High-Resolution Whiteboard Capture With Stroke Reconstruction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video conferencing systems struggle to accurately capture and process whiteboard data due to issues like inadequate resolution, lighting artifacts, reflections, and obstructions, limiting the usability and accuracy of extracted data.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a high-resolution camera with a dual image pipeline, background optimization, color normalization, and stroke reconstruction to generate high-resolution whiteboard images, enabling intelligent data access and communication among participants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing video camera and video conferencing hardware are used to capture whiteboard content, then the system can capture whiteboard data, but the resolution and accuracy of the captured content are inadequate due to lighting artifacts, reflections, and obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing by capturing multiple frames and identifying stable regions before final image reconstruction. Key frames are selected based on stability analysis, and obstructions are detected and removed in advance of the final whiteboard image generation, preventing artifacts rather than correcting them later
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple copies of the whiteboard view from different time frames and uses image processing to reconstruct a high-resolution image. By capturing the same whiteboard content at different moments and combining these copies, the system overcomes the limitations of single-frame capture affected by lighting and obstructions
2Loss of information
If optical character recognition technologies are applied to extract data from whiteboard, then data extraction is possible, but the usability and accuracy of the extracted data are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces traditional OCR mechanical recognition with an intelligent multi-step process involving obstruction detection, stable region identification, and image reconstruction. This substitution enables more accurate data extraction by first ensuring the input image quality is optimized before recognition occurs
3Manufacturing precision
If standard video conferencing systems are used, then basic whiteboard capture is possible, but the system cannot produce high-resolution whiteboard images with consistent backgrounds and uniformly colored strokes
Solution Approach 1:
The image processing is divided into distinct segments: background identification, stroke detection, color normalization, and obstruction removal. Each segment handles a specific aspect of the processing, making the overall complex task manageable and effective. The background is segmented from strokes, and strokes are further segmented by color
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters including color values for normalization, resolution scaling factors, and timing parameters for frame selection. By systematically adjusting these parameters, the system transforms low-quality input frames into high-resolution output images with consistent backgrounds and uniform stroke colors
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for capturing time-stamped data from whiteboard video signals and producing high-resolution whiteboard images. Local patches around a multitude of pixels in the whiteboard are used in classifying background white pixels and foreground color pixels for each foreground marker color. Clustering is performed in alternative color spaces globally and locally in defining background white and each foreground marker color. Color normalization is performed for each foreground pixel classified as a foreground marker color and for each image sensor color plane separately utilizing the maximum local background white and the darkest pixel intensities in local patches. Strokes are reconstructed based on spline interpolation of inflection points of cross sections along the length of each stroke for a foreground marker color with a predetermined width. Also provided is an intelligent whiteboard collaboration system including a messaging utility whereby participants based on relevant biometrics information are enabled to access time-lapse whiteboard data and communicate with the system and other participants.