortions and reflective light regions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameters of the captured image through digital processing, adjusting for perspective distortion and reducing reflection visibility through image enhancement algorithms, thereby maintaining full whiteboard coverage without the harmful effects
Data Source
AI summary
Various approaches related to capturing content of erasable boards are discussed herein.