Visual enhancement for reduction of visual noise in a text field

Abstract

The present invention provides for visual enhancement of text. A text area is selected. A plurality of non-identical images of the text area are captured. Background information is removed from these images. The contrast characteristics of text area of the plurality of images are increased. The contrasted images are combined so as to increase their effective resolution. In an alternative embodiment, the text picture is broken up into a plurality of component colors, and these colors are then sharpened and recombined.

1 . A method for providing visual enhancement of text comprising:
 selecting a text area   capturing a plurality of non-identical images of the text area;   removing background information from these images;   increasing contrast characteristics of text area of the plurality of images;   combining these contrasted images so as to increase their effective resolution.   
     
     
         2 . A system for a enhancing text with the use of a digital input device coupled to a digital processing device, the digital processing device comprising:
 means for partitioning an image received into a plurality of areas;   means for selecting a pixel within a text image;   means for determining a local minimum contrast and a maximum contrast in a radius of pixels from the selected pixel wherein the radius comprises at least two pixels;   means for setting a first contrast measurement equal to the difference between the maximum contrast of a pixel in the radius of pixels from the minimum contrast of a pixel in the radius of pixels;   means for determining if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, means for calculating a first pixel value and a second pixel value;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, means for averaging the first pixel value and the second pixel value; and   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, setting the contrast of the selected pixel to the average of the first pixel value and the second pixel value thereby enhancing the text image.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein if the measured contrast is not greater than or equal to a threshold, and the selected pixel is less than a second threshold, means for setting the contrast of the pixel equal to black. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein if the measured contrast is greater than or equal to a threshold, and the selected pixel is less than a second threshold, means for setting the contrast of the pixel equal to white. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the step of calculating the first pixel value further comprises means for computing an average pixel contrast of the selected radius. 
     
     
         6 . A computer program product for providing visual enhancement of text, the computer program product having a tangible computer-readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:
 computer code for selecting a pixel within a text image;   computer code for determining a local minimum contrast and a maximum contrast in a radius of pixels from the selected pixel wherein the radius comprises at least two pixels;   computer code for setting a first contrast measurement equal to the difference between the maximum contrast of a pixel in the radius of pixels from the minimum contrast of a pixel in the radius of pixels;   computer code for determining if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for calculating a first pixel value and a second pixel value;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for calculating a first pixel value and a second pixel value;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for averaging the first pixel value and the second pixel value; and   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for setting the contrast of the selected pixel to the average of the first pixel value and the second pixel value thereby enhancing the text image.   
     
     
         7 . A processor for providing visual enhancement of text, the processor including a computer program comprising:
 computer code for selecting a pixel within a text image;   computer code for determining a local minimum contrast and a maximum contrast in a radius of pixels from the selected pixel wherein the radius comprises at least two pixels;   computer code for setting a first contrast measurement equal to the difference between the maximum contrast of a pixel in the radius of pixels from the minimum contrast of a pixel in the radius of pixels;   computer code for determining if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for calculating a first pixel value and a second pixel value;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for calculating a first pixel value and a second pixel value;   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for averaging the first pixel value and the second pixel value; and   if the first contrast measurement is equal to or greater than a threshold, computer code for setting the contrast of the selected pixel to the average of the first pixel value and the second pixel value thereby enhancing the text image.   
     
     
         8 . A method for enhancing at least one color image, comprising:
 separating the image into a plurality of color channels;   enhancing each color channel of the plurality of color channels;   finding a regional alignment for at least one color channel of the plurality of color channels for the image with other images;   zooming each channel of the plurality of color channels by a predetermined factor;   zooming the regional alignments by the predetermined factor;   locally aligning the plurality of color channels from the at least one image;   combining the plurality of color channels from the at least one image; and   regionally aligning and combining, with the other images, the plurality of color channels that have been combined from the at least one image employing scaled displacements.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of separating the image into a plurality of color channels further comprises separating the image into a red color channel, a blue color channel, and a green color channel; 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of finding a regional alignment for at least one color channel of the plurality of color channels for the image with other images further comprises determining an approximate displacement of each pixel in the at least one image with respect to the other images. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determining an approximate displacement of the at least one image with respect to the other images further comprises:
 searching the other images at a number of discrete locations for corresponding regions where an intensity pattern matches; and   interpolating discrete displacements to determine an approximate displacement for each pixel.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the interpolation method is a bilinear interpolation method. 
     
     
         13 . A system for enhancing an image, comprising:
 extracting at least one text region from each image of a plurality of images in a video stream;   evaluating quality of the at least one text region with respect to needs of subsequent processing;   providing real-time feedback to the user from evaluations;   repeating until a desired quality of each images of the plurality of images.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the system further comprises holding a camera by a user. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the system further comprises holding paper contain the plurality of images.